Key to Havoc

Description

ChroMagic is a brand-new epic fantasy series from the Master of Fantasy and Best-Selling Author Piers Anthony. Mr. Anthony is best known for his wonderful Xanth series with its creative magic, colorful characters, fantastic monsters, and of course—the Puns! But beware! ChroMagic is not Xanth! It is an adult-oriented epic fantasy thriller from the imagination of Piers Anthony.

---

Customer Reviews

A serious disappointment
After reading the reviews of this book I was very excited to read it. I've been a Piers Anthony fan since the 70's and was hoping he's rediscovered his talent with this book. Macroscope and Battle Circle are terrific, and the early books in the Xanth series are some of the best I've ever read in the genre. However, it was during the Xanth series that Anthony seemed to lose his way. His writing became repetitive and juvenile and this book follows that same path. Much of this book is dedicated to the sexual relations between the characters. I don't mind that when it furthers an interesting plot but in this book it almost is the plot. Also, his treatment of the sexual subject matter is pretty simple minded. His views on sex and relationships seem to have been written by an adolescent boy. I was very disappointed in this book and will not be reading the remaining books in the series. If you're an Anthony fan, do yourself a favor and read his earlier material as mentioned above or check out the Tarot series and the Orn/Omnivore/Ox books.

2009-02-26 | Helpful Votes: 5 | Rating: 1

---

No dull moments
Reviewed by William Phenn for Reader Views (6/07)

Who better to tell a tale such as this except Piers Anthony. The man has written a series of best-selling books: The Pornucopia Series, Dragon's Gold Series, Of Man and Manta Series and many more. He needs no introduction to readers of fantasy and the magical realm. To those that don't know him, his books have appeared on the New York Times' Best Seller List twenty-one times. Mr. Anthony has written much more than just fantasy and science fiction. His literary prowess has extended into books about martial arts and horror as well.

Presenting a fantasy world of Dragons, Mystics, Queens and Kings, this book reads like an RPG (Role Play Game). Magic abounds, sex runs rampant and two innocents are in for the adventure of their life, as this mystical tale of a young barbarian (Havoc) and his sweetie (Gale) unfolds.

Havoc is a young man that lived for the freedom of the woods and nature. You could almost call him a Dr. Doolittle of sorts. He was just a carefree young lad who enjoyed the outdoors and the life he led, till that fateful day when the King's men came and took him away -- took him away to a land far away, and he was thrown into an environment that was totally alien to him, the city.

What happens to young Havoc and his pretty little Gale is just so traumatic, from the time he is forced to take a mistress instead of having Gale by his side, to her having to role play having sex with a young lad and not him. All this must be done and is expected of them for the position that Havoc has been put into.

The plot thickens with attempts on his life, demons trying to steal souls and a mystery surrounding the demise of the man Havoc replaced. All this, while trying to fight the evil soul-snatching demons that live in a land far away.

"Key to Havoc" is well written and nicely presented in a way that there is never a dull moment. I gave it an A because it is fast moving and intriguing. It will keep you in its spell from the first chapter to the last. I really enjoyed it and would recommend it to all fantasy readers.

2007-07-09 | www.readerviews.com (Austin, Texas) | Helpful Votes: 2 | Rating: 5

---

Mr. Anthony can DEFINITELY write more than Xanth novels
Oh my lord, this was a fantastic book!! I've been having trouble just sitting down to read this last year, but once I picked this up, I couldn't put it down. Yes, it's a bit cliche, but it's true too. I participated in an online reading group about this also, and between reading the book and discussing it with these people (from said reading group), I had a spectacular time :)

The book involves a barbarian becoming king against his will and solving problems with the understanding that he can then leave the throne after solving these problems. His approach to each situation is unique and done in a manner that no one would expect - and he does it while avoiding assassination attempts to boot!

All of his followers are loyal, but wait until you see WHY - you will (hopefully) end up like me; having more questions about what's going on, and eager for the next page, chapter, and book :)

Please, if you have any interest in fantasy novels, give this a try. I find it hard to believe that anyone would be disappointed by this.

