This book is a page turner, but sometimes you have to put it down and think about what you just read, Taking religious struggle into the realm of futuristic technology, this book definantly has a twist, espicially at the end.

This book is a compilation of the first three books of the Xanth series. It is great for people who want to get started on a series, but don't have the patience to stop the story long enough to buy the next book. With the first three in hand, you can easily immerse yourself in this magical world without setting foot in a bookstore.

Xanth is a land where everyone has a magical talent. The first book tells of a quest where a young man named Bink searches for his talent before he is exiled to Mundania, where magic does not exist. Clever puns and witty dialogue make up for the slightly sexist themes. A great read.

Like all the other Xanth books, it was very very good. I personally liked the first ones better because they started off better. After you get farther into this book, Anthony really develops these characters and makes you really love the duo. I highly recommend it, but you should read the Xanth series in order.

He has been very successful over the years with all the science fiction novels he has written. He first stated off in 1967 with his first book, it was the first of many. Over the years he has become the well writer. Writing many series on novels such as the Xanth Series. He got his first real break into getting a lot of attention. Then the book Spell of a Chameleon came out that was the book to jump-start the Xanth series and his career. The book Castle Roogna was a very interesting book in the Xanth series. This book is a fantasy where magic is everywhere and everyone has some. The main character Dor is now 12 years of age and he has the magic power to talk to nonliving things. He has a crush on Millie his maid, Millie is an ex-ghost and she is in love with the zombie Jonathon. Just a little love triangle to spark off an adventure. So Dor goes off to get a restoration elixir to bring Jonathon back for Millie. The adventure starts when he goes to the magician castle to find where the elixir is. He gets into the castle and the magician told him he has to travel eight hundred years in the past to where the zombie master lives to get it from him. He goes back in time eight hundred years to find the zombie master, but first he goes back to the castle and tells King Trent was is happening and he is fine with it so he enters the tapestry which makes them go back in time eight hundred years. More to come if your read the rest of the book Castle Roonga by Piers Anthony and see all the trouble Dor goes though trying to get the restoration elixir for Jonathon the Zombie. He has been very successful over the years with all the science fiction novels he has written. He first stated off in 1967 with his first book, it was the first of many. Over the years he has become the well writer. Writing many series on novels such as the Xanth Series. He got his first real break into getting a lot of attention. Then the book Spell of a Chameleon came out that was the book to jump-start the Xanth series and his career. The book Castle Roogna was a very interesting book in the Xanth series. This book is a fantasy where magic is everywhere and everyone has some. The main character Dor is now 12 years of age and he has the magic power to talk to nonliving things. He has a crush on Millie his maid, Millie is an ex-ghost and she is in love with the zombie Jonathon. Just a little love triangle to spark off an adventure. So Dor goes off to get a restoration elixir to bring Jonathon back for Millie. The adventure starts when he goes to the magician castle to find where the elixir is. He gets into the castle and the magician told him he has to travel eight hundred years in the past to where the zombie master lives to get it from him. He goes back in time eight hundred years to find the zombie master, but first he goes back to the castle and tells King Trent was is happening and he is fine with it so he enters the tapestry which makes them go back in time eight hundred years. More to come if your read the rest of the book Castle Roonga by Piers Anthony and see all the trouble Dor goes though trying to get the restoration elixir for Jonathon the Zombie.

"Castle Roogna" is the third in the "Xanth" series by Piers Anthony. Unlike the first two, which focused on Bink, this one focuses on Bink's son, Dor. Dor is a twelve year old Magician with the power to speak to inanimate objects or the dead -- which is quite useful as a means of gathering information. When Queen Iris tries to scare him with illusions of dragons or other horrible monsters, Dor is able to ask the floor if the creature is real, and when he's told it's not, he can walk through the illusion without fear.

Dor gets sent on a mission to find a way to bring zombie Jonathan back to life as a favor to Millie the maid. It's tough because Dor has a severe crush on Millie, due partially to the fact that her magic talent is sex appeal(?). But Millie loves Jonathan. To find the means to bring Jonathan back to life, Dor has to travel 800 years in the past through a magic tapestry.

Along on the ride is a giant spider named Jumper. Well, he was normal size in Xanth, but he got transformed into a six foot tall spider in the past. Disgusting? Maybe. But Jumper is incredibly loyal, mature, powerful, and genuine decent.

