Rating: 
Summary: Best of Both Worlds
Review: I read "Split Infinity" in 1981. It was my first science fiction novel (and my first Piers Anthony novel), and I got hooked for good on the genre. The hero of the novel is a jockey named Stile who lives on a high tech hedonistic world called Proton. The landscape of this futuristic "Monte Carlo" has been destroyed by pollution, so people live indoors and enjoy a life of sports and games of chance. Permanent residency, however, is only open to those who have won enough games to obtain Citizen status. After an assasination attempt, Stile is assisted by a lovely robotic woman in an escape through a strange energy field. He emerges onto Phase, a gorgeous wilderness that is deadly for people without magical abilities. As Stile travels through Phase with a shapechanging unicorn and werewolf, he learns he does have magical talent- and a murdered alter ego. Suspecting that his alter ego's death and his own assasination attempt are linked, Stile "jumps" between both worlds to solve this mystery and determine which world will be his future home. Piers Anthony provides many interesting characters, including a compassionate hero, a beautiful robot dedicated to advancing civil rights for robots, a dashing werewolf prince questioning his peoples violent society, and an eloquent unicorn who speaks with music rather than words. There are many messages here concerning racism,cooperation,ecology, and the power of music. Piers Anthony's later books are entertaining, but they have never attained the power of the Apprentice Adept Series.
Rating:
Summary: Best of Both Worlds
Review: I read "Split Infinity" in 1981. It was my first science fiction novel (and my first Piers Anthony novel), and I got hooked for good on the genre. The hero of the novel is a jockey named Stile who lives on a high tech hedonistic world called Proton. The landscape of this futuristic "Monte Carlo" has been destroyed by pollution, so people live indoors and enjoy a life of sports and games of chance. Permanent residency, however, is only open to those who have won enough games to obtain Citizen status. After an assasination attempt, Stile is assisted by a lovely robotic woman in an escape through a strange energy field. He emerges onto Phase, a gorgeous wilderness that is deadly for people without magical abilities. As Stile travels through Phase with a shapechanging unicorn and werewolf, he learns he does have magical talent- and a murdered alter ego. Suspecting that his alter ego's death and his own assasination attempt are linked, Stile "jumps" between both worlds to solve this mystery and determine which world will be his future home. Piers Anthony provides many interesting characters, including a compassionate hero, a beautiful robot dedicated to advancing civil rights for robots, a dashing werewolf prince questioning his peoples violent society, and an eloquent unicorn who speaks with music rather than words. There are many messages here concerning racism,cooperation,ecology, and the power of music. Piers Anthony's later books are entertaining, but they have never attained the power of the Apprentice Adept Series.
Rating:
Summary: Great Story!
Review: I read it because it had a unicorn on the cover. Boy, was I in for a great ride (just like he was). I enjoyed it so much, I had to read the entire series again and again. The first of more and better.
Rating:
Summary: Piers' best
Review: I read this series back in the 1980s when I was a teenager, and I remember loving it. Like most of Piers Anthony's works, it's light and airy and aimed more at the younger reader than an adult looking for a serious or literary work of fiction.Nevertheless, the trilogy is a very enjoyable read, and even better because it's just a trilogy. Unlike many of Anthony's stories that seem to extend over an infinte number of books, this trilogy has a definite ending with book three. Between here and book three (Juxtaposition: a lovely name for a novel, isn't it?) you'll be treated to a wonderfuly imaginative fantasy story involving robots, magic, and even politics. Defintely Piers Anthony at his best.
Rating:
Summary: A long time ago... Oh wrong story...
Review: I read this series when they first came out. A friend suggested Piers Anthony to me. I thought, "What a peculiar name",but I read Split Infinity and could not put it down! I ran to the store upon completion and snapped up the rest of the series and couldn't put them down either. Such LUSH imagery and inventive scenarios, and characters so well developed, you felt you knew them, and on top of all that, totally unpredictable outcomes. Highly recommended if you can find it. Some adult content.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutly Fantastic
Review: I really must say that The Aprentice Adept Series is the best series I have ever read. It is original, thoughtful and basically the most enjoyable series anyone could hope to read. Anthony really is a genius, this is by far his best series. I really belive that there is no other series on the planet that compares to the Aprentice Adept series. It thourougly pleased me from the moment I began to read "Split Infinity", to the moment I put down "Phase Doubt". I will admit that the last 4 books although exceptional were not as good as the original trilogy. But they were all brilliant in every sense of the word. A must read series for everybody. Thanks Piers Anthony for the greatset series on Earth.
Rating:
Summary: This is what started it all!
Review: I was not much of a book reader. I found a copy of Split Infinity at the bus I was on and started reading it. I was wondering why the book cover had a picture of a unicorn and the first few chapters clearly depicted a science fiction (future world) scenario. By the end of the book, I had to get my hands on Blue Adept and Juxtaposition. I have not found a book even remotely similar to the Apprentice Adept series since. The combination and relevance of both sci-fi world and fantasy world had been excellently written and the style of magic that Piers Anthony penned in this book was clearly unique. I will definitely let my kids read this book once they are able. I have been a Fantasy genre reader ever since I found this book.
Rating:
Summary: This is what started it all!
Review: I was not much of a book reader. I found a copy of Split Infinity at the bus I was on and started reading it. I was wondering why the book cover had a picture of a unicorn and the first few chapters clearly depicted a science fiction (future world) scenario. By the end of the book, I had to get my hands on Blue Adept and Juxtaposition. I have not found a book even remotely similar to the Apprentice Adept series since. The combination and relevance of both sci-fi world and fantasy world had been excellently written and the style of magic that Piers Anthony penned in this book was clearly unique. I will definitely let my kids read this book once they are able. I have been a Fantasy genre reader ever since I found this book.
Rating:
Summary: The finest book I've ever read
Review: I'm 29 and male, and I've read quite a bit of science fiction. I wanted to take the time to STRONGLY recommend this book (and Blue Adept and Juxtaposition) as, next to Michael Moorcock's Elric series, as the most engrossing, fascinating, otherworldly books I've ever read. Stile's character has a lot of depth, and his "internal monologue" really puts you into the story. The plot is vivid and fresh, full of creative characters and interesting situations. There are not many books I would give 5 stars to but this one, my long-standing favorite, is definitely tops.
Rating:
Summary: For all those Shannara and Deathgate fans...
Review: I've been an avid sci-fi/ fantasy reader for as long as I can remember. Just a word to anyone that thinks mages, Orcs, and dragons are somewhere out there, give this series a try. Imaginative, riveting, and just plain cool, these books make you want to start looking for a shield to will yourself through. It's something every self-willed machine dreams for and every 'corn, werewolf, and Adept live for.
|
