Crewel Lye: A Caustic Yarn

A real pleasant surprise....this one has a great story going for it, but Anthony has managed to insert two great characters (Jordan the Barbarian and Threnody the demon-spawn) that really make this tale zip through. I've come to expect a certain level of entertainment from Xanth novels, but this one was just a real pleasure to read. Interesting note at the end: Anthony says all his Xanth novels are written for adults, but enjoyed by kids. I have noticed more and more adult themes creeping into the Xanth novels the more I read them. However, Anthony is very clever about how he writes on these issues....kind of like a cartoon with adult jokes that fly right over the kids heads but crack the parents up.

Jordan was a ghost in Castle Roogna now, spending his time with little five-year-old Ivy and watching his own past unfold on the magic tapestry. But once he had been a valorous knight, riding his ghost horse Pook on a fabulous and dangerous mission.

He had been betrayed with a cruel lie by two wily magicians and the woman he loved. He had been killed at the end, and his bones had been scattered. Now he could not even remember where they had been buried.

That was important, because Jordan's talent had been to recover from almost any injury, provided enough of his body could be assembled to grow together again. But all that had been four hundred years before. Nobody who was alive today knew or cared where his bones might be.

The Xanth books by Piers Anthony were some of the first SciFi/Fantasy books I ever read. I love puns so I have always enjoyed them. Upon re-reading them I can see that they have some weaknesses but overall they stand the test of time. They are a fun and fast read that keeps me amused without any deep thinking required.

This Xanth novel builds on the previous one, like they all do, but also starts off in a new direction, mostly with new characters and a completely new story line. IF you are a Xanth fan, its still a must read book, but otherwise, not every exceptional.

As any who have read the Xanth series this far should expect we have another book filled with puns. One difference is brought to light almost immediately, this book is written in first person, from the perspective of Jordan the Ghost. Jordan unfolds his history as Jordan the Barbarian with some help from young Princess Ivy and a magic tapestry. It was interesting to read the story from a different perspective.

In the magical land of Xanth, Jordan the Ghost recounts his tale of adventure and his death at the hands of the woman he loves.
Pun-filled story that I liked better as a teenager.

A long time ago when I was tweenish, I loved this series. I know it won't survive a re-read, so I'm noting it and letting it go.