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Xanth #32
Two to the Fifth
Cyrus, a naïve young Cyborg, is in a curious quandary. His father, Roland Robot, expects him to become a leader of robots like himself. His mother, Hannah Barbarian, wants him to capture and marry a lovely wild-haired uncivilized woman like her. But Cyrus has a secret ambition of his own, which is likely to please neither of them—to write and direct plays.
Puzzled and perplexed, Cyrus sets out to present his dilemma to the Good Magician Humfrey, accompanied by his smart-ass companion, Don the Mechanical Donkey. But the Magician has troubling news for Cyrus. An imperious bird known as Ragna Roc is using his awesome magical powers to achieve total domination over the land of Xanth. Those who swear loyalty to him are spared. But those who oppose him are simply disappeared.
So powerful are Ragna’s sorceries that even the Good Magician Humfrey dares not confront him directly. Until the peril is dealt with, he cannot help Cyrus with his own problem. Instead he uses Cyrus’s own secret desires to advance a stealthy subterfuge—sending him out to gather a company of players to put on a play so beguiling it might cause Ragna Roc to let down his defenses.
Unaware that he has been created with a handsome countenance that is all but irresistible to all manner of femails, Cyrus is surprised when a bevy of beautiful maidens begins to gather around him. Among them are Tess Tosterone, a strapping young barbarian; Dusti, a horny horned Dust Devil; Xina, a lovely lass who changes her hair as often as she changes her mind; and Acro Nymph, a curvaceous sprite who plays with hearts as well as words. And hidden in disguise among the beautiful young actresses are the young princesses, Melody, Harmony, and Rhythm, whose combined magics might just be a match for the evil bird.
But Ragna has planted a spy in the midst of the troupe, who knows their deepest secrets, including the true nature of Cyrus’s forbidden love for one of the young princesses. Only a mysterious child called Kadence, and a cryptic clue—“Two to the Fifth”—may give the companions the edge they need to free Xanth from the tyrannical grip of the Roc’s deadly talons.
Puzzled and perplexed, Cyrus sets out to present his dilemma to the Good Magician Humfrey, accompanied by his smart-ass companion, Don the Mechanical Donkey. But the Magician has troubling news for Cyrus. An imperious bird known as Ragna Roc is using his awesome magical powers to achieve total domination over the land of Xanth. Those who swear loyalty to him are spared. But those who oppose him are simply disappeared.
So powerful are Ragna’s sorceries that even the Good Magician Humfrey dares not confront him directly. Until the peril is dealt with, he cannot help Cyrus with his own problem. Instead he uses Cyrus’s own secret desires to advance a stealthy subterfuge—sending him out to gather a company of players to put on a play so beguiling it might cause Ragna Roc to let down his defenses.
Unaware that he has been created with a handsome countenance that is all but irresistible to all manner of femails, Cyrus is surprised when a bevy of beautiful maidens begins to gather around him. Among them are Tess Tosterone, a strapping young barbarian; Dusti, a horny horned Dust Devil; Xina, a lovely lass who changes her hair as often as she changes her mind; and Acro Nymph, a curvaceous sprite who plays with hearts as well as words. And hidden in disguise among the beautiful young actresses are the young princesses, Melody, Harmony, and Rhythm, whose combined magics might just be a match for the evil bird.
But Ragna has planted a spy in the midst of the troupe, who knows their deepest secrets, including the true nature of Cyrus’s forbidden love for one of the young princesses. Only a mysterious child called Kadence, and a cryptic clue—“Two to the Fifth”—may give the companions the edge they need to free Xanth from the tyrannical grip of the Roc’s deadly talons.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published October 14, 2008
28 people are currently reading
2489 people want to read
About the author
Piers Anthony
438 books4,194 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 55 reviews
November 16, 2009
I didn't actually finish this book. I am pretty sure I won't read anymore of this series.
