Overview
Books in the 'Xanth' series
Links to Xanth pages
Contact Information
Back to Alan Chick's home page
Xanth is a magical land, which is somehow in our world, but not easily accessible. Currently it occupies the same area as the state of Florida, although somehow removed from it. The inhabitants of Xanth refer to our own world as Mundania.
The land is populated by various magical creatures and part humans: eg centaurs, dragons, elves, ogres, harpies, goblins, nymphs, fauns and merfolk. The humans who live there each have a single magical talent - a different one for each person. For example, Trent can transform any creature into another creature, Iris can project illusions, Dor can communicate with inanimate objects, Irene can make plants grow instantly, and Grundy Golem can translate the language of any creature, including plants.
The stories generally involve the characters in adventuring through the Xanthian wilderness, which is rather hazardous, with dangerous animals and plants, which have evolved magical ways of catching their prey. There are other hazards, such as the love spring, which if you drink from it, causes you to immediately fall in love with the first being of the opposite sex that you see. Or you could be captured by a tribe of goblins.
Each story generally has a central character, who has to go on a quest, usually with companions, travelling across Xanth, having various adventures, having to make significant decisions, and making use of magic if possible. Usually the central character will begin by consulting with Humfrey, the Magician of Information, who will provide an answer for any question, in exchange for some service. The stories are often resolved in unexpected ways.
Although all humans born in Xanth have a magical talent, only a few have really strong and useful talents. Those who have are called Magicians (if they are male) or Sorceresses (if they are female). Only a Magician can become king. As a result, the monarchy does not necessarily follow the hereditary line. Ruling queens are not permitted. This convention is eventually circumvented in the book Night Mare, by the declaration that a female Magician (ie a Sorceress) could become King (although not Ruling Queen).
As the series continues, the focus changes to different characters from book to book, so that the minor characters of one book may become the central characters of a later book. Also, as time passes, some of the characters have children, and the series continues with the lives and adventures of the children.
A major feature of the series is puns. For example, there is a family of nasty little creatures, called centpedes, nickelpedes, dimepedes, quarterpedes and dollarpedes. There is also a field in Xanth, called the stock market, where you will find lots of bulls and bears.
As well as the land of Xanth, the stories describe a place called the Gourd, or the Realm of Night, where bad dreams are manufactured, and carried to their intended recipients by night mares - ie black female horses, who can pass through material objects. This land is ruled over by the Night Stallion. Ordinary people cannot usually go to this place physically, but if they look into the peephole of a hypnogourd, they are projected into the realm in spirit form.
Starting from the book "Faun and Games", a new series of worlds are introduced - the Moons of Ida. Princess Ida has a tiny moon, Ptero, orbitting her head. It is possible for people to travel to this world in soul form, by releasing their souls from their bodies and leaving their bodies behind. Ptero also contains a Princess Ida, who has another moon orbitting her head, and so on. This provides virtually unlimited settings for adventures to occur.
A theme often mentioned is the Adult Conspiracy, whereby adults enforce rules on children (such as making them eat healthy meals, go to bed on time and attend school) and conceal certain facts from them, such as how to summon the stork which brings babies. In particular this is emphasised in 'The Color of Her Panties', with Gwenny Goblin coming of age,with the responsibilities of possibly becoming the first female chief of her tribe.
As the series continues, Xanth's historical background is filled in, and reasons are given for many of the magical features of the land. The book 'Question Quest' has a history of Xanth, compiled by a reader, which the author has adopted, and to which he remains consistent.
A Spell for Chameleon
Bink is exiled to Mundania because he apparently has no magical
talent. He meets Chameleon, a girl with a changeable nature, and
Trent who wishes to take the throne of Xanth. The three of them
travel together, back to Xanth.
The Source of Magic
Bink, Magician Humfrey and several companions travel across Xanth,
in search of the source of the magic of Xanth. Bink finds himself
forced to make a decision which threatens the magical nature of
their land.
Castle Roogna
Bink's son Dor is sent through the magical tapestry, on a quest
back in time, to obtain a potion to restore a zombie to life. His
travelling companion is a giant spider. He meets King Roogna, and
his rival Magician Murphy, whose magical talent is making things
go wrong. He becomes involved in a war between the goblins and
the harpies.
