Customer Reviews

Heaven Cent (Xanth Novels)

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is one of the best books in the Xanth trilogy. Nine-year-old Prince Dolph is on a quest to find the Good Magician Humphrey. Everyone had been looking for the Good Magician, and so far no one had a clue where he went. But Dolph was determined to find out. With his trusted companion Marrow Bones, Dolph went out for an adventure. His books are very punny and have lots of adventure, and even more so in this book.

Heaven Cent was the first Anthony book that I had the pleasure of reading. This book about prince Dolph, son of Dor and Irene, is absolutlely charming. Dolph goes on a quest to find out what happened to Magician Humphrey, accompanied by Marrow Bones. Dolph being a young boy finds himself in the strangest of situations. The young prince ends up being bethrothed to two different girls, Nada Naga and Electra. This humorous book is sure to make you love Piers and his sense of humor, though I do suggest that you start from the begining with A Spell For Chameleon. This will make the reading much more enjoyable.

The best thing about Piers Anthony's Xanth novels are the young men and women who battle with the right and honoirable thing to do. This one stands out among 23, along with A Spell for Chameleon, Castle Roogna, Ogre Ogre, and Question Quest. Dolph's talent of shape-changing makes it a lot of fun. I like when the dragon and merwoman have two different concepts of the fire-water-sand game. Nine-year-old kids with awesome talents who get to hug hot women are lots of fun to read about. Five stars.

All Xanth books have the same basic plot: A young person (male or female; human or otherwise) decides to go on a major quest through the land of Xanth to prove to everyone else that he/she is worthy. The person on the quest finds a group of other beings during their initial wanderings - they get caught up in one tangled mess after another - and eventually they resolve each problem as well as the main one while developing into serious adults who are worthy to be followed. Not surprisingly, most of these characters are of royal descent. Another common theme is that they author bestows upon us pun after pun after pun. Finally, each book contains one or more messages that make us look at our society with a questioning glance.

In Heaven Cent, the formula is followed. The person on the quest is nine year old Dolph who is a human prince of Xanth. He decides to try and find the missing magician Humfrey even though all of Xanth has been looking for him and could not find a clue as to his whereabouts. Dolph goes off on this quest because he wants to prove himself and get the upper hand with his older sister Ivy who is all of 14 and bosses him around all the time. Dolph gets the permission of his parents to go as long as he has an adult companion - and he suggests taking Marrow Bones along with him.

Of course, they immediately manage to find clues that have eluded the adults and get into one scrape and adventure after another. During the course of the book, Marrow finds a female skeleton and the two fall in love with each other; while Dolph is pursued by a mermaid, a Harpy, and several other females of various species who all want to either breed with him or marry him. Dolph himself is asking constantly about how the Stork is summoned to bring babies, but the Great Adult Conspiracy is always invoked to keep that secret knowledge away from him!

Finally, Dolph resolves almost all of the mysteries, but in the meantime he ends up being betrothed to two different females. What is a boy of 9 to do? I guess the resolution to that problem will wait for a future book as it is not resolved in this one. By the way, Humfrey is not discovered either so I will have to read the next book in the series to see how it comes out.

As expected Dolph grows up and matures during the course of his adventures, but too much so for my liking. Remember, we are speaking of a nine year old human boy. Therefore I found it disturbing when much of the book suggests that Dolph is starting to find female legs alluring and shapely. The sexual situations and descriptions in this book are way too adult for a story involving a nine year old boy!

The puns are back in this volume, although not in as great a profusion as before. One of the main clues in this book is listed as "Skeleton Key to Heaven Cent". That launches off a search for which key is called the Skeleton Key and since Xanth is really Florida, the search goes up and down the shore as well as down south. However, the Skeleton Key is really not an island after all - which they party eventually discovers. And so it goes.

Another thing I did not like was that Dolph ends up being not only super smart but he has to defend his principles in some very hairy situations. Again, let's rememeber that this is a nine year old boy! However, he manages to act as a trial lawyer and even attempts to save lives several times over in situations that would many brave and grown man have problems and hesitation. This was simply too pat.

Overall, this was a competent part of the series and is definitely worth a read. It is not a full five stars because of the problems identified above which I hope Piers Anthony will address.

This is an great book like all others in the Xanth Series. As a fantasy lover, i think this comes close to my favorite Xanth book. This book narrates the story of Dolph's quest (Ivy's little bro) and how he happens to be stuck between two girls. Really i think it is quite simple to solve the problem, but if u want to see what i mean read the book.

Summary on back of book: "To Xanth's precocious shape-shifter Prince Dolph, searching for Humfrey, the missing sorcerer, is a perfect chance to see the world. Setting off with his faithful companion Marrow, an enchanted skeleton, he will penetrate an island of illusion...excape a goblin kingdom...outwit a husband-hungry mermaid...nest-sit for fiery dragons...and find romance with a slinky princess--all on his way to discovering a magic coin with the answers!"

I LOVE Anthony's Xanth series, and of all his characters, Prince Dolph, Nada, and Electra are my three favorites. The love story that occurs among the three is riveting. If you read any of the several books in this fantastic series, read Heaven Cent--and make sure that you catch the conclusion to their dilemma in Isle of View!

Heaven Cent was my favorite Xanth novel when I read it some twenty plus years ago. It is unabashedly an adventure for boys, and it delivers well. When a 9 year old shape-shifter sets out on a quest to find a lost magician, and see the world, he encounters endless adventure, significant dangers, dreadful puns, and manages to fall in love with a beautiful girl who is many years older. Personally, his love for this girl, who is also a naga (half-human/half-snake who can take either form) was my favorite part of the book. People under-estimate a young person's ability to feel love, but not here.

With the endless adventure, the magnificent artistry of the land of Xanth, and the emotional depth of this novel, it is an adventure for everyone. But any young man or boy could easily see themselves as the young main character.

Need i say more :) If you have no idea what this series is about you need to read these first:
1 A Spell for Chameleon (1977) by Piers Anthony
2 The Source of Magic (1979) by Piers Anthony
3 Castle Roogna (1979) by Piers Anthony
4 Centaur Aisle (1982) by Piers Anthony
5 Ogre, Ogre (1982) by Piers Anthony
6 Night Mare (1983) by Piers Anthony
7 Dragon on a Pedestal (1983) by Piers Anthony
8 Crewel Lye: A Caustic Yarn (1985) by Piers Anthony
9 Golem in the Gears (1986) by Piers Anthony
10 Vale of the Vole (1987) by Piers Anthony
11 Heaven Cent (1988) by Piers Anthony (this book)

I love shopping at Amazon.com for all my book needs. This novel is about #11 or so in a series that I'm reading for the second time and will probably read again in a few years. Some of the books I have on my iPad but some I have in paperback. I always buy books at Amazon.com and this is a great series for any age with a sense of humor. Full of puns!

I have only read two of this series, but I really loved them! I thought that Heaven Cent was wonderful, and would even recomend it for children its just so adorable, and I love the puns in the book, they are wonderful. The whole thing is wonderful, and so is Piers Anthony!