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owlegory's review against another edition
4.0
Even though the ending was pretty obvious, I thoroughly enjoyed Anthony's creativity, as always. A pleasure to read, though I'm not sure if I'd read it again, which is why I gave it a four.
vaderbird's review against another edition
2.0
5 star - Perfect
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish
caytlynn's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
So far I honestly think this was the best book. I was able to read it steadily and didn’t get annoyed with any parts. Nothing felt like it was dragging and I honestly can’t remember if I’ve read this one already before. But I loved the characters and the stories. I enjoyed how they looped the past with the present and made everything just fit together and work out no matter what. And even though I caught on to the big surprise at the end roughly mid way it just made me even more excited to read it when it finally happened on the very last page. I also even though Millie is kind of a whatever character as ghost/newly human I loved when we met her in the past at a younger age. She was pretty ridiculous but it also just worked so well. I look forward to reading book 4.
utbw42's review against another edition
4.0
Wonderful story, mixing time paradoxes in with good fantasy characters. Anthony always has very imaginative people and places set in his world of Xanth. Looking forward to the next one in this series.
waden34's review against another edition
3.0
I didn't like this book as much as the first two in the series. Adding in the spider (which I'm deathly afraid of to begin with) just made the hero seem less heroic. Because of Jumper's actions Dor never really had any growth.
That said, it was still a quick and enjoyable read.
That said, it was still a quick and enjoyable read.
kristamccracken's review against another edition
3.0
I probably liked this book the best of the Xanth books so far -- which isn't saying too much considering I found the first two on the disappointing side. Castle Roogna introduces readers to the next generation in Xanath and contains a bit of time travel that allows for insight into the early years of the land. Fairly standard epic quest plot that is decently paced.
vermidian's review against another edition
2.0
Honestly, 10-12 year old me enjoyed this book way more than 27 year old me. 27 year old me seriously just can't stomach the writing anymore. Piers Anthony's writing is like the fantasy of a pre-teen boy who decided to mix porn with D&D. It's just not appealing to read as an adult at all. Also, I can usually stomach some mysogyny in books because, unfortunately, most books older than me have a heavy dose of it, but it seems really clear to me that this guy has absolutely no idea about what women think or feel or how they act. It's more convenient for him to write them off as sex-obsessed waifs. Sure, there's a bit at the end where the 12 year old protagonist Dor, who's been fantasizing about every female in the book up until this point, treats two women with actual respect, but two scenes in the last 10 pages really don't make up for the other 316.
The only reason I'm not giving this book one star is that I still like the curiosities of the world he created, despite the stories being steeped in creepy sex-fueled pre-teen thoughts. I like Dor's ability - it's not one I've seen in other literature.
I would not recommend this to anyone, really, unless they are wholly forewarned and are looking at this book purely for the world itself.
The only reason I'm not giving this book one star is that I still like the curiosities of the world he created, despite the stories being steeped in creepy sex-fueled pre-teen thoughts. I like Dor's ability - it's not one I've seen in other literature.
I would not recommend this to anyone, really, unless they are wholly forewarned and are looking at this book purely for the world itself.
scrivster's review against another edition
3.0
As a teenage boy I read as much of the Xanth series as I could find. I loved it. I went back to reread a couple years back, and found the texts well below my current expectations of the fantasy genre. This just hasn't held up over time. Still, good memories from my early years, and put me down the path to so much enjoyment in the fantasy fiction sphere.
djwudi's review against another edition
3.0
Easily the best of the first three Xanth novels. For once the sexism, while still there, managed not to overshadow the story. Still, I think I'm done with Piers Anthony.