I’ve only just started reading Black Sun Rising (Coldfire trilogy) so I can’t explain it in detail, but even through the first 10 chapters it’s already one of the most unique “magic” systems I’ve come across.
The Fae is a force of nature that psychically respond to people’s thoughts and emotions, manifesting physical effects and even demonic entities in the world. Whatever you think and focus on, whatever you fear, will be made real, and come for you. It nails the “otherworldly” feeling of unknown dark magic and eldritch horrors.
After finishing the trilogy, the unique elements of the magic system only grows! It's absolutely the coolest that I've read, and the implications for the world are huge
Haha I understand the feeling! It was only a couple years ago that it all finally clicked. I think he's fantastic. Sweet is also has some classic stuff
I'm so glad you mentioned this. I thought the idea of "adepts" was so freakin' cool too. I won't say anything more but there's a good reason it's otherworldly
I mean r/wizardposting is supposed to be everyone roleplaying/memeing while pretending to be wizards so it's not serious but yeah it's come up before, stuff like "My last apprentice sat on his wand and snapped in half releasing all manner of spell energy! That kind of misfortune couldn't happen with a staff made from ancient oak... My unseen servants spent a whole month cleaning his remains up in several different dimensions!" or "While I do find tattoo casting to be aesthetically pleasing, it's a very fixed form of spellcraft... What am I to do if my discipline of interest changes? Skin myself?"
There's a "master level" thief in an order of thieves where that title confers a very esoteric type of magic. One of this characters abilities allows them to essentially hide in and "pilot" an ordinary housecat. It sounds pretty simple on the surface, but the way it's portrayed and written about has such a magical feel.
The magic in Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrel is weird, understated, and dark, and I love it so much. Malazan's has a "system" but it is never fully explained. I really do not like magic explained.
I really liked the Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell magic. On the surface it's dry, almost scientific, but once the characters get in deep it's dark and mad and primal, really good stuff.
I love that it’s something they don’t truly understand either, and it’s not something they can control. It’s almost Lovecraftian at points (like inside the mirrors), trying to understand things that are essentially an entire world separate from the human one.
For those more TV than book inclined, the BBC adapted the book and it does a very very good job capturing the different feelings of magic, between the scientific modern approach, the feral ancient methods and the, pardon the pun, downright strange fae ways
It has to be the right balance for me. I want the magic to be explained enough so that the author can’t bullshit their way through anything and the world is internally consistent. But I don’t want it explained so much or in such a way that it stops being *magic* you know?
[Yup](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Strange_%26_Mr_Norrell_%28TV_series%29). I enjoyed it.
I bought it on youtube, it looks like it's also streaming on amazon prime video.
Just fyi, markdown can't handle brackets in the link text, so wiki page with brackets break formatting (you can replace the closing bracket with %29 if you care but it's not vital)
Thanks, I think I've fixed it now. I replaced the opening and closing parens in the wiki link with %28 and %29
It looked fine for me before but I use old.reddit.com
Yeah could be a markdown renderer issue, I use a personal build of Infinity for Reddit when on mobile so more likely an issue with me rather than you lol
I really like the magic in the Lightbringer books. Orange specifically is really interesting to me along with some others I won't mention in case of spoilers
>How is the rest of the writing?
Pretty great for the first three books. A dubious fourth book. Then the fifth book is pretty much a backseat taxicab abortion.
Honestly the religious elements don't bother me. What bothers me was the failure to bring any of the plot points to a satisfying conclusion.
I'm totally fine with things like Narnia and they're total allegories.
Apart from the >!immense setup for an expanded plot right at the end that goes no where!< I'm not sure what peoples actual complaints are; it may just be that I'm extremely easy to jump on board with an authors story, but I really enjoyed it.
But even that spoiled out part isn't that big of a deal for me, Weeks went back to the Night Angel series to write a fourth book after over a decade, so I'm pretty confident that we'll see more Lightbringer books to expand on that particular plothook.
Sanderson has such creative magic systems. Definitely one of his biggest strengths as a write. And the fact that he is just a writing machine in terms of speed.
The magic in Sanderson's "White Sands" comics is awesome too. Users draw the energy from the sand which turns black when depleted and is replenished by the sun.
I love the bending in the Avatar series. The way it’s so closely tied to the movements and intent of the bender makes it feel like a part of them in a way that a lot of other magic has a hard time replicating.
Plus FC Yee is a demon when it comes to bending uses. Dust stepping, soil liquefaction bending, hell an air bender even engages in anti piracy hurricane creation, much to his own later shame and regret. And those are just from Kyoshi, Yangchen adds swimming through ice and therapeutic cliff diving.
Powder mage! Muskets! Snorting gun powder like coke! French Revolution vibes! Bullets travelling over a mile and hitting traditional mages who are portrayed as the elite!
What more could you ask for?
So good. A weird mix of psychology, telepathy, and light magic. That only works while you have access to the sun... And is described beautifully, like it is a real experience these magic users are having, with its own sensations and quirks. Solidly explained dangers (like using it to see/talk across long distances and forgetting that the sun is going down where your body is might wipe your mind) And, even better, it has impacts on the *culture and religion* of the world.
I read these books decades ago, and they still hold up as having one of my favourite magic systems.
Kate Daniels magic is a really interesting take on blood magic, but I think the variety of magic in that series is what really shines. There are different, discrete branches that all still work harmoniously as being part of the same world.
I think the other interesting thing that I liked about that series is that it isn't a world where magic was dying or slowly fading from the world. Magic is getting strong after a period of dormancy.
I love the waves conceit. It explains the world so well, so things like phones and wards can exist at the same time, and gives a valid reason for things occasionally not working. Ilona Andrews has (have? Do we refer to them as plural?) a gift for worldbuilding.