1. The puns have gotten out of control, they get in the way of the story. They frustrate, rather than amuse, the reader.
2. The preoccupation with sex. The portrayal of all young women as nymphomaniacs seems pedophilic.
I want to say that this is not how this series started. Although I was a teen when I started this series I was a mature reader. The puns were scattered, fun and surprisingly creative. Over the years readers sent in ideas and now it feels that Mr. Anthony has become more concerned with using every suggestion that it has become a long string of puns interspersed with aspects of a story. And the Adult Conspiracy was a fun way to hint at adult things without being too explicit for a younger reader. Now that is just a side note as Mr. Anthony finds more and more ways to get around the 'adult conspiracy' to be more explicit in his descriptions of arousal and seduction. And too often young (sometimes way too young) women are seducing the poor helpless, naive male. I noticed these trends a few books ago, hoped it was temporary, but kept reading. No longer. Mr. Anthony has lost a fan.
1. The puns have gotten out of control, they get in the way of the story. They frustrate, rather than amuse, the reader.
2. The preoccupation with sex. The portrayal of all young women as nymphomaniacs seems pedophilic.
I want to say that this is not how this series started. Although I was a teen when I started this series I was a mature reader. The puns were scattered, fun and surprisingly creative. Over the years readers sent in ideas and now it feels that Mr. Anthony has become more concerned with using every suggestion that it has become a long string of puns interspersed with aspects of a story. And the Adult Conspiracy was a fun way to hint at adult things without being too explicit for a younger reader. Now that is just a side note as Mr. Anthony finds more and more ways to get around the 'adult conspiracy' to be more explicit in his descriptions of arousal and seduction. And too often young (sometimes way too young) women are seducing the poor helpless, naive male. I noticed these trends a few books ago, hoped it was temporary, but kept reading. No longer. Mr. Anthony has lost a fan.
February 18, 2010
Didn't finish. Piers has slipped a long ways from the glory days of Xanth. I might go back and re-read some of those I really liked. This one chased me off within a few chapters. Too contrived. Too much innuendo. To much sexual bravado.
September 28, 2019
4 Stars
Two to the Fifth is the thirty-second book in the Xanth series by Piers Anthony. The adventures certainly are getting quite zany as the series progresses, and this story is definitely one of the crazier ones, for sure. Cyrus the Cyborg is crumbling under the weight of responsibility and expectation- so off to Magician Humfrey he goes to get some much needed perspective. But instead finds himself slightly off-course, with much at stake, as Xanth comes under threat from Ragna Roc.
The Xanthe 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.
I can honestly say that although these books didn’t blow me away as they did the first couple of times I read them- 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. 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 have slipped my mind.
The world of Xanthe 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 Xanthe 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 it’s definitely a series that’s worth exploring- especially for any epic fantasy lover who loves some fun and humour served with their adventure.
Thank you, Mr. Anthony!
Two to the Fifth is the thirty-second book in the Xanth series by Piers Anthony. The adventures certainly are getting quite zany as the series progresses, and this story is definitely one of the crazier ones, for sure. Cyrus the Cyborg is crumbling under the weight of responsibility and expectation- so off to Magician Humfrey he goes to get some much needed perspective. But instead finds himself slightly off-course, with much at stake, as Xanth comes under threat from Ragna Roc.
The Xanthe 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.
I can honestly say that although these books didn’t blow me away as they did the first couple of times I read them- 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. 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 have slipped my mind.
The world of Xanthe 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 Xanthe 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 it’s definitely a series that’s worth exploring- especially for any epic fantasy lover who loves some fun and humour served with their adventure.
Thank you, Mr. Anthony!
June 3, 2017
I found this interestingly titled booked, (the 32nd installment of the Xanth series) to be alright and a story that can be read quickly, though it was not one of my favorite stories in the series.
The story follows Cyrus the Cyborg, the offspring of Roland Robot and Hannah Barbarian, who wants to know what he truly wants. So, like everyone else in the Realm of Xanth, he goes to the Good Magician Humphrey to ask. When he gets through the challenges, he meets Wira and Sofia who explain that he will get his answer, but his service to Xanth will be extremely dangerous. A magician Roc named Ragna has ambitions to rule Xanth and has started to take over parts of it already. With the power of deletion, he is able to render anyone who opposes his will an illusion. When Cyrus is able to speak with the Good Magician, he asks what is his life’s ambition is, and is given the answer to be a playwright. Using this information, he sets out to write plays, with the idea that if he can get a troupe together and if the plays are good enough, they will be able to draw the interest of Ragna, get close to him, and try to stop him from taking over Xanth.
Along the way, he gets Melete, his personal Writer’s block. Melete helps him to start to write plays, but he needs actresses. That is no problem because it seems that almost every woman that Cyrus meets wants to be an actress. On top of that, they are all interested in going to bed with him and doing Adult Conspiracy things in order to try to influence him. Needing to have a magician to fight off Ragna, Princess Rhythm is enlisted into the troupe. Her power and identity needs to be kept secret so the Roc doesn’t suspect her, so she calls herself Rhyme and uses her power to keep the rest of the actresses and actors from figuring out who she is.
Then things get complicated as Princess Rhythm develops a crush on Cyrus and then falls in love with him. Using her power, she transforms herself to a 22 year old woman, pushes him into a love spring, and then summons the stork. But something goes wrong with the spell, time accelerates, and their daughter Kadence appears. Kadence joins the troupe as Rhyme’s little sister, and Cyrus and Rhythm are in a dilemma of forbidden love, and adult (though technically he was created only 2 years before) and a 12 year old girl. The troupe suspects something is up between them, but does not know exactly what it is. As it turns out, Kadence’s presence is also necessary to defeat Ragna.
I was not particularly thrilled about this installment of the Xanth series. It may have been the content story of an adult carrying on an affair with a 12 year old, (though admittedly the child transforms herself into an adult during the “romantic times”). It may have also been because the most of the story came across as a book about “Adult Conspiracy” things and less about finding a way to defeat Ragna Roc. I would only recommend this book to fans of the Xanth series, and even that reluctantly. Unlike the other books in the series, I think that a person reading this book as their first venture into Xanth will be confused and turned off of the series.
The story follows Cyrus the Cyborg, the offspring of Roland Robot and Hannah Barbarian, who wants to know what he truly wants. So, like everyone else in the Realm of Xanth, he goes to the Good Magician Humphrey to ask. When he gets through the challenges, he meets Wira and Sofia who explain that he will get his answer, but his service to Xanth will be extremely dangerous. A magician Roc named Ragna has ambitions to rule Xanth and has started to take over parts of it already. With the power of deletion, he is able to render anyone who opposes his will an illusion. When Cyrus is able to speak with the Good Magician, he asks what is his life’s ambition is, and is given the answer to be a playwright. Using this information, he sets out to write plays, with the idea that if he can get a troupe together and if the plays are good enough, they will be able to draw the interest of Ragna, get close to him, and try to stop him from taking over Xanth.
Along the way, he gets Melete, his personal Writer’s block. Melete helps him to start to write plays, but he needs actresses. That is no problem because it seems that almost every woman that Cyrus meets wants to be an actress. On top of that, they are all interested in going to bed with him and doing Adult Conspiracy things in order to try to influence him. Needing to have a magician to fight off Ragna, Princess Rhythm is enlisted into the troupe. Her power and identity needs to be kept secret so the Roc doesn’t suspect her, so she calls herself Rhyme and uses her power to keep the rest of the actresses and actors from figuring out who she is.
Then things get complicated as Princess Rhythm develops a crush on Cyrus and then falls in love with him. Using her power, she transforms herself to a 22 year old woman, pushes him into a love spring, and then summons the stork. But something goes wrong with the spell, time accelerates, and their daughter Kadence appears. Kadence joins the troupe as Rhyme’s little sister, and Cyrus and Rhythm are in a dilemma of forbidden love, and adult (though technically he was created only 2 years before) and a 12 year old girl. The troupe suspects something is up between them, but does not know exactly what it is. As it turns out, Kadence’s presence is also necessary to defeat Ragna.
I was not particularly thrilled about this installment of the Xanth series. It may have been the content story of an adult carrying on an affair with a 12 year old, (though admittedly the child transforms herself into an adult during the “romantic times”). It may have also been because the most of the story came across as a book about “Adult Conspiracy” things and less about finding a way to defeat Ragna Roc. I would only recommend this book to fans of the Xanth series, and even that reluctantly. Unlike the other books in the series, I think that a person reading this book as their first venture into Xanth will be confused and turned off of the series.
October 20, 2008
Another fun frolick through Xanth, but one that will only be appreciated by true fans.
As has happened with so many of the more recent titles, the plot is fairly thin and the number of characters required to work through Anthony's PUNishment is almost distracting.
