Cold Fire, by Tamora Pierce

Daja and Frostpine have traveled north to the city of Kugisko in Namorn. They stay the winter in the house of the Bacanors, whom Frostpine knew a long time ago. While they stay, Frostpine does magework for the local magistrate, and Daja discovers that the twin daughters of the Bacanors have ambient magic: Nia with carpentry, and Jory with cooking. Now she must find teachers for them and in the meanwhile teach them meditation. Daja has also made a friend in Ben Ladrudun: local firefighter and son of a merchant family. After his wife and children died in a fire, he devoted himself to stopping fires and studied with Pawel Godsforge, a legendary mage. Daja admires his bravery and wishes she could help him. Fires start popping up all around the city, and it is soon discovered that it is no accident: they were set. But by whom? Who would want to set fires in a city mostly made of wood, and for what purpose? Daja wishes she knew, for to her it seems a personal attack on Ben Ladrudun, and Daja will not have anyone hurting her friends.

This is a very clever and surprising book. There is danger and sadness and betrayal all mixed together. The plot is exciting and gives a fast paced read. It is difficult to grow up a normal child, let alone a child with an extraordinary gift that can cause her to be singled out and shunned. Usually this would apply to Tris more, but in Cold Fire we see that it happens to Daja as well. Fire is a smith’s friend, and Daja usually treats it pretty casually. But most people are not used to seeing a young girl holding fire, or walking through a burning building and coming out unscathed. I don’t quite understand why the common people in the novel react so strongly to such magic: magic surrounds them daily as well as mages. One more incredible thing should almost seem commonplace. Some people have talents in different places: why are they so frightened? I’d think that people in the real world would be more frightened than the people in Daja’s world by such a display of magic, but it seems that is not the case. But human nature being what it is, maybe it should not be so surprising.

I find it quite amusing how Frostpine hates the cold. There is a wonderful conversation in which Daja explains why he took the name Frostpine when he hates the cold that much. Apparently he liked the way Frostpine sounded, and thought it would be a pretty tree, not considering how cold ‘cold’ really was. It is the little bits of cleverness in Pierce’s writing that makes me keep coming back to read and reread her books. The writing is as lively as the characters, and just as comforting. For some reason when I read her books I think of Christmas time and fresh baked cookies. Maybe it is that feel of excitement that both events bring to me: I get that feel when I read her books. And sometimes that is exactly what I need.

Street Mage, by Tamora Pierce

Briar and his teacher Rosethorn have traveled to the city of Chammur, helping farmers restore their fields, and temples stock up on medicines. In the Golden House marketplace Briar sees a young girl polishing stones who appears to be putting magic into them. When he asks her about her magic, the girl quickly runs away and disappears. Briar soon finds out that her name is Evvy, and that he must teach her if he cannot discover another teacher for her. But finding Evvy and making her take lessons is another matter: she is as wild as Briar once was. But Briar is clever in the ways of street people, and he manages to make her promise to take lessons with him until he can find her a proper teacher. But the only other stone mage in the area is Jebulun Stoneslicer: pompous, fat, and completely unwilling to teach Evvy. However, there is another person interested in Evvy other than Briar: a gang keeps trying to snatch her to maker her work for them. And behind all of this is a bored wealthy woman who foolishly decides to go against Briar and chance the consequences of angering a truly powerful mage.

Chammur is just a stop on the way for Briar and Rosethorn, but they soon find enough to occupy themselves. Between discovering a mage and avoiding gang wars, Briar has a lot on his plate. Street Mage shows us the many ways that Briar has changed and matured from his ‘street rat’ days, and also the many ways in which he has not. There is a struggle within Briar: he is torn between the thief that he was, and the Mage that he is now. The points of view are so different that he often has trouble reconciling them. This struggle makes Briar’s povs so interesting to read. His is a complex character that is totally believable. He cannot stop being who he was, but he has come so far that it is no longer who he is. I like this, and it is part of the reason why Briar is my favorite character.