One of the really neat things about "Castle Roogna" is how well its plot fits in with the previous two novels ("A Spell for Chameleon" and "The Source of Magic") -- oddities like the Forget spell around the Gap (no one remembers the Gap) are explained by the end of this book in a satisfying way.

Piers Anthony is a very uneven writer, and this book shows that more so than anything else I have read. The problem with Xanth is that you need to read the bad books to understand what is going on in the good books. And this is one of the worst books he has written.

The ideas are terrific in this book. He really did create a terrific plot full of delicious characters with interesting motivations. But the dialogue is wooden, unbelievable, and just plain poorly written.

However, one thing Mr. Anthony does well is create characters that are unusual and different. Trent is one of the most engaging villains I have ever read, because his motivations are so non-villainous. Piers Anthony lets us play with concepts of Good and Evil in this book, and he lets us decide morality for ourselves. This is refreshing, since most fantasy novels hit you over the head with the morality. The guy in the black robes who laughs as he tortures his minions is evil, the knight with the white robes and blond hair is good. Piers Anthony gives no such simple motivations and actions.

However, I wish that he had come up with the ideas, then given the book to someone else (say, James Blaylock) to write. It would have read much better.

For the next few novels, particularly The Source of Magic and Castle Roogna, Mr. Anthony's style improves, and he discards the wooden, exposition-heavy, idiotic dialogue for a more natural, conversational tone. Those books are much more enjoyable to read. But this book is the painful tooth-pulling we must go through before we are allowed to have the good stuff. It's like being forced to do your homework before you can watch Invader Zim.

You tend to see polarized reactions to Xanth. People either love it, or hate it. I think thats because the Xanth series has a limited appeal (mainly to boys between the ages of 11 and 14).

You see, I have been in both positions. In my pre and early teens I read just about every Xanth book there was, by my late teens I wouldn't get near any of Anthony's work. At the grand old age of 22 I can look back and see why I enjoyed it when I enjoyed it.

Anthony does the entire sword and sorcery thing and adroitly mixes in lots of sexual tension and innuendo. The later is what makes it so appealing to teenage boys. Young guys swimming with hormones just eat it up. However, once you get out of the initial stages of adolesence, Xanth, with its puns and predictable plot line, becomes very boring.

You'll gobble this book up, as well as its subsequent sequels, if you're in the aforementioned demographic, but probably won't like it if you aren't (although I have talked to a few women in their 20's and early 30's who like it). When it comes down to it Xanth is like one of those teeny-bopper rock groups, you really dig it for a short time, and then throw it away with disgust.

This is the first book of what now numbers 25 volumes in the Xanth series by Piers Anthony. Do not let the size of this series frighten you because each volume is an individual story in and of itself and can be spread out between more serious works you may be reading. I do, however, recommend that you read the books in order to understand them even better. Have you ever read something serious and wanted a humorous break? That is what this book and the whole series is. It is comic fantasy that soars, suprisingly often, into areas of profound ideas and philosophies. It does not shy away from ... attractions either and this is incorporated well into the book. This, the very first Xanth book, details the young man Bink and his quest to try to discover what his magic talent is. Everyone in the magical land of Xanth has a talent. If you don't discover it before your 25th birthday you are banished forever to Mundania, a boring place similar to the realities of Earth. Bink does this to stay with and marry his sweetheart, Sabrina. During his quest he goes through many dangers and encounters Centaurs, Evil and Good Magicians, a Sorceress of Illusion, a soldier, and others along the way. He goes through many adventures and it should be pointed out that their are actually 2 quests within this one book. The author does not have a heavy male or female bias but writes to please everybody. He has alot of fans of both genders. He displays an intimate understanding of love and even of women's menstrual periods! This is a very funny fantasy novel with love, trust, honor, and lots of ... appeal at its core. I think you may love it, I really did.

There's about a 100 Xanth books out there, and they don't strictly require you to start at book one and move forward (although there are advantages to that), so where to start? In my opinion, the second book is the best entry into Anthony's odd world.

The first book, A Spell For Chameleon, is a bit dry and slow. It wasn't until the second that Anthony caught his stride. Here we've got a happy medium for Xanth, fun and whimsical but not unbearably punny and ridiculous like the later novels. Adding to that is a pretty decent story, where Bink, Humphrey and others must discover the source of power that enables magic in Xanth. The source is pretty interesting, as is what Bink does when they find it. The story actually has enough meat on it to stand up next to the more standard entries in the fantasy genre.