It should be noted that the "Adult Conspiracy" takes quite a hit in this novel. Unlike the rest of the Xanth 'trilogy'I wouldn't recommend it for younger teens. Lots of highly suggestive circumstances, outright seduction scenes and more stork signaling than I think any other Xanth book contains.
That being said, loyal readers will happily gobble up this latest light read.
As has happened with so many of the more recent titles, the plot is fairly thin and the number of characters required to work through Anthony's PUNishment is almost distracting.
It should be noted that the "Adult Conspiracy" takes quite a hit in this novel. Unlike the rest of the Xanth 'trilogy'I wouldn't recommend it for younger teens. Lots of highly suggestive circumstances, outright seduction scenes and more stork signaling than I think any other Xanth book contains.
That being said, loyal readers will happily gobble up this latest light read.
October 16, 2010
Do people even pay attention to what they read, or am I the only one who noticed that they never had "stork summoning" relations when she was a child? She was always 22.
Even when she was in an adult body, Andromeda's, she said she had to invoke the decade spell first, that the Adult Conspiracy kicked her out of Andromeda's body when she didn't invoke the aging spell.
I don't know if it's me or not. On my job, you have to read everything and get all the details right Bypassing details can create disasters in health care, especially when it's emergency medicine.
Even when she was in an adult body, Andromeda's, she said she had to invoke the decade spell first, that the Adult Conspiracy kicked her out of Andromeda's body when she didn't invoke the aging spell.
I don't know if it's me or not. On my job, you have to read everything and get all the details right Bypassing details can create disasters in health care, especially when it's emergency medicine.
December 20, 2019
I have read alot of Piers Anthony's books and I forgot that a lot of his books can be all over the place. Some can be really good, others really bad, bland, or just offensive. And while none of his Xanth books hit that really bad or the offensive marks this one is just kind of boring and I forgot how much his Xanth books love puns and word plays because as a High School student I loved puns but while I still enjoy them but there is a limit and this one was just boring and annoying. The best Xanth books are those that are kind of like Alice in Wonderland just seeing a person going on a crazy adventure but this one really does not do that as it is mostly just people talking with all of the crazy stuff happening in the background or being explained to you.
February 15, 2021
I liked the ideas concerning how the five dimensions interact and can be used for this particular encounter between the Roc and the princesses. How about this for stopping the Roc: check him out as to where he came from on the tapestry and reverse his existence? There, the main idea for this novel squished. At least we weren’t dealing with demon bets this time. The silliness with the Adult Conspiracy is magnified 5 to the 2nd power in this one. I am starting to wonder if our author is inclined to age illicit relationships at this point, since this silly part of Xanth mythology is all over the place in this installment. It’s getting old, but maybe he can recover his rep in the next few novels. Let’s find out.
November 22, 2021
This is probably my least favorite Xanth novel to date. A story that didn't particularly interest me. Talents that are kind of ridiculous (even for a series that's defined by it's ridiculousness). And, as much a I've always enjoyed the Xanth novels they have finally hit a level that I can agree with others that his obsession with sex is getting out of hand. The last two Xanth novels (this and the previous one) were much too I've the top with sex. I'll continue to read the novels since some I love, others are meh and a rare few I dislike. Hopefully the next one is better than the last two.
June 15, 2020
The Xanth books by Piers Anthony were one of the first SciFi/Fantasy series I ever read. I love puns so I have always enjoyed them. Upon re-reading them I can see that they have some weaknesses but overall they stand the test of time. They are a fun and fast read that keeps me amused without any deep thinking required.
September 22, 2021
I felt very uncomfortable reading this book. It felt at best cover to excuse pedophilia with semantics. Piers Anthony has been skirting that issue for years, but not quite as brazenly as here.
Reading-wise, it was as good as any of the other Xanth books. You know what you're gonna get out the series.
Reading-wise, it was as good as any of the other Xanth books. You know what you're gonna get out the series.
June 27, 2020
My least favorite Xanth novel. The whole Rhythm/Cyrus love affair is just too creepy. It's sad, because the plot line with Ragna Roc is thrilling. Who knew that Anthony would have commented on "Cancel Culture" in 2008?
August 22, 2019
Wonderful
Want to read
July 19, 2020elibrary
July 31, 2020
Another good plot
I like the ending as well as hanging on to morals in the story and twist ending to keep plot moving.
