In 1979, Piers Anthony published the second novel in his epic Xanth saga. This time, Bink's magic is working against him and only his journey with friends can solve it and discover the Source of Magic. Synopsis: As a ruler of a country steeped in enchantment, King Trent was naturally curious about the source of its magic. It made sense to order Bink, the only one of his subjects immune to supernatural harm, to undertake a quest to discover the wellspring of Xanth's uniqueness. From the beginning, Bink and his companions, Chester the centaur and Crombie, the soldier transformed into a griffin, were harried by an unseen enemy determined to thwart them. Even the power of the Good Magician Humphrey, together with Bink's protective talent, scarcely saved their lives. Then when Humphrey and Crombie turned against him, all seemed lost. but Bink's ingenuity and luck prevailed and he reached his goal. The King's orders had been carried out... But the King had not expected Bink's next act--to destroy utterly the magic of Xanth!
The novel opens with Bink, harrowed by an upset pregnant Chameleon (in her intelligent/ugly phase), attend the party that Queen Iris is hosting. Despite not wanting to attend, Bink was given no choice by Iris because Trent refuses to participate. Bink meets Chester and Crombie, as well as a sword that's trying to kill him, and they enter the party. The theme is illusionist masquerade and the person who guesses the most people wins; Millie the ghost wins the contest and she is granted one wish and she chooses to return to her body and life. Bink, like the rest of the partygoers, searches for her hidden body and stumbles upon Trent in the library. Trent's dilemma is that he hasn't touched another woman since his wife and child died; Bink suggests that Iris use her ability to make them both appear to be different people to get around his problem. Trent thanks Bink, then leaves him to his hunt; Bink finds a leathery book, but the binding is flesh (the body wasn't transformed but topologically shaped). Bink realizes this is Millie's body and brings it downstairs--Iris has made herself absent as has Trent--and the doctor helps restore Millie to life, naked.
When a zombie tries to clothe her and Crombie yells at it, it crashes into the cake and the picklepuss gets loose; Trent and Iris, appearing as different people, rush in. Iris uses her ability to put clothes on Millie, herself, and Trent. Trent demands that Bink attend him and that Iris should choose another date for Millie and have him look like Bink. Trent, realizing how disruptive Bink's powers just were, has him resume his mission to find the source of magic in Xanth and that Crombie--magicked into a griffin--and Chester shall attend him. On their way to Good Magician Humphrey's castle to enlist his help, they are set upon by nicklepedes and a dragon. Finally, they get through his defenses and talk to him; Humphrey agrees to accompany them on their quest. Chester wants to know his magic talent, but Humphrey doesn't want to supply it and asks Chester to, in case he discovers it for himself before their quest is up, to pick another question; they bring along a golem named Grundy to serve as translator. Beauregard is frightened by the end of Xanth. During their travels, they encounter a vegetarian ogre, a village full of women, and a sorrowful siren and her sister a lonely gorgon who think men leave awkward statues when they see her.
Beauregard is released from his year of service to Humphrey because of Grundy who tries to have emotions. This succeeds when the group's life is in peril and he cares for them. They enter the Region of Madness and trek into the lake of the Cursed Fiends. Humphrey places himself, Crombie, and Grundy in a glass vial. They find a vortex and jump in. Bink and Chester become separated from the group; Bink and Chester encounter a nymph named Jewel who places jewels into the rocks so people can find them when the time is right. Jewel leads them to see Beauregard and the demons; Beauregard leads them to where the glass vial is. It's revealed that the person trying to kill Bink is some kind of demon. Grundy pulls them to shore and Humphrey reveals to Bink that he and Crombie work for the enemy--the brain coral--and that he should leave. After a fight that leaves Chester and Crombie wounded, Bink manages to subdue them. Humphrey leads Bink to the source via the brain coral's instructions.
