What makes this book great is the Xanth formula, as mentioned in my review of A Spell for Chamelon:"As a general rule, Xanth novels are about a protagonist who doesn't really fit in and has no idea what their purpose in life is or what group they would fit in with. That is, they are a normal young adult. They decide to go on a Quest and over the course of said Quest they discover who they are, where they belong, and fall in love."This is Dor's formula and we all came to love him in the previous book, Castle Roogna, where he set off on an adventure as a 12 year old kid. Now he's an adult and it's his turn to fall in love.This book has 3 plots which drive it and the strongest of those is the love story. For the first time, the female character is a real 3 dimensional female. The primary conflict occurs with the standard misunderstanding between the sexes. This story really hits home as I have certainly been that dumb guy who just didn't catch on when a girl liked him. Besides that, the likability of the two characters makes the reader root for them getting together.The second plot is much less interesting but is where the title comes from. Dor sets out on a quest to find a Magician level Centaur who is on his own quest to map Xanth. The flaw here was with the edition of the books that I read. The modern books all have a map of Xanth at the front and the newer the book, the more detailed the map is.But that is not true of the original editions (which I now own in paperback). The first 3 books have no map of Xanth and the maps slowly appears over the 4th and 5th books which share a plot of mapping Xanth. It is far less interesting to find out what Xanth looks like when you have spent 3 books looking at the map.The final plot is the weakest in my opinion, and I seem to recall it being the one listed on the back of the book. The King is missing and Dor has to set out on a quest to find him. This plot is almost wholly left in the background and forgotten until it is finally, and anti-climactically resolved. If it turned out that he had just been in the W.C. reading a newspaper the effect would have been the same.
This is the fourth book in the series and the second of Dor's adventures. With a group of friends (previous characters or children of previous characters) he sets off on a quest to find a danger threatening the land of Xanth. The characters are interesting and the group works well together as a team. Every character is given something important to do, and each of them has an opportunity to demonstrate their own unique talents. I cannot recall any part of the book where a character might have been "forgotten" during the story.More of the world of Xanth is revealed to us, in particular "Centaur Isle", the home of the Centaurs. They are amongst the most important citizens of the realm, in the form of teachers or scholars or other supportive roles, offering guidance and wisdom to the human rulers of Xanth. Their history and origin are also revealed, which is somewhat disturbing, but interesting nonetheless.The author does a fine job of allowing us to visualize the land of Xanth, and I found my imagination inspired by the vivid descriptions present. The trademark humor of the series is still there, and I found myself laughing out loud on more than one occasion. There are of course more puns, which a reader may or may not appreciate. It is clearly something to expect from the series now.Unfortunately, I have one minor issue with this book. "Centaur Aisle" does not offer insight into the current lives of Bink or Chameleon, and never really delves into what is happening in their lives. This is my biggest disappointment in the book. While the author does make references to those characters, and events in previous books, the focus is purely on Dor for the most part. King Trent plays an important role in the book, and it is good to at least have him present. I simply would have thought it better if there was some interaction between Dor and his parents. It would have made sense to do so before starting this epic quest. Regardless, the book still succeeds despite this minor complaint.The story ends on a happy note, though there are a few lingering questions, but nothing that distracts from the overall story.
What do You think about Centaur Aisle (1997)?
I'm working my way through the Xanth series and finding it quite enjoyable. There's a bit of nostalgia – these were the gateway books that led me into a life of loving fantasy novels, and I still read them with quite a bit of fondness. Reading it as an old man and as a much more seasoned reader than I was when I first read these books as a teenager (that long ago? really?), I might under some circumstances be forced to critique these books as somewhat ham-handed and contrived – one of the reasons I stopped reading Xanth was that I became aware of how formulaic they were – but these early novels especially have a great sense of fun and sweetness to them that makes me feel very forgiving.If you haven't read this series, then I really recommend you pick up the first book (A Spell for Chameleon) and fall in love with Xanth.
—Ryk Stanton
Another really fun adventure in Xanth. Dor is the second generation to be chronicled and this is his second adventure. King Trent is raising Dor in the palace to give him training in how to be a monarch. However, this got interrupted when King Trent went on a week's visit to Mundania and never came back. Dor and several companions including the king's daugher, Irene, set out to find the King and rescue him. The puns flow quickly in this romp. As does love. This isn't great literature I suppose, but what a fun ride it is!
—Joan
I dislike the entire series a great deal. In fact, I've started using Xanth as a measurement for how bad other book series are.I managed to get through 5 Xanth books before I couldn't bring myself to continue any more. 5 books before I would rather listen to nothing while driving than be subjected to Piers Anthony's writing any more. It isn't the worst series I've ever read, I only managed 4 Maze Runner books, and 3 Divergent.In truth, it was the Ogre being propelled like a rocket by vomiting Black Licorice horse shit he'd eaten in book 5 that crushed my spirit once and for all.
—Chris Evans