In Street Mage we see Briar get truly angry, which is something that he hasn’t done before. Or else before now he hasn’t had the power to back him up. But this passage is truly great and thoroughly enjoyable to read, as is most of the book. Briar has a great wit and cleverness: I wish more characters were like him. Playful, yet serious. Witty, yet strongly loyal. Tough, yet caring. A character of contradictions, and that always makes for good reading. At least it does for me, and I hope it would for you.

Magic Steps, by Tamora Pierce

Daja, Briar, and Tris have all left Winding Circle to travel the world with their teachers. But Sandry has stayed behind in Summersea to look after her Uncle who nearly died from a heart attack. But in no way does Sandry miss out in any excitement that might be found by traveling. Looking after Vedris is a full time job; especially since he does not like to stay abed and rest. Keeping him resting is even more difficult after murderers start killing the Rokat family one by one and hanging their heads in public places. And to top it all off, Sandry discovers a young man who has dance magic, and doesn’t know it. She is now obligated to teach him and keep him out of trouble. Pasco is certainly a handful, the murders keep going on, and Vedris has to keep looking for the murderers. Sandry longs for her housemates, but they are half a world away and she must deal with her own problems now.

This is the first book in the Circle Opens quartet. The Circle Opens quartet deals with the children (now that they are all accredited mages) having to take on students once they have discovered them. As was said above, this book deals with Sandry and her student Pasco. We get to see more of Sandry in this book than in her previous book in the Circle of Magic quartet. We are introduced to a great character in Yasmin, and I wish we could see her more.

I have a few things to quibble about, but they are mostly minor. Number one, is that Sandry is only 14, but sometimes it seems like she should be 4 years older at least. I know that in most books the main characters (if they are children) rarely act their age. But even though she was forced to grow up quickly, I don’t know if it is quite possible for a 14 year old to have the same maturity level as a responsible 18 year old (exceptions not withstanding). My second issue contains a bit of plot spoiler that some might not want to read if they are interested in reading the book for themselves. Just skip to the below paragraph. I liked the character of Wulfric Snaptrap, and he was certainly useful. But I have issues when authors introduce a character and kill him in the same book. Especially whey you can tell that they want you to empathize and feel sorry that they are dead. I have trouble doing this if the character hasn’t been around long enough or done enough to get me attached to them. When they die, I have a hard time caring as much as the author wishes I would. All this happened in the case of Wulfric, and I wish it didn’t.

On the whole, Magic Steps is just as good as the rest of the previous series. It’s sad that we don’t see all the children together, but even on their own they are quite formidable. Tamora Pierce never allows the plot to flag, or our attentions to waver. She keeps our interest steady by introducing new ideas intermixed with old. I do think that Sandry might be a weaker character than the others, but that does not seriously effect Pierce’s writing. This book is good for a light read, and it certainly is a quick one. It is perfect for lovers of the first series, so I suggest you go out and pick it up at your local library.

Circle of Magic: Briar’s Book, by Tamora Pierce

When Rosethorn and Briar visit the Mire in Summersea to bring medicine to the poor, they discover something much more serious than a shortage of chilblain salve. A plague is starting, and it is one that has never been seen before. One of the symptoms is blue spots covering the infected bodies. Briar and Rosethorn are put under quarantine after they try to help a street rat whom Briar befriended. Briar longs to be back at Discipline, and Rosethorn hates being under quarantine. She needs to be back at Winding Circle, trying to find a cure. But they are stuck where they are, as more and more sick people are brought in from all parts of the city. Briar’s friend is taking a turn for the worse, and there is no cure that can help her. Both Briar and Rosethorn wish to be where they can be of use, and that doesn’t seem to be happening where they are. But they cannot go home, and all they can do is wait.

