The magical land of Xanth is in peril in this follow-up to Board Stiff by New York Times–bestselling author Piers Anthony. “It occurs to me that you folk are no ordinary group,” the troll said. “We're on a special mission to eliminate the last of the anti-pun virus. We are a bit unusual.” Astrid Basilisk-Cockatrice is the daughter of anonymous parents who whiled away a dull minute by generating her on a warm compost pile, then went their own deadly ways, never to see her or each other again. She found herself a soul, but her gaze is fatal and her touch is toxic. That’s not so strange in the Land of Xanth, where everyone has a unique magical talent, and charms, curses, and enchanted puzzles lie around every corner. Now, Astrid and her companions are finishing the cleanup of a virus that ravaged the puns of Xanth, and new Quests are already popping up. For instance, Astrid is attempting to fulfill her mission in life, if only she can figure out what that is. And then there’s the missing Question from the Good Magician’s Book of Answers. Not to mention the small matter of a Demon Wager regarding the impending destruction of Xanth. But it’s nothing Astrid and her motley crew of lovely maidens and strapping men can’t handle . . . they hope. Piers Anthony delivers another tale set in the bestselling world of Xanth, filled with magic, surprises, adventure, and a few puns. Here’s what the author has to say about his new book: “Five Portraits is a kind of sequel to Board Stiff in that it picks up where the other leaves off, with the same characters. Apart from that, it’s one of my favorites within the series. There’s something about Astrid Basilisk that appeals to me: a very pretty girl whose very glance is deadly, yet she’s a nice person whose selfless effort to save five difficult children from future Xanth is thoroughly worthy. I also like the theme of the power of unlikely friendship. Not just Xanth, but Mundania, too, would be better if there were more such friendships.”

The author describes Nestling as the deviant's duplicity of which he infiltrates himself into the life of a single mother in order to get access to the child Set in the Southern US. A month before the Korean War, in a land still grrieving from World War. the story is focused around the violation of Emma, a white juvenile by her stepfather, whilst the blame is placed on a young Negro boy Jordan. The inate racism of the old south, reinforced by the Ku-Klux-Klan, means that young Jordan is in for a sticky time, while the real culprit is protected by the good ol' boys of the town, who would prefer to hunt a young black than admit that one of their own could be that depraved. "War makes widows and abuse makes abusers, two heartaches that combine to make 'Nestling' a damn good read"

It was a dark and stormy night, and the elfin army was massed, standing at attention in the middle of a clearing of the forest. At the head of this army of about two hundred archers and three hundred swordsman were two figures with armor alike yet unalike the other soldiers. One was a tall-standing, young-looking elf woman holding a broadsword to her front with both hands casually on the handle, the blade in the ground. She was wearing a shiny crown of silver and gold on her head, and her long white hair was done in one thick braid at her back that reached down to the base of her spine. Her armor was somewhat heavy, finely made, and was of good shiny steel lined with gold that covered most of her body. What didnt cover her body revealed a dress underneath that was made of either silk or something like it. Standing next to her was a slightly shorter and younger woman who had features like the other. Her armor was a little skimpier, but of the same material. Steel bracers around her forearms as well as somewhat long steel boots gave her limbs some protection. The rest was a chest plate and an Averis chain skirt that went down to her knees, Averis being a special metal made entirely by elves. The skirt has individual scaled plates of its own, and both the chest plate and skirt together exposed her midsection. On her head was a tiara. All of the armor was fit perfectly to her small but muscular, tone frame. Her hair was blond and short, barely reaching her elegant shoulders and was combed back. She stood there beside the older woman with two elegantly curved shortswords held backward in each hand. The army stood in wait on top of a hill overlooking a dark fort a half a mile away surrounded by numerous monsters of many types and configurations but all an ugly, twisted human form. The two women in front stood there for the longest time saying nothing and not moving an inch. All that could be heard was the sound of thunder and the rain hitting their armor. Just then, the silence was broken by the eldest woman in front. She said, Neiren. The younger woman turned to her in response. I want you to do something for me. The younger woman looked at her with deep concern.