Customer Reviews

Dragon on a Pedestal (Xanth Novels)

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I have enjoyed several books in the Xanth series, but this book surpasses them all. The innocence and pure love and trust of princess Ivy rise above the trials of her magical world, including malevolent creatures and frightening punnish circumstances. I repeatedly found myself agonizing over Ivy's fate, only to cheer when she, Stanley, and Hugo, by their friendship and bravery, surmounted the obstacles set before them. No other book I have read has had the power to bring me to tears with its emotional beauty one moment, and make me roll on the floor in laughter the next. The magical and punishingly hilarious characters and plants fit together in a satisfactory mesh that delights and astoninishes. _Dragon on a Pedestal_ is a lovely book that can be enjoyed by any Mundane adult or child who has a fine appreciation for true character and the intricacies of the English language. Anthony has created a very special adventure, for which I thank him.

I started reading books by Piers Anthony at the age of 13 after I read "Dragon on A Pedestal". That was three years ago and I'm still facinated by the fun and mythical world of Xanth. Heck, if I where up to me I'd live there. A facinating book that should be read again and again. Long live Piers Anthony!!!!

As it says above, this is the best fantasy book EVER! It displays a problem from the start, and although some of what happens next COULD be predicted, Ivy and her group encounter surprise after surprise that adds to the books tenseness and excellence. The dialog is, and always has been, funny, the characters are well brought out, and the finale brings together joy, sadness, anxiety, in other words, this has the best ending a book could have. It really brings out your feelings for the characters. If you have ever heard of Piers Anthony and don't read this book, you're insane!!!

Much as I enjoyed this entry in the Xanth series, in retrospect, it seems as if it marked that point when the series began to turn to pure comedy, then to flat-out farce---which was unfortunate. The most recent entries in the series have been so plotless as to be nearly unreadable.

"Dragon on a Pedestal", though, is a charming book about a little girl who gets lost in a terrifically dangerous wilderness, surviving only by her innate good nature---coupled with a Sorceress-level magical talent, of course. Co-starring the Gap Dragon, a.k.a. Stanley Steamer.

Very cute.

Like the Maryland reader, this, to me, is Peirs Anthony's best! A cute little princess, lost in the hilarious jungles of Xanth, an evil forgeting whirlwind buzzing around, and a youthed dragon, this is a must read. Silly problems arise and are solved in buzzare ways. With a wedding, a 8-year-old knight and a couple other things.... Ug! Just read the book and E-mail me if you disagree.

I very much enjoyed the first few Xanth novels. In those early novels, Anthony combined a well thought-out world, engaging characters, and a humourous tone to make eminently readable books. He lost the spark somewhere along the way, however. The later books, like this one, are simply going through the motions. Take Princess Ivy, for example. Early characters -- like Bink in A Spell for Chameleon -- had unique characteristics and abilities that they had to learn to use to resolve the challenges facing them. With Ivy, Anthony cops out. Her "special power" basically boils down to an ability to cause anything to happen that she desires. Not surprisingly, having given himself this incredible crutch, Anthony feels no need to put much thought into the plot of the book or to devise creative ways for his characters to resolve problems. What, there's a giant chasm blocking the characters' passage? That's ok, Ivy has decided that someone has the ability to sprout wings and fly them across....

This was the first Xanth novel I ever read and it has remained my favorite all these years. I have purchased and read several other Xanth novels and none of the others seem to quite measure up to this fine piece of work. This book, as other reviewers have noted, is about a lost princess who finds herself befriended by a very unusual creature. More then this, the book is a nearly perfect blend of humor, adventure and compassion. A truly wonderful read.

This book was wonderful! I love princess Ivy, she's one of the best Xanth characters there is. This novel is adorable and a must read for all fantasy fans. If you are a fan of Xanth, you HAVE to check it out!

I read this book many years ago, and decided to delve into it again.

It is an enjoyable read and fast paced, as most of the Xanth books are. When Ivy, the tiny princess befriends the most formidable dragon in the land, after things get a little wacky with a misplaced splash of youth elixir, you know only interesting things can happen from that point forth.

The Xanth books are fun because they are like Saturday morning cartoons...pure enjoyment with no pressure to come away with deep meaning, heavy philosophical conclusions, or reflective insights. They are there, if one wishes to look for them, but I don;t think that Piers Anthony ever meant for this series to be that way. I think they are meant o be just what they are. Fun to read.

I am very happy with this seller. Product was as described and shipped promptly. Would definitely do business again!