Okay, many really really cool things happen in this book. The children are very strong in their magics by this point, and this leads them to do some monstrously huge thing that is indescribably wonderful. But I can’t tell you what that is. It would spoil so much. All I will say is that this is my favorite book in this series, and not only because Briar is my favorite character. The ending of this book amazes me as it tugs on my heart. Many kudos go to Tamora Pierce for thinking up this ending, because it knocks everything else out of the water. Hands down the best book in the series in terms of writing and wonderfulness. There is no option this time: you really should read this book. And all the others just so you know all that is going on. J I love it when an author makes the end of the series so good that you can tell people to read the series just so they can get to the end. Pick this series up: it’ll take you all of a week to finish. Oooh, scary week! Oh, no! Or you can read it faster. Your choice.

Circle of Magic: Daja’s Book, by Tamora Pierce

The Duke of Emelan invited the children and their teachers to come with him on an inspection of an ailing Gold Ridge Valley: there has been drought for three years in a row, and now fires are running wild across the plains. The Duke wants to help all that he can, but his treasury is stretched thin fixing damage from the earthquake and the pirate attacks. The children follow their teachers around the area, and soon discover that their magics have mixed to such an extent that Briar is displaying lightning ability, Sandry melts a wire thread, and Daja shows a new affinity for plants. When Daja has a moment of inattention in the forge, she accidentally creates a living vine of iron. Some Traders in the area are reluctant to associate with a trangshi, but they cannot resist the chance to buy the vine from her. The fires in the area are continuing to be a problem, and the children’s magics are running wild. Why is life never peaceful?

Tamora Pierce never allows her characters to grow simplistic or boring. There is always some new aspect of them that she brings to light that compliments the rest of their character that we know. And then we wonder if we haven’t known that about them all along. Daja loves her new family, but being a Trader was more than a way of life: it was life itself. The smells, the sights, and the family that was lost. So when Traders show up at Gold Ridge, the struggle she goes through is truly heartrending. Wanting to be a Trader again, but hurt that they declared her trangshi and won’t associate with her. These are not simple emotions, and they make for a great character.

Daja’s Book is just as interesting and thrilling as all the other Circle of Magic books. We see the people we love, but they are growing all the time into characters that we love even more. I truly wish I could meet these people, because they seem like real people who should exist so the world would be a better place. Briar, Rosethorn, Lark, Tris, Sandry, Niko…I know I shouldn’t get so attached to characters in books, but it’s hard to help it. I wish month passes were allowed to fantasy worlds. What a vacation that would be.

Circle of Magic: Tris’s Book, by Tamora Pierce

The earthquake that devastated Summersea is long past, but the effects will still be felt for a long time. Many people are still injured, and the defenses around the area were damaged in the quake. Sandry, Tris, Briar, and Daja are still living at Discipline and discovering just what they can do. Their magics seem to be stronger after Sandry wound them together to survive the earthquake, and they are very close. They will need all of their magic and friendship when pirates start sniffing around Summersea and Tris starts to realize how strong her magic is, especially when she’s mad.

That little snippet up there doesn’t really do the book justice, but it gives you a general idea of what is going on. All of the children continue to work on their magic and the practical aspects that go along with it. Since their magic is worked through particular items, their magic will only be as good as their skills in making that item in the first place. But most of this has to stop when pirates blow up the watchtowers around Summersea, break all the scrying glasses in the Hub, and try to break into Winding Circle. They carry a new weapon: the boomstone. Unlike regular catapult stones, this explodes when it hits something, spraying fire everywhere. Modern audiences will recognize this as gunpowder.

This book develops a lot of Tris’s character, and shows us just what she can do with her magic when she wants to. Tris has had a hard life, being passed from one place to the next because no one wanted her. Only at Discipline is she welcomed, and maybe even loved. I enjoy Tris as a character. She’s smart, but cranky and touchy. She is nice, but very prickly. Sugar and sweetness are not words that describe Trisana Chandler. But she can be loyal and strong and very caring of her friends. I believe she is a very realistic character, one I am willing to believe in and accept. This is very important for a fantasy story: many improbable things are set in front of the audience. If they can’t believe in the characters that drive the plot, the story is lost.

