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453rd out of 2,140 books
—
5,586 voters
With a Tangled Skein (Incarnations of Immortality #3)
When the man Niobe loved was shot, she learned that she had been the target, in a devious plot of the Devil's. Hoping for revenge, she discovered, too late, how intricate his scheming was, and that he had managed to trap her son and her granddaughter, Luna. Niobe's only chance to save them was to accept a challenge by the Prince of Deceit--a challenge to be decided in Hell...more
Mass Market Paperback, 416 pages
Published
September 12th 1986
by Del Rey
(first published 1985)
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Reading Piers Anthony can be a bit of a bumpy ride.
His books usually feature some minor detours into ploddyville and at least one horrible sightseeing escapade through skeevytown that leaves you feeling soiled and very uncomfortable.
So I grant you that there is definitely potential for some boring and the genuine risk of UGH in a Piers Anthony tale.
However, for all the literary potholes and ICKness he pours into his stories, thispervy old man is also a creative GENIUS who can occasionally sp...more
His books usually feature some minor detours into ploddyville and at least one horrible sightseeing escapade through skeevytown that leaves you feeling soiled and very uncomfortable.
So I grant you that there is definitely potential for some boring and the genuine risk of UGH in a Piers Anthony tale.
However, for all the literary potholes and ICKness he pours into his stories, this
I picked up this book in part because I'd heard a lot of good things about Piers Anthony's Incarnations of Immortality series and in part because it revolved around one of my favourite mythological trios, the three Fates. On both counts I was disappointed.
Misogyny and racefail abound. The Fates, while ostensibly powerful and influential beings, are expected to fulfil 'traditional' female roles: Atropos, the Crone, must perform "grandmotherly functions", while Mother-archetype Lachesis does the...more
Misogyny and racefail abound. The Fates, while ostensibly powerful and influential beings, are expected to fulfil 'traditional' female roles: Atropos, the Crone, must perform "grandmotherly functions", while Mother-archetype Lachesis does the...more
Once again this series seems to be somewhat more intriguing that many of Anthony's other books, and does show that he has an ability to weave a good story. I may sound corney using the term weave in this context (as I will explain) but while I would hesitate to read it again, I guess my friend was right when he suggested that Anthony had dumped some good series to focus on the Xanth series, which in his opinion, had become much more depressing after Anthony began to write for a young disabled g...more
Oh god, I am so ashamed that I like this book. Piers Anthony is one of those authors that you almost can't check out of the library for sheer embarrassment.
His books aren't very well written, they're in a large part pervy fan-fiction-esque fluff, and they often contain material that makes me wonder why a raging feminist hasn't offed him yet. At the same time, I can't help falling for the characters, and I actually really like fluff...
But that's not to say that With a Tangled Skein doesn't also...more
His books aren't very well written, they're in a large part pervy fan-fiction-esque fluff, and they often contain material that makes me wonder why a raging feminist hasn't offed him yet. At the same time, I can't help falling for the characters, and I actually really like fluff...
But that's not to say that With a Tangled Skein doesn't also...more
This is really a review for the entire series, or at least the first three novels. It's been awhile because I read these books 20 years ago, but I believe it was the third book, With a Tangled Skein, that I closed the book and vowed never to read another book by Piers Anthony again. I have no idea if he's a misogynist. Maybe he is, maybe he isn't. But he certainly writes like one.
Not only is it offensive that the few female gods he has have to service sexually the male gods - bad enough! I mean...more
Not only is it offensive that the few female gods he has have to service sexually the male gods - bad enough! I mean...more
This was my first Incarnations of Immortality book, but it got me into them. I do, however, recommend reading them in order, because some of this story was a bit confusing until I back tracked and read the previous books. I really got into them but never got to finish the series, and hope to pick it up again. I might just start the whole series over again. Not a great chore since I liked them so much in the first place. there is just a lot of detail in there, that, if you space the books out, yo...more
I read a few others from this series as a teenager. The series deals with the personages of death, time, fate, nature, evil, etc. "With a Tangled Skein" is about fate, who is actually three people in one--Clotho, the young attribute who gathers threads of life from the void, Lachysis, the middle-aged one who arranges them on the tapestry of life, and Atropos, the old one who cuts the threads.