I like the ending as well as hanging on to morals in the story and twist ending to keep plot moving.
April 9, 2021
This is one of the earlier Xanth novels I somehow missed.
It is a good change of pace for what I have been reading lately. As usual, there is a quest and many puns.
It is a good change of pace for what I have been reading lately. As usual, there is a quest and many puns.
February 8, 2022
5 star - Perfect
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish
August 17, 2023
Cyrus the playwright is called to save Xanth from Ragna Roc - an interesting tale . . .worth reading!
November 2, 2008
It was interesting to read this book from the Catholic perspective. I've never before considered moral issues when reading anything in this series, just reading for its sheer entertainment value.
And one of the problems that stuck out is the way marriage/love is portrayed, at least at the beginning. At the beginning it's all selfish, and I kept thinking to myself: this is not what love is about, and it's not about the sex either. Love is self-sacrificial, thinking about the other partner more. And I thought this exactly shows why children / teens should not get involved in serious relationships. They are in it for selfish reasons. They can't think through the consequences of their decisions.
Then at the stork factory, Rhythm actually realized part of what love is; she regretted putting Cyrus into this awkward situation, and was willing to give him up so he could have a "normal family life". Of course, she got off easy because Stymy was only too happy to conceal his own mistake, and right afterwards went onto ignoring her promises.
There isn't a good clean resolution in the end. I think it makes this affair a kind of gray area. First it shows that the affair was necessary to save Xanth, since it brought Kadence - the essential element in the battle against Ragna Roc - into being prematurely. That seems to imply that the end justifies the means, which is a very very bad idea.
On the other hand, it tries to correct the mistakes by separating the lovers until they can be brought together lawfully, and that is in a way good. You have to be confident in your love, that if it truly is meant to be, you will be reunited when you are both ready for it. You have to be prepared to make that sort of sacrifice, in order to prove your love is true. The anticipation of reunion will make the reunion so much sweeter.
Of course the author had to go ahead and ruin this idea by letting the lovers reunite from time to time before the rightful time... They are impatient, and can't let it be. It makes them happy when they meet up - and I'm all for their happiness, don't think I'm cruel and want them to be unhappy, but it also cheapens the sacrifice somewhat.
Kadence is of course lost to them, and possibly that's sacrifice enough? But they really weren't ready to raise a child yet at that stage. Rhythm is still a child herself despite everything she says. I didn't get a sense of maturity from her, when she was in her body of a child. Cyrus while assembled adult lacks the experience to be a father. He accepts whatever the women tell him, and lets himself be governed by them...
The other somewhat troublesome part was all the concealment, and the fact that the very first thing Rhythm and Cyrus taught their daughter was to lie, play-act, pretend to be something she is not. Again all for the good intentions, but the end should not justify the means!
I liked the way the author split up the last play performed by Cyrus' troupe into three parts, which makes you curious, what's up exactly and how it will be resolved. I liked the puzzle, though it still doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me, because it's recursive. I would expect the effect to go on and on circuitously - the reverse wood sticks reverse each other, making them instead enhance each other twice as much, and then the process would go on, and they would reverse each other twice as much, and on and on.
I liked the way Cyrus intended to ease Ragna Roc's "exile", though it didn't work so well. I found it interesting that the roc hens, who in the middle of the book were all for Ragna and tried recruiting Ette to join the harem, turned out to hate him in the end and flew away at their first chance. Wasn't Ragna supposed to be somewhat benevolent tyrant? Preferring to get his way by persuasion? I guess those roc hens were really bitter, and were just recruiting because of the "all of us joined him; who are you to refuse him? you think you are so much better than us?" attitude. No wonder they were not successful - their true heart was not in it.
And one of the problems that stuck out is the way marriage/love is portrayed, at least at the beginning. At the beginning it's all selfish, and I kept thinking to myself: this is not what love is about, and it's not about the sex either. Love is self-sacrificial, thinking about the other partner more. And I thought this exactly shows why children / teens should not get involved in serious relationships. They are in it for selfish reasons. They can't think through the consequences of their decisions.
Then at the stork factory, Rhythm actually realized part of what love is; she regretted putting Cyrus into this awkward situation, and was willing to give him up so he could have a "normal family life". Of course, she got off easy because Stymy was only too happy to conceal his own mistake, and right afterwards went onto ignoring her promises.
