''Man from Mundania'' is a

fantasy novel Fantasy literature is literature set in an imaginary universe, often but not always without any locations, events, or people from the real world. Magic, the supernatural and magical creatures are common in many of these imaginary worlds. Fa ...

by American writer

Piers Anthony Piers Anthony Dillingham Jacob (born 6 August 1934) is an American author in the science fiction and Fantasy (genre), fantasy genres, publishing under the name Piers Anthony. He is best known for his :Xanth books, long-running novel series set in ...

. The twelfth book of the

Xanth Xanth ( ) is a series of novels by author Piers Anthony, also known as ''The Magic of Xanth''. Anthony originally intended for Xanth to be a trilogy, but a devoted fan base persuaded the author to continue writing the series, which is now open-en ...

series, it concludes the trilogy of ''

Vale of the Vole ''Vale of the Vole'' is a fantasy novel by American writer Piers Anthony, the tenth book of the Xanth series. It begins a trilogy including ''Heaven Cent'' and ''Man from Mundania''. The novel was written as a satirical jab at the canalization o ...

'' and ''

Heaven Cent ''Heaven Cent'' is a fantasy novel by American writer Piers Anthony, the eleventh book of the Xanth series. It is the second book of a trilogy beginning with ''Vale of the Vole'' and ending with ''Man from Mundania.'' Plot introduction The prot ...

''.

Plot introduction

The

protagonist A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a st ...

of ''Man from Mundania'' is seventeen-year-old Princess

Ivy ''Hedera'', commonly called ivy (plural ivies), is a genus of 12–15 species of evergreen climbing or ground-creeping woody plants in the family Araliaceae, native to western, central and southern Europe, Macaronesia, northwestern Africa and ...

, daughter of King Dor and Queen Irene, older sister to Prince Dolph. Due to her ancestor Bink's deal in the second Xanth novel, ''

The Source of Magic ''The Source of Magic'' is a fantasy novel by British-American writer Piers Anthony, the second book of the Xanth series. This novel begins one year after the events of ''A Spell for Chameleon'', and describes the adventures of Bink after he has ...

'', Ivy has a magician-caliber magical talent of being able to selectively enhance the world around her to match her expectations. The story begins when Ivy decides to use the Heaven Cent, located by Dolph in the previous book ''

'', to find the Good Magician Humfrey, who had been missing since ''

''.

Plot summary

Princess Ivy sets off with her younger brother's co-fiancees Nada Naga and Electra to retrieve the magic mirror that had been stolen by the evil machine Com-Pewter, in preparation for her quest to find Good Magician Humfrey. After besting Com-Pewter in a battle of wits, Ivy uses the charged-up Heaven Cent to transport her to Humfrey's location. Meanwhile, in Mundania, an average college boy named Grey Murphy runs a computer program that claims that it will help him meet women. Sure enough, after installing the "Worm" program, Grey meets a series of appropriately named girls who move into the neighboring apartment, starting with Agenda and moving on through Dyslexia and Euphoria. When Ivy arrives, disorientated to find herself in Mundania, Grey starts to fall for her despite her claims that she is a princess from a fantasy world called Xanth. When Ivy wants to go home, Grey agrees to go with her, even though he doesn't believe that Xanth exists. Even when they've entered Xanth, Grey finds a scientific basis for the fantastical things he sees. His feelings for Ivy grow stronger, although Ivy knows that her regal parents won't allow her to marry a non-magician. The two of them take a trip through the Hypnogourd, where bad dreams are manufactured. After exiting the gourd, Grey, still skeptical of Xanth's magic, turns the Maenads' wine spring into water. Nada realizes his talent: magic nullification - which is a magician-caliber talent. It emerges that Grey is the son of Evil Magician Murphy and Vadne, both banished from Xanth in the book ''

Castle Roogna ''Castle Roogna'' is a fantasy novel by British-American writer Piers Anthony, the third book in the Xanth series. The castle itself is also the residence of the present King of Xanth. Plot summary Dor, a twelve-year-old magician, is next in ...

'', although they had never revealed their origins to him.

References

External links

Excerpt
from

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* 12 1989 American novels Avon (publisher) books {{1980s-fantasy-novel-stub