Niobe Kaftan starts out as a mortal woman who becomes Clotho, then becomes mortal again for a while and t...more
Niobe Kaftan starts out as a mortal woman who becomes Clotho, then becomes mortal again for a while and t...more
I haven’t yet posted on the Incarnations of Immortality series, but book 3 seemed like a good place to start. While I enjoyed one and two, this one is so far my favorite. This could possibly be because I love the idea of fate, and I love the way Anthony portrays it in the book.
Niobe’s husband is killed and she goes to try her luck with the Incarnations at keeping him alive. Instead, they offer her the position of Clotho, the spinner of the threads of mortality and one of three women that inheri...more
Niobe’s husband is killed and she goes to try her luck with the Incarnations at keeping him alive. Instead, they offer her the position of Clotho, the spinner of the threads of mortality and one of three women that inheri...more
While not the best of the Incarnations series, it is still a solid read - but then, the entire Incarnations series (if you don't count book 8) are all great reads. This was actually the second book I read (after Being a Green Mother, both books I read about 10 years ago) so I was a bit confused with some of the events. But now having read books 1 and 2, I can appreciate and understand this book much better.
The idea of three women having to share one body at all times is daunting. I can understan...more
The idea of three women having to share one body at all times is daunting. I can understan...more
The third “Extraordinary” book in the series “Incarnations of Immortality”. This was a great book. Niobe is a beautiful woman who is betrothed to a well boy of only 16 to her 21. She goes along with it for her family then finds she does love him. But as she suffers loss she looks for revenge which has her becoming an aspect of Fate. Of course this is all somehow all related to stop Satan’s plot to win the world. Will he ever be stopped? Will Niobe have the power to save her family?
I love Niobe,...more
I love Niobe,...more
Jan 15, 2011
Chak
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Fantasy readers.
Recommended to Chak by:
Bookshelf at the YMCA
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
A Pale Horse (Death) will probably always have a soft spot in my love of this series simply because it was my introduction to it, but With a Tangled Skein will climb on top with my favourite read so far. There were absolutely no lulls in the book, as you are captured with each chapter and driven to read the next one. The connections between A Pale Horse and With a Tangled Skein are very familial with the Magician and Luna being woven into son and granddaughter of Niobe, who took her turns with B...more
Let me start off by saying I haven't read any other books in this series. I think this is book 3 or something.
Anyway, I read this book back in high school and I thought I'd pick it back up again...and it was just as good as I remembered it.
The story is good, the characters are believable and interesting, and the last third of the book is exciting and fun to read. The story follows Niobe who becomes an Aspect of Fate following a tragedy in her family. It's an interesting book and it's fun to read...more
Anyway, I read this book back in high school and I thought I'd pick it back up again...and it was just as good as I remembered it.
The story is good, the characters are believable and interesting, and the last third of the book is exciting and fun to read. The story follows Niobe who becomes an Aspect of Fate following a tragedy in her family. It's an interesting book and it's fun to read...more
This book rescued the series for me. I really considered giving up after Bearing an Hourglass. This one still had some of the tangents Anthony loves to go off on, but when I listened to a bit of his author's commentary that explained that he never gets writer's block because he just writes whatever comes to mind and his finished draft is never that different from his first, I understood why all that crap is there. I just wish he'd stick more to the story at hand, that's what I care about.
And in...more
And in...more
This is book #3 in Piers Anthony's Incarnations of Immortality series. If you've read my reviews of books 1 and 2, you know I'm not particularly impressed by them. The only reason I even attempted this book was that my completely mindless job allowed me to listen to audiobooks on my ipod while I worked and I had run out of other books. I still only managed to struggle through the first few chapters. By this point in the series, it's screamingly obvious that Anthony couldn't come up with an origi...more
Finally a female protagonist! Loved it.
It's been a few weeks since I read this book so I don't remember all of the details too well. All I know for sure, is that I loved how this series is starting to become self-referential, and I'm looking forward to seeing how all the characters end up interacting with each other.
