Compare prices before you buy. Yes jsgoddess's ratings Fantasy novels, at their best, are not only revelatory about the extent of the author's imagination, but about something fundamental to humanity. Freed from the constraints of reality, fantasy can distill characters and events into powerful, living symbols. Think of Reepicheep going beyond the edge of the world in a coracle, or Taran choosing Prydain over the Summer Country, or Thomas Covenant's showdown with Lord Foul. They are stand-ins for all of the adventures we cannot take, the decisions we never have a chance to make, the sacrifices we might not be strong enough to embrace.
Good fantasy is reality, intensified.
Bad fantasy, on the other hand, just lobs goofy creatures, weird plots, and outlandish magic at us, and giggles at our attempts to make sense of it while gleaning some deeper meaning. A bit of both. What ASFC fails to reveal, however, is if Anthony has enough insight into the human condition to speak persuasively about it. Everyone in Xanth has some magic, even if they can only make pink spots on the walls. With this, Anthony has developed an intriguing world, where even the plants and stones can perform magic spells to benefit themselves.