Visual Arts Trilogy Series Reading Order

Torn apart by an inexplicable cosmic event, two lovers find themselves stranded in separate, wildly different realities.… Torn apart by an inexplicable cosmic event, two lovers find themselves stranded in separate, wildly different realities. While one battles through a perilous, magic-infused fantasy world, the other navigates a sophisticated, often disorienting virtual realm where nothing is quite as it seems. Both must embark on a desperate quest, facing impossible challenges and powerful adversaries, to understand the forces that separated them and forge a path back to each other. Their enduring love and the fate of their very existence hang in the balance, should they fail to bridge the impossible gulf between their worlds. read more

The magical land of Xanth is in peril in this follow-up to Board Stiff by New York Times–bestselling author Piers Anthon… The magical land of Xanth is in peril in this follow-up to Board Stiff by New York Times–bestselling author Piers Anthony. "It occurs to me that you folk are no ordinary group," the troll said. "We're on a special mission to eliminate the last of the anti-pun virus. We are a bit unusual." Astrid Basilisk-Cockatrice is the daughter of anonymous parents who whiled away a dull minute by generating her on a warm compost pile, then went their own deadly ways, never to see her or each other again. She found herself a soul, but her gaze is fatal and her touch is toxic. That's not so strange in the Land of Xanth, where everyone has a unique magical talent, and charms, curses, and enchanted puzzles lie around every corner. Now, Astrid and her companions are finishing the cleanup of a virus that ravaged the puns of Xanth, and new Quests are already popping up. For instance, Astrid is attempting to fulfill her mission in life, if only she can figure out what that is. And then there's the missing Question from the Good Magician's Book of Answers. Not to mention the small matter of a Demon Wager regarding the impending destruction of Xanth. But it's nothing Astrid and her motley crew of lovely maidens and strapping men can't handle . . . they hope. Piers Anthony delivers another tale set in the bestselling world of Xanth, filled with magic, surprises, adventure, and a few puns. Here's what the author has to say about his new book: " Five Portraits is a kind of sequel to Board Stiff in that it picks up where the other leaves off, with the same characters. Apart from that, it's one of my favorites within the series. There's something about Astrid Basilisk that appeals to me: a very pretty girl whose very glance is deadly, yet she's a nice person whose selfless effort to save five difficult children from future Xanth is thoroughly worthy. I also like the theme of the power of unlikely friendship. Not just Xanth, but Mundania, too, would be better if there were more such friendships read more

Spirituality, fantasy, and mythology merge in this "lighthearted, agreeably diverting yarn, duly respectful of India's c… Spirituality, fantasy, and mythology merge in this "lighthearted, agreeably diverting yarn, duly respectful of India's cultures and customs" ( Kirkus Reviews). Hari, a remarkably well-set-up young lad, has spent his entire life in a small village with his pious widowed mother, and the purity of his soul is largely uncorrupted by worldly sophistication. But now, poised on the brink of manhood, he feels himself moved by strange new urgings—urgings that will lead him far from the quiet life he has known. Though these strings are unfamiliar to him, virtuous Hari recognizes them for what they are: a hunger for spiritual enlightenment. As so many have before, he sets his feet upon the pilgrim's path, becoming a wanderer in search of true wisdom. But who can know the ways of the gods, or foretell the twists of fortune? Unbeknownst to Hari, his quest has become the subject of wager between two immortals: Mohini, a pulchritudinous Apsara and the vilely demonic Ravana, who lusts after her. Mohini and Ravana are at an impasse. Both are weary of arguing with each other—but while Mohini's idea of a happy outcome is to have Ravana go away and leave her alone, Ravana's ideas run along other lines entirely. They settle upon a contest and a wager, with the loser bound to do the winner's bidding. Verily, the sages have written that there is a seeker born every minute, but Hari's journey of discovery is fated to be stranger—and far livelier—than most. read more