One more thing... we need help. If sales from the first three books go well, rumor has it that Mr. Anthony will write a fourth and fifth book also! I don't want to miss out on those, so please help us convince him to write the last two by buying the first three!

2004-01-23 (Fargo, ND United States) | Helpful Votes: 18 | Rating: 5

---

A new whimsical, sexy and adventurous world by Piers
This is the first book in a fantasy series called the Chromagic series. This is a fantastic book with a brand new world with a magic system that blow me away. A planet long ago colonized by humans and disconnected with Earth thereafter. What people didn't know is that it had volcanoes that created magical fields that turned anything in their area whatever color the volcano spouts (red, yellow, green, black, white, etc...).

The main story is quintessential Piers. The main character Havoc is taken away from his village and his love, Gale, to the big capital city and force to become King of the Chroma. Kingship has its privilage but not if someone wants to kill you and that is one of the many challenges that Havoc needs to deal with with the help of his girlfriend Gale and other interesting characters that he encounted in the castle. There is a secret menace, a dark mystery, love and passion and lot of adventures.

This is not a kiddie book a la Xanth. This is an adult novel with a lot of sex and blood but with a Piers' twist.

If you like Piers and enjoy reading such things as Apprentice Adept or Bio of an Space Tyrant, this is the novel and the series for you.

2003-12-26 | marisol_from_path (Playa del Rey, CA United States) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

---

This is a GREAT book!!! Best new thing from PA!
I loved this book! I have been a fan of PA (Piers Anthony) for 18 years now. I am thrilled that he has a new series published. This book, the first in the ChroMagic series, is EXCELLENT! It has a little bit of everything...magic, adventure, mystery, romance, s-e-x!

I believe that any PA fans will be very happy with this book! No, it's not Xanth. Xanth is great. BUt this is WONDERFUL!

I'm not going to give any details on the story because, well, you can read what you need to know above. I don't want to give anything juicy away!

This is not a book for children, however. This series is written for ADULTS. On a much higher level than Xanth.

2003-12-20 | Robert Smith, Ph.D. (Virginia, USA) | Helpful Votes: 9 | Rating: 5

---

Under a Velvet Cloak (Incarnations of Immortality, Book 8)

Description

The eighth book in Piers Anthony's Incarnations of Immortality series. It is the year 500 AD. Kerena, a beautiful young girl living near King Arthur's Camelot, is apprenticed to Morely the Seer. Morely teaches her fantastic magic, but when he mysteriously disappears, Kerena finds herself out on the street and must resort to prostitution to survive. Kerena prospers as a skilled courtesan until she is taken into service by Morgan le Fey, the sorceress sister of King Arthur. Kerena's knowledge of magic grows as she is required to carry out nefarious deeds for the evil Lady Fey. One of her missions is to seduce Sir Gawain, Knight of the Round Table, to prevent him from locating the Holy Grail. But Gawain and Kerena fall in love and she conceives his child, a child she discovers is cursed to die an early death. Using her Seer abilities, Kerena tries to locate the fabled Incarnations of Immortality, seeking their aid in removing the taint from her baby. Rebuffed by all seven major Incarnations, Kerena vows revenge. But revenge against such mighty immortals would require an even greater power...

---

Customer Reviews

It lacks flavor
I love most of Pier Anthony's books, but this one was a challenge. I would classify the book as picking the skeleton of the Incarnation of Imortality clean of its last bit of flesh. I loved the series, but it started getting week with book 7 after all it is difficult to top For the Love of Evil. This book was really little more then brief flashbacks to the other 7 books with various sex scenes as filler material. I read it all, but it really didn't keep my interest. My honest opinion in of how to rate the incarnation series.

1. On a Pale Horse (This is by far my favorite book and I would love to reread if my ex girlfriend hadn't stolen my copy)
2. For the Love of Evil (Very Good)
3. With a tangled Skien (Who doesn't like to follow the story of a pretty lady?)
4. Bearing and Hourglass (I have a soft spot for time travel books)
5. Being a Green Mother (Okay)
6. Weilding a Red Sword (Again okay, but not something to write home about)
7+8. And Eternity + Under a Velvet Cloak (It not that these are bad its just that they overall are boring and seem to only be concerned with keeping the powers in the family.

