Esrever Doom

Xanth #37

by Piers Anthony

Piers Anthony's 37th adventure in Xanth changes the Mood to one of Doom!

Kody woke up in a hospital bed, not knowing how he got there. Before his questions could be answered, he was told that he was about to undergo surgery, and that there could be some side effects…. And then he woke up again, this time in Xanth.

Kody is the only person in Xanth who has not been affected by a dreadful spell that reverses how people see each other. What was adorable is now loathsome. What was ugly is now beautiful. What was loved is now hated. Kody has clearly arrived just in time! Only he has any hope of reversing the spell, turning Esrever Doom into Reverse Mood.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Humor, Science Fiction Fantasy, Speculative Fiction, Science Fiction, High Fantasy

370 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published October 1, 2013

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

[Kristen (belles_bookshelves) · Rating 2 out of 5]

"We do have a future, however temporary it may be. We can make something of it."

What is there really to say about the Xanth novels at this point? There's a hero (Kody Mundane) who is traveling with his misc. companions (a griffin, a naga, a human, a robot dog, a maiden) to complete a quest (to abate the Curse of Reversal) and save Xanth. As usual, there are problems (Demons with a capital D, in this novel), and ends happily - because, well, it's Xanth.

And, obviously: puns.

[Amanda Summers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fantastic adventure in the land of Xanth! Piers Anthony has really outdone himself with this one. Some of the puns are hilarious while others will have you groaning they're so bad. Loved the varied cast of companions this time. Was lovely to see some new creatures never presented before. Only one negative to report -- you never learn what the incident was that landed Kody in the hospital and required surgery at the on-set of the book. Sure, it's the pretense for bringing him to Xanth, but still it would have been nice to tie that little tid bit up in a bow.

[Rex Libris · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was the 37th installment in the Xanth series. In it someone created a bomb that made ugly people attractive and attractive people ugly. A Mundanian is brought in to lead the quest to end this reversal.

The Xanth series used to be fun, light-hearted, and entertaining. But it lost those features a long time ago. The books have become tiresome, the formula no longer works because it has been done into the ground, and the over-arching story line has become unecessarily bizarre.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars

Esrever Doom is the thirty-seventh book in the Xanth series by Piers Anthony. Kody is placed in an induced coma that could leave him with side effects, one of which is reverse mood(s). (On a side note- I loved the clever way Mr. Anthony reversed the words, "reverse mood", as the title of the book). Kody wakes up in Xanth where his is immune to a curse that's making the rounds. He meets zombie Zosi, and sets off on a quest to break the curse, and save the zombies. With a vile baddie, NoAmi, and a demon wager on the outcome- Kody will certainly have his work cut out for him, if he's to succeed.

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!

[Anne Patkau · Rating 1 out of 5]

Many puns; some I miss. Goes round about; some predictable zigs, other confusing zags. For when you're in the mood for unusual alert brain and English language tickles. Most likely could not translate. I needed pauses to catch up with twists.

Kody wakes up in hospital, hears anesthetic for "controlled coma" p 12 may cause mood reversal, title backwards. Kody next wakes in Xanth, grabs a catbird from ogre before the monster stomps off. Hipporoc crossbreed, friend of catbird, gratefully gives Mundania (our world) arrival a "check her board" p 15, or carved cheese statues. Besides games, picture carries whoever is touching square to locale depicted. Some segues are too easy.

Kody is immune to land-wide curse, sees outwardly beautiful or ugly as is, whereas Xanthians see appearances as opposites. Quest companions are not "assembled seemingly randomly, but to turn out to have relevant abilities when the need arises" p 99. After Kody meets sweet zombie Zosi, second Quest aim is "restore zombies to Xanth before they are rendered extinct" p 98.

In this fantasy land, when people "do the signalling ritual" storks bring babies "not very efficient; it takes about nine months" p 227. Clothes and food grow on handy bushes. Trouble comes from strange places. Surprises. One of the team is a spy for the villainess, NoAmi.

