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Xanth #4
Centaur Aisle
Dor agreed to act as King of Xanth so long as Trent was gone for a week. But the weeks passed and Trent did not return. Dor knew he had to rescue his king but with no magic powers, how could it be done...?
From the Paperback edition.
From the Paperback edition.
304 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 1981
271 people are currently reading
2733 people want to read
About the author
Piers Anthony
438 books4,210 followersThough he spent the first four years of his life in England, Piers never returned to live in his country of birth after moving to Spain and immigrated to America at age six. After graduating with a B.A. from Goddard College, he married one of his fellow students and and spent fifteen years in an assortment of professions before he began writing fiction full-time.
Piers is a self-proclaimed environmentalist and lives on a tree farm in Florida with his wife. They have two grown daughters.
Piers is a self-proclaimed environmentalist and lives on a tree farm in Florida with his wife. They have two grown daughters.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 231 reviews
August 31, 2014
This book started out really slow! But in the end I loved it, and can't wait to read the 5th. I really don't know why people say these books are so sexist because and also what Dor thought of at that time (and I quote) there is also the fact that the female in the group is a real helpful person. She contributes to the mission just like every other person and even rescues the whole team once and twice. She is useful.She is a women and a real person, not written in a sexist way. Sure, there are sexist characters in the book, but thats okay because there are people in the world like that. Not everyone is perfect and it's neat to see how they interact with the world.
I liked this book and can't wait to read the next one!! I find the series funny, relaxing, and a break from serious fantasy as this is a trope on the genre of course. Love every bit.
I liked this book and can't wait to read the next one!! I find the series funny, relaxing, and a break from serious fantasy as this is a trope on the genre of course. Love every bit.
February 2, 2010
This was my favorite Xanth book by far. This book more than any other figured preeminently into altering who I was as a young man. Young love, sexual tension, heroism, principles and danger; it was really all I wanted after I read this book.
Even if I go back and discover these books weren't as good as I remember (highly likely considering the span of years that's passed), I gotta give credit to them for helping raise me in a sense. Senses of justice were pretty much instilled in me by these books, like new-age Arthurian legends.
A teacher of mine said that we don't really have any modern fairy tales or fables, especially none that serve the same purpose of teaching a lesson (i.e., red-riding hood and the danger of strangers) but these books did just that for me. I wanna give you a hug Anthony (even if you are a corpse) for helping instill something in me at a young age. I can't think of a better collection of books to give to a young reader. Just fantastic.
Even if I go back and discover these books weren't as good as I remember (highly likely considering the span of years that's passed), I gotta give credit to them for helping raise me in a sense. Senses of justice were pretty much instilled in me by these books, like new-age Arthurian legends.
A teacher of mine said that we don't really have any modern fairy tales or fables, especially none that serve the same purpose of teaching a lesson (i.e., red-riding hood and the danger of strangers) but these books did just that for me. I wanna give you a hug Anthony (even if you are a corpse) for helping instill something in me at a young age. I can't think of a better collection of books to give to a young reader. Just fantastic.
July 1, 2007
The first Piers Anthony book I ever read.
At my middle school, there was a yearly book drive where everyone would bring in boxes of books from home and all the kids could go buy books for a dollar. I would always buy anything that had a dragon or a knight on the cover. That's how I got into Piers, Dragonlance, Eddings, and all that other Junior High stuff. Not to mention Conan.
I got this book there, and needless to say, as an eleven-year-old, Anthony was hilarious. Especially in these early books, which had not yet become the endless list of fan-suggested puns and ephebophilic anti-sexuality that are his current fare. His early works are fairly amusing and harmless; even his penchant for escapism is toned down considerably.
Of course, looking back upon him, one cannot but blanch at his stilted prose, Mary Sue protagonists, puerile humor, and even more puerile sexuality. I know he does have some adult fans, and truthfully, I'm glad they're inside reading the latest Xanth novel instead of out in the world somewhere, voting.
My Fantasy Book Suggestions
At my middle school, there was a yearly book drive where everyone would bring in boxes of books from home and all the kids could go buy books for a dollar. I would always buy anything that had a dragon or a knight on the cover. That's how I got into Piers, Dragonlance, Eddings, and all that other Junior High stuff. Not to mention Conan.
I got this book there, and needless to say, as an eleven-year-old, Anthony was hilarious. Especially in these early books, which had not yet become the endless list of fan-suggested puns and ephebophilic anti-sexuality that are his current fare. His early works are fairly amusing and harmless; even his penchant for escapism is toned down considerably.
Of course, looking back upon him, one cannot but blanch at his stilted prose, Mary Sue protagonists, puerile humor, and even more puerile sexuality. I know he does have some adult fans, and truthfully, I'm glad they're inside reading the latest Xanth novel instead of out in the world somewhere, voting.
My Fantasy Book Suggestions
September 20, 2025
Dor and company leave the magic country of Xanth behind to track down Irene’s missing parents: King Trent and Queen Iris in Mundania where their magic powers don’t always work. Anthony delves deeper into the centaur race and the relationship between Dor and Irene as they navigate the dangers of the journey, terrain and those seeking to oppose them in this 4th Xanth novel which always has many laughs. This one graciously loaned to me by my friend Steven’s wife, Sarah.
May 1, 2014
I'm working my way through the Xanth series and finding it quite enjoyable. There's a bit of nostalgia – these were the gateway books that led me into a life of loving fantasy novels, and I still read them with quite a bit of fondness. Reading it as an old man and as a much more seasoned reader than I was when I first read these books as a teenager (that long ago? really?), I might under some circumstances be forced to critique these books as somewhat ham-handed and contrived – one of the reasons I stopped reading Xanth was that I became aware of how formulaic they were – but these early novels especially have a great sense of fun and sweetness to them that makes me feel very forgiving.
If you haven't read this series, then I really recommend you pick up the first book (A Spell for Chameleon) and fall in love with Xanth.
If you haven't read this series, then I really recommend you pick up the first book (A Spell for Chameleon) and fall in love with Xanth.
April 7, 2023
This has been the best book so far in the Xanth series, my star score is 4.5 rounded up.
King Trent and Queen Isis are going to go on a trade mission to mundania that only he can negotiate. So he leaves Dor as temporary King in his place, telling him that they will only be gone a week. He makes sure that Dor knows that 'Onesti', as Dor spells it is the best way to handle things. But after the week is over and King Trent hasn't come back Dor gets his friends together, which includes King Trent's daughter, Chet the centaur, Smash the ogre and Grundy the golem to go on a mission to find the Centaur Aisle which his dreams or nightmares of Trent tell him will help rescue the king and queen. But what or who is it?
King Trent and Queen Isis are going to go on a trade mission to mundania that only he can negotiate. So he leaves Dor as temporary King in his place, telling him that they will only be gone a week. He makes sure that Dor knows that 'Onesti', as Dor spells it is the best way to handle things. But after the week is over and King Trent hasn't come back Dor gets his friends together, which includes King Trent's daughter, Chet the centaur, Smash the ogre and Grundy the golem to go on a mission to find the Centaur Aisle which his dreams or nightmares of Trent tell him will help rescue the king and queen. But what or who is it?
September 22, 2022
The first half of the book was stupid fun while the second half was a lot less fun but equally stupid.
May 24, 2021
I enjoyed returning to another story with Dor, now a couple years older and still clueless as to how he'll ever be King of Xanth. He may have Magician caliber talent, but he's still a teenager. Irene often makes him look like a bumbling fool and she's the same age he is. But at Dor's heart is a good soul and one who is determined to do what's right. He'll always step up, whether that's to be King for a week while King Trent is off on a secret trade mission, or to head out on a mission himself to find and save King Trent before he's forced into being King permanently, long before he's ready.
I enjoyed Dor and his entire troup of young travelers. They are the youth of Xanth, but they will stand the country in good stead. Of course no trip around Xanth could ever be easy and Dor and his friends find themselves in plenty of trouble along the way. The puns are in full effect, and I enjoyed this wild ride.
I enjoyed Dor and his entire troup of young travelers. They are the youth of Xanth, but they will stand the country in good stead. Of course no trip around Xanth could ever be easy and Dor and his friends find themselves in plenty of trouble along the way. The puns are in full effect, and I enjoyed this wild ride.
December 9, 2020
As per most stories in the magical land of Xanth, this book was weeeiiird. I don't remember my reaction to the first three books in the series, but I'd say this was my least favourite so far. There were a lot of good story points and the humour was pretty chuckle worthy every now and then, but more so than usual Anthony's penchant to make comments about women (and in this case underage women) is preeetty creepy. I don't need to be reminded how hot a 16 year olds legs are once or twice a chapters.
The adventures through Xanth are always fun, and pun, with each monster, person and landscape having their own, fun gimmick. I'm forever in love with the idea of Talents.
Buuuuut like, as soon as we adventure into Mundania things start going kind of off the rails in maybe not a bad way?? But it started to hamper my enjoyment a touch.
Otherwise I'll keep reading Xanth and hope Mr. Anthony can hide his creepy sex pervert ways a little in the next book.
The adventures through Xanth are always fun, and pun, with each monster, person and landscape having their own, fun gimmick. I'm forever in love with the idea of Talents.
Buuuuut like, as soon as we adventure into Mundania things start going kind of off the rails in maybe not a bad way?? But it started to hamper my enjoyment a touch.
Otherwise I'll keep reading Xanth and hope Mr. Anthony can hide his creepy sex pervert ways a little in the next book.
March 24, 2019
След сравнително дълга пауза се завърнах към фентъзи поредицата “Зант” на Пиърс Антъни, като посегнах към четвъртия том от нея, “Centaur Aisle”. Бях останал много доволен от оригиналната трилогия, но тук, въпреки появата на прабългарите в сюжета, останах по-скоро разочарован. Шегите бяха изтъркани, а историята – не така интересна.
Цялото ми ревю четете на линка:
http://citadelata.com/centaur-aisle-x...
Цялото ми ревю четете на линка:
http://citadelata.com/centaur-aisle-x...
July 20, 2020
I first encountered Xanth about 30 years ago and Piers Anthony has remained a firm favourite ever since. When things in life are crap I can just pick up a Xanth novel and jump straight in to a world peopled by hybrids with puns galore and lose myself in the magic.
In Centaur Aisle we follow Bink & Chameleon's son Dor as he sets out with princess Irene, Chet Centaur, Ogre Smash and Grundy Golem to rescue King Trent & Queen Iris who get stuck in Mundania after a trade mission goes wrong.
It has all the Xanth hallmarks, comedy, puns, hybrids, magic, quest, romance - though being an early instalment in the saga, more plot and fewer puns.
I loved the Honesty/Onesti play and the visit to Medieval Romania was great fun. While not my favourite Xanth novel, this one will still delight fans and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
In Centaur Aisle we follow Bink & Chameleon's son Dor as he sets out with princess Irene, Chet Centaur, Ogre Smash and Grundy Golem to rescue King Trent & Queen Iris who get stuck in Mundania after a trade mission goes wrong.
It has all the Xanth hallmarks, comedy, puns, hybrids, magic, quest, romance - though being an early instalment in the saga, more plot and fewer puns.
I loved the Honesty/Onesti play and the visit to Medieval Romania was great fun. While not my favourite Xanth novel, this one will still delight fans and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
March 8, 2018
I read the first two Xanth books back when I was a kid and thought them pure delight. Unfortunately, they do not hold up to the less forgiving scrutiny of an adult and this Xanth novel is particularly bad in that respect. One of the best things about the Harry Potter books is that they prove YA books do not have to be written stupidly. The amount of stupidity in this book is boggling.
Centaur Aisle begins with the main character, Dor, age 16 reading and writing like an 8 year old. Granted this is done to set up a the many homonym puns that follow but that could have been done without making the MC stupid.
Next Dor goes to consult “the good Magician Humphry” but screws up by not calling ahead which means the castle defenses are not lowered for Dor. Dor is currently substituting for the King and so is entitled to have those defenses lowered. Dor faces the choice of risking his life or taking 10 minutes to teleport back to his castle and call ahead. Of course the stupid MC unnecessarily risks his life. Granted, this book would be a lot more boring if the MC acted intelligently but I’ve read plenty of books where characters act intelligently and the stories are better for it. Here the author doesn’t appear able to grasp that concept since he simply has his MC stumble from one stupid act to another.
After visiting Magician Humphry Dor sets out on a journey to Centaur Ilse, for which he is woefully unprepared, particularly since Dor is currently acting as King. To survive the trip Dor must use a cursed item and, as soon as it came up, it was obvious that Dor would forget to look into counteracting the curse so it would come to pass. Which it does and, when it does, the reader is immediately told there was a simple way to avert the curse. So the author once again shows his MC is stupid.
Next Dor leaves the magical land of Xanth for “Mundania” in search of the king he is substituting for. The first person Dor encounters he begins speaking to about magic even though Dor knows Mundanians don’t believe in magic. THIS MC IS SO STUPID HE SHOULD HAVE DIED ABOUT 20 PAGES INTO THIS BOOK. Particularly when you consider that Dor’s magical talent is being able to speak to inanimate objects. About 90% of the problems Dor encounters would have been avoided if he just constantly spoke to the things around him AND ASKED FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS. Dor often asks a single unhelpful question and then just stops. Again the author couldn’t be bother to think about a story with even a modicum of intelligence so we get a MC too stupid to count to 10.
Add to the stupid MC a villain who is smart enough to usurp a throne with no one the wiser but isn’t smart enough to NOT ANNOUNCE that usurpation in front of a witness AND TO THE WORLD IN GENERAL SO THE STUPID MC CAN CONVENIENTLY OVERHEAR BECAUSE OTHERWISE THIS MORON WOULDN’T KNOW WHAT TO DO. AND WHO USURPS A THRONE BUT KEEPS THE RIGHTFUL KING ALIVE IN A CASTLE WHERE EVERY MEMBER OF THE STAFF CAN IDENTIFY HIM AND ARE LOYAL TO HIM???????? Again, the amount of stupidity contained in this book is staggering.
Bottom line: An imaginative story a young, non-critical reader might enjoy but otherwise just a terrible book.
Centaur Aisle begins with the main character, Dor, age 16 reading and writing like an 8 year old. Granted this is done to set up a the many homonym puns that follow but that could have been done without making the MC stupid.
Next Dor goes to consult “the good Magician Humphry” but screws up by not calling ahead which means the castle defenses are not lowered for Dor. Dor is currently substituting for the King and so is entitled to have those defenses lowered. Dor faces the choice of risking his life or taking 10 minutes to teleport back to his castle and call ahead. Of course the stupid MC unnecessarily risks his life. Granted, this book would be a lot more boring if the MC acted intelligently but I’ve read plenty of books where characters act intelligently and the stories are better for it. Here the author doesn’t appear able to grasp that concept since he simply has his MC stumble from one stupid act to another.
After visiting Magician Humphry Dor sets out on a journey to Centaur Ilse, for which he is woefully unprepared, particularly since Dor is currently acting as King. To survive the trip Dor must use a cursed item and, as soon as it came up, it was obvious that Dor would forget to look into counteracting the curse so it would come to pass. Which it does and, when it does, the reader is immediately told there was a simple way to avert the curse. So the author once again shows his MC is stupid.
Next Dor leaves the magical land of Xanth for “Mundania” in search of the king he is substituting for. The first person Dor encounters he begins speaking to about magic even though Dor knows Mundanians don’t believe in magic. THIS MC IS SO STUPID HE SHOULD HAVE DIED ABOUT 20 PAGES INTO THIS BOOK. Particularly when you consider that Dor’s magical talent is being able to speak to inanimate objects. About 90% of the problems Dor encounters would have been avoided if he just constantly spoke to the things around him AND ASKED FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS. Dor often asks a single unhelpful question and then just stops. Again the author couldn’t be bother to think about a story with even a modicum of intelligence so we get a MC too stupid to count to 10.
Add to the stupid MC a villain who is smart enough to usurp a throne with no one the wiser but isn’t smart enough to NOT ANNOUNCE that usurpation in front of a witness AND TO THE WORLD IN GENERAL SO THE STUPID MC CAN CONVENIENTLY OVERHEAR BECAUSE OTHERWISE THIS MORON WOULDN’T KNOW WHAT TO DO. AND WHO USURPS A THRONE BUT KEEPS THE RIGHTFUL KING ALIVE IN A CASTLE WHERE EVERY MEMBER OF THE STAFF CAN IDENTIFY HIM AND ARE LOYAL TO HIM???????? Again, the amount of stupidity contained in this book is staggering.
Bottom line: An imaginative story a young, non-critical reader might enjoy but otherwise just a terrible book.
May 21, 2024
I'll say it upfront, this book was fun! It is not high-brow literature and does not pretend to be, there are no greater themes here nor pushing of a tedious message. It's what is presently called "young adult" fiction, but it emphasizes the young part, not the boring rubbish that masquerades as YA these days. There are puns, wordplay, circular logic, young love, ghost love, gorgon love, and it mostly takes place in Florida. A magical Florida, it's true, but I'd say Piers Anthony is at least partially responsible for the eventual popularization of the Florida Man meme.
The book features what I understand to be the author's trademark formula: a crisis occurs inFlorida Xanth, magical shenanigans ensue as relentless wordplay, puns, and assorted antagonisms pile up, lighthearted humor abounds, and what we nowadays call fanservice bounces. It's quite amusing, with one example being how Irene (the love interest) is frequently teased about wearing a skirt and how her panties are being seen by others (spoilers: they're not being seen, the other characters are deliberately riling her up), and near the end, a wardrobe malfunction involving falling from a high place results in them being accidentally seen... by her betrothed, who had deliberately avoided any such peeping since while he'll enjoy what's deliberately on display, they weren't engaged before so it wouldn't have been right to look where he wasn't invited. The whole book is like that, adolescent, lively, cheeky, cheerful, and fun, concepts that seem to have gotten misplaced in fantasy of late.
This isn't the first time I come across a Xanth book at some kind of thrift store or book sale (most memorably The Color of Her Panties), but it was the first time I bought and read one. Not because it was dirt cheap, but because the way the reddit hivemind treats this author and his books is quite obnoxious. I wanted to see with my own eyes if there was a problem and I state the problem lies between book and chair (reddit readers and people like them). If you feel above such low-brow amusement as this book provides because you desire to be very grown up, then I'd suggest reading something that caters to you.
The book features what I understand to be the author's trademark formula: a crisis occurs in
This isn't the first time I come across a Xanth book at some kind of thrift store or book sale (most memorably The Color of Her Panties), but it was the first time I bought and read one. Not because it was dirt cheap, but because the way the reddit hivemind treats this author and his books is quite obnoxious. I wanted to see with my own eyes if there was a problem and I state the problem lies between book and chair (reddit readers and people like them). If you feel above such low-brow amusement as this book provides because you desire to be very grown up, then I'd suggest reading something that caters to you.
June 23, 2014
I must disclose that I really enjoy the Xanth series. I love relaxing with some brain candy during the weekend, simply enjoying the story. So I rated the book 4 stars, when if possible, I would have given it 3 1/2 stars.
This is the fourth book in the Xanth Series. Dor is now 16, and King Trent has him running the kingdom while he has gone to Mundania to try to meet with a country to establish a trading partner. It was supposed to last only a week. Then it becomes longer and longer, and King Trent and Queen Iris have not returned.
Getting help from Irene, Smash, Grundy and Chet they start out on an adventure to find King Trent, and along the way discover the new Magician that has suddenly appeared in the land of Xanth. Whether Dor is able to complete his journey will help determine if he can rule a kingdom, while along the way trying to figure out his true feelings for Irene.
It is a fun adventure, one that is the first to have the characters have a prolonged exposure to Mundania, and one that starts to show how Xanth is land of puns. This book is a solid edition to the continuation of the Xanth series.
This is the fourth book in the Xanth Series. Dor is now 16, and King Trent has him running the kingdom while he has gone to Mundania to try to meet with a country to establish a trading partner. It was supposed to last only a week. Then it becomes longer and longer, and King Trent and Queen Iris have not returned.
Getting help from Irene, Smash, Grundy and Chet they start out on an adventure to find King Trent, and along the way discover the new Magician that has suddenly appeared in the land of Xanth. Whether Dor is able to complete his journey will help determine if he can rule a kingdom, while along the way trying to figure out his true feelings for Irene.
It is a fun adventure, one that is the first to have the characters have a prolonged exposure to Mundania, and one that starts to show how Xanth is land of puns. This book is a solid edition to the continuation of the Xanth series.
May 17, 2016
This is the fourth book in the excellent and awesome Xanth fantasy series. We join Dor who is now sixteen years old, & King Trent has asked him to watch the realm while he has travelled to Mundania, ahem Earth, to establish a trading partner. King Trent and Queen Iris have mysteriously disappeared. They have not returned to Xanth and they were only to have gone for a week. More time passes, what is Dor to do? Go on a punnish magical adventure; this is Xanth, people!
Aided ably by his friends Chet Centaur, Grundy Golem, Irene, and Smash the Ogre, they embark on said adventure. They discover that a new Magician has appeared. What Dor is able to experience on his quest will help in ruling a realm. He has found he has deep feeling for Irene, and that helps mature him and help complete his Xanthish search for the missing royals.
A lovely book and well written, we see a lot more of Mundania, ahem Earth; very funny and punny!!! These early editions of Xanth novels are always filled with the best kind of OG fantasy nostalgia feels for me, from the master, Piers Anthony.
Aided ably by his friends Chet Centaur, Grundy Golem, Irene, and Smash the Ogre, they embark on said adventure. They discover that a new Magician has appeared. What Dor is able to experience on his quest will help in ruling a realm. He has found he has deep feeling for Irene, and that helps mature him and help complete his Xanthish search for the missing royals.
A lovely book and well written, we see a lot more of Mundania, ahem Earth; very funny and punny!!! These early editions of Xanth novels are always filled with the best kind of OG fantasy nostalgia feels for me, from the master, Piers Anthony.
January 8, 2009
i first discovered this series in high school for a book report... where i read demons dont dream. i found the book a couple years ago and was like hey i liked this book in high school ill read it again... and liked it again... after some research i found out it was the 16th book in a series of over 30 books... i was like... i will conquer this series... Piers Anthony's series is fun to read though not that memorable... the series does build on each book... so im excited to see where it'll go in 15+ books.
January 10, 2014
Another really fun adventure in Xanth. Dor is the second generation to be chronicled and this is his second adventure. King Trent is raising Dor in the palace to give him training in how to be a monarch. However, this got interrupted when King Trent went on a week's visit to Mundania and never came back. Dor and several companions including the king's daugher, Irene, set out to find the King and rescue him. The puns flow quickly in this romp. As does love. This isn't great literature I suppose, but what a fun ride it is!
March 7, 2017
This was a pretty good entry in the Xanth series, because it included aspects of Mundania (the real world), which is always pretty entertaining. The author had an interesting take on how everyday people would react to encountering magic, and while powerful it didn't become an unstoppable trump card, which I liked. Intelligence and cunning were still necessary for success. The relationship between Dor and Irene was cute, and made me smile. Overall, a pretty lighthearted and fun read.
February 6, 2020
Classic Xanth Fair.
I had forgotten that this was another "It's a trilogy" book that got expanded like the Incarnations of Immortality or The Wheel of Time. But I like this one much better than Castle Roogna. It came SO close to just acknowledging Irene as a Magician. She's so flexible. It's a good time though. An excellent jaunt through mundania and a touch of Xanth as well.
I had forgotten that this was another "It's a trilogy" book that got expanded like the Incarnations of Immortality or The Wheel of Time. But I like this one much better than Castle Roogna. It came SO close to just acknowledging Irene as a Magician. She's so flexible. It's a good time though. An excellent jaunt through mundania and a touch of Xanth as well.
January 4, 2015
I am quite a fan of this series so far and book #4 is as strong as any of the first three. Piers Anthony's world of Xanth is a fun, adventurous place with hilarious "punny" names and titles. The characters are as well written as the world, and have endeared themselves to me in the first four book. I look forward to #5!!
August 26, 2019
4 Stars
Centaur Isle is the fourth book in the the Xanth series by Piers Anthony. Dor has been left in charge of the kingdom while the king is away for a short while, but after a few weeks and the king hasn't returned, what will Dor do?
The Xanth Series is quite a really long series that has spanned many decades. I remember reading the first few books back in the very early 1980’s and was totally captivated by the epic fantasy that unfolded before my eyes. I collected all the books as each new one was released and have revisited them a few times over the years. Recently I had been reorganising my bookshelves, because eight book cases have become insufficient to house all my books (#bookwhoredilemma)- and it came to the point where I was going to have to get rid of some of my older books/series in order to make way for new favourites. I looked at all the larger/longer series first and this is one of the larger series that I have, it came under scrutiny. I decided to reread all the books I was considering getting rid of first- before making a final decision. I can honestly say that although I these books didn’t blow me away as they once did- I still really enjoyed all the adventure, magic, swords & sorcery like epic fantasy that Mr. Anthony is renowned for. He has imbued his stories with plenty of humour, a playfulness, lots of fun, action, some history, conspiracies, secrets, surprising developments, and much, much more. We meet so many varied and original characters along the way- the books are full of wonderful fictional beasts and paranormal creatures/beasts. From centaurs, to demons, dragons, fauns, gargoyles, goblins, golems, harpies, merfolk, elves, nymphs, ogres, zombies, and curse fiends- and a few more I am sure I have missed.
The world of Xanth is wonderfully rich and vividly descriptive. It is really well written and is so easy to imagine, it came to life before my eyes. Each ‘person’ in Xanth is born with their own unique magical ability, which is called a ‘talent’. We follow along on many epic adventures and explore the world as the story unfolds.
I have many fond memories of reading this book/series- and in the end I can’t cull any of my collection. So I decided to just purchase a couple of extra bookcases instead. #myprecious
A series worth exploring- especially for any epic fantasy lover who loves some fun and humour served with their adventure.
Thank you, Mr. Anthony!
Centaur Isle is the fourth book in the the Xanth series by Piers Anthony. Dor has been left in charge of the kingdom while the king is away for a short while, but after a few weeks and the king hasn't returned, what will Dor do?
The Xanth Series is quite a really long series that has spanned many decades. I remember reading the first few books back in the very early 1980’s and was totally captivated by the epic fantasy that unfolded before my eyes. I collected all the books as each new one was released and have revisited them a few times over the years. Recently I had been reorganising my bookshelves, because eight book cases have become insufficient to house all my books (#bookwhoredilemma)- and it came to the point where I was going to have to get rid of some of my older books/series in order to make way for new favourites. I looked at all the larger/longer series first and this is one of the larger series that I have, it came under scrutiny. I decided to reread all the books I was considering getting rid of first- before making a final decision. I can honestly say that although I these books didn’t blow me away as they once did- I still really enjoyed all the adventure, magic, swords & sorcery like epic fantasy that Mr. Anthony is renowned for. He has imbued his stories with plenty of humour, a playfulness, lots of fun, action, some history, conspiracies, secrets, surprising developments, and much, much more. We meet so many varied and original characters along the way- the books are full of wonderful fictional beasts and paranormal creatures/beasts. From centaurs, to demons, dragons, fauns, gargoyles, goblins, golems, harpies, merfolk, elves, nymphs, ogres, zombies, and curse fiends- and a few more I am sure I have missed.
The world of Xanth is wonderfully rich and vividly descriptive. It is really well written and is so easy to imagine, it came to life before my eyes. Each ‘person’ in Xanth is born with their own unique magical ability, which is called a ‘talent’. We follow along on many epic adventures and explore the world as the story unfolds.
I have many fond memories of reading this book/series- and in the end I can’t cull any of my collection. So I decided to just purchase a couple of extra bookcases instead. #myprecious
A series worth exploring- especially for any epic fantasy lover who loves some fun and humour served with their adventure.
Thank you, Mr. Anthony!
April 18, 2021
Spoilers ahead.
I'm re-reading this series from the start. I've read each of these about 20 times since they were published so I know the books quite well. The last re-read was many years ago though. This seems to be the one I like least so far. I think the reason is that Piers Anthony started dumbing down his Xanth series starting with this one.
He used to be a series sci-fi and fantasy writer. The Xanth series had an outer shell for kids but some of the material touched upon and the dialog were quite adult. I especially liked the characters and the exchanges they had between themselves. Centaur Aisle seem to lack this subtle seriousness. It also suffered from a lack of interesting characters.
Ichabod is perhaps the most interesting character in this book. King Oary does make a couple of interesting observations but overall I think Piers Anthony tried too hard for this book to be cute. Some of the puns have become downright obnoxious. Humor is best when subtle, not forced down our throats every page. There were also a few passages I had to fast read as Anthony spent too much time going over a certain event.
The romance between Dor and Irene were ok if repetitive. Overall, Anthony's writing for this book just doesn't seem to be as sharp.
Summary:
King Trent is going to Mundania for a trade deal. He tasks Dor to find a new magician down Centaur Isle as a training exercise. They find Arnolde whose talent is an aisle of magic. Trent and Iris become MIA so the gang decide to go there to find them. First they find an archivist who helps them identify the time period and location.
The gang finds the location by trial and error. Once there they discover that a regent has usurped the throne and thrown the real king and Trent and Iris into prison. Using Arnolde's talent the gang rescues them and sets everything right.
The plot is not bad, I just find the writing not up to the standard as before.
I'm re-reading this series from the start. I've read each of these about 20 times since they were published so I know the books quite well. The last re-read was many years ago though. This seems to be the one I like least so far. I think the reason is that Piers Anthony started dumbing down his Xanth series starting with this one.
He used to be a series sci-fi and fantasy writer. The Xanth series had an outer shell for kids but some of the material touched upon and the dialog were quite adult. I especially liked the characters and the exchanges they had between themselves. Centaur Aisle seem to lack this subtle seriousness. It also suffered from a lack of interesting characters.
Ichabod is perhaps the most interesting character in this book. King Oary does make a couple of interesting observations but overall I think Piers Anthony tried too hard for this book to be cute. Some of the puns have become downright obnoxious. Humor is best when subtle, not forced down our throats every page. There were also a few passages I had to fast read as Anthony spent too much time going over a certain event.
The romance between Dor and Irene were ok if repetitive. Overall, Anthony's writing for this book just doesn't seem to be as sharp.
Summary:
King Trent is going to Mundania for a trade deal. He tasks Dor to find a new magician down Centaur Isle as a training exercise. They find Arnolde whose talent is an aisle of magic. Trent and Iris become MIA so the gang decide to go there to find them. First they find an archivist who helps them identify the time period and location.
The gang finds the location by trial and error. Once there they discover that a regent has usurped the throne and thrown the real king and Trent and Iris into prison. Using Arnolde's talent the gang rescues them and sets everything right.
The plot is not bad, I just find the writing not up to the standard as before.
October 22, 2020
Four books deep into the Xanth series yet if this book was my introduction to this universe, I probably wouldn't pursue it further. I didn't enjoy the journey near as much as the previous story (Dor's introduction.)
Piers puts his puns in first, story in second. The travel required for the main plot was exhausting to mentally endure. Sure, its fantasy but oh my, what a stretch of convenience within characters. Nothing was dangerous or in fear of failing, just that in a world of magic, this was the worst possible use of magical talents for a journey.
And with an excursion into Mundania, how can a golem exist outside of the aisle? (food for thought.)
Overall, I lost interest in Xanth while reading this story. I mean who cares about Irene's legs (P.S. I lost faith in the writing as Piers sexualizes her... she's a teenager and every other cast member seems to take the joke too far/ especially talking about he color of her underwear, seriously, what was Piers thinking?)
The talents were overextended, boring, and exhaustively used to poor effect. The crossover visit to Mundania provided lame retorts through Dor's ability, Arnolde's limit magical hot spot/wi-fi range was ignorant to a fault, and Irene 's seed selection was impossibly trite.
Just a mess, throughout this story. Skip it if you can, read it at your own peril if you must.
Thanks for reading.
Piers puts his puns in first, story in second. The travel required for the main plot was exhausting to mentally endure. Sure, its fantasy but oh my, what a stretch of convenience within characters. Nothing was dangerous or in fear of failing, just that in a world of magic, this was the worst possible use of magical talents for a journey.
And with an excursion into Mundania, how can a golem exist outside of the aisle? (food for thought.)
Overall, I lost interest in Xanth while reading this story. I mean who cares about Irene's legs (P.S. I lost faith in the writing as Piers sexualizes her... she's a teenager and every other cast member seems to take the joke too far/ especially talking about he color of her underwear, seriously, what was Piers thinking?)
The talents were overextended, boring, and exhaustively used to poor effect. The crossover visit to Mundania provided lame retorts through Dor's ability, Arnolde's limit magical hot spot/wi-fi range was ignorant to a fault, and Irene 's seed selection was impossibly trite.
