Piers Anthony

The magical land of Xanth is in peril in this follow-up to Board Stiff by New York Times–bestselling author Piers Anthony. “It occurs to me that you folk are no ordinary group,” the troll said. “We're on a special mission to eliminate the last of the anti-pun virus. We are a bit unusual.” Astrid Basilisk-Cockatrice is the daughter of anonymous parents who whiled away a dull minute by generating her on a warm compost pile, then went their own deadly ways, never to see her or each other again. She found herself a soul, but her gaze is fatal and her touch is toxic. That’s not so strange in the Land of Xanth, where everyone has a unique magical talent, and charms, curses, and enchanted puzzles lie around every corner. Now, Astrid and her companions are finishing the cleanup of a virus that ravaged the puns of Xanth, and new Quests are already popping up. For instance, Astrid is attempting to fulfill her mission in life, if only she can figure out what that is. And then there’s the missing Question from the Good Magician’s Book of Answers. Not to mention the small matter of a Demon Wager regarding the impending destruction of Xanth. But it’s nothing Astrid and her motley crew of lovely maidens and strapping men can’t handle . . . they hope. Piers Anthony delivers another tale set in the bestselling world of Xanth, filled with magic, surprises, adventure, and a few puns. Here’s what the author has to say about his new book: “Five Portraits is a kind of sequel to Board Stiff in that it picks up where the other leaves off, with the same characters. Apart from that, it’s one of my favorites within the series. There’s something about Astrid Basilisk that appeals to me: a very pretty girl whose very glance is deadly, yet she’s a nice person whose selfless effort to save five difficult children from future Xanth is thoroughly worthy. I also like the theme of the power of unlikely friendship. Not just Xanth, but Mundania, too, would be better if there were more such friendships.”

Kandy may be bored stiff, but a magical mishap makes her problem literal in this hilarious novel in the New York Times–bestselling Xanth series. In the land of Xanth, where everyone has a unique magical talent, adventures come easily to most. But two inhabitants find themselves quite bored . . . until they’re inadvertently thrust together on a mission to save Xanth from an anti-pun virus that could turn their world into just another Mundania. Irrelevant Kandy is gorgeous, but thanks to a mental typo and an ornery wishing well, she’s now an actual board—with mind control powers. So much for her big plans for adventure, excitement, and romance. And Ease has his own problems, namely that everything is just too easy. He craves a challenge. Fortunately, Humfrey the Good Magician is more than happy to provide them with a quest. The duo—along with a basilisk bodyguard in the form of a young woman and nefarious android Com Pewter—is tasked with saving the puns of Xanth. But who could have released a virus that would destroy Xanth’s essence, and can Kandy and Ease figure out how to stop it in time?

The magical land of Xanth is in peril in this follow-up to Board Stiff by New York Times–bestselling author Piers Anthony. “It occurs to me that you folk are no ordinary group,” the troll said. “We're on a special mission to eliminate the last of the anti-pun virus. We are a bit unusual.” Astrid Basilisk-Cockatrice is the daughter of anonymous parents who whiled away a dull minute by generating her on a warm compost pile, then went their own deadly ways, never to see her or each other again. She found herself a soul, but her gaze is fatal and her touch is toxic. That’s not so strange in the Land of Xanth, where everyone has a unique magical talent, and charms, curses, and enchanted puzzles lie around every corner. Now, Astrid and her companions are finishing the cleanup of a virus that ravaged the puns of Xanth, and new Quests are already popping up. For instance, Astrid is attempting to fulfill her mission in life, if only she can figure out what that is. And then there’s the missing Question from the Good Magician’s Book of Answers. Not to mention the small matter of a Demon Wager regarding the impending destruction of Xanth. But it’s nothing Astrid and her motley crew of lovely maidens and strapping men can’t handle . . . they hope. Piers Anthony delivers another tale set in the bestselling world of Xanth, filled with magic, surprises, adventure, and a few puns. Here’s what the author has to say about his new book: “Five Portraits is a kind of sequel to Board Stiff in that it picks up where the other leaves off, with the same characters. Apart from that, it’s one of my favorites within the series. There’s something about Astrid Basilisk that appeals to me: a very pretty girl whose very glance is deadly, yet she’s a nice person whose selfless effort to save five difficult children from future Xanth is thoroughly worthy. I also like the theme of the power of unlikely friendship. Not just Xanth, but Mundania, too, would be better if there were more such friendships.”

