The Xanth Books
Xanth Books: The First Ten
- A Spell for Chameleon
- The Source of Magic
- Castle Roogna
- Centaur Asile
- Ogre, Ogre
- Night Mare
- Dragon on a Pedestal
- Crewel Lye: A Caustic Yarn
- Golem in the Gears
- Vale of the Vole
The first book I read in the Xanth series was Ogre, Ogre. I found it on my mothers bookshelf and me needing something to read picked it up, I was a bit skeptical about the title, I had never been a big fan of ogres, but then I started to read it. It started to talk about a girl who was part nymph, candy cane stockings, and challenges to get a question answered by a gnome like magician named Humphrey. At first I was baffled by this world, more than once I re-read paragraphs just to be sure my eyes weren’t playing tricks on me. What kind of mind would think to create something like this? I was intrigued, mostly, because it was a world made of puns. Yes, puns, some so bad that they make you groan out loud. For example in this world when you dream at night, the dreams are delivered by horses called Night Mares day dreams are delivered by Day Mares. That is just the start a characters name is also likely to be a pun, for example there is a princess named Ida, a man named Ho wanted to marry her and perhaps have a daughter named Idaho who would have a magical talent for growing potatoes. That’s another thing about this world, everyone has a magical talent, everything from to creating a spot on the wall, to shape shifting, to changing time to suit themselves. Anything is possible in Xanth, (Which looks suspiciously like Florida.)although its dangers are just as intense as its pleasures. Dragons, a forest that makes you go crazy when you are in it too long, sea serpents, vampires, tangle trees, sphinxes, demons. You name it its there. If you aren’t into long series fear not, although there are over 30 books in the series the books can be read in any order so you can start completely in the middle if you wish and still get an interesting story. Personally I like to read them in order, I think its more fun. But whatever way you choose to read it this world is fun, groan inducing, and exciting. I would recommend this book to those who love a pure fantasy book and lots and lots of puns.
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