"They slept between bouts of love. It was a busy night" p 227. Racier than much of the series, still comes in a list form. "The room was filled with little floating, glowing hearts. Then came the finale that blasted the hearts away and left them both happily exhausted" p 226.

"Demons set these things up, then watch them play out without interference" p 311. "Any open interference would be an infraction of the Demon wager rules that the Demon Xanth can deal with. We just have to trick her, or taunt her into using her powers openly in Xanth, thus violating Demon protocols" p 287. Demons show, exchange status points. I found this resolution unsatisfying, like real life people are pawns moving around with less choice than we hope for.

Naomi helps, even in ghost form. Why did Kody not pay attention when given ability to return from Mundane world to Xanth whenever he wants? At the end he does turn off curse, wake from coma, remember he can leave.

[Samantha Eve Kennedy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have been reading the Piers Anthony Xanth series for years. Although I plan to keep reading the next installments in the series, I find that I do not love them quite the way I used to. The plot has become very formulaic. A foreignor (Mundanian or otherwise) ends up in Xanth unexpectedly. He or she goes to the Good Magician to get answers to an issue. The Good Magician assigns the visitor a quest. Others join the quest. At least one or more parties fall in love. (There are passages related to summoning the stork.)The more powerful elements in Xanth make an appearance (Demons, Princesses, etc.). The quest ends (more or less successfully).

The fun in reading these books, despite the pendantic plots, exists in the puns (seriously awful and funny in turn), and the various magical creatures that exist in the Xanth world.

[Kirsti · Rating 3 out of 5]

I dunno, I just wasn't feeling this one. It seemed far to similar to most of the recent books, and I kind of wanted more than the usual demon bets and couples pairing off. It feels too much like following a recipe; add in attractive human male, mix in a few crossbreed species, world of Xanth in peril, Good Magician sends them on a quest, demon contest. Of course attractive human male makes best decision ever, and Xanth is saved. Hn.

I know there is a new book out after this, but I feel a little bitter. I'll wait a while before reading it, I think. Three stars.

[Brian Miller · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was a bit confusing to me unless I was very much mistaken the main character was a gay man turned straight by the magic of xanth I have loved this series for many years but was more then a bit hurt by this story.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Any Xanth is comedy as well as fantasy and must be read for the pun of it!

[Scratch · Rating 1 out of 5]

I shall begin by echoing what other reviewers have said about this Xanth novel, and probably the last 10 or 20 Xanth novels-- the plots have become formulaic beyond all reason. The protagonist is usually a stranger to Xanth, quite possibly a Mundanian. He goes to see Humphrey to ask his question, braving the 3 challenges like usual. He goes on a quest to solve whatever the magical dilemma is for the book. Along the way he picks up companions. There are various romantic entanglements upon the group of travelers, there are several references to panties and stork summoning, and then the quest concludes more or less successfully.

It has been done to death. Xanth used to be incredibly entertaining with the first 10 books or so. But after that... the formula is a little too much for me. Not so much because the formula is annoying, but because it feels like something is missing. There is nothing new to Xanth anymore. And the serious moments, the really good fight scenes and serious problems, are gone. There used to be a "flavor" to reading a Xanth novel, and now that flavor is gone.

Next, let's address the elephant in the room with this protagonist, Kody. ... Did Piers Anthony turn a gay man straight in this novel?

We were given no background on the protagonist, Kody, whatsoever. Nothing about his job or education or where he lives... Nothing. We know that he's fairly attractive and that when he wakes up from a coma in Mundania, his "friend Josh" is the person to come get him. But then we have all these little "hints," peppered throughout that are never explored. Throwaway references to Kody knowing something about facing discrimination.

So I would normally be pleased with the protagonist falling for the least attractive woman in his party, a former zombie, who seems perfectly nice. But if he truly were a gay man that the magic of Xanth somehow made straight, and he was busy getting freaked out by panties and getting seduced by various women... That's just wrong. Offensive.

