I liked the idea of Xanth prior to being slapped in the face with the incredibly gross portrayal of women (or nymphs or anything that looks vaguely female and humanoid). When I started this series as a preteen, I was only peripherally aware of these weird descriptors, though I do remember being uneasy about Anthony's obsession with young girls and their relationships with horses.

As I got older and slightly more worldly, I realized how much I hated any time a woman would be on page, because something disgusting would be in the prose with regards to her physical person. I stopped reading Piers Anthony when it dawned on me that it would never get any better. It's really a shame his writing drips with such perversity, because the core ideas could have been worked into a really great thing (or several great things!)