Harriet Klausner's Review Archive
Ashtarta and Khai fall in love and plan to marry. However, war between her country and that of Khem is imminent. Ashtarta looks into a magic pool seeing something she does not comprehend. Khai is in a weird locale where silver birds fly humans inside their stomachs and carts with people inside their bellies move without animals amongst other strangeness. The Pharaoh's wizards have sent Khai's ka into the distant future; if not returned soon he will die. Khai's friend Manek Thotak is sent forward by Ashtarta's wizards to bring Khai's ka home. In modern day London Khai lives as Egyptologist Paul Arnott with knowledge of how weapons work.
This is a reprint of a 1980s action packed tale in which Ancient Egyptian belief elements seem genuine. The key players (a withered pharaoh, a heroic champion, a benign queen, and a sacrificing friend) are all fully developed whether they are in the "present" or in late twentieth century England. However, what makes the tale still strong is the time paradox of whether Khai's return to the past could change "future" history by bringing back modern day knowledge to Ancient Egypt.
Harriet Klausner Currant Events Piers Anthony Tor, Oct 2004, $24.95, 336 pp. ISBN: 0765304074
On Mount Parnassus Clio the Muse of History begins to write the twenty-eighth Chronicle of Xanth, only to find the tome exists, which means somehow she already has written it. Already shocked beyond words adding to her chagrin, the tome is impossible to read as it contains words that are indecipherable. Clio decides to visit Humfrey the Good Magician Humfrey to learn how to read the enigmatic book.
Of course this being Humfrey, he does not care that Clio is a long time friend as anyone who wants his help must perform a required service. He orders her to find the magical red berry, a simple enough task. However, this is Xanth and not Mundania; nothing is ever simple especially if Humfrey is involved. On her trek, Clio gathers a host of fellow travelers especially Sherlock and must perform sidebar deeds like transporting safely six thousand dragons from Dragon World to Xanth and other dangerous tasks to solve the mystery of the unclear history book.
More a book of puns held somewhat together by the quest, Xanth fans will appreciate this lighthearted romp that takes readers away from Mundania. The story line leaps from one pun to another with occasional twists and turns to make room for a double entendre. Clio is a fine muse although skirting the edges of her magical world. As has been most of the recent novels, Piers Anthony has fun incorporating a zillion jibes, jokes and witty and not so droll bon mots provided by Xanthian readers, whom the author acknowledges for their contributions, but the Mundanian masses might feel it is time to punt.