In July 1979, Piers Anthony published the third installment in the Xanth saga. A young man must find a restorative potion to bring a former ghost's former lover back to life, and that entails going into the past. Synopsis: Once Upon A Past. Millie had been a ghost for 800 years. But now, restored by the magic of Xanth, she was again a maddeningly desirable woman. She could have had any man she wanted . . . except the one she did want, Jonathan the zombie. To grant Millie her desire, and to prove his right to rule Xanth in the future, young Magician Dor embarked on a quest for the elixir which would restore Jonathan to full life. But the potion could be found only in the past . . . so, through a magic tapestry, to the past he went, taking over the body of a barbarian warrior. The first person he encountered there was Jumper, a giant spider--a nightmare monster, but a staunch friend and much-needed ally in peril-haunted, ancient Xanth. Then Dor met Millie--800 years younger, but just as lovely. And he realized that, in his new body, he was no longer twelve years old . . .
The novel opens with Dor, unable to stand lovely Millie and zombie Jonathan, being ridiculed by ordinary citizens for his talent: being able to talk to inanimate objects; he teases Irene, the daughter of King Trent and Queen Iris and not a Magician. Dor helps the vegetarian ogre Crunch find and rescue his son. He goes to talk with Trent, thinking that Irene will tell on him, and Trent decides that since Dor is becoming a young adult, he should be given a mission. Dor and Grundy--through tricking the defenses--visit Good Magician Humphrey who tells him that he needs the Elixir of Restoration from the Zombie Master and requests that Dor records everything he sees in that Wave of Xanth. Dor agrees, and Humphrey has his mind placed in the Brain Corral--the Brain Corral takes over Dor's body in the meantime. Upon entering that time, Dor takes the body of a Mundane barbarian warrior and meets a large spider called Jumper--Jumper is from Dor's own time, but smaller. The two venture on toward Castle Roogna, becoming captured by harpies and goblins.
They learn that the goblins killed the harpy's men and the harpies turned the goblins into ugly creatures. Managing to create a diversion and escape--with the beautiful maiden Millie in tow--they flee to Castle Roogna. The castle is being built by King Roogna and Magician Murphy--whose talent it to work against the other person--continues to prevent Roogna from finishing it; both have different ideas on what the future of Xanth should be. When the two Magicians learn what Dor wants, both point the way to the Zombie Master's castle. Dor, Jumper, and Millie go to get the elixir; during those travels, Millie constantly flirts with Dor and Dor really begins to notice her as a woman, but refuses to have sex with her. Once at the Zombie Master's castle--which is built where Humphrey will have his built--they ask for the elixir. The Zombie Master, at first, refuses, but with the arrival of blood-thirsty goblins and vengeful harpies show up, the Zombie Master begins to make the elixir; the Zombie Master starts falling in love with Millie, and, though she's pretty stupid, Millie asks him for his help in defending Castle Roogna from Murphy's power.
He agrees. The Zombie Master also asks Dor why he wants the elixir and who it's for. Dor tells him it's for a zombie named Jonathan, to which the Zombie Master says he knows Jonathan quite well. With the elixir, the four of them, plus the Zombie Master's army of zombies, goes to Castle Roogna and fights against the goblins and harpies. Dor uses a magic flute to lure many of the enemy forces away from the battle and toward the gap chasm, where he detonates a powerful forget spell.
During the battle, Dor visits the Brain Corral and has it release the last male harpy; this causes Murphy's plan to fritz out and Neo-sorceress Vadne, jealous of Millie, turns her into a flesh-book--with the soul shoved out, turning Millie into a ghost. With the horde of goblins and harpies defeated and learning of Millie's tragic fate, Murphy exiles himself, taking Vadne with him. The Zombie Master, in sorrow, turns his power on himself; he becomes a zombie. The flesh-book is placed on a shelf in what will later become the library and King Roogna spells the tapestry to let Dor and Jumper go home.
Back in their own time, Dor learns that his body was kissing Irene; he goes to apologize, but Irene wants him to do that again--just kiss. Dor, with Grundy, tells Trent about his mission; Trent's pleased that Dor could overcome his challenge. Dor and Grundy visit Humphrey. Humphrey is impressed with Dor's success and tells Dor that he (Dor) was more of a man for refusing to have sex with Millie. Using a quick potion to get back to Castle Roogna, Dor and Grundy get the elixir from the magic tapestry, which the Zombie Master and King Roogna spelled in to wait for Dor to get back to his own time. Dor and Grundy encounter Jumper talking to his mate, and they tell her that Jumper helped Dor with his quest. Dor goes back to the ham-and-cheese cottage and gives Millie the restorative elixir. Jonathan drinks it and turns back into a man; the man, as Dor is surprised to see, is none other than the Zombie Master. Jonathan and Millie kiss.
All in all, a great novel with a few noticeably bad puns and wonderful characterization. Despite being 329 pages, it reads awfully quick and has become one of those novels I'd refer to as popcorn novels: novels I can enjoy and read fast. I'd recommend this series to any fan of adventure-fantasy.