Centaur Aisle
King Trent and Queen Iris go on a trade mission to Mundania, and
leave Dor, as heir to the throne, in charge. When they haven't
returned within a reasonable time, Dor and his companions go
looking for them. This is made possible by a centaur, whose
talent is a magical aisle which exists around him, enabling
magical powers to work in Mundania.
Ogre, Ogre
The civilised ogre Smash escorts several females of various half-human
species to their destinations, as he travels on his own search
for identity.
Night Mare
Night Mare Imbri is sent by the Night Stallion as a messenger to
King Trent, to warn him of an impending invasion from Mundania.
The Mundane barbarians arrive, assisted by a mysterious character
called the Horseman. The Horseman casts a spell on King Trent
from afar, putting him into an enchanted sleep. Dor takes over
the throne, but is also enchanted. A series of people (male and
female, human and non-human) then ascend to the throne, but each
in turn is enchanted. It is up to Imbri to save the kingdom.
Dragon on a Pedestal
King Dor and Queen Irene's two-year-old daughter Ivy goes missing
along with Humfrey's son Hugo, at a time when the dreaded Gap
Dragon is on the loose. Irene and her companions go searching.
The Dragon, however, has been accidentally splashed with water
from the Fountain of Youth, has become smaller and younger, and
has befriended Ivy and Hugo.
Crewel Lye
The ghost Jordan in Castle Roogna describes his life history to
Ivy, which they view on the magic tapestry (after it is cleaned
with crewel lye). He was a barbarian warrior in a previous
century, given a task by the Magicians Yin and Yang, to return
the King's daughter to the castle. He became the victim of a
cruel lie.
Golem in the Gears
Grundy Golem is a tiny man, who began his existence as a small
doll made of wood and cloth, but was brought to life by the Demon
X(A/N)th. He goes on a trip to find Ivy's friend, the
missing Gap Dragon. He is accompanied by the Monster from under
Ivy's bed. (This species of creature lives under children's beds,
and tries to grab their ankles as they get into bed.) They rescue
Rapunzel from the Ivory Tower where she is imprisoned by the Sea
Hag.
Vale of the Vole
Three travellers meet as they go to consult Magician Humfrey.
They are Esk, the ogre/human, Chex, the winged centaur, and
Volney the Vole. They discover that Humfrey is missing, and the
three cooperate to solve each other's problems. This requires
them travelling to various parts of Xanth.
Heaven Cent
Dolph, the son of Dor and Irene, goes searching for the missing
Magician Humfrey, in the company of the walking skeleton Marrow
Bones. In the process he manages to get engaged to two girls,
Nada the Naga (who can transform between human and snake forms),
and Electra, who has lain in an enchanted sleep for nearly a
thousand years.
Man from Mundania
Hoping to find Magician Humfrey, Ivy invokes the heaven cent, a
magical device which sends the invoker to where they are most
needed. Instead she finds herself in Mundania, and meets a young
man called Grey Murphy. The two of them return to Xanth (and he
is only too pleased to leave drear Mundania). She finds herself
falling in love with him, especially after he rescues her from a
tribe of goblins. But her parents say that as a Princess, she
must only marry a Prince, or a person with a significant magical
talent. And since Grey was born in Mundania, he hasn't got a
magical talent. Or has he?
Isle of View (The title is a deliberate pun,
as it sounds like "I love you".)
Che, the son of the winged centaurs Chex and Cheiron has been
kidnapped, and everyone is out searching for him. When it
discovered that the goblins have him, it appears there will be a
war between the winged monsters, siding with the winged centaurs,
and the land monsters, siding with the goblins. Also, Dolph
finally makes his decision about which girl to marry.
Question Quest
Magician Humfrey has been waiting in the anteroom of Hell, for a
hearing with the Demon X(A/N)th, so that his former
wife might be returned to him from Hell. Lacuna, a woman with the
talent of making writing appear, displays Humfrey's life history
on the wall at his dictation. Humfrey has led a long and
interesting life, having several wives, at one time being the
King of Xanth, and has even studied magic at the demons'
university.
The Color of Her Panties
Gwenny Goblin, accompanied by Jenny Elf and Che Centaur, goes on
a quest to become the first female chief of her tribe. Meanwhile,
Mela Merwoman leaves the water in search of a husband (and of
course she must wear panties while on land), and is joined by Ida
Human (an orphan who may turn out to be something special) and
Okra Ogress.
