Review of Up in a Heaval

I won't lie about my potential bias: I love Piers Anthony. I've been an avid reader of all things Anthony on and off over the years since I was 11 years old. That puts me near 16 years of enamored Anthony reading.

Xanth books generally appeal to younger readers or the younger and sillier aspect of readers. I'm probably not the average aged Xanth reader, but I enjoy the books all the same.

This particular book, Up in a Heaval, is standard Xanth fare. I'm not calling it boilerplate or formulated or any of those other terms that "serious" critics like to throw at genre fiction. I'm just saying that if you liked the last Xanth novel you read, you'll more than likely enjoy this one.

It follows a young man named Umlaut, whose talent is emulation. It's an interesting magic talent, in that it affects how others observe him, not how he actually is. The quest of the novel, saving Xanth from Demon Jupiter's hurled Red Spot, has fallen on poor Umlaut's shoulders.

Umlaut and Breanna, the current keeper of the Castle Zombie, inadvertently send a message to the Demon Jupiter that insults him. He decides to hurl his Red Spot, a fiery ball of destruction, basically, at the Demon Earth. The spot will destroy not only the Demon Earth and Earth itself, but Xanth as well.

Umlaut must then go see the Good Magician Humphrey, the grumpy, near omniscient character in Xanth, to see how to remedy the problem with Jupiter. After the obligatory three challenges to gain entry into Humphrey's castle, Umlaut is admitted to see Humphrey, where the answer to his question gives him little clue on how to proceed.

Along the quest Umlaut picks up other adventurers. They deliver letters between Xanth and Mundania, which we commonly know as Earth. Umlaut discovers aspects of himself along the journey as well trying to save Xanth.

I don't want to ruin the plot with too much information, but rest assured the standard Xanth puns, pretty girls, and puzzles are all there.
If you've never read a Xanth novel you're quite possibly missing out on a fun and easy read. Piers Anthony generally has some undertones of his political and environmental beliefs in his stories, so they aren't all happy-go-lucky, nonsensical romps.

If silly and funny books aren't your style Anthony offers many other types of books in his vast library of over 100 published novels, from erotica to historical fiction.