Hey come on Piers we want to try these powers out! END THE NEPOTISM!! Just kidding, but it would have been nice if one of the incarnations was just a random person with no relationship to any other. Just for fun.

2010-05-26 | Justin (Indianapolis, Indiana) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 2

---

The Porn Remix of Incarnations of Immortality
By way of disclaimer: I am not typically a fantasy fan and have not read any of Anthony's other works, but enjoyed the Incarnations series on initially reading them in the mid 1990's and then again a decade later. This review is specifically of Under a Velvet Cloak and should not be taken to impugn the enjoyability of the series as a whole. Also, if you do decide to go on and read the book, there may be spoilers below.

Under a Velvet Cloak purports to present the development of the Incarnation of Night, Nox, from a downtrodden little sister to a being with almost unlimited power over space, time, and humans. And in fairness, for 2 or 3 chapters near the end of the book we do have the opportunity to see the actions of Incarnations and other important characters throughout the series from the vantage point of Nox. The origin of the Purgatory computer and the quest to restore Gaw-Two are explained in ways that are not even really intimated in the other books of the series. The remaining chapters, however, vacillate between the lurid and the ludicrous. Sexual references and explicit descriptions are everywhere throughout the book. The first several chapters are essentially a paean to pedophilia; even if you agree that the main character's youth and deflowering are important to the story, do we need to know that a minor character whose role is only to serve as Kerena's guard likes eight to ten year old boys? And if you are somehow able to overlook the sexual acts and references on at least every other page, you still have to deal with the (inconsistently applied) convention of someone's name being changed to start with a "V" when they become a vampire. All of this leads up to the ultimate test, where the Incarnations from one timeline agree to allow Nox to challenge her nemesis in a contest which will determine the ultimate fate of the universe. This test consists of seeing which combatant can rape the other according to a color code.

In addition to the plot elements described above, the style is painful. Anthony "advances" his story with a lack of subtlety that is impressive in its intrusiveness. The dialogue appears to be written for people who would have difficulty keeping up with Sesame Street. If not for the graphic content I would swear that this book was written for 3rd graders. For so many reasons, this book falls into the category of those which should not be tossed aside lightly but rather thrown with great force. It is an unworthy successor and conclusion to an otherwise interesting series.

2010-05-18 (Temple, TX USA) | Helpful Votes: 3 | Rating: 1

---

A great follow on.
This book I was not expecting (8th Incarnation) but as a follow on to the previous 7 Incarnation novels it has its place. Piers Anthony does not let you down. There is something happening on every page so it is difficult to put the book down.

A great read!

2010-04-12 | Bushy Bob (Trafalgar, Victoria Australia) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 4

---

Not a fitting conclusion
I LOVE the Incarnations of Immortality series. Love it. I read the first seven books over again every other year or so. When I heard about this book I ordered it and was so excited to read it. Then I did. I like the storyline and the character weaving through history, but the over the top sex including the (pardon the pun but it's needed) Climactic Ending, really were a jarring change from the earlier novels. It almost feels like this was a fanfic that started off as a bad porn. I have hopes the series may later include a book of short stories about the minor incarnations, but this entry in the series is one I will never read again.

2010-02-20 | jack-of-all-trades reader (Oregon, USA) | Helpful Votes: 3 | Rating: 2

---

dirty old man
I could not wait until he wrote another Incarnations. In the last book about God, Piers Anthony was already getting to be a dirty old man. He continued on and was more explicit in his newest book Under A Velvet Cloak. If this was real life instead of fiction, he would be arrested and put on a sex registry list. I can not believe he has daughters and would write a book like this. Females without educations can have many occupations other than being a prostitute. I now hate the word supple because Piers uses this word in almost every incarnation book to describe a woman. If I was his wife I would start questioning his beliefs on the subject of a child with an adult.

