Another fantastic adventure in the land of Xanth! Piers Anthony has really outdone himself with this one. Some of the puns are hilarious while others will have you groaning they're so bad. Loved the varied cast of companions this time. Was lovely to see some new creatures never presented before. Only one negative to report -- you never learn what the incident was that landed Kody in the hospital and required surgery at the on-set of the book. Sure, it's the pretense for bringing him to Xanth, but still it would have been nice to tie that little tid bit up in a bow. I have been reading the Piers Anthony Xanth series for years. Although I plan to keep reading the next installments in the series, I find that I do not love them quite the way I used to. The plot has become very formulaic. A foreignor (Mundanian or otherwise) ends up in Xanth unexpectedly. He or she goes to the Good Magician to get answers to an issue. The Good Magician assigns the visitor a quest. Others join the quest. At least one or more parties fall in love. (There are passages related to summoning the stork.)The more powerful elements in Xanth make an appearance (Demons, Princesses, etc.). The quest ends (more or less successfully). The fun in reading these books, despite the pendantic plots, exists in the puns (seriously awful and funny in turn), and the various magical creatures that exist in the Xanth world.
What do You think about Esrever Doom (2013)?
Loved this series in the 80s. Now I have a hard time finishing it. Just doesn't hold my interest.
—IJFox57
Mediocre addition to Xanth. Not as witty and compelling as Luck of the Draw.
—valentina83
Not as horrible as the last couple have been.
—Jamie
