deals with hers. He refuses to do so, thereby going on strike and leaving dying mortals in agony, unable to be released by death. As this is not to Satan's advantage, he first tries to bribe Zane, then intimidate him into going back to work. Zane, however, has had a conversation with Gaea, the Incarnation of Nature, who has demonstrated to him the absolute power each Incarnation wields in its own sphere of influence. Zane eventually realises that the office of Death is unassailable by Satan and that he cannot be harmed within the sphere of that office. As an Incarnation, Satan himself has a soul and is subject to Zane's dominion. The conflict ends in a draw and Satan has no choice but to admit defeat. With Satan's plot exposed, Purgatory changes Luna's destiny and she is free to return to life. Zane lifts his strike, and with Luna under his protection, Satan can no longer interfere with her fate through the means of death. Reception Dave Langford reviewed On a Pale Horse for White Dwarf #66, and stated that "One reason why this book works: matters of life and death deserve such agonizing - the Xanth books waste it on white lies or table manners. Another reason: the mechanics of magic and the after-life are fresh and inventive - whereas Xanth has been worn smooth. Not great literature, but good fun." Reviews Review by Debbie Notkin (1983) in Locus, #273 October 1983 Review by Mary S. Weinkauf (1984) in SF & Fantasy Review, April 1984 Review by Frank Catalano (1984) in Amazing Science Fiction, May 1984 Review by Neal Wilgus (1985) in Science Fiction Review, Spring 1985 The Liberati Mathews says that On a Pale Horse "explores fantasy's (and Anthony's) unique ability to embody abstractions. In the novel, an incarnation of Death engages in symbolic interactions written with the goal of helping readers come to terms with the inevitable end of life." References External links 1983 British novels Del Rey books Incarnations of Immortality Novels about personifications of death