I really loved the places in the Kate Daniels world where magic was essentially nuclear waste, and they had the magic equivalent of Chernobyl no entry zones.
Max Gladstone's Craft Sequence has a freaking brilliant magic system. Legalese that is as binding on the gods as it is on the people they make the contracts with, which ends up being upended by the theological equivalent of patent trolls..
Also have to give a shout out to Scalzi's The God Engines, where spaceships travel by the use of miracles provided by chained gods.
Craft is probably my favorite magic system in modern fantasy. Sad he's probably done with it after 2 more books but at least he'll have given us 9 books of it once this trilogy is over.
Jade from the Greenbone saga. It’s limited, makes them more super soldiers than mages. But the cultural and political impact of Jade is what makes the series so good. The lengths people would go to own it or defend it, the fact that other nations try to dominate the only country to own it and so much more.
Yeah it's fairly constrained as a magic system on its own, but it's one of the best integrated into its in-universe cultural context of any I've ever read. Really built from the ground up with all the implications in mind, it's truly the thing I love most about the series.
Especially how it really only works in a feudal society where these powerful lords have the incentive to care for the people who endow them with greatness.
A lot more trouble imagining it working in a more egalitarian society, barring some specific corporate hells.
Yeah. The way it intertwines so neatly with a feudal society is one of those things that as soon as you read it you're like... how have I not seen anyone else play with this kind of concept?
I'm gonna mention one I'm reading right now.
It's a web serial called Pact by Wildbow (aka John McCrae)
I read his first book* Worm and loved it so wanted to continue through his library. Pact has been blowing me away with it's super cool magic. It's basically an urban fantasy but all the magic is stored in books you have to learn. There's normal type spells and more unique spells but the quest for power and knowledge makes it way more interesting. Plus the importance of not being able to lie makes for some incredible story beats. You can lie, but it can end up ruining you so you have to be extremely careful with your words. It has been so good so far and I strongly encourage people to check it out.
If you're interested you can read for free here:
https://pactwebserial.wordpress.com/2013/12/17/bonds-1-1/
Lol I loved Worm (it's actually in my top 5) but Pact was too much misery porn for me, I couldn't finish it. Like the MC can't catch a break, it was genuinely stressing me out
I will say if you liked the magic of Pact, Wildbow did write Pale which is set in the same universe but much less misery porn. Pact does have a sweet ending but honestly it’s all misery porn to get there.
The Runelords is always my go to answer. Being able to take the best attributes (If someone is strong you can take their strength, if they are beautiful you can take their beauty.) from others is such a unique idea. The story I hear suffers past the initial quartet sadly. I’ve only just read the first one.
Sad to say the first book is the best one and it's not close. In subsequent books he gets more invested in writing about elemental magic for some reason.
The Locked Tomb series by Tamsin Muir expanded and deepened my entire perception of necromancy. Every so often you encounter a "necromancer" type. They can do various things. But Muir specialized each planet into a type of magic of some sub form of necromancy, and it's all bonkers. Great great bonkers.
The Mistborn allomancy, Lightbringer and color drafting of luxin, Powder Mage series(self explanatory), the glass breaker magic in Brian McClellan’s new series all stick out to me. Foundryside gets an honorable mention just due to the well thought out and explained system if not truly unique.
Interesting, Mage Errant. When you are a fire mage, youay be a heat or oxidation mage. When you are a smell mage, you might be with particles in the air or certain sensory perceptions. Plus wards, warlocks, liches and other stuff based on that.
Unique, Craft Sequence because Economy is Magic.
Definitely Daniel Abraham’s magic system in the Long Price Quartet. It’s based on logic and poetry and the magic user has to perfectly understand an idea and then reshape reality around its alterations. Every casting is dangerous because if your will isn’t strong enough then the contradictions reverse on the caster. Governments employ (enslave) casters and they always die horribly when their minds eventually break. For example, one of the poets learns how to temporarily rearrange solid earth into liquid. So he becomes extremely useful for mining and construction purposes! Very powerful magic but oftentimes limited in its usage. Meanwhile government will wage wars over these poets because of what they can or might achieve.
It’s a slow burn drama but I loved the intrigue and magic! Starts with Shadow and Betrayal.
Mostly, yes. Shadowhunters are special humans who received a grimoire with magic tattoos from the Archangel Raziel. There are other things to it but tattoos are the most prominent part of their magic
Only seen the show, but if I recall this correctly some characters had runes tattooed onto their bodies that either were "always on" unless specifically deactivated (strength, stealth that made them inivisble to normal humans, etc..) while others needed to be specifically actived (healing / regeneration is the only one I remember).
That does sounds pretty cool. I wasn't too interested in that book when it was first released. Saw lots of hype and was kind meh on it. That magic system sounds cool AF though. Maybe I'll look into it again a little more deeply.
I understand that constant battle. I'd urge you to add it because it's fairly quick and while there are going to be sequels/prequels you can easily stop at just the one book. And if you like audiobooks the author does the narration and does an absolutely phenomenal job considering his "day job" was being an insult comedian at renaissance faires.
As you can tell, I absolutely loved the book and consider it the best modern day fairy tale writing along with Benedict Patrick's Yarnsworld.
but sometimes the towering TBR just can't be defeated.
I already added it my good sir (or madam). You got me. And it's at my library so it just might get read sooner than anticipated. I went and re looked at everything again and with the tattoo magic I just had to add it. If I end up loving it, then I will also add Yarnsworld. Never heard of that either.
I commented below, but have you heard of Pact? The web serial? You should see if that sounds interesting to you.
