King Trent and his wife leave on vacation to go to Mundania. Before they go, they leave Dor to as temporary King until they get back. Dor takes the place as King for a few days, and solves problems through Xanth. When King Trent and Queen Iris don't come back, it's time for Dor to go and find them. He gets a group of magical creatures (Smash, Chet, Irene, Grundy) to go to Mundania with him to help find the king. They have to battle many creatures, and use their powers and talents to save the king.
(Back of the book) "Dor was having troubles growing up to be the next Magician-King of the magic Land of Xanth. He wanted no part of running the Kingdom. But now Good King Trent was leavng on a trade mission to non-magical Mundania, home of such weird beasts as horses and bears, so Dor had to take overas King for a week.
A week passes. No Trent. Thin three weeks. King Trent still hadn't returned. Surely, something terrible had happened; he was apparently held captive in some foul dungeon, unable to escape. Dor was left with the burden of ruling- and with Irene, who was enitrely too willing to be his Queen!
His only hope was to enter Mundania and free King Trent. But how culd it be done without the pwers of magic? Nevertheless, he started forth bravely- together with Irene, a golem, a centaur, and a young ogre- heading for the far south of Xanth.
The entrance to Mundania, of course, lay to the North."
