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Xanth #6
Night Mare
Although the Nextwave of barbarian warriors was invading Xanth, Mare Imbrium discovered that ever since she had gained the half soul, the night mare had begun to mishandle her job of delivering bad dreams. Exiled to the day world with a message for King Trent, Mare met the relentless, unforgiving Horseman. For the night mare, it began to be all a horrible nightmare!
From the Paperback edition.
From the Paperback edition.
320 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1982
140 people are currently reading
2,594 people want to read
About the author
Piers Anthony
411Ìýbooks4,163ÌýfollowersThough 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 208 reviews
December 19, 2017
So nostalgic going back and rating this. I think I still have a few of the Xanth series floating around in my paperback boxes. Really was one of my favorite series as a Young Adult.
September 9, 2015
Frustrating though imaginative, mean-spirited and misogynistic, an example of how not to portray women in fiction. It saddens me to say that this will be the last Xanth novel I read for the forseeable future. Once I slogged through Night Mare I no longer wanted to spend time with this writer, and it’s for the strangest reason: This book, featuring a female protagonist destined to save her kingdom from ultimate destruction, is just a diatribe against women.
Imbri is a former Night Mare, a horse that brings bad dreams to all the people in Xanth. After the events of Ogre, Ogre she is no longer able to do her job properly, and so she’s fired and sent to help stave off the next major invasion threatening Xanth. Not only is a barbaric army cutting a swath down through Xanth toward the seat of power, someone is also magically taking out the kings of the nation, and no one can figure out why.
Where Ogre, Ogre represents the best of Piers Anthony, the next book in the series manages to be his worst. Imbri and her companions are constantly demeaned, and usually it’s the women themselves that are constantly talking about the weaknesses of their gender. Over and over again the women in this book opine that they don’t really want to be valued members of society, they just want to be longed for by their men, that their intelligence is the ugliest trait, and that they should use their bodies as bait for the enemy. This misogyny culminates in a climax scene where a character must conquer her own weak feminine biology in order to prevail against her enemy.
I wish I could recommend skipping this book, but Fantasy readers tend to be completionists, and that requires reading even the horrible entries in a series. For me, it’s going to take a long time before I will be able to get back to Xanth. Let’s just say, I’ll need to spend some time away from the Gap Chasm in order to forget it.
Imbri is a former Night Mare, a horse that brings bad dreams to all the people in Xanth. After the events of Ogre, Ogre she is no longer able to do her job properly, and so she’s fired and sent to help stave off the next major invasion threatening Xanth. Not only is a barbaric army cutting a swath down through Xanth toward the seat of power, someone is also magically taking out the kings of the nation, and no one can figure out why.
Where Ogre, Ogre represents the best of Piers Anthony, the next book in the series manages to be his worst. Imbri and her companions are constantly demeaned, and usually it’s the women themselves that are constantly talking about the weaknesses of their gender. Over and over again the women in this book opine that they don’t really want to be valued members of society, they just want to be longed for by their men, that their intelligence is the ugliest trait, and that they should use their bodies as bait for the enemy. This misogyny culminates in a climax scene where a character must conquer her own weak feminine biology in order to prevail against her enemy.
I wish I could recommend skipping this book, but Fantasy readers tend to be completionists, and that requires reading even the horrible entries in a series. For me, it’s going to take a long time before I will be able to get back to Xanth. Let’s just say, I’ll need to spend some time away from the Gap Chasm in order to forget it.
October 5, 2014
A nightmare is actually a mythological creature
30 December 2011
Well, at this point in the Xanth series we are starting to move away from the main characters from the previous books to single books, set in Xanth, evolving around a new character. In this novel we meet Mare Imbrium, a Night Mare. Nightmares are given the task of carrying bad dreams to the people of Xanth. However Imbrium's problem is that she has obtained half a soul (which she got from the previous book) and this has affected her ability to carry out her task.
Piers Anthony does like playing with words, but then he was not the first person to connect nightmares with horses. I have seen this a while back in the worlds of Dungeons and Dragons, where nightmares are from the nether regions, and are dark demonic horses that travel on paths of fire. However Anthony's nightmare is a little tamer than the nastier creatures that appear in Dungeons of Dragons. However, a little research has revealed that nightmares have been connected with horses long before the development of Dungeons and Dragons, and in fact are in German folklore (as is evident by this painting, so it seems that Anthony's pun has backfired):
The other thing that I immediately noticed after reading the outline of the book, and that is the name of the nightmare. Mare Imbrium: that is the name of a region of the which, for some strange reason, are called seas (even though there is no water in them � Mare is a Latin word that refers to a large body of water). I would have never picked that up when I originally read the book, however it has since jumped out at me from my computer screen upon noticing it this time.
30 December 2011
Well, at this point in the Xanth series we are starting to move away from the main characters from the previous books to single books, set in Xanth, evolving around a new character. In this novel we meet Mare Imbrium, a Night Mare. Nightmares are given the task of carrying bad dreams to the people of Xanth. However Imbrium's problem is that she has obtained half a soul (which she got from the previous book) and this has affected her ability to carry out her task.
