Fantasy Book Club discussion

So, one thing that always intrigued me about fantasy literature was the use of magic. Many series have different ways that they utilize unique magic systems.

1. A Wizard of Earthsea was one of the first fantasy books I read when I was younger. I really liked the aspect of how everything has a "true name" and how knowing a name can master anything. A lot of other fantasy novels such as The Black Company and Eragon have used similar systems.

2. Mistborn: The Final Empire is another that's fairly well-known for it's unique magic system involving metals and alloys and the like.

3. I haven't read The Black Prism, but I am a fan of The Night Angel Trilogy and I've been told that this series is good as well. The magic system, as I've been told, revolves around the colors of the rainbow and each color does something different. I'm not too familiar with this one, but I do like the concept of it.

4. One I just finished recently was Geist from the Book of the Order series. It's somewhat similar to other urban fantasy series (i.e. a badass chick is a hunter of some supernatural monster) but the magic system is different. It's a bit confusing to explain, but in order to kill geists, you need an Sensitive and Active who can form a Bond. Also, they call upon various runes that do different things. I wish the book had a chart of what each rune does, as it's fairly vague, but I like it.

5. The Black Jewels Trilogy: Daughter of the Blood, Heir to the Shadows, Queen of the Darkness is another I've been reading lately. Each person carries a Birthright Jewel with a color ranging from White to Black, where the darker the Jewel, the more powerful the magic is. There's some more in-depth details in the books such as the ability to do a lot of psychic-related things. Also, a character has a chance to descend down the hierarchy by up to three ranks (i.e. upgrade their Jewels).

The Black Prism is on my list of books to read. I read The Fall growing up. The magic system in it is derived from the color's of the rainbow and is utilized through sun stones which need to be grown above the Veil, sort of a super ozone layer.

It's very good and his magic system in Sabriel is also a little different, utilizing symbols and bells to do most of the magic.

Patrick wrote: "So, one thing that always intrigued me about fantasy literature was the use of magic. Many series have different ways that they utilize unique magic systems.

1. A Wizard of Earthsea was one of th..."

Re-reading the Black Jewels series right now. Fancher's Rings has a very interesting magic system, too

Two of the more interesting magic systems in my opinon are..

1. The Aes Sedai in Wheel of time. I think that one is well enough known that no explanation is necessary.

2. The Faradh'im Diarmadh'im in the Dragon Prince/Dragon Star series by Melanie Rawn. The magic is basically the ability to weave light. Sunrunners weave the sun and moons, the sorcerers weave starlight.

Martha wrote: "Patrick wrote: "So, one thing that always intrigued me about fantasy literature was the use of magic. Many series have different ways that they utilize unique magic systems.

1. A Wizard of Earths..."

I've read Rings about 4 times now and the whole Black Jewels series at least 3 each. Both really good with interesting magic

I think that Sanderson does great magic systems and I love Le Guin. Too many good ones to name.

I think that Jim Butcher's Codex Alera series has an interesting magic system.

The one in Lightbringer series was interesting. Also I liked the Mistborn, for that matter I find any of Sanderson's Magic system to be great and kind of new/innovative.

The Mistborn Allomancy magic system is the most comprehensively explained magic systems I've come across with well defined rules and limitations.

The Lightbringer series comes a close second. I also like that in book 2 they have a card game based on Magic the Gathering that has magical properties.

The Malazan series has a fairly complex magic system though the fun in that series is speculating how it all works - even the magic users don't know everything about it.

My recent read The Garden of Stones has a magic system called "Disentropy," where users manipulate the life force of all things by calculating cause and effect and constructing mental formulae - but it isn't as comprehensively explained as some of the others.

Roger Zelazny's Amber series has an interesting "magical" system - the Princes of Amber (and in later books, the Princes of Chaos) can apparently manipulate the world by traversing the infinite number of parallel reflections of the two "true" worlds.

Greg Keyes's Kingdoms of Thorn and Bone has an interesting power in his concept of sedos, both in the manner the powers are gained, the random character of the powers, and the effects the sedos power has on the minds and personalities of those using it.

Pretty much every book of Clive Barker's has a new and interesting magical system.

I have just finished reading Warbreaker, it had an interesting magical system which is about awakening things using Breathe (won't go into too much details in case of spoilers)..
I also enjoyed the magical systems of Mistborn and the Lightbringer series..

I've always found the Aes Sedai from the Wheel of Time very interesting.

Allomancy is fascinating too, the idea of burning metals is unique. I haven't gotten too far in The Black Prism, but it looks intriguing as well.

I'm a big fan of all the magic systems developed by Brandon Sanderson (Mist born, Elantris, Warbreaker, Way of Kings).