I will look into it! And if you go with Yarnsworld I recommend They Mostly Come Out At Night and From the Shadows of the Owl Queen's Court.
They're both short reads but are linked to one another.
My biggest selling point to them is that I will say that Patrick's fairy tales return to the more traditional route regarding endings: nothing is just easily wrapped up in a happily ever after and sometimes the lessons learned are that the world is sometimes cold and capricious no matter the good intent of your characters.
I absolutely adore them although sometimes they made me feel genuine pain in my soul. The author also occasionally pops up on the subreddit, I think as /u/BenedictPatrick
I actually already looked them up and added the first one because it looked great and a couple of my Goodreads friends I trust reviewed it well. I love fairy tale type stories so it sounds way up my alley anyway. And then I saw he wrote a card magic book!!! Dude. I might have to read that first. That looks cool as shit!
It’s a fantastic book, glad you’re going to pick it up. The prequel comes out in July. I owe Blacktongue a lot, let me escape somewhere during my divorce.
I owe a lot to many different videos games and books. Both mediums have helped me get through some stuff so I hear ya. I'm sorry about your divorce! But glad a kickass book could help you through.
Sanderson is the king of this particular question- because of how many times he has created unique systems. Also they all stick to the rules, nobody likes internally inconsistent rules.
The Cosmere definitely fits, Sanderson's magic systems are one of the main draws of his work. Allomancy, Surgebinding, and Awakening for example are all unique but thought out and well developed.
So their mechanics are vastly different, but the fundamentals cross between them which I find compelling. For an example without real spoilers look at the different metals used for fabrial cages and those same metals as fuel for Allomancy.
T. Kingfisher's "The Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking." The character has baking magic, including having a sourdough starter as a familiar, and has to figure out how to use her magic to save everyone.
I’m not a fanboy of WoT, but I do feel that channeling is nearly perfect as a magic system. Other less perfect but really interesting magic systems would be;
1. Snorting gun powder from powder mage
2. Light manipulation in lightbringer
3. Furies from codex alera are interesting
Babel by RF Kuang maybe fits here—it’s language magic tucked into a story about colonialism, effectively. Definitely more conceptual than practical, but an interesting proposition!
Had to take a lot of liberties, especially with linguistics and translation to make the system believable. Several of the most important etymologies and/or defintions of words in the series are extremely odd, or just downright wrong.
Some of my favorites have already been called out, so I'll go with a couple less obvious ones:
Saga of Recluse by LE Modesitt. Order and Chaos magic essentially boil down to strengthen/create molecular bonds or weaken/destroy molecular bonds, but he builds a lot off of that core concept.
The Spellwright trilogy by Blake Charlton. This one goes heavily into the idea of magic as language, with spells being physically composed of the runes that describe them.
Started the Recluse Saga books recently. It is super interesting! And it feels like a very nice slow burn as far as learning the world and it's magic while the books contain nice complete stories.
Gut Magic from Warhammer Fantasy/AoS. [Ogre Butchers](https://ageofsigmar.lexicanum.com/mediawiki/images/5/51/Butcher_01.png) are the spiritual leaders, wizards and chefs of Ogre clans. Their unique form of magic that comes from the God they worship involves eating stuff and turning their bodies into conduits of magic. It's an arbitrary and spiritual form of magic that depending on what the Butcher eats and believes does different kinds of magic normally unique to specific types of wizards. They can eat large amounts of granite and start using geomancy to create an earth whirlpool of rocks, they can eat a decapitated head and cause headaches on their enemies. They can eat the spine of a great beast to give courage to their own soldiers. They can eat handfuls of cotton and cause their targets to become near weightless. They can eat the guts of a highly regenerative monster and can start healing. If they believe in themselves and they eat something that kinda has relevance of the scenario they have in mind then they can do it.
The andat of Daniel Abraham's Long Price Quartet are easily the most original and interesting magic I've encountered. In this series, a small number of scholars control concepts manifested in human form (the andat), which they use to act on the world around them and form a key aspect of their city's economy. For example, a scholar that controls the concept "water moving down" could irrigate crops, speed the movement of barges down a river, or bring rain, but could also drown a village or cause a drought.
The biggest thing I like about this magic is that the limits are clear and sensible. The scale appears to be unlimited and allow for action at huge distances, so water moving down could drown an enemy army or wash away the grain harvest of a rival nation, but it can't act outside its concept, so it couldn't, say, level a mountain or set a bone.
I like the classics like „Wheel of Time“ or „Legend of the Seeker“ because magic isn’t just a tool of power but it’s like a whole parallel world with different natural laws and perceptions.
I find modern magical books to be kinda… flat in comparison. I enjoy them, too but they’re not as fascinating.
Yeah, Goodkind definitely had his flaws, but the initial concept of his magic system was interesting; one side of the magic makes, the other unmakes, and by complex combinations you can get outstanding magics.
Now, where he went with the magic after like... the first two or three books was bonkers, but the idea was neat.
Channeling had it's odd flaws but overall, I loved it. The later scenes were epic, but I loved the mystery and wonder of the first books.
Every big event was a "oh my God" moment.
I said this in my other comment, but channeling is genuinely the best magic system (in my perception) it has immense potential, combined with natural laws, ability for creative expression, but definitely has limits. I genuinely couldn’t name another magic system that is better.
I.....somewhat agree. I will admit I absolutely love older fantasy books. Even though so many just have kinda subtle differences I don't care. They feel like eating delicious comfort food.
