DoOon Mode

Mode #4

by Piers Anthony

Beyond the world we know there is a multiverse of Modes where many strange realities interlock in an infinitely intricate pattern, and a perverse and deranged Emperor plays a deadly multidimensional game with human pawns as his slaves.

Now, with DoOon Mode, Piers Anthony at last delivers the breathtaking climax to this awesome saga. Fearing the heroine Coleen's dawning power, the depraved Emperor Ddwng dispatches a terrible Mind Monster to assault her soul and bend her to his will. To protect herself, and those she loves, Coleen must journey back through many worlds to her own home on Earth, face her deepest and darkest fears, and draw the strength for a final confrontation to save the multiverse from tyranny and domination.

Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy, Ebooks, Speculative Fiction, Audiobook

384 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Though he spent the first four years of his life in England, Piers never returned to live in his country of birth after moving to Spain and immigrated to America at age six. After graduating with a B.A. from Goddard College, he married one of his fellow students and and spent fifteen years in an assortment of professions before he began writing fiction full-time.

Piers is a self-proclaimed environmentalist and lives on a tree farm in Florida with his wife. They have two grown daughters.

Reviews

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Piers Anthony seems to be on a personal mission to help us all be more open and comfortable with casual sex through making all his characters oddly frank about their sexual needs. So I wasn't too surprised that on page 2 of this book his android feline character complains "I haven't been humped in a month!" But I did feel a little violated. I just wanted some good clean fun!

I have liked many Piers Anthony books (excluding the horrifically inane Xanth books), but his characters seem flat in this book. Or perhaps they are flat in all his books and I just now noticed, having not read any for quite some time.

The other problem is that it is the 4th in a series, the other 3 came out a long time ago and I barely remember them, and he can't seem to be bothered with getting the reader up to speed. I would appreciate it if he spent as much time writing a preface as telling us the details of his personal life in his author's note (he discusses his dog, kids, and root canals, among other things). Yeah, he always writes those notes. I used to find them charming, now I find them kind of weird. Am I getting old and crochety or should he just get a blog and a twitter account like the rest of us?

But, all in all I wanted something that required zero brain usage to consume and this book fits that bill.

[Cyndy Aleo · Rating 2 out of 5]

I came to sci-fi author Piers Anthony in a roundabout way, discovering the Mode series before any of his other, more well-known series. I read the first three books when they were released, and then the series seemed to never be completed, and it was only by accident that I stumbled over DoOoon Mode several months ago and added it to my huge to-be-read pile. I finally got around to reading it this past weekend and am left wishing I'd never known the series had been completed.

::: The Plot :::

DoOon Mode requires you to have read the first three books in the series, and read them recently. While Anthony does go back to give some background, he does so sporadically throughout the book (the very opposite of the dreaded infodump) and if you haven't read the first three books, you will have absolutely no idea what is going on, especially since the book opens right in the middle of the action, where readers were left at the end of the previous book -- Chaos Mode which would have been fine were it not published eight years after Chaos Mode and I wasn't reading it 18 years after Chaos Mode.

Colene, the 14-year-old girl at the heart of the series; her now-husband Darius, who multiplies joy in his home world; a floating slug sort of creature, Burgess; and Nona, the would-be queen of another magic world, have been dumped back into a world they know to be hostile and have to somehow escape and make their way back to Colene's beloved telepathic horse companion. Now, even for a sci-fi book, that's a lot going on in 370 pages, but Anthony also has to resolve Colene's sexless marriage to Darius (she was raped before she met him; never mind her being 14), Nona's lack of desire to rule her own world, the well-being of the 10 null servants assigned to their party in the hostile DoOon Mode in which they find themselves, ruled by the Emperor Ddwng, Darius' need to have a wife in his home world from which he can draw joy which he multiples for his people as well as someone to have sex with afterward to complete the ceremony...

::: Lost? You Aren't Alone :::

In an author's note at the end, Anthony reveals the series was pretty much DOA at the previous publisher, Ace, and he wrote it for himself. However, even with all that plot to tie up, the last 40 or so pages are spent dealing with Colene's rape as well as what was apparently a repressed memory of childhood sexual abuse -- in detail.

It was a let-down ending for a let-down series ender that also involved a Xanth tie-in with the Demon Metria (who refers not to Xanth, but to her location as a "Demon Mode" ARG). The relationships between the characters seemed flat and often mere caricatures of themselves from previous books. It's the opposite of what you think a labor of love should feel like, especially since Anthony reveals in the note he was going to self-publish the book if it hadn't found the home it did with Tor.

DoOon Mode left me wishing for a real ending for this series I loved so much. Maybe I just got too old for it. But it felt like an improper closure.

[Danielle · Rating 1 out of 5]

I knew Piers Anthony books were a bit naughty. And okay, Mode was kind of more sexual. I got all that. I didn't even mind the "Darius has to have sex to do his job" conflict.

I minded the end where Colene and Pussy start basically pontificating on how child-adult sex would be okay if our society wasn't so messed up. How Colene says she'd have been okay being raped if they'd have touched her breasts. This was supposed to be healing? It didn't even make internally coherent psychological sense anymore.

