Customer Reviews

Key to Chroma (Chromagic)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Key to Chroma, is a fantastic follow-up for its sequel, Key to Havoc. Not only do we learn more about the changelings but also about the "all powerful" Glamours. This novel has more adventure, action and romance than the first one and as a bonus there is all this small short stories inside the main storyline that can stand all by itself. My favorite is in chapter 5, titled "Dancer." It is one of the sweetest story ever that Piers has written. It is really in the tradition of the Arabian Nights stories. Sex is still a made component of the series and this novel doesn't lack on steamy sex scenes but also have sex scenes that really make you realize the different between just having sex and making love, so it is really nice to find a balance between romance and sex in this novel.

Also, this sequel really expand in the nature of the Chroma magic and Glamour magic and the challenges and the conclusions are very satisfying to read.

I highly recommend this novel and I can't wait for the next one, Key to Destiny! It is so nice to read something totally new from Piers that is not Xanth. I love Xanth but I do miss his SF/Fantasy novels like the Incarnations series or the Apprentice Adept series. This novel follow the Piers' tradition of great storytelling. If you want an adult novel full of fun and action, buy Key to Chroma and read it, you will not regret it.

I am a long-time Anthony reader and I am certainly no prude but this series is uncomfortably graphic. The storyline sucks you in instantly but you have to wade through scene after scene of graphically detailed sex. There are numerous rape scenes and our heroine (Gale) decides at one point that it is best not to report a pedophile.

The storyline itself is nothing new. It is the classic fish out of water/man of the people rise to power story. You know the one, he is better suited for the job because he didn't want it and has no political ambition. The fish out of water portion is how uncivilized he is. Think Beverly Hillbillies but in this story Jed Clampett becomes president not a millionaire.

Even though the concept is not new it is still a very nice story just be prepared to skip about every 4th paragraph because it seems like that is how often the graphic sex scenes appear.

I love Piers Anthony's Books. Usually. But there's just too much sex in this series. This one, the First Book. isn't as bad as the others. It just gets worse and worse with each one. The Story Line ... what I was able to read ... was excellent. But I had to skip over so much of it because of the sex.

The Kindle Version was as good as the book would have been.

Key to Chroma is the second book in the Chromagic Series. This series was refused publication by many companies until Piers went to Mundania Press. Those previous publishes are fools indeed and i am sure they feel that way by this point. This is another killer series from Piers Anthony. If you love his Xanth series then you will also enjoy this series. Piers weaves an amazing story with some truly original concepts in the fields of magic. (Sorry no spoilers) Fans of his other series will notice some familiar concepts, sex being the most obvious of those. However in this series sex in not just a byplay in the novel but a fully integral part of it. This is another example of Piers amazingly complex mind with an incredible penchant for originality. The "No Fault" concept he introduces will shock and amuse many. By no means a cheap side series the story and plot-line are awesome. That this series was turned down is still a fact i have trouble believing. The sceneries and landscape painted in this novel are so varied and original that it could never be made into a movie. Only the imagination could ever give credit to this books descriptive magnitude. This book Key to Chroma is not just an interlude between the conclusion and the beginning of the story. Piers writes in enough background information that this could be a stand alone book without making readers of the series get a feeling of redundancy. Not the best series ever written and not the best Piers has ever written, but definitely a must read. I enjoyed it immensely.

I didn't know Piers Anthony was even writing this series of books but when I found the first book in the series and read it, I had to have the second. After having finished the second, I can't wait for the third. The characters develope before your eyes and you need to know what is going to happen next. It is one suprise after another to keep you guessing. If you love to read Piers Anthony books, this series is a must read.