What the Hell, Piers Anthony?

This is particularly insulting because in 37 books there have been almost NO references to homosexuals. And the few times there were references, they were offensive. A couple dozen books ago there were male winged elves who were referenced as not wanting people to think they were fairies. One time, many many books ago, there was an outbreak of both love and hate spring water at the same time, and there was a reference to women fighting and looking like they were mating at the same time.

As recently as last book, we --sort of-- got our first transgender character. ... A heterosexual man was magically transformed into a woman, and Piers Anthony interpreted this as creating a heterosexual woman who was knowledgeable about what would pleasure men, and was happy to use that knowledge. (Shouldn't she have become a lesbian? Or started out as a gay man, if now she loves nothing more than pleasuring penis?)

And... that's it. In Xanth, panties reign supreme. Women always hold all the cards both in terms of dominating the relationship and wielding sexual magic. Men's attractiveness is hardly ever referenced, and if it is, it is only as an incidental asset for attracting the more attractive women in his party. I feel like if Piers Anthony were forced to write a love scene without any women involved, his head would explode. Hell, he won't even allow lesbians in his universe that loves panties so damn much. (Side note-- how would panty magic work on lesbians in Xanth? Would a lesbian written by a straight man accidentally freak herself out every morning as she got dressed?)

Some day. I have hopes that two male characters can enter a love spring and find their love for each other is true. Or maybe not, because that would imply homosexual love could only be induced artificially and it would be a curse to overcome. But why should straight people have all the fun with love springs?

And in a world where babies are LITERALLY delivered by storks, why the Hell couldn't two characters of the same sex "summon the stork"? If we no longer have to worry about fallopian tubes and birth canals, what difference does it make to the storks if parents are of the same sex?

[Stuart Schneider · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had a few redeeming qualities, once again brining it just above the one star rating that the final novels in this series (at the moment) seemed destined to go to. I wonder if this being the last book published by Tor has anything to do with the quality of the narrative, but that’s just pure speculation. Someone actually dies in this one, there is some actual serious fighting and I did like the idea which encapsulates the origination of the title of the book. We do not see any effects of the bomb and we do not learn about what happened to Kody in real life, which I think detracts from the storyline a bit (Maybe we have to read the next novel to find out the ramifications of the bomb and the setting it was left on before detonating. In any event, I see the end of these on the horizon (only like 10-12 to go, 4 of which are currently unpublished). Onwards!!!

[Cat Webling · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the Xanth series! Piers just knows how to put together a world that's equal parts funny and confusing while still being a delight to read. Esrevere Doom hits on one of my favorite parts of this series, which is the introduction of a Mundane to magic, this time in a fascinating dream scenario. And somehow it works! Sure, Piers' series is tropey and very classical fantasy, but it's silly and it's fun and it's a genuinely good way to spend an afternoon or two reading.

[Keith Beasley-Topliffe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this Xanth book. I has been a while and enjoyed seeing some new ideas, including a new way of getting a mundane man into the fantasy world for a quest. Of course there were many painful puns. But there was also a mysterious plot for the hero to work out and so save Xanth and the friends he had made. I liked it enough to add several more of the series to my pending shelf. (Not just want to read, but plan to read.)

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Yawn*

Esrever Doom (read it backwards) is not bad enough for a 2 rating, and not good enough for a 4. Chances are I will have forgotten the storyline within a week. And yet ...

Having read all 37 books in the Xanth series so far, I am planning to continue with books 38 - 41. Inertia or optimism? Maybe a bit of both.

[Steve Baker · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun book. The first one I read of the Xanth series. Clever, moves right along.
Started reading another book of the same series and quickly realized it could have been mostly written by word changes in a word processor - very repetitious humor, similar plot line.
Not worth getting invested in the series, unless you like repetition.

[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.

[Hazel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another good story, though as mentioned a bit anticlimactic. Also more reverse rape mentioned in this one, along with the usual straight, etc. issues with these books.