If you're familiar with Xanth but haven't read this one, what are you waiting for? It features the rarity of Humphrey going on a long quest, and features discovering what makes Xanth what it is. A must read for Xanth fans.

If you're a fantasy fan in general, be warned: Xanth is pretty ridiculous. It doesn't take itself seriously at all. But like I said, it's quite a bit tamer in these early books than in the later ones.

This is the second book in Anthony's Xanth series. The world of Xanth is build upon puns, all of the creatures and the landscape is puns taken from real life and used literally. The tone of Xanth is fairly light-hearted, and I've always considered this to be a light fantasy series (as opposed to the more serious and emotionally darker fantasy series).

Bink found his magical talent in A Spell for Chameleon , is now married, and works as a magic researcher for King Trent. With his wife nine months pregnant and very angry, Bink is sent off on a quest to discover the source of the magic in Xanth. Bink will be accompanied by his friend, Chester the Centaur, the Good Magician Humphrey, and Grundy the Golem. Being only the second Xanth novel, this one is has a decent story and is well written. Even though I have read this before (years back), I still cared what happened to these characters. The quest for the source of magic is interesting, and the payoff when Bink finds it (as if he wouldn't) is worth the price of admission. This is an excellent Xanth novel with more drama than later books. This is one of the best in the series.

This book is a very good book. The main character is again, Bink, but this time he has a few side kicks. Chester Centaur, the Magician Humfrey and his sidekick Grundy Golem, and the transformed Crombie the Soldier, who is now a griffin. They search Xanth for the Source of Magic, and you'll have to read it to find out what it is.

I love Piers Anthony's work, especially the Xanth series, so when I found this book I was anxious to read it. I thought the Demon X(A/N)th's part in the story was great and the ending was one of the best I've read in a Xanth novel. The Mundane family's part in it could have used a bit more work, in my opinion and the part near the end where Law of Averages was appealed could have done better if it was made to fit more than one chapter, as it seemed hurried. Still, it was a good read and kept you in suspence until the end. I would suggest this to a Xanth fan, but if there other Xanth novels you haven't read, I'd try those first

I have been reading the Xanth books since the age of 13 when I first read Castle Roogna and then went back to read the first 2 books in Anthony's first trilogy which has turned into a series of seven "trilogies" spanning 20 years. I keep returning the his books purely because they continue to fascinate me. This book features a Mundane family that gets dumped in Xanth due to a hurricane that jumps into Xanth when the "net" that controls Xanth's magic is corrupted. It deals with budding sexuality, and how what you see is NOT always what you get. It also has an underlying theme of how parental abuse affects decisions. The ending will touch the heart of the most hardened critic. If it doesn't, maybe you missed the point.

Yon Ill Wind is a very good book.Although I expected Fracto to play a larger part overall. The gist is that the Demon X(A/N)th must assume a mortal form and travel with the first person he meets. He must also wring a singal tear of love or greif from that person before they part company.So it would be just his luck to meet up with an ill tempered young lady who cares for no one. Another part of the gist is a mundane family gets blown into Xanth when the interface gets broken.So to win his wager and get a tear from his companion X(A/N)th must help the mundanes restore the interface.

Demons Don't Dream is probably a fun book, if you are between ages 7-10. It details the adventures of a some young adults who, through a computer game, enter the world of Xanth. Of course there is a computer game which was the inspiration for this book.

In the book, (and game), the reader has a "companion", someone from an older Xanth novel, lead them through Xanth. Whoever completes the quest first, will win a prize. Like all Xanth novels, everyone is good - even the Demons. There isn't much tension or surprises. Still the writing is fun and, as I said if you are younger, or have young kids, they may enjoy it more.

Those who are a little older, 14 or 15 maximum, probably would be happier, though, if they avoided this book. It is not for you. If you are older and want to read an Xanth novel, try one of the first three. They are still written for a younger audience, but they are very enjoyable for older people too.

This book was the very first book of Xanth I had read in the 7th grade. Then I fell in love with his[Piers Anthony] books, but this first book is and will always be my favorite.

