Xanth Books in Order

Xanth is a long-running comic fantasy series by Piers Anthony, set in a magical peninsula where every native has a unique magic talent and the storytelling runs on relentless puns. Begun with A Spell for Chameleon in 1977, it follows an evolving cast of inhabitants on quests across a whimsical, ever-expanding world.

Publication order

In the order the books were originally released.

  1. Cover of A Spell for Chameleon

    A Spell for Chameleon

    1977 · Piers Anthony

    In the magical land of Xanth, where everyone possesses a unique talent, young Bink seems to have no magic at all and faces exile to dull Mundania.…

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  2. Cover of The Source of Magic

    The Source of Magic

    1979 · Piers Anthony

    Commissioned by the king to uncover the wellspring from which all of Xanth's magic flows, Bink sets out on an expedition into uncharted territory.…

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  3. Cover of Castle Roogna

    Castle Roogna

    1979 · Piers Anthony

    Magician Dor, son of Bink, is sent back eight centuries in time to retrieve a healing elixir for his ailing zombie companion, landing him in the era…

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  4. Cover of Centaur Aisle

    Centaur Aisle

    1981 · Piers Anthony

    When King Trent and Queen Iris vanish during a visit to Mundania, young Dor is left in charge of Xanth and must mount a rescue. Accompanied by the…

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  5. Cover of Ogre, Ogre

    Ogre, Ogre

    1982 · Piers Anthony

    Smash the half-ogre, embarrassed by the gentler human side of his nature, seeks out the Good Magician to become a proper brute. Instead he ends up…

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  6. Cover of Night Mare

    Night Mare

    1983 · Piers Anthony

    Mare Imbri, a night mare who delivers bad dreams, is given a daytime mission when a wave of mindless creatures threatens to overrun Xanth. With King…

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  7. Cover of Dragon on a Pedestal

    Dragon on a Pedestal

    1983 · Piers Anthony

    When the Gap Dragon escapes its chasm and a magical mishap sets dangers loose across the land, Queen Irene's small daughter Ivy wanders off into the…

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  8. Cover of Crewel Lye

    Crewel Lye

    1984 · Piers Anthony

    The ghost Jordan recounts his living past as a barbarian warrior, telling the tale of how he loved, was betrayed, and met his end centuries earlier…

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  9. Cover of Golem in the Gears

    Golem in the Gears

    1986 · Piers Anthony

    Grundy the golem, tired of being small and feeling insignificant, sets off on a grand quest to rescue a captured dragon and prove his own worth.…

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  10. Cover of Vale of the Vole (Magic of Xanth)

    Vale of the Vole (Magic of Xanth)

    1987 · Piers Anthony

    When the once-meandering Kiss-Mee River is brutally straightened, the grieving vole-like Voles call for help. Esk, son of an ogre and a nymph, joins…

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  11. Cover of Heaven cent

    Heaven cent

    1988 · Piers Anthony

    Prince Dolph, the shape-shifting young son of King Dor, embarks on a quest to find the long-missing Good Magician Humfrey. Able to transform into any…

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  12. Cover of Man from Mundania

    Man from Mundania

    1989 · Piers Anthony

    Ivy, princess of Xanth, crosses into the drab world of Mundania and meets Grey, an ordinary young college student with no belief in magic. When…

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  13. Cover of Isle of View

    Isle of View

    1990 · Piers Anthony

    Prince Dolph finds himself awkwardly betrothed to two very different girls at once, a dilemma complicated when a young winged-centaur filly named Che…

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  14. Cover of Question Quest

    Question Quest

    1991 · Piers Anthony

    Seeking answers about his own past and the realm's history, a questing traveler poses a question to the Good Magician and must serve in exchange.…

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  15. Cover of The Color of Her Panties

    The Color of Her Panties

    1992 · Piers Anthony

    Two young women, the curse-fiend Gloha and a companion, join a quest centered on recovering a stolen magical object, while the giant invisible…

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  16. Cover of Demons Don't Dream

    Demons Don't Dream

    1993 · Piers Anthony

    Two Mundane teenagers are drawn into a magical game set in Xanth, where they take on quest roles alongside native companions. Navigating puns,…

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  17. Cover of Harpy Thyme

    Harpy Thyme

    1994 · Piers Anthony

    Gloha, the only winged goblin in Xanth, sets out to find her ideal mate with help from the Good Magician. Her quest gathers an oddly matched company,…

