How to Use Enchanted Books in Minecraft: Anvil Costs
Put the item in an anvil's first slot and the book in the second, then pay the XP. Combining books, avoiding Too Expensive, and the cheapest order.
To use an enchanted book, open an anvil, put your item in the first slot and the book in the second, then take the result and pay the XP cost shown. The enchanting table can’t apply books; only the anvil can.
Applying an enchanted book step by step
- Place an anvil and right-click it.
- Put the item (sword, pickaxe, armor) in the left slot.
- Put the enchanted book in the middle slot.
- Check the cost in green under the slots. If it’s red, you don’t have enough levels.
- Take the item from the output slot.
If nothing appears, the book’s enchantment can’t go on that item (Protection on a sword) or conflicts with something already on it (Smite on a Sharpness sword). On Java, a conflicting enchantment on the book is simply skipped, and each conflict adds one level to the cost.
Combining books
Two identical books merge into the next level: Sharpness IV + Sharpness IV = Sharpness V. Two different books merge into one book that carries both. This is how you reach levels the table won’t give, like Sharpness V on a diamond sword or Quick Charge III.
Merging books first and applying the result once is cheaper than putting books on the item one by one, because of the next rule.
Prior work penalty and “Too Expensive!”
Every time an item goes through the anvil, it picks up a hidden penalty that’s added to the next operation’s cost. It roughly doubles each time:
| Anvil uses so far | Penalty added |
|---|---|
| 0 | 0 |
| 1 | 1 |
| 2 | 3 |
| 3 | 7 |
| 4 | 15 |
| 5 | 31 |
Once the total cost for an operation reaches 40 levels, survival players get “Too Expensive!” and can’t do it at all, however many levels they have. Both the item’s and the book’s penalties count, so a book that has been merged many times gets expensive too.
The edition difference: Java charges for the full final level of every enchantment on the book, while Bedrock only charges for the levels actually added. Bedrock anvil work is usually cheaper as a result.
The cheapest way to stack enchantments
- Enchant the item on the enchanting table first. That costs no anvil use.
- Pair your books up and merge them: book A + book B, book C + book D.
- Merge those pairs together, then apply the final book to the item in one go.
- If you want to rename the item, do it on the same step as an enchantment, since renaming alone still costs the current penalty.
Done this way, a fully enchanted netherite sword or armor piece stays well under the limit.
Where books come from
- Librarians sell one random enchanted book per trade slot. Break and replace the lectern of a librarian you haven’t traded with to reroll until you see the book you want. That’s how most players get Mending. See all villager jobs.
- Fishing brings up treasure books, including Mending and Frost Walker.
- Loot chests in temples, strongholds, ancient cities and trial chambers. Ancient city chests are the only source of Swift Sneak.
- The enchanting table, by enchanting a plain book.
- Raid drops on Bedrock.
Made a mistake? A grindstone strips everything except curses; see how to remove enchantments.
Common questions
Can you use an enchanted book on an enchanting table?
No. Enchanted books only work in an anvil. The enchanting table can turn a plain book into an enchanted book, but it can't apply one.
Why does the anvil say Too Expensive?
In survival, the anvil refuses any operation that costs 40 levels or more. The cost grows every time an item goes through the anvil, so after about five or six uses most items hit the limit.
Can you combine two enchanted books?
Yes. Two books with the same enchantment at the same level make a book one level higher, up to the max. Books with different enchantments merge into one book with both.
Sources & verification
Facts on this page are checked against these references and in-game behavior for the stated edition(s). how we verify.
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