Piers Anthony does like playing with words, but then he was not the first person to connect nightmares with horses. I have seen this a while back in the worlds of Dungeons and Dragons, where nightmares are from the nether regions, and are dark demonic horses that travel on paths of fire. However Anthony's nightmare is a little tamer than the nastier creatures that appear in Dungeons of Dragons. However, a little research has revealed that nightmares have been connected with horses long before the development of Dungeons and Dragons, and in fact are in German folklore (as is evident by this painting, so it seems that Anthony's pun has backfired):
The other thing that I immediately noticed after reading the outline of the book, and that is the name of the nightmare. Mare Imbrium: that is the name of a region of the which, for some strange reason, are called seas (even though there is no water in them � Mare is a Latin word that refers to a large body of water). I would have never picked that up when I originally read the book, however it has since jumped out at me from my computer screen upon noticing it this time.
April 23, 2013
Imbrium is the main character of this story. She's the author's first female protagonist in this series, and though she is a horse (a night mare to be exact), she's still handled with the same sort of disrespect that Anthony frequently frames his female characters. At one point she is made powerless because a man tricks her into being dominated by him (he gets on her back and fits her with a bit, and she can't escape), and later the same man turns out to be a shapeshifter who dominates her by shifting into his horse form while she's "in season." Convenient, no, that the female's one weakness is her complete inability to resist the sexy man? Her urges overcome her and she's done in by her own attraction! This is the kind of thing that makes a lot of these books sound like a disturbing boy fantasy. That stuff can really be dangerous. But I'll look at the story too.
It's pretty inventive, though transparent in places. I still like the "gourd" world--the dream underground of sorts where nightmares come from. It was very clear that the man wearing a gold band was the same person as the horse wearing it, so I don't know what Anthony was trying to pull with that revelation. I also thought the succession of kings was interesting . . . the existing king was in an apparently hypnotic state and couldn't rule any more, so the successor got on the throne, and one by one their consciousnesses were captured by the Horseman. The rule was that Xanth could only be ruled by a Magician-class talented person. And when they start running out of possible kings, oh dearie me, it strikes them to wonder . . . hey, maybe we could get chicks to do it! Girl kings! No one ever thought of that before, even though the definitive factor for eligibility was supposed to be their magical strength. The very fact that anyone had to consider this a revelation is pretty telling. But for some reason, especially when I was a kid, I found it engaging to find out who'd be the next king to lead Xanth through an influx of attacks from Mundania while fearing being the next to be captured.
It's pretty inventive, though transparent in places. I still like the "gourd" world--the dream underground of sorts where nightmares come from. It was very clear that the man wearing a gold band was the same person as the horse wearing it, so I don't know what Anthony was trying to pull with that revelation. I also thought the succession of kings was interesting . . . the existing king was in an apparently hypnotic state and couldn't rule any more, so the successor got on the throne, and one by one their consciousnesses were captured by the Horseman. The rule was that Xanth could only be ruled by a Magician-class talented person. And when they start running out of possible kings, oh dearie me, it strikes them to wonder . . . hey, maybe we could get chicks to do it! Girl kings! No one ever thought of that before, even though the definitive factor for eligibility was supposed to be their magical strength. The very fact that anyone had to consider this a revelation is pretty telling. But for some reason, especially when I was a kid, I found it engaging to find out who'd be the next king to lead Xanth through an influx of attacks from Mundania while fearing being the next to be captured.
February 14, 2020
a good Xanth book. We're into the realm of Xanth books I hadn't previously read before. This one is quite good.
A solid read. This book has a nice strong pace with a strong changes to Xanth for the better. I'm a much bigger fan of letting Queens rule rather than defining women as Kings but I'm sure most modern fantasy blog writers would call me backwards for that just as they call Xanth forward for it. But finally and we have a new invasion to deal with. Great book. So good I might want to downgrade some of the other ones.
A solid read. This book has a nice strong pace with a strong changes to Xanth for the better. I'm a much bigger fan of letting Queens rule rather than defining women as Kings but I'm sure most modern fantasy blog writers would call me backwards for that just as they call Xanth forward for it. But finally and we have a new invasion to deal with. Great book. So good I might want to downgrade some of the other ones.
April 30, 2023
Mare Imbri, the night mare the has half a soul is called to the night stallion, he has noticed that she is having problems delivering nightmares so he's taking her off night duty and putting her on day duty with a message she must deliver to the king, "Beware the Horseman."
This book is mainly about night mare Imbri and how she must help save Xanth from the next wave from mundania. So far I must say it's one of my favorite Xanth books.
This book is mainly about night mare Imbri and how she must help save Xanth from the next wave from mundania. So far I must say it's one of my favorite Xanth books.
January 22, 2016
The Xanth novels are a quick, fun and funny read. Great starter books for young fantasy readers. There is a ton of them and you can pick up any of them and start. Very recommended
April 7, 2022
As usual a Piers Anthony classic! The night mares tasks are a Night Mare! Which leads me to day dream!
April 21, 2023
Man, I love Xanth. I think it's a really fun world with bright, interesting characters and pretty in depth lore (especially for being so pun based). But at the same time this series is such an enigma to me. All of the books present themselves as almost kids or teenage fantasy, what's lighter than literally how I pitch the series, "Adventures in Punland"? But then you get into the books and we're dealing with war, laws of succession, always a heapin' helpin' of sexism, mutilation, death and rape and my brain reels then into, how does this series have so many god damn books? I guess I'll just have to keep reading to find out.
