(Originally posted on Oct 12, 2016.) Piers Anthony is a best-selling fantasy author who most people associate with the pun-filled Xanth books (of which there are 39!)  However, he’s been prolific for several other science fiction and fantasy series, such as the sci-fi/fantasy series called Apprentice Adept. Piers is an oddball writer.  I’ve read a lot of his books and his tone ricochets all across the emotional and intellectual spectrum.  The Of Man and Manta series is a quasi-nihilistic and psychedelic experiment, while the Xanth series is a pun-filled goof.  As strange as Piers gets, he is typically entertaining.

The Apprentice Adept series takes place in two parallel worlds.  The science fiction world is a barren mining world called Proton.  The fantasy world is called Phaze.  The two can be crossed over at certain spots and there are parallel social systems on each world.  Both are essentially a kind of feudal system.  On Proton, the worlds are controlled by the Citizens, who rule over the serfs.  Wealth is measured in the rare mineral called Protonite.  The serfs are in a form of indentured servitude but can win a kind of Olympic game called the Tourney and become citizens.  Serfs are unable to own anything on Proton, including clothing.

On Phaze, there are super-powerful Adepts (wizards) who rule over all the lower classes.  The Adepts each have a unique form of magic and a color they’re identified with (which seems to have little connection with their unique magic.)  The magic of Phaze is powered by a rare mineral called Phazite (which reminds me of Larry Niven’s The Magic Goes Away.)  The two worlds are (for the most part) unaware of one another. The main character, Stile, is a serf who discovers a plot against his life in Proton.  With the help of a female robot named Sheen, he escapes through a portal to Phaze.  There, he discovers that the other ‘him’ on Phaze is the Blue Adept.  He inherits Blue’s magic on Phaze, which allows him to cast spells by rhyming (which isn’t actually as goofy as it sounds.)  He discovers that the plot against him extends to Phaze as well.

The plot jumps back and forth from Proton to Phaze as Stile unravels the scheme against him with the Adepts on Phaze and the Citizens on Proton.  There’s a meta-plot involving Stile entering the Tourney so that he might become a Citizen.  The individual competitions in the Tourney are actually pretty enjoyable and eventually becomes an integral part of bringing down the Red Adept (who is his primary nemesis.)

The series is an enjoyable middle ground between Piers’ experimental nihilism and his silly puns.  The story never flags and the characters are quite likable.  The science of the science fiction setting is somewhat soft but not too silly.  The magic of Phaze has a decent level of continuity and the fantasy elements aren’t played for laughs like in Xanth.  I recommend the trilogy without reservation.

* – For disclosure, I’d like to mention that I only read the first three of this series and wasn’t even aware there were more books.  I do know the first three are a tight, well-written trilogy and am, frankly, afraid to read the rest.  I know what happened after the first three (pretty solid) Xanth books.  (Hint: they became awful.)