What do you think?
Rate this book
Xanth #19
Roc and a Hard Place
Seeking a solution to a perplexing personal problem, the delectable Demoness Metria asks for help from the wise Magician Humfrey. But before he will help her, she must perform a perilous mission: Rove the length and breadth of Xanth in search of a suitable jury for the trial of Roxanne Roc--a notably noble and virtuous bird charged with a most improbable offense.
Exciting, exhilarating, and brimming with hilarious hijinks, Roc and a Hard Place is Xanth at its most enchanting.
Exciting, exhilarating, and brimming with hilarious hijinks, Roc and a Hard Place is Xanth at its most enchanting.
352 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 28, 1995
117 people are currently reading
2178 people want to read
About the author
Piers Anthony
427Ìýbooks4,171ÌýfollowersThough 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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
March 2, 2015
My wife Barb and I have read a number of books in the author's Xanth series; I've only reviewed a few of them here, but the general observations from those reviews would apply to this installment as well (and probably to all or most of the Xanth novels --it would be fair to say that in many ways, if you've read one of them, you've read them all!). We've been away from the series for about six years, but picked this installment to read as a lighter change of pace, and it didn't disappoint in that respect. Not unusually, in the case of these books, we read it out of series order (we started with , the seventh book; we did go back later to the first volume and read several succeeding ones in sequence, but our reading has been subject to the vagaries of yard sale and flea market purchases); I was confusing this one with the 15th installment, , which is actually the one that explains Good Magician Humphrey's complicated domestic situation. (This one doesn't, but we liked it anyway. :-) ) I was also mistakenly thinking we'd already read the following book, . Anyway, this volume makes reference to, and partly depends on events in, at least two earlier books; but the author provides enough explanation to bring you up to speed if you haven't read those.
Our protagonist here is one of the more minor characters from the earlier part of the corpus, Demoness Metria. Xanth's "demons" aren't connected with Satan; they're just super-powerful and incorporeal magic beings introduced in the second book, , but they don't have souls or consciences and have their own agendas, which may include harassing humans. Metria, however, in this book, has married a human, acquired a half soul and a conscience (a development recounted in a previous book I haven't read), and now shares her body with two split personalities, Demoness Mentia (D. Mentia for short) who doesn't approve of the changes, and the child Woe Betide. (Her penchant for verbal confusion and malapropisms is intact here, however.) This book is structured as a quest narrative, which will take her all over Xanth and into Mundania (our world) to deliver summons for the jurors and other personnel for the trial of Roxanne Roc for a mysterious offense; the trial forms the culmination of the plot.
Anthony delivers all of this with his characteristic zany humor, and punning run wild. In general, a Xanth novel isn't something you take too seriously; but here as usual, he mixes some good and serious messages in with the fun. Like the rest of the series, this is a good clean escapist romp that can provide the reader with some pleasant diversion.
Our protagonist here is one of the more minor characters from the earlier part of the corpus, Demoness Metria. Xanth's "demons" aren't connected with Satan; they're just super-powerful and incorporeal magic beings introduced in the second book, , but they don't have souls or consciences and have their own agendas, which may include harassing humans. Metria, however, in this book, has married a human, acquired a half soul and a conscience (a development recounted in a previous book I haven't read), and now shares her body with two split personalities, Demoness Mentia (D. Mentia for short) who doesn't approve of the changes, and the child Woe Betide. (Her penchant for verbal confusion and malapropisms is intact here, however.) This book is structured as a quest narrative, which will take her all over Xanth and into Mundania (our world) to deliver summons for the jurors and other personnel for the trial of Roxanne Roc for a mysterious offense; the trial forms the culmination of the plot.
Anthony delivers all of this with his characteristic zany humor, and punning run wild. In general, a Xanth novel isn't something you take too seriously; but here as usual, he mixes some good and serious messages in with the fun. Like the rest of the series, this is a good clean escapist romp that can provide the reader with some pleasant diversion.
May 3, 2020
This was more enjoyable than many Xanth books since the final purpose of the story was kept in mind more than in many of this series. Nonetheless it is still a minor book because the author treats the series as a cheap but fun way to keep money coming into the household. I’m not just assuming this: the author has stated this many times. Recommended for escapist fantasy, very useful in this time of stress with a pandemic.
