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PAKK Trilogy #1
Virtue Inverted
Virtue Inverted is the first novel of a hard-hitting sword and sorcery trilogy by Piers Anthony and Ken Kelly. Benny Clout is a poor mountain boy who has found true love in Virtue the vampire. However, Virtue is not an ordinary vampire; she's actually a very nice girl. Her bites contain extraordinary power, but will that power be enough to combat the evil that awaits them?
- GenresFantasy
144 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2017
25 people are currently reading
71 people want to read
About the author
Piers Anthony
442 books4,222 followersThough 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 environmentalist and lives on a tree farm in Florida with his wife. They have two grown daughters.
Piers is a self-proclaimed environmentalist and lives on a tree farm in Florida with his wife. They have two grown daughters.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 23, 2017
*I read this in exchange for an honest review. This is taken from my book blog the eccentric trilogy*
This is about a chap named Benny who works in a pub for his friend Jack, where he pines hopelessly for his co-worker Nadia. Everything changes when two menacing strangers entice him into joining them on an adventure.
Benny irked me throughout the book, from his exasperation that Nadia would like a guy that was less attractive than he (because, of course, liking a guy for his personality would be crazy… right?!), to his lack of emotions when his brother randomly left. His shallow and vain attitude made him really difficult to like, in fact I found myself pegging for a giant or vampire to kill him at times. His feelings for Virtue developed remarkably quickly to love, and though I’m glad that he did not take advantage of her, I still thought she appeared more terrified of him than in love.
However, I did like the paternal styled relationship between Jack and Benny, their friendship was very sweet and protective. I couldn’t spot any notable spelling or grammar mistakes and the presentation of the novel is good, including a map at the start to help track Benny’s adventures. The plot progresses snappily, and there is a good amount of dialogue and description to keep the story moving.
There’s a vast number of women that have descriptions made up mostly of their voluptuous factors. The women rarely engaged in fighting or anything really aside from occasional bar-work, and frequently were introduced naked for some bizarre reason, which made them seem like sexual objects. Furthermore, there’s frequent joking references to sexual abuse, groping and rape – none of which are amusing at all, I wasn't keen of how lightly these issues were treated. There’s also some insinuations that being a less macho man is somehow inferior, which I also disliked.
It’s probably very obvious that this book was not at all to my taste, but that’s not to say that it’s not written well; the description in the prologue being especially lovely.
This is about a chap named Benny who works in a pub for his friend Jack, where he pines hopelessly for his co-worker Nadia. Everything changes when two menacing strangers entice him into joining them on an adventure.
Benny irked me throughout the book, from his exasperation that Nadia would like a guy that was less attractive than he (because, of course, liking a guy for his personality would be crazy… right?!), to his lack of emotions when his brother randomly left. His shallow and vain attitude made him really difficult to like, in fact I found myself pegging for a giant or vampire to kill him at times. His feelings for Virtue developed remarkably quickly to love, and though I’m glad that he did not take advantage of her, I still thought she appeared more terrified of him than in love.
However, I did like the paternal styled relationship between Jack and Benny, their friendship was very sweet and protective. I couldn’t spot any notable spelling or grammar mistakes and the presentation of the novel is good, including a map at the start to help track Benny’s adventures. The plot progresses snappily, and there is a good amount of dialogue and description to keep the story moving.
There’s a vast number of women that have descriptions made up mostly of their voluptuous factors. The women rarely engaged in fighting or anything really aside from occasional bar-work, and frequently were introduced naked for some bizarre reason, which made them seem like sexual objects. Furthermore, there’s frequent joking references to sexual abuse, groping and rape – none of which are amusing at all, I wasn't keen of how lightly these issues were treated. There’s also some insinuations that being a less macho man is somehow inferior, which I also disliked.
It’s probably very obvious that this book was not at all to my taste, but that’s not to say that it’s not written well; the description in the prologue being especially lovely.
August 16, 2017
For me, starting Virtue Inverted was a promising beginning. I enjoyed reading about a boy getting magically conned into going on an adventure with a strange otherworldly being and a corrupting hero. It was fun watching the unlikely trio interact with their surroundings. However, for me, as soon as our leading vampire lady, Virtue, was introduced the plot became muddled and the storyline went downhill.
Ken Kelly and Piers Anthony write in a way that makes their own voices distinct, but remain a nice blend of their narratives. For me, this was a better one of Piers Anthony as he reined in a bit of the sexual content, but not his strong male gaze (which I felt weakened much of Virtue’s character). However, I applaud both authors. Writing a narrative with someone else (especially a series) takes a strong dedication and love for what’s being wrote, and the passion that these two authors have for their work comes through strongly in their narratives.
