Up in a Heaval

I laugh so much I cried. This was a great book.

A magificant book to read, as well as the other fascinating Xanth series. I really think this book opens the mind to explore new imaginative things, a wide variety of creatures, and the great puns of course. The story line is really creative with the mixture of mundanes and talents, and as well as different spells and characters. Was really a good book to read, I recommend it to all fantasy readers.

A bet between Demons Xanth, Jupiter, and Fornax sends Umlaut on a quest to deliver messages sent from our Earth to Xanth. Although Umlaut is a construct, he is endowed with excellent ethical judgement and good luck in finding friends. Demoness Metria will do anything to stop the quest because her son's soul is at risk. Umlaut's quest takes him through Xanth and into contact with characters familiar to readers of the Xanth series, as well as introducing new characters. Author Piers Anthony delivers a rich assortment of the bad puns that readers of this series delight in. The Xanth series is also known for its sexual teasing (say PG-13). I thought that UP IN A HEAVAL did a good job delivering the tease without dramatically overstepping the bounds of taste. Umlaut's romance with Surprise was teetered at the edge between sweet and sensual--about right for a teenage relationship. Umlaut was an interesting character because of his compassion. Although he lacked a lasting reality (being a construct of the demons for the sake of their game), Umlaut had a conscience and a drive that made him sympathetic.

Up In a Heaval (2002) is the 26th Xanth novel. As usual, the plot is just a framework for the characters and puns. The hero is Umlaut, a facsimile, whose talent is emulation. Umlaut "accidently" takes shelter at the Zombie castle. As he is mucking out the dungeon, Umlaut uses 19 questions to discover that the male dragon is really Sesame, a female Sea Serpent. They also discover a pile of long overlooked Snail mail and meet Sammy the Cat. Umlaut is charged with delivering the mail and both Sesame and Sammy join him in an extended tour of Xanth locations and personalities while the demoness Metria tries to distract and obstruct them. At the isle of cats, the trio meet Claire Voyant, the knowing cat, who also joins them. In Euphoria, they meet Surprise, the daughter of Grady Golem and Rapunzel, who becomes Umlaut's sweetheart and keeps visiting him in various ways during the journey. Umlaut is faced with many temptations and doubts in his travels, but perseveres despite all. Of the many puns encountered, Ptero-bull stands out, but other groaners abound. Naturally, Anthony tells all, or at least enough, in the Author's Note. This book is for Xanth fans and those who are not too proud to groan at a real stinker of a pun. A really fun book. -Arthur W. Jordin

Mundane snail mail ending up in Xanth is forwarded to Demon Jupiter. Irate by what he receives, Demon Jupiter hurls his dreaded red spot at Demon Earth. If he throws a strike, Xanth will be destroyed.Umlaut, who now knows that all good deeds including forwarding snail mail leads to adventure, learns from the Good Magician that he must deliver the remaining mundane mail to hope to avert the disaster he started. Umlaut accompanied by his pals Sesame Snake and Sammy Cat begin the treacherous trek to save Xanth by delivering the mail even as other demons try to manipulate his raging hormones.The twenty-sixth Xanth tale (Grafton has a few to catch up) is the usual pun per line tale that shows Mr. Anthony has no piers when it comes to irreverent "adult conspiracy" humor that sends readers diving off the dock into a wild fantasy play on the English language. The story line is typical of the Xanth tales, but during the Myth-Adventures with no Asprin for pain relief, many of the participants in the glory of Xanth make an appearance. Though newcomers might struggle in the realm of punning, fans will delight in this comic endeavor as Mr. Anthony shows his usual amusing cat tail of a taleHarriet Klausner