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  18. Cover of Geis of the Gargoyle

    Geis of the Gargoyle

    1995 · Piers Anthony

    Gary the gargoyle, charged for ages with filtering the waters of a Xanth river, finds his task failing and seeks the Good Magician's help to set…

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  19. Cover of Roc and a Hard Place

    Roc and a Hard Place

    1995 · Piers Anthony

    When a roc's egg and a courtroom drama collide, a band of Xanth characters becomes entangled in a quest involving a serpentine witness and a…

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  20. Cover of Yon Ill Wind

    Yon Ill Wind

    1996 · Piers Anthony

    The Demon Xanth departs on a wager, draining magic from the land just as a monstrous storm called Happy Bottom threatens everything. Aboard the…

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  21. Cover of Faun & games

    Faun & games

    1997 · Piers Anthony

    Forrest Faun leaves his home tree to seek a cure for an ailing companion and search for a mate, journeying into a strange world where a Demon has…

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  22. Cover of Zombie lover

    Zombie lover

    1998 · Piers Anthony

    Breanna of the Black Wave finds herself pursued by Jonathan, the zombie Xanth king, who has fallen for her and wants her hand. Fleeing his unwanted…

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  23. Cover of Xone of Contention

    Xone of Contention

    1999 · Piers Anthony

    A connection opens between Xanth and the Mundane internet, linking the magical land to an online world. As characters move between the realms, a…

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  24. Cover of The Dastard

    The Dastard

    2000 · Piers Anthony

    A villain called the Dastard gains the power to undo events by erasing them from history, spreading misery across Xanth for his own gain. As his…

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  25. Cover of Swell Foop

    Swell Foop

    2001 · Piers Anthony

    A company of companions undertakes a quest to recover the scattered pieces of the powerful Swell Foop, an artifact needed to confront a looming…

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  26. Cover of Up in a heaval

    Up in a heaval

    2002 · Piers Anthony

    When earthquakes rattle Xanth and the Demon Earth's power is disrupted, young Hugo and the girl Umlaut get caught up in the upheaval. Tasked with…

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  27. Cover of Cube route

    Cube route

    2003 · Piers Anthony

    Princess Cube assembles a band of companions, each defined by a personal flaw, for a quest through Xanth. Following a winding route shaped by the…

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  28. Cover of Currant events

    Currant events

    2004 · Piers Anthony

    Clio, the Muse of history, sets out on a quest involving a magical currant and the restoration of something lost in Xanth. Her journey gathers…

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  29. Cover of Pet Peeve

    Pet Peeve

    2005 · Piers Anthony

    A talking parrot-like creature called the Pet Peeve, whose insults annoy everyone around it, becomes the focus of a quest to find it a fitting owner.…

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  30. Cover of Stork Naked (Xanth)

    Stork Naked (Xanth)

    2006 · Piers Anthony

    Surprise Golem and her husband long for a child, navigating the peculiar Xanth process by which storks deliver babies. Their efforts to summon a…

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  31. Cover of Air Apparent (Xanth)

    Air Apparent (Xanth)

    2007 · Piers Anthony

    When the Demon of the Air goes missing and weather across Xanth falls into chaos, a quest forms to locate him and restore order. The companions…

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  32. Cover of Knot Gneiss

    Knot Gneiss

    2010 · Piers Anthony

    A quest centers on moving a reluctant petrified object, the Knot, with a band of companions including the demoness Metria. As fears and obstacles…

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  33. Cover of Well-tempered clavicle

    Well-tempered clavicle

    2011 · Piers Anthony

    Picka Bones, a walking skeleton, discovers his collarbone can be played like a musical instrument with magical effects. He sets out on a quest across…

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  34. Cover of Isis orb

    Isis orb

    2016 · Piers Anthony

    A quest revolves around the powerful Isis Orb, an artifact tied to an Egyptian-flavored demon realm, which a band of companions seeks to obtain.…

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Frequently asked questions

What order should I read the Xanth books in?

Publication order — Widely recommended by readers and matching the author's own numbered sequence Start with “A Spell for Chameleon.”

How many books are in the Xanth series?

We list 34 books by Piers Anthony , published between 1977–2016.

Where can I buy the Xanth books?

Each title above links to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.

Reading order compiled from author/publisher guidance and verified bibliographic data. Spotted an error? We continuously correct the catalog.