As with the first book, Tris’s book is an easy read, but it does deal with some semi-serious issues. Love, loss, and hatred are not light topics. But it is a perfect book for young teens who want a wide range of things: adventure, magic, good people, and just the right reading level. I do say that older people will enjoy them: I still do, anyway. So don’t rule them out because you think they’re too young for you. Relax, and grow younger.

Circle of Magic: Sandry’s Book, by Tamora Pierce

Four children of very different backgrounds have been brought to Winding Circle Temple. Sandry is a noble, Briar is a thief, Tris is from a merchant family, and Daja is a Trader. Each of them has had a hard life so far: Sandry’s parent’s died in the plague in Hatar, and she was locked in a cellar without a light for days: Briar grew up in a rough district of Sotat and has always been a thief: Tris’s parents left her at a temple, believing she was demon possessed, and no one has ever loved her or taken care of her: Daja was cast out of the Trader community after the ship she was on sank, and she was the only survivor. A mage named Niklaren Goldeye found each of them and brought them to Winding Circle. They don’t really know why they’re there, but Winding Circle is a place of magic, and magic is about to enter their lives forever.

Each of the Circle of Magic books (there are four) are told mostly from the point of view of one person. It will switch back and forth a bit, especially in this first one because we are just getting to know all the characters. Sandry’s book is told marginally from her perspective, and some of the story is about her specifically. But we have a lot to learn about all the characters, and it is worth it. All of them are so different, yet they manage to live together and even become friends.

This is a lighter read, more for young adults. The plot is decently tight with good characters and interesting ideas. My personal favorite character is Briar, but no character is better written than the others. They are short books that are good for enjoyment and fun. I would put this on the higher end of fluff, approaching real substance. Tamora Pierce is a good writer, who knows exactly how to write for her audience.

Talking to Dragons, by Patricia C. Wrede

Daystar and his mother Cimorene have always lived on the edge of the Enchanted Forest. Lots of odd things happen to them, and they meet lots of odd people: mostly princes and third sons and the like. But the day the wizard showed up was quite a different day. For one, he blasted their door apart. Two, Daystar’s mother melted him. Three, she went into the forest, gave Daystar the magic sword she came back with, and then sent him into the forest with strict instructions not to come back until he knew why she sent him away. A very confusing day, to say the least. His time in the forest is made even more interesting when everyone keeps recognizing the sword he’s carrying but refusing to tell him anything about it, and some are trying to kill him. Never did Daystar ever imagine that life would ever turn out like this.

This is the fourth and final book of the Enchanted Forest Chronicles. Daystar is the son of Cimorene and Mendanbar, kept in ignorance of his parentage so that he may one day free his father from imprisonment. Cimorene has raised him the best she could, emphasizing politeness and courtesy. In fact, Daystar turns out so polite and courteous that he’s almost boring. There is not as much zest in his character as some of the others, and since the story is from his pov, it is not quite as interesting as the other books. Daystar’s virtues are the story’s downfall. I’m not saying that this was a bad book: in no way! But it lacked the spark that characterized the other books and made them so good in comparison. As a conclusion to the series it does not quite do its job at being fulfilling and satisfying. It is still a good book; enjoyable, fun, clever. But I enjoyed reading the others more.

Calling on Dragons, by Patricia C. Wrede

It comes as a surprise to no one in the Enchanted Forest that the Wizards are up to trouble again. And this time they’ve really outdone themselves. Somehow they managed to sneak into the palace and steal Mendanbar’s sword. Now they are able to suck up magic in the forest again, and when the sword begins to leak magic, they’ll suck it up from it too. Mendanbar cannot leave the forest, so Cimorene, Morwen, Kazul, and Telemain mount an expedition to regain the sword. Tagging along are two of Morwen’s cats, and a six foot floating blue donkey, who used to be a normal sized white rabbit. An odd bunch, to be sure, but they have to succeed, or the entire Enchanted Forest will be destroyed by the wizards.