Demons Don't Dream
Dug and Kim, from Mundania, each separately enters Xanth via the
computer game 'Companions of Xanth', as part of a game arranged
by the demons of Xanth. (Demons don't dream, they just get
mortals to act out fantasies for them.) Their companions are
Princess Nada Naga, the serpent woman, and Jenny Elf (formerly
from the World of Two Moons). In their travels they are joined by
Sherlock (a member of a group of black migrants from Mundania),
and Cyrus Merman who is looking for a wife.
Harpy Thyme
Gloha, the winged goblin girl (a goblin/harpy crossbreed), is on
a quest to find her ideal man. Retired King Trent takes youth
elixir, and becomes young again, to accompany Gloha in her search.
As they travel, they meet other people with goals of their own:
Cynthia, a winged centaur, who has been in suspended animation
for seventy-five years, Marrow Bones, the walking skeleton, who
is looking for a soul, and Graeboe the giant, who is dying from
an illness.
Geis of the Gargoyle
Gary the gargoyle has the duty of purifying the water of the
river entering Xanth from Mundania, but recently it has been very
polluted. Magician Humfrey sends him on a quest to find a better
solution. This takes him into the Region of Madness. His
companions are Iris (Sorceress of Illusion), Surprise (a 6-year-old
girl, with a seemingly endless series of different talents), the
demoness Mentia, and the man Hiatus, who is in love with a wood
nymph.
Roc and a Hard Place
The demoness Metria is sent on a mission to summons various
characters to the trial of Roxanne Roc. This takes her all over
Xanth, and into Mundania.
Yon Ill Wind
The Baldwin family (Jim and Mary, their children Sean, David and
Karen, and their three pets), while trying to outdrive a tropical
storm in Florida, in their RV, find themselves in the land of
Xanth. Meanwhile, the Demon X(A/N)th, because of a
wager with his fellow Demons, has taken the form of a donkey-headed
dragon called Nimby (which he can alternate with the human form),
but must not reveal his true identity. Together the Baldwins,
Nimby, the girl Chlorine, and others, try to combat the storm,
which has entered Xanth, and is stirring up the magic dust, and
causing chaos.
Faun & Games
Forrest Faun has his own sandalwood tree, but when a
neighbouring tree loses its faun, Forrest wants to find a new
faun for the tree. Magician Humfrey sends him, with Mare Imbri,
to the tiny moon Ptero. On Ptero are counterparts of Xanth's
characters, and also others who could potentially exist in Xanth.
Forrest and Imbri discover that Ptero's Castle Roogna is under
threat of 'marginalization', and their quest takes them, with the
Princesses Dawn and Eve, to other strange worlds, Pyramid and
Torus.
Zombie Lover
Breanna of the Black Wave (the black migrants from
Mundania), wants to escape from Xeth the Zombie King, who wants
to make her his queen, and Humfrey sends her to the Isle of Women.
(However, Breanna's trip is to have further ramifications.) In
the meantime, something has stirred the zombies up, and they are
wandering around the country disturbing people. Bink, Dor and
Dolph ("the three kings") try to find the Zombie Master
to solve the problem. This search takes them to Ida's moons - the
same worlds, and more, previously visited by Forrest Faun. Also,
Humfrey has given Jenny Elf the task of sending out invitations
to a wedding at Castle Roogna, but no one knows who is getting
married.
Xone of Contention
Edsel and Pia, an young unhappily married couple from
Mundania, find a way into Xanth through the O-Xone on the
computerised Mundane Mega Mesh, and exchange places with Nimby
and Chlorine, who want to get to know Mundania. Edsel and Pia,
accompanied by Breanna and Justin (a man who has spent some time
as a tree), take on a quest to eliminate the Demon CoTwo who is
causing trees to suffer from flooding. In the meantime Nimby (actually
the Demon X(A/N)th) is discovered by the Demon E(A/R)th,
who raises a storm to prevent him from returning to Xanth.
The Dastard
The Dastard is a young man who has sold his soul to a
demon, in exchange for the talent of 'unhappening'. Whenever he
encounters someone who has received enjoyment through some lucky
event, he travels back in time and undoes the event, thus
preventing the person from experiencing that enjoyment. Humfrey
sends Becka, the dragon girl, and the three princesses Harmony,
Melody and Rhythm to stop the Dastard's deeds. But things become
more dangerous with the return of the Sea Hag, a malevolent
spirit who takes over the bodies of young girls.
