Customer Reviews

On a Pale Horse

5 star:		(167)
4 star:		(27)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

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.

"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.

I read the first Xanth book (A Spell for Chameleon.) I picked up the second one (The Source of Magic) and got frustrated with it. The subject matter of the Xanth series only reaches so far as to cater to the 11-15 age range. Once you get beyond that, or at least for me, it becomes a little childish.

This book, however, was wonderfully mind stimulating. It probably would classify as a sci-fi book, which accounts for the futuristic Earth setting, but Anthony draws on his fantasy expertise to add flavor and gusto to this novel. It really is in a league of its own. I haven't even heard of a book or series that portrays the Incarnations (Death, Fate, Time, etc.) in such a special way, let alone have them as characters. The main reason I picked this book up in the first place was because of its unusual cover portraying Death in a yellow car (which we later learn is his Death Steed named Mortis.)

The story itself is riviting, drawing on many of the author's own feelings and thoughts to create an allegory (a work that can be read on two levels, in a literal way and then usually a deeper, more thought out way.) It has great action (sword fights, or actually scythe fights, damsels in destress, magicians, ect.) But what really got me was, the arch enemy of Death, the protagonist who is actually a human who assumed the post of Death after killing the previous Death, is Satan himself! What better foe could there be?

On a Pale Horse is a truly uncommon and unique book. It is fast paced and extremely interesting. I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

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.

Zane, a man down on his luck who suffers from seemingly bad choices throughout his life, accidentally kills the Incarnation of Death instead of himself and assumes his position. While he learns about his office, he realizes that the other Incarnations (war, time, nature, fate) are using him to prevent a conspiracy controlled by Satan from coming into existance.

"On a Pale Horse" is the first novel in the Incarnations of Immortality series, which describes the adventures of ordinary people cast into the personified roles of death, time, fate, nature, war, evil, and good. The seven books of the series vary in quality, but the highly imaginitive fictional universe and the intricate twining of the story, with the complete plot of each book coalescing into a single overstory, make the series a stimulating read. This first book is the most self-contained, however, and can be enjoyed fully without committing to the following six.

Zane is a desperate young man. Lonely, poor, and distressed, he seeks refuge from his mistakes in death. But when he tries to kill himself he ends up murdering Death instead and is forced to assume his office, collecting the souls of other mortals who die with no strong orientation to good or evil. His office - killing people and sending them to Heaven or Hell - disturbs him at first, but he begins to realize that death is a necessary part of life and that he can ease his clients' passage. In the course of his duties, he meets and falls in love with a young woman, Luna, who he learns is instrumental to foiling a plot masterminded by Satan (the incarnation of evil). To save the woman he loves - and also the world as he knows it - he must harness the full power of his office.

"On a Pale Horse" is an absorbing novel, structured for easy reading and an engrossing plot. It offers a slick, smart alternative reality and an interesting (quasi-religious) perspective on ideas such as good, evil, and death. However, the book's opening chapters are far less readable and interesting than its bulk, and the shallow writing and callow protagonist are frustrating throughout. The final chapters are exciting but uninspiring; although the author is clearly capable of writing a powerful novel he has chosen to write a fun one instead; "On a Pale Horse" is not a great book, but it is a great read.

Piers Anthony's problem is that he's very good at coming up with ideas but isn't actually a very good writer. Nowhere is it more obvious than in the Incarnations series, of which this is the first volume.

In On a Pale Horse, a down-and-out loser named Zane attempts to commit suicide, but upon seeing the spectre of Death approaching kills him instead. He who kills the Incarnation of Death becomes his successor, and Zane is cast adrift into a metaphysical storm as he struggles to both learn his new responsibilities and prevent a takeover of his job by Satan, the Incarnation of Evil.

This is a terrific, fascinating premise, totally let down by juvenile characterization, overreliance on sexual innuendo and lousy jokes, and Anthony's unfortunate tendency to shoehorn whatever he's currently reading into whatever he's currently working on (in this case, a theory of patterns of thought that's completely out of place).

This would be survivable (just like the Adept books rose above the writing style) except for one thing. Anthony just does not understand what makes two people fall in love, and considering that this book centers around a love story it qualifies as a fatal flaw. There is no earthly reason these two characters should fall in love; they go directly from being near-strangers to being willing to die for one another.

The ideas in the book are much better than their realization, and in any case it's still quite entertaining and worth the read. I'd stop here, though ... the next two books are mostly dreary with a few good parts, and the sixth book is excellent, but the rest of them are just intolerable.

