More Magic of Xanth

The world of Xanth is a jumbo pun fest, a confabulation of convivial confections, where cottages are made of cheese, and bees are excellent spellers. Almost everyone in Xanth--whether centaur, ogre, human, or unicorn--has a magical ability, and uses it to wreak complicated and amusing mayhem. Quests to restore order are the order of the day. This hardcover volume contains the complete texts of books four, five, and six in the Xanth series--Centaur Aisle, in which the future monarch of Xanth, 16-year-old Dor, has to negotiate with nonmagical Mundania; Ogre, Ogre, which tells the romantic story of an Eye Queue-enhanced ogre and a lovely nymph; and Night Mare, in which Imbri, a former night mare, must help stave off the invasion of Xanth by Nextwave barbarians. The first novel in this series, A Spell for Chameleon, appeared in 1977. Piers Anthony is an exceedingly popular author, and the humorous and long-lived Xanth series is why. --Blaise Selby