There isn't a good clean resolution in the end. I think it makes this affair a kind of gray area. First it shows that the affair was necessary to save Xanth, since it brought Kadence - the essential element in the battle against Ragna Roc - into being prematurely. That seems to imply that the end justifies the means, which is a very very bad idea.
On the other hand, it tries to correct the mistakes by separating the lovers until they can be brought together lawfully, and that is in a way good. You have to be confident in your love, that if it truly is meant to be, you will be reunited when you are both ready for it. You have to be prepared to make that sort of sacrifice, in order to prove your love is true. The anticipation of reunion will make the reunion so much sweeter.
Of course the author had to go ahead and ruin this idea by letting the lovers reunite from time to time before the rightful time... They are impatient, and can't let it be. It makes them happy when they meet up - and I'm all for their happiness, don't think I'm cruel and want them to be unhappy, but it also cheapens the sacrifice somewhat.
Kadence is of course lost to them, and possibly that's sacrifice enough? But they really weren't ready to raise a child yet at that stage. Rhythm is still a child herself despite everything she says. I didn't get a sense of maturity from her, when she was in her body of a child. Cyrus while assembled adult lacks the experience to be a father. He accepts whatever the women tell him, and lets himself be governed by them...
The other somewhat troublesome part was all the concealment, and the fact that the very first thing Rhythm and Cyrus taught their daughter was to lie, play-act, pretend to be something she is not. Again all for the good intentions, but the end should not justify the means!
I liked the way the author split up the last play performed by Cyrus' troupe into three parts, which makes you curious, what's up exactly and how it will be resolved. I liked the puzzle, though it still doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me, because it's recursive. I would expect the effect to go on and on circuitously - the reverse wood sticks reverse each other, making them instead enhance each other twice as much, and then the process would go on, and they would reverse each other twice as much, and on and on.
I liked the way Cyrus intended to ease Ragna Roc's "exile", though it didn't work so well. I found it interesting that the roc hens, who in the middle of the book were all for Ragna and tried recruiting Ette to join the harem, turned out to hate him in the end and flew away at their first chance. Wasn't Ragna supposed to be somewhat benevolent tyrant? Preferring to get his way by persuasion? I guess those roc hens were really bitter, and were just recruiting because of the "all of us joined him; who are you to refuse him? you think you are so much better than us?" attitude. No wonder they were not successful - their true heart was not in it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 24, 2022
I came back to this book after a long break from reading Piers Anthony, and was pretty disappointed. There were some pretty dodgy elements of the story, including a debate around the validity of underage sexual relationships, that really didn't sit well with me, and, to be honest didn't feel necessary in the context of the narrative, either. The 'obligatory' puns for the Xanth universe felt more shoehorned than ever, and, whilst I'd enjoyed them in earlier Xanth novels, this time just left me cold.
February 3, 2010
Xanth #32: Two to the Fifth, by Piers Anthony
I've been reading a lot of Xanth novels lately, and "Two to the Fifth" is the only one I've really enjoyed after reading a few other lackluster installments in the fantasy series.
I do have one big complaint about this book, and that is Anthony violates his own "Adult Conspiracy" and has a 12 year old girl (Princess Rhythm) have a relationship with an adult male. The relationship isn't a little thing either; it's thrown in the reader's face quite often and is a big plot point. It irritated me somewhat, and I was sick of being reminded of their relationship over and over. Anthony seems to be turning into something of a pervert, and while it's a bit refreshing to have him move beyond the oppressive "Adult Conspiracy," doing it in this way wasn't the best.
Well, enough harping on that. Because once you get over that point, you'll be reading one of the better Xanth novels in recent years. Cyrus Cyborg goes to see the Good Magician and learns his life's desire - to be a playwright. His Service for the Answer is to rescue Xanth from the clutches of an evil roc who is intent on taking over the magic land. Cyrus and his troupe are the only ones who can defeat Ragna Roc.
A nicely large part of the book details the troupe's formation and evolution into a talented acting company. I really liked Anthony's take on writer's block - instead of keeping one from writing, in Xanth, one *needs* a writer's block, complete with a muse inside to inspire the writer. The plays Cyrus creates are fun as well.
