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That was the enchanted land where magic ruled--where every citizen had a special spell only he could cast. It was a land of centaurs and dragons and basilisks. For Bink of North Village, however Xanth was no fairy tale. He alone had no magic And unless he got some--and got some fast!-- he would be exiled. Forever! |
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As the ruler of a country steeped in enchantment, King Trent was naturally curious about the source of its magic. It made sense to order Bink, the only one of his subjects immune to supernatural harm, to undertake a quest to discover the wellspring of Xanth's uniqueness. |
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Millie had been a ghost for 800 years. But now, restored by the magic of Xanth, she was again a maddeningly desirable woman. She could have had any man she wanted... except the man she did want, Jonathon the Zombie. To grant Millie her desire, and to prove his right to rule Xanth in the future, young magician Dor embarked on a quest for the elixir which would restore Jonathon to full life. But the potion could be found only in the past...so through the magic tapestry, to the past he went, taking over the body of a barbarian warrior. The first person he encountered there was Jumper, a giant spider-- a nightmare monster, but a staunch friend and much needed ally in perilhaunted , ancient Xanth. |
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Dor was having trouble growing up to be the next Magician-King of the magic land of Xanth. He wanted no part of running the kingdom. But now Good King Trent was leaving on a trade mission to non-magical Mundania, home of such weird beasts as horses and bears, so Dor had to take over for a week. A week passes. No Trent. Then three weeks. King Trent still hadn't returned. Surely something terrible had happened; he was apparently held captive in some foul dungeon, unable to escape. His only hope was to enter Mundania and free King Trent-- but how could it be done without the powers of magic? Together with Irene, a golem, a centaur, and a young ogre they started out for the far south of Xanth, event though the entrance to Mundania lay to the north. |
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These first four Xanth books are the best in the series. My personal favorite and my first Piers Anthony book was Castle Roogna. It returns the main character Dor to an uncivilized and untamed Xanth of 800 years prior. A 12- year-old boy is thrust into a grown barbarians body and must ally with a giant spider. Dor also has magician caliber magic in that he can talk to the inanimate - rocks, clothes, spider web, etc. This book embraces basic concepts such as duty, honor, good vs. evil, the growing pains of all soon to be teenagers, and the importance of trust in any friendship. The story has plenty of adventure, romance, and an unfolding plot that will not be revealed until the end. These books can be read in any order as each stands on its own, but reading them in order will leave less gaps in the time line. |
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More Piers Anthony |
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