January 1, 2025
There are little pockets of amusement lying around in the most random places when voyaging through the world of Xanth. To think that practically the entire continent that is the 19th book of the series is dotted with the handprints of its readers is a delightful thing to know. Piers Anthony's sorcerer-level talent of lexical acrobatics reached an expansion over the years--I would assume--wherein it is able to allow others to possess a sprinkle of its magic. Such self-sustaining wizardry that involves the readers themselves as the very contributors of the base concepts used for the wit and humor littered on the ordinary and the topsy-turvy. Roc and a Hard Place is another amusement facility akin to a fun house built on creativity run loose.
There is a clear drawback, however, in integrating hundreds of reader suggestions like Anthony did in this specific entry. On many occasions, the act of doing so made it appear as if they were brought to life merely for them to be brought to life, souring the flow when I was not persuaded of its inclusion by the out-of-the-blue-ness of its existence. To be honest, not being able to escape puns and wordplay for three pages max, especially as we cross over the earlier sections of the story, does make the bags under my eyes sag in slight drowsiness. Hindsight colors the experience a little bit when thinking about how sweet it is that the author does not hide the prevalence of his readers' benefaction, yet sadly, it does not erase those moments of accumulating weariness. The journey of sending summons to almost thirty characters and having to know the life story of most while catching up to details already laid upon from a previous book was quite an overload of information. I am aware that this reaction is heavily due to the fact that this is my first Xanth book (it is from a friend's small shelf; I chose this randomly and bought it after he assured me that not having read anything else prior is fine and dandy, and it still does work as a standalone), but I mean I do not really want to have to commit to leaving no escape routes for all of my expected negative reactions for something that was meant for simple leisure after a prolonged Dark Age away from fictional literature.
Oversaturated attempts for witticism aside, it's no wonder why the series has enough dedicated fans for Piers Anthony to spawn almost 20 books under its name. I read that the protagonist Metria was only a side character in the previous books, so someone like her attaining protagonistdom is a telltale sign of the breadth of the Xanth universe and the expansive potential for fleshing out anyone mentioned only once (an exaggeration, but you get the point). This is all conjecture after knowing a little detail, but it's fun to imagine that this could be the case. While I do enjoy most especially how the characters behave so entertainingly and interact with one another with an air of mystery predicating it due to the overt individualism of each as dictated by the humorous innovation of the author, what with the impression I get that I could only truly get over the scores of puns after accomplishing a deep attachment with everything Xanth, I cannot say that I have enjoyed a great deal in reading Roc and a Hard Place. It's nice to discover another facet of written works, though. More power to the author for keeping up interest at a substantial amount even after so many releases over the course of decades.
P.S.: D. Mentia still has me rolling. The power of intended puns in a society of unintended ones catapults Piers Anthony to one of the most revolutionary figures in human history.
There is a clear drawback, however, in integrating hundreds of reader suggestions like Anthony did in this specific entry. On many occasions, the act of doing so made it appear as if they were brought to life merely for them to be brought to life, souring the flow when I was not persuaded of its inclusion by the out-of-the-blue-ness of its existence. To be honest, not being able to escape puns and wordplay for three pages max, especially as we cross over the earlier sections of the story, does make the bags under my eyes sag in slight drowsiness. Hindsight colors the experience a little bit when thinking about how sweet it is that the author does not hide the prevalence of his readers' benefaction, yet sadly, it does not erase those moments of accumulating weariness. The journey of sending summons to almost thirty characters and having to know the life story of most while catching up to details already laid upon from a previous book was quite an overload of information. I am aware that this reaction is heavily due to the fact that this is my first Xanth book (it is from a friend's small shelf; I chose this randomly and bought it after he assured me that not having read anything else prior is fine and dandy, and it still does work as a standalone), but I mean I do not really want to have to commit to leaving no escape routes for all of my expected negative reactions for something that was meant for simple leisure after a prolonged Dark Age away from fictional literature.
