[Abstraction]

Hi! I'm trying to find out the name of the author of a set of books which i saw on the shelves of my largest local bookstore here in Toronto way back in the mid-to-late 1980's. I don't know the author's name or the titles but i remember some particulars by which i hope that someone here will be able to identify them for me. Altho i don't get to read much due to a personal limitation, these books have never entirely left my mind ever since. But now when i search the shelves for them, i can't find them anymore.

To begin with, i believe, but i'm not completely sure, that they were most likely Fantasy books, rather than SF books. There were 3 of them at the time, but of course since then there may have been more books added to the series. Sizewise, they were all well larger than average in number of pages, tho not necessarily the largest ones on the shelves at the time. The main distinguishing feature for me is that the character names were all personal abstractions such as, for example, Love, Hope, Faith, Anger, Fear, Hate, tho these might not be the same qualities as the actual character names which the author used. Hope somebody here can help identify these books for me. Thanks!

(*_*)

[Abstraction]

Probably way off base, but Glen Cook uses character names like Silent, Croaker, Limper, One-Eye etc... but that isn't quite what you mentioned...

Thanks, but no - i don't think that's it. But it makes me realize that there was something that i didn't explain properly about the names: The characters are presented as actually BEING these qualities as living entities. Therefor, the characters are entities such as "Love" & "Fear", etc, personified.

Regards

(*_*)

[Chlestron]

There was a series, don't remember the author though Fred Saberhagen comes to mind, called the Book of Swords and each was about a particular named weapon (Farslayer, Woundgiver, etc).

The time period is too early for the Robin Hobb Farseer series which uses that naming style for most of the characters (Verity, Shrewd, Regal, etc).

[Rob B]

The only books I can think of, that remotely come close, are Robin Hobb's Farseer novels, with characters like Regal, Verity, Dutiful...though I am probably off the mark.

[Rob B]

For the mid-80s link I am thinking Robin Hobb is far too contemporary...


Right. Didn't note the time frame. :o

[Warewolf]

Could it possibly be the Incarnations of Immortality series by Piers Anthony?

[Abstraction]

Could it possibly be the Incarnations of Immortality series by Piers Anthony?

Say, that may be it! I had a look at the reviews for that series (here) and it seems quite likely to be the one. One thing that doesn't seem quite right tho is the size of the books - the ones i saw were much larger than these would be, going by the individual page counts of the copies at my library. But maybe the ones i saw at the store were combined volumes under single covers - like, maybe 2 or 3 books each?

Thanks to all of you - terrific & speedy support!
Regards

(*_*)