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Xanth #20
Yon Ill Wind
An All-New Xanth Adventure
First Paperback Edition!
A fickle flux in the fabric of space has allowed a horrendous hurricane to blast into Xanth, stirring up mischief and madness wherever she goes. Trapped in a preposterous form by a cosmic wager, the Demon X(A/N)th must join forces with a vexatious vixen named Chlorine to save Xanth from this terrifying and tempestuous threat.
Their companions on this haphazard quest are a hapless human family - Jim and Karen Baldwin and their two teenaged sons, David and Sean - gusted into Xanth from the mundane world beyond. Together they encounters a host of turbulent misadventures as they struggle to keep Xanth from being blown off the map forever.
A brisk and breezy adventure in the grand Xanth tradition, Yon Ill Wind is sure to bring gales of laughter and excitement to Piers Anthony's legion of loyal readers.
First Paperback Edition!
A fickle flux in the fabric of space has allowed a horrendous hurricane to blast into Xanth, stirring up mischief and madness wherever she goes. Trapped in a preposterous form by a cosmic wager, the Demon X(A/N)th must join forces with a vexatious vixen named Chlorine to save Xanth from this terrifying and tempestuous threat.
Their companions on this haphazard quest are a hapless human family - Jim and Karen Baldwin and their two teenaged sons, David and Sean - gusted into Xanth from the mundane world beyond. Together they encounters a host of turbulent misadventures as they struggle to keep Xanth from being blown off the map forever.
A brisk and breezy adventure in the grand Xanth tradition, Yon Ill Wind is sure to bring gales of laughter and excitement to Piers Anthony's legion of loyal readers.
340 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 1, 1996
135 people are currently reading
2477 people want to read
About the author
Piers Anthony
441 books4,215 followersThough 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.
Piers is a self-proclaimed environmentalist and lives on a tree farm in Florida with his wife. They have two grown daughters.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
August 26, 2019
4 Stars
Yon Ill Wind is the twentieth book in the Xanth series by Piers Anthony. Demon X(A/N)th will need to team up with an annoying vixen named Chlorine if they're to save Xanth from a hurricane that's wreaking havoc across the lands.
The Xanth 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. Recently I had been reorganising my bookshelves, because eight book cases have become insufficient to house all my books (#bookwhoredilemma)- and it came to the point where I was going to have to get rid of some of my older books/series in order to make way for new favourites. I looked at all the larger/longer series first and this is one of the larger series that I have, it came under scrutiny. I decided to reread all the books I was considering getting rid of first- before making a final decision. I can honestly say that although I these books didn’t blow me away as they once did- 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/beasts. 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 I have missed.
The world of Xanth 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 Xanth 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 in the end I can’t cull any of my collection. So I decided to just purchase a couple of extra bookcases instead. #myprecious
A series worth exploring- especially for any epic fantasy lover who loves some fun and humour served with their adventure.
Thank you, Mr. Anthony!
Yon Ill Wind is the twentieth book in the Xanth series by Piers Anthony. Demon X(A/N)th will need to team up with an annoying vixen named Chlorine if they're to save Xanth from a hurricane that's wreaking havoc across the lands.
The Xanth 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. Recently I had been reorganising my bookshelves, because eight book cases have become insufficient to house all my books (#bookwhoredilemma)- and it came to the point where I was going to have to get rid of some of my older books/series in order to make way for new favourites. I looked at all the larger/longer series first and this is one of the larger series that I have, it came under scrutiny. I decided to reread all the books I was considering getting rid of first- before making a final decision. I can honestly say that although I these books didn’t blow me away as they once did- 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/beasts. 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 I have missed.
The world of Xanth 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 Xanth 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 in the end I can’t cull any of my collection. So I decided to just purchase a couple of extra bookcases instead. #myprecious
A series worth exploring- especially for any epic fantasy lover who loves some fun and humour served with their adventure.
Thank you, Mr. Anthony!
November 15, 2011
At the tender age of ten or eleven, the one thing I wanted most was to be able to hire a book from the adult fiction section of my library. The rules were that no one under thirteen could hire any novel outside of the teen section, but I was terribly bored with the books there, and had read all of the series I considered worth my time already. My Dad turned to me conspiratorially one day and said "You go pick out any book you want, I'll hire it on my card and they won't know,". Of course, they had to have guessed, as my Father only ever hired out true crime and history books, but they never said a word and I left hugging this book under one arm. I remember walking into the section, going straight to 'A'. I wanted something colorful, pretty and unusual. 'Yon Ill Wind' jumped out; there was a dragon/donkey, a woman in a white dress, and a cloud blowing some flying centaurs and a caravan in the sky behind. It was irresistible.