It was great to read the story from Morwen’s point of view. She is so practical and sensible, yet funny. And her cats are an absolute hoot. Such personalities: just like cats really act, and probably for many of the same reasons. Wrede is such a clever author, introducing new ideas and odd characters every book so the story never gets too common place, but also keeping some old ideas that we need to see. The characters change, but not too much, and the story is as lively as ever. You wonder whatever possessed her to create a character like Killer (the former rabbit), but if you roll with the punches it doesn’t really matter.

Sometimes I wonder why adult books can’t be more like this. But I know that most adults wouldn’t like the sense of the ridiculous that comes along. I appreciate serious stories myself, but it seems to me that young adult/children’s writers don’t get enough credit for their masterpieces. Their plotlines are cooler and tidier than some adult authors, their characters are just as interesting, their writing as good, yet the acclaim is not theirs. But I give thanks to them, because without them, I might not have started to read so much fantasy. I proclaim this to be ‘Appreciate Children’s Authors Day.’ Go out and hug one if you can find them.

Searching for Dragons, by Patricia C. Wrede

Mendanbar is the King of the Enchanted forest. Since he’s the king of a magical land, he needs all the magic and wits he can muster to face the challenges that come his way. Recently, it appears that dragons from the Mountains of Morning have been burning patches of the forest. Taking advice from the witch Morwen, Mendanbar straps on his magic sword and goes to visit King Kazul of the Dragons to find out what is going on. But when he reaches her cave, the only one there is Princess Cimorene (or more accurately, Kazul’s Chief Cook and Librarian). Cimorene reveals to Mendanbar that Kazul has gone missing, and that she intends to try to find her. Mendanbar feels he is duty bound to go with Cimorene to protect her, but neither is completely happy about this arrangement. Along the way they’ll have to deal with faulty magic carpets, rock snakes and wizards. Just another typical day for the King of the Enchanted Forest!

In Searching for Dragons the pov is switched from Cimorene to Mendanbar. But since we’ve already seen how her mind works, there is no trouble in simulating her thoughts for ourselves. I wish I could meet these people in real life: they must be so much fun to be around. Clever and brave, funny and smart: hmm, it might get annoying after a while. But it never does in the book: we are taken on one adventure after another, holding on for dear life. The plot twists and squirms, new characters pop up, old ones reappear, and there is a wonderful happy ending. I don’t think I’m spoiling much by telling you that.

Its is a rare occurrence to find a children’s book that has neither shallow nor two-dimensional characters. It is also a delight, which makes reading one such book particularly wonderful. Albeit the characters are simplified: this is a children’s tale. There aren’t as many blurring of the lines between good characters and bad, but in itself that can be refreshing. For those of us who started reading fantasy as children, there is a sort of nostalgic feeling one gets when reading such a story. It makes us feel like children again, full of intent wonder. I appreciate that feeling from time to time, so I especially appreciate books that can evoke that emotion in me. Pick up the Enchanted Forest Quartet and prepare to enjoy yourself.

Dealing with Dragons, by Patricia C. Wrede

Princess Cimorene is a very different sort of princess. All of her sisters turned out just fine: they’re all blue eyed blondes without a brain between them. But somehow Cimorene turned out tall, dark haired, and very very stubborn. Bored out of her mind learning princessly duties such as etiquette, dancing, and embroidery, Cimorene learns fencing, cooking, magic, juggling, latin, and economics. Each set of lessons is stopped by her parents when they find out, so she never gets to study anything truly interesting. In horror she discovers her parents have arranged a marriage between herself and Prince Therandil—a singularly boring prince who is coincidentally not too bright. Taking advice from a helpful frog, Cimorene runs away to become a princess for the dragon Kazul. Here she is needed for her former oddities: Kazul loves cherries jubilee, needs her latin library catalogued, and her treasure sorted. But all these pesky knights keep showing up to rescue her, and the wizards are definitely becoming a problem. What’s a girl to do? If she’s Cimorene, you can be sure she’ll do something!