I also really enjoyed Warded Man by Peter V Brett. The use of wards is very cool.

Gene Wolfe's description of magic in his Wizard Knight series and his trilogy of Latro/Lucius. His description of Gods and their power seems more realistic than most other author's books, where many "Gods" just seem like wizards with a few tricks, and rather shoddy tricks at that.

Nicholas Christopher's Veronica based on Tibetan Buddhist/Bon occult powers. Like Wolfe, he makes no explanations and leaves you to figure things out for yourself, or not, and that frustrates some people, but I enjoyed the lack of detail. It created a sense of mystery.

The magic displayed in the film Snow White and the Huntsmen seemed very realistic, especially the evil Queen's shape shifting powers.

Sanderson does a great job at creating these fantastic magic systems for each of his worlds, though the Mistborn and Stromlight Archives are my favorites.

Another magic system that I really enjoyed and is fairly new, is from Brian McClellan's Powder Mage series. Interesting dynamics between the two magics in that world.

Patricia McKillip's Riddlemaster of Hed trilogy is my favorite, I think. And Robin McKinley's Sunshine, although more evoked than explained, is excellent magic. Actually her Spindle's End is wonderful too for that although the beginning of the book is laborious to read. Diana Marcellas' one series that she was never allowed to finish was also absolutely wonderful, dragons of the four elements and witches to match, etc.

My favourite magic system has to be Garth Nix's Old Kingdom trilogy. Necromancers with the power to walk into the underworld with the aid of nine bells, each with a different name and according power, as well as the magic of charter marks - rune-like symbols that can be used for just about anything! Definitely one of the magic systems I wish I could use!

My favorites for magic systems are Mistborn and The Black Prism. But another one I think is original and interesting is The Warded Man. I've only read the first book but I loved the way the author used the ideas of wards and how he used them.

I know it's more of a YA series, but I liked how in the Xanth series charcaters were given one magic ability. (Example: Ivy being able to grow plants.) At the other end of the spectrum you have the Bondsmagi from the Gentlemen bastard series! Pure evil.

David Sven wrote: "The Mistborn Allomancy magic system is the most comprehensively explained magic systems I've come across with well defined rules and limitations..."

Yes, I completely agree with that one. I love mistborn for that reason.

And, adding another YA writer, I liked Trudi Canavan's series, both the "Age of the five" with the (not very elaborate) "general" kind of magic which any priest has, and the genuine powers of the wilds which are very different from this common kind of magic; but also the "Black magician/Traitor spy" series, where mostly the different uses magic is put to is interesting, black (or higher) magic as well as the way to transfer magic to buildings to support them, or stones while they grow.

ANother great magic system is in the new testament, where a god suddenly becomes the humblest of children. I wish you all a merry Christmas. Enjoy your inner child, and celebrate with all the joy of your hearts!

My hands down favorite magic system is in Hard Magic by Larry Correia.

To add to the Brandon Sanderson admiration in this thread, I'd suggest the magic system in "The Rithmatist" is pretty darn original and exceedingly cool.

The magic system in Lorna Freeman's "Covenants" series, which she doesn't appear to be finishing, was fantastic too. I seem to tend to get involved with these underdog authors.

I agree with others on mistborn, very different, and very well explained.

Not necessarily the best, but also different is the magic system in The End of Mr. Y, which uses homeopathy.

Ruby wrote: "The magic system in Lorna Freeman's "Covenants" series, which she doesn't appear to be finishing, was fantastic too. I seem to tend to get involved with these underdog authors."

I liked this series as well and am very sad that it's been abandoned. Maybe it was ahead of its time.

I like the one in The Dwarves series by Markus Heitz. Basically within the world there are special magic pools, sources of great energy, which the wizards need to tap into every once in a while to replenish. These zones of magic obviously become fiercely protected and guarded areas which makes for great reading when wars are fought over them.

I liked the magic system in "Sorrows Knot" by Erin Bow a lot.
The concept of intricate weaving patterns that were used to trap the dead was rather unique.

Mistborn will always be the undisputed champions for me though.
There is absolutely no doubt about that.

Jesslyn, did you by any chance read Diana Marcellas' three books? Another wonderful magical system, wonderful series, this one cut short by the publisher. :(

Silversnow wrote: "I liked the magic system in "Sorrows Knot" by Erin Bow a lot.
The concept of intricate weaving patterns that were used to trap the dead was rather unique."

Another book where weaving and sewing are the sympathetic forms used to create magic is Solstice Wood, by one of my favorite authors. A sewing circle vs. Faerie and who will win?

