Jest Right

Xanth #43

by Piers Anthony

All of Xanth is a stage as an unlikely hero saves the show in the New York Times-bestselling series.

There's no shortage of laughs when Jess is around; she's been cursed to have nobody take her seriously. But her dubious talent comes in handy when she meets the very handsome showman Magnus. He promises to fake taking her seriously--if Jess joins his traveling show.

But first they must see the Good Magician. He will give them the use of the flying Fire Boat to tour the realm if they complete a quest. The only problem is, he can't remember what quest. Something to do with night mares, day mares, and one or two future princesses.

As Jess and Magnus try to unravel the mystery, they discover their true mission: to save Xanth from a big bird with a bone to peck . . .

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

296 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 14, 2020

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

[Helen Robare · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have loved this series since the first book was published! It is, for me, outright pure fantasy. Mr. Anthony and I have come a long way since A Spell for Chameleon came out and I bought it at Barnes and Nobles way back in 1977!!! I was pregnant with my only child when I read this book and now this "child" is a 42-year-old woman with two teenage sons. How's that for a time warp? :)

I remember after reading the third book, that I wrote a letter to Mr. Anthony asking him about the Gorgon and a discrepancy I found and he was kind enough to reply back to me on a 5x7 file card using (what is now) an obsolete electric typewriter! I will always remember his kindness in doing so as I did not expect a personal reply.

So, now 43 books later Mr. Anthony is 82 years old and I am going to be 64 next month.

This book was a carry over with the characters from "Fire Sail" (#42) with a few added characters namely Jess (the main character) and Magnus. Along the way, we are treated to old friends making appearances like Prince Dolph and his wife Electra and Jenny Elf as well as Mare Imbrium. We also get to meet a day mare as well as Bink and Chameleon's great granddaughters Kadence and Aria. Along the way, we make the acquaintance of the Sea Hag, and Ranga Roc. Queen/King Ivy also makes an appearance.

Because of the several "Old Friends" showing up in this book it was a bit like "old home week" or a "high school reunion". After 2020 being such a mess, I needed something like this to start out 2021!

Yes, there were plenty of puns as well as a quest that needed to be undertaken so it was typical Xanth!

[Mackenzie Beyer · Rating 1 out of 5]

What is even happening in this book? What is happening.

[Stuart Schneider · Rating 1 out of 5]

The end has finally arrived.....at least until the next awful book is out in this series. Just as bad (or good, whatever) as the last book, whose title escapes me atm. I can’t wait to get home and actually choose my next book, which I am sure will be terrific and I will finally be able to savor a really good read over a legitimate period of time. I think the reason I cannot remember these books is because at some point I am reading words and do not care about the story at all. Actually, I don’t think, I know. Just another poor effort here and I’m glad I have some time off from the Anthony universe. He mentions a tv show about Xanth, but I would expect that to be on Nick Jr, anywhere but serious tv anyway. Let’s face it, Xanth could never be an Archer.

[Dave · Rating 1 out of 5]

Piers Anthony is not who I remember from my teens. His writing style is juvenile, with a poor use of vocabulary, repetitive language, and a complete lack of subtlety. Each joke is explained to the point that the humor is lost. Characters' motivations are repeatedly and explicitly stated. Reading this book was like being beat over the head with exposition.

The editing is also poor. There were constant misspellings and duplicate words that distracted from the story.

All of this would almost be forgivable for YA fiction if it weren't for the problematic sexual scenes, often involving children.

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a bit of a guilty peasure, to be honest. I read the first book in the series in 1977 as a 16 year old, and at the time of publication of this the author was 82 years old. Over the years the quality of the Xanth books has varied wildly and there was a definite dip after the #20's(!)
This is actually not bad. Charming, full of puns as always and a decently plotted story whilst calling back to some of the characters from the earlier books.
I feel I should apologise, so sorry, sad as it may be I didn't mind reading this as a nostalgia blast.

[D. E. · Rating 1 out of 5]

I remember reading some of the earlier Xanth books when I was in high school/college. When I read those books then, there were many things I thought I liked. This one though, this one didn't work. The jokes were over explained (The Gulf scene was particularly difficult to get through), none of the characters felt particularly fleshed out, there were elements that for me felt almost pedophilic, and there were so many characters that it was hard to keep track. I did not finish this one, nor do I have a strong desire to revisit this.

[Marsha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I do so love this series. I'm always excited to find one that I haven't read. During this pandemic, it was nice to go back and visit Xanth. I'm always amazed at the puns and how the stories come to a happy conclusion. It's also nice to read about characters who had their stories told. It would be really nice to find the barrier to enter Xanth, but alas, I guess I'm too far out. Thanks for another fun read. I am so looking forward to the next.

[John (Hey Y'all Listen Up) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book almost earned a four star rating. I liked the protagonist Jess. Her love interest, Magnus, is a strong male character - something that is rare in the later Xanth novels. The puns are present, but not overwhelming. A few characters from older novels are part of the story. It's a fun adventure novel. However, the final confrontation with the antagonist is lame and it spoiled my enjoyment of this novel.