2009-12-28 | browneyes (louisiana) | Helpful Votes: 8 | Rating: 2

---

A Spell for Chameleon (Xanth, Book 1)

Description

Xanth was the enchanted land where magic ruled--where every citizen had a special spell only he could cast. That is, except for Bink of North Village. He was sure he possessed no magic, and knew that if he didn't find some soon, he would be exiled. According to the Good Magician Humpfrey, the charts said that Bink was as powerful as the King or even the Evil Magician Trent. Unfortunately, no one could determine its form. Meanwhile, Bink was in despair. If he didn't find his magic soon, he would be forced to leave....

---

Though already developing a successful career in SF with such heady novels as Chthon and Omnivore, Piers Anthony did not reach brand-name status until he cooked up some fantasy in 1977. And it was cheerful, humorous fantasy at that, as in his first Xanth series novel, A Spell for Chameleon. The book's young hero, Bink, is without magical powers in a world ruled entirely by magic. Worse still, if he doesn't discover his own magical talent soon, he will be forever banished from his homeland. Naturally, it takes an epic quest for Bink to learn what his unique talent truly is--and perhaps to win the girl of his dreams as well. A Spell for Chameleon was the very first of Anthony's bestselling (and still ongoing) humorous fantasy series. Noteworthy for their outrageous word puns and bizarre characters, the Xanth books are a light yet often satisfying brew, especially when compared with the author's sometimes nihilistic and ultraviolent hard SF. --Stanley Wiater

---

Customer Reviews

Entertaining, but nothing enchanting
I want to start by saying that this novel is more of a 3.5 star book, a rating that Amazon prohibits me from giving. So in other words, I can recommend this for an entertaining read, but there are too many inconsistencies with the story and writing that leave me wanting more.

On the positive side, Anthony's world of Xanth is extremely refreshing and original. While he does incorporate the usual fictional beasts that everyone else does, he takes it one step further by incorporating scenery, plants, characters, etc that I have never encountered. As with some authors, you never once feel that there is a lack of imagination, i.e., I didn't stop to think whether any of this had been done before, it's all very refreshing and inventive.

However, what really detracts from this book is the overall lack of cohesiveness. The storyline is compelling, interesting, even occasionally exciting, but it doesn't flow very well. I found many instances where the story would just jump forward in time or jump to another scene without properly setting up a transition. I also found the handling of the character of Sabrina to be less than realistic, even bordering on the absurd. There should definitely have been a better and plausible explanation of why Bink would reject her. Having her engaged to someone else when he returned to the village would have been satisfactory.

This is a fun read, much more so for a younger crowd, but there are too many shortcomings to make me want to wholeheartedly recommend it.

2010-07-14 (New York, NY United States) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 3

---

A Spell for Chameleon
THis is my first Piers Anthony book and I thoroughly enjoyed it and am looking forward to continuing Bink's journey...

2010-04-14 | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 4

---

A perfect book for light hearted readers
This is a fun adventure for the right reader. I hate to narrow it down too much, however I get the feel its prime audience would be young adult men who like puns, silly humor, and a variety of creatures and adventure. It's a slight blend of Monty Python & Benny Hill humor wrapped up into an exciting adventure. Don't buy this is you're looking for a serious epic to dive into and absorb. This is a light-hearted don't-take-me-too-serious story. If this is what you're looking for, then this is one of the best you will find. Enjoy your way past various obstacles as you laugh along the journey. I wouldn't change a thing. Piers Anthony wrote it perfectly for a specific audience in mind. And if that's you, you'll be glad you found this gem.

2010-04-05 | Author of the Altered Creatures series (Iowa, USA) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 4

---

Dreadful,one for younger audiences perhaps?
Slow plot,dull storyline and boring predictable puns.Could do better myself!Stear clear of this book unless you have money to burn,in which case just burn it and save yourself the effort of reading this drivel.

2010-03-26 | Piddy (UK) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 1

---

Great Reading on the Kindle
The Kindle Version was just like Reading the Book. The Table of Contents worked. I've been a Xanth Addict since I can't even remember when. A lot of the Puns go over my head. But that doesn't bother me at all. I have an abnormal mentality. And those Puns that I do see provide me with enjoyment. I'm not sure how many times I've read A Spell for Chameleon, but I am thrilled that I can finally give the Books to someone else and continue to reread them on my Kindle.

