Air Apparent (Xanth) (Mass Market Paperback)

by Piers Anthony (Author)
Key Phrases: happy bottom, beerbarrel tree, centaur form, Princess Ida, Good Magician, Random Factor (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
In this meandering 31st Xanth novel, Hugo, son of the Gorgon and Good Magician Humfrey, vanishes from his cellar, where the body of a murdered man just as suddenly appears. What's worse, Humfrey's book of answers has been scrambled, and blind Wira, Hugo's wife, has no idea how to solve a mystery. Her prayers are answered by 13-year-old Debra, visiting from Mundania in hopes of lifting the curse that makes her name sound like De-bra to any man she meets. Without the book, the curse cannot be cured, so the Gorgon temporarily turns her into a naturally bra-less flying centaur in exchange for her help. As they hunt down Hugo and the killer, Debra and Wira encounter the usual crop of terrible puns and characters both new and familiar. Acknowledging that reader loyalty keeps this venerable series going, Anthony includes an extensive afterword, providing credits for 140-odd (in some cases, very odd) suggestions and updating fans on everything from the state of his health to the length of his hair. (Oct.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

"The Xanth books constitute Anthony's longest and most successful series . . . . They are intended to be kind-spirited, fun reading, a series of wondrous beasts and beings, and most of all, an endless succession of outrageous puns"--Lee Killough, Wichita Eagle

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Tor Fantasy; Reprint edition (September 30, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0765343134
• ISBN-13: 978-0765343130
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #159,623 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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• This is item 31 in The Xanth Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Searching For Hugo, April 26, 2008

By	Arthur W. Jordin (Smyrna, GA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Air Apparent (Xanth) (Hardcover)

Air Apparent (2007) is the thirty-first fantasy novel in the Xanth series, following Stork Naked. In the previous volume, the Sorceress Morgan le Fey was frustrated at every turn. Finally, she disguised herself as Surprise Golem, but Che the Winged Centaur was ready for her. Surprise recovered her baby and returned home.

In this novel, Wira is worried about her husband Hugo. He had gone down to the wine cellar to get a bottle of Rhed Whine about thirty minutes ago. He should have returned after ten minutes. So she goes looking -- in a manner of speaking -- for him.

Wira is blind, so the lightless cellar is no burden for her. She snaps her fingers and locates a body lying on the floor. When she touches it, the body is cold and clammy. But it is not her husband.

She screams and the Gorgon -- Hugo's mother -- was the first to respond. She checks the body and believes it to be not dead, but in suspended animation. The Gorgon goes to wake her husband Humfrey, the Good Magician.

Humfrey finds that the Book of Answers is scrambled. Obviously it cannot be used to solve the mystery, so Humfrey decides to send the next querent out with Wira to recover Hugo. He suggests that they tell people that Wira is looking for a way to regain her sight.

In this story, Debra is the next querent. She is a young Mundane teenager who wants to find out how to remove a curse that she has acquired since arriving in Xanth. She agrees to accompany Wira and the Gorgon gives her a magic potion to transform her into a winged centaur.

Debra is rather embarrassed by her disguise, since Centaurs do not wear clothes. Also, she finds that flying requires some practice. Yet they are soon on their way.

First they fly to the Region of Air to question Cumulo Fracto Nimbus, but he has been missing for the same length of time as Hugo. Happy Bottom -- Fracto's wife -- and their daughter Fray start searching for the missing males in nooks and crannies while Wira and Debra search on the surface. Along the way they collect other searchers.

Meanwhile, Hugo is trapped in an underground room. He supplements the water and black bread with his talent of producing fruits. Then he meets Bathos Bat and exchanges bodies. Hugo flies out to determine the location of his prison and Bathos gorges himself on overripe fruit.

This story starts out as a quest to find Hugo and then Fracto, but soon turns into something else. Hugo is found and is returning to the Good Magician's Castle on Becka the Dragongirl, but disappears in mid-air. Then he changes bodies with the Random Factor, who is able to randomly switch bodies or locations for a few times each day.

This tale is a Xanth novel, so naturally it is jampacked with puns and wordplays. And it has an intriguing layer of mysteries and many twists and turns. Enjoy!

Highly recommended for Anthony fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of magical talents, puns galore, and a bit of romance.

-Arthur W. Jordin

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My favorite yet!, March 13, 2008

By	Lynn Hardy "~R~" (Virginia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Air Apparent (Xanth) (Hardcover)

I fell in love with Pierce and with all fantasy novels as I read my first fist Xanth novel in Junior High. I learned what a pun was from the master and I loved every one!

AIR APPARENT is simply Xanth filled with horrendous puns that readers either make readers groan or laugh at the wild cast.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Air Apparent, December 5, 2007

By	Mr. Jefrey Ball (Australia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Air Apparent (Xanth) (Hardcover)

Another chapter in the always funny Xanth series, Piers Anthony just keeps turning them out each year and his readers are glad he does.I know my wife and I look forward to October each year.