Night Mare

This book is called Night Mare. It is written by Piers Anthony. In this book, the

nextwave of barbarian warriors invade a place called Xanth ravaging and destroying as

they advanced. But a Mare named Imbrium has her own problems. She has started to

mishandle her job of delivering bad dreams. Now the Night Stallion dismissed her,

exiling her to the day world.

Piers Anthony is the pen name of Piers Anthony Dillingham Jacob. He was born

on August 6th, 1934 in Oxford England. He has written over 100 novels in the genres of

science fiction, fantasy, horror, and martial arts. Some of his other books include, Split

Infinity and Changing the Lady.

In Xanth, deserving people receive nightmares. They are delivered by “Night

Mares” from the gourd. The gourd resembles a Mundane squash with a hole on the

surface. If one peeps into the hole, they become entranced into the gourd. Their body

stays outside, but their soul goes into the land of the gourd. The only way to be released,

is if someone blocks the victims’ view of the peephole. Inside the gourd there are

several sections, the graveyard, the city of Brassies and all kinds of spooky stuff. When

you go into the gourd and then leave, when you look at the peephole again it takes you

right back to the place you left. Inside the gourd is where nightmares are made.

Nightmares are each constructed for each individual who is to receive it. People must

have nightmares. If they didn’t, they wouldn’t have any consciences. Nightmares make

you a better person. The Night Stallion is in charge of the gourd. He assigns the

nightmares to the “Night Mares” who deliver the bad dreams all over Xanth and

sometimes Mundania. Night Mares are solid black and are immortal. They phase out in

the darkness and travel all night delivering nightmares. You can tell that one has been

there by the hoof prints they leave behind. The most famous Night Mare is Mare

Imbrium. She had always had a secret desire to see a rainbow. Since Night Mares can

not be out in the day, she had never seen one. After she received half a soul, which

ruined her, she no longer had the right attitude to deliver her nightmares with the malice

in which they were to be delivered. So the Night Stallion fired her and sent her to day

duty. Day Mares deliver day dreams. They also have been known to show up in

Mundania. After she became a Day Mare, Mare Imbrium was told by the Night Stallion

to deliver a message “beware the horseman”. This started an adventure that consisted of

saving the whole of Xanth.

I hated this book because it is a science fiction book and it was so boring to read.

Although it kept me going for a couple of chapters, it got really hard to read after about

the fourth chapter.

Night Mare is written by Piers Anthony. I didn’t like the book very much because

it is a science fiction. It was about Night Mares that bring bad dreams to people that

deserve them.

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