Ruby wrote: "Silversnow wrote: "I liked the magic system in "Sorrows Knot" by Erin Bow a lot.
The concept of intricate weaving patterns that were used to trap the dead was rather unique."

Another book where we..."

Patricia Mc Phillips "alphbet of Thorn" was also interesting.
I will read Solstice Wood for sure.

Really liked the magic system of Three Parts Dead. The whole magic system is based on contracts and a legal bureaucracy. It was a very unique perspective to have gods and magic users acting like lawyers and business men. Planning to read the next book in the series as soon as I finish some of my other books on my to read shelf.

Jamie wrote: "Really liked the magic system of Three Parts Dead. The whole magic system is based on contracts and a legal bureaucracy. It was a very unique perspective to have gods and magic user..."
Oooh! That does sound interesting!

Sorry to resurrect an old thread. One of my favourite magic systems is in the Harry Connolly series, Twenty Palaces (Child of Fire, Game of Cages, Circle of Enemies, etc.).

The premise is that there are only three "spellbooks", which are really visions that were written down by "Primaries" the first sorcerers. Every person who then reads the book is diminished from the first, becoming a "secondary", "tertiary" and so on. This means the spells diminish in power, complexity and depth.

Great books, and the way the system is laid out is well done, gritty, and perfectly consistent.

I'm quite fond of the use of music as a source for magic, especially since music speaks so directly to people's feelings and there's a whole vocabulary about music being enthralling, enchanting, etc.

I also like the ambient magic that Tamora Pierce describes in her Circle of Magic series, where the mages work magic through their craft, like gardening, spinning/weaving, smithcraft, etc. They both have to learn to control their power but they also have to learn their craft.

Catherine Asaro 's fantasy series, although not challenging reading (it reads like romance or in other words like children's books except with explicit sex), has an amazing magical system based on the seven colors and all the geometrical shapes. And of course Anne Bishop's Black Jewels series is a totally unconventional and fascinating magical system, based on a ranking system of jewels, of course, plus some other twists like certain magical people being born with a poisonous retractable "fang" underneath a fingernail, a lot of sentient animals who have magic, and a wild system of magical transport between worlds using coaches that ride certain "winds".

The magic system in the Malazan book of the fallen is very good once u put it all together, alot of people say is not well defined but their very wrong, its intricate and complex and really outstanding

Flesh and Fire has a really unique magic system. Magic is done using spellwines that are crafted by masters. Essentially magic is imbued into wine throughout the wine-making process from the grapes as they grow and through fermentation process. The spellwines can then be used to affect the weather, health, etc. I've never seen that done before.

Wheel of time or the wars of light and shadow.

L.E. Modesitt does some good stuff.

Patrick Rothfuss's The Name of the Wind. It'll charm your pants off, and the magic is of the subtler, but still fascinating variety.

I'd say Mistborn but you already nailed that one. Tigana had some nice magical flair to it. I'd also give Stephen Donalson a try, Chris Galford or G.R. GroveGR Grove. Hobb also has some interesting nature magic afoot in her Soldier Son series.

Greg wrote: "L.E. Modesitt does some good stuff."

I haven't heard of them before. I'll have to check it out.

Janny Wurts does an amazing job of presenting several styles of magic in her Wars of Light and Shadow series. All are based in historical backgrounds and all have strong internal integrity. The magic unfolds according to established rules and follows its own logic, as well as being highly detailed and richly presented.

I will list some obscure but good ones:

Master of the five magics by Lyndon Hardy

Crispin Magicker by Mark M. Lowenthal

that is all.

I like the magic system in The Dwarves books by Markus Heitz, nothing too complicated just a source of magic hotspots dotted around the land which the magicians need to tap into. I have never concerned myself too much with the mechanisms of how and why a magic system works etc, i like reading fantasy and escaping from modern life, rather than thinking too much about the governing rules.

Good question. Off the top of my head:

The Dying Earth by Vance for inspiring D&D spell memorization.

The Magic Goes Away by Niven for the idea of Magic as a non-renewable resource.

The Final Empire by Sanderson for Magic as a defined system. This included the Cosmere in general.

Those are some of my favorites.

Our upcoming read City of Stairs has an interesting magic system, and also interesting discussions of how the various groups of people understand and talk about the magic depending on their religious and cultural backgrounds.

So, I'm dredging up an old discussion about magic systems. I thought it was excellent and wanted to start the conversation again. I'm currently reading Angel of Storms and really thought her magic system was quite unique. Some worlds have more magic then others and when it is used it leaves a hole that's called taint.

For comic fantasy, I love the magic system in Terry Pratchett’s discworld series.

For more serious fantasy, I love the magic in The Night Circus!

Candice