The source of magic is the Demon Xanth--more specifically: X(A/N)TH, who has been isolated according to the rules of a complex inter-Demon game. Bink wills the Demon free, satisfying the game's rules for his release and X(A/N)TH (the Demon) quickly and violently leaves Xanth (the land), taking all his magic with him. In the confusion that follows, Humfrey is lost and Bink returns to the surface, with help from Jewel, to find a much more mundane Xanth. On his way back to the king, Bink meets Chester's mate Cherie. She convinces him to return with her to find Chester and Humfrey. They arrive to find that X(A/N)TH has just returned (for "an eon or two") while he re-strategizes in light of changes to the Demon game that have occurred while he was in isolation, thus returning magic to the land of Xanth and ending what will later be called the time of no magic. X(A/N)TH provides Grundy a real body, rescues Humfrey and Chester; and after testing his mettle, is persuaded to give Bink a reward for releasing him. The party returns home, where Bink learns that his newborn son has already manifested the magician-class talent of making inanimate objects speak.
A very well rounded novel, with several horrible puns and great descriptions. Piers Anthony continues to capture the magic of fantasy and the superb pacing needed to handle a series so indubitably embedded with puns and fun.
When a zombie tries to clothe her and Crombie yells at it, it crashes into the cake and the picklepuss gets loose; Trent and Iris, appearing as different people, rush in. Iris uses her ability to put clothes on Millie, herself, and Trent. Trent demands that Bink attend him and that Iris should choose another date for Millie and have him look like Bink. Trent, realizing how disruptive Bink's powers just were, has him resume his mission to find the source of magic in Xanth and that Crombie--magicked into a griffin--and Chester shall attend him. On their way to Good Magician Humphrey's castle to enlist his help, they are set upon by nicklepedes and a dragon. Finally, they get through his defenses and talk to him; Humphrey agrees to accompany them on their quest. Chester wants to know his magic talent, but Humphrey doesn't want to supply it and asks Chester to, in case he discovers it for himself before their quest is up, to pick another question; they bring along a golem named Grundy to serve as translator. Beauregard is frightened by the end of Xanth. During their travels, they encounter a vegetarian ogre, a village full of women, and a sorrowful siren and her sister a lonely gorgon who think men leave awkward statues when they see her.
Beauregard is released from his year of service to Humphrey because of Grundy who tries to have emotions. This succeeds when the group's life is in peril and he cares for them. They enter the Region of Madness and trek into the lake of the Cursed Fiends. Humphrey places himself, Crombie, and Grundy in a glass vial. They find a vortex and jump in. Bink and Chester become separated from the group; Bink and Chester encounter a nymph named Jewel who places jewels into the rocks so people can find them when the time is right. Jewel leads them to see Beauregard and the demons; Beauregard leads them to where the glass vial is. It's revealed that the person trying to kill Bink is some kind of demon. Grundy pulls them to shore and Humphrey reveals to Bink that he and Crombie work for the enemy--the brain coral--and that he should leave. After a fight that leaves Chester and Crombie wounded, Bink manages to subdue them. Humphrey leads Bink to the source via the brain coral's instructions.
The source of magic is the Demon Xanth--more specifically: X(A/N)TH, who has been isolated according to the rules of a complex inter-Demon game. Bink wills the Demon free, satisfying the game's rules for his release and X(A/N)TH (the Demon) quickly and violently leaves Xanth (the land), taking all his magic with him. In the confusion that follows, Humfrey is lost and Bink returns to the surface, with help from Jewel, to find a much more mundane Xanth. On his way back to the king, Bink meets Chester's mate Cherie. She convinces him to return with her to find Chester and Humfrey. They arrive to find that X(A/N)TH has just returned (for "an eon or two") while he re-strategizes in light of changes to the Demon game that have occurred while he was in isolation, thus returning magic to the land of Xanth and ending what will later be called the time of no magic. X(A/N)TH provides Grundy a real body, rescues Humfrey and Chester; and after testing his mettle, is persuaded to give Bink a reward for releasing him. The party returns home, where Bink learns that his newborn son has already manifested the magician-class talent of making inanimate objects speak.
A very well rounded novel, with several horrible puns and great descriptions. Piers Anthony continues to capture the magic of fantasy and the superb pacing needed to handle a series so indubitably embedded with puns and fun.
