Reviews

In the first trilogy of Antony's Apprentice Adept series, the heroes Stile and the Blue Adept separate the overlapping worlds of Phaze and Proton to prevent them from destroying each other. In the second trilogy their sons recombine the worlds to save them from the evil Adepts. Now, in the concluding volume of that series, the spacefaring Hectare have conquered the planet and captured its leading citizens. The only Adept left is Nepe/Flach, the grandchild of Stile and Blue. Following obscure clues from the Oracle, Nepe/Flach must logically entice a Hectarian spy into switching sides and helping the loyal underground. This narrative suffers in comparison to the previous books (which readers would do well to read first), since here Anthony has neglected to provde a collective subplot detailing the heroes' attempts to extend legal equality to non-humans. Otherwise, the writing, action and plotting are quite satisfactory. (June)

The now-merged worlds of magical Phaze and technological Proton face a new threat from an invading force known as the Hectare. While Citizens and Adepts alike wait helplessly on the sidelines, the task of turning defeat into victory falls to two special children--and an enemy agent. This conclusion of the ``seven-novel Adept trilogy'' features more of Anthony's best: sparkling wordplay, endless permutations of plot and characters, and light-hearted entertainment. Recommended where the series--or the author--is popular.