Oversaturated attempts for witticism aside, it's no wonder why the series has enough dedicated fans for Piers Anthony to spawn almost 20 books under its name. I read that the protagonist Metria was only a side character in the previous books, so someone like her attaining protagonistdom is a telltale sign of the breadth of the Xanth universe and the expansive potential for fleshing out anyone mentioned only once (an exaggeration, but you get the point). This is all conjecture after knowing a little detail, but it's fun to imagine that this could be the case. While I do enjoy most especially how the characters behave so entertainingly and interact with one another with an air of mystery predicating it due to the overt individualism of each as dictated by the humorous innovation of the author, what with the impression I get that I could only truly get over the scores of puns after accomplishing a deep attachment with everything Xanth, I cannot say that I have enjoyed a great deal in reading Roc and a Hard Place. It's nice to discover another facet of written works, though. More power to the author for keeping up interest at a substantial amount even after so many releases over the course of decades.
P.S.: D. Mentia still has me rolling. The power of intended puns in a society of unintended ones catapults Piers Anthony to one of the most revolutionary figures in human history.
August 26, 2019
4 Stars
Roc and a Hard Place is the nineteenth book in the Xanth series by Piers Anthony. When Demoness Metria seeks counsel from the good and wise Magician Humphrey on a personal matter, he sets her a task before he will give her some answers. She's sent to search for suitable candidates to act as a jury for the trial of Roxanne Roc, who has been charged with an offense she couldn't have possibly committed. And so the adventure begins.
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!
Roc and a Hard Place is the nineteenth book in the Xanth series by Piers Anthony. When Demoness Metria seeks counsel from the good and wise Magician Humphrey on a personal matter, he sets her a task before he will give her some answers. She's sent to search for suitable candidates to act as a jury for the trial of Roxanne Roc, who has been charged with an offense she couldn't have possibly committed. And so the adventure begins.
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!
March 13, 2023
This book started out really strong I loved it. I loved the premise that Metria was trying to summon the storm and it wouldn't deliver. So she goes to the Magician to get an answer. Thus begins the adventure.
So Metria has to deliver summons for the trial of Roxanne Roc. The story is a lot of fun. She delivers summons all over Xanth. One of the adventures involves her daughter. The way she solves their divide was awesome. A lot of problems were being solved.
Also through this story I thought it was a ruse. I thought the Simurgh either knew her baby was about to be born and this was a birth party or later I thought it would be a wedding. Then I thought there would be two weddings. But never did so believe there would be a trial.
Then they went to Mundania. And things got....mundane. Then it started feeling like just added on stories to get the book to the right length. Ugh. It started out so strong.
Also I thought for a brief second that it was going to be an adoption story. No dice.
And then! There was an actual trial. Like witnesses and cross examination. What. I did not travel to Xanth to listen to a court scene. And then a second one sorta. I spent the whole book being sure that there wouldn't a trial and then there were two.
So at the end some of the stuff I expected did happen. Which was cute.
The author's note made me feel like a jerk to give it only a three star but it's my true opinion.
So Metria has to deliver summons for the trial of Roxanne Roc. The story is a lot of fun. She delivers summons all over Xanth. One of the adventures involves her daughter. The way she solves their divide was awesome. A lot of problems were being solved.
Also through this story I thought it was a ruse. I thought the Simurgh either knew her baby was about to be born and this was a birth party or later I thought it would be a wedding. Then I thought there would be two weddings. But never did so believe there would be a trial.
Then they went to Mundania. And things got....mundane. Then it started feeling like just added on stories to get the book to the right length. Ugh. It started out so strong.
Also I thought for a brief second that it was going to be an adoption story. No dice.
And then! There was an actual trial. Like witnesses and cross examination. What. I did not travel to Xanth to listen to a court scene. And then a second one sorta. I spent the whole book being sure that there wouldn't a trial and then there were two.
So at the end some of the stuff I expected did happen. Which was cute.
The author's note made me feel like a jerk to give it only a three star but it's my true opinion.
December 17, 2019
I have read every one of the Xanth series from A Spell for Chameleon right up to the last one called Fire Sail (which I reviewed here on Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ.) I was 20 years old and they have never lost their appeal. I still buy and read them at the age of 62. I have also read his Tarot series his Apprentice Adept series and while they were also entertaining, they did not have the impact that Xanth has.