Its interesting how much mundane incursion we're getting in the last few books. It's like we're leading up to a mundane wave. Perhaps we are. I suppose I will find out.

[Lesa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like these stories

[Alyssa]

I never rate Xanth books; they’re nostalgic reads from my childhood so I don’t bother rating them. That being said… this might be my least favorite one

[Vader · Rating 3 out of 5]

5 star - Perfect
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not complete it.

[R J Royer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a lover of this humor series and am sorry to see that it's over. Mind they are reaching now for stories but after 39 books they always have to try harder.

[Bill Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is a better one - more story, a little less innuendo - generally a good read

[David Caldwell · Rating 2 out of 5]

Book 37 in the Xanth series.

I think I read Xanth for the first time in 1980. I remember buying my brother a box set of the Xanth trilogy (when it actually was a trilogy) for Christmas and then reading them as soon as he was done. I have stuck with the series through its ups and downs. Even when some of my other friends would tease me about sticking with the series, I just ignored them and kept reading. So I know the formula for the Xanth books pretty well by now. And yes, the series has a definite formula to the books now.

For those that don't know or need a refresher, here is the Xanth formula. The main character for the book is introduced (each book focuses on a new main character, although they might have been a minor character in an earlier book.) The main character needs to go a quest to solve some problem, usually to save the magical land of Xanth but sometimes for a much more personal reason. The character gathers a bunch of companions to accompany them (and will usually visit the Good Magician Humfrey). The quest group will set out wandering around Xanth where they will encounter a bunch of puns and challenges.The main character will find a love match (with one or two other possibilities thrown into the mix) and others of the group may also pair off into couples. Finally, the goal of the quest will be reached where a final challenge is faced where the group will use their combined talents to help the main character win the day (usually with a minimum of violence).

Truthfully, this description would cover a lot of other fantasy books as well (minus the puns). But the Xanth books are taking it to a new level. Before you even pick up the book, you can almost guess what will happen in each chapter. Don't get me wrong, they are still fun even with this predictability. Mainly this is due to the writing ability of the author. He balances the story and the humor quite well usually. Unfortunately, this time the story was weaker than normal. The curse that was afflicting Xanth was fairly weak. It made pretty people look ugly and ugly people look pretty. The more extreme you were than the more extreme you appeared.There were some plot inconsistencies (between 4 and a half to seven depending on how you count them). I won't go into too many details as that would be spoilers but I can safelt tell you this one. Kody (the main character) is from Mundania so he isn't familiar with the dangers of Xanth. Near the beginning of the book, he is told about tangle trees but later in the book he acts like he has never heard of them and has to have them explained again. The other conflicts were of similar nature. Kody also presented some problems. His personal reversal was both obvious and ignored throughout the story. It felt awkward. His power (yes, a Mundanian with a power) is described as unpredictable but ends up being highly predictable and almost always the perfect solution for the situation. In fact, almost every challenge was solved with a too convenient solution.

The entire book comes across as just an attempt to appease the fans. A weak story so it could have as many fan submitted puns hung off it as possible. It also seemed that Mr. Anthony let his personal beliefs(and prejudices) peek through into the story. I would have to say this is one of the weaker entries into the Xanth series. I would only recommend it to die-hard fans that have read all of the others or to people that adore puns. If you want to read Xanth done right, try the first three books (if you can still find them).

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another Xanth novel – obviously by this point there is a slightly formulaic feel to the series, but it really isn't any the worse for that. If you've visited Xanth since the ealry days there is absolutely no reason to stop now.