2010-03-15 | Netta (Saint Helens, Oregon, US) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

---

Cube Route (Xanth)

Description

For nearly three decades, Piers Anthony's bestselling Xanth series has been delighting tens of thousands of fantasy fans around the world. Now, with Cube Route, the series' twenty-seventh adventure, Anthony has penned a tale that adds another dimension to this exciting saga.

In the magical land of Xanth, wishes are far more than mere words. So when a Plain Jane called Cube whispers a wistful wish to be beautiful, she finds herself leading a company of colorful companions on a search for the mysterious Cube Route--a perilous path that leads to danger, adventure, and perhaps her heart's desire as well.

This curious quest takes them all over Xanth, into the mythical realm of Phaze, and even to our own world, where Cube rescues a beautiful human woman from a very ugly situation, ending at last in a mysterious Counter-Xanth where things can be transformed into their opposites in the wink of an eye.

A rollicking tale brimming with laughter, wonder, and enchantment, Cube Route is also a moving exploration of the beauty that dwells within all of us.

---

Customer Reviews

Cube Route
Love Piers Anthony Books, great fun to read when you don't want to read serious.

2009-01-14 (usa) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

---

4+ stars.
Very enjoyable. Good characters. Great ideas and values.
One of his best efforts.

2004-03-27 | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 4

---

A Beauty Quest
Cube Route is the twenty-seventh novel in the Xanth series, following Up In a Heaval. In the previous volume, Umlaut completed his quest by delivering all the letters, so the Demoness Fornax lost Counter Xanth to the Demon Xanth and she has committed herself to an extended visit with the Demon Jupiter. Surprise convinced the Demons to allow Umlaut to continue his existence and even provided him with half her soul. The dragon girl Becka also convinced Brusque Brassie to visit with her for a while.

In this novel, Cue is a very plain girl, downright ugly in fact, who is called Cube because she is so square. Boys notice her face and figure, then glance aside. When she explains her desire to be beautiful to Demoness Metria, she is asked why she has not taken her Question to the Good Magician. Since she had not previously thought of doing so, Cube immediately sets off to the Good Magician's castle.

On the way, Cube meets Ryver Human and Karia Centaur. When the Good Magician declares that she must gather nine companions and follow the Cube Route to find a way to Counter Xanth, Cube decides to start recruiting with these two. Sofia Socksorter, the Magician's current designated wife, provides her with a magical pouch made from one of his old socks that can hold anything of any size in stasis. Cube is to use the pouch to contain her Companions whenever someone else might notice them, for the quest must not attact unfavorable attention.

When Metria shows up, Cube recruits her as the first Companion, then sends her to ask Karia to come to her. When they meet, Karia agrees to join the quest and they fly to Ryver's house. Although Ryver is disappointed that she is not yet beautiful, he finally agrees to join. They go next to Castle Roogna and recruit the Princesses Melody, Harmony and Rhythm. Then the Princesses conjure a magical thread that shows them the path that they must follow and they add Drek Dragon, the sidestepping Mundanes Cory and Tessa, and the dog Diamond to their band.

While they are searching for the Companions and even afterwards, strange things happen around them. Since the level of magic they are facing is extremely high, they conclude that the Demoness Fornax is interfering with the quest. When one of the interventions causes Cube to drop the pouch, with all her Companions within it, into a stream that soon carries it underground, Cube immediately finds a way to the castle of Nimby and Chlorine to ask for their help, which Nimby provides.

All throughout the quest, Cube is faced with situations and people for which she has to strain her abilities to handle properly. Although the route is extremely winding and indirect, the Companions believe that the path is preparing her for the final resolution of the quest. Cube is definitely having new experiences and learning new skills and insights.

This story has a running joke about fractional moments, the length of silences and other timespans. There are the usual puns and situational jokes aglore. Moreover, Cube gets the grand tour of Xanth and Ida's moons in addition to Mundania, Phaze and Counter Xanth. Of course, she completes her quest and becomes beautiful; however, the payoff is not quite what she expected.

Highly recommended for Anthony fans and for anyone else who enjoys comic fantasy with some basic humor and a humane message.

