On a Pale Horse (Incarnations of Immortality, Book 1) (Hardcover)

by Piers Anthony (Author) "Death," the proprietor said clearly, showing the stone..." (more)
Key Phrases: green mother, preying mantis, first miner, Prince of Evil, Father of Lies, Hot Smoke (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
The first of another five-book fantasy series from the prolific, YA-ish, popular Anthony - centered on five "Incarnations of Immortality" (Time, War, Fate, Nature, Death) in a messy and illogical science/magic setting. The focus here is on Death, starting with the suicide preparations of guilt-ridden, down-and-out Zane; in comes skeletal Death to claim his soul - but instead Zane shoots Death, and so is obliged to assume the office himself. Zane's ostensible function: to collect and weigh those few dying souls that aren't primarily good or evil, but balanced between the two. But he's really being manipulated by a powerful magician and the other Incarnations. . . who are out to foil Satan, who's hatching a vile plot to start World War III. It's Luna, the magician's comely daughter, in fact, who is fated to stop Satan. And though Satan has therefore arranged for her untimely demise, Zane (having fallen for Luna) refuses to take her soul, going on strike. So Satan abducts the living Luna to hell and threatens to kill Zane. . . but Zane can't collect his own soul: thus, Death has the power to defeat Satan. Rather more seriously intended than most Anthony offerings, with satirical patches and lots of death-ly ruminations: a hardworking but lumpy and not-very-appealing stew - mostly for loyal fans. (Kirkus Reviews) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description
When Zane shot Death, he learned, too late, that he would have to assume his place, speeding over the world riding his pale horse, and ending the lives of others. Sooner than he would have thought possible, Zane found himself being drawn to Satan's plot. Already the Prince of Evil was forging a trap in which Zane must act to destroy Luna, the woman he loved...unless he could discover the only way out....
The first novel of the INCARNATIONS OF IMMORATLITY series.
--This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 249 pages
• Publisher: Del Rey; First Edition Hardcover edition (September 12, 1983)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345309243
• ISBN-13: 978-0345309242
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (204 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #784,289 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

• This is item 1 in The Incarnations of Immortality Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the not-so-grim Reaper, December 13, 2000

By	Kevin D. Flythe "yesterdays_son" (Greenville, NC USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: On a Pale Horse (Incarnations of Immortality, Bk. 1) (Mass Market Paperback)

This is the first Piers Anthony book I ever read, and I read it for all the wrong reasons. I read it because the title intrigued me. I read it because it had a really cool cover. I was young and still judged many books on that basis. Fortunately, I hit the jackpot with this one.

I give this book five stars because it earned each and every one of them. I can be stingy with my stars at times, but I wonder if five is enough for this one. On A Pale Horse is book 1 of the Incarnations of Immortality, but don't be intimidated by the prospect of buying all the others because this one's a heavyweight all by its lonesome (it's the only one I've personally read so far). The main character is Zane, who is forced to take over the position of Death when he accidentally shoots and kills the previous Death (who had the misfortune of barging in a bit prematurely during Zane's suicide attempt). This sounds a little wacky, and it is, but wonderfully so.

From there, the book continues to tell the story of Zane as he learns the ropes of Reaping. The main plot involves Satan trying to lure Death into a scheme that involves him killing this girl he's come to love. The whole idea of Satan vs. Death is very cool, and is worth the price of the book alone. However, said plot, while awesome, was not my favorite part of the book because there's just so much dang cool stuf in here! For one thing, the book is hilarious, while several humorous moments in which Zane finds that Reaping isn't as easy as it looks. There's also a wonderful world Anthony has created that blends science and magic. And one thing that Anthony pulls off that few can is to, among a book filled with both laughs and adventure, weave in some deeply profound philosophical perspectives (on Death, of course).

This book just had it all, and it had some very unique ideas about Death and salvation. One thing I must say, though(and I hate having to say it, but I have to because there are some really stupid people out there) is that this is a work of fiction. I am a Christian and realize that some of the ideas presented in this book are at odds with my own personal beliefs, but that doesn't mean I can't enjoy and appreciate the originality and creativity of them. In other words, for all you "muggles" out there, Piers isn't trying to convert anybody to his way of thinking. He just wants to give us a good book and he does. As for those of you who may disagree with me, I say this: if you are really afraid that reading things like this will actually cause you to change your deepest beliefs, it's high time you took a look inside yourself and determine just how deep your belief is in the first place. Your beliefs should come from within yourself, not the most recent thing you've read.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Death is only the beginning [no spoilers], June 11, 2006

By	Oscar "DaRK KNighT" (St. Louis, MO) - See all my reviews

This review is from: On a Pale Horse (Incarnations of Immortality, Bk. 1) (Mass Market Paperback)

"On A Pale Horse" begins the "Incarnations of Immortality" series as an immature Zane seeks to improve his dismal life in a world filled with a curious blend of magic, religion, and science. Rudimentary character growth and environmental imagery laced among stereotypical behavior of mostly chauvinistic male and scatterbrained female figures cater to the young reader with the typical vocabulary in most fast-paced Piers Anthony storyline. Regrettably an ominous intensity and the dreadful powers of Death could have created a genuinely classic novel.

Zane must deal with the difficulties of a new job as he maintains a personal life. The novel introduces a gripping view of the Grim Reaper, since death can be a fearsome and at times welcome aspect in life. Death has the proverbial scythe and Deathsteed (which has a science influence as well), along with the duty of collecting souls to be possibly in part judged by him for final destination. A brief introduction to the other major Incarnations, featured in following tales of the series, include Time, Fate, War, Nature, Evil, and Good.

Although the novel handles the Incarnation of Death, the eternal battle between Heaven and Hell exposes little concerning Hell and naught about Heaven to the reader. While long-winded logical conclusions govern most of the fast dialogue between characters, the author conducts the space/time continuum paradox in a masterly fashion.

I recommend this series to any fan of the fantasy genre. However those of a highly inflexible religious background or intolerant attitude towards religion might want to avoid the selection.

Thank you.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting and thought-provoking., June 13, 2000

By	Rachel (Beavercreek, Ohio) - See all my reviews

This review is from: On a Pale Horse (Incarnations of Immortality, Bk. 1) (Mass Market Paperback)

This book is an adventure from the very beginning when a man named Zane is basically cheated out of what he thought was his only chance at true love and wealth. When he decides to commit suicide he is visited by a dark figure and shoots him instead. What he doesn't realize is that he has just shot Death, and now he must take on his role of office. Basic job: Go to the people whose lives are in balance of both good and evil, collect their souls, and decide whether they should be taken to Heaven, Hell, or Purgatory. On his job he meets a lovely woman named Luna Kaftan, the daughter of the Magician Kaftan who's soul is in balance. He is sent to Purgatory. Luna and Zane (Death) fall in love until Satan comes into play. Luna is supposedly going to save the world from Satan twenty years' hence, which makes for an excellent novel of love, the Incarnations, magic, science, and the battle between Good & Evil.