Vale of the Vole (Xanth, No. 10)

Sale of the Sole? Really? And even after explaining it in the book I still didn't get the significance. So, the Voles lisped but ... is Piers Anthony saying the Voles were for sale?

#10 of the series-- I love the way that Mr Anthony continues the next book with either the same character or the newest character introduced.
It makes you just want to read the next one
"The protagonist of this story is Eskil "Esk" Ogre, only son of Tandy Nymph and Smash Ogre. His talent is to

Show More

protest; when Esk says "No!" he really means it. Those he directs this talent at literally stop what they have intended to do. Esk goes to ask Good Magician Humfrey how to get rid of the Demoness Metria, who has seemingly threatened his family. Unfortunately, Humphrey has gone missing."

Show Less

Pretty much follows the standard Anthony formulae at this point in the Xanth series...protagonist is introduced (Esk), encounters problem (demoness Metria), sets out on quest to solve problem and meets characters on the way (Volney, Chex, Latia, Marrow), a love interest (Bria), and travels through

Show More

Xanth eventually solving problem and winning love interest. I still enjoy reading Anthony's Xanth series, but they are starting to follow the same theme.

Show Less

I guess that I am getting to the point where my memory of the Xanth novels are beginning to fade. This was written in 1987 and I suspect that I read it a couple of years later, possibly in the early 90s (though the exact date I am unable to remember). I remember this because it was when my friend

Show More

first introduced me to the series, and I pretty much read everything thing that he had written up to that point, and a couple more.
I have noted that he is still writing the novels. Currently (as of the writing of this commentary) he is up to number 35, and there are a couple more in the wings. I guess that once one has made a name for oneself then people will keep buying the books. I am surprised that he has managed to keep this series going for so long. I would equate it to Harry Potter, though they were not as popular. Harry Potter hit the world by storm, where as these books have been sitting in the background and I suspect the popularity has probably diminished somewhat. I gave up after book number 13, not that I had become bored with them, but rather because there were other books that I was reading, and I had pretty much read everything that had been published and I simply stopped waiting for any more.

Show Less

One of the many Xanth novels, after a while they all start to run together. I enjoyed this misfit band of characters, but that's normal for Xanth, so this one does not stand out at all.

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.