Under a Velvet Cloak

Incarnations of Immortality Book 8

by Piers Anthony

It is the year 500 AD.

Kerena, a beautiful young girl living near King Arthur's Camelot, is apprenticed to Morely the Seer. Morely teaches her fantastic magic, but when he mysteriously disappears, Kerena finds herself out on the street and must resort to prostitution to survive.

Kerena prospers as a skilled courtesan until she is taken into service by Morgan le Fey, the sorceress sister of King Arthur. Kerena's knowledge of magic grows as she is required to carry out nefarious deeds for the evil Lady Fey.

One of her missions is to seduce Sir Gawain, Knight of the Round Table, to prevent him from locating the Holy Grail. But Gawain and Kerena fall in love and she conceives his child, a child she discovers is cursed to die an early death.

Using her Seer abilities, Kerena tries to locate the fabled Incarnations of Immortality, seeking their aid in removing the taint from her baby. Rebuffed by all seven major Incarnations, Kerena vows revenge.

But revenge against such mighty immortals would require an even greater power...

WARNING: This book contains explicit language and strong adult sexual content, and is intended for individuals 18 years of age and older.

Available in Trade Paperback, eBook, and special Signed Limited Numbered and Lettered Hardcover Editions.

Signed Numbered Edition.
Special hardcover with dustjacket, limited to 250 numbered editions, each signed personally by Piers Anthony. This special edition contains bonus information including the updated timeline of the Incarnations and relationships diagram. Limited available while supply lasts.

Signed Lettered Edition. SOLD OUT
Special hardcover with dustjacket, limited to 26 lettered editions, each signed personally by Piers Anthony. This special edition contains bonus information including the updated timeline of the Incarnations and relationships diagram. Limited available while supply lasts.

About the Author

Piers Anthony

Piers Anthony is one of the world's most prolific and popular authors. His fantasy Xanth novels have been read and loved by millions of readers around the world, and have been on the New York Times Best Seller list twenty-one times. Although Piers is mostly known for fantasy and science fiction, he has written several novels in other genres as well, including historical fiction, martial arts, and horror. Piers lives with his wife in a secluded woods hidden deep in Central Florida.

Reviews

5 Angels, Recommended Read! Always a master story teller, Piers Anthony winds up this series with his usual flair. Kerena is a fascinating character who charms us with her directness, compassion, and loyalty to her friends. We admire her sense of independence and strength as she does whatever is necessary to find the man she loves. Her magic is surprising and potent as it develops over centuries of experience and change. The secondary characters are intriguing, and each adds their unique flavor to the complex layers of the plot. With a pace that varies throughout, the story still holds the reader from start to finish. Kerena is a woman who rarely ends up sleeping alone, and her experiences are shared in steamy detail. Her life is remarkable and unpredictable. The earlier incarnations each have a part to play as the story climaxes in a most unusual fashion. Under a Velvet Cloak is a highly satisfying and long overdue finale to an excellent series. —LeeAnn, Fallen Angel Reviews

4 Stars!! Even if you pick up this book first and have not read the other seven; if that's so, shame on you, they are a must read for fans of fantasy, you can follow what is going on with no trouble. This story will give you a fresh appreciation for all the others and insights into them that may make you want to go back and read them all again. Saying more would spoil too much of the story, though I will say that toward the end, the timeline issues did rather remind me of Bearing an Hourglass. —Amanda Kilgore

Excerpt

It was the time of a great king who ruled from a shining city. He had been trained in statesmanship by a powerful mage, and had united the warring clans to form a kingdom that would be long remembered. He had gathered a prominent group of knights under his banner of chivalry. They met at a table in the shape of a circle, so that there was no seeming order of rank among them. But this is not that story.

In a small village in this kingdom was a family with two daughters. The lack of a son might have been unfortunate, but the elder sister was beautiful, outgoing, talented in the arts, intelligent, and good natured. She would inevitably be courted by many eligible young men, fall in love with the handsomest and wealthiest, marry, and have many excellent children. Some of her distant descendants would become Incarnations of Immortality, and others would marry them. But this is not that story either.

The younger sister was fair of feature. She was quiet, introspective, observant, and sometimes given to flashes of intuition. That would have been acceptable, had she not made the error of expressing them. She was simply too smart and nervy for a girl. Her prospects were bleak.

This is her story. As seen by a ghost.