It was a mess, and vile, and actually turned me off reading or owning any Piers Anthony books.

[Kent · Rating 1 out of 5]

Piers Anthony is a pervert.

[David Ruiz · Rating 3 out of 5]

She’s dead? I felt as if she actually committed suicide in the first book and all that happened was a dream or moment of her life flashing before her eyes. All the people she met were people that she wanted to be or wanted to have in her life but couldn’t because of what happened to her. Her falling asleep at the end was her finally bleeding out and it all ending.

I felt the same about the first book of his I read t”Through the ice”. It’s all about dying or escaping trauma through death. Some sort of abuse so bad that the only way out was death and this was the dream of some sorts.

Provos = wanting not to remember the past and just the future and finding a good ending

Darius = her dream man that would be nothing but happiness that she could never have because she felt she didn’t deserve a good life because of what happened

Sequiro = she couldn’t tell anyone what happened and if only the could read her mind

Nona = everything she wanted to be but could never be.

Maresy Doats = :(

Maybe I’m reading too deep into this.

[Steven · Rating 3 out of 5]

This fourth and final book in the Mode series was definitely a tall order for the author; there is a new adventure taking place in the DoOon mode that we knew already from the first book, all the remaining story lines had to be wrapped up, which in turn required recapping significant parts of the first three books (if I hear the term 'vessel of dolor' one more time I'll scream), in particular Colene's depression (unfortunately in real life a serious depression isn't often as neatly solvable as is presented here), and then the whole story had to be brought to a satisfying conclusion. This meant going over a lot of familiar ground (often literally) one more time, and although Piers Anthony managed to pull off all he wanted to do in this book I think the result isn't as pretty as the series deserves, and was a bit of a tough read. For more ideas on the whole series see my review of Virtual Mode which I updated after reading all four books.

[Karen-Leigh]

Beyond the world we know there is a multiverse of Modes where many strange realities interlock in an infinitely intricate pattern, and a perverse and deranged Emperor plays a deadly multidimensional game with human pawns as his slaves.

Now, with DoOon Mode, Piers Anthony at last delivers the breathtaking climax to this awesome saga. Fearing the heroine Coleen's dawning power, the depraved Emperor Ddwng dispatches a terrible Mind Monster to assault her soul and bend her to his will. To protect herself, and those she loves, Coleen must journey back through many worlds to her own home on Earth, face her deepest and darkest fears, and draw the strength for a final confrontation to save the multiverse from tyranny and domination.

[Melissa Haley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Caution: This review contains spoilers!

I was very glad to finally get to read the end of this series, and I think Anthony wrapped everything up well. I was especially glad to see a crossover with Xanth that fans of his work will appreciate. Good story lines throughout and characters stayed true to themselves.

However, I couldn't give it five stars because the ending contains graphic details (as in, several pages worth) of Colene's MULTIPLE rape scenes, which I felt was unnecessary and frankly I wish I could get out of my mind. I think the point could have been accomplished without so much detail. Bear this in mind if you start reading.

[Kate H · Rating 3 out of 5]

I first read this series many years ago when it was originally published. While there were most definitely aspects I felt did not stand up to the test of time in general I did enjoy re-reading this series. The characters have very clear points they are trying to portray and I like the scienc"ish" bits in it.

[Raymond Hawley III · Rating 1 out of 5]

Only worth reading to get an end of the story. So much happens off-camera and gets resolved with a little hand-wave. Things that would take months or years, such as therapy for the main character's depression, self-harm, and suicidal ideation get a throwaway line and an "I'm all better now". Really disappointing final chapter, might as well read a synopsis or wiki article.

[John (Hey Y'all Listen Up) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has its flaws, but in my opinion they are relatively minor. A strong conclusion to a series that surprised me with how well constructed it is. The last chapter is intense. Sensitive readers should check for trigger warnings.

[Jessica · Rating 1 out of 5]

I want to still love Piers Anthony like I did in my childhood.. but his putting young children in sexual relationships with adults and “consent” … Is disgusting. I will never read him again☹️

[Reading Maven · Rating 3 out of 5]

"In the end the entire party made the trek. Darius knew that Colene's notions could be worthwhile, however weird they seemed, and Burgess liked exploring. the three nulls had to accompany them.

It was a longer climb than it looked. Sweaty and bedraggled, they came at last to the cave that was the dragon's lair. It was an opening in the slope of a steep rocky outcrop, the peak of the mountain rising behind it. The creature was in front of it, well aware of them.

Colene suffered a fit of nervousness. "The beads really do protect us?"

Pussy nodded. Colene knew that she wouldn't deceive them on this, because they were valuable prisoners; no serious risk to their welfare could be tolerated.

But Pussy had her own concern. By signals she reminded Colene that they must not try to hurt the dragon. "Got it," Colene agreed. "I'm a pacifist. I just want to make peace."

Colene walked out before the dragon. It was like an enormous snake or lizard, with five sets of legs and a face as toothy as a crocodile's. It did not move, but its eyes were tracking her."

