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A Spell for Chameleon (The Parallel Edition... Simplified)
A Spell for Chameleon (The Parallel Edition... Simplified) | Piers Anthony
17 posts | 47 read | 13 to read
Piers Anthonys bestselling Xanth series is one of the cornerstones of fantasy, a lively and whimsical interpretation of a genre often criticized for taking itself too seriously. Anthonys first Xanth novel, A Spell for Chameleon, was initially edited to target a more traditional audience. Now, in an eBook exclusive, A Spell for Chameleon has been reworked line by lineits language matching the simpler, playful way with words that made Piers Anthony an enduring fan favorite. Xanth is an enchanted land where magic rules, a land of centaurs and dragons and basilisks where every citizen has a unique spell to call their own. For Bink of North Village, however, Xanth is no fairy tale. He alone has no magic. And unless he gets someand fast!he will be exiled. Forever. But the Good Magician Humfrey is convinced that Bink does indeed have magic. In fact, both Beauregard the genie and the magic wall chart insist that Bink has magic as powerful as any possessed by the King, the Good Magician Humfrey, or even the Evil Magician Trent. Be that as it may, no one can fathom the nature of Binks very special magic. This is even worse than having no magic at all . . . and he still faces exile!
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TheSpineView
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AlphabetGame @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
#LetterX

I have not read a book that starts with the letter "X". However, I have read The Xanth series by Piers Anthony. The first book in the series is "A Spell for Chameleon." (Tagged) You guys know I am all about series! #Seriesread2022

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rwmg
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Mehso-so

Bink will be exiled from Xanth if he cannot show a magical talent by the age of 25, so he leaves home to consult the Good Magician Humfrey to find out whether he does have one and what it is.

There are parts of this 1977 fantasy novel which have not worn well but overall it was still enjoyable with some truly groanworthy puns. I quail a bit at the thought of a 45-book series, but I will read at least some of the others from time to time.

RamsFan1963 I loved this book when I read it at 14, I'm not sure how I'd feel about it now. I only made it through about 10 Xanth books before I got bored with the series. 2y
MrT I had and got up to no.30, read the originals (1 to 9) as a teenager. Had to usually buy them in the USA when on holidays as could never get them here in the UK. Oh the days before Amazon. 2y
19 likes2 comments
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rwmg
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A small lizard perched on a brown stone.

@ShyBookOwl
#FirstLineFridays

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Sweetkokoro
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Panpan

This turned into more of an experiment while reading. I thought “how much sexism/misogyny does one have to wade through to enjoy this? Those 37 tabs all indicate some form of sexism/misogyny & I didn‘t even mark them all since I ran out tabs. This is a good example of a book that is sorely ruined because the world of Xanth is highly imaginative but no one needs/wants to wade through this, & while the sexism is at most dumb it still ruins the story

wordslinger42 Yeah, I read some of this series, and I just kept getting more and more uncomfortable, so I bailed. 3y
RamsFan1963 This is why I rarely re-read books. 14 year old me loved this book, but I know 58 year old me would have problems with it. 3y
26 likes2 comments
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MidnightBookGirl
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#LittensDressedInBlood Today‘s prompt is Strange Magic

I discovered Xanth novels when I was a teen (my older brother and his friend passed the books on to me) and I loved the pun filled magic and the adventure.

52 likes1 comment
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Abe
Pickpick

A good start to the xanth series! This series is still going strong with "jest right" being the newest book in the series(I think)

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Fr3NcHtOaSt
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MidnightBookGirl
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On my #bookquilt because my brother introduced me to this series when I was a teenager and was my very first dip into the science fiction/fantasy book pool. It also made me a fan of puns.

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Lauranahe
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Mehso-so

I read this whole series when I was a kid. I remember it being light, full of puns, with a lot of emphasis on centaur boobs. I clearly did not remember this first book. It was problematic on so many levels: sexism, sexism, and...some more sexism. Piers Anthony makes it clear women are objects. I‘m going to keep reading the series and see if it gets better. It has to, right? I‘d remember if it stayed this bad, right?

RamsFan1963 This is why I don't reread books. I loved the first 3 Xanth books, I was 14 and just the right age for the puns and silliness. I know if I read them again, now at 56, it would only tarnish my memories of the pleasure I had reading them the first time. 5y
Lauranahe I kind of wish I hadn‘t reread it. But now I feel like I have to keep going. If I stop now, the series is ruined. If it gets better, maybe I‘ll feel better? I don‘t know. 5y
8 likes2 comments
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madamereadsalot1
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tszewczyk
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A little reading before work starts... it‘s and oldy but a goody. 💕

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RealBooks4ever
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Here are some #ClassicsTBR that are a bit below the big-ticket Classics, but I'm anxious to read them anyway! 💜💜💜 #JuneBookBugs

mcipher Oh, I loved Xanth when I was a teenager! So fun. ❤️ 7y
RealBooks4ever @mcipher It's a classic, right?! 😸 7y
mcipher Absolutely!! 7y
15 likes3 comments
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katiekurdt11
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Pickpick

This was such a fun fantasy read! I've been wanting to explore more classic fantasy and I'm off to a great start. Bink, in his ordinarily extraordinary way, is such a likable character.

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Ruri_kaichou
Spell for Chameleon | Piers Anthony
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A map of Xanth in the beginning. Love this series #MapsInBooks #SomethingForSept

[DELETED] 2232195534 It's a 'punny' one! 😉 8y
Ruri_kaichou And it's pun-derful. You can't go wrong! 8y
24 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Soscha
Bailedbailed

I hate when I find myself disliking a book for an -ism, particularly the one that most affects me (sexism), then second guessing myself in case I'm being overly sensitive.

Well, at least a Google search backs me up here, and it's coming from a man I guess it appropriately validates my discomfort: http://www.avclub.com/article/revisiting-the-sad-misogynistic-fantasy-of-xanth-1...

Sorry, Xanth, ya gots ta go.

jpmcwisemorgan I don't know that I've read this one, although I've read quite a few of his books so it's possible. If I find things I don't like in a book I try to remember when/where they were published. This is part of series that began in the 1970s, maybe earlier. I just remember reading my mom's copies of his books in 1980s and she'd had them for years. 8y
9 likes1 comment
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Mcerin2006
Pickpick

The first in Piers Anthony's multi decade Xanth series; this book was my first introduction into fantasy books when I was a teenager and I loved revisiting it!