[Nathan Dehoff · Rating 3 out of 5]

The thirty-seventh book in the Xanth series is very much by-the-numbers, and contains the usual flaws. Most notable is the constant flirtation and panty-flashing by pretty much every female character toward the male ones, to the point where it feels uncomfortably like softcore porn that just happens to include dragons and bad puns. There's always been a hint of this in the series, but in earlier books it tended to be more innocent, but as Anthony has gotten older they've been increasingly perverted. And while I appreciate the author's desire to incorporate reader suggestions, that means a lot of walk-ons, where a character announces a magic talent or some pun-related item shows up, but has no significance to the plot. Not that the plot itself is all that special either, and while it doesn't bother me as much as that of the last book in the series, it's still pretty bad. Basically, a curse on Xanth has resulted in attractive people becoming ugly, and vice versa. A man named Kody is brought to Xanth while his body is in a coma, and because of this weird circumstance he's immune to the curse. As usual, the whole plot is the result of a Demon bet. There are a few things I liked in this volume, like the negotiation with the dragon and the defeat of NoAmi Naga, but overall I wouldn't recommend it unless you're a completist like me.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

There sure are a lot of mundanes getting into Xanth lately. I hope this isn't the start of a wave!
This is another Demon bet (with a capital D) I kinda feel like Piers may use Demons to make certain things happen quickly. When the story line starts to fizzle and he can't figure out a way to segue into the next part of the story... Boom! in pop some "all powerful" Demons. All previous problems disappear, Status points are exchanged, and the story goes off in some new direction.
Here we see a new world of Ida, Trojan's sense of humor, the land of Hades and even spend some time in the small galaxy of Fornax. Without being too much of a spoiler, I will say Piers has moved away from the idea of child sexuality, thankfully, and has kept the flirting and panty showing down so that it doesn't detract from the storyline.
I give five stars because I remain a faithful fan of Xanth and this is another great installment to the saga. If you are not already an established fan I would recommend starting this series with some of the earlier books before diving in at the end. Xanth has become a bit set in its ways, (probably much like its creator)and may have become an aquired taste. But for those who have aquired the taste, this is just as delectable as the rest of them.

[Randal · Rating 1 out of 5]

OK, anytime you give one star to #37 anything you're swimming against the tide. But this is crap, with puns.
The characters are crap. The plot is a straightforward quest, which is to say, crap. The tone is an unremitting series of descriptions of how desirable the female characters are. Definitely a 15-year-old male target audience. Some of the puns are really good. But otherwise, this is crap.
OK, one concrete example. There's a chapter where the hero happens upon a demolition derby and is outraged because they are about to destroy a huge range of the classic cars he loves and how he sees specific models he appreciates. Then the whole chapter is described in terms of the color of the cars, including when we're put in the protagonist's head. It has zero credibility, thought or research. If I'm a car nut and I'm in a vintage race, I'm going to be thinking, say, "the Shelby Cobra" is coming up in my mirror -- and hopefully making useful associations about its speed and torque but limited cornering -- not "here comes the blue car," etc., etc. It's told at the level of an easy-reader book, not a novel for adults.
I'll be skipping the other 36 books in the series.

[Harry Lane · Rating 3 out of 5]

YA fantasy, yet I find it curiously appealing. The puns are of course outrageous, as they are in all of the books of this series; one cannot help groaning in response to some of them. And the scenery, greenery and creatures that populate the realm of Xanth are weird to the nth degree. Despite all that, which in many writers hands would be a total disaster, Anthony makes it all work together. This volume is basically a quest with the usual odd lot of quirky characters. The saving grace to this story, as with the other Xanth novels, is that the characters act with all the charms, faults and foibles of human beings.

[Jeremiah Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a middle of the line Xanth novel for me. It still had most of the things that irritate me about the series, but they weren't nearly as prevalent as in other books.
The story was basically the same as every other one, a group of people come together unexpectedly to finish a seemingly insurmountable quest.
The one thing that set this apart a bit for me was the level of violence. It wasn't over the top, but enough to add a sense of actual danger that has never been a part of Xanth.

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has been one of my favorite Xanth books. After a hiatus, I returned to reading the series and hadn't found then add entertaining as I had in the past, but this one reminded me why I started reading them to begin with.

The characters are humble yet virtuous, likeable and realistic. The story explores themes of love and sacrifice while staying light-hearted. Very well done!