Of Man and Manta

Omnivore keeps to the rim of the harbor where ships breathe cold fog and the water tastes of iron. A girl with a map burned to her palm trades a secret for a promise she doesn’t yet understand, and a veteran pilot argues for a shortcut that would break more laws than it would save. As patrols drift past and the night sighs with distant engines, Omnivore must decide how far he will go to save a piece of the city he doesn’t yet own. The manta—the quiet leviathan of the deep—surfaces only when the current demands it, and its breath pulls at the edges of his choices, urging him toward a truth that could lift the veil or crush him beneath it. In a world where memory is a ship and loyalty a shipmate, every step toward the sea is a step away from yesterday, and every step toward the Manta pulls him deeper into the code he’s trying to rewrite.

The Of Man and Manta series sits within Piers Anthony's expansive exploration of identity and survival across improbable ecosystems. While it threads into his broader oeuvre with a penchant for clever wordplay and layered worldbuilding, it stands on its own as a fusion of quest and science-fable, inviting readers to measure loyalty not by allegiance but by the weight of a choice made under alien skies. Critical reception has been varied—admired for inventiveness and wit, sometimes noted for its challenging pacing and ambitious premise. The books are praised for their unique blend of humor with hard-edged dilemma, though some reviews point to a density that rewards patient, engaged reading.