Split Infinity

Apprentice Adept Series, Book 1

By: Piers Anthony

Narrated by: Traber Burns

Length: 13 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's Summary

On the technological, decadent world of Proton, someone was trying to destroy Stile, serf and master Gamesman. His only escape lay in Phaze, a world totally ruled by magic. Soon he learned that his alternate self had already been murdered, and that he was next. On Proton, his fate depended on winning the great Games. On Phaze, he must master magic to survive. And if he used any magic at all, his friends were determined to kill him at once!

Be sure to check out all of the titles in the Apprentice Adept Series.

©1987 Piers Anthony (P)2010 Audible, Inc.

Critic Reviews

"To solve his own demise, Stiles must travel between the two realities, each abounding with the expected confusions and unexpected plot twists for which Anthony is famous. An artful blending of SF and fantasy clichés and situations, Split Infinity shows Piers Anthony at the top of his ingenious game(s)." (Amazon.com review)

Favorite Piers Anthony Series

This is by far my favorite Piers Anthony Series. It has one of the best plots involving science fiction and fantasy of any author in either genre. The dialog sometimes is a little stilted but it's a fun adventure and is great for those who aren't die-hard fantasy fans. The overall plot involving a world with two different "frames"--one of science and one of fantasy--is wonderfully done and easily justifies the three books. The last book in the series, Juxtaposition, is a roller coaster ride of increasing stakes as the hero overcomes his enemies and saves both worlds. This series is really meant for adults and older teens as it includes nudity and nongraphic sexuality. There is no "bad language" but the themes are very much adult-oriented. I wish someone would buy the movie rights to this series as it would make an awesome set of movies to rival the best fantasy/sci fi out there.

I didn't like the narrator very much at first but he kind of grew on me. By the third book I actually enjoyed listening to him. He has a rather "bland" voice but is able to differentiate some of the characters so you can tell who is who. If you like reading and have the time I recommend reading this series first. But if you don't, definitely get the audio book and give the first book a little bit of time. It starts slow but picks up pretty fast and then never stops until the end!

In short, if you like Piers Anthony, you will LOVE this series. It's his best by far. And if you've never read Piers Anthony before, read this series first! It's far superior to his other works.

Apprentice Adept Series

you cant go wrong with Piers Anthony.
i have everything by Piers Anthony from here and love them all.
the best in the Apprentice Adept Series is the first 3 books.
but Apprentice Adept Series is all part of one story.
try the first book and if you dont like it then dont bother with the rest in this Series.
but if you do like it then get them all.

Not bad if you like short men and horses

The continuous emphasis on the main character Stile being short got to me after a while. As did his love for horses - though not so annoying as his relationship to women. The idea of the story is intriguing, an SF and Fantasy world in one book, but as the narration progressed I began to lose interest. I just didn't care much for Stile and I won't download any more book in this series. I did learned a lot about horses though, and their manure.

A clever idea well executed

What made the experience of listening to Split Infinity the most enjoyable?

I remember reading this as a teenager. I bought a bunch of Piers Anthony books in audio format and most of his storys have not held up particularly well as an adult. This one actually was as good as I remembered.

What did you like best about this story?

The concept is original and the most compelling part of the story.

Which character – as performed by Traber Burns – was your favorite?

None really, Piers Anthony characters are pretty flimsy at best. The stories are more world or scenario driven.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

No.

Any additional comments?

This is a great concept and a good book. Be forewarned that the quality of the writing in this series falls off in the remaining books. Personally, I found the third book a waste of time, except to get closure with the series. Any of the books after that were just the author milking the cow for extra cash.

Light and Fun

I read a lot of Piers Anthony when I was younger and really enjoyed it. When I saw this on Audible, I thought it would be fun to revisit his work...It was! Some of the story was a bit more simplistic than I remember, and the physical relationships of the lead character were a bit much to take. Still, this is a very fun story that is light, humorous, and easy to listen too. The setting is clever, and allows for both fantasy and science fiction. I found both realms to be interesting and unique. Overall, the story had a similar feel to other Piers Anthony books, so if you've enjoyed any of his works, this one won't disappoint. I, for one, am glad I decided to relive this adventure.

Traber Burns did a great job reading the story. He doesn't add as much voice differentiation and drama as some readers, but his story telling is pleasant and consistent. Probably because of these things, his narration doesn't distract from the written story, making you feel more like you've read the book instead of listened to it. I will be looking to see what else he has read.

The best of both worlds

SF can be tricky stuff, particularly when you start reaching for books that were printed more than a decade ago. Some books just age well, some just look like giant piles of stinking poo. Split Infinity, written more than 25 years ago, has aged well. The lumping together of Science Fiction and Fantasy can be frustrating to fans of one genre or the other, but this books manages to span the two genres.

We are introduced to Stile, who is a serf on the SF world of Proton. Due to a number of various issues he literally stumbles across to the Fantasy world of Phaze, where he uses the various skills he acquired on Proton, and a lucky dose of magic, to learn more about the world. Along the way we learn the back story of Stile, his training and history as well as more information about the Phaze. Stile is fantastically lucky with the ladies, he seems unable to enter situations where at least one woman doesn't become enamored with him. As well, Stiles also appears to be among the most powerful of Phaze, an Adept, with ready access to magic.

A great story as Stile meets unicorns, robots and werewolves and continues to "know thyself" as well as balance his life in both worlds.

Great book! The reader takes some getting used to.

I would give it 5 stars if it had a better reader. He has no range of voices. They all sound pretty much the same. The story is an interesting mix of Sci-Fi and Fantasy and I enjoyed it very much and will continue the series in spite of the reader.

The Joy of Rediscovering Piers Anthony

Years and years ago, our family tumbled into the Xanth series by Piers Anthony. We anticipated each entry into the series, reading aloud as a family group and quoting the puns for months, even years after. Time passed; the books passed from children to grandchildren and my husband and I, now great-grandparents, fell prey to cataracts and all the other travesties of old age. Enter Audible and three years of catching up on old favorite stories. Sadly, the Xanth novels have not yet made the transition to audio ... but what was this? Another series by Piers? Surely this would measure up to our expectations. And it has ... in spades. Split Infinity hooked us from the very beginning and as the story unfolded we reveled in the author's skill weaving words. The narrator, Traber Burns, speaks clearly, distinctly and at an even volume. We despise books where we are constantly required to adjust the volume. Best of all, this narrator does NOT mispronounce words. Nothing tears a listener out of the story flow more than a mispronounced word. Also, Mr. Burns does not 'act' the narration. He demonstrates character changes with perfect inflection. This combination of author and narrator makes Split Infinity a pure joy to hear. We look forward to hearing the rest of the series. We highly recommend this book.

Interesting Worlds -- that require brains

Two very different worlds, kept apart by, well a secret. One would seems to to be a strange sci-fi world, the other a fantasy world. The rules are different. And they were connected - hence if you live in both worlds you have to keep your whits about you. Sci-Fi, Fantasy requiring some Gray Matter!

Not a classic, yet remembered fondly.

I first read this book over twenty years ago, I think. I was a teenager and all my friends loved it.

It was one of the staples of teenage sci-fi reading in the late eighties, such was Donaldson, Eddings and Fiest. Piers Anthony is the lesser of these four.

It is entertaining, and the story spans over several books. I started listening to book 4, which is new to me, and immediately felt it betrayed the first three.

Another Piers Anthony brilliant book.

What an imagination has P. A. So well written and performed, with the rest for me to look forward to.

Brill book

this book was full of humour suspense and a perfect listen for people who love modern fantasy