Crewel Lye: A Caustic Yarn (Xanth #8) is a 1984 fantasy novel written by Piers Anthony, published by Del Rey Books.  Set as the eighth book in the Xanth series, the story follows a Castle Roogna’s ghost, Jordan the Barbarian, tells Princess Ivy his story of betrayal and death via the magical medium of the Tapestry.

Positives:

• Great characters
• Good story
• Entertaining writing
• Good world-building
• Good humor

Negatives:

• n/a

Plot:  The story follows two stories: the present time Princess Ivy who’s grounded who meets a ghost named Jordan and listens to the tales of his story of betrayal and death via the magical medium of the Tapestry and the second timeline follows Jordan’s adventures in the past when he was alive.  Jordan is on an adventure when he meets a woman named Threnody who is prisoner to a bad magician named Yin-Yang.The story is good, it’s interesting, it’s humorous, and it goes at a pretty fast pace.  Jordan’s amnesia is a great method used to gradually unravel the story. The story isn’t the grandest of tales but it is entertaining to follow.  Loved the resolution at the end with Jordan’s revival and his new journey to revive Threnody. The story is really good. (3 out of 5)

Characters:  Really enjoyed the characters who do a good job and have likable qualities.  The main characters are barbarian Jordan, maiden Threnody, and princess Ivy.  Loved little Princess Ivy.  She’s just completely adorable. Especially liked Ivy’s scheming against her newborn brother (isn’t sibling rivalry just grand).  She’s grounded because of a nasty prank and that’s how she meets ghost Jordan.

Jordan is probably one of the most memorable characters in the series.  He has this awesome ability to heal from any wound, even fatal ones.  Jordan tells tales of his adventures to Ivy utilizing the Tapestry to visualize it.  Really feel sorry for him during some of the more graphic sequences as he nearly dies each time.  Threnody is another great character who’s likable and does have good chemistry with Jordan that does build over the course of the book.  She does have a good developing arc that and a surprising twist behind her actions.  By the end, you’re left feeling sorry for these characters but feel hopeful for them.

The main antagonist is Yin-Yang, an evil magician who wants Threnody as his wife and takes it personal that Jordan is interfering.  He doesn’t really standout as a grand bad guy but as an antagonist he’s pretty sound.  I do like the the fact that Yin-Yang has this two sides going on about him like he’s a Xanth version of Two-Face.  All in all, I really liked the characters. (3 out of 5)

Writing:  Piers Anthony does a great job with the writing especially with this eccentric world of Xanth. For more grounded readers the world-building will feel pretty out there.  Normally I wouldn’t really like settings like Xanth, but I really appreciated the unique feel and allure of the world.  I liked the storytelling, how the Tapestry illustrates the narration. The writing is simplistic but it works for the setting.  The story within a story technique does work well, so jumping from the past to the present and vice versa isn’t really a problem. There is a lot of violence and a lot of gore, particularly when Jordan is cut, stabbed, and dismembered.  There is also a good bit of humor and the romance that feels well managed. Thumbs up to Anthony. (3 out of 5)

The Verdict:  In the end, Crewel Lye: A Caustic Yarn (Xanth #8) is a fun read of a good story.  Yeah, it isn’t the most grand story and the bad guy isn’t the most memorable.  But the story is enjoyable, the characters are likable, the writing is enjoyable, there’s good humor, and the writing presents a good world.  Crewel Lye: A Caustic Yarn (Xanth #8) gets 3 out of 5.