Roc and a Hard Place is Mr. Anthony's 19th book in this series and it's a good one. The main character is one of my favorites, DeMetria the Demoness. This time she travels to Magician Humphrey for the answer to a problem and she is sent on a mission as payment for her answer. Metria does not go on her mission alone...her other personalities travel with her (DeMonica and Woebegone the little wide-eyed waif). Their mission is to find a jury and court for the trial of Roxanne Roc. There ensues the always enjoyable puns and magic until the end of the book.
If you love true fantasy (dragons, princesses, elves, goblins, etc) you will enjoy this series. The good thing about Piers Anthony's Xanth books is the fact that you do NOT have to read them all or in any order.
Roc and a Hard Place is Mr. Anthony's 19th book in this series and it's a good one. The main character is one of my favorites, DeMetria the Demoness. This time she travels to Magician Humphrey for the answer to a problem and she is sent on a mission as payment for her answer. Metria does not go on her mission alone...her other personalities travel with her (DeMonica and Woebegone the little wide-eyed waif). Their mission is to find a jury and court for the trial of Roxanne Roc. There ensues the always enjoyable puns and magic until the end of the book.
If you love true fantasy (dragons, princesses, elves, goblins, etc) you will enjoy this series. The good thing about Piers Anthony's Xanth books is the fact that you do NOT have to read them all or in any order.
February 1, 2023
On the positive side, this book continues, like the last installment, to mostly avoid the walking around and running into puns (well, there were an excess of these, but still) approach that most previous Xanth novels have taken. It seemed, to me, a bit light on plot, and really more of an excuse to pop around and re-visit most of the main Xanth characters, which I suppose could be of interest to long-standing readers of the series. A better read than many of the pre-#18 installments, but probably really just for established fans rather than new or casual readers.
June 1, 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.
October 12, 2023
Excellent Story
Demoness Metria and her two other personalities, D. Mentioned and Little Woe Begon, start on a trip through Xanth, Mundainia, and the Gourd world so that D. Metria can summon the stork after 400 years.
Demoness Metria and her two other personalities, D. Mentioned and Little Woe Begon, start on a trip through Xanth, Mundainia, and the Gourd world so that D. Metria can summon the stork after 400 years.
July 2, 2017
Brilliant! This the 19th novel in the Xanth series brought in characters from the past and gave clarity to some past events.
August 17, 2017
#19 of the series. This was quite complete, meaning you could read it without a lot of background. Light reading, great puns. A nice break after some more serious books.
May 13, 2018
Yet another pun-filled adventure. This time there is a very good lesson to be learned from the story. It reunites old characters and weaves a very good humorous tale with a serious lesson.
Want to read
July 19, 2020elibrary
July 5, 2023
Great story - Metria learns a lot about the history of Xanth . . .
July 15, 2024
Fascinating. I picked this book up on a whim because it is something different that I would normaly read. It's kind of like Alice in wonderland. Lots of strange things happen. Worth reading.
Read
March 8, 2017O....kaaaay, so this is my first Xaneth book that I randomly picked up and read, and I'm trying to figure out if this was a bad place to start the series, or if this series is just plain weird. Lol.
I had absolutely NO IDEA what was going on. XD I can handle weird stories, but this was just a little TOO weird. ...and random. Nothing really made much sense to me, hahaha...
(Disclaimer: I had no idea this book was the 19th book in the series until I searched for it on this site. -_-; I'm going to assume that this book can be a standalone, but if it isn't, then why in the heck aren't these books numerically written on the binding or wherever else IN the book?) :P
I had absolutely NO IDEA what was going on. XD I can handle weird stories, but this was just a little TOO weird. ...and random. Nothing really made much sense to me, hahaha...
(Disclaimer: I had no idea this book was the 19th book in the series until I searched for it on this site. -_-; I'm going to assume that this book can be a standalone, but if it isn't, then why in the heck aren't these books numerically written on the binding or wherever else IN the book?) :P
August 8, 2015
Book 19 of the Xanth series is one of the most fun in the series so far!