[Michael Otto · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's another Xanth book. To quote Shakespeare "All the world is a stage and all the men and women merely players" Fits the plot of this book where we have a female named Jess who has the unfortunate talent that nobody takes her seriously meets a showman of a traveling show. Having visited the Good Magician an adventure ensues involving a flying Fire Boat, finding a crew for the boat while also finding out their quest..Puns abound as usual and it a pun that finally solves a riddle.

[Judi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Better than the last one, this Xanth book actually got me to laugh. Usually, a small chuckle or smile is all that happens. This one also has a real swear word in it, not 'bleeped' out. Unfortunately for some readers, Jest Right deals with matters of sexuality which may put them off. I couldn't take Jess seriously, either. Remember, we're not playing widdly tinks here. Recommended with warning.

[Hazel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another mediocre book for me. I really liked the sibling group in their first book, but having them away from their parents and as background/side characters isn't doing it for me. Santo has basically just become a hole making machine. Just a device to get from point A to point B. The same with Win. I hope that in the next book Anthony moves away from the group to give us something new, instead of letting characters grow more stale and flat.

[Stan Hutchings · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a funny, punny story about a protagonist who cannot be taken seriously. No, seriously, everyone thinks she’s jesting even when she’s trying to be serious. Many Xanth denizens from previous books make appearances in a desperate effort to prevent Ragna Roc from destroying the world in 9 years (or today, depending on your frame of reference), avoiding paradoxes and divergent timelines. Yes, it’s complicated, but funny and hard to take seriously. Seriously!

[Josianne Fitzgerald · Rating 2 out of 5]

I used to devour these books when I was a teen but that was a long time ago. I tried this for old times’ sake and I couldn’t stand the slapstick and the puns. I didn’t remember them being so lusty either. I must have been on the kid side of the Adult Conspiracy.

This is one series that will remain a treasured memory and won’t be on any to-read pile for me.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read 43 novels in the Zanth series. This was the most complicated of the story arcs to date. And if you have been reading you will have noticed the books are a tad more adult then they were. As Piers states he's getting older and each book is a blessing that he's still here and writing.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 43rd of the series.
Once again the author has woven a good quest with numerous puns and of course the "Adult Conspiracy".

[Beverly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This had some funny spots, but I just didn't connect to the characters as well as I have in other books.

[R. Jetleb · Rating 3 out of 5]

I used to really enjoy this series. The first 20 or so books of what has now grown into 46 volumes, were the best, in my humble opinion.

[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.

[Bill Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

A complicated story involving multiple timelines and worlds - but the romance is getting a bit heavier - still, a good read . . .

[Lesa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun read

[Jamee E Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love it all !!

I love all the different characters along with their special talents. Description is so important and all is explained to the enjoyment of all.

[Don · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the 43rd Xanth book. It is a youth fantasy magic series set in an alternative, and better, version of Florida. I started with the first book in the series, A Spell for Chameleon, which remains a treasured memory. I shared my copy with my Dad and we went through 10 or 12 books before I had really had it and have not read a Xanth novel since. I think Dad would have happily continued. Each novel is light and breezy with humor built around puns. Xanth is just one of those weird things that I shared with my parent whose importance has grown with his absence. I read this in large part to recapture a bit of Dad's memory.

Jest Right shows that Piers Anthony at 82 still has the same touch. If you read a Xanth story 30 years ago, you can pick this up without feeling out of place. Like a classic TV series, Xanth expands without ever really changing. The first handful of stories are the best. This one fits comfortably with the rest.

[Nathan Dehoff · Rating 3 out of 5]

The protagonist of this Xanth book is Jess, who's cursed not to be taken seriously. She meets with a showman who employs her as a comedian, telling exaggerated stories, and they develop a relationship. What else would you expect from this series? The story is rather convoluted, incorporating time travel, parallel histories, alternate worlds, and soul transfer, as well as the return of two of the more prominent Xanth villains, Ragna Roc and the Sea Hag. It's enjoyable enough, but not every book needs to have this many characters and callbacks.

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

"The secret truth is that most of us are nothing inside, but some of us pretend we are something."

Basically she has the same talent that Ms. Joke has in My Hero Academia. These books used to be so campy and cute but they're such a drag now. It's almost never that I see a talent that isn't rehashed or a stretch or just downright stupid. And while the basic plot (quest for the Good Magician) worked for sayyyy... 20 books? We're in the 40s now, so the plot is just overused and dated.

[Melody · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hi Piers Anthony

I have been visiting Xanth from the very first book. I grew up and now older with the secure understanding that there will always be another.
Thank you for every story, every pun and the endless joy of growing older with Xanth and you.
I enjoyed this one so much.

[Linda Lozar · Rating 5 out of 5]

The only trilogy with 40+ volumes

I have been enjoying the Xanth series since the mid-70s. Puns & bad jokes galore. If you haven't read any, start with the 1st 3 & go from there.

[Benjamin Sheffer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome

Piers Anthony is my all time favorite author. I loved this book. Nice storyline and it keeps you wanting more.

[John Lash · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. Everyone is a cri......tic. Not sure why I keep paying for the new Xanth books. The writing style has changed to the point the books are no longer easily read.