"Lighthearted Xanthian quest"
When the cursed to be polite and act nice Goody Goblin
asked the Good Magician Humfrey to help him get rid of
the "Finger", the mage simply takes the objectionable
object away. However, being a goody, the Goblin feels he
owes Humfrey. She is willing to oblige the Good Magician
when he assigns her to deliver the parody. Goody Goblin and his assigned bodyguard the warrior Hannah
Barbarian set off on a joint quest to locate a "suitable
home" for the hostile foul-mouthed Pet Peeve. The foul
fowl is a nasty creature that insults everyone and
anything that has the misfortune of being nearby. That
would not be so bad to the monster's current carriers
except that Pet Peeve exactly imitates the voice of the
dummy carrying it. Thus the insulted hold Goody
responsible and when that upset individual is a fire
exhaling dragon one tend to feel the heat. Whereas Sue Grafton has reached R, Xanth is into the
alphabet for the second time with PET PEEVE being the
twenty-ninth fantasy parody. The story line contains the
usual assortment of puns, adventures and more puns. This
time the parody comes from the skills of the Don Rickles
of birds as readers will appreciate the insults using the
voice of the poor soul (that is if a goblin has a soul)
stuck toting it so that anyone else in the area will think
the carrier insulted them. Fans of the long running series
will appreciate the latest lighthearted Xanthian quest
that answers "what is ultimate reality?" Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted September 15, 2005
Reviewed by PNR Group Member
Posted January 25, 2007
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An abominable army of automatons has plunged Xanth into dire peril in Pet Peeve, the 29th hilarious adventure in Piers Anthony's beloved fantasy series. All that stands between the enchanted land and destruction is a most unlikely hero, a forlorn, mild-mannered Goblin named Goody, whose courteous ways have earned him the scorn of his ill-tempered goblin fellows. Assigned by the Good Magician Humfrey to find a appropriate abode for the Pet Peeve--a foul-mouthed fowl who insults anyone it encounters, Goody reluctantly sets out on this daunting quest, armed only with a bag of half- spent spells, and guarded by a brawny woman warrior called Hannah Barbarian. But when Goody's mission unknowingly triggers an invasion of Xanth by a horde of mechanical marauders from a faraway Robot World, he must enlist the aid of Xanth's many denizens--dragons, zombies, centaurs, demons, elves, and even goblins like himself. And, in the heart of Goblin Mountain, Goody finds an unexpected ally - Gwenny Goblin, a beautiful, strong-willed goblin chief who can help him rally Xanth to repel the robot army, and perhaps mend his broken heart as well. Brimming with heart-stopping adventure and heart-warming delight, overflowing with wicked wit and wanton wordplay, Pet Peeve is Piers Anthony in rare form, an exceptional new chapter in the continuing chronicles of Xanth.
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