- Title:
- Key to Havoc (ChroMagic, #1)
- By:
- Piers Anthony
- Pages:
- 340
- Rating:
- 4
1,000 years ago Earth sent out a ship that colonized the planet Charm. But the population of Charm is now far removed from their ancient ancestors. Technology has been lost over the years but the people have something better—Magic!
Charm is a world covered by volcanoes, each erupting a different color of magic. Everything within a particular Chroma becomes that color. Plants, animals, insects, and even humans all become one color and can perform that color of magic. Traveling is dangerous because a person leaving their native Chroma home can no longer perform their color magic.
Havoc is a barbarian living in a nonChroma village, where no one has magic. As a boy, he rescued a dragon that rewarded him with special magic; to sense pending danger.
His gift becomes more valuable than he can imagine as he is suddenly drafted and forced to become the new king of the planet. He must perform his duties or be executed for treason.
To make matters worse, the assassin who killed the former king is now after Havoc!
Book 1 of the ChroMagic series
More overtly sexual than some of Anthony’s works, although not of course all of them, this was nonetheless enjoyably typical. I can’t put my finger on what he does to the dimensionality of his characters but I’m quite a fan, even if it’s not to many tastes.