In this, the first book of the Enchanted Forest series, Patricia Wrede takes the classic fairy tales and rearranges them into a singularly different story. All the old clichés are there: princesses, dragons, knights in shiny (or not-so-shiny) armor, magic, wizards etc. But the way Wrede uses these classic ideas truly reinvents the fairy tale. Cimorene, for example, is no fainting damsel in distress. At last she’s found a place where she can be extremely happy, and all these bothersome knights keep trying to take her away. This book is just thoroughly enjoyable, with a highly entertaining writing style. Completely strange ideas are juxtaposed for comic effect: and it makes perfect sense.

I first read these books when I was in sixth grade. They have never gotten old, or boring, or just not funny. They are a children’s to young adult series, but that only means that more people can enjoy them at the same time. I doubt if I would have ever noticed this if I had not read them back to back, but Patricia Wrede and Piers Anthony seem to share a bit of the same writing style. Wrede is a bit more serious (but not much), and there are certain similarities in their style. If you enjoy one, it is quite possible you will enjoy the other. I give it a big smile rating, and you should too.

Hood, by Stephen Lawhead

Lawhead has pulled off a great retelling of the Arthurian legends, yet it remains to be seen if he can do it again for Robin Hood. Hood is the first book of the Raven King trilogy. It starts off the legends of Robin Hood with some familiar characters and some new places and ideas. The Robin Hood character is named ‘Bran,’ and his loyal friend is named Iwan. Instead of the story being set in the typical Sherwood forest near Nottingham, this retelling is set in Wales at a time when it was still surrounded by a massive forest that was very easy to get lost in. In details like this, when Lawhead makes the story his own, the book reads the best and is the most interesting. Sadly, it is when he brings in most of the classic Robin Hood elements that the writing stumbles.

Near the beginning of the book, there is a scene in which two characters meet and nickname each other little John and Friar Tuck. For some reason this felt very clumsy to me, as if Lawhead was trying too hard to identify his story with the typical legends. If it had happened later in the book it would have felt better, but the placing of it seemed poor. I also had an issue with his portrayal of Bran at the beginning of the book. He was such a stereotypical character that I could map out half the story as well as his personal developments. (I mean this in a different way than already ‘knowing’ what the story was going to contain, seeing as it is a retelling of Robin Hood.) The plot seemed laid out before me in big bold letters saying, ‘This is what will be.’ I think this is a death wish for any book, unless the author is going to turn convention on its head.

All this said, Lawhead has managed to turn out another good book. It may not read as smoothly as I prefer, but as the book warms up he shows his particular genius with writing. He has a flair that can be quite realistic and yet mysterious at the same time. The story has the ability to sweep you away to a long ago time when magic never seemed far away, and freedom was a thing worth dying for. The sweetness of life mixed with the pain: a bitter drink that makes you appreciate everything more.

I have high hopes for the next book in this series: maybe Lawhead will manage to avoid the pitfalls he stumbled into in Hood. I know he has the ability to write characters that can knock your socks off, and I hope he manages to apply that to the rest of the Raven King trilogy.

Golem in the Gears, by Piers Anthony

Grundy the Golem has a few problems. 1. He’s small. 2. He’s got a loud mouth. 3. He’s insecure. 4. He’s small. And Xanth just doesn’t make females in his size. But when Grundy discovers Sorceress Ivy trying to teach her young brother Dolph how to fly in order to find Stanly Steamer, he decides it is time to go consult the Good Magician. Typically, the Good Magician gives a nonsensical answer that seems to have nothing to do with the question asked, ‘Ride the monster under the bed to the Ivory tower.’ I mean, what kind of answer is that to the question, ‘where is Stanley?’ But Grundy decides to try the advice and so sets off on a quest. For such a little man, crossing all of Xanth is no picnic, especially when he opens his big mouth.

Here is another Xanth book that deals with the meaning of true love. What is it, how do you find it, and is it worth it. Usually the answer to the last question is yes. Grundy falls in love with Rapunzel who was stuck in the Ivory tower, but he knows that she will never be able to love him back. It’s great to see things from Grundy’s view, because before all we’ve ever seen/heard of him is his big mouth: which isn’t exactly great for forming deep characterizations. He really is a small man, with a man’s feelings and ideas. His mouth just doesn’t let most of that through. But when we’re in his head, we see it all.

