# A Spell for Chameleon

By Piers Anthony · Xanth, book 1

Profile: https://hahafiction.com/books/a-spell-for-chameleon-cd641abf/

Everyone in Xanth needs a magical talent to belong. Bink can't demonstrate one, and exile is approaching. Even Magician Humfrey's conviction that he has powerful magic is little help when neither of them can identify it.

## What makes it funny?

In the opening excerpt, Bink recalls losing a finger while playing with a cleaver. His mother thinks the injury has taught him a lesson. Bink agrees: next time, he'll watch where his fingers are. Giving up the cleaver isn't the conclusion he draws.

### The comedy at work

Anthony lets ordinary practical reasoning carry on through magical dangers, even when the reasoning is questionable. Sexual innuendo also accompanies encounters with mythical creatures, as Salon's discussion of Bink's centaur ride illustrates.

### Try this if…

Bink's search offers a magical quest with bawdy humor. Readers in book groups recommend the wider Xanth series for its puns and imaginative world, with this novel providing the beginning.

### Good to know

The novel includes sexist attitudes, gender stereotypes and a rape trial. Dennis Wilson Wise's Mythlore study discusses these elements while arguing that the book also rewards a more appreciative reading. Book-group readers say Xanth can be entered at different points in the series.

## What to expect

- Genre: Adventure · Fantasy
- On the shelf: Quest
- Format: Novel

## Sources & further reading

- Reading sample: [Publisher excerpt](https://prhcomics.com/book?isbn=9781984819574)
- Book information: [Series bibliography](https://www.fantasticfiction.com/a/piers-anthony/spell-for-chameleon.htm)
- Publisher: [Publisher](https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/4291/a-spell-for-chameleon-by-piers-anthony)
- Review: [Salon critical essay](https://www.salon.com/2000/12/07/xanth)
- Review: [Mythlore critical study](https://dc.swosu.edu/mythlore/vol40/iss1/6)
- Reader discussion: [Reader discussion](https://facebook.com/groups/bookrecommendations/permalink/6113408762067219)