Zane quickly realizes that shooting Death wasn't such a great idea. In Piers Anthony's thought provoking book, On a Pale Horse, Zane finds Fate is a lot more than just a figure of speech. Anthony paints a wonderfully realistic fantasy world that blends the benefits of advanced technology and the mystical powers of magic. The book is nothing less than a masterpiece of literature.

Zane is an intellectual with very bad luck. He is described as "a young man of no particular stature or distinction of feature, with acne scars that neither medication nor spot-spell had been able to eradicate entirely. His hair dishwater brown and somewhat unkempt, his teeth were unfashionably irregular. He was obviously a depressive type."

After getting cheated out of true love by a sales manager, he decides that the world isn't worth living in anymore. As he raises a gun to his head, the Grim Reaper himself walks in the door. Zane, feeling a sudden impulse to live, shoots Death right in his skeletal ghastly face, inadvertently killing him. At that moment, Zane is reinstated as the new Death and is swept into a fast pace adventure that includes romance, divine corruption, evil monsters from Hell itself, and Death's personal transportation unit, a pale horse named Mortis who can change into a car, a speedboat, and a plane at will.

There are some of you who may not understand how Death may travel about the world collecting the souls of all who die. Piers Anthony creates a novel theory of how the Grim Reaper goes about collecting souls. When people die, their souls will usually get themselves to heaven and hell without assistance. Only a small percentage needs the personal assistance of Death to collect and weigh their souls. The souls that are "in the balance," or have an equal amount of sin and goodness, are the ones that require the presence of Death.

For those of you who like romance, Zane gets himself plenty of it. Luna, the daughter of a powerful magician is forced into an evil plan, which involves her death; this will eventually allow Hell to gain easy access to all the souls of the world. Her father pushed his own sin onto Luna in order to put his soul into the balance so that he may have a meeting with Zane when he dies. Because of the weight of both her own sins and her father's, her soul is polarized to hell. Zane is called upon by her father to protect her from the forces of hell. Luna's father knows that if he can keep Luna alive long enough, she will be able to save the world from the forces of hell. As Death, Zane will offer her far more protection than any regular man. As Zane, he will redeem her soul and send her heavenward. This is just one of the many storylines that are in On a Pale Horse.

On a Pale Horse is a great read for all you adventure, fantasy, and sci-fi fans, as it is a superb mixture of all three. I loved the clever splice of the three genres. Piers Anthony's fantasy world was a not-so-distant future where science and magic coincide. Ghosts and warlocks stroll causally down the street next to everyday normal people just trying to get by. It is a world full of surprises and exciting activity.

Piers Anthony's defining writing style makes this story a fun and intriguing adventure that introduces interesting and original characters like the other incarnations of immortality: Fate, Time, and Nature. Even God makes a cameo appearance in one of Death's soul collecting jobs. On a Pale Horse is the first in the series of books, called "The Incarnations of Immortality," where the other books explain more about each of these characters. However, this book is by far the best in the series.

One a Pale Horse is a wonderfully complex book with many subplots and interesting theories. I would recommend it for those interested in both fantasy and science fiction. However, those of you who like strong characters and a fascinating plotline will also enjoy this book. If I were to grade this book, I would definitely give it an "A".

Piers Anthony is, in my opinion, one of the most talented authors in the sci-fi/fantasy genre that I have ever read. Simply the idea of the Incarnations of Immortality being run by mortals, and their trials and tribulations of those people make for a wonderful story that one cannot stop reading.

I must give you a fair warning though: This book begins a plot that doesnt end for another six books. If you are an avid reader and can't put a book down, I would suggest you don't start reading this...as I could not force myself to stop. I found myself going from store to store buying the rest of the series and reading them all within a 3 month period.

If you like this genre, you WILL like this book. I hope everyone else enjoys this book as much as I did.

Piers Anthony is one of the most prolific authors of our time and he knows how to do it right every time. From the Xanth series (VERY punny), to the Apprentice Adept books to the Incarnations of Immortality series of which this is one, he continually comes up with fresh, original storylines and great characters. This book is (marginally) my favorite of all of his works, as I don't think I have ever seen the Grim Reaper portrayed more sympathetically or with more humor. What makes this book even more attractive is that it's a VERY easy read. The story just carries you along to the end and you just don't want to put it down. No big words, no extremely complex concepts to comprehend (wow! Alliteration!), just a good old-fashioned read. Most of the books that I read nowadays are very rich in prose and dialogue and plot and words that you have to look up in the dictionary. Piers doesn't inflict that on you, he just tells it like it is and with style. I like that. Makes a good break from my usual reading. I'm sure it will for you, too. Read it, it's good!