You know, it gets hard to make astute observations for books such as these. I mean, they’re great fun and all, but I feel like the quality of my reviews have gone downhill a little. I’m not discussing intriguing aspects or great characterizations, because it’s hard to do that for fluff. I hope you’ll forgive me for this long segue from ‘serious’ reviewing. I’ll try to keep on top of things hereafter.

Crewel Lye, by Piers Anthony

Jordan the Barbarian has been dead for 400 years. He believes that he can live again, for his magical talent is healing: no matter how severe the injury, it can heal with time. The only problem is that he does not know where his bones are, so he’s out of luck. But Princess Ivy is bored, so Jordan may just get lucky. For Ivy has a Magician class talent and she is very willing to exert it on his behalf. Jordan believes that if he watches the magic tapestry he may be able to remember his life, and possibly discover where his bones are. So ensues the tale of Jordan’s life, which was ended because of a crewel lye.

Who likes adventure? (ooh, pick me, pick me!) Who likes barbarians? (ooh, they’re my favorite people!) Then this is the book for you!

On a more serious note, this book does contain a lot about barbarians. Not of the Mundane variety, however. Jordan the Barbarian has a very useful magic talent: accelerated healing. Even if he’s got an arm chopped off he’ll be full functional in a day or so. I mean, talk about helpful. It actually gets difficult to count how many times Jordan dies. It makes you wonder if he’d be any more careful if he knew he couldn’t regenerate.

Crewel Lye has definitely got some really great funny moments. Jordan keeps referencing the Barbarian Publicity department, and somehow that always got a hoot out of me. Jordan is a dumb barbarian, but he is not as dumb as everyone thinks, because the Barbarian Publicity department likes to keep a proper image. I kid you not. It is for this reason that I continue to read Xanth books, campy and corny as they are. Once in a while Anthony comes up with a truly wonderful inventive idea that he pulls off in the strangest fashion. You will not find high-jinks like this short of Douglas Adams. If you’ve got a spare moment, pick it up. This type of book is described as (in the words of the Gorgon actually about Castle Roogna) ‘a good cheap historical novel…it has lots of sex and sorcery and a really stupid barbarian hero.’ Enjoy the read.

Dragon on a Pedestal, by Piers Anthony

The land of Xanth is once more threatened by a great danger. The Gap forget spell was weakened by the time of No Magic, and it has begun to break up into little forget whorls. They are invisible and nearly impossible to detect, and the people who walk through them forget everything. The Gap Dragon is also on the loose, having remembered a secret exit to the Gap. When the Good Magician Humphrey is harvesting some water from the fountain of Youth the Gap Dragon comes upon him, and both the Magician and the Dragon are youthened when the water splashes on them both. This accident couldn’t have happened at a more inconvenient time, for Dor and Irene’s daughter Ivy is lost in the jungles of Xanth, and the Good Magician cannot help them locate her. Irene is in great distress for her daughter, for she has had a premonition that her daughter is headed straight into the worst danger of all.

Yes, I did not mention the ‘worst danger of all.’ It’s called ‘suspense,’ even though leaving something like that out is really annoying. I like to give better previews than what is on the back cover of a book, but I still like to draw it out a bit. Heehee. I do really want to tell you what the ‘worst danger of all’ is. I had a hard time leaving it out. It’s so fun!

On to the real review: basically, apply all that I’ve said about all the other Xanth books to this one. Wow, that was a really short review. It is sad but true. This book isn’t one of Anthony’s best in terms of interesting themes etc. which seems to distinguish his good books from his bad (at least in my opinion). I mean, it is the fun romp and adventure we always get with all the terrible and funny puns etc. It just does not have anything to distinguish it from the common mass. As will all the Xanth books, you can expect fun and adventure and fluff: but not too much thinking. This is their curse, and their blessing. As always, they are good for a light read and I do recommend them for that.