[SPOILERS] I had zero emotion aside from enjoying this book right up until the last page when Imbrium gets to keep her honorary King position, becomes a Day Mare, and is finally able to see the rainbow she waited the whole book for. That horse DIED. I nearly CRIED. Lol
[SPOILERS] I had zero emotion aside from enjoying this book right up until the last page when Imbrium gets to keep her honorary King position, becomes a Day Mare, and is finally able to see the rainbow she waited the whole book for. That horse DIED. I nearly CRIED. Lol
June 2, 2019
For someone who hasn’t read any of the Xanth novels, this book was very interesting. In my opinion I felt that the middle was a little boring but the ending made up for it. I do think that if others want to read this book they should read the first Xanth novel to get a better understanding.
May 23, 2021
I am really glad that when I first read the Xanth books at 13 years old I didn’t internalize the messages of womanhood presented by Anthony. This time I couldn’t help myself but write down all the memorable quotes from the book:
Pg. 85- “it required a smart man to outsmart and catch a difficult woman, or a smart woman to pick out the best man and get him committed to the burden of a family.�- thoughts of Imbri
Pg. 95- “She merely manifests the properties of all women, with less ambiguity. They all begin lovely and innocent, and end ugly and smart.�- Ichabod about Chameleon
Pg. 101-“How did the Mongols look from this side, Mare?�- Ichabod “In the bad dreams I had to deliver, they were savage, flat-faced people� Imbri projected
Pg. 178-“What was in that box? Imbri experienced an intense female curiosity, but decided not to inquire.�
Pg. 253- � Women don’t really want all the things they long for. All they really want is to long and to be longed for� King Iris to Imbri
“After it is over, I shall be womanishly weak, my foolish hunger for power having been expiated, but I can’t afford that at the moment.� King Iris to Imbri
Pg. 263- “But on certain rare occasions, intelligence is more valuable to women than beauty.� Chameleon to Imbri
Pg. 85- “it required a smart man to outsmart and catch a difficult woman, or a smart woman to pick out the best man and get him committed to the burden of a family.�- thoughts of Imbri
Pg. 95- “She merely manifests the properties of all women, with less ambiguity. They all begin lovely and innocent, and end ugly and smart.�- Ichabod about Chameleon
Pg. 101-“How did the Mongols look from this side, Mare?�- Ichabod “In the bad dreams I had to deliver, they were savage, flat-faced people� Imbri projected
Pg. 178-“What was in that box? Imbri experienced an intense female curiosity, but decided not to inquire.�
Pg. 253- � Women don’t really want all the things they long for. All they really want is to long and to be longed for� King Iris to Imbri
“After it is over, I shall be womanishly weak, my foolish hunger for power having been expiated, but I can’t afford that at the moment.� King Iris to Imbri
Pg. 263- “But on certain rare occasions, intelligence is more valuable to women than beauty.� Chameleon to Imbri
August 26, 2019
4 Stars
Night Mare is the sixth book in the Xanth series by Piers Anthony. Things take a strange and somewhat disturbing turn for Mare Imbrium. The Night Mare's task of delivering bad dreams begins to skew. What's that got to do with the Barbarian Warriors who have been invading the kingdom? Well worth the read to find out.
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!
Night Mare is the sixth book in the Xanth series by Piers Anthony. Things take a strange and somewhat disturbing turn for Mare Imbrium. The Night Mare's task of delivering bad dreams begins to skew. What's that got to do with the Barbarian Warriors who have been invading the kingdom? Well worth the read to find out.
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!
Read
May 28, 2020I have finished the 6th book in the 42 book Xanth series. :) I am having fun taking a walk through memory lane. Many of my adored books of youth do not stand the test of time but so far this series has. Yes, it straight out fantasy with dragons, wizards, ghosts, zombies, chimeras, goblins, dryads, a Siren and a Gorgon, and many other creatures out of fantasy. But the star of the books is the PUNS! So many and they are so clever.
This book deals with the nightmare ( Mare Imbrium) that Tandy stole a ride on and that helped Chem Centaur in the previous book. Because she helped Chem, he gave her half of his soul. This soul is causing problems for Imbrium because she is no longer content to deliver nightmares to (in her opinion) undeserving people. She now has a conscience and that doesn't gel with her job. The night stallion sends Imbri to visit King Trent and made her liaison between the night and day world.
So, Imbri sets out for Castle Roogna to deliver the message to King Trent. On the way she is captured by "the horseman". She is rescued by the "day horse". Imbri arrives at Castle Roogna just as they are preparing for the wedding of Dor and Princess Irene. Chameleon takes Imbri to meet King Trent and they find out that he has been ensorcelled which leads Dor to take the throne in the interim. King Dor order Chameleon (his mother) and Mare Imbri to visit the Good Magician Humphrey's castle to ascertain the reason for King Trent's condition and how to break the curse if it is one.
By this time King Dor has also been ensorcelled and so Jonathan, the Zombie Master ascends the throne. He soon suffers the same plight his predecessors did and Humphrey takes the throne and heads off to do battle with the individual who is causing the situation and he designates Bink the next king. And the story continues on! :)
This book was intriguing because of the number of intelligent adult individuals (some on their way to senior citizen status) who fall prey to the same enemy. It was good to see almost all the previous characters involved and it though the circumstances were "dire" it was almost like a grand reunion.
