Yon ill wind (original 1996; edition 1996)

XANTH

#20--Xanth (the demon that is Xanth) gets his own adventure.... Hurricane Happy Bottom-- need I say more?

"Hurricane Happy Bottom is causing problems in Mundania and Xanth. The Mundane Baldwin family is blown into Xanth by a Yon Ill Wind. Also, Demon X(A/N)th has made a deal with Demon JU(P/I)ter that he could get one Xanthian to shed a tear. The demons change up by making X(A/N)th into a dragon ass and is only able to talk once explaining to a Xanthian what the quest is. As Nimby, Demon X(A/N)th meets Chlorine and makes her beautiful and talented. Together with the Baldwin family, they must banish Happy Bottom From Xanth." ( )

Opening Sentence: '…The Demons of the system did not gather frequently unless there were intriguing contests to be made or issues to be settled.…’

I think the main problem with this book is that it came hard on the heels of 'The Graveyard Book' by Neil Gaiman - and I think any book would seem flat after that. Also this doesn't measure up to the other books in the Xanth series - it doesn't flow as well - the characters are all quite insipid and there are so many 'major' characters that none of them are given the 'life' they most justly deserved.

A Mundane (human) family is blown to Xanth by a tropical storm that threatens the land's existence. To save Xanth and to win a cosmic wager, the Demon X(AN)th must become Nimby, a mortal, ass-headed pink-and-green-striped dragon and wring an unlikely tear from the hard-hearted maiden Chlorine. Anthony relates each episode of this frothy adventure through a different character's eyes, which added to the confusion. The quest was not compelling, the characters just seemed to be going through the motions, even the puns seemed tired and less witty than I remember from previous books in the series. ( )