Book Review: Cautionary Tales by Piers Anthony

Rating:

It has been years since I read Piers Anthony, so reading “Cautionary Tales” was like meeting an old friend.

As described, the book is “a collection of controversial stories and essays that fearlessly push the boundaries and then shamelessly step over them”. And though it was worded like a warning, that description actually made me smile because that actually describes the Piers Anthony that I know.

If you’re a Piers Anthony fan, then you would have read the “Incarnations of Immortality” series. Groundbreaking on its own rights, this fantasy series discussed death, time, fate, war, nature, evil and good and up to now is one of my favorite fantasy series.

And though “Cautionary Tales” is nowhere near “Incarnations of Immortality” in terms of message and story, “Cautionary Tales” is a definitive work of Piers Anthony wherein as a reader; you get a glimpse on how the author’s mind works.

As a longtime fan, I’ve always wondered where Piers Anthony gets his ideas. Aside from “Incarnations of Immortality,” I also loved “Xanth” though I stopped reading after Book 15 – “The Color of Her Panties.”

Then there are “Battle Circle”, a three-book series and “Apprentice Adept”, a seven-book series, both of which I finished reading and loved.

Going back to “Cautionary Tales”, this anthology will not be among my favorite works of Piers Anthony. I don’t recommend this as a starter book for readers who have never read Piers Anthony before. New readers are better off reading Xanth, Battle Circle, Apprentice Adept or Incarnations of Immortality first.

I see “Cautionary Tales” as a good book for fans like me to get reacquainted with a favorite author. This is Piers Anthony we are talking about after all.

The book is under the category “Erotica” which was a surprise for me. Nevertheless, this book is Rated M for Mature due to subject matter.