Demons Don't Dream by Piers Anthony is basically about two Mundane teens who discover Xanth within a video game. They are led by real live Xanthians, who guide them to the treasure; the first of the players to reach the treasure receives a magic talent. Their Xanthian companions are faced with being a traitor, or one who will jeopardize the player's mission, who had selected him or her as a companion to help them achieve the goal to reach the treasure in time. Throughout the game, Dug and Kim realize that Xanth is a real place. They cross paths and befriend each other, and in the end, they would find a treasure more precious than the one they were searching for, love.

This book is my favorite book because it first introduced me to the World of Xanth. The first time I read it, I completely understood how the world of Xanth worked, well most of it. It is an easy-reader to know and be introduced to the magical world of Xanth. The defining characters of the two typical teenagers with a life crisis struck me to be a very important part in introducing the magic of Xanth to an ordinary Mundane, in that case: us. I really enjoyed it, like I was the one to plunge into its pages and play the Xanth game and discover a whole new world that could exist in the palm of my hand.

Demons Don't Dream is a really good novel to whoever loves the adventures of Xanth and who also love to dream about going there one day. (^_^) Anything is possible!

I thought DEMONS DON'T DREAM was an excellent book!! It is my fav out of all the other Xanth novels and I've read them all!! I've read it over 10 times and every time it just gets better!! I just want to say, Piers you've done it again!! MAN FROM MUNDANIA is another must read!!

Hey, I love the Mode series books, if you haven't read this book yet you might not want to read further-- I'm going to mention things you might not want to know. First off, congrats to Darian and Colene, but also, I give my regards (trying to not spoil here). Although I like these books, I'm kinda wishing Anthony would get them to Darian's world already, but between that they sure do have hectic tavelings! Okay, listen up, anyone who knows when the 4 Mode book is coming out, and possibly what it's about, can you please write to me? Thanks!! --Jessica

I started reading Mr. Anthony's Mode series this year. Of the three books, Chaos Mode is definitely the best. His portrayal of Colene is so realistic that I was on the verge of tears a few times. Compared to the Xanth series, I feel that mode novels are better because they contain more depth of feeling. I have heard a rumour that he won't be writing anymore Mode novels, but Mr. Anthony, if you happen to read this, please think of continuing writing. There are lots of fans out here waiting to to know what will happen to Colene and Darius in DoOon Mode and how their relationship will progress.

I remember reading Virtual Mode back in high school when I was feeling a lot like Colene and finding a wonderful release in her travelling through various worlds. I have enjoyed all the books in this series and anxiously await the next book. Whenever I am in a book store I look at your newest books for hopes of mention of the next Mode series book in the Author's notes. Please, please. I humbly beg you to continue this series. Don't leave those of us who have come to love these characters wondering what happens to them. Sequiro ... Will they ever see him again? We're waiting...

For several years, I ate, drank, and breathed the Incarnations of Immortality series, much as I had previously done the same with Star Trek. I was 15. Even then, though, although I much loved the stories and especially the alternate reality portrayed in Incarnations of Immortality, I found certain aspects of Piers Anthony's storytelling to be, well, annoying. For Love of Evil even more so than most.

The target readers of all of Anthony's books seems to be pre-teens, or any others with an exceptionally short attention span. He feels the need to remind us of things that anybody with a halfway decent memory would remember without his prompting. This is especially true in For Love of Evil. For example, a key character in the novel is Nox, the Incarnation of Night. Anybody who has read the book hardly needs to be reminded that Nox is the Incarnation of Night, though, because in the course of this single book, Anthony finds it necessary to TELL us that Nox is the Incarnation of Night, "she who knows all secrets, and keeps most of them," at least SEVEN times. By the end of the book, we practically have her character description memorized. This is unnecessary. Worse, it's condescending. And it's what makes this story a 4, instead of, say, and 8.

This is one of the most thought provoking books I have ever read. Anthony leaves behind the traditional notion that the devil is pure evil and instead attempts to portray Satan as a sort of governor of hell, who is trying to make it better for its denizens. Parry, the character who takes over as the devil is a nice guy who basically starts acting evil once he becomes Satan. Even as Satan however, Parry retains some of his good side. As in all of the books in the Incarnations of Immortality series, this book has superb character development and an enthralling plot. This book was very enjoyable to read and I would recommend it to all.

I truely enjoyed this book. I actually read it when it first came out (circa 1989) and again now. Now I remember why I loved it so.

