Swell Foop

August 27, 2001
"Do you think the puns will ever run out?" a character asks early in Anthony's 26th funny Xanth adventure. "If they do, Xanth will dissolve into chaos... It is mostly made of puns," another character sagely replies. And so it goes. This fantasy confection is full of puns, clever mathematical and grammatical lessons—and some gratuitous sexual innuendo. Cynthia Centaur and her companions must find the Six Rings of Xanth (Fire, Earth, Idea, Water, Air and Void) in order to rescue the Demon Earth from the thrall of the Swell Foop. These rings are the only artifacts capable of locating the Foop. When they are stacked and aligned, a person who sights through them will be able to see the Foop—if the stack is pointing the right way, and if that person is destined to use it. The rings also control the six known Regions of Xanth. The ring bearers, who include Jaylin, a Mundanian human girl, as well as five Xanth creatures, must use their creativity and sense of humor to find Demon Earth, or else the gravity needed in Xanth and Earth will disappear forever. Diehard Xanth fans will rejoice at this fast-paced romp, but even they might get a bit tired of the incessant panty humor. Some readers may have raging hormones, but the preteens, who would most enjoy this book, aren't quite there yet, and many older teens are ready to explore more mature issues. (Oct. 17)FYI:Due in September is Anthony's second volume of autobiography,
How Precious Was That While (Forecasts, July 23).

May 1, 2002
Adult/High School-In this 25th book in the series, Cynthia Centaur's quest is to ask a personal question of the Good Magician Humfrey about her upcoming marriage. Perhaps she would have reconsidered the pros and cons of the visit if she had realized that the very next visitor to ask for help would be given the task of saving Xanth. Cynthia must find the Swell Foop to save the planet or die trying. The task is to find the Six Rings of Xanth (Fire, Earth, Idea, Water, Air, and Void), all so powerful that they had been hidden for fear of misuse, and the only artifacts capable of locating the Swell Foop. The zombies, an unpopular group of people, are the only ones that can help Cynthia and the five other adventurers in their quest. This is an entertaining, fast-paced adventure, full of puns suggested by the author's many fans. Those not familiar with the earlier books might want to read Spell for Chameleon (Turtleback, 1977) first. A great series for fantasy fans, along with Terry Pratchett's comedy/fantasy "Discworld" series (HarperPrism).-Linda G. Sinclair, Alexandria Library, VA

Copyright 2002 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 1, 2001
The twenty-fifth book of Xanth deals with a matter of some gravity. Specifically, the Demon Earth has disappeared, which means that eventually not only some but all gravity will disappear from Earth and Xanth. To solve the mystery and rescue the Demon Earth, the Swell Foop is required. That involves using the six magical rings of Xanth, which need to be found by means of a quest by five old friends of Xanth mavens--Cynthia and Che Centaur, Brianna and Justin Tree, and Sim, the immortal bird--as well as Jaylin, a girl from Mundane Hawaii. The search is fraught with Anthony's usual cargo of puns. A bit longer than some recent Xanths, this is also a bit better, and even those who find it more of the same are likely to enjoy themselves. But starting with Xanth in a late book such as this is less advisable for finding out what the fuss is all about than going back as far as your library's holdings allow.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2001, American Library Association.)