Man from Mundania

Princess Ivy of Xanth searches for the missing Good Magician Humfrey, but her use of the Heaven Cent accidentally transports her to Mundania (Earth), where she meets Grey Murphy, a skeptical college student who uses a computer program to find love. Ivy tries to recruit the disbelieving Grey to help find Humfrey, leading to a clash of magic and science as Grey discovers Xanth's wonders and becomes entangled with the evil Com Pewter, ultimately revealing Grey's own surprising connection to Xanth and his potential as Ivy's Queen.

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.

I read this one a while ago, and remember it as one of the best Xanth books. Anthony departs from the formula and contrasts Xanth with Mundania, bringing a fresh air into the series that gets formulaic.

Typical Pier Xanthony...character (Ivy) on a quest....finds love (Grey)...battles protagonist (Com-Pewter)....and lives happily ever after. The good: story crosses the Xanth/Mundania barrier and makes things somewhat interesting among the stereotypical characters. The bad: story bogs down later into a Matrix - Part III train wreck where Grey suddenly decides that things are really as they should be: the end. After finishing the last page, I had the same reaction as when I watched Matrix III: WTF??

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.

Enjoyable while reading, then totally forgetable.

#12-- this is really the 2nd part of Vale of the Vole-- Wonderful story writer is our Mr Anthony!!
"Eighteen-year-old Princess Ivy, daughter of King Dor and Queen Irene, older sister to Prince Dolph. Due to her ancestor Bink's deal in the second Xanth novel, The Source of Magic, Ivy has a magician-caliber magical talent of being able to selectively enhance the world around her to match her expectations. The story begins when Ivy decides to use the Heaven Cent, located by Dolph in the previous book Heaven Cent, to find the Good Magician Humfrey, who had been missing since Vale of the Vole.