First of all can I just saw it is about time! DoOon Mode is the fourth and final book in the Mode series. The first three books came out in the early 90's and this one came out a decade later. Yes, I know, then it took another decade for me to find it, and that's on me. But seriously, how long am I supposed to look for a book! I read the original three books in my early teens, and I strongly related to the main character Colene both because of her age, and some shared circumstances which I will talk more about in a moment. The third book ended with a HUGE cliffhanger, and I rushed to the library to get book 4 only to discover it wasn't written yet. For YEARS every time I went to the library I would look for book 4, only to be rebuffed until finally I gave up. Then a few weeks ago I was talking with a friend about cliffhanger endings and the Mode series came up. Curious to see if the ending was ever written I looked it up on Goodreads, and voila, the rest is history.

Colene, our heroine, is conflicted. She was raped so she can't trust anyone enough to have sex again. At the time of first reading the series, I was 14(ish). I had been molested by my grandfather when I was a child and I blocked it out until I was 12. At that time I had my first sexual encounter as a teen and the memory of my childhood came back.

Read more at http://thereadingmaven.wordpress.com/...

[Bluegravity · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, I read this a long time ago in elementary school. It really upset me, and I don't think I would want to talk about this to an actual person, but on here it is fine, I suppose. I really liked the story, but it is also very sad. If you are squirmish or have trouble with the idea of reading about child-abuse in general, this story is not for you. If i read this, I would probably not have read this book very easily- but I did. It is a very strong story with a strong character. She's trying her best to keep her wounds from festering, having to go back to cauterize and really begin the healing process because sometimes slapping on a bandage doesn't help any. Read this, it's an eye-opener.

[Garryg · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was glad to see the series finally finished, but in my opinion this book was adequate at best.
I really liked most of the books in this series, especially Fractal Mode. I would recommend reading this one only if you want to see an end to the series.

I did see Colene’s ‘resolution’ coming, and thought both that and the ending were predictable and underwhelming.
I waited for the big twist, but it wasn’t there.
This is not up to the standard of the previous books. What happened? And why all the emphasis on sex, and very little on story… not what I had hoped for at all.

[Michael Riversong · Rating 1 out of 5]

Yeeps. The other books in this series were so promising. Of course the explanation given in the Author's end notes helps understand what happened -- there were marketing problems so continuing this series wasn't worthwhile. He just needed to tie up the loose ends and get on with life.
What bugged me most about this book was the obsession with sex. It was wearing, and even though the heroine is a 14 year old girl, there's no way i could ever recommend this as juvenile reading.

[Selenia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I first picked up Virtual Mode when I was fourteen (like Colleen) and felt a connection with her due to some issues of my own life at the time. I eagerly followed Colleen's journey through books 1-3 and even called the Piers Anthony Hotline to find out if he was going to publish a conclusion, but was told no. Thus I was happy to discover this on the shelf, but boy did it fall flat. I felt like the book was forced and the ending annoying, but at least it was finally done.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Piers Anthony. The Immortal series is one of my all time favorites. I find it interesting that this conclusion almost did not get printed. He was willing to publish it online if he had to.
That being said, this was not my favorite story. Much like the adept stories, this one takes normal creatures and a fantastical world where they do the best they can. The main character's struggle with the dirtiness of sex is integral to the story and not something I really want in my sci-fi.

[Brendan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much more interesting than the last book, we finally get to go back to the interesting DoOon mode. The nulls get a lot more fleshing out, and the story overall is more tightly paced, moving smoothly from conflict to resolution to conflict. The ending is kind of trite, but it's reasonably entertaining and nice to see how some of the peripheral characters end up.

[Brianna · Rating 2 out of 5]

The three previous books were WAY better. This only got the second star because it's related to them. Entertaining enough for me to read the whole thing, but if I hadn't previously been familiar with the characters, I would've stopped fairly early on.

[Benjamin Thomas · Rating 1 out of 5]

One of my rare "Could Not Complete" books. Just couldn't get into it. Even though it is the 4th and final book of a series, this one's just too "out there" for me to follow without my mind wandering off.

Too many good books to waste time on a dud.

[Troy Morrison · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was a conclusion to the series, but I remember Piers Anthony being a better read (not Xanth, surely, but the Incarnations of Immortality and the Apprentice Adept series). Either he's gotten worse, or my standards have risen considerably. Maybe both.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the weakest book in the series. It doesn't introduce any new concepts. The characters have difficulties but overcome them way too easily. This book seems to have been written solely for the purpose of tying up loose ends. Not much good for anything else.

[John Line · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite a decent end to the series, however I suspect Mr Anthony was a bit too hung up on sex (believe it or not). There's quite a sexual undercurrent to the book, particularly near the end (note, I did not say "climax"!)

[Dennis · Rating 2 out of 5]

At least it was closure to the series -- I could have done without the pedophile undercurrent to it -- just like his Firefly book...

~d

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Can't say this book was really that fantastic, but at least it gave an ending to a series that was going to be left on a permanent hiatus

[Ilka]

I read the first 2 books in the mode series over 10 years ago and I didn't remember how much darker it is that the Xanth series

[Dominic · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank goodness that chore is finally over!

[Shawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Young adult 10-15

[James Lampley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a good book for a ten year old to read, but it happened anyway.