Incarnations of Immortality — by Piers Anthony

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  On a Pale Horse
  

  • 1983
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  Book - 1
  

  THE MAN WHO MURDERED DEATH Shooting Death was a mistake, as Zane soon discovered. For the man who killed the Incarnation of Death was immediately forced to assume the vacant position! Thereafter, he must speed over the world, riding his pale horse...

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  Bearing an Hourglass
  

  • 1984
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  Book - 2
  

  Like On a Pale Horse, this second, complete-in-itself novel of the Incarnations of Immortality is a richly imagined and always fascinating story. And again, Piers Anthony adds to his gripping plot a serious, though-provoking study of good and evil.&#...

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  With a Tangled Skein
  

  • 1985
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  Book - 3
  

  Here in this third complete-in-itself novel of the Incarnations of Immortality, Piers Anthony weaves a fascinating plot as tangled as any skein of fate. This is Anthony at his most ingenious, with another gripping fantasy of the struggle of the incar...

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  Wielding a Red Sword
  

  • Oct-1986
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  Book - 4
  

  WAR-AND HELL Mym was a dutiful son, but his father the Rajah interfered in his love life once too often. Rather than wed without love, he took up the Red Sword, symbol of office of the Incarnation of War. At first he thought his efforts could a...

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  Being a Green Mother
  

  • Oct-1987
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  Book - 5
  

  THE GIFT AND THE CURSE Orb had a rare gift--the magic which manifested whenever she sang or played her harp. No one could resist her music. But greater magic than Orb's lay in the Llano, the mystic music that controlled all things. The quest for t...

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  For Love of Evil
  

  • 1988
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  Book - 6
  

  THE MAN WHO WOULD BE SATAN Parry was a gifted musician and an apprentice in the arts of White Magic. But his life of sweet promise went disastrously awry following the sudden, violent death of his beloved Jolie. Led down the twisted path of wic...

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  And Eternity
  

  • Jan-1990
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  Book - 7
  

  IN PURSUIT OF THE ULTIMATE GOOD After an overwhelming succession of tragedies, life has finally, mercifully ended for Orlene, once-mortal daughter of Gaea. Joined in Afterlife by Jolie -- her protector and the sometime consort of Satan himself -- t...

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  Under a Velvet Cloak
  

  • Jan-2008
  • 

  Book - 8
  

  The eighth book in Piers Anthony's Incarnations of Immortality series. It is the year 500 AD. Kerena, a beautiful young girl living near King Arthur's Camelot, is apprenticed to Morely the Seer. Morely teaches her fantastic magic, but when he mysteri...

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Series Premise

The Incarnations of Immortality series explores a world where abstract concepts like Death, Time, and Nature are personified by human beings who take on these eternal offices. Each book centers on the new Incarnation’s challenges, moral dilemmas, and impact on the human world.

Incarnations of Immortality Series Reading Order

The Incarnations of Immortality series does not need to be read in order. Each book tells a complete story with its own resolution. Continuity is limited to recurring characters and setting. Reading out of order does not cause confusion, as every novel introduces its featured Incarnation and core conflict clearly while sharing the same imaginative universe.

Explanation of reading order types

Incarnations of Immortality Series Characters

The series features different protagonists in each book, typically an ordinary person who unexpectedly assumes the role of an Incarnation, such as Zane becoming Death.

Setting of the Incarnations of Immortality Series

The stories take place in a version of Earth where magic and science coexist and where Incarnations manage the forces that shape human existence.

Tone & Themes of the Incarnations of Immortality Series

The tone blends fantasy, philosophy, and dark humor. Central themes include the nature of good and evil, the responsibilities of power, free will versus destiny, and the human side of eternal roles.

Is the Incarnations of Immortality Series Worth Reading?

This series appeals to readers who enjoy philosophical fantasy, creative world-building, and stories that examine big ideas through individual human experiences.

Content Warnings and Heat Level

Includes mature themes, some sexual content, and philosophical discussions of death; suitable for adult readers.

The Incarnations of Immortality series offers inventive and thought-provoking stories centered on different aspects of existence. Readers can start with any book and still enjoy a complete, self-contained tale.