I'm super annoyed with Chronos. Everytime he's in a scene it's confusing and misleading. Wish he wasn't so obviously obnoxious. I didn't feel like this was the case in Pale Horse.
I...more
It's been a few weeks since I read this book so I don't remember all of the details too well. All I know for sure, is that I loved how this series is starting to become self-referential, and I'm looking forward to seeing how all the characters end up interacting with each other.
I'm super annoyed with Chronos. Everytime he's in a scene it's confusing and misleading. Wish he wasn't so obviously obnoxious. I didn't feel like this was the case in Pale Horse.
I...more
Yeah. It was okay.
I keep reading these 'cause I'm fascinated by the plot and I keep hoping that the characters will get better. They don't. They're really flat and unbelievable. There are several points where Piers gets feminine sexuality just plain wrong (see the part where the main character is about to get raped by a demon and says that only emotional harm would come of it *rolleyes*). I know the incredibly cliche female fantasy character should make me angry, but she's so pathetic I just can...more
I keep reading these 'cause I'm fascinated by the plot and I keep hoping that the characters will get better. They don't. They're really flat and unbelievable. There are several points where Piers gets feminine sexuality just plain wrong (see the part where the main character is about to get raped by a demon and says that only emotional harm would come of it *rolleyes*). I know the incredibly cliche female fantasy character should make me angry, but she's so pathetic I just can...more
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So far my favorite of the Incarnations of Immortality. Could be due to 2 reasons: 1) the main character is a strong willed Irish woman and 2) the majority of the book actually dealt with a major conflict! Yes it is true that things did not truly come to a head until it approached the end, but in this case it felt as if the plot was more balanced and the theme carried throughout the book rather than everything being crammed in at the end.
I must say that if Fate does exist as an incarnation, we wo...more
I must say that if Fate does exist as an incarnation, we wo...more
Not the strongest in the Incarnations series, I thought, but definitely surprising. I thought it was going to be a slow middle book, a placeholder for the series, but Anthony came through once again with a delightful and unique look at the Aspects of Fate. I love this series and highly recommend reading all of the books in order, although each can stand on its own. This one deals a lot more with sex and physicality than the first two books, which was interesting. And, of coure, the author's note...more
The Incarnations of Immortality books are pretty silly stuff really (in my opinion - naturally; you might well love them!). The bits at the ends of the books where the author writes how he wrote the books are more interesting and make me more sympathetic towards the series. Why did I read them then? Well, someone lent them to me and I'm just that combination of 'too polite to say no' and 'willing to try something different' to go for it.
I enjoyed the ones with a make protagonist more than those...more
I enjoyed the ones with a make protagonist more than those...more
I love science fiction and fantasy. I find many other genres too predictable. I have to say Piers Anthony is one of my favorite authors. (No relation)
This and all of the other books i've read from Piers have been very very entertaining. The man has an incredible imagination.
I'm not adding specific reviews because it would take at least a month. I've simpply read too many.
The stars will have to suffice. If you enjoy sci-fi and or fantasy, you have to Give Piers a try. I have not been disappoint...more
This and all of the other books i've read from Piers have been very very entertaining. The man has an incredible imagination.
I'm not adding specific reviews because it would take at least a month. I've simpply read too many.
The stars will have to suffice. If you enjoy sci-fi and or fantasy, you have to Give Piers a try. I have not been disappoint...more
In the third book of the Incarnations series, With a Tangled Skein, Piers Anthony tackles the aspect of Fate. An immortal divided into three parts: Clotho - who weaves the threads of life, Lachesis - who measures the threads and Atropos - who cuts the threads. Niobe Kaftan, the most beautiful woman of her generation, takes on the role of Clotho in her youth and later is given the opportunity to return as Lachesis. Niobe must use her powers as Fate to foil that wacky Satan and his devious plots....more
"'I must save him!'
Chronos glanced at Thanatos, who shrugged...they seemed very much like mortal men, baffled by the hysteria of a mortal women...Niobe began to cry. She put her face in her hands, and her tears streamed in little rivulets through her spread fingers.
