Geis of the Gargoyle by Piers Anthony (First Edition)

Seeking a spell that will restore the polluted river Swan Knee to a state of purity, guardian Gary Gargoyle finds himself face-to-face with the Good Magician Humphrey. 75,000 first printing. $75,000 ad/promo.

This newest entry in the Xanth series should delight Anthony's (Harpy Thyme) many fans while drawing the usual groans from pun-hating others. Gargoyle Gary Gar, hereditary guardian and purifier of the waters of the Swan Knee River flowing from Mundania into Xanth, wants to make his job easier. The Good Magician Humfrey offers him an idea, but in exchange Gary must teach the wild child Surprise self-control, a task that requires him to assume human form. Agreeing with reluctance, Gary sets off to search for the suggested "philter" in the company of the multi-talented Surprise, the Sorceress Iris, demoness D. Mentia and the former juvenile delinquent Hiatus, who is seeking his true love, Desiree Dryad. Nearing their goal in the Region of Madness, the crew is cast back a millennium in time to find their quest tied to serious danger for all of Xanth. Through Anthony's often charming froth an element of wisdom will occasionally shoulder its way.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Anthony began writing his "Xanth" saga in the 1970s, but it wasn't until Demons Don't Dream (Tor Bks., 1993) that he made it to the hardcover best sellers lists. In this latest Xanth novel, an environmentally conscious gargoyle searches for a spell to purify a polluted river.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Anthony's Xanth series, one of the longest-running fantasy sagas ever, continues. Cary Gargoyle has a geis, a magical obligation, to protect the river Swan Knee, which flows from Mundania into Xanth, and must now find a spell to fight its pollution. The quest, of course, necessitates taking himself to the Good Magician Humfrey. Neither the ideal book with which to begin exploring Xanth nor the one that will change anybody's mind from loving or loathing Anthony's creation, Geis is like the other Xanth books--zany, lighthearted, occasionally flat-out silly. It affords a good deal of fun, the saga of which it is a part is likely to be Anthony's most enduring (certainly least controversial) creation, and thanks to the size of the Xanth readership, it is absolutely unignorable. Roland Green