Summary ...

A spirited Sextet of brave adventurers battle deadly demons in a cosmic game for the future of Xanth.

Story Synopsis ...

Swell Foop, the twenty-fifth volume of Piers Anthony's bestselling Xanth fantasy adventures, is one of the most intricate and intriguing tales in the history of the series.

A peril of immense gravity—or rather lack of gravity—endangers the enchanted land of Xanth. The Demon Earth, who rules our own world, has mysteriously disappeared. If he stays away too long, the very fabric of the world will unravel, removing earth's gravitational field, and, incidentally, that of Xanth as well.

It's whispered that an unknown Demon has done the deed. The only weapon that can prevail against such a cosmic being is the instrument known as the Swell Foop. And the only way to handle the Swell Foop is to locate the Six Magical Rings of Xanth.

By mere chance, six adventurers have been chosen to find the rings: Cynthia Centaur and her mate Che; Breanna of the Black Wave and her now-human fiance Justin Tree; Sim, the immortal bird who will one day know all the secrets of the universe; and Jaylin, a young human girl from the Mundane land of Hawaii.

A harrowing and hilarious escapade that ranges from Earth to Xanth to a galaxy far, far away, Swell Foop is sure to delight Piers Anthony's many fans.

From Piers' DisMember 1999 newsletter:

"I have just completed the 25th Xanth novel, Swell Foop. It is the story of the abduction of the Demon Earth, who needs to be rescued before his magic power of Gravity fades, making things uncomfortable for the natives of his realm. Only the Swell Foop can save him, and only the Six Rings of Xanth can control the Foop, and only the zombies know where the Rings are. So it quickly gets complicated as six mortal heroes tackle the mission. Over a hundred reader notions are used, and it gets pretty wild before it settles. Assuming all goes well, it should be published late in the year 2001."

Swell Foop is a grander adventure, exploring the significance of emotions for good or ill, as the major Demons get into this unfamiliar mortal aspect. There has always been more to Xanth than puns. The critics who claim there is nothing there but egregious puns are revealing their own inability to pick up on the more sophisticated levels of humor therein. I think of it as being like a fruitcake, with the puns as nuts. There is more than nuts to fruitcake.

Swell Foop takes place in Xanth Circa 1101, one year after the events in The Dastard.

Review Quotes ...

"The xanth books constitute Anthony's longest and most successful series .... They are intended to be kind-spirited, fun reading, a series of wondrous beasts and beings, and most of all, an endless succession of outrageous puns .... No need for a warning label on these books, except one stating that your children may find them habit-forming and develop a life-time passion for reading and books."

—Lee Killough, Wichita Eagle.

Story Excerpt ...

Cynthia crested a hill and spied the Good Magician's castle. She paused, surveying it. Her pulse accelerating with maidenly excitement. She was here; could she handle the three Challenges? She knew they would be possible but not easy.

Suddenly her Question seemed foolishly inadequate. She really didn't need to bother Magician Humfrey with it; there was one sure way to get the answer on her own. The trouble was, that way was dangerous. If she proved to be unlucky, she could regret it for the rest of her life. So she could not afford to gamble; she had to know before she married Che Centaur.

Author Information ...

PIERS ANTHONY is one of the world's most popular fantasy authors and a New York Times bestseller twenty-one times over. He lives in Inverness, Florida.

Chapters ...

The following chapter list refers to the Advanced Reading Copy publication of How Precious was That While.