Being a Green Mother
| Author | Piers Anthony |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Michael Whelan |
| Series | Incarnations of Immortality |
| Genre | Fantasy |
| Publisher | Del Rey Books |
Publication date | 1987-12-01 |
| Pages | 313 |
| ISBN | 9780345322227 |
| OCLC | 16224483 |
| Preceded by | Wielding a Red Sword |
| Followed by | For Love of Evil |
Being a Green Mother is a fantasy novel by Piers Anthony. It is the fifth of eight books in the Incarnations of Immortality series. In it, Orb becomes the incarnation of Nature, in an attempt to thwart the plans of Satan.
Setting and synopsis[edit]
Being a Green Mother centers on Orb Kaftan, a musician with magical abilities that manifests whenever she sings or plays music.[1] Orb is searching for a mystical piece of music called the "Llano", which is considered "the most potent magic known". She meets Natasha, another musician on a quest for the Llano; after falling in love and marrying Natasha, he reveals himself to actually be Satan in disguise.[2] Orb becomes Gaea, the incarnation of Nature, but loses control of her powers, destroying the world in the process. Another incarnation, Chronos, agrees to reverse time and undo the destruction, and Orb is forced to marry Satan. The book concludes with Satan destroying himself, losing his struggle with God as depicted across the other books in the series.[3]
Reception[edit]
Author David Langford reviewed Being a Green Mother for White Dwarf, criticizing both the characters and the plotting.[4] Critic Andy Sawyer states that while the book explores difficult concepts, it also comes across as "an exercise in allegory by a writer whose prolific inventiveness overweighs any actual logic in his stories".[5] The book was also cited as a "nice capstone to tie together the rest of the series into a satisfying conclusion".[6] Similarly, writing for the Asbury Park Press, critic Drew Bittner states that "Being a Green Mother is definitely a strong conclusion to the [series]".[2]
Reviews[edit]
- Review by S. E. in Booklist, October 1987[7]
- Review by J. Cassada in Library Journal, December 1987
- Review by Don D’Ammassa in Science Fiction Chronicle, February 1988
- Review by C. Caywood in Voice of Youth Advocates, June 1988
- Review by Andy Sawyer in Paperback Inferno, October/November 1988
References[edit]
- ^ "Being a Green Mother". overdrive.com. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
- ^ a b Bittner, Drew (19 February 1988). "Book concludes series". Asbury Park Press. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
- ^ "Being a Green Mother". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
- ^ Langford, David (October 2002). Complete Critical Assembly: The Collected White Dwarf (And Gm, and Gmi) Sf Review Columns. Wildside Press LLC. pp. 222–223. ISBN 9781587153303. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
- ^ Sawyer, Andy (October 1988). "Paperback Purgatory" (PDF). Paperback Inferno. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
- ^ Adler, Ash (19 December 2017). "Being a Green Mother". ashadler.com. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
- ^ "Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Review Index". philsp.com. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
External links[edit]
- Being a Green Mother title listing at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database