This book deals with the nightmare ( Mare Imbrium) that Tandy stole a ride on and that helped Chem Centaur in the previous book. Because she helped Chem, he gave her half of his soul. This soul is causing problems for Imbrium because she is no longer content to deliver nightmares to (in her opinion) undeserving people. She now has a conscience and that doesn't gel with her job. The night stallion sends Imbri to visit King Trent and made her liaison between the night and day world.
So, Imbri sets out for Castle Roogna to deliver the message to King Trent. On the way she is captured by "the horseman". She is rescued by the "day horse". Imbri arrives at Castle Roogna just as they are preparing for the wedding of Dor and Princess Irene. Chameleon takes Imbri to meet King Trent and they find out that he has been ensorcelled which leads Dor to take the throne in the interim. King Dor order Chameleon (his mother) and Mare Imbri to visit the Good Magician Humphrey's castle to ascertain the reason for King Trent's condition and how to break the curse if it is one.
By this time King Dor has also been ensorcelled and so Jonathan, the Zombie Master ascends the throne. He soon suffers the same plight his predecessors did and Humphrey takes the throne and heads off to do battle with the individual who is causing the situation and he designates Bink the next king. And the story continues on! :)
This book was intriguing because of the number of intelligent adult individuals (some on their way to senior citizen status) who fall prey to the same enemy. It was good to see almost all the previous characters involved and it though the circumstances were "dire" it was almost like a grand reunion.
August 21, 2018
Night Mare is one of Mr. Anthony's best early Xanth novels. It nicely ends the first chapter in the ever continuing Xanth trilogy. It brings all the main players from the first five novels together in one major story arc - a new wave of ferocious warriors from Mudania, led by a mysterious figure known only as The Horseman, is making its way through Xanth toward Castle Roogna. Somehow they have been able to incapacitate the King of Xanth, and then his heir, and then the next in line, and so forth, and so on. The Night Stallion sends an emissary from the Gourd, Mare Imbri, to work with Chameleon and stop the kings of Xanth from being taken out before there aren't any more sorcerers left to fill the position.
As many of the characters from the first four novels are in that line of succession, we get to revisit all our old friends. In particular, I was very happy to read about Bink again - the main character from the first two Xanth novels. And man - I forgot what a bad arse he could be! In this novel, he's like an older Arnold Schwarzenegger - single-handedly kicking people's butts until he too falls prey to the strange illness affecting one king after the other.
This story is excellent and well thought out. When you get to the end and all is revealed, many of the events that occurred earlier in the novel become much more meaningful - in fact, I think that this is one novel that deserves at least one re-read so that you can appreciate all the hidden setup work Mr. Anthony put into the story.
Also, Mr. Anthony brings one large inequality in Xanth society to an end. Let all the sorceresses in the land rejoice!
And yes, off course there are a great many puns for you to enjoy! I give the novel 4 out of 5 stars. Thanks for the novel Piers!
As many of the characters from the first four novels are in that line of succession, we get to revisit all our old friends. In particular, I was very happy to read about Bink again - the main character from the first two Xanth novels. And man - I forgot what a bad arse he could be! In this novel, he's like an older Arnold Schwarzenegger - single-handedly kicking people's butts until he too falls prey to the strange illness affecting one king after the other.
This story is excellent and well thought out. When you get to the end and all is revealed, many of the events that occurred earlier in the novel become much more meaningful - in fact, I think that this is one novel that deserves at least one re-read so that you can appreciate all the hidden setup work Mr. Anthony put into the story.
Also, Mr. Anthony brings one large inequality in Xanth society to an end. Let all the sorceresses in the land rejoice!
And yes, off course there are a great many puns for you to enjoy! I give the novel 4 out of 5 stars. Thanks for the novel Piers!
June 18, 2023
I really enjoyed this one. Mare Imbrium was a great character to follow throughout this story. I loved her perspective. I thought this was a fun tale as we're finally seeing an invasion of the Nextwave from Mundania. The action picked up quickly and carried through the whole of the story.
If I have on criticism, and it's a big one, it's the outdated misogynistic tone of the story. Sure this is a female protagonist, but it's like Piers Anthony is arguing with himself throughout the entire book as to whether women on their own have value and power. He writes these capable women, who have powers as strong as the men in their lives, who want to be able to lead, and the world patriarchy won't let them. But, even from their own mouths they are often speaking negatively about their own abilities. And yet, he's still writing a story where those women are ultimately the ones who figure it out and save the day. He's straddling a line and half the time I'm not sure which side of his mouth he's trying to speak out of, the misogynistic side or the progressive side.
Still I love Xanth. I love all the puns and the crazy shenanigans that go on. The characters are fun and the adventure always goes in fun directions that I'm here for.
If I have on criticism, and it's a big one, it's the outdated misogynistic tone of the story. Sure this is a female protagonist, but it's like Piers Anthony is arguing with himself throughout the entire book as to whether women on their own have value and power. He writes these capable women, who have powers as strong as the men in their lives, who want to be able to lead, and the world patriarchy won't let them. But, even from their own mouths they are often speaking negatively about their own abilities. And yet, he's still writing a story where those women are ultimately the ones who figure it out and save the day. He's straddling a line and half the time I'm not sure which side of his mouth he's trying to speak out of, the misogynistic side or the progressive side.