-Arthur W. Jordin

2004-02-03 (Smyrna, GA USA) | Helpful Votes: 19 | Rating: 5

---

Xanth at its best
In the land of Xanth Cube feels depressed and unwanted because as she knows that once you peel away a dimension from her what you have left is a wholesome usable but ugly square. In spite the warning labels, Cube desperately asks the Good Magician Humphrey to help her attain her wish of being beautiful for she thinks that will bring her happiness and contentment.

As is Humphrey's typical response that means nothing yet everything to anyone else but himself including the requestor (aside: is Humphrey a reincarnation of Professor Irwin Corey?), he tells her to search for the CUBE ROUTE. There he insists she will find her heart's desire. Thus, Cube begins a journey in which she does not understand the instructions, the objective, or the time it will take to complete (aside two: sounds like American nation building missions). Soon with a retinue of characters that can only live in Xanth, Phaze or Mundania, she treks towards the realm of Counter-Xanth where anything can change so just don't blink or miss the transformation.

As is usual with the Xanth tales (this is number twenty-seven), Piers Anthony uses puns and multiple entendres to satirize human frailty within a strong epic fantasy adventure. The story line is the usual epic quest of an individual, who this time seeks beauty. Mr. Anthony does a delightful job with Cube and company as she learns what the true essence of beauty is. Though clearly for fans of the author (can't just say the series as the crew travel to Phaze), CUBE ROUTE is a refreshing witty morality tale that lovingly escorts the audience across the complex Anthony galaxy.

Harriet Klausner

2003-10-25 | Helpful Votes: 8 | Rating: 5

---

Cube Route
The best book of the first Trilogy of Xanth. Not too many puns. Overall a good book.

2003-10-16 | grizzle (Downey, Ca) | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 4

---

Currant Events (Xanth)

Product Details

• Health circumstances: New
• ISBN13: 9780765343109
• Notes: BUY WITH Poise, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and usefulness to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed

Description

---

Customer Reviews

Great book
This is a fun series and never fails to entertain. But if you want something serious you will be disapointed. Xanth is never serious, it is fun and entertaining - a moment away from mundane life. I go with the paperbacks for Xanth so I don't miss out on the wonderful cover illustrations, otherwise I would choose Kindle to save space. I have all the Xanth novels and they take up almost two whole shelves in my bookcase.

2010-04-05 | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

---

A Blooming Romance
Currant Events (2004) is the twenty-eighth Fantasy novel in the Xanth series, following Cube Route. Clio and her eight sisters are the Muses of Xanth. As the Muse of History, Clio writes the various volumes of the Xanth saga.

In this novel, Clio discovers that the 28th volume of the history of Xanth is unreadable. Moreover, she cannot quite remember what it is about. She decides to take the problem to the Good Magician Humfrey.

At the Good Magician's castle, Clio is treated as a querent! How could he treat a friend with such rudeness? Going along with his charade, Clio solves her three Challenges and enters the castle. When she explains her problem to Humfrey, he states that she needs a magic currant berry to solve her problem.

First, however, she must obtain five breeding pairs of each type of dragon on Dragon World and bring them to Xanth to replace the rapidly dying native dragons. She has a week to accomplish this first assignment. To guide her path, Humfrey places a magic compass/timer in her wrist to tell her which direction to travel and how long she has to complete each travel segment.

On Dragon World, Clio saves two tiny dragon lovers from being eaten and they vow to accompany her until this service is repaid. Since Drew and Drusie are telepathic and winged, they greatly help in the quest. Besides, they are small enough to fit into her pockets.

The dragon lovers introduce Clio to the leaders of each dragon type and translate their conversations. Of course, dragon assistance is not free; Clio has to win a visible riddling contest with each of the five leaders. Her stakes in each contest are her life and the lives of her friends, but she also has to remove one item of clothing selected by the dragons for each lost point.

Of course, Clio wins all five contests and arranges to take the selected couples back to Xanth. She goes on to other adventures, solving problems for other people and collecting items along the way to solve her own problem. She also collects fellow travelers, including Sherlock -- who has a reversing talent -- and Ciriana -- a young girl immune to the Adult Conspiracy -- and others who help in her travels.