All in all, a good Xanth book with just one big stumbling block, but at least Anthony does clean things up at the end. A little too neatly for real life, but then again, Xanth is a land of fantasy. And for once, there isn't an overabundance of puns, which was a real plus for me.
3/5.
I've been reading a lot of Xanth novels lately, and "Two to the Fifth" is the only one I've really enjoyed after reading a few other lackluster installments in the fantasy series.
I do have one big complaint about this book, and that is Anthony violates his own "Adult Conspiracy" and has a 12 year old girl (Princess Rhythm) have a relationship with an adult male. The relationship isn't a little thing either; it's thrown in the reader's face quite often and is a big plot point. It irritated me somewhat, and I was sick of being reminded of their relationship over and over. Anthony seems to be turning into something of a pervert, and while it's a bit refreshing to have him move beyond the oppressive "Adult Conspiracy," doing it in this way wasn't the best.
Well, enough harping on that. Because once you get over that point, you'll be reading one of the better Xanth novels in recent years. Cyrus Cyborg goes to see the Good Magician and learns his life's desire - to be a playwright. His Service for the Answer is to rescue Xanth from the clutches of an evil roc who is intent on taking over the magic land. Cyrus and his troupe are the only ones who can defeat Ragna Roc.
A nicely large part of the book details the troupe's formation and evolution into a talented acting company. I really liked Anthony's take on writer's block - instead of keeping one from writing, in Xanth, one *needs* a writer's block, complete with a muse inside to inspire the writer. The plays Cyrus creates are fun as well.
All in all, a good Xanth book with just one big stumbling block, but at least Anthony does clean things up at the end. A little too neatly for real life, but then again, Xanth is a land of fantasy. And for once, there isn't an overabundance of puns, which was a real plus for me.
3/5.
November 12, 2009
Shortened to about 140 pages, this would have been a wonderful book.
Typical Xanth: a childishly innocent view of sex... but with an adult's level of fixation on sex.
Where this book went wrong: way too much preoccupation with sex, including pedophilia. I don't need to read about "stork summoning" a couple times each chapter. And I get tired of reading about "freaking out" over panties every 5-6 pages. Take out all this garbage and the book would have been stronger, faster, and I'd have rated it higher.
What this book did right: The basic plot premise was sound. Cyrus needed to find ways to defeat Ragna Roc. He obtained clues on the way that led him to the ONE way in which it could be done. The reader is satisfied at the end... it's like a mystery in which the clues given lead to one final conclusion, and Piers Anthony succeeds very well in this case.
I'm not a diehard Xanth fan (only read about 5-6 of the books), but I did enjoy the plot and its resolution.
Typical Xanth: a childishly innocent view of sex... but with an adult's level of fixation on sex.
Where this book went wrong: way too much preoccupation with sex, including pedophilia. I don't need to read about "stork summoning" a couple times each chapter. And I get tired of reading about "freaking out" over panties every 5-6 pages. Take out all this garbage and the book would have been stronger, faster, and I'd have rated it higher.
What this book did right: The basic plot premise was sound. Cyrus needed to find ways to defeat Ragna Roc. He obtained clues on the way that led him to the ONE way in which it could be done. The reader is satisfied at the end... it's like a mystery in which the clues given lead to one final conclusion, and Piers Anthony succeeds very well in this case.
I'm not a diehard Xanth fan (only read about 5-6 of the books), but I did enjoy the plot and its resolution.
October 11, 2016
Like all of the Xanth novels "Two to the Fifth" was a fun and interesting read that had me gasping for air. I couldn't stop laughing at the versatile use of the puns and other bits of humor. This particular book had some borderline controversial topics that are not fit for a public site such as Goodreads. If you are able to look past your prudish view of society then you will understand that the novel is well-written and engaging. The writing style flows well so that even a younger reader can understand it, though I don't recommend this particular one for that purpose. I agree that this particular novel is meant for a more mature audience but that is no reason to criticize the author for writing a novel that is only borderline controversial because of a touchy subject that is not really relevant to the story. I will restate that I only recommend this novel for mature fans of the "Xanth" series.
June 6, 2012
Piers Anthony said outright early in the series that the age of sexual consent should start when sexual desire starts, or in other words, if kids want to have sex, they should be able to. He chooses this book to explicitly describe it, pairing a young girl with an adult man. And as if it wasn't pervy enough, he makes the girl the aggressor in the relationship, forcing the adult man to have sex with her.
