Book Review: Up in a Heaval

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

Up in a Heaval     Amazon US PB Amazon US HC Amazon Canada PB Amazon Canada HC
Piers Anthony
Class/Genre:   Fantasy
Series: Xanth # 26
Tor, Oct 2002, $24.95, 348 pp.

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 tale

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner

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