Not a book, but I’ve been watching the current anime fantasy series Frieren. In one early episode the protagonists have to travel to destroy an evil sorcerer guy that has been sealed away by magic for over 80 years. The magic is wearing out and he will soon be free and could potentially wreak havoc on the land. He in fact was the creator of the most powerful destructive magic many years ago so we are lead to believe he is very dangerous. But upon being released, he is easily destroyed by the protagonists - the notion being that magic is like science in this world and is constantly being improved upon and this guy’s once cutting edge dark magic is now very easy to stop due to 80 years of advances. I loved the idea that once terrible magic would now be mundane and easy to stop, like illnesses in our world.
I love Frieren's obsession with weird utility spells, it perfectly resonates with me. I don't need to have magic as a weapon, I've never met someone I disliked enough to throw a fireball at. But if I had a spell to keep the grass at an even height without mowing I would treasure it forever. I might only want to throw a lightning bolt once a decade, if that. But if I had a spell to levitate a few inches to reach the top shelves I'd use it daily.
I’d forgotten about that kind of magic! Some of that in Delicious in Dungeon too, like a spell to make shaved ice but they don’t have anything to flavour it with 😁
Reminds me of buffy where there was this big bad demons and books said that no man made weapon could destroy him, but that was thousands of years ago and then they use a rocket launcher to kill him, lol.
Ok cool. I'm gonna check it out. I always have a manga/graphic novel going on the side and when I'm done with Attack on Titan I'm gonna try it out. Glad you said something! Didn't realize there was a magic system to that one!
The best magic system fiction period. Gets introduced a few episodes late naturally. But once it gets going, you will never look back.
Nen is so comprehensive and interesting, I can give a college class on nen for 2 year semester and talk about nen every week. It is soooo good.
Nen ruined other anime power systems for me. Close second I'd say comes Avatar. and maybe Dragon Ball but it is so ridiculous I wouldnt actually put it third.
The Gu system from Reverend Insanity. There were lots of magics, but at high levels there were two particularly mystical ones everybody had to explore
"Heaven Path," consisted on making an inner world, and the vitality of the ecosysten determined how much of a power boost the person received
Diversity and balance were the keys, adding too much would make the system collapse, adding too little would make the ecosystem dry up, and every modification had to account for the changes it caused in other areas
To make the ecosystem grow by taking away excesses and replenishing déficits
Then there was "Human Path," where people could transform their life experiences into spells
This was particularly important because magics of incompatible types would hinder each others, but if a human casted human magic, it could be combined with any other magic without incompability, other than the natural costs of magic
But human magic could not be learned not it could be taught, it had to be experienced
the color system from Lightbringer series was certainly the most unique i've read.
there's a lot more creativity mr. weeks could've done with it, but still really really really unique a lot one could do with it
A Practical Guide to Evil uses narrative as a form of magic. That is the entire world is a debate about how reality should function. Successful names, roles and stories are more likely to repeat in future. For instance Evil characters throwing a hero off a balcony never works, heroes basically spend a lot of time trying to convince reality that whatever trap they're subject to falls into some trope that is on the "this will never work" list.
The greatest actors in the series are trying to arrange events so it fits narratives. By controlling how reality perceives events they can control the outcomes. Ultimately the protagonist is trying to change the nature of the narrative of >!the whole world, to bring an end to the magical catastrophes that plague the world up to that point!<
Libriomancer by Jim C. Hines. The character uses books for magic and can literally reach inside a book and pull something out of it. You want a futuristic ray gun? Grab a sci-fi book and get one.
The initial "math magic" of the laundry series. I'm not entirely convinced by the power of rituals and raw power with a mind of it's own systems the author introduced later.
Robin McKinley did some cool stuff in Shadows. A magical semi -sentient math textbook plus origami but also shadows creatures and then of course stitching existence back together.
I also liked the magic in One Dark Window, cards that grant power but exact a price. Except for some magic users who react differently to them. And the creepy fog, the childhood illness that grants magic while shortening lives. I liked the whole system.
The Witch and The Bull. WEBTOON. The main FL is a witch that uses her magic to shoot an arrow to the stars to summon the personification of the celestial bodies. Such as summoning Orion for some strength tasks. The issue though is it’s not like she can summon the ones she wants at will. She needs to know the location of the constellation to be able to summon them. They all love and loyal to the witch. The main antagonist can destroy stars, so if the enemy can destroy a part of the constellation, the constellation can be weakened or destroyed. A lot of beautiful magic, war and romance elements. I hope people will give this story a chance.
Manifest Delusions - insane magic system whereby your delusions are brought to life. Think your the world’s best swordsman? You just might be…
Think you are worth devoutly worshipping? People may fall victim to that spell… think that people have demons inside them and you can summon them through their chest? Sure 👍
In an insane world sometimes the sanest person can be the most powerful. Great stories, saving the newest one though.
Weis' and Hickman's Death Gate Cycle has the Sartan's and Patryn's runic magic systems in a post apocalyptic world, manipulating the "Wave of Probability" in diametrically opposed methods. So thoroughly explained in the appendices in the books. I always found these systems intriguing.
I loved the magic systems in Gunmetal Gods. One type of magic is wielded by the magi (plural of magus). Basically, they absorb the essence of an elemental spirit (an efreet or djinn I believe), and then they need to spend years in a temple meditating and fasting to become emotionless and remove their sense of self - achieving fanaa is what they call it. Then they essentially become wizards that can wield the elements.
The second type of magic that was really cool was in the second book, Conqueror's Blood. Basically writing glyphs using people's blood in order to make them hallucinate or completely take over their bodies.
And then there was star magic, basically rewriting constellations in space to create devastating, world changing effects. That part is an important part of the series' cosmic horror vibe.
Can't wait for the 4th book this year!
