Xanth Series by Piers Anthony

Horrors and Hilarity Collide as a Vivacious Young Visitor to Xanth Faces a Fate Far Worse than Death.Breanna, a beautiful young newcomer to the enchanted land of Zanth, must deal with a distressing dilemma. She has unwittingly attracted the affections of King Xeth, ruler of Xanth's Zombies, who yearns to make her Queen of the Undead! Her quest to preserve her innocence, and find her destiny, takes her on an exhilarating excursion packed with perils, puzzles, and piles of puns... moreHorrors and Hilarity Collide as a Vivacious Young Visitor to Xanth Faces a Fate Far Worse than Death.Breanna, a beautiful young newcomer to the enchanted land of Zanth, must deal with a distressing dilemma. She has unwittingly attracted the affections of King Xeth, ruler of Xanth's Zombies, who yearns to make her Queen of the Undead! Her quest to preserve her innocence, and find her destiny, takes her on an exhilarating excursion packed with perils, puzzles, and piles of puns. Zombie Lover will provide a profusion of macabre merriment forXanth's many fans. less

A Spot of TroubleAn innocent piece of Mundane Snail Mail has provoked the dreaded Demon Jupiter to hurl his Red Spot at the magical land of Xanth. As the dire Dot draws closer, the unwelcome ordeal of saving the enchanted realm falls to Umlaut, an unlikely lad with an unknown past and an uncertain future... moreA Spot of TroubleAn innocent piece of Mundane Snail Mail has provoked the dreaded Demon Jupiter to hurl his Red Spot at the magical land of Xanth. As the dire Dot draws closer, the unwelcome ordeal of saving the enchanted realm falls to Umlaut, an unlikely lad with an unknown past and an uncertain future. With a handful of colorful companions at his side, Umlaut must unravel a high-stakes intergalactic puzzle, uncover the secret of his mysterious past, and learn to understand the urgings of his own heart.It might have been the merest chance that brought Umlaut to Castle Zombie that morning and launched him on a harrowing adventure. But in the magical land of Xanth, things are seldom left to chance, and adventures lurk around every corner.An unassuming young man with a uncanny knack for attracting lovely young ladies and an uncommon talent for emulating anyone he wished, Umlaut was forced to flee a flock of overly friendly females by disguising himself as a Zombie girl. In his haste to find a hiding place, he found himself face-to-face with a dreadful dragon and feared he would soon meet his end. But in Xanth, things are seldom exactly as they seem, and he soon discovered that the dragon was really a sinuous female sea serpent named Sesame, with a gift similar to his own, who had become accidentally entrapped in the Castle's dungeon.When the two happen upon a packet of mail from Earth delivered by mischance to the Zombie King, they inadvertently set in motion a sinister scheme that could spell the end of Xanth. A letter they forward to the Demon Jupiter unexpectedly enrages him, causing him to send his own Red Spot hurtling toward Xanth. Soon everything is up in a heaval, for no one knows how to avert this interplanetary peril. Even the Good Magician Humfrey is baffled, for some strange force has obscured the future. In desperation, he instructs Umlaut and Sesame to deliver the remaining letters to their far-flung recipients, in the faint hope that this may somehow stop the Spot.As they set out on their appointed rounds, Umlaut and Sesame are soon joined by two feline friends, Jenny Elf's companion, Sammy Cat, and a lovely, prescient creature named Claire Voyant who can sometimes see the future. Beguiled and bedeviled by the delicious Demoness Metria, who uses her shapely assets to distract him from his goal, Umlaut leads his allies on an unforgettable odyssey to the farthest reaches of the enchanted realm, from the submicroscopic Nth Moon of Ida, and the home of all dreams and nightmares, to the unmagical land of Euphoria, where he meets a sweet and sprightly young girl named Surprise who captures his heart. But before Umlaut can complete his quest and return to his beloved, he must unravel the unfathomable puzzle of his own existence, which is somehow inextricably entwined with the fate of Xanth.A satisfyingly suspenseful tale filled with mystery, magic, and merriment, Up in a Heaval is exciting and entertaining fantasy adventure from the pen of a master storyteller. less

Be careful what you wish for . . .“I’m actually a smart girl who would make any man an excellent wife. But no man sees that. No man is interested in my mind or personality, just my whatevers. So here is my wish: I’m board stiff. I want Adventure, Excitement, and Romance... moreBe careful what you wish for . . .“I’m actually a smart girl who would make any man an excellent wife. But no man sees that. No man is interested in my mind or personality, just my whatevers. So here is my wish: I’m board stiff. I want Adventure, Excitement, and Romance.” So begins Piers Anthony’s thirty-eighth Xanth novel, in which Irrelevant Kandy looks at her reflection in the water of the shallow well and sees luxuriant midnight-black hair reaching down to her breathtakingly slender waist, matching the dark eyes in her lovely face. A torso that comes close to absolute perfection. She is man’s desire. That is part of the problem. In the shallow magic of the well, she asks that her wish be granted. Something happens. A sudden whirlwind surrounds her, lifting her up and ripping off her clothing. She is changing somehow. Then she falls flat on the ground. Literally. She has been transformed into a flat, stiff board with two knotholes for eyes. less

No one’s safe when a pundemic spreads through the land of Xanth in this madcap adventure from the New York Times–bestselling author. What’s a single prince to do when confronted with the baton of protagonism? Why, become the hero of his own story of course! And in Xanth that usually means embarking on a quest. For Prince Nolan Naga, there’s only one thing missing from his life: a wife. He needs a royal match by the time he assumes the throne... moreNo one’s safe when a pundemic spreads through the land of Xanth in this madcap adventure from the New York Times–bestselling author. What’s a single prince to do when confronted with the baton of protagonism? Why, become the hero of his own story of course! And in Xanth that usually means embarking on a quest. For Prince Nolan Naga, there’s only one thing missing from his life: a wife. He needs a royal match by the time he assumes the throne. But to make sure he lands the right spouse, he must consult with the Good Magician. After completing the three challenges necessary to see the Good Magician, Nolan learns that the ideal bride for him does exist. She is Apoca of the Lips Tribe. From the Queendom of Thanx—a matriarchy that is the opposite of Xanth—she is a formidable woman, one whose very kiss can seduce a man into love slavery. But before a happily ever after, they’ll have to team up to put an end to a curse that’s causing every baby in Xanth to be born with the same magical talent, all while navigating through a realm plagued by endless puns. It could be the end of the world as we know it . . . less