Although, Virtue Inverted wasn’t for me it would be a great read for any of Ken Kelly and Piers Anthony’s fantasy fans.
DISCLAIMER: I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for writing a review. I was not obligated to give a positive review, and all thoughts are my own.
Ken Kelly and Piers Anthony write in a way that makes their own voices distinct, but remain a nice blend of their narratives. For me, this was a better one of Piers Anthony as he reined in a bit of the sexual content, but not his strong male gaze (which I felt weakened much of Virtue’s character). However, I applaud both authors. Writing a narrative with someone else (especially a series) takes a strong dedication and love for what’s being wrote, and the passion that these two authors have for their work comes through strongly in their narratives.
Although, Virtue Inverted wasn’t for me it would be a great read for any of Ken Kelly and Piers Anthony’s fantasy fans.
DISCLAIMER: I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for writing a review. I was not obligated to give a positive review, and all thoughts are my own.
August 14, 2017
Readers looking for a fun (and sometimes intense) fantasy romp of a book will enjoy Virtue Inverted. This book is a prime example of two writers collaborating, and I enjoyed the notes that appear at the end of the volume describing briefly what it was like to bring two authors, especially as the authors have two different worldviews.
The reading, as with many of Piers Anthony’s books, is light (although this one has some darker moments) and entertaining, a nice vacation of a book – even if that vacation involves giants and zombies. Yes, there is a lot going on here, enough to satisfy the avid fantasy and sci-fi reader, and more than your average dabble into sword and sorcery.
What is more, Virtue Inverted gives readers a vampire story that takes a more than slightly different approach than the ones we commonly find. Virtue, ironically, happens to be the name of the vampire.
The reading, as with many of Piers Anthony’s books, is light (although this one has some darker moments) and entertaining, a nice vacation of a book – even if that vacation involves giants and zombies. Yes, there is a lot going on here, enough to satisfy the avid fantasy and sci-fi reader, and more than your average dabble into sword and sorcery.
What is more, Virtue Inverted gives readers a vampire story that takes a more than slightly different approach than the ones we commonly find. Virtue, ironically, happens to be the name of the vampire.
July 31, 2017
Like other Piers Anthony stories, this one was okay for me. I liked it more than other ones I have read of his, but not enough to necessarily recommend it to my friends. For fans of Anthony’s short fantasy novels, this is one to add to your list. To be honest, I enjoyed the first quarter of the book. It contained all aspects of a fantasy story, including various creatures, interesting names, and adventures. However, when the introduction of Virtue occurred, the story took a turn for the worse in my opinion.
Fortunately, this wasn’t as sexual as some of his other stories, but it is still not one I enjoyed. I respect Anthony for continuing to write and for collaborating with authors who want to write and share their stories. I fully support any author who follows their dreams and helps others along the way. For me though, his writing style is not one that I prefer. It is a short, easy read that readers can quickly get through in one or two sittings.
DISCLAIMER: I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for writing a review. I was not obligated to give a positive review, and all thoughts are my own.
Fortunately, this wasn’t as sexual as some of his other stories, but it is still not one I enjoyed. I respect Anthony for continuing to write and for collaborating with authors who want to write and share their stories. I fully support any author who follows their dreams and helps others along the way. For me though, his writing style is not one that I prefer. It is a short, easy read that readers can quickly get through in one or two sittings.
DISCLAIMER: I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for writing a review. I was not obligated to give a positive review, and all thoughts are my own.
July 27, 2017
4 stars. A great collaboration between these two authors. You can still pick out individual writing styles, but only if you look. The story is fast paced and the book is a finish-in-an-afternoon read but is a must if you’re a fan of these authors’ previous works.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for writing a review. I was not obligated to give a positive review, and all thoughts are my own.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for writing a review. I was not obligated to give a positive review, and all thoughts are my own.
September 15, 2017
This was my first exposure to Piers Anthony. I've always seen his books on the library shelves but never picked one up and I don't really know why. If his other books are like this one, (which I'm sure they are) I need to read more. This book is the first of the PAKK Trilogy. It is also written by two authors. For the record, I can only imagine how difficult this is. It read very smoothly and as if written by one voice. I appreciated a light fantasy book with a simple world that was easy to absorb. There weren't any difficult names or far-out inventions that made my head hurt. The beauty of this story boils down to the story-telling. It was good well-written story-telling. I read much like a campfire story shared for generations. I want to read what comes next just to see how this story develops.
**I received a copy of this book in exchange for a review**
**I received a copy of this book in exchange for a review**
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews