Summary:

As far as nine-year-old Dolph, son of King Dor and Queen Irene of Castle Roogna, could tell, the world was full of mysteries that needed solving.

For instance, why did young men and women spend so much time on mushy stuff? Love, they said, which explained nothing as far as Dolph was concerned.

Then there was the matter of Grandma Iris and what happened to her wonderful talent for illusion- making things seem like other things. Nowadays, she could only make them sound like other things- an ability of dubious worth.

But the biggest mystery of all was Good Magician Humfrey's disappearance in a puff of smoke- holy smoke- accidentally conjured by one of Humfrey's elves. And that seemed like one puzzle the boy could do something about. So, setting out with the skeleton Marrow Bones, his own magical talents- and his mother's permission- Dolph embarked upon a grand quest across the land of Xanth... a journey on which the lad found himself pitted against bloodthirsty harpies, human-headed snakes called Naga, and- most challenging of all- marriage-minded girls who supplied some surprising answers to Dolph's questions.