c1997A Tor BookPublished by Tom Doherty Associates,Inc I bought this book on vacation. It is like new with a perfect dust jacket. I plan to gift it to the library.IMHO this is wonderfull satire about sexual and courtship behavior, and about attitudes about proper sexual beliefs.p109"We'll just have to establish that Imbri is an adult human female, and then have her remove her clothing.""But that would be improper,"Imbri protested. "a human woman wouldn't.""Precisely," Cathryn said. "That makes it ogleable."The logic was impeccable. So, reluctantly, Imbri agreed. She reformed her dress, which was made of her own soul-stuff, so that it had a number of pieces. Then Forest and Catheryn stood on either side of the peak, serving as an audience. Imbri, who had experience with male dreams, explained what was required, so that they could make suitable comments that would help attract the ogre's notice. Then Imbri stood on the highest knoll and lifted her arms."Behold!" Cathryn said loudly. "A modest human style female woman lady is about to do a naughty strip tease dance, that no decent person should observe.""Great!" Forrest exclaimed, just as loudly. "As an improper male type faun I can hardly wait."Then Imbri began her dance. She stepped around, wiggling her bottom. She was pretty goood at it; her experience making daydreams must have helped. Then she kicked one foot high, so that her leg showed all the way to the knee. Her sandals were still protecting her from moving her feet incorrectly, so that she managed to show only as much as she meant to."Disgusting!" Cathryn pronounced."More! More!" Forrest cried.Imbri whirled, so that her skirt flared out and lifted, showing both knees. "Stop this vile display at once!" Catheryn said in her best imitation of an adult voice. "Don't you realize that a child might see?""Who cares?" Forrest demanded irresponsibily. There was a faint shudder in the ground. Either the earth itself was disgusted at the display, or an ogre was stirring far away.Imbri took hold of the kerchief whe had formed and drew it from her head. She tossed it in the air, where it fluttered a moment, then dissolved into vapor."Indecent exposure!" Catheryn protested."Take it off! Take it!" Forrest insisted wickedly as he sat down on the ground.The ground rumbled. Something huge was trudging in their direction.Imbri worked off her blouse and threw it at Forrest, who caught it and sniffed it in as vulgar a manner as he could imagine. Actually it was a very nice blouse, with a faint smell of fresh hay. It was Mare Imbri's natural soul substance. Then it dissolved, because of course she couldn't afford to get fragmented."Absolutely revolting," Catheryn proclaimed."Devine," he countered sincerely.
Faun and Games is the real introduction to Ida's moons, and I have to admit, I much prefer reading about Xanth proper than this might be. should have been, could have been and will be characters and places. It kind of turns into a muddled mess in my head, but I still love Xanth books, and Forrest is a great new character, and Imbri has always been one of my favorites.Xanth is of course, full of puns, and that is one of the reasons I love the story so much. There are loads of puns in this one, so many in fact, that I find myself groaning over the stupidity of most of them. Sometimes I get bogged down in puns and can't struggle back through the story, but mostly, they're funny. Beware though, if they aren't for you, you probably won't enjoy this book.For fans of Piers Anthony, and especially his previous Xanth books. A nice combination of fantasy and sci-fi elements, and an engaging adventure and romance.
What do You think about Faun & Games (1997)?
Xanth #21: Faun & Games, by Piers AnthonyWhen Branch Faun is lost to the Void, his friend Forrest embarks on a quest to find a replacement before Branch's tree dies. Like all Xanth protagonists, he goes to visit Good Magician Humfrey with his Question, and his resulting adventure sends him to the world of Ptero. Forrest is paired with Imbri, a nightmare who used to deliver bad dreams but then got a soul and became a daydream delivering mare. The two travel to Ptero, which is a moon orbiting Princess Ida's head. Ptero is the place where all people who might ever be born on Xanth wait to be delivered by storks. Ptero follows Xanth is some aspects - full of puns and magic, but also different. Geography is time on the moon, if you travel in one direction you become younger, the other, older. So people on Ptero are restricted in travel by their age range. In the course of his Quest to find a new faun for Branch's tree, Forrest saves Ptero from marginalization, struggles to overcome his faun-ly feelings for the twin princesses Dawn and Eve, and starts to fall in love. Like most Xanth characters, Forrest comes to realize the true value of his Answer is in the journey it prompts, not the actual Answer itself. This is a solid entry in the Xanth series; I'm not particularly a fan of it but neither is it horrible. The concept of Ptero is a little farfetched, but it also gives Anthony a new direction to expand in. There are maybe a few too many puns; I sometimes wonder if Anthony created comic strips to use up readers suggestions, but then of course puns are an integral part of Xanth. 3/5.
—Leeanna
