It's hard to believe these days, but Piers Anthony used to write his books one at a time, or in trilogies of no more than three volumes. In fact, he was considered one of the best of Science Fiction's "New Wave" of writers of the late 60s and early 70sRings of Ice, while not as "edgy" as much of the literature of the New Wave, is a fine example of the form -- thoughtful, character-driven, often intensely moving. The characters are deftly and realistically drawn, the action gripping but plausible.With everything else Anthony has ever written, edited or used to prop up a rickety table filling the shelves at all the major bookstore chains, it's astonishing that Rings of Ice has remained out of print for so long. Seek it out.