'Perhaps a female Incarnation would handle this better' Thanatos said, evidently feeling awkward. Men tended to, in such situations; they didn't understand about crying." (Anthony 63)
Piers Anthony's "With a Tangled Skein" is about a y...more
Chronos glanced at Thanatos, who shrugged...they seemed very much like mortal men, baffled by the hysteria of a mortal women...Niobe began to cry. She put her face in her hands, and her tears streamed in little rivulets through her spread fingers.
'Perhaps a female Incarnation would handle this better' Thanatos said, evidently feeling awkward. Men tended to, in such situations; they didn't understand about crying." (Anthony 63)
Piers Anthony's "With a Tangled Skein" is about a y...more
The third book in the Incarnations of Immortality series is one of my favorites, one that I've read tons of times. We finally meet one of the female Incarnations and she is awesome. Born to a semi wealthy family and a skilled weaver, she is forced into an arranged marriage with a much young man, a boy really. He is just starting college and Niobe, at first, wants nothing to do with it, even though it will bring her family the proper connections. Over time though, she quickly finds herself loving...more
I really enjoyed the first book, On a Pale Horse. The universe was exciting as there was a great mix of magic and science. Also the discussion of death and how it was a natural and necessary part of existence was thought provoking and comforting without being morbid. I had hoped that the other books in the incarnation series would be similar and expand that universe some more. Instead each of these books seems to become less interesting as I progress in the series. Not only was there less use of...more
This entry into the series works remarkably well. The first half of the book covers the origins of Niobe who later becomes the Incarnation of Fate. It gives a pretty good back story for her and does a very good job of detailing the intricacies of how Fate works. Fate turns out to made up of 3 different people who covers its 3 aspects: Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos.
Anthony does a great job of not only weaving Niobe's immortal life into a larger story arc but her mortal life as well. Niobe turns o...more
Anthony does a great job of not only weaving Niobe's immortal life into a larger story arc but her mortal life as well. Niobe turns o...more
Once again, I find that the volumes I remembered as favorites hold the test of time. Although I am still much more conscious, and not completely happy, with how Anthony portrays the differences between the genders, the story of Fate is truly intriguing.
Biggest gripe: His interepretation of the role of Clotho.
Biggest Pro: The integration of the role of Fate with the rest of the Incarnation roles, and the character of Niobe, in all stages of life.
Biggest gripe: His interepretation of the role of Clotho.
Biggest Pro: The integration of the role of Fate with the rest of the Incarnation roles, and the character of Niobe, in all stages of life.
This is the same tale as On A Pale Horse but told from the Incarnation of Fate's point of view. Anthony makes the Incarnations real people with real stories but at the same time it's all one story told from 7 different points of view. The main story centers around one woman who is also destined to die but depending on her life balance, she could be come Satan's worst enemy or his greatest ally. The other incarnations must work to save her from Satan.
This series was delightful. Not only were the characters well rounded, but the story lines made me think in new ways. I completely enjoyed the author's views! I also was amazed that each book stood alone so well and were all designed so they could be read in any order with no loss of ideas or integrity to the story. The trinity was woven so completely into the tapestry that I carried away with me new understanding.
In Niobe, I encountered an interesting woman who has to come to grips with challenges and tragedies. By the end of the book, I found that I liked her. While it isn't necessary to like the protagonist to enjoy a book, my engagement with Niobe was a measure of how well rounded and interesting the character was that Piers Anthony created. Also, it was nice to read about a strong and intelligent female incarnation.
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Though he spent the first four years of his life in England, Piers never returned to live in his country of birth after moving to Spain and immigrated to America at age six. After graduating with a B.A. from Goddard College, he married one of his fellow students and and spent fifteen years in an assortment of professions before he began writing fiction full-time.
Piers is a self-proclaimed environm...more
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“Enough , you hens!" Niobe exploded. "It's tentative!"
Lachesis snorted "As tentative as a pregnancy,girl!”
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Lachesis snorted "As tentative as a pregnancy,girl!”
Dec 15, 2011 05:11pm
Dec 15, 2011 05:35pm