I would suggest reading 'On a Pale Horse' first (as an intro to the series and illustrates how Satan is a jerk to the other Incarnations), 'Wielding an Hourglass' as optional (well written and gives more depth to Satan's character), 'Being a Green Mother' (Did not truely enjoy this one until I got to the last 4 chapters. When taking in the context of a supporting book to 'For Love of Evil' it enhances that story well.), and 'Love of Evil' last (the best one). (I did not read 'And Eternity').

Pros: I enjoyed how Piers Anthony illustrated the humanity of Satan along with the reasoning and stuggles that comes with his role as Incarnation of Evil. Once you get past the first few chapters (slow story line) it just gets better from there. It really explains and ties togeather why Satan acted and did what he did in the previous books. It also ended in what could of been a extremely tragic and depressing ending on a high note. I put the book down after I've finished feeling good and that 'alls well that ends well'. I love how the main protaganist (hero of the story) was Satan.

Cons: If you haven't read the previous books (or at least the ones I suggested) you can feel cheated as the author just summarizes the plots of the grand schemes the hero (Satan!) goes through in the 2nd half of the story. Do yourself a favor and read the others. Makes this book so much better.

Far in the future, the world of Proton is a feudal technocracy where Citizens control the strings of power and serfs are no more than objects to be used at will. Status among Citizens is determined by wealth in the form of Protonite; among serfs, by prowess in the multi-faceted test of skill, the Game.

On Proton, the serf Stile (despite being an expert Gameplayer) is nothing more than a jockey- or so he thinks. Strange events surround him and rapidly move out of control, as he is anonymously threatened, attacked, befriended by a sentient machine, and discovers an astonishing secret about his planet.

From the universe of Proton, he crosses into the alternate frame of Phaze: a world where magic rules and science is unknown, where unicorns and dragons roam the fields. A world where his unknown enemy is waiting to kill him...

In the first of the Apprentice Adept series, Piers Anthony demonstrates the breadth of imagination that characterises his best novels. The originality and detail of his twin worlds captures the imagination and keeps the reader's interest as the story shifts direction, with plenty of action keeping up the pace. Anthony's style is, as always, easily readable, even if overly simplistic to be termed great literature. "Split Infinity" is an entertaining and creative novel which will leave you wanting to read on.

I read "Split Infinity" in 1981. It was my first science fiction novel (and my first Piers Anthony novel), and I got hooked for good on the genre. The hero of the novel is a jockey named Stile who lives on a high tech hedonistic world called Proton. The landscape of this futuristic "Monte Carlo" has been destroyed by pollution, so people live indoors and enjoy a life of sports and games of chance. Permanent residency, however, is only open to those who have won enough games to obtain Citizen status. After an assasination attempt, Stile is assisted by a lovely robotic woman in an escape through a strange energy field. He emerges onto Phase, a gorgeous wilderness that is deadly for people without magical abilities. As Stile travels through Phase with a shapechanging unicorn and werewolf, he learns he does have magical talent- and a murdered alter ego. Suspecting that his alter ego's death and his own assasination attempt are linked, Stile "jumps" between both worlds to solve this mystery and determine which world will be his future home. Piers Anthony provides many interesting characters, including a compassionate hero, a beautiful robot dedicated to advancing civil rights for robots, a dashing werewolf prince questioning his peoples violent society, and an eloquent unicorn who speaks with music rather than words. There are many messages here concerning racism,cooperation,ecology, and the power of music. Piers Anthony's later books are entertaining, but they have never attained the power of the Apprentice Adept Series.

It is true -- this is one of the best books in the series, one of the best books by Piers Anthony, and one of the best books in the genre. However, many peple do misinterpret the point. The focus of the writing is not the split society, it is the split personality that Stile has. On Proton, it is the Game. The idea is brilliant, and described exhaustively and creatively. On Phaze, it is magic. Stile adapts to different situations very well; he becomes adept at whatever he does. The book is also has a negative connotation; like the Incarnations of Immortality, something has to be forsaken or abandoned for a greater good, pleasure, posiotion, etc.

Anthony's ability to create ambiguous points of view rivals that of Kurt Vonnegut, or Robert Asprin. This book once again very well portrays it.

Reading this book improved my analytical ability, the one on which Stile so often relies. Anthony creates that effect for the reader, and many readers do not see the deeper idea behind all of Stile's troubles and adventures.