Opening the cover, I was greeted by a bright scene; a map of Xanth, plants, fish and a mermaid. I was entranced by the bright colors and especially the rainbow across the sky. All this, and I hadn't even read the actual novel yet!
Xanth was to me like nothing I had ever read. High fantasy with dragons, damsels and everything I could have only dreamed of up until this point! The idea of Demons controlling each planet was one I instantly adopted, and loved. The idea of Nimby learning how to become human, learning human emotion. The mundanes, allowed to go on this fantastical adventure. Forbidden love, and hints of an adult world I had no idea of at the time.
I don't think I could have picked up a better novel to start off my journey into reading, and this fact is something I firmly believe in. Before this, I had Enid Blyton, Colin Dann and stories of girls and their ponies. Now I had fantasy and puns, and I loved it!
Yon Ill Wind is my favorite in this series, even now. I've read every one that is out in my country, but this one still holds more than a fleeting fancy with me. When asked 'What is your favorite book?' It is always this novel that comes to mind first. It was my first 'big book', but it is so much more than that, it was the book that took my love of reading and firmly cemented it as a permanent part of my life.
I've said a lot about my love of this book, and how it came to be, but not much about the actual book itself. It is impeccably put together; each chapter is from the point of view of a different character, the focus of that particular point in the story. We get to see Xanth from everyone's point of view, from mundane to magic, and it makes it so much more real than it would be otherwise. Nimby is my absolute favorite character, as the Demon Xanth. Chlorine is a close second, and the form she crafts for herself. The story is fun and exciting, and if you're like me, you will both groan and laugh over the puns (and the puns are something you can't escape)
So, we have hear a book like no other. An excellent book that lead me to reading my favorite book series of all time, a series I love over even Harry Potter (that's a really big ask for me) I know it isn't the first in the series, not even close. It was the first I picked up and read though, and all Xanth novels can be read singularly or as the set. There isn't much else I can say, I've told you over and over how much I adore it, it's up to you to find yourself some magic Xanth dust, and start your own exploration of the magical world Piers Anthony has created. I don't believe you will be disappointed, Mundane.
Opening the cover, I was greeted by a bright scene; a map of Xanth, plants, fish and a mermaid. I was entranced by the bright colors and especially the rainbow across the sky. All this, and I hadn't even read the actual novel yet!
Xanth was to me like nothing I had ever read. High fantasy with dragons, damsels and everything I could have only dreamed of up until this point! The idea of Demons controlling each planet was one I instantly adopted, and loved. The idea of Nimby learning how to become human, learning human emotion. The mundanes, allowed to go on this fantastical adventure. Forbidden love, and hints of an adult world I had no idea of at the time.
I don't think I could have picked up a better novel to start off my journey into reading, and this fact is something I firmly believe in. Before this, I had Enid Blyton, Colin Dann and stories of girls and their ponies. Now I had fantasy and puns, and I loved it!
Yon Ill Wind is my favorite in this series, even now. I've read every one that is out in my country, but this one still holds more than a fleeting fancy with me. When asked 'What is your favorite book?' It is always this novel that comes to mind first. It was my first 'big book', but it is so much more than that, it was the book that took my love of reading and firmly cemented it as a permanent part of my life.
I've said a lot about my love of this book, and how it came to be, but not much about the actual book itself. It is impeccably put together; each chapter is from the point of view of a different character, the focus of that particular point in the story. We get to see Xanth from everyone's point of view, from mundane to magic, and it makes it so much more real than it would be otherwise. Nimby is my absolute favorite character, as the Demon Xanth. Chlorine is a close second, and the form she crafts for herself. The story is fun and exciting, and if you're like me, you will both groan and laugh over the puns (and the puns are something you can't escape)
So, we have hear a book like no other. An excellent book that lead me to reading my favorite book series of all time, a series I love over even Harry Potter (that's a really big ask for me) I know it isn't the first in the series, not even close. It was the first I picked up and read though, and all Xanth novels can be read singularly or as the set. There isn't much else I can say, I've told you over and over how much I adore it, it's up to you to find yourself some magic Xanth dust, and start your own exploration of the magical world Piers Anthony has created. I don't believe you will be disappointed, Mundane.