Still I love Xanth. I love all the puns and the crazy shenanigans that go on. The characters are fun and the adventure always goes in fun directions that I'm here for.
May 26, 2017
Sometimes when feeling down and in need of an escape, I visit Xanth. Again, I am glad I did as Night Mare is a light, fun, fast, enjoyable read.
Anthony employs the same successful formula as compared to prior installments.. Yet he still manages to keep each forthcoming story fresh and creative.
This particular volume reunited me with several favorite characters from all prior editions. The dream world aspect continues to be fascinating and entertaining. The major mystery revelation is fairly obvious. Most readers will likely solve it early on. The finale, especially the last sentence, is very sweet.
Highly recommended for those seeking a brief entertaining escape from reality.
Anthony employs the same successful formula as compared to prior installments.. Yet he still manages to keep each forthcoming story fresh and creative.
This particular volume reunited me with several favorite characters from all prior editions. The dream world aspect continues to be fascinating and entertaining. The major mystery revelation is fairly obvious. Most readers will likely solve it early on. The finale, especially the last sentence, is very sweet.
Highly recommended for those seeking a brief entertaining escape from reality.
July 13, 2023
"Naturally no human person was a handsome as a horse."
First non humanoid-protagonist in a Xanth novel, Night Mare features mare Imbrium (named after the "mares" on the Moon - a tidbit I had to look up, then found interesting) attempting to help thwart a barbarian invasion from Mundania.
I love prophecies, because I love spending the book trying to figure things out. Anthony is great at creating a story, where, at the climax, everything falls perfectly into place. Eureka!
Plus, a horse as a heroine!
First non humanoid-protagonist in a Xanth novel, Night Mare features mare Imbrium (named after the "mares" on the Moon - a tidbit I had to look up, then found interesting) attempting to help thwart a barbarian invasion from Mundania.
I love prophecies, because I love spending the book trying to figure things out. Anthony is great at creating a story, where, at the climax, everything falls perfectly into place. Eureka!
Plus, a horse as a heroine!
Read
November 3, 2011I think this is the only Anthony book I've ever read. I don't know why I never read more of him so I could have the horrific double-vision OH GOD NO experience later in life so many of my GoodReads peers did. I mean, that sounds so appealing! ....I think I was distracted by Le Guin.
April 2, 2021
I found a copy of this book a long time ago in a desk drawer during an all-night phone security watch in 1985 or 86, while I was in the Navy. I was in my mid-20s at that time and I knew it was going to be a long, boring night, until I discovered "Night Mare" by Piers Anthony. I consumed the whole book in a couple of days and I remembered liking it enough to want to read the rest of the series. I eventually read the series up to "Man From Mundania" or "Isle of View", or perhaps one of the others shortly after that. I don't remember which, but I lost track of the Xanth series several years after getting out of the Nav. This time frame was in the early 1990s and I was starting to do more "adult" stuff. I put them in a box and stowed them away for some reason, not thinking much about them for many years (imagine my surprise to discover Piers Anthony was still writing this series well into the 2010s! He's got to be, what, at least a hundred and forty-two by now, right?)
Fast forward to 2021 and I rediscovered these books again after my oldest boy, who is now in his mid-20s, had discovered them himself and began reading them. I figured, what the hell, I remembered enjoying them all those years ago, but I couldn't remember the plot lines, so I took them in hand and started reading them again.
Then, I remembered why I lost interest in them in the 1990s. I mean, they are entertaining and all. But, gosh! They can be so damned annoyingly juvenile at times! Get off the panty kick, Piers! That's weird! And, many of the characters are absolutely moronic! I can remember being slightly annoyed at the stupidity and cartoonish naiveté of a lot of the characters way back when, and then I found myself being even more annoyed by it in 2021.
Take "Night Mare," for example. I remember absolutely LOVING this book way back in the dim 1980s. I could remember only bits of the story by the time I read it a second time in 2021 and I must say, given my more advanced age and greater world experience, I have to admit I have no idea why I thought I fell in love with the book back in the late 80s. I was stuck in a rut of Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle predictable cliff-hanger endings during that time, and I guess I needed a change, so I jumped on the Xanth bandwagon after reading about Mare Imbrium and her misadventures with the dreaded Horseman. Unfortunately, rereading this book kind of ruined that fond memory of it for me. As Mr. B.B. King once so eloquently sang as he lovingly stroked Lucille, "The thrill is gone."
The protagonist in "Night Mare" is rather short-sighted and more than a little naive than should be expected, given her long experience with delivering horrible bad dreams to deserving people. She's seen some things, man! Any idiot with uncorrected 20/60 vision, or worse, could have seen from a mile off who the bad guy was in this story and how he was able to get into her good graces! Yes, she is a horse, but she should not have been a thick-headed mule who loses her good horse sense in the presence of a pretty face and tail! She's an immortal magical horse that has been around since Good Magician Humphrey was a twinkle in his daddy's eye, for crying out loud!
Road apples!!
The character of the antagonist, the Horseman, is never fully developed or explained. Is he an actual Mundane warrior who somehow figured out how to perform magic in Xanth, or is he a resident of Xanth who somehow found himself in Mundania and decided to tag along with Mundane warriors at war against a powerful empire in Mundania? How was it he ended up with the very group of mundane soldiers who happened to stumble into Xanth from their mundane peninsula? What's his name, even? Did he actually spend any time in Mundania at all or did he decide to "enlist" once the Mundanes were inside Xanth? Where did he get the magical object that helped him do what he did? I DON'T KNOW! IT'S NEVER EXPLAINED!
