Pet Peeve

Xanth #29

by Piers Anthony

A relentless horde of renegade robots has plunged the fate of Xanth in dire peril. All that stands between the enchanted land and destruction is a most unlikely hero, a moody, mild-mannered Goblin named Goody, who must summon all of his courage and determination to overcome this abominable army of automatons.
Brimming with heart-stopping adventure and heart-warming delight, overflowing with wicked wit and wanton wordplay, Pet Peeve is Piers Anthony in rare form, an exceptional new chapter in the continuing chronicles of Xanth.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Humor, Ebooks, Science Fiction Fantasy, Magic, Science Fiction

372 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published October 1, 2005

About the author

Though he spent the first four years of his life in England, Piers never returned to live in his country of birth after moving to Spain and immigrated to America at age six. After graduating with a B.A. from Goddard College, he married one of his fellow students and and spent fifteen years in an assortment of professions before he began writing fiction full-time.

Piers is a self-proclaimed environmentalist and lives on a tree farm in Florida with his wife. They have two grown daughters.

Reviews

[Beorn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very imaginative and inventive as always with a huge helping of puns and good humor along the way.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

4 Stars

Pet Peeve is the twenty-ninth book in the Xanth series by Piers Anthony. This was such a fun book to read, and probably one of my favourites of the series. A Horde of renegade robots are running amok and causing quite a lot of danger in the process. Things look quite grim, and it will be left to goblin Goody to save the day in this delightful tale.
The Xanthe Series is quite a really long series that has spanned many decades. I remember reading the first few books back in the very early 1980’s and was totally captivated by the epic fantasy that unfolded before my eyes. I collected all the books as each new one was released and have revisited them a few times over the years.
I can honestly say that although these books didn’t blow me away as they did the first couple of times I read them- I still really enjoyed all the adventure, magic, swords & sorcery like, epic fantasy that Mr. Anthony is renowned for.
He has imbued his stories with plenty of humour, a playfulness, lots of fun, action, some history, conspiracies, secrets, surprising developments, and much, much more. We meet so many varied and original characters along the way- the books are full of wonderful fictional beasts and paranormal creatures. From centaurs, to demons, dragons, fauns, gargoyles, goblins, golems, harpies, merfolk, elves, nymphs, ogres, zombies, and curse fiends- and a few more I am sure have slipped my mind.
The world of Xanthe is wonderfully rich and vividly descriptive. It is really well written and is so easy to imagine, it came to life before my eyes. Each ‘person’ in Xanthe is born with their own unique magical ability, which is called a ‘talent’. We follow along on many epic adventures and explore the world as the story unfolds.
I have many fond memories of reading this book/series and it’s definitely a series that’s worth exploring- especially for any epic fantasy lover who loves some fun and humour served with their adventure.

Thank you, Mr. Anthony!

[๖ۣۜƧilverlight · Rating 3 out of 5]

You know it's going to be interesting story when it starts off with giving someone the finger. Literally.

For years and years, my mum has been bugging me to read Piers Anthony. So, of course when I spotted a few of his books at a sale, I took them home. That being said, I was rather caught off guard by the sheer amount of puns and 'inappropriate' humor in this book; the former often being simple yet ingenious while the latter, more than once, left me gaping down at the pages.

Overall, this is an easy read. If not for the aforementioned humor, I would've thought it a kids book. It doesn't delve deep into world building - I can't complain too much about that, however, since I've yet to pick up any of the earlier books in the series. The characters, themselves, aren't complex in nature either. Goody Goblin, the main character, is simply that - a good goblin. Hannah Barbarian is a barbarian. And Pet Peeve is a delightfully annoying creature.

There is never really a still moment. The characters are always meeting someone new, finding their way around different situations, or running into pun-ny trouble. What I didn't particularly like was that, often, you'd be given the name and 'talent' of some new character, there would be a few pages with them, and that was it. They often didn't contribute to the overall plot or subplots. There were also a lot of moments where it was easy to get distracted or otherwise lose track of what or if there really was a plot going on.

If I decide to read anymore of the Xanth series, I think I'll make an attempt to start from the beginning.

