With a Tangled Skein (Incarnations of Immortality #3)

The Book that Ties it All Together

The third in the "Incarnations of Immortality" series, this is the book that really starts to tie the characters from previous books together. You soon learn that Niobe is tied to characters from both "On A Pale Horse" and "Bearing An Hourglass" and becomes pivitol in the later books. Personality wise, she is a gripping character and grows within the story, which is a very important component to any story.

I do recommend that you read "On A Pale Horse" and "Bearing An Hourglass" first, just because characters from those books show up again in this one.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

A great read.....

Rating: Excellent

Review By: Tiffany Martin


Book three of Anthony's Incarnations of Immortality explores the aspect of Fate in her three guises as Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos.


When Niobe loses the man she loves in a plot by Satan that was to take her life instead, she vows to balk Satan wherever she can. When she is offered the opportunity to become as aspect of the Incarnation Fate, she accepts. As the "most beautiful woman of her generation", she becomes Clotho, the spinner of life's threads that weave the tapestry of life. After 38 years as that aspect, she steps down when she falls in love with her husband's cousin, Pacian.


When he passes away, Fate comes to her again and requests that she return as Lachesis, the measurer of life's threads. In this guise, she is able to thwart the Devil's ingenious plans to rob her granddaughter of being "the saviour of man".


The world that Anthony has created of magic and science co-existing makes you feel as if you were to step out of your house, you would see a magic carpet flying by. Or perhaps pegasus.

These books also cause you to stop and think - what if our final destinations really are weighed by the good and the bad we've done in this life?


This book is a very compelling read and ties in very well with the first two books - To Ride A Pale Horse and Bearing An Hourglass. I do suggest reading the first two books to follow the overall scheme of things, but it's not necessary as this book is a story in and of itself, but is also part of a larger story being told.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

First one

While the third in the series, this was the first of the Immortality series that I picked up, having devoured the Xanth books earlier.

Though I haven't read Anthony in years and feel little need to, which makes me a little sad. I was such a fan as a kid.

felt thrown together...

This is book number three in the Piers Anthony Incarnations of Immortality series. While I wasn't as into this one as much as the previous two, it was a decent diversion. With a Tangled Skein covers the aspect of Fate. Fate is embodied by three incarnations: Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos. Fate has to outsmart Satan in his plot for world domination and keep the door open for her granddaughter Luna to become the savior of man. This book is high on humor but the story line just seemed kind of lacking. It felt thrown together. I am curious to see if the rest of the series continues to go downhill or if it gets better.

Best Piers I've Read Yet

Very interesting storyline, and the Niobe's family tree is, well, most interesting. I liked the fact that all of them are simple human beings given the chance to become Immortals. This office is the best and, yes, Fate may not bring what we want right now, but she has everything planned out to be better!!

One of my favorites

I personally love this book, I have reread it more than half a dozen times, and I am still charmed by it.

Best of Incarnations of Imortality

This has to be the best Incarnation book he has written so far. I have read the books 1-6 and I am starting on book 7. I look at my book shelf and am in just aww of With a Tangled Skein. I remember how unlikely the couple was from the beginning of the book and I think this was truely the first time a fiction book ever made me cry. There was compleate deeped, vaulnarbility and just pure fun when it come to the challange of good and evil. This is a definite Must Read. You remember that things are all about Choices and something just really Aren't! Thank you Piers for the opportunity to appreciate fate it it's finest.

Interesting look into Fate, even though I liked Book 2 better

This book spans quite a large amount of time comparitively, covering Niobe's roles as both Clotho and Lachesis, sepreated by interveaning times in the mortal realm. It gives nice background to the other books and has some intersting interactions between the incarnations in foiling Satan's latest evil plot. However, I didn't find it as gripping as book 2, for instance.

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