Golem in the Gears by Piers Anthony

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Golem in the Gears (The Magic of Xanth, Book 9)

I've been looking forward to getting to "Golem in the Gears" as I read through the Xanth books. I knew from reading some of his author's comments at the back of his books that this was the first book he wrote using a computer! Piers Anthony had said in those notes that the computer managed to work it's way into the book, and I was curious to see how that worked out.

"Golem in the Gears" stars Grundy Golem, the little Golem that was transformed awhile ago into a living being. He's still quiet small though, and he's struggled with his feeling of self worth. Now he has a chance to prove his worth by going on a quest for the princess.

Traveling in Xanth is always an adventure, and fortunately Grundy doesn't have to go alone. He travels with the monster from under the Princess's bed as his stead, and eventually meets up with Rapunzel. Rapunzel is part elf, and she's able to change her size. She likes being his size, admires what he's doing, and begins to fall for him. Can a golem find love?

And yes, they do encounter the computer, and a battle of wits ensues!

The Golem's Eye by Jonathan Stroud

When I first started reading "The Golem's Eye" I was a little disappointed. One of my favorite things about the previous book in the series, "The Amulet of Samarkand," was that the djinni Bartimaeus did quit a bit of the narration. Well, Bartimaeus still makes his presence known in this book, but it's not a constant as in the previous book.

I soon got over my disappointment though. The reason Bartimaeus doesn't talk as much in this book is that we spend quite a bit of time getting to know Kitty. Kitty is a commoner with a natural resistance to magic. Because of this talent, she ends up joining the resistance against the magicians, in fact this is why we first met her in the last book! Now we get to learn more about how she ended up in that life and who she is as a person.

There are also a lot of magical hi jinks to keep you intrigued and laughing the whole way through. Golem's, explosions, yellow faces, and much, much more! I really enjoyed this book and I hope you will too.