May 29, 2017
I will say up front it has been a very long time since I read one of the Xanth novels. I read the first ten or fifteen when I was a young teen in the early nineties and kept up with them for awhile but just didn't love the later ones as much as I did the first twelve or thirteen. This is probably my first trip back to Xanth in at least fifteen years and it had both ups and downs. I remember the humor and sometimes complete insanity that entertained me so when I was younger. The puns and the zaniness and some of the characters I loved so much back then are still present and there is still clever writing here.
I think my biggest problems is that I remember more of the story being about the characters and their journey and the story serving as the vehicle for the characters to grow and learn and become more in the readers mind. The early adventures were about Bink and Dor and Smash and later Grundy and Dolph and Ivy but now it almost seems as if the characters are more of just convenient placeholders to move the story along to where it needs to go for the next pun or the next clever scene. There is an entire chapter towards the end that seems shoehorned in and unnecessary. its not bad it just doesn't feel important or essential to the book and there is even a pun about a lost or replacement story thread. Is it clever? Yes. Did it bother me and make me just want to get past it to the end? Yes.
I did enjoy it and maybe its because I didn't look at it with as many expectations as I did all those years ago. A Spell for Chameleon was the first adult length fantasy novel I ever read and that attaches a lot of nostalgia and importance to me personally to this series and perhaps as I went along into my teens and early twenties I put higher expectations on these stories than I should have because of that past. It is still fun and it is still zany but I have changed a lot since then and so has Xanth and neither of those things are bad. I think I will enjoy continuing to return to this world and revisit the spirit of my childhood if not necessarily the exact feeling it once brought out in me. I do not know if any of these newer books will offer me the wonder and sense of adventure I found in The Source of Magic or Castle Roogna or Centaur Isle but I do think they can be a clever and enjoyable trip back to a fondly remembered world that helped turn me into the avid reader I am today.
Yon Ill Wind may not be my favorite Xanth novel but I will remember it as being the one that reintroduced me to an old dear friend of a world that I may not feel as strongly about or as excited about as I did when I was 11 or 12 but still has a place in my heart that I think will never fade.
I think my biggest problems is that I remember more of the story being about the characters and their journey and the story serving as the vehicle for the characters to grow and learn and become more in the readers mind. The early adventures were about Bink and Dor and Smash and later Grundy and Dolph and Ivy but now it almost seems as if the characters are more of just convenient placeholders to move the story along to where it needs to go for the next pun or the next clever scene. There is an entire chapter towards the end that seems shoehorned in and unnecessary. its not bad it just doesn't feel important or essential to the book and there is even a pun about a lost or replacement story thread. Is it clever? Yes. Did it bother me and make me just want to get past it to the end? Yes.
I did enjoy it and maybe its because I didn't look at it with as many expectations as I did all those years ago. A Spell for Chameleon was the first adult length fantasy novel I ever read and that attaches a lot of nostalgia and importance to me personally to this series and perhaps as I went along into my teens and early twenties I put higher expectations on these stories than I should have because of that past. It is still fun and it is still zany but I have changed a lot since then and so has Xanth and neither of those things are bad. I think I will enjoy continuing to return to this world and revisit the spirit of my childhood if not necessarily the exact feeling it once brought out in me. I do not know if any of these newer books will offer me the wonder and sense of adventure I found in The Source of Magic or Castle Roogna or Centaur Isle but I do think they can be a clever and enjoyable trip back to a fondly remembered world that helped turn me into the avid reader I am today.
Yon Ill Wind may not be my favorite Xanth novel but I will remember it as being the one that reintroduced me to an old dear friend of a world that I may not feel as strongly about or as excited about as I did when I was 11 or 12 but still has a place in my heart that I think will never fade.
December 22, 2019
1.5/5
It took me forever and a day to get through this Xanth novel, mainly because I couldn't get connected with any of the characters and the plot was all over. It was almost hard to keep up. I'm a sucker for the first Xanth books, but they get less magical and more just about getting as many puns in there as possible. Puns are funny, but there is such a think as too much. I like Anthony's style, but he wasn't trying as hard here.
It took me forever and a day to get through this Xanth novel, mainly because I couldn't get connected with any of the characters and the plot was all over. It was almost hard to keep up. I'm a sucker for the first Xanth books, but they get less magical and more just about getting as many puns in there as possible. Puns are funny, but there is such a think as too much. I like Anthony's style, but he wasn't trying as hard here.