[James]

An abominable army of automatons has plunged Xanth into dire peril in Pet Peeve, the 29th hilarious adventure in Piers Anthony's beloved fantasy series. All that stands between the enchanted land and destruction is a most unlikely hero, a forlorn, mild-mannered Goblin named Goody, whose courteous ways have earned him the scorn of his ill-tempered goblin fellows.Assigned by the Good Magician Humfrey to find a appropriate abode for the Pet Peeve--a foul-mouthed fowl who insults anyone it encounters, Goody reluctantly sets out on this daunting quest, armed only with a bag of half-spent spells, and guarded by a brawny woman warrior called Hannah Barbarian. But when Goody's mission unknowingly triggers an invasion of Xanth by a horde of mechanical marauders from a faraway Robot World, he must enlist the aid of Xanth's many denizens--dragons, zombies, centaurs, demons, elves, and even goblins like himself. And, in the heart of Goblin Mountain, Goody finds an unexpected ally - Gwenny Goblin, a beautiful, strong-willed goblin chief who can help him rally Xanth to repel the robot army, and perhaps mend his broken heart as well.Brimming with heart-stopping adventure and heart-warming delight, overflowing with wicked wit and wanton wordplay, Pet Peeve is Piers Anthony in rare form, an exceptional new chapter in the continuing chronicles of Xanth.

[Stuart Schneider · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Author’s note in this installment just about says it all for me. It takes Anthony no more than three months to write this simple humor, using ideas mostly from outside sources looking for a lame credit in the next Author’s note and this is how these novels continue to self-perpetuate themselves, with little to no original ideas. He says in that same note that if I want to read more serious stuff from him to search elsewhere, but I don’t recall anything he has done that I haven’t read between 2006 and 2021 that was “of more serious nature,” but I will recheck my notes on him. I am doing my best to not only read these novels with full comprehension on, but to try to remember what the books are about as I go through them, but he makes it harder and harder to try to enjoy these. I think if it not were for the appearance of Trent and the skimmed over death of lots of Xanthians in this one, the author would have earned my lowest rating and my eternal wrath on these critiques. Give me back the 1985 Anthony any day of the week, please!

[Elisa Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Goody Goblin was given an unwelcome gift, the fickle Finger. He went to the Good Magician in hope of getting rid of it.
He was given the task of finding a new home for the Pet Peeve.
Whilst trying to rehome the Peeve, Goody triggers a robot invasion in Xanth.
All the creatures of Xanth come together to rid Xanth of the robots.
Goody and his companions find love in unexpected places whilst on their adventure.

[Kate H · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Xanth books by Piers Anthony were one of the first SciFi/Fantasy series I ever read. I love puns so I have always enjoyed them. Upon re-reading them I can see that they have some weaknesses but overall they stand the test of time. They are a fun and fast read that keeps me amused without any deep thinking required.

[Richard Ayars · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed most of this Xanth novel. A few of the previous ones weren't quite as good as others in the past, but this one brought back some of the enjoyment I missed. I loved the Peeve as a character and hope to see more of it in the future.

[Laura Vilensky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not one of Anthony’s best but still fun, following Goody Goblin. The infinite worlds on Ivy’s head always hurts my brian but it works! The robots framed the plot nicely but the ending just didn’t sit well for me. Good overall but not great

[Michael Nalbone · Rating 4 out of 5]

More erotic than the previous Xanth Novels. A fun read to get "Away" with.

[John (Hey Y'all Listen Up) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is just a fun novel. Long time readers of Xanth can predict where Peeve will end up and why. Peeve has a personality that some readers will not find entertaining.

[Paschalis]

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[Henry Kline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the greatest Xanth novel but still a fun story.

[Bill Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Goody Goblin and Hannah Barbarian travel Xanth to find a home for the Pet Peeve - with assorted adventures on the way . . . good reading!

[Michael O'Donnell · Rating 3 out of 5]

The puns were excruciating but that was expected.

All the elements and player from past books were present. A lot more sex than I remember from the originals.

[Don LaFountaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book, the 29th installment of the Xanth Series was a fun and wonderful addition that brought back a old character to help.