Plot holes? What plot holes? There are a lot of cheap shortcuts in the story which left me feeling more than a little disappointed, once I delved back into the book. It's like driving along on a brand new freeway, windows down and going 95 in the 65, with "Radar Love" blasting on the radio, and then you have to exit because the bridges for the overpasses aren't yet in place! (Heavy sigh)
Anyway, I finished it and then sadly stowed it away, probably never to read it again, being disillusioned after facing the hard reality of shoddy character development, massive plot holes, and low-watt protagonists unable to see beyond the ends of their lovely velvety equine noses.
Neigh, I say, neigh to "Night Mare." I'm afraid I'm gonna have to put you down, Dobbin.
Fast forward to 2021 and I rediscovered these books again after my oldest boy, who is now in his mid-20s, had discovered them himself and began reading them. I figured, what the hell, I remembered enjoying them all those years ago, but I couldn't remember the plot lines, so I took them in hand and started reading them again.
Then, I remembered why I lost interest in them in the 1990s. I mean, they are entertaining and all. But, gosh! They can be so damned annoyingly juvenile at times! Get off the panty kick, Piers! That's weird! And, many of the characters are absolutely moronic! I can remember being slightly annoyed at the stupidity and cartoonish naiveté of a lot of the characters way back when, and then I found myself being even more annoyed by it in 2021.
Take "Night Mare," for example. I remember absolutely LOVING this book way back in the dim 1980s. I could remember only bits of the story by the time I read it a second time in 2021 and I must say, given my more advanced age and greater world experience, I have to admit I have no idea why I thought I fell in love with the book back in the late 80s. I was stuck in a rut of Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle predictable cliff-hanger endings during that time, and I guess I needed a change, so I jumped on the Xanth bandwagon after reading about Mare Imbrium and her misadventures with the dreaded Horseman. Unfortunately, rereading this book kind of ruined that fond memory of it for me. As Mr. B.B. King once so eloquently sang as he lovingly stroked Lucille, "The thrill is gone."
The protagonist in "Night Mare" is rather short-sighted and more than a little naive than should be expected, given her long experience with delivering horrible bad dreams to deserving people. She's seen some things, man! Any idiot with uncorrected 20/60 vision, or worse, could have seen from a mile off who the bad guy was in this story and how he was able to get into her good graces! Yes, she is a horse, but she should not have been a thick-headed mule who loses her good horse sense in the presence of a pretty face and tail! She's an immortal magical horse that has been around since Good Magician Humphrey was a twinkle in his daddy's eye, for crying out loud!
Road apples!!
The character of the antagonist, the Horseman, is never fully developed or explained. Is he an actual Mundane warrior who somehow figured out how to perform magic in Xanth, or is he a resident of Xanth who somehow found himself in Mundania and decided to tag along with Mundane warriors at war against a powerful empire in Mundania? How was it he ended up with the very group of mundane soldiers who happened to stumble into Xanth from their mundane peninsula? What's his name, even? Did he actually spend any time in Mundania at all or did he decide to "enlist" once the Mundanes were inside Xanth? Where did he get the magical object that helped him do what he did? I DON'T KNOW! IT'S NEVER EXPLAINED!
Plot holes? What plot holes? There are a lot of cheap shortcuts in the story which left me feeling more than a little disappointed, once I delved back into the book. It's like driving along on a brand new freeway, windows down and going 95 in the 65, with "Radar Love" blasting on the radio, and then you have to exit because the bridges for the overpasses aren't yet in place! (Heavy sigh)
Anyway, I finished it and then sadly stowed it away, probably never to read it again, being disillusioned after facing the hard reality of shoddy character development, massive plot holes, and low-watt protagonists unable to see beyond the ends of their lovely velvety equine noses.
Neigh, I say, neigh to "Night Mare." I'm afraid I'm gonna have to put you down, Dobbin.
December 29, 2017
Es ist schon betrüblich, dass es die Xanth-Romane erstens nicht mehr auf Deutsch gibt und zweitens dass die neuere Romane überhaupt nicht übersetzt worden sind. Vielleicht sind sie deswegen in Deutschland nicht so populär und bekannt wie die Werke von Terry Pratchett, es kann auch sein, dass sie gerne nur als "leichte Kost für zwischendurch" behandelt werden. Nach dem Motto: "Liest man eines, kennt man alle."
Sicher - die Struktur ist bei allen Bänden gleich: Heldin - in diesem Fall die Night Mare Imbri - bricht zur typischen Queste auf und der Roman arbeitet dann mit allen Mitteln der Heldenreise, die man so kennt. Allerdings ist das ja nur der Rahmen, in dem sich Protagonisten tummeln. In "Night Mare" gibts davon etliche, es ist fast ein Best-Of der bisherigen wichtigeren Persönlichkeiten des Landes. König Trent, Bink, Dor und Irene - Grundy, die Sirene, der gute Magier Humpfrey - während der Handlung lernt man die fast alle kennen. Ach so, ja, die Handlung: Nachdem die Night Mare Imbri eine halbe Seele bekommen hat, bringt sie als Bringer von Alpträumen nicht mehr so die Leistung, die sie bringen könnte. Daraufhin wird sie vom Night Stallion in den Tag geschickt mit der Aufgabe vor der nächsten Invasion Xanths zu warnen. Imbri lernt auf ihrer Reise das Day Horse kennen, begegnet dem Horsemen, vor dem man sich in Acht nehmen sollte und erfährt, dass man "die Kette unterbrechen" muss. Die Lage verschlimmert sich, als die Könige einer nach dem anderen geistlos zu Boden fallen - haben die Invasoren einen Xanth-Abrünnigen unter sich?