June 28, 2023
It feels like a Thing now to hate on Piers Anthony for being a pervert and writing perverted material. I'm not going to get into that here, but I WILL get into where I finally sort of lost the magic.
There are basically two and a half chapters out of this book that are interesting. The rest is just a family trip through Xanth where nothing of significant consequence happens: no major danger or enemies or tension (except romantic). The biggest stake is whether "Nimby" wins the bet.
Mind you, I like Nimby and Chlorine, to the point where I think they formed the basis for a "romance" I wrote (which, for that also, the romance was like two and a half chapters), though I would've liked it if Chlorine hadn't felt compelled to wish herself to be not ugly. That bothers me more than the perverted parts, that every worthwhile character (except, like, Magician Humphrey) HAS to be beautiful to some degree. Why can't there be a scar-faced female protagonist who shows her worth in other ways? (Granted, I've skipped a few books, so who knows?)
I would've given more stars for a shorter book with just the Nimby and Chlorine bits. Reading about the family magic trip was just kind of tedious. (To be fair, I *would* reread the book and only read those two and a half chapters.)
There are basically two and a half chapters out of this book that are interesting. The rest is just a family trip through Xanth where nothing of significant consequence happens: no major danger or enemies or tension (except romantic). The biggest stake is whether "Nimby" wins the bet.
Mind you, I like Nimby and Chlorine, to the point where I think they formed the basis for a "romance" I wrote (which, for that also, the romance was like two and a half chapters), though I would've liked it if Chlorine hadn't felt compelled to wish herself to be not ugly. That bothers me more than the perverted parts, that every worthwhile character (except, like, Magician Humphrey) HAS to be beautiful to some degree. Why can't there be a scar-faced female protagonist who shows her worth in other ways? (Granted, I've skipped a few books, so who knows?)
I would've given more stars for a shorter book with just the Nimby and Chlorine bits. Reading about the family magic trip was just kind of tedious. (To be fair, I *would* reread the book and only read those two and a half chapters.)
October 30, 2022
I can't say that I really enjoyed this book even though I love Piers Anthony as a writer and his Xanth books in particular. I don't know what it was about this particular Xanth book but it didn't have the "magic" that the others all had. Perhaps it's because it is because the characters weren't as enjoyable and fun as all the others have been. (I get confused about the moons of Ptera circling around the princess' head and the convoluted explanation of them, so perhaps that's the reason?). I'm also not a big fan of mixing Earth folks with Xanth folks. When the author did it the first time, it was new and unique but now? Now I think it's a plot that's been played out.
I was glad to see that Fracto the cloud found a girlfriend. I've always wondered what his back story was and why he was always so nasty. While this book doesn't explain everything about that cloud, it's a start and hopefully, the author will write a book about him someday.
I was glad to see that Fracto the cloud found a girlfriend. I've always wondered what his back story was and why he was always so nasty. While this book doesn't explain everything about that cloud, it's a start and hopefully, the author will write a book about him someday.
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October 23, 2025An All-New Xanth AdventureFirst Paperback Edition!A fickle flux in the fabric of space has allowed a horrendous hurricane to blast into Xanth, stirring up mischief and madness wherever she goes. Trapped in a preposterous form by a cosmic wager, the Demon X(A/N)th must join forces with a vexatious vixen named Chlorine to save Xanth from this terrifying and tempestuous threat.Their companions on this haphazard quest are a hapless human family - Jim and Karen Baldwin and their two teenaged sons, David and Sean - gusted into Xanth from the mundane world beyond. Together they encounters a host of turbulent misadventures as they struggle to keep Xanth from being blown off the map forever.A brisk and breezy adventure in the grand Xanth tradition, Yon Ill Wind is sure to bring gales of laughter and excitement to Piers Anthony's legion of loyal readers.
September 2, 2023
Actual star score is 4.75.
This book is different than other Xanth books because the main characters are from Mundania. One of which is not plant, animal or human, it is hurricane Gladys, otherwise known as hurricane Happy Bottom. The other Mundanians are the Benjamin's, a family of five with their 3 pets, a dog, a cat and a parakeet.
Can the Benjamin's with the help of D. Mentia and a few other characters we know keep hurricane Happy Bottom from destroying Xanth. Especially right now when the demon Xanth is stuck in the body of the dragon ass after accepting a bet from the other major demons.
