Definitely my favorite series from Piers Anthony ( )

To go the whole religious hog, you have to go to Hell, baby.

Which, given he is on the planet Tarot, Paul can undertake in a somewhat literal sense, and does so. This can be seen in the somewhat cool Rowena cover for the book, to give you the idea.

After a bit of the sort of stuff you would expect, he sets about tying some of it together:
"I offer a rationale," the Rt. Rev. Crowder said. "Let us surmise that, for the benefit of the Universe or at least the Galactic Cluster, it is necessary to educate a series of sapient entities in a very special way. High-Kirlian-Aura creatures to be suitable tools, perhaps fashioned from imperfect clay, yet tailored to the need. Call them Herald the Healer, or Melody of Mintaka, or Flint of Outworld—or Paul of Tarot. Perhaps even Jesus of Christ. Assume that these entities, properly prepared, will set in motion currents that will in the course of several millennia preserve the entire Cluster from needless and ironic destruction. As by devising or reconstituting a deck of cards whose images evoke key understandings on critical occasions—"

http://notfreesf.blogspot.com/2007/07... ( )