How to Read the Apprentice Adept Series
The Apprentice Adept series is best read in publication order. Because the narrative moves forward in a straight line, there are no confusing timelines, prequels, or chronological detours to worry about. The story begins with the original protagonist Stile, and then jumps forward a generation in the later books.
The Apprentice Adept Books in Publication Order
Here is the complete list of all seven books in the order they were published and should be read:
- Split Infinity (1980) – Introduces Stile, a serf and master Gamesman on Proton who discovers the magical parallel world of Phaze.
- Blue Adept (1981) – Stile learns to control magic while avoiding assassination attempts in Phaze.
- Juxtaposition (1982) – Stile must balance the two parallel dimensions to save them both from destruction, bringing the initial trilogy to a close.
- Out of Phaze (1987) – Kicks off the second part of the series, shifting focus to Mach (a robot from Proton) and Bane (Stile's son from Phaze) as they swap minds.
- Robot Adept (1988) – Mach and Bane continue their struggle to bridge the gap between their societies and avoid conflict.
- Unicorn Point (1989) – Focuses on the children of the main characters as the threat to both Proton and Phaze intensifies.
- Phaze Doubt (1990) – The final book of the series, where the worlds must unite against an external alien threat.
Original Trilogy vs. The Later Books
The series is cleanly divided into two distinct eras:
- The Stile Trilogy (Books 1–3): These books tell a complete, self-contained story following Stile. If you only want to read the most highly-regarded portion of the series, you can stop after Juxtaposition.
- The Next Generation (Books 4–7): Published five years later, these books expand the lore, focusing on Stile's children, the robot Mach, and the cross-world relationships. Note that these books introduce more complex sci-fi concepts (like mechanical sentience) and lead to a final resolution of the setting.
Are There Spin-Offs or Co-Authored Books?
Unlike some of Piers Anthony's other vast series like Xanth, the Apprentice Adept series is a self-contained heptalogy. There are no official spin-offs, side stories, short story collections, or co-authored books set in this universe. You only need to read the main seven novels to get the full story.