This book is different than other Xanth books because the main characters are from Mundania. One of which is not plant, animal or human, it is hurricane Gladys, otherwise known as hurricane Happy Bottom. The other Mundanians are the Benjamin's, a family of five with their 3 pets, a dog, a cat and a parakeet.
Can the Benjamin's with the help of D. Mentia and a few other characters we know keep hurricane Happy Bottom from destroying Xanth. Especially right now when the demon Xanth is stuck in the body of the dragon ass after accepting a bet from the other major demons.
October 28, 2018
This was a good book full of puns and potential breaches of the Adult Conspiracy. A Mundane family is blown into Xanth by a hurricane. The problem is to corral the hurricane to save Xanth and allow the family to get back to Mundania. Also, Demon Xanth is undercover as a donkey/dragon that can take human form but cannot speak to anyone. What can possibly go wrong? All in all an enjoyable read as the mayhem continues in Xanth.
June 13, 2020
More of a 3.5 but I’m not in the mood to round up. This Xanth novel at least had a bit of an original concept behind it: that the demon X(an)th gets stuck in Xanth through a bet. There was also a Mundane family involved. However soon enough it is essentially back to the same old: wandering the length and breadth of Xanth to solve a huge problem. Recommended for Xanth fans. While not essential to read in order, it does help some.
June 8, 2019
I know many people didn't like this book. But I love it. I couldn't put it down. I know the heroine is shallow in many ways. Her character and personality does develop in the other books after this. But this book in a whole is still a fun read for me. My imagination of Xanths realm runs rampant and wild! Absolutely love it!
June 1, 2020
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.
June 5, 2025
Demon X(anth) lets himself be tricked into playing against another demon. He has to function without most of his power, and, if he loses, he loses all of Xanth. Combine that with a hurricane that blows in from Mundania, bringing a Mundane family in an RV. The storm stirs up the magic dust that gives Xanth its magic, threatening to destroy Xanth. How they save Xanth and the Demon is a great tale.
April 28, 2020
A hurricane blows into Xanth from our world and brings a camper full of people from our world with it. The demon Xanth is a major part of this story making it a little different than the other stories in the series. Still full of puns and fun.
June 27, 2020
I remember this novel primarily because it surprised me how much I enjoyed reading it after the previous three in the series. The Baldwin family is a great addition to the world of Xanth. Hurricane Gladys (aka Happy Bottom) is a true menace.
July 25, 2020
I read a lot of these as a teen and loved them, but as I got older, whether it was me or the books, I became disenchanted. Too many puns, not enough story. I forced myself thru this, but the complete fixation on boobs was also a bit disturbing. I mean ..is it a kids book or not?
July 24, 2017
I enjoyed the fact that a mundane family came into Xanth and met with many of the previous characters that we have met. This book made me smile!
April 7, 2020
A pun ful read.
April 9, 2020
Ugh. Have these gotten worse? Haven’t read Piers Anthony in a while, and this was dreadful. All bouncy boobs and bad puns, but, quarantine, so I finished it.
June 16, 2020
Always into xanth!
I was introduced to the series in 1985 by my friend Glen Learn. Each book stands on it's own. Enjoyable, thanks for the read.
I was introduced to the series in 1985 by my friend Glen Learn. Each book stands on it's own. Enjoyable, thanks for the read.
Want to read
July 19, 2020elibrary
June 10, 2023
Another fun Xanth Story.
July 4, 2023
Demon Xanth gets more involved in the life of Xanth . . .
February 6, 2025
Outstanding
"Yon I'll Wind" is one of the best of that Xanth novels. Piers Anthony has really out did himself with story. I really enjoyed it and I am sure you will also.
"Yon I'll Wind" is one of the best of that Xanth novels. Piers Anthony has really out did himself with story. I really enjoyed it and I am sure you will also.