The reader finds that Demoness Metria has been making her husband deliriously happy since they became married and she got half a soul. Yet though they have summoned the stork over 700 times, they have not yet had a little one delivered to them. So, Metria does what any other person in Xanth does when they have a question they need answered...she went to the Good Magician Humphrey. Once she made it into his castle to ask her question, she was informed she needed to go see the Simurgh! She meets with the all-knowing and wisest bird in Xanth to find out that she real task is to serve summons to creatures throughout Xanth and Mundania to attend the trial of Roxanne Roc! Yet no one knows what she is being tried for.
So popping all over Xanth to deliver the summons, Metria interacts with some Xanth characters from previous books, like King Trent, Queen Iris, Arnold Centaur, Ichabod, Jordan, Threnody, and Kim and Dug to name a few. Along the way, the reader finds out more about the history of Xanth, including previous kings, more detail about Threnody's life than what was covered in book 8, what Che's purpose in life truly is, and finds out if Ivy & Nada will finally be married.
This is one of the more fun books in the Xanth series. Though like the others, it can stand alone if need be, it is better if the reader has experienced the first 18 books. It is a very quick read, and an installment I am sure all fans of Xanth will enjoy.
The reader finds that Demoness Metria has been making her husband deliriously happy since they became married and she got half a soul. Yet though they have summoned the stork over 700 times, they have not yet had a little one delivered to them. So, Metria does what any other person in Xanth does when they have a question they need answered...she went to the Good Magician Humphrey. Once she made it into his castle to ask her question, she was informed she needed to go see the Simurgh! She meets with the all-knowing and wisest bird in Xanth to find out that she real task is to serve summons to creatures throughout Xanth and Mundania to attend the trial of Roxanne Roc! Yet no one knows what she is being tried for.
So popping all over Xanth to deliver the summons, Metria interacts with some Xanth characters from previous books, like King Trent, Queen Iris, Arnold Centaur, Ichabod, Jordan, Threnody, and Kim and Dug to name a few. Along the way, the reader finds out more about the history of Xanth, including previous kings, more detail about Threnody's life than what was covered in book 8, what Che's purpose in life truly is, and finds out if Ivy & Nada will finally be married.
This is one of the more fun books in the Xanth series. Though like the others, it can stand alone if need be, it is better if the reader has experienced the first 18 books. It is a very quick read, and an installment I am sure all fans of Xanth will enjoy.
December 8, 2011
Another of my favorite Xanth books, this one sees Metria/Mentia trying to find out why the stork is ignoring her signals, as she longs for a child since getting half a soul. The visit to the Good Magician leads to her organizing a trial for Roxanne Roc, the bird guarding the Simurgh's egg for the past few centuries. We see tests of Metria's morals, new friendships and of course the puns and usual Xanthian oddities. I really liked the adventure aspect of this one, and the group dynamics are some of the older characters I enjoyed from previous novels.
As always, you have to be a fan of these books to get the full enjoyment out of them, but anyone new to Xanth can came straight in and read them out of order and quickly grasp the idea. Basically Xanth is separate to our world, controlled by magic much the same way as we are controlled by gravity. The creatures there are given full freedom, but often watched by the Demon Xanth and other Demons, who hold contests about their actions. Every human has a magic talent, and most animals are magic.
A delightful story, and one of my favorites. I need to buy a copy since it is one of the few missing from my collection, but luckily my library has most of them as well.
As always, you have to be a fan of these books to get the full enjoyment out of them, but anyone new to Xanth can came straight in and read them out of order and quickly grasp the idea. Basically Xanth is separate to our world, controlled by magic much the same way as we are controlled by gravity. The creatures there are given full freedom, but often watched by the Demon Xanth and other Demons, who hold contests about their actions. Every human has a magic talent, and most animals are magic.
A delightful story, and one of my favorites. I need to buy a copy since it is one of the few missing from my collection, but luckily my library has most of them as well.
November 16, 2015
It is not really necessary to have read all of the other books in the Xanth series before reading Roc in a Hard Place, but most of the characters that appear in this book have appeared in other books. Like most of the latter books in the series, this one seems oriented to the younger audience. If you are looking for a serious fantasy novel, don’t pick this one up.