Wie alle Xanth-Bücher ist es extrem kurzweilig und ja, sicherlich kann man es als reine nette Unterhaltungslektüre durchlesen. Was daran schlimm sein soll, keine Ahnung. Dabei packt Anthony aber gelegentlich auch durchaus Nachdenkenswertes in seine Geschichte - und das Problem vom Imbri, weder der einen noch der anderen Welt so richtig anzugehören ist sehr modern. Zudem: So vorhersehbar ist die Handlung nun auch wieder nicht und eine Fülle von Ideen und Wortspielen sorgt - im Englischen zumindest - für dezentes Grinsen. Da die Charaktere alle sympathisch sind und Imbri zum Schluss des Romans eine Entscheidung treffen muss, die ihr das Herz brechen wird - bekommt man Leser nette Unterhaltung mit einem Schuss Philosophie geboten. Wenn diese auch nicht so deutlich ist und man sie leicht übersehen kann. Und ja, einige Episoden sind in diesem Roman auch nicht so gelungen oder einfach zu lang: Die Hochzeits-Szene, die Geschichte mit der Sphinx etwa. Aber alles in allem: Es ist angenehme, gut gemachte Unterhaltung, die ab und an sogar Tiefgang hat. Und zudem: Anthony ist ein Meister darin, aus Wortspielen wirklich amüsante Szenen zu basteln. Oder Dinge. Oder Pflanzen. Manchmal ist es schon etwas kindisch, aber gerade das macht Xanth auch aus: Ernstnehmen darf sich gerne Tolkien oder Lewis...
Sicher - die Struktur ist bei allen Bänden gleich: Heldin - in diesem Fall die Night Mare Imbri - bricht zur typischen Queste auf und der Roman arbeitet dann mit allen Mitteln der Heldenreise, die man so kennt. Allerdings ist das ja nur der Rahmen, in dem sich Protagonisten tummeln. In "Night Mare" gibts davon etliche, es ist fast ein Best-Of der bisherigen wichtigeren Persönlichkeiten des Landes. König Trent, Bink, Dor und Irene - Grundy, die Sirene, der gute Magier Humpfrey - während der Handlung lernt man die fast alle kennen. Ach so, ja, die Handlung: Nachdem die Night Mare Imbri eine halbe Seele bekommen hat, bringt sie als Bringer von Alpträumen nicht mehr so die Leistung, die sie bringen könnte. Daraufhin wird sie vom Night Stallion in den Tag geschickt mit der Aufgabe vor der nächsten Invasion Xanths zu warnen. Imbri lernt auf ihrer Reise das Day Horse kennen, begegnet dem Horsemen, vor dem man sich in Acht nehmen sollte und erfährt, dass man "die Kette unterbrechen" muss. Die Lage verschlimmert sich, als die Könige einer nach dem anderen geistlos zu Boden fallen - haben die Invasoren einen Xanth-Abrünnigen unter sich?
Wie alle Xanth-Bücher ist es extrem kurzweilig und ja, sicherlich kann man es als reine nette Unterhaltungslektüre durchlesen. Was daran schlimm sein soll, keine Ahnung. Dabei packt Anthony aber gelegentlich auch durchaus Nachdenkenswertes in seine Geschichte - und das Problem vom Imbri, weder der einen noch der anderen Welt so richtig anzugehören ist sehr modern. Zudem: So vorhersehbar ist die Handlung nun auch wieder nicht und eine Fülle von Ideen und Wortspielen sorgt - im Englischen zumindest - für dezentes Grinsen. Da die Charaktere alle sympathisch sind und Imbri zum Schluss des Romans eine Entscheidung treffen muss, die ihr das Herz brechen wird - bekommt man Leser nette Unterhaltung mit einem Schuss Philosophie geboten. Wenn diese auch nicht so deutlich ist und man sie leicht übersehen kann. Und ja, einige Episoden sind in diesem Roman auch nicht so gelungen oder einfach zu lang: Die Hochzeits-Szene, die Geschichte mit der Sphinx etwa. Aber alles in allem: Es ist angenehme, gut gemachte Unterhaltung, die ab und an sogar Tiefgang hat. Und zudem: Anthony ist ein Meister darin, aus Wortspielen wirklich amüsante Szenen zu basteln. Oder Dinge. Oder Pflanzen. Manchmal ist es schon etwas kindisch, aber gerade das macht Xanth auch aus: Ernstnehmen darf sich gerne Tolkien oder Lewis...
August 6, 2022
It's been a minute since I read a Xanth adventure! (over a decade)
Point #1: It's not about the destination or how the big secret was something you knew all along; it's about the journey.
Point #2: It is DEFINITELY about keeping in mind that this was the early 80's, when it was much more common to be openly offensive about matters of gender roles and sex-stereotyped identity.
