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mgrey15's review against another edition
2.0
I seem to recall this one was really unsatisfying, though I don't recall why. I suspect a combination of disliking the characters and I think where the story ended up made me go "really? yuck.".
bookcrazylady45's review against another edition
4.0
I wasn't sure when I started this one that I could get into it but somehow it caught me and I had to keep reading. Since this review is in 2018 and I first read the book in 1990 and then waited till 2007 for the final book in the series which I have not yet read but I do not like the blurb on the back. I really really hate when a blurb puts me off a book because I often find that, if I persevere and read it because it is part of a series, I often find I like the book and that the blurb really had little to do with the story. This particular book could have stood as the final book in the series. All the ends were tied up for the reader and really nothing else was needed. The entire series pleased me.
crowcaller's review against another edition
1.0
This book is absolutely awful, awful, awful! But so fun to read. Please never read it.
I have never read any other books in the series, but just opening to a random page and reading a few paragraphs from this one has given me a fairly good sense of the plot.
"Two ghost ladies share the body of an underage prostitute who is addicted to Heroin (oddly called 'H' in the book), who goes on to fall in love with a forty year old judge. Later, the ladies go to Hell and bumble around. Weird, uncomfortable sex occurs and hilarious sentences are found."
At one point, creationism versus evolution is debated in order for a magic orb to let them leave an area. They have to argue it or the magic orb won't let them leave. So they do. For three pages.
Everyone is related to everyone, one character ascends into godhood, and really, you can tell a weird old guy was writing these ladies. There's at least two depictions of rape, underage sex, and many scenarios involving prostitutes. And Satan's name is Natasha.
Never ever read this book.
I have never read any other books in the series, but just opening to a random page and reading a few paragraphs from this one has given me a fairly good sense of the plot.
"Two ghost ladies share the body of an underage prostitute who is addicted to Heroin (oddly called 'H' in the book), who goes on to fall in love with a forty year old judge. Later, the ladies go to Hell and bumble around. Weird, uncomfortable sex occurs and hilarious sentences are found."
At one point, creationism versus evolution is debated in order for a magic orb to let them leave an area. They have to argue it or the magic orb won't let them leave. So they do. For three pages.
Everyone is related to everyone, one character ascends into godhood, and really, you can tell a weird old guy was writing these ladies. There's at least two depictions of rape, underage sex, and many scenarios involving prostitutes. And Satan's name is Natasha.
Never ever read this book.
katekat's review against another edition
4.0
I have always enjoyed Piers Anthony's books but I had never read this series. As a whole I quite enjoyed this series of books. I found the characters and story to be clever and interesting. It sort of reminded me of a more adult version of a Rick Riordan series of books.
davidpaige's review against another edition
3.0
I read this book during my Piers Anthony period. I'm not sure that I'd read his books these days, but I did enjoy it at the time.
betaadamantium's review against another edition
Uh, yeah, it's probably not a good idea for a survivor of rape (I was about the age of the girl in this story) to even contemplate reading it. Pass.
anastaciaknits's review against another edition
4.0
I've read this book a few times over the years, and I'll state the same thing at the beginning of reviewing all the I of I books: this is a re-read, and the first time reviewing the books. I'm reviewing all of the books after I finished re-reading the entire series, which I don't normally do & didn't do deliberately this time, either...
(read in 2016, but I'm counting this as a 2017 book since I'm finally reviewing it now)
This book falls a little flat for me, though it has lots of Satan bits with keeps things interesting. Orlene just isn't a very loveable character for me - but I love Jolie, and you end up really cheering for Vita (though her love affair with the Judge, who's twice her age, throws me for a loop or five). The love affair, for Piers Anthony anyway, is relatively well done, though really, why couldn't Piers have written the man to be ten years younger (so the story line still fits, but the love affair isn't quite so eww?)
The series does really wrap up in this book though, and (mostly) ties up all the loose ends, and definitely brings together all of the other books, but there's just so much more I'd really like to know, that the book doesn't answer. Mainly, what happens next to Orlene and the world at the end of book 7? I'm really always let down at the end of this book, because I want to see how the world changes and evolves. We've just read over 2000 pages talking about good and evil, Heaven and Hell, how the system is corrupt, how we need changes, and then.... nothing.
That being said, my standard comment applies - Piers Anthony is a pig, so much so that sometimes I'm ashamed of reading his books (as a woman) and I will never, ever actually pay money on one of his books because I just can't support an author who devalues women as much as he does. (at least these books aren't quite as bad as the Xanth books are).
(read in 2016, but I'm counting this as a 2017 book since I'm finally reviewing it now)
This book falls a little flat for me, though it has lots of Satan bits with keeps things interesting. Orlene just isn't a very loveable character for me - but I love Jolie, and you end up really cheering for Vita (though her love affair with the Judge, who's twice her age, throws me for a loop or five). The love affair, for Piers Anthony anyway, is relatively well done, though really, why couldn't Piers have written the man to be ten years younger (so the story line still fits, but the love affair isn't quite so eww?)
The series does really wrap up in this book though, and (mostly) ties up all the loose ends, and definitely brings together all of the other books, but there's just so much more I'd really like to know, that the book doesn't answer. Mainly, what happens next to Orlene and the world at the end of book 7? I'm really always let down at the end of this book, because I want to see how the world changes and evolves. We've just read over 2000 pages talking about good and evil, Heaven and Hell, how the system is corrupt, how we need changes, and then.... nothing.
That being said, my standard comment applies - Piers Anthony is a pig, so much so that sometimes I'm ashamed of reading his books (as a woman) and I will never, ever actually pay money on one of his books because I just can't support an author who devalues women as much as he does. (at least these books aren't quite as bad as the Xanth books are).
dkhunt's review
5.0
Everyone I met who has read this series has a favorite, and it is without fail the first one they read. I read the fifth (Being a Green Mother) first, and it is my favorite. The first five can be read in any order, with intriguing plots interwoven through the entire set, but the sixth and seventh are best left for the end.
betaadamantium's review
Uh, yeah, it's probably not a good idea for a survivor of rape (I was about the age of the girl in this story) to even contemplate reading it. Pass.
katekat's review
4.0
I have always enjoyed Piers Anthony's books but I had never read this series. As a whole I quite enjoyed this series of books. I found the characters and story to be clever and interesting. It sort of reminded me of a more adult version of a Rick Riordan series of books.