"X"

I bet you all think I am going to cover xylophone, or try something cute for this letter, don't you?

Well, you are sort of right. Has anyone here read the novels by Piers Anthony known collectively as "The Xanth Trilogy"? It really is a series of books (more than 12 at my last count). The series is about a magical world known as Xanth (pr. zanth) and I STILL love them. He was my favorite author when I was in high school (I even wrote him a letter, and got a response too!!), and can still say I love to read his work.

Xanth is a land of magic, vaguely shaped like Florida, with many plays-on-words to name items, people, and places in the land. For example, there is a drink known as Boot Rear, which is found in pitcher-like plants that, after you drink it, will make you fly forward as though you have been kicked in the posterior. There is swamp called Ogre-fen-ogre Swamp. There is a woman named Ivy who has a very strong talent with plants. There are horses who bring bad dreams, known as Night Mares, and each are named after the "lakes" found on the moon. Yeah, kinda "lame" but in a cool way. At least for me.

If I hadn't read this series of books (and I think he is still writing them actually), I would not have been introduced to other books he has written. He wrote a series called the Incarnations of Immortality, which I absolutely loved, and also a series called The Blue Adept.

The Incarnations of Immortality is about, yep, you guessed it, the Incarnations (Death, War, Gaea, etc.) and was a very interesting spin on the humanity of the offices. I just re-read the first book, On a Pale Horse, and was sucked right back in to the world. Not many authors can make me pick them up after more than *mumble* years.

The Blue Adept series begins in a modern scientific world, and ends up in a magical world, with an eventual juxtaposing of the two worlds. Strongly recommended, even after all this time.

Enjoy your day, and eXperience something magical for yourself!