I would almost recommend this for kids, except that Metria has to keep going back to her castle throughout the book to “please� her husband. It is never really mentioned what they do, but it is implied. I would either rather have Mr. Anthony not mention it, or if he is going to mention, actually talk about it. I have grown very tired of all this hinting at sex and the Adult Conspiracy stuff. It is getting old.
If you are looking to pick up a Xanth novel and you were considering this to be the first . . . STOP! Read the first one, it is awesome. It is called A Spell for Chameleon. Start from there. The first five or six books are great. Then if you want to continue with the series, go for it.
Roc in a Hard Place is not bad, its just not all that great.
I rated this book a 6 out of 10.
I would almost recommend this for kids, except that Metria has to keep going back to her castle throughout the book to “please� her husband. It is never really mentioned what they do, but it is implied. I would either rather have Mr. Anthony not mention it, or if he is going to mention, actually talk about it. I have grown very tired of all this hinting at sex and the Adult Conspiracy stuff. It is getting old.
If you are looking to pick up a Xanth novel and you were considering this to be the first . . . STOP! Read the first one, it is awesome. It is called A Spell for Chameleon. Start from there. The first five or six books are great. Then if you want to continue with the series, go for it.
Roc in a Hard Place is not bad, its just not all that great.
I rated this book a 6 out of 10.
January 22, 2012
I'm a great fan of Demoness Metria (the main reason I bought most of Anthony's books after he wrapped up his original "trilogy"; I even wrote a small homage to her in one of my books) but I was sorely disappointed after reading "Roc and a Hard Place". I was expecting something very unusual after my favorite Demoness got split up into two different identities (D.Metria and D.mentia) in "Gargoyle Geis", but all I got was a tale (which devolves in to a courtroom drama) that merely reduced her to a courier-boy role.
Piers Anthony's quality writing still endures, but the problem is that he has started to become more and more formulaic: character wants something, consults with Humphrey, gets a quest to do and attain what he/she wants. If you're a fan who doesn't want to spoil the memorable reads you've experienced in "Man from Mundania" and "Question Quest", I think you'd do yourself a big favor if you stopped reading any subsequent books in this long-lived series. I wish I did.
Piers Anthony's quality writing still endures, but the problem is that he has started to become more and more formulaic: character wants something, consults with Humphrey, gets a quest to do and attain what he/she wants. If you're a fan who doesn't want to spoil the memorable reads you've experienced in "Man from Mundania" and "Question Quest", I think you'd do yourself a big favor if you stopped reading any subsequent books in this long-lived series. I wish I did.
April 23, 2013
I never liked Demoness Metria. She was kind of obnoxious every time she showed up. This book being about her annoyed me, of course. And her quest just seemed totally contrived. I'm even saying this on the context of knowing Xanth is silly on purpose. A Roc is on trial for something or other and Metria's given the duty of . . . gathering a jury. So she can wander around and dig up puns, I guess. I liked seeing some of the old characters pop up, and I like the question of grappling with morality when you're a demon with half a soul, and I always thought it was funny that the "Adult Conspiracy" teaches that lovemaking is a signal to the stork that they want a child.
I found myself so detached from the characters--who had become even more silly cardboard cutouts to bounce puns off of than they were when they were first invented--that this book is where I put my reading of the series to sleep. I didn't read from 20 on because I realized I never got invested in anyone in the story.
I found myself so detached from the characters--who had become even more silly cardboard cutouts to bounce puns off of than they were when they were first invented--that this book is where I put my reading of the series to sleep. I didn't read from 20 on because I realized I never got invested in anyone in the story.
July 26, 2014
The Demoness Metria is tasked with gathering a jury for the trial of a lifetime: A Roc is going to be judged.
Metria was generally a non-compelling character for me, and again the quest she's sent on appears to be an excuse for her to wander around falling into the triggers for puns. Revisiting a couple of characters from the older books was kinda fun, but they played bit parts for the most part and I wished there had been more to love about Metria. Since I realized at this point that the books were annoying me every time I picked them up, I stopped keeping up with the series here, and to be honest only liked three of them enough to give them more than two stars. I guess I was just responding to familiarity by that point--well, and I was in high school and these books kept popping up at the used book store--but I stopped reading these before going off to college and I didn't miss it.