Point #3: There may not be a more famous writer of dad joke-infused fiction than Piers "Xanth-ony"!
Point #4: If you think that women are fickle, weak creatures here mainly to drive men to distraction and that men have...."masculine ways", you will just love this.
I did laugh out loud a couple times, derisively (see point #2).
Point #1: It's not about the destination or how the big secret was something you knew all along; it's about the journey.
Point #2: It is DEFINITELY about keeping in mind that this was the early 80's, when it was much more common to be openly offensive about matters of gender roles and sex-stereotyped identity.
Point #3: There may not be a more famous writer of dad joke-infused fiction than Piers "Xanth-ony"!
Point #4: If you think that women are fickle, weak creatures here mainly to drive men to distraction and that men have...."masculine ways", you will just love this.
I did laugh out loud a couple times, derisively (see point #2).
September 25, 2022
This Xanth novel focuses on Mare Imbrium, a former Night Mare who has gained half a soul and now is working to give daydreams, rather than nightmares. She's been given a warning to pass on to the King of Xanth. I agree with several other reviews that the constant derogation of women in these books is frustrating. Chameleon's nature (for example) has always bothered me from the first, with both herself and other characters commenting on her ugly-but-intelligence phase as her "worst" phase, much preferring her beauty. There is some movement forward for the female characters politically, but they constantly consider themselves just wanting men to desire them and then ensnare them in marriage, rather than having their own goals.
August 19, 2024
I never read the other Xanth tales by Piers Anthony. I know they were popular in their time. Night Mare was bought for me many years ago in a used book store and I don't know why but I never read it until now.
I enjoyed the main character being a magical horse and a female lead. But it's so obvious her story was written by a man and a rather chauvinistic one at that. I really could have done without the "females are like this, because" mansplaining. Yes, it was written in the 1970's but Women's lib was legit a thing at that time, so if this was willfully misogynistic it's even more of a turn-off. If the rest of the books regarding the tales of Xanth are written like this, then I'm good - no need to explore any further.
I enjoyed the main character being a magical horse and a female lead. But it's so obvious her story was written by a man and a rather chauvinistic one at that. I really could have done without the "females are like this, because" mansplaining. Yes, it was written in the 1970's but Women's lib was legit a thing at that time, so if this was willfully misogynistic it's even more of a turn-off. If the rest of the books regarding the tales of Xanth are written like this, then I'm good - no need to explore any further.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 31, 2022
Moving away from what have been the main characters of Xanth in the previous books and bringing forward a Nightmare, a bringer of bad dreams, but having gained half a soul begins to fail to do her job properly. However, this puts her in line to play a special role in saving Xanth from the next invasion from Mundania.
The story is suitably fast paste for a story about war and invasion, and pages turn quickly. The characters are generally well written, but he maybe makes the mistake of keeping too many horse characteristics of the nightmare while also making her seem too human (which makes her seem to subservient to many women of the 21st century).
The story is suitably fast paste for a story about war and invasion, and pages turn quickly. The characters are generally well written, but he maybe makes the mistake of keeping too many horse characteristics of the nightmare while also making her seem too human (which makes her seem to subservient to many women of the 21st century).
September 24, 2024
Probably my favorite out of the classic era of Xanth. It's still got Anthony's particular brand of 'haha, I'm a misogynist but it's funny' jokes, but the main character is a literal Night Mare.
Most of the other Xanth books are getting knocked down to a 1 or a 2, but this one... This one can stay a 3.
I may just jump to Heaven Cent, which is where I started reading it as a teenager. I'm a big fan of being informed, so when I tell people not to read them, I know it's not just the books that were written 40 years ago, as weird as that sounds!
Here's hoping they get better over time.... And he learned to be a better human.😬😬😬
Most of the other Xanth books are getting knocked down to a 1 or a 2, but this one... This one can stay a 3.
I may just jump to Heaven Cent, which is where I started reading it as a teenager. I'm a big fan of being informed, so when I tell people not to read them, I know it's not just the books that were written 40 years ago, as weird as that sounds!
Here's hoping they get better over time.... And he learned to be a better human.😬😬😬
August 3, 2017
The story works very well as a culmination of the books that had followed. Seeing most of the main characters from preceding books play, sometimes small, yet useful parts in the story was quite enjoyable. While I didn't find myself to invested in the main heroine, I still found her a fine character and a fine catalyst for the stories monumental war on Xanth.
March 2, 2022
Decent yarn. It felt like Anthony was stretching to keep it interesting between the start and the end (which was well done).
Not boring, just not his best (which is pretty good). It's still better than most stories I've read.
Not boring, just not his best (which is pretty good). It's still better than most stories I've read.
October 31, 2024
As a character the night mare doesn’t do much for me. But overall I did enjoy the overall story and the constant change of the kings and rulers. I also didn’t expect what happened with the horseman and the day mare at all.
November 18, 2024
Fun Trail ride in Xanth
This was one of the most enjoyable Xanth novels that I have read and reread , the ending was sad but she gets to see her wish come true . also this novel laid groundwork for later stories.
This was one of the most enjoyable Xanth novels that I have read and reread , the ending was sad but she gets to see her wish come true . also this novel laid groundwork for later stories.
March 18, 2018
Very enjoyable.
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