Air Apparent (2007)

by Piers Anthony

Series: The Magic of Xanth (31)

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432	7	61,323	(3.74)	12
When the Good Magician Humfrey's son Hugo suddenly vanishes, his disappearance sets in motion a series of madcap misadventures that send a collection of colorful characters on a perilous pair of parallel quests. Among them are Debra, a pretty young girl beset by an obnoxious curse; Hugo's beloved wife Wira, whose sightlessness is balanced by a talent for sensitivity, Happy and Fray, a pair of sprightly storm-spirits; Nimbus, the Demon Xanth's own son; and the mysterious outlaw known as the Random Factor. As they travel through some of the magical realm's most astonishing locales, these unwitting adventurers discover they are key players in a grand drama whose origins reach back to the origins of time itself. Filled with exhilaration and excitement, ribaldry and romance,Air Apparentis a fabulous new fantasy saga from the lively imagination of master storyteller Piers Anthony.… (more)

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The Xanth books by Piers Anthony were one of the first SciFi/Fantasy series I ever read. I love puns so I have always enjoyed them. Upon re-reading them I can see that they have some weaknesses but overall they stand the test of time. They are a fun and fast read that keeps me amused without any deep thinking required. (

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KateKat11 | Sep 24, 2021 |

I liked this book a lot more than the last one I read by Piers Anthony (Chaos Mode). The Xanth series is all about puns and creative, semisensical storytelling, and it works. Since the story is built around puns, any weak dialogue, flat characters, or bad scene construction (problems I see in a lot of this author's books) is masked by the silliness and wordplay. The result reads more like a fairy tale, with all the attention on the story itself, and no expectation of great, literary (or highly literate) writing. (

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JBarringer | Dec 30, 2017 |

When Wira's husband goes missing only moments before they're to finally summon the stork, it's the winged leading the blind as a transformed mundane teenager agrees to be Wira's mount, aiding her in her quest to find the absented Hugo. With a plethora of bad puns strung together on a shaky plot to hinder them, the pair go hunting for the Random Factor, collecting lost children and clues as they go.

As a kid I loved the Xanth books - I even named a dog after the wonderful world of humor and magical creatures. Unfortunately, at book 31 the mystery is tattered and the puns have overrun the plot. And is it just me or do way to many of Anthony's books seem to involve romances between older men and underage girls? (

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SunnySD | Jun 19, 2013 |

Another Xanth story full of puns. My kind of book!! (

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IllanoyGal | Jun 29, 2010 |

I stopped reading Piers Anthony's Xanth books back in high school and after reading Air Apparent I recall why I stopped reading them; way to many silly, stupid puns that add nothing to the story. This book would be a third of the page count without all the puns.I gave it two stars because the story was good enough to keep me reading and I was interested in the resolution of the mystery, but I have to say, this will be the last Xanth book I purchase. (

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MitraLibrary | Oct 27, 2009 |

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Air Apparent

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Good Magician Humfrey's Castle

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Air Apparent

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When the Good Magician Humfrey's son Hugo suddenly vanishes, his disappearance sets in motion a series of madcap misadventures that send a collection of colorful characters on a perilous pair of parallel quests. Among them are Debra, a pretty young girl beset by an obnoxious curse; Hugo's beloved wife Wira, whose sightlessness is balanced by a talent for sensitivity, Happy and Fray, a pair of sprightly storm-spirits; Nimbus, the Demon Xanth's own son; and the mysterious outlaw known as the Random Factor. As they travel through some of the magical realm's most astonishing locales, these unwitting adventurers discover they are key players in a grand drama whose origins reach back to the origins of time itself. Filled with exhilaration and excitement, ribaldry and romance,Air Apparentis a fabulous new fantasy saga from the lively imagination of master storyteller Piers Anthony.

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