Anthony has a noticeable perv streak in all his novels, but this one goes too far. There are a few devices to try to justify the sexual relationship between the two of them, like a temporary aging spell, but it doesn't come close to making it acceptable, especially since the emotional relationship continued to take place while the girl is young.
I've got this far in the series, but no further.
Anthony has a noticeable perv streak in all his novels, but this one goes too far. There are a few devices to try to justify the sexual relationship between the two of them, like a temporary aging spell, but it doesn't come close to making it acceptable, especially since the emotional relationship continued to take place while the girl is young.
I've got this far in the series, but no further.
February 13, 2009
Book number 32 in the neverending Xanth series. These have always been quick light reads for when I want to giggle without having to think. While I liked this story, I did not enjoy it as much as other Xanth books in the past. Many of the characters annoyed the heck out of me while you didn't see enough of others to really care about them. There were also several errors in the book, which I can usually overlook - but some of these were pretty annoying. In one place you had a character who's talent was not being harmed by anything mundane. One sentence later someone asks the character if they can't be harmed by magic (wasn't that Bink's talent?) why are they serving the evil awful mean magician.
Still, I giggled and groaned and was able to enjoy the book for what it was.
Still, I giggled and groaned and was able to enjoy the book for what it was.
October 21, 2009
The book plods slowly, verrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry slooooooooooooowly in getting to the end. Amen. I love Piers Anthony and god knows that his formula for Xanth books hasn't changed, and the poor guy has had a major tragedy in his life. I am impressed how Anthony has pressed on to continue writing books. However, I'm tired of his obsession with boobs. I'm tired of the journey picking up more and more characters who add little to the overall quality of the story. I'm tired of Anthony skirting the edges like pedophila and coming up with ways that make it work but the topic still sucks. I think it's time for Mr. Anthony to retire the Xanth series or take more than a few weeks to write a new book and instead take a few months.
August 14, 2011
If you have never read any of the Xanth series, start with 1-10 of the books. The books get worse and worse as the series progresses. This is Book number 32 in the neverending Xanth series. I started reading the Xanth series because I loved the way he dealt with puns. The books was a little too full of puns. They were everywhere to the point of being extrememly annoying. Another problem with this book was the fixation on the fact that every woman just wants to sleep with a sexy guy. Huh? There was also way to much discussion of summoning a stork. Has Anthony become a bit perverted in his older age?
That being said, it was still way better than #33 Jumper Cable. The next Xanth book is horrible.
That being said, it was still way better than #33 Jumper Cable. The next Xanth book is horrible.
January 13, 2015
One of the most uncomfortable books I've read. As other readers note - the puns were a little out of control. It made it difficult to actually read the book. But, worse than that was the sexuality inherent in the plot. At its best it was immature. However when it took a turn to the pedophelic I think it crossed a line.
It's not so much that it was a bad book. Just that any one of these things (overuse of puns, pedophilia, immature sexual references) can make for a difficult read, and the three together just doesn't work.
It's not so much that it was a bad book. Just that any one of these things (overuse of puns, pedophilia, immature sexual references) can make for a difficult read, and the three together just doesn't work.
July 1, 2016
This is the 32nd book in the Xanth series of fantasy books, as alluded to in the title. It begins with Cyrus Cyborg, the son of Roland Robot and Hannah Barbarian, looking for his place in the world. As far as he knows, he’s the only cyborg in Xanth. How will he every find a woman to love? He goes to the Good Magician Humpfrey to find out. When he gets there, his question comes out, “I need to know my true desire.”
Full of puns, and humor in bad taste, Anthony seems to be going through the motions at this point. And, one can assume, banking on it.
Full of puns, and humor in bad taste, Anthony seems to be going through the motions at this point. And, one can assume, banking on it.
July 19, 2016
I didn't have a lot of time for reading this month but read this every moment I had to spare. Apparently, the princesses have all been getting naughty in their teens. I mean all of them, but this one premieres Rhythm. She takes a liking to Cyrus Cyborg and wreaks some havoc on the Stork Works by making herself temporarily older. Cyrus falls in love with her and together they work out Xanth's current threat. The ending to this book is a mixed feeling. Read it for yourself to get the details.
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