Metria was generally a non-compelling character for me, and again the quest she's sent on appears to be an excuse for her to wander around falling into the triggers for puns. Revisiting a couple of characters from the older books was kinda fun, but they played bit parts for the most part and I wished there had been more to love about Metria. Since I realized at this point that the books were annoying me every time I picked them up, I stopped keeping up with the series here, and to be honest only liked three of them enough to give them more than two stars. I guess I was just responding to familiarity by that point--well, and I was in high school and these books kept popping up at the used book store--but I stopped reading these before going off to college and I didn't miss it.
Read
August 5, 2016Read in 1995 when it was new.
This is where I gave up on Xanth, because I knew if I kept trying I would lose even the nostalgic affection I had for remembering enjoying it as a tween. This coincided with a couple other disappointments and the creeped-out feeling Anthony gave me generally as a dirty old man, so that this was pretty much the point at which I gave up on his books entirely (I did buy and read the final book in the Mode series because I'd been waiting so long, but aside from that 1995 was the end for me with him).
This is where I gave up on Xanth, because I knew if I kept trying I would lose even the nostalgic affection I had for remembering enjoying it as a tween. This coincided with a couple other disappointments and the creeped-out feeling Anthony gave me generally as a dirty old man, so that this was pretty much the point at which I gave up on his books entirely (I did buy and read the final book in the Mode series because I'd been waiting so long, but aside from that 1995 was the end for me with him).
August 28, 2023
"Courage is as one defines it."
Metria is one of those characters that I love to hate: he's flamboyant, annoying, crazy - but I love her anyway!
After coming off the dull-adventure but strong moral fiber of Geis of the Gargoyle, Roc and a Hard Place is typical Xanth.
Beautiful lead + crazy question + unrelated answer
Metria + "How come I don't have a kid after summoning the stork 700 times?" + "Deliver these court summons to a ton of characters from past books for a trial." = Xanth adventure!
Metria is one of those characters that I love to hate: he's flamboyant, annoying, crazy - but I love her anyway!
After coming off the dull-adventure but strong moral fiber of Geis of the Gargoyle, Roc and a Hard Place is typical Xanth.
Beautiful lead + crazy question + unrelated answer
Metria + "How come I don't have a kid after summoning the stork 700 times?" + "Deliver these court summons to a ton of characters from past books for a trial." = Xanth adventure!
May 7, 2013
When I first started reading this book I dreaded the thought that Metria was the main character. Thankfully, she wasn't as annoying as she could have been. The idea that she can't remember simple words is just plain stupid in my opinion.
This wasn't nearly as fun as the last two books of the series were. It was interesting to see so many returning characters, but it was honestly somewhat hard to remember all of them from the previous books.
This wasn't nearly as fun as the last two books of the series were. It was interesting to see so many returning characters, but it was honestly somewhat hard to remember all of them from the previous books.
October 30, 2013
He's back LOL. Quite a number of the past books in this series, I had serious doubts that they were actually written by Peirs Anthony and if so he was tired or something. They just lacked something but this book was back to normal and thank heavens. I ran through it as fast as I could considering all the stuff that kept me away and laughed and groaned right to the end. Hopefully the rest continue.
March 6, 2015
I have to say once you have read a certain amount of Xanth books it almost feels like you might as well not bother reading any more. I found this one a bit boring although the story line was interesting and it does explore a lot of Xanth and many of the characters from previous books. I Suppose I just feel that the series is not really going anywhere. I wouldn't really recommend reading it, which is kinda sad.
August 14, 2022
Roc and a Hard Place
Piers Anthony keeps his record as biggest punter in the kingdom of writing! Along with a fantastical plot with more twists than a twist tie, you will be captured by this wonderful and beautiful tale.
- Taborri Walker, author of the Earth Maid series on Amazon.
Piers Anthony keeps his record as biggest punter in the kingdom of writing! Along with a fantastical plot with more twists than a twist tie, you will be captured by this wonderful and beautiful tale.
- Taborri Walker, author of the Earth Maid series on Amazon.
September 10, 2010
When you're sick, but have insomnia, a very fluffy Xanth book by Piers Anthony is the way to go. As usual, his riddles are quite clever. I also liked the maturation of plot regarding some characters and their destiny.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get help and learn more about the design.