Air Apparent [Mass Market Paperback]

Air Apparent (2007) is the thirty-first fantasy novel in the Xanth series, following Stork Naked. In the previous volume, the Sorceress Morgan le Fey was frustrated at every turn. Finally, she disguised herself as Surprise Golem, but Che the Winged Centaur was ready for her. Surprise recovered her baby and returned home.

In this novel, Wira is worried about her husband Hugo. He had gone down to the wine cellar to get a bottle of Rhed Whine about thirty minutes ago. He should have returned after ten minutes. So she goes looking -- in a manner of speaking -- for him.

Wira is blind, so the lightless cellar is no burden for her. She snaps her fingers and locates a body lying on the floor. When she touches it, the body is cold and clammy. But it is not her husband.

She screams and the Gorgon -- Hugo's mother -- was the first to respond. She checks the body and believes it to be not dead, but in suspended animation. The Gorgon goes to wake her husband Humfrey, the Good Magician.

Humfrey finds that the Book of Answers is scrambled. Obviously it cannot be used to solve the mystery, so Humfrey decides to send the next querent out with Wira to recover Hugo. He suggests that they tell people that Wira is looking for a way to regain her sight.

In this story, Debra is the next querent. She is a young Mundane teenager who wants to find out how to remove a curse that she has acquired since arriving in Xanth. She agrees to accompany Wira and the Gorgon gives her a magic potion to transform her into a winged centaur.

Debra is rather embarrassed by her disguise, since Centaurs do not wear clothes. Also, she finds that flying requires some practice. Yet they are soon on their way.

First they fly to the Region of Air to question Cumulo Fracto Nimbus, but he has been missing for the same length of time as Hugo. Happy Bottom -- Fracto's wife -- and their daughter Fray start searching for the missing males in nooks and crannies while Wira and Debra search on the surface. Along the way they collect other searchers.

Meanwhile, Hugo is trapped in an underground room. He supplements the water and black bread with his talent of producing fruits. Then he meets Bathos Bat and exchanges bodies. Hugo flies out to determine the location of his prison and Bathos gorges himself on overripe fruit.

This story starts out as a quest to find Hugo and then Fracto, but soon turns into something else. Hugo is found and is returning to the Good Magician's Castle on Becka the Dragongirl, but disappears in mid-air. Then he changes bodies with the Random Factor, who is able to randomly switch bodies or locations for a few times each day.

This tale is a Xanth novel, so naturally it is jampacked with puns and wordplays. And it has an intriguing layer of mysteries and many twists and turns. Enjoy!

Highly recommended for Anthony fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of magical talents, puns galore, and a bit of romance.

-Arthur W. Jordin

I fell in love with Pierce and with all fantasy novels as I read my first fist Xanth novel in Junior High. I learned what a pun was from the master and I loved every one!

AIR APPARENT is simply Xanth filled with horrendous puns that readers either make readers groan or laugh at the wild cast.

I anxiously await each new installment of Xanth. The puns are so bad that I cannot help but be highly amused. This book measures up to the rest and I can't wait for the next. Keep it up Piers!

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 11 reviews  3.9 out of 5 stars