In this final book of the Incarnations of Immortality Series, we meet Kerena, a young woman born near the legendary kingdom of Camelot. She is an unappreciated younger sister who hasn’t begun to demonstrate the incredible powers that will emerge with her maturity. Desperate to make her mark, she apprentices herself to Morely, a seer destined to be her first love and mentor.

When Morely turns up missing, she takes a job in a local brothel to support herself. She moves from talented lady of the evening to serving the infamous sorceress, Morgan Le Fay, sister to King Arthur. While disliking the evil nature of the tasks she must perform, she begins to learn how to harness her own latent magical abilities. She plans to use them to find and reunite with Morely, but the fates have other plans. Knights, vampires, motherhood, and ghostly guidance all play a part in this attention-grabbing story as the final Incarnation takes her place.

Always a master story teller, Piers Anthony winds up this series with his usual flair. Kerena is a fascinating character who charms us with her directness, compassion, and loyalty to her friends. We admire her sense of independence and strength as she does whatever is necessary to find the man she loves. Her magic is surprising and potent as it develops over centuries of experience and change.

The secondary characters are intriguing, and each adds their unique flavor to the complex layers of the plot. With a pace that varies throughout, the story still holds the reader from start to finish. Kerena is a woman who rarely ends up sleeping alone, and her experiences are shared in steamy detail. Her life is remarkable and unpredictable. The earlier incarnations each have a part to play as the story climaxes in a most unusual fashion. Under a Velvet Cloak is a highly satisfying and long overdue finale to an excellent series.

Reviewed by: LeeAnn