October 4, 2012
Typically Xanth books come full circle at the end and the things that seemed random or unimportant end up fueling the resolution of the conflict. That happened in this book, too, except there were still 50 pages to fill, so something semi-contrived happened to nullify the previous conflict resolution and force some of the characters to seek another resolution. Otherwise, I'd give this book five stars. It was an entertaining and fun read that sort of balked at the end seemingly just to extend the story to the established length that all Xanth books must be. Only one Xanth book has fallen short of this mark, and that's Golem in the Gears. Golem was the last Del Rey published book and I read that Piers Anthony dropped Del Rey because Lester Del Rey, who edited the Xanth books, had adopted a cut and slash style of editing in his waning years that might have been the cause of such a short Xanth book, despite the plot having a lot of things going on. I remember the book seeming very rushed, especially at the end, and the pages didn't have their usual compactness, like they tried to stretch the book as many pages as they could without using an exaggeratedly large font or leaving too much margin space, as I have seen often in some 500 page epics that really might have only been a paltry 300 pages if not for wasteful formatting. Consequently, I read Golem in the course of two days and hardly felt like I read that much at all. I enjoyed the story, but I wished it had more substance to more fully enjoy. If I have to choose, I'll take a rushed story with a lot going on rather than a drawn out story. While the extra excursion at the end of Yon Ill Wind, which was probably planned from the beginning and not really just to extend the story, did provide some interesting Xanth history and was not boring, it seemed unnecessary and the reason for it was not convincing. And the very, very end--the resolution of the main plot point that began the whole adventure--could have used a few more pages fully wrap up. Unless he saved that for a future Xanth tale. The thing I like most about Xanth is the characters that come in and out of focus for different adventures and occasionally you have books like Roc and a Hard Place that rouse up just about every previous character and then some for an all encompassing story.
August 30, 2015
I enjoyed this 20th installment of the Xanth series. If it were possible, I would have rated it 3 1/2 stars, but gave it 4 because of my enjoyment of the series.
This installment starts with the Demon X(A/N)TH being challenged by the other Demons because of his string of successes of late. The challenge that he has to go to Xanth in the form of a dragon ass named Nimby. He can have a moment to tell someone as much information as he likes, but he can't mention that he is Demon X(A/N)TH and can't mention that he needs to get a tear from the person he chooses. Also, once his moment is up he becomes mute. Unfortunately his plans run afoul of Miss Fortune, and he ends up speaking to Chlorine - a woman who is not very friendly or kind, and only has one tear left.
What he does not know until afterwards is that he is being set up by the other Demons and when he is sent to Xanth, the interface is weakened. This not only brings in the Baldwin family from Mundania, but also Hurricane Happy Bottom. The Baldwin family and their pets can't believe what they are experiencing. Following Nimby's they explore Xanth trying to find their way back to Mundania. Along the way they realize that their fate is tied in with Xanth's, and that they have to help prevent Xanth from being blown away by Happy Bottom. Along the way they meet gas guzzlers, Imps, royalty, tangle trees, experience a meatier shower and fly through the air with the help of winged centaurs.
This is a pretty good installment in the series, and it shows Demon X(A/N)TH in a different light. I was not enamored with the idea that they were driving an RV on a Highway in Xanth that was built by Trolls who collected payments for the priviledge of driving on it, but it does show how the series continues to adapt as new characters arrive and the known characters evolve. There are a number of surprises and fun sidelines in the book and I think that most fans of the series will enjoy the 20th book in the series.
This installment starts with the Demon X(A/N)TH being challenged by the other Demons because of his string of successes of late. The challenge that he has to go to Xanth in the form of a dragon ass named Nimby. He can have a moment to tell someone as much information as he likes, but he can't mention that he is Demon X(A/N)TH and can't mention that he needs to get a tear from the person he chooses. Also, once his moment is up he becomes mute. Unfortunately his plans run afoul of Miss Fortune, and he ends up speaking to Chlorine - a woman who is not very friendly or kind, and only has one tear left.
What he does not know until afterwards is that he is being set up by the other Demons and when he is sent to Xanth, the interface is weakened. This not only brings in the Baldwin family from Mundania, but also Hurricane Happy Bottom. The Baldwin family and their pets can't believe what they are experiencing. Following Nimby's they explore Xanth trying to find their way back to Mundania. Along the way they realize that their fate is tied in with Xanth's, and that they have to help prevent Xanth from being blown away by Happy Bottom. Along the way they meet gas guzzlers, Imps, royalty, tangle trees, experience a meatier shower and fly through the air with the help of winged centaurs.
This is a pretty good installment in the series, and it shows Demon X(A/N)TH in a different light. I was not enamored with the idea that they were driving an RV on a Highway in Xanth that was built by Trolls who collected payments for the priviledge of driving on it, but it does show how the series continues to adapt as new characters arrive and the known characters evolve. There are a number of surprises and fun sidelines in the book and I think that most fans of the series will enjoy the 20th book in the series.