Goody Goblin is a nice,polite male goblin, which seems to be an oxymoron. He is lost in life since his wife had passed away, and when he gets a finger he does not know how to handle it nor what to do with it. So like all others in the land of Xanth who needs an answer, he goes to see The Good Magician. After tackling the necessary three challenges, he gets his answer. For his service, he must find a home for Parody, the Pet Peeve who insults people using the voice of another creature. In order for Goody to stay safe on his adventure, he is accompanied by Hannah, the Barbarian.

Touring Xanth trying to find the perfect home for the Peeve, the group meets many people and creature, almost all of them insulted by this bird using Goody's voice. (For fans of the series, imagine Grundy in bird form using other people's voices.) They end up meeting some new dragons that have imported from Dragon World. They struck a deal that required Goody, Hannah, and the Peeve to go to Robot World, one of Ida's moons. They fulfill their obligation, much to the danger of Xanth. The robots start to create additional robots, and these robots created more and bigger robots, and then started to head towards Iron Mountain.

Realizing that robots taking over Xanth would not be safe for the other creatures, Goody and Hannah enlist all the creatures to fight the robots. To help lead them in the battle, Magician Trent is recruited. They fight and win the battle, but only the battle...the war is not yet decided.

This was a great addition to the Xanth series. It was a fun adventure that I really liked, and think any fan of the series will love this installment. Also, it like many of the books in the series, it can be a stand alone book where new readers will be able to follow the story without missing out on too much.

[Mia Darien · Rating 4 out of 5]

What can I say? I will, unto eternity, be a Piers Anthony fan.

When I was ten to eleven, I saw the book "Night Mare" at the library. I tried to read it twice but it was too much for me. That third time? I was up until seven in the morning reading it and I was hooked, despite the fact that I read them totally out of order.

Ever since, Xanth novels have had a spot in my "auto-buy" category and I've read... four series of his and assorted other books. I love his site about digital publishers. He is the only person I ever sent a fan letter to and he wrote back. I still have it!

Grumpy ogre that he is, he obviously appreciates his fans. Just look at "Letters to Jenny" and "Through the Ice."

So... even though Xanth novels are incredibly formulaic, and just crammed with awful puns, I love them anyway. In fact, I love the formula. I know that everyone who deserves to be happy will be. If not this book, they'll come back! I get to see old characters I loved come back again.

Though "Pet Peeve" did strike me as a bit more mature in some of its topics and humor than previous stories, but it could just be because I read my last one a while ago. But it didn't matter. Reading a Xanth novel is like spending time with an old friend I haven't seen in a while.

So, I liked it a lot. And I'll like the next one a lot. In fact, I'm already reading it, because after going about the wilds of new books, it's nice to be somewhere familiar.

[L. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Goody Goblin is on a mission with his bodyguard Hannah Barbarian (see what I meant about the puns?) to find a home for the Pet Peeve. In Mundania, this would be considered an foul-mouthed parrot. The Peeve certainly lives up to it's name, insulting everyone in sight, and making it almost impossible to find a home for it. Along the way, Goody and Hannah get to understand and like each other. Of course, they both find love along the way too, not to mention saving Xanth in the process.

As another reviewer said, this novel isn't quite the innocent book like previous ones. Lots of groping and kissing. Nothing explicit, of course, but it's not handled as subtly as usual. It seemed more...grown up? I liked the change.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I suppose it doesn't help matters that this was my first Piers Anthony book. My boyfriend lent it to me over 3 1/2 years ago when we were just starting to date. He said that he thought I'd like it and that it reminded him of me. I read about 1/3 of the book before I lost it and just now found it during unpacking. So I started afresh and reread it, start to finish. It's a somewhat entertaining diversion, but had it not been for my particular backstory with the book, I probably wouldn't have finished it.

There were so many plots throughout this book it was hard to keep them straight! And the ideas and bad puns were stretched a little too far, even for me. The only real redeeming factor is the sentimental value, at least for me, anyway.