This story is chock full on puns -- the acknowledgments list is about three pages long -- and ends with a twist. In other worlds, a typical Xanth novel, with promises of more to come. A great read for most (except for critics).

Highly recommended for Xanth fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of humor, atrocious puns and light romance. If you are not familiar with this series, please start with A Spell for Chameleon so that you don't miss any of the fun.

-Arthur W. Jordin

2006-10-16 (Smyrna, GA USA) | Helpful Votes: 9 | Rating: 5

---

PA is going into the dirty old man phase
I have been reluctant to buy any of PA's books for awhile now since he seems to have been going more to the sex side of the stories than the original fun Xanth puns etc.
While the 'adult conspiracy' has been present from the beginning the innocence angle of the series is gone and the plot lines now seem geared more toward the full revelation of the 'adult conspiracy' than the quests and fun of the earlier works. I am saddened by PA's change in content and think that this will by my last contribution to his coffers. If I want sexual content this is not the venue I would be looking at!

2006-03-22 | TL Gilbert (Keizer, OR USA) | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 3

---

Currant Events
I know I am in a minority but this has to be the most boring, and poorly written book I have read in a long. The description of people and places left me with very little to work with pictorally. I have been writing short stories for children for many years so I don't lack imagination.
I will try other of his books but if they are a bad as this one I will probably give up on his work as a source of entertainment.

2005-11-30 | Eugene (Oregon) | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 1

---

Beat the winter doldrums
If the holiday season has you down and a good laugh, chuckle or chortle is all you need, then this is the one for you. You do have to like science fiction and fantasy and not be looking for a SAGA. This and all the others in the Xanth series are full of punish humor and silliness. There are underlying themes from the world of mundania, which are cloaked in Xanth's exagerated & colorful culture. These themes are a little like fractured fables and deal with moral dilemas. Piers Anthony has a way of addressing these issues in very subtle ways.
It is always fun to see old names and talents surface, advance just a little in character development, then await their next adventure. New faces are added, given a foundation and they too are held in waiting for their next assist in an adventure. As you may have noticed, I am a Xanth fan from waaaay back and have read all 28 in this series.
Although,I wasn't overly enthusiastic about the last 3 or 4 books, this 1st of a "trilogy" holds great promise or "pun-ishment" for dye hard fans. I am looking forward to the new episodes alluded to in this book. I wonder what the stork will bring for Sherlock and Clio?

2004-12-27 | Got a Clue? (buffalo, NY USA) | Helpful Votes: 2 | Rating: 5

---

Juliet

Description

Juliet sees a car crash and hurries to help a severely injured man. All she can do is call 911 and try to keep him alert until the medics arrive, lest he go into shock and die. Desperate, she puts his hand on her breast, hoping to distract him from the awful pain. This works - but now he’s in love with her. Before it’s done, God Himself intervenes.

---

Customer Reviews

From Red Adept's Kindle Book Review Blog
Plot/Storyline/Character Development: 4 3/4 Stars


The storyline was a surreal view of an extremely sheltered teenager who takes on the name "Juliet" to cover up an indiscretion. Although, her boyfriend calls himself "Romeo", this novella is not a recreation of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. While there are some similarities, they are pointed out almost jokingly by the characters themselves.

I loved the portion where Juliet met God. Yes, she met an irreverant, yet somehow immensely likeable, version of "God."

Juliet and God were both nicely developed. Juliet's innocence was exaggerated to the point of almost being laughable. As she grew in the story, she retains some of the innocence, yet you can still see the maturity coming out. Romeo could have used a little more work, as he was just a foil for Juliet.

Writing Style: 5 Stars

I love the writing style of Mr. Anthony in this novella. It's a cross between the simplicity of the Xanth Series and the irreverant humor in the Immortals Series. Also, like the Xanth Series, though it appears to be written for a youthful crowd, there are nuances here that are only for adults.

Editing/Formatting: 5 Stars

Both were of professional quality.

Rating: PG-13 for Sexual References

2010-01-29 | Red Adept Reviews - A Blog (Carolinas) | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 5

---