Two warring galaxies unite against a common threat in this continuation of the New York Times–bestselling author’s Cluster series. Twice before, Milky Way Galaxy has been on the verge of extinction, and twice before, a heroic defender has come forward to throw back the invaders from Andromeda Galaxy. In Kirlian Quest, the galaxies are united in an alliance of peace. But Hweeh of Weew, the Milky Way’s leading research astronomer, observes that Amoeba—just beyond the galaxies' common frontier—is expanding ominously in the direction of the twin galaxies. Herald the Healer is called in. Armed only with his hyper‑intense Kirlian aura, he wages an almost single‑handed battle against the greatest threat ever to face the galaxies. But first he must unravel the secrets of the Ancients—astounding secrets whose import could never have been imagined . . . For a thousand years Sphere / of Andromeda was cursed by the other spheres because a representative, Llume of /, betrayed Andromeda during the Second War of Energy. As Kirlian Quest opens, a new threat has appeared on the horizon: the Space Amoeba, a fleet of alien ships one million stron­­g, whose intentions are definitely hostile. Herald the Healer, aural (but not literal) descendant of Flint and Melody, who is a / of Andromeda, has the chance to redeem his species’ honor and save the galaxy, but in order to do so he must solve the riddle of the Space Amoeba and of the Ancients themselves.

First in the sci-fi series “packed with exotic beings, ancient secrets, and futuristic worlds” from the New York Times–bestselling author (The Portalist). As Cluster opens, the alien envoy Pnotl of Sphere Knyfh seeks help from Sphere Sol in a shared galactic‑level crisis: Galaxy Andromeda has discovered the secret of energy transfer and intends to use it to steal the basic energy of the Milky Way Galaxy. Knyfh offers the secret of aura transfer on the understanding that Sphere Sol will spread the technology to help create a galactic coalition to find and defeat agents of Andromeda. Sol's highest‑Kirlian individual is Flint, a green‑skinned native of Outworld, who has a Kirlian aura of two hundred, an eidetic memory (useful for memorizing the complex equations of Kirlian transfer that he will need to communicate to other spheres). He has extraordinary intelligence and is highly adaptable. His mission is complicated, however, by the fact that he is pursued everywhere by a very high Kirlian female Andromedan agent and, somehow, the Andromedans are able to detect and trace Kirlian transfers. Flint embarks upon several missions to bring transfer technology to neighboring spheres, inhabiting various alien forms. His efforts are successful despite attacks and sabotage by the Andromedan agent. Through the conflict, however, the mutual attraction of their two vastly superior auras begins to undermine their individual loyalty to their own Spheres. Flint and a group of other entities recover the information that will allow them to detect and trace transfers, and a member of the group is revealed as the Andromedan agent. One result is the catastrophic destruction of the local habitat. Flint and his nemesis are transferred into alien Mintakan bodies to survive. Choosing to leave things with parity between their two galaxies, Flint and the Andromedan mate and remain together until their auras fade (which happens rapidly, since their physical bodies have been destroyed).

The end of "Aladdin of the Lamp" finds the cunning Aladdin ruler of a great kingdom. Now, many years have passed.... Life as the king of Agrabah is never boring, especially when the dashing Sinbad the Sailor requests a ship to save his kidnapped wife. Aladdin, never one to run from danger, agrees to help and accompanies Sinbad as they set sail to accumulate enough treasure to ransom the sailor's wife. Soon they run afoul of zombies, sirens, demons, nymphs, evil djinns, and a dastardly plot to take over his kingdom. But Aladdin has a few tricks up his sleeves...including one very magical lamp. From bestselling authors Piers Anthony (Xanth) and J. R. Rain (Vampire for Hire), Aladdin Sins Bad is the second in a fantastical series set in the enchanted world of the Arabian Nights.

The end of "Aladdin of the Lamp" finds the cunning Aladdin ruler of a great kingdom. Now, many years have passed... When Aladdin is summoned to save the magical Sirens from a ruthless and mysterious enemy, he soon discovers that the Key to Hades has been stolen from the sea nymphs' lair. Now the King of Agrabagh must venture deep into the heart of the Dark Continent in search of the legendary entrance to the Underworld. But when a costly mistake unknowingly bestows upon their flying ship all the knowledge of the Universe, plans radically change. What follows is a game of gods and demigods that pits Aladdin against Hades himself. At stake is not only his immortal soul but the lives of everyone he loves. Luckily, Aladdin has a few tricks up his sleeve-and friends in high places, including one very powerful djinn. From bestselling authors Piers Anthony and J. R. Rain, Aladdin and the Flying Dutchman is the third in a magical series set in the enchanted world of the Arabian Nights.

Roan Quigley is a down-and-out private eye in Los Angeles, eking out his meager existence by following cheating spouses and taking on the odd case. And there is no case odder than this... On a lazy day, with clients few and far between, a very strange man appears in the detective's office. Roan can't quite place the odd accent, nor can he make much sense of the man's clothing. But when the stranger produces a bag of gold, Roan perks up. Soon, Roan's simple world is turned upside down as he journeys into the Realm, a magical kingdom that lies parallel to Los Angeles. Here, the ace detective is thrown into a world of flying dragons, orcs and wizards, where spells are real and magic is deadly. Now Roan must use all his skills and knowledge to not only stay alive but to track down a ruthless killer and save a kingdom in the process.

From international bestselling authors, Piers Anthony and J. R. Rain, comes a story of a dolphin and a girl...and the end of the world. Astronomers from around the globe are reporting the coming Pulse, a burst of energy that will incinerate the earth. And as the Pulse comes ever closer, help will arrive from a very unlikely source...aliens living in the oceans depths. Now, armed with information to save the world, one dolphin and one girl must race to save mankind... That is, if mankind doesn't destroy itself first.

Return to the magical land of the Arabian Nights.... The end of "Aladdin of the Lamp" finds the cunning Aladdin ruler of a great kingdom. Now, many years have passed... Aladdin is older, richer and wiser...and heart broken, and after losing his beloved wife and son to foul play, he resigns from being king and sets out to do what he does best... Now working as an anonymous relic hunter using the name Niddala (Aladdin spelled backwards), he's hired by a desperate-and beautiful-noble woman named Jewel to rescue her kidnapped son. Prince Zeyn, a powerful wizard from the magical land of Djinnland, has designs on Aladdin's kingdom, and Jewel's son is to be the final piece of a bloody plot to rule two worlds. To save the boy and his kingdom, Aladdin soon realizes he must seek the aid of a once-powerful ally, the mighty Djinn of the Lamp. Unfortunately, the djinn is being held prisoner by Zeyn in Djinnland, a magical land full of dragons and ogres, magic carpets and magic castles. With time rapidly running out, Aladdin and Jewel will journey into a world far stranger than anything they had ever imagined, a world full of danger at every turn, a world in which they may never return. It will take all their cunning and wits to stay alive...but will they do so in time to save the djinn, her son, and a kingdom? From bestselling authors Piers Anthony (Xanth) and J. R. Rain (Vampire for Hire), Aladdin Relighted is the first in a magical series featuring Aladdin and his Extraordinary Lamp.

In a unique retelling to the classic fairy tale "Jack and the Beanstalk," Piers Anthony and J. R. Rain take you back to the magical land beyond the clouds. Back to the land of the Giants. Back to adventure and sorcery and awe-inspiring wonder. In the real world, Jack works for a jerk. Luckily, the pretty receptionist makes his days bearable. But when Jack discovers he's been fired, his simple life crumbles around him; that is, until he comes across the magic beans. Now with a giant beanstalk growing outside his downtown New York apartment, Jack has a choice to make: follow the beanstalk up or pretend it's not there. After all, he does seem to be the only one who can see it. Moreover, the beanstalk almost beckons him... Putting aside his fears, Jack climbs out from his apartment window and onto the beanstalk, where climbs up and up and up...finally emerging through the clouds and into a land of dreams. Literally. Almost immediately, he's confronted by a hungry giant...and someone else. Someone he never expected. Someone he had long admired from afar. Now a team, Jack and Harriet seek answers to their dilemma, and find themselves in the middle of an age-old war for the land beyond the clouds. Battling evil kings, gods and giants, Jack is about to discover that he's much more than he ever dreamed...and that he may never return home again. And that's just fine by him. After all, the land beyond the clouds isn't that bad. Of course, he just has to survive first...

An alien being is out to save the galaxy in book two of the New York Times–bestselling author’s Cluster series. Chaining the Lady is the second Cluster book. Melody, a product of Flint and the Andromedan’s mating in Cluster, must save the Milky Way Galaxy and create a place where creatures can transfer without limitations. Melody must survive in worlds unknown and alien to her and she does that where others fail when her aura augments her skills and abilities. The book opens with the discovery that Andromeda, the enemy galaxy of the first novel, has discovered the secret of involuntary hosting: a Kirlian aura that is sufficiently stronger than that of an individual can take possession of that individual. Andromeda has secretly infiltrated the highest levels of government in Sphere Sol and its allies and resurrect its plot to steal the energy of the Milky Way. Melody of Mintaka, a direct descendant of Flint of Outworld and his Andromedan nemesis, has a Kirlian aura of well over two hundred. She is pressed into service to “possess” and interrogate a captured Andromedan transferee. Melody, hosted in the young and beautiful body of Yael of Dragon, must, like her progenitor Flint, find a way to defeat the Andromedan threat and save the galaxy. The mysterious Ancients are present again in the form of their artifacts and sites. The themes of Tarot and of various myths of Sphere Sol (in this case that of Perseus and Andromeda) play a big part this novel. The InterSphere fleet of starships has forms analogous to the Tarot suits of Disks, Cups, Wands, and Swords.

In this novel from the New York Times–bestselling author, the discovery of a new Ancient Site triggers an intergalactic competition to exploration. On the world called Eccentric, a new Ancient Site has been discovered, and unlike others that are “dead,” this one appears to be active and functioning. To determine which Sphere has the right to explore it and investigate its secrets, a competition is being held. Each competing team consists of a carefully matched host and transferee pair, chosen for their complementary skills and knowledge. The tasks test all of the competitors’ abilities to their limit, and range from word puzzles to navigating past a black hole. However, both Heem of Highfalls and his transferee Jessica of Capella have deep, dark secrets that may cost them not just the competition, but their lives.

A warlike alien species is bent on destroying a pacifist alien species in this intergalactic adventure novel from the New York Times–bestselling author. Viscous Circle is a story about a strange and inhuman race of beings and an experimental attempt to transfer into creatures that seem only slightly sapient. They are ultimate pacifists who take the form of magnetic disks that float through space and simply demagnetize and destroy themselves when faced with an unpleasant thought. The bloodthirsty Solarians, in their desperate hurry to find the mysterious Ancient Site, are determined to wipe out the Bands, a strange and beautiful species whose society is an anarchy of peace. Only Rondl, the whirling green Band, can save his race, for he has a singular and awesome knowledge. But suddenly Rondl makes a shocking discovery about his identity—a discovery that may cost him his honor, his beautiful lover Cirl, even his very life.

Kandy may be bored stiff, but a magical mishap makes her problem literal in this hilarious novel in the New York Times–bestselling Xanth series. In the land of Xanth, where everyone has a unique magical talent, adventures come easily to most. But two inhabitants find themselves quite bored . . . until they’re inadvertently thrust together on a mission to save Xanth from an anti-pun virus that could turn their world into just another Mundania. Irrelevant Kandy is gorgeous, but thanks to a mental typo and an ornery wishing well, she’s now an actual board—with mind control powers. So much for her big plans for adventure, excitement, and romance. And Ease has his own problems, namely that everything is just too easy. He craves a challenge. Fortunately, Humfrey the Good Magician is more than happy to provide them with a quest. The duo—along with a basilisk bodyguard in the form of a young woman and nefarious android Com Pewter—is tasked with saving the puns of Xanth. But who could have released a virus that would destroy Xanth’s essence, and can Kandy and Ease figure out how to stop it in time?

Bryce is summoned to Xanth as part of a wager between the Demons Earth and Xanth. To his surprise, he has left behind his home and family and eighty-year-old body forever, in exchange for youth and magic....and a quest. He must court and marry Princess Harmony, who is anything but willing to be courted Luck of the Draw is Piers Anthony's thirty-sixth pun-filled adventure in the magical land of Xanth.

Welcome back to the universe spanning realm of the Amoeba, where harmony is entrusted to an unlikely group of heroes, and where, when the ordinary no longer applies, the extraordinary comes into play. Tod Timmonds and his sexy team of outcasts are joined on this mission by a charming were-unicorn, Wetzel, whos special skills are as impressive and imperative to the missions success as his sexual prowess and personal quest to find the ultimate virgin. The new reincarnation of the team must navigate a trail that leads to new worlds and demands they placate the urgings of a variety of friends and foes of various species before they can restore the balance and the universal justice which the great Amoeba seeks.

Picka Bones and his sister Joy'nt are off in search of adventure with three creatures newly arrived from Mundania--and not the sort of creatures you might expect Join them in a madcap quest, in this 35th tale of the land of Xanth. "Here we go 'Adventuring' in Xanth once more, meeting a horde of the familiar characters while running the gauntlet of a multitide of sins. ... Xanth remains a land of happy endings, however, and readers can expect the usual amount of enjoyment from this thirty-fourth Xanth tale." --Booklist on Knot Gneiss

Wenda Woodwife has a knotty problem--her mood swings have sent her beloved husband, Prince Charming, off on Adventure. She seeks the cure from the Good Magician Humphrey, only to discover that he has a knotty problem of his own and that only Wenda Woodwife can help him. She'll need Companions. Luckily, in Xanth magical companions are never far away, and all roads lead to Adventure. Knot Gneiss, this 34th installment in the saga of the magical land of Xanth proves the enduring appeal of Piers Anthony's peerless creation.