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the twenty-nineth volume in the series. It begins with Goody Goblin, cursed with politeness (unlike other goblins who are generally verbally abusive) being given the Finger, an actual human finger, in a box. He tries to get rid of it but it comes back to poke and prod him. This occasions a trip to visit the Good (but crabby) Magician Humpfrey who solves the problem but demands a service in return. For helping Good get rid of the Finger, the Magician demands that he find a home for a talking parody (um, parrot) who is able to mimic any voice and insults everyone around it, also known as the Pet Peeve.

Yes, a quest in which there is much hilarity and a setup for some later book...

[Oliver Baer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Since for better or worse, I'm addicted to Piers Anthony's Xanth series I think this book is good. It is not as good as the first three or even the first thirteen for that matter. If you have been following the Xanth series since the beginning as I have, you know that Piers has a formula (he even states this in his author's notes). So it's not hard to predict the story. But, I keep reading them. I think it's like a car crash or a burning building. I love puns and I think I'm looking to see what puns---some horrible, some clever, many of them sent in by fans---he puts in each book.

[Kirsti · Rating 5 out of 5]

I guess for me Xanth will never get old. It is my absolute favorite series, and the things others despise I love. I love the formula plot, the romance, the puns, the overlapping worlds, the humor. These books are just plain fun, they don't need to be analyzed, or pulled apart by cri-tics. If you're reading this review wondering how Xanth has changed since the early books, then know the puns and romance is overflowing.

I love finally seeing two deserving characters find love. I won't mention whom, it might spoil it as the female character doesn't appear until later on. Five stars!

[Barbi Faye (The Book Fae) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Peerless Piers Anthony's 29th Xanth novel is always more fun than a month full of Pundays! Xanth is again plunged in immediate danger. Moody, mild-mannered Goody Goblin and Hannah are among a few of the heroes of Xanth gathered for this adventure through a land that is the look alike to Florida, who need all of their courage, fortitude, and determination to rid the realm from a horde of relentless renegade rampaging robots. Not to be missed! Many puns ensue! I always laugh until I cry; Piers is the master at what he does, there are no others that come close. Always a five star read!

[Shawne · Rating 3 out of 5]

After a while, and especially with the last ten books or so, Xanth books are all the same. If you've persevered with them all your life, you'll keep doing it just for nostalgia's sake. And so I have. Pet Peeve barely stuck in my brain at all, except I know Piers Anthony remains remarkably adept at turning out thousands of punny words that all somehow still amuse - though they don't in any way approach the brilliance of the first few books.

[Kaylynn Johnsen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I moved a couple of times and didn't really have time to read. Then one day I was at my NEW local library and I decided to see if there were any new Xanth books. There were three. I checked them all out.

I don't think the stories were as well told as before, but that just might be me getting older. But, what can you do, when you've been reading a series for 30 years it's kind of hard to stop.

[Cary Spratt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this one. I definitely liked it better than the previous novel 'Currant Events', but I had trouble getting into it until about halfway through. The robots were a bit weird, especially Roland, but I enjoyed the bits involving previous fun characters like Jenny Elf, Che and Cynthia, and Gwenny Goblin, and I liked the ending for Goody. I did not anticipate the final home of the peeve. That made me laugh.

[Lisa]

This is taking me forever to read... I have been leaving it lay on the night stand and then find something else... dare I say that I might have possibly burnt myself out on Piers? Say it ain't so.....

[Chris · Rating 1 out of 5]

i found this on a uso bookshelf. it was free so why not, right?

wow piers, you consistently manage to outcreepify lewis goddamn carrol.

also, i lost count of how many deus ex machinae there were in this.

(previous statements are in regards to piers's work in general, not just pet peeve)

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pet Peeve (Xanth #29)
by Piers Anthony
an annoying parrot is force to find a solution to the problems facing xanthan and find a home for himself
an interesting concept of xanthan creating another perfect match between characters, and a new species.

[Kristen (belles_bookshelves) · Rating 3 out of 5]

"What was apparent was not always the full story."

Another great pun filled Xanth adventure. The Peeve is one of my favorite characters, just like Grundy was way back 20 books ago. An amusing, quick read, pick-me-up book for any afternoon.