Swell Foop
The Demon Earth has been kidnapped, which could result
in the loss of Gravity on Earth and therefore also in Xanth. Six
adventurers - Cynthia and Che Centaur (engaged to be married),
Breanna and Justin (also engaged to be married), Sim Bird (son of
the Simurgh, the largest and wisest bird in the world), and
Jaylin (a girl from Mundania) - must each go on a separate quest
with a zombie guide to find one of the Six Rings of Xanth. Once
gathered, these rings should guide the way to the Swell Foop, an
object said to have power over the Great Demons, and which should
enable them to rescue the Demon Earth.
Up in a Heaval
Umlaut, a good-natured but awkward young man, has been
given the task of delivering a batch of letters from Mundania to
various people in Xanth. He is accompanied in this by Sammy Cat -
formerly owned by Jenny Elf - who has the talent of finding
people and things, another cat called Claire Voyante, and Sesame
Serpent, with transport provided by the duck-footed boat Para.
They hope by this task to discover how to avert Xanth's
destruction by the Demon Jupiter. However there are also other
puzzles - why is the demoness Metria thwarting their deliveries,
and why can't Umlaut remember his past? And to make things
interesting, Umlaut meets and falls in love with Surprise, the
daughter of Grundy Golem and Rapunzel.
Cube Route
The girl Cube is given the quest of finding the route to
Counter Xanth, the contra-terrene territory won by the Demon
Xanth from the Demoness Fornax. In the process she is to choose
nine companions, who will be magically miniaturised and concealed
within a pouch she carries, and may be brought out to assist her
when necessary. The route takes her to various places in Xanth,
to Mundania, and the Moons of Ida. However the Demoness Fornax is
determined to sabotage her mission.
Currant Events
Clio, the Muse of History, discovers a book she has
apparently written, but is unreadable because the writing is
blurred. Magician Humfrey sends her on a mission to Dragonworld,
to persuade dragons to come to Xanth to replenish the dragon
population. Then back in Xanth she meets Sherlock of the Black
Wave, who has developed a magic talent with reverse wood, despite
coming from Mundania. Clio and Sherlock continue the quest to
find the Currant, which should enable her to read the unreadable
volume. Their travels take them far and wide in Xanth, Counter
Xanth and the Moons of Ida, meeting interesting people and
experiencing dangers - as Clio has a curse on her, which means
that she will encounter deadly dangers daily when away from her
home on Mount Parnassus. A tentative romance begins between Clio
and Sherlock.
Pet Peeve
Goody Goblin is a rarity - a good-natured male goblin.
He is given the task of finding a home for the pet peeve, a bird
which constantly insults everyone. So accompanied by the warrior
woman, Hanna Barbarian, he travels through Xanth. In return for a
favour from some dragons, they bring a program back from Robot
World (one of the Moons of Ida) to produce a robot to assist the
dragons to produce a nest. However, before they realise it the
program is producing large numbers of robots, who are threatening
to overrun Xanth. Goody and Hannah have to summon the various
creatures of Xanth to combat the threat. In the process Goody
meets Gwenny Goblin.
Stork Naked
The stork delivers a baby to Surprise Golem. But then he
takes the baby away again, thinking that Surprise is too young,
and delivers it to Surprise's counterpart in the Xanth of an
alternative reality. Surprise and her companions must search
several realities trying to find the baby. Then the three
children travelling with Surprise go missing, and the several
members of the group split up to search for them, each having a
separate adventure. Surprise finds herself with several difficult
decisions to make.
Air Apparent
Hugo, son of the Magician Humfrey, has disappeared from
the castle, and the Magician's Book of Answers has become
scrambled, so is no help. Wira, Hugo's wife, sets off to look for
him, with Debra, a girl from Mundania, temporarily transformed
into a winged centaur. In the meantime, the Random Factor, a man
who is normally confined to a cell in Castle Maidragon, has
escaped. His talent is to transport himself to random locations.
Along the way, Debra and the Random Factor meet and fall in love,
but the Factor detects that Debra may be a threat to him,
allowing him to be recaptured. Later, the Factor and Hugo meet
and travel together - however, the Factor's talent gets them more
and more lost, with them ending up in the Moons of Ida, with
apparently no way to return. The two women follow, along with
other companions.
|
Back to Alan Chick's home page
Last revised: 06 March 2009.