Customer Reviews

Battle circle

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is, without a dought, the most amazing piece of literature I have ever read. It is three books in one: Sos the rope, Var the sticks, and Neq the sword. Anthony intertwines them masterfully. He creates his own world that you will sucked into and accually start wishing our world was similar. The dimensions of this book are astounding. You will want to read it over and over

I picked up Battle Circle purely on a name-recognition basis, and was rewarded for my faith. The three volumes of Battle Circle are some of the least lighthearted of Piers Anthony's work. Sos the Rope, Var the Stick, and Neq the Sword are parts of a very tragic and captivating story. Par for the course for Anthony, the characters deal not only with their own situations, but with the ethical considerations associated with their actions and others'. For this reason his heroes always command respect and those of the Battle Circle, while violent and largely illiterate, are no exception.

The time is the barbaric future and you have to take up a militant profession to survive and live well.
Warriors, pick up a sword, a club or a rope and enter the Battle Circle to show your skills!
This is one of Anthony's seldom-talked-about-book and difficult to find in bookshops (at least in Singapore and Malaysia)compared to some of his other titles. Hey, even amazon.com has only a used copy for sale!
The trilogy trails the stories of Sos The Rope, Var The Stick and Neq The Sword (no prizes for guessing what weapons they use), with the tale turning from just another military fantasy type yarn, to post-Apocalypse sci-fi in an interesting manner.

Battle Circle incorporates the stories of SOS the rope, Var the stick, and Neq the sword: this is Piers Anthony work orginally published in the early 1970s.

The stories of SOS, Var, and Neq are based in a barbaric world (possibly america), where honour rules supreme, and disagreements are sorted by challenge and battle in the "circle". Each story is vastly entertaining and follows the trials and tribulations of each man fulfilling his destiny and dream/s.

An avid Piers Anthony fan, I believe that this novel is one of his best works and so was surprised that only used books are available for this novel!

Piers Anthony's Battle Circle is original, thought provoking, and evokes emotional interest/empathy with each character (which is something worth mentioning: a truly good author is hard to come by these days!).

In three words, I believe you will find this book: a timeless "keeper".

Battle Circle is a trilogy of Books - Sos the Rope, Var the stick and Neq the sword, available as a set in one volume. The story follows the life of a wandering warrior in a land of nomadic fighting tribes, and charts his adventures, and the changing fortunes of his empire. The book is perhapst he best work, and yet one of the least well known by this great author. The plot is watertight, and gripping, and the characters draw you into this wonderful work of storytelling. Excellent.

A very old series from Anthony, back from before he was rich and famous, but it's a very good series, one of the best he's written. I like it so much I've re-read it many times in the time I've owned it.

First of all, a word of warning. This series is very dark and gory, it will make you wince. Since I first read it, I've become old and cynical and all the gore and treachery I read in it is no more than what I've seen in every day life, but it really bothered me when I first read it as a young lad, such as the dismemberments, the rapes and the tortures - there, does it shock you yet?

Having said that, I think the impoverished Anthony poured his heart and soul into the book. What I like about this book and all of Anthony's good books is that he really invests his time in to the main characters, yes, he pours his heart and soul into writing them. They are fully fleshed and in our consciousness when we read them. Thus, I feel for Sos, or Sol of all weapons, or Var the stick. The characters stand out and up. And then Anthony discovered that the public would simply simper over light fantasy, and he poured his heart and soul into that. I don't think Anthony will ever write anything as good and as dark as Battle Circle. He is no longer hungry or impoverished. This series is a chapter in the life of Anthony pre-famous era and it's a gem.

I won't say much about the plot as you can read that above. I will only say that your soul and your mind will be taken into a deep and dark journey into a sadistic post-Apocalyptic future if you choose to read this book, and it's a real treat.

Piers Anthony may be best known for his tongue in check Xanth series, and for his Adept and Incarnation books, but he also has written some excellent "serious" sci-fi and fantasy. This is one of there, ranking ver close to his Bio of a Space Tyrant books.

I will not rehash what the other reviewers have covered so well, but let me just ad that this is a standout from my teenage reading days -- it made a big impression. If you are in the mood for a gritty, post-apocalyptic battle world where honor is everything, then this read should not dissappoint.

The first time I read this book I was about 12 years old and yes, I am a woman. I loved it and have read it a few more times since then. During the three stories the characters must master (or fail) tests of courage, skill, and strength. A must read for any fantasy fan.

This is really Piers Anthony's best book (although the Omnivore trilogy is great too.) A much different tone than his Xanth series. (Lacks the tongue in cheek playfulness that was fun for the first several Xanth books but began to cloy somewhere along the way.) A must read for Fantasy fans.

WHEN I FIRST READ THIS BOOK IN THE LATE 80'S I LOVED IT! I HAVE READ MANY FANTASY/SCIENCE FICTION BOOKS, AND THIS RANKS IN MY TOP 10. I HIGHLY RECOMEND IT.