August 4, 2016
I have a mixed opinion of Yon Ill Wind. Overall, it was a fine read.
The one thing that bugs me about it is that it marks the taming of the last Xanth Villain -> the Demon (X)anth himself. This trend had been ongoing for a while, with the Goblins tamed by book #15, the Harpies in book #17, Com Puter sometime before book #16, and the Demoness Metria in the previous book. As a result, the subsequent books lack any real villain. Eventually, Xanth is just a utopia and the characters have to venture outside of Xanth to find anything worth Adventuring.
On the plus side, this book is about immigration. At the time, there was a big thing in the news about Elian the cuban boy who traveled to Florida illegally. Illegal immigration is a big hot topic in Florida and Piers flips it on its head (Americans immigrating to a place better off: a Fantasy universe) by having a group of characters accidentally arrive in Xanth (illegally, mind you). Now we all wish we could suddenly end up in Xanth, and in terms of Americans, these are regular joes. But the Xanthians don't see it the same way.
Like Vale of the Vole, I think that Piers comes up with a clever resolution to the issue.
The one thing that bugs me about it is that it marks the taming of the last Xanth Villain -> the Demon (X)anth himself. This trend had been ongoing for a while, with the Goblins tamed by book #15, the Harpies in book #17, Com Puter sometime before book #16, and the Demoness Metria in the previous book. As a result, the subsequent books lack any real villain. Eventually, Xanth is just a utopia and the characters have to venture outside of Xanth to find anything worth Adventuring.
On the plus side, this book is about immigration. At the time, there was a big thing in the news about Elian the cuban boy who traveled to Florida illegally. Illegal immigration is a big hot topic in Florida and Piers flips it on its head (Americans immigrating to a place better off: a Fantasy universe) by having a group of characters accidentally arrive in Xanth (illegally, mind you). Now we all wish we could suddenly end up in Xanth, and in terms of Americans, these are regular joes. But the Xanthians don't see it the same way.
Like Vale of the Vole, I think that Piers comes up with a clever resolution to the issue.
February 15, 2013
As the series goes on...and, you know- on...it had become utterly about the puns and not so much actually about storylines or characters. And of course, that horrid "Disney-fication" that happens to authors who.write popular tales generally intended to be read by adults and older teens, but which inevitably fall into the hands of children who have no business reading them.
Rather than having an author dumb a book down and edit it to the point that it has a cleaner GP rating than Dr. Suess, why don't adults simply say, "Put that dang book down you future pervert and pick up some Suess like you're told. Learnimg to alliterate doesn't happen on its own!"
Piers, please return to that saucy, slightly sexy and a bit steamy series for adults you started out with? I keep reading...and waiting.
Rather than having an author dumb a book down and edit it to the point that it has a cleaner GP rating than Dr. Suess, why don't adults simply say, "Put that dang book down you future pervert and pick up some Suess like you're told. Learnimg to alliterate doesn't happen on its own!"
Piers, please return to that saucy, slightly sexy and a bit steamy series for adults you started out with? I keep reading...and waiting.
June 16, 2013
Tropical Storm Gladys is heading towards Florida. The Baldwin family are trying to get home before the storm becomes a hurricane.
Demon Xanth is conned by he equals into a game - in which he will die if someone doesnt' shed a tear for him.
When the Demon is turned into NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) - a donkey headed dragon - Gladys gets into Xanth and if she isn't stopped she will wipe Xanth off the map.
Demon Xanth is conned by he equals into a game - in which he will die if someone doesnt' shed a tear for him.
When the Demon is turned into NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) - a donkey headed dragon - Gladys gets into Xanth and if she isn't stopped she will wipe Xanth off the map.
January 27, 2014
Maybe it was just my mood, but this didn't grab me like all the other Xanth books have.
Maybe it was because so many of the challenges that cropped up along the way were dealt with fairly simply, even easily.
I really can't say whether the book is different from other Xanth books or if my tastes have changed at least temporarily.
However, it was fun to see a Mundane family traveling through Xanth in their motor home and experience Xanth. For light entertainment, it's not so bad.
Maybe it was because so many of the challenges that cropped up along the way were dealt with fairly simply, even easily.
I really can't say whether the book is different from other Xanth books or if my tastes have changed at least temporarily.
However, it was fun to see a Mundane family traveling through Xanth in their motor home and experience Xanth. For light entertainment, it's not so bad.
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