Just a mess, throughout this story. Skip it if you can, read it at your own peril if you must.
Thanks for reading.
December 21, 2021
Dor is back from his trip to the past and is now, because of his Magician-level power, in line to be king of Xanth. King Trent's daughter, Irene, is a brat and a pain in his side. The Queen is a constant annoyance as well since no one could know if some innocuous picture was what it seemed to be or the Queen spying on everyone in a room. And she was annoying herself. Only King Trent was a constant and a supporter of Dor's.
Now, the King and Queen are off to Mundania, leaving Dor as temporary king in their absence. When they don't return on time, the story really gets going. Something about a "centaur isle" or is it "aisle"?? Dor isn't very good at spelling and the message he received in a dream wasn't spelled out, just verbal.
So, it's time for the predictable travelogue with many problems along the way.
The nice thing about the problems is that they're unique. Anthony doesn't repeat old stuff (although he does use previous problems in a new way), but also manages to come up with new twists.
The only thing that kept me from giving this 5 stars, is that the journey was too involved. Many blind alleys involved. But then, if he'd taken his characters to the goal directly, the book would have been too short. Still, even the blind alleys were interesting to read about.
Now, the King and Queen are off to Mundania, leaving Dor as temporary king in their absence. When they don't return on time, the story really gets going. Something about a "centaur isle" or is it "aisle"?? Dor isn't very good at spelling and the message he received in a dream wasn't spelled out, just verbal.
So, it's time for the predictable travelogue with many problems along the way.
The nice thing about the problems is that they're unique. Anthony doesn't repeat old stuff (although he does use previous problems in a new way), but also manages to come up with new twists.
The only thing that kept me from giving this 5 stars, is that the journey was too involved. Many blind alleys involved. But then, if he'd taken his characters to the goal directly, the book would have been too short. Still, even the blind alleys were interesting to read about.
July 3, 2021
I love these books, I've been reading them in order and I started reading them at age 16 I thought they were very creative and vastly different from what I normally read I still think that. I know what people say about piers Anthony and I have no answer to that to be honest. But you know what ? When I read these I shut my brain off and enjoy the story and this I think is a good book, you like him or hate him I understand but you can't say he's had not had some creative ideas, on a pale horse (1983) where you shoot death than become him him than later fight Satan himself saving the woman you love how cool is that? Anyways I enjoyed this one quite a bit read on if you so choose too. Next up ogre,ogre (1982)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 27, 2022
A really fun book, but ultimately a casualty of modernity. It's pretty dated in a lot of ways, but still tells a fun story. Boldly sexist at times, but it also drives a point that modern societies SHOULDN'T be sexist. But these things are a sliding scale.
ANYWAY...I absolutely love puns, so that's always a bonus for me. This series is a re-read from when I was a kid, so there's always some nostalgia to it. But this is a great adventure novel. They travel half the length of Xanth and then all the way into Mundania. I will probably wait a while to read the next one, but I think I definitely will.
ANYWAY...I absolutely love puns, so that's always a bonus for me. This series is a re-read from when I was a kid, so there's always some nostalgia to it. But this is a great adventure novel. They travel half the length of Xanth and then all the way into Mundania. I will probably wait a while to read the next one, but I think I definitely will.
December 31, 2022
I like this Xanth book, a simple fantasy story of a young man being put into a position of power as the king and queen go on a trade mission and having to go to the rescue them when they are held prisoner.
The characters are well written and have grown from the previous episode that they appeared in as the characters grow up and develop. Generally found this a fast moving story that made the pages turn quickly.
The characters are well written and have grown from the previous episode that they appeared in as the characters grow up and develop. Generally found this a fast moving story that made the pages turn quickly.
June 15, 2023
Probably one of my favorite Xanth stories. I used to read this series as a kid and had gotten through most of the first twenty or thirty and this was by far my favorite. There was something in the relationship between Ivy and Dor that a teenage boy could relate to/long for.
The series is obviously fantasy so there’s the magic flare, but done in a way where it’s an ability rather than some combo of dark rites and/or some esoteric knowledge. The majority of the series I read was fairly clean.
The series is obviously fantasy so there’s the magic flare, but done in a way where it’s an ability rather than some combo of dark rites and/or some esoteric knowledge. The majority of the series I read was fairly clean.
August 9, 2019
Piers Anthony is always fun! I like the puns and the plays on words, and the little goofy tricks that help get his characters through their troubles. The way magic works in Xanth seems to be fairly unique view and I think the world is the better for it. It's lighthearted and fun while still being more of an adult book, which seems to be a rare thing.
November 28, 2019
Park you brain at the Dor and enjoy another clever and enjoyable adventure in fantasy and wordplay with Centaur Aisle. Dor and Irene provide a fun romantic plot line of preeminently adorable proportions. Grundy and Smash provide levity and fun every step of the way. Every inch the fantasy escape that I love.
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