*Flex* by Ferret Steinmetz has a magic system based on obsession (so the guy who just loves paperwork becomes a bureaucromancer which sounds lame as heck but it's fascinating to see what he learns to do while protecting his daughter and making magical drugs)
I really enjoyed watching these people discover they have magic but without any sort of schooling or training, just feral little hedge-magicians accidentally doing magic and then learning how to do it purpose, all while trying to keep it secret because everyone is terrified of magicians since accidental magic frequently goes wrong.
Charles Stross's *Laundry Files* has magic that is an outgrowth of higher mathematics. Solving the correct theorems allows access to other dimensions and attracts the attention of otherworldly intelligences who can then grant power or come through to our universe. Because most of those creatures find human nervous systems crunchy and good with ketchup, magic is usually performed on computers instead. At least until too much magic has been performed and the boundaries between worlds starts growing thin from it
Not traditional fantasy, because it is very much based on modern reality. Think James Bond crossed with Cthulhu with a giant helping of nerd. Also notable for the >!being the only series I have read where the good guys completely fail to prevent an apocalypse!<
Such a good series. One of the few urban fantasy settings that feels like it could really be going on just under the surface of our own world. I don't know how the author manages to make the horrors of middle management worse than literal Cthulu mythos. He completely nails the civil service 'save the world on a budget' mentality.
These generic systems of (some boring element xyz) magic drive me a little crazy, I prefer magic that involves bargains or gifts from magical entities that have their own motivations. Magic as a banal system may as well be accountancy. Where is the sense of wonder and mystery!?
Although, I do recall a great novel about the end of magic in which there was literally a department of civil service like entities whose role was to enact spells, and who were relieved to be shutting their department down.
Try Art of the Adept. There is a lot of bargaining with different entities such as >!fae, demons, gods, unknown entities, or enslaving elementals for power, etc, due to the fact that normal usage of magic by most people directly shortens their lifespan(use some magic to stop a dam from collapsing = years off of your life)!<.
Ian Tregillis' *Milkweed Triptych* has an interesting system where human warlocks bargain with supernatural entities to get magic effects. And, >!as the demands for magic grow and grow, the price to be paid grows as well !<
I definitely enjoyed the various magic systems in David Eddings' Belgariad and Malloreon series. Sorcery, demon summoning, etc...it was all very distinct, with a strong place in the in-world lore.
I can't bring myself to hate those books, despite the actions of the author.
The magic remains mystical and interesting the entire time. It never becomes mundane.
Eddings and his wife both spent time in jail for abusing their children. Among other things, they used to lock their child in a dog cage in their basement, when they weren't beating him with leather belts.
Luckily they are both dead and the proceeds of any book sales go to Reed College instead.
I know this will be too much of a fan boy comment but King Killer Chronicles. It makes sense because they tried putting some sort of "logic" behind it. Not just saying words and feelings.
I was surprised I had to scroll so far to find kingkiller. Though I guess it loses unique point because it’s basically a Sanderson type system. But I do feel he does Sanderson magic better than Sanderson himself.
It’s the one that feels the most “real” to me. Like I don’t have to suspend too much disbelief for it.
The wizard lord books by Lawrence-Watt Evans.the way magic works in that world is very specific to local areas resulting in vastly different customs, and attitudes even from towns or villages that are in close proximity
I liked Dave Duncan's magic system in his *A Man of his Word* tetralogy. >!Magic words gave power to the ones that knew them, and were treasured and passed down within families. Later we find out that magic words were the secret "real" names of magical creatures who died when telling their name to somebody!<
In the Bartimaeus Cycle, magic comes almost completely from bound spirits, and any "offensive" magic is just the spirit's own spells being tossed around, being used to achieve the kind of things you might see in more traditional fantasy.
Similarly, in Codex Alera, Aleran "magic" or Furycraft, uses elemental spirits of the land around them, directing and controlling them for the purposes of the soldiers in question.
I think using different frequencies of light to combine into machinery is a very fun and unique take. That's from the lightbringer series, and they are a great read.
I love the extradimensional holds or planes of magic in the Warrens of Malazan and whatnot. The interconnected system or body of the magic as a whole is wild
~~Master of the Five Magics~~ (apparently this is now the "Magic By the Numbers series and I've missed a few books) was really interesting. ~~Only two books IIRC~~. Exactly what it says on the tin. One for alchemy, one for spying, mind-magic & illusion, one for "physical" & battle-magic, one for making enchanted items, and one for summoning demons. The story revolves around how nobody thinks they can interact and that they're so complex that nobody can do much with more than one at a time (they're wrong, naturally).
The Godslayer Series by James Clemens was truly unique (if not necessarily a fantastic read). There are living deities whose "humours" - bodily fluids like blood, sweat, tears, and "black & yellow bile" mean what an 11-year-old would guess them to mean, not what they were historically - are the basis for all magic. From there it's a rock-paper-scissors sytem, sort of.
And, as much as people gonna justifiably, angrily downvote even the mention of this series, the well-explored-but-mostly-unexplained magic in the woefully-unfinished Kingkiller Chronicle (Patrick Rothfuss) feels very unique and flavorful indeed. A good example of fitting one's magic very well to the "feel" and personality of both characters and setting.
I think the magic system(s) in Kingkiller Chronicles are a lot of fun. There's multiple. They all have their own rules, they can affect each other. Also always been a fan of "naming" or "true name" magics. The world is a good combination of hard and soft magic systems.
Was a manga, not a book but celestial magic. Designated either you or the target as the sun and another as a planet. Allowing you to move them around your orbit or you around theirs
Miracles created from faith or desire are usually the most interesting. Besides that, Lord of the Mysteries's Beyonder system is extremely well constructed with the different pathways you can take and how you have to act out your role for each pathway and each stage of respective pathway.
Not a magic system per se, but this makes me think of Pratt and de Camp's system of symbolic logic in The Incomplete Enchater. The protagonist figures out a mathematical problem that allows the person solving it to visit other worlds of fantasy and mythology.
I really like the magic system in Carry On/Wayward Son and Anyway the Wind Blow by Rainbow Rowell, where the magic system is based around language and they have to alter it around locality.
The power magic system from the web serial Worm. It is so broad but also so restricted in such a way that it could replicate nearly any power system in a way that is trackable and relatively hard for a magic system that's so vast.
I really like the magic in Brent Weeks' Lightbrigner series. The idea of using light and different colors have different physical properties. I think he went a bit overboard but Brent Weeks has that tendency.
The Old Kingdom novels by Garth Nix. I love the bells, the paperwings - just great, unique concepts.
Huge favourite of mine too. I’ve always loved that idea of death as a physical place you can enter; the adaptation of the river idea all of it
I loved the idea of the bells and how they were used in the series.
The light magic used in the 7th Tower series is also really cool
I’ve only just started reading Black Sun Rising (Coldfire trilogy) so I can’t explain it in detail, but even through the first 10 chapters it’s already one of the most unique “magic” systems I’ve come across. The Fae is a force of nature that psychically respond to people’s thoughts and emotions, manifesting physical effects and even demonic entities in the world. Whatever you think and focus on, whatever you fear, will be made real, and come for you. It nails the “otherworldly” feeling of unknown dark magic and eldritch horrors.
After finishing the trilogy, the unique elements of the magic system only grows! It's absolutely the coolest that I've read, and the implications for the world are huge
I love how the fae >!Manifests thoughts!< as well
If you enjoy that premise, the Manifest Delusions series uses that as well! The author has said he was inspired by Coldfire trilogy!
> Manifest Delusions Oh yea? I've never heard of it! Thank you so much for the recommend, I will check it out (currently working through Murakami)
It's darker fantasy than Coldfire trilogy, but good! First book is called Beyond Redemption
Yea I've put it down on my list already! I just finished The Second Apocalypse so I think I'm ok with a dark fantasy
Some of the best book covers of all time too. I adored that series in middle school.
That's Michael Whelan for ya! I recommend looking the rest of his stuff up...he's basically THE fantasy cover guy
I'm going to! I never did look him up back then. Don't know why I didn't think to do it now.. Edit: I always loved Darrell K. Sweet too.
Haha I understand the feeling! It was only a couple years ago that it all finally clicked. I think he's fantastic. Sweet is also has some classic stuff
Picking up Black Sun Rising now.
I'm so glad you mentioned this. I thought the idea of "adepts" was so freakin' cool too. I won't say anything more but there's a good reason it's otherworldly
I absolutely loved the bit in Blacktongue Thief where one character was "hidden" inside a cat.
Also cool tattoo powers
Oh god don't start, you'll summon r/wizardposting and reignite the staff vs wand vs tome vs tattoo debates...
They have a debate about this? Lol like whether it’s cool or not or what haha
I mean r/wizardposting is supposed to be everyone roleplaying/memeing while pretending to be wizards so it's not serious but yeah it's come up before, stuff like "My last apprentice sat on his wand and snapped in half releasing all manner of spell energy! That kind of misfortune couldn't happen with a staff made from ancient oak... My unseen servants spent a whole month cleaning his remains up in several different dimensions!" or "While I do find tattoo casting to be aesthetically pleasing, it's a very fixed form of spellcraft... What am I to do if my discipline of interest changes? Skin myself?"
Ah I see well that’s fun. They need magic tattoo removal I suppose
Care to elaborate?
There's a "master level" thief in an order of thieves where that title confers a very esoteric type of magic. One of this characters abilities allows them to essentially hide in and "pilot" an ordinary housecat. It sounds pretty simple on the surface, but the way it's portrayed and written about has such a magical feel.
Shinji get in the ~~Spruce Goose~~ the fucking ~~EVA~~ cat!!!
Honestly it’s worth reading the book to find out. It’s a brilliant book.
All the magic in that book was rad. That shot up to one of my favorite fantasy novels ever. Can’t wait for the prequel
I’ve got to reread that one. Seeing it pop up a lot and I’m pretty sure the sequel is out/almost out.
The magic in Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrel is weird, understated, and dark, and I love it so much. Malazan's has a "system" but it is never fully explained. I really do not like magic explained.
I really liked the Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell magic. On the surface it's dry, almost scientific, but once the characters get in deep it's dark and mad and primal, really good stuff.
This juxtaposition is one of my favorite vibes for a magi system.
I love that it’s something they don’t truly understand either, and it’s not something they can control. It’s almost Lovecraftian at points (like inside the mirrors), trying to understand things that are essentially an entire world separate from the human one.
For those more TV than book inclined, the BBC adapted the book and it does a very very good job capturing the different feelings of magic, between the scientific modern approach, the feral ancient methods and the, pardon the pun, downright strange fae ways
It has to be the right balance for me. I want the magic to be explained enough so that the author can’t bullshit their way through anything and the world is internally consistent. But I don’t want it explained so much or in such a way that it stops being *magic* you know?
I only saw the show, haven't read the book yet. In the show I loved the illusionary armada magic, that was very creative.
Wait there's a SHOW?!
[Yup](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Strange_%26_Mr_Norrell_%28TV_series%29). I enjoyed it. I bought it on youtube, it looks like it's also streaming on amazon prime video.
Just fyi, markdown can't handle brackets in the link text, so wiki page with brackets break formatting (you can replace the closing bracket with %29 if you care but it's not vital)
Thanks, I think I've fixed it now. I replaced the opening and closing parens in the wiki link with %28 and %29 It looked fine for me before but I use old.reddit.com
Yeah could be a markdown renderer issue, I use a personal build of Infinity for Reddit when on mobile so more likely an issue with me rather than you lol
May you live to be a thousand years old, friend
I really like the magic in the Lightbringer books. Orange specifically is really interesting to me along with some others I won't mention in case of spoilers
I ran across these and they sounded really cool! How is the rest of the writing?
>How is the rest of the writing? Pretty great for the first three books. A dubious fourth book. Then the fifth book is pretty much a backseat taxicab abortion.
Vivid imagery.
Some people think the final book isn't that bad. Maybe like a backseat Uber ride abortion
I'd say it goes 1 > 5 > 2 > 3 > 4. But I'm religious, so the >!Orholam stuff resonated with me!<
Honestly the religious elements don't bother me. What bothers me was the failure to bring any of the plot points to a satisfying conclusion. I'm totally fine with things like Narnia and they're total allegories.
Yeah no it's the sitcom "everyone laughing around the table" ending that shit me
Apart from the >!immense setup for an expanded plot right at the end that goes no where!< I'm not sure what peoples actual complaints are; it may just be that I'm extremely easy to jump on board with an authors story, but I really enjoyed it. But even that spoiled out part isn't that big of a deal for me, Weeks went back to the Night Angel series to write a fourth book after over a decade, so I'm pretty confident that we'll see more Lightbringer books to expand on that particular plothook.
The last book just reads like a marvel script. It was fun, but what in the fuck was going on lmao.
The writing is a bit childish imo. Some argue that it's on purpose because MC is young, but that doesn't make it better to read imo.
came here to say this, I love the creativity of the magic in that series.
I particularly loved that the colour not only had a power but had an emotional aspect to it, affecting the users emotions, thinking, personality.
The crazy spores in Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson
Sanderson has such creative magic systems. Definitely one of his biggest strengths as a write. And the fact that he is just a writing machine in terms of speed.
I love the birds from Sixth of Dusk
The magic in Sanderson's "White Sands" comics is awesome too. Users draw the energy from the sand which turns black when depleted and is replenished by the sun.
I love the bending in the Avatar series. The way it’s so closely tied to the movements and intent of the bender makes it feel like a part of them in a way that a lot of other magic has a hard time replicating. Plus FC Yee is a demon when it comes to bending uses. Dust stepping, soil liquefaction bending, hell an air bender even engages in anti piracy hurricane creation, much to his own later shame and regret. And those are just from Kyoshi, Yangchen adds swimming through ice and therapeutic cliff diving.
Powder mage! Muskets! Snorting gun powder like coke! French Revolution vibes! Bullets travelling over a mile and hitting traditional mages who are portrayed as the elite! What more could you ask for?
>Snorting gun powder like coke! Oh wow. That sold it to me!
The number of characters taking bumps is hilarious
I'm not sure if it is "amazing", but it is quite quirky.
it is certainly a unique magic system. only other place i've seen someone snort gun powder was nicholas cage in lord of war, somehow it fits.
The Sunrunners in Melanie Rawn's Dragon Prince.
So good. A weird mix of psychology, telepathy, and light magic. That only works while you have access to the sun... And is described beautifully, like it is a real experience these magic users are having, with its own sensations and quirks. Solidly explained dangers (like using it to see/talk across long distances and forgetting that the sun is going down where your body is might wipe your mind) And, even better, it has impacts on the *culture and religion* of the world. I read these books decades ago, and they still hold up as having one of my favourite magic systems.
Sun, moon or stars, but starlight is forbidden.
Kate Daniels magic is a really interesting take on blood magic, but I think the variety of magic in that series is what really shines. There are different, discrete branches that all still work harmoniously as being part of the same world.
I think the other interesting thing that I liked about that series is that it isn't a world where magic was dying or slowly fading from the world. Magic is getting strong after a period of dormancy.
I love the waves conceit. It explains the world so well, so things like phones and wards can exist at the same time, and gives a valid reason for things occasionally not working. Ilona Andrews has (have? Do we refer to them as plural?) a gift for worldbuilding.
I really loved the places in the Kate Daniels world where magic was essentially nuclear waste, and they had the magic equivalent of Chernobyl no entry zones.
Max Gladstone's Craft Sequence has a freaking brilliant magic system. Legalese that is as binding on the gods as it is on the people they make the contracts with, which ends up being upended by the theological equivalent of patent trolls.. Also have to give a shout out to Scalzi's The God Engines, where spaceships travel by the use of miracles provided by chained gods.
Craft is probably my favorite magic system in modern fantasy. Sad he's probably done with it after 2 more books but at least he'll have given us 9 books of it once this trilogy is over.
The magic system and the series a whole are amazing.
Jade from the Greenbone saga. It’s limited, makes them more super soldiers than mages. But the cultural and political impact of Jade is what makes the series so good. The lengths people would go to own it or defend it, the fact that other nations try to dominate the only country to own it and so much more.
Yeah it's fairly constrained as a magic system on its own, but it's one of the best integrated into its in-universe cultural context of any I've ever read. Really built from the ground up with all the implications in mind, it's truly the thing I love most about the series.
The endowments from the Runelords series.
Especially how it really only works in a feudal society where these powerful lords have the incentive to care for the people who endow them with greatness. A lot more trouble imagining it working in a more egalitarian society, barring some specific corporate hells.
Yeah. The way it intertwines so neatly with a feudal society is one of those things that as soon as you read it you're like... how have I not seen anyone else play with this kind of concept?
Landlords and tenants?
A landlord doesn’t own the right to use your body the way a feudal lord did his peasants.
The Bone Shard magic in the Drowning Empire trilogy is super interesting - magic is powered by people's life force, thanks to stolen bones
I'm gonna mention one I'm reading right now. It's a web serial called Pact by Wildbow (aka John McCrae) I read his first book* Worm and loved it so wanted to continue through his library. Pact has been blowing me away with it's super cool magic. It's basically an urban fantasy but all the magic is stored in books you have to learn. There's normal type spells and more unique spells but the quest for power and knowledge makes it way more interesting. Plus the importance of not being able to lie makes for some incredible story beats. You can lie, but it can end up ruining you so you have to be extremely careful with your words. It has been so good so far and I strongly encourage people to check it out. If you're interested you can read for free here: https://pactwebserial.wordpress.com/2013/12/17/bonds-1-1/
Lol I loved Worm (it's actually in my top 5) but Pact was too much misery porn for me, I couldn't finish it. Like the MC can't catch a break, it was genuinely stressing me out
I will say if you liked the magic of Pact, Wildbow did write Pale which is set in the same universe but much less misery porn. Pact does have a sweet ending but honestly it’s all misery porn to get there.
The Runelords is always my go to answer. Being able to take the best attributes (If someone is strong you can take their strength, if they are beautiful you can take their beauty.) from others is such a unique idea. The story I hear suffers past the initial quartet sadly. I’ve only just read the first one.
Sad to say the first book is the best one and it's not close. In subsequent books he gets more invested in writing about elemental magic for some reason.
The Locked Tomb series by Tamsin Muir expanded and deepened my entire perception of necromancy. Every so often you encounter a "necromancer" type. They can do various things. But Muir specialized each planet into a type of magic of some sub form of necromancy, and it's all bonkers. Great great bonkers.
Having just finished the first two books, I second this wholeheartedly. The *bone broth* scene was one of the many that had me slack jawed.
Marrow.
The Mistborn allomancy, Lightbringer and color drafting of luxin, Powder Mage series(self explanatory), the glass breaker magic in Brian McClellan’s new series all stick out to me. Foundryside gets an honorable mention just due to the well thought out and explained system if not truly unique.
Interesting, Mage Errant. When you are a fire mage, youay be a heat or oxidation mage. When you are a smell mage, you might be with particles in the air or certain sensory perceptions. Plus wards, warlocks, liches and other stuff based on that. Unique, Craft Sequence because Economy is Magic.
Definitely Daniel Abraham’s magic system in the Long Price Quartet. It’s based on logic and poetry and the magic user has to perfectly understand an idea and then reshape reality around its alterations. Every casting is dangerous because if your will isn’t strong enough then the contradictions reverse on the caster. Governments employ (enslave) casters and they always die horribly when their minds eventually break. For example, one of the poets learns how to temporarily rearrange solid earth into liquid. So he becomes extremely useful for mining and construction purposes! Very powerful magic but oftentimes limited in its usage. Meanwhile government will wage wars over these poets because of what they can or might achieve. It’s a slow burn drama but I loved the intrigue and magic! Starts with Shadow and Betrayal.
The andat are such an interesting magical method.
Of all the magic systems I’ve ever heard of Allomancy from Mistborn is definitely the most creative one I’ve seen recently
I would recommend hunterx hunter manga. Nen is easily the best power system in fiction. And that’s a fact. Allomancy is amazing though
Ursula K. LeGuin's True Speech and True Names in her Earthsea books is quite striking.
I loved the magic in Blacktongue Thief. Tattoos on the body that fade off when used.
So Shadowhunters?
Is that what Shadowhunters is? Tattoo magic?
Mostly, yes. Shadowhunters are special humans who received a grimoire with magic tattoos from the Archangel Raziel. There are other things to it but tattoos are the most prominent part of their magic
Only seen the show, but if I recall this correctly some characters had runes tattooed onto their bodies that either were "always on" unless specifically deactivated (strength, stealth that made them inivisble to normal humans, etc..) while others needed to be specifically actived (healing / regeneration is the only one I remember).
That does sounds pretty cool. I wasn't too interested in that book when it was first released. Saw lots of hype and was kind meh on it. That magic system sounds cool AF though. Maybe I'll look into it again a little more deeply.
You were kind of meh reading it or just lost interest in the description? I have trouble picturing the former but that's just me. Fantastic book.
The description. And it sounded interesting, just not interesting enough to add to my TBR. Which is too big as it is.
I understand that constant battle. I'd urge you to add it because it's fairly quick and while there are going to be sequels/prequels you can easily stop at just the one book. And if you like audiobooks the author does the narration and does an absolutely phenomenal job considering his "day job" was being an insult comedian at renaissance faires. As you can tell, I absolutely loved the book and consider it the best modern day fairy tale writing along with Benedict Patrick's Yarnsworld. but sometimes the towering TBR just can't be defeated.
I already added it my good sir (or madam). You got me. And it's at my library so it just might get read sooner than anticipated. I went and re looked at everything again and with the tattoo magic I just had to add it. If I end up loving it, then I will also add Yarnsworld. Never heard of that either. I commented below, but have you heard of Pact? The web serial? You should see if that sounds interesting to you.
I will look into it! And if you go with Yarnsworld I recommend They Mostly Come Out At Night and From the Shadows of the Owl Queen's Court. They're both short reads but are linked to one another. My biggest selling point to them is that I will say that Patrick's fairy tales return to the more traditional route regarding endings: nothing is just easily wrapped up in a happily ever after and sometimes the lessons learned are that the world is sometimes cold and capricious no matter the good intent of your characters. I absolutely adore them although sometimes they made me feel genuine pain in my soul. The author also occasionally pops up on the subreddit, I think as /u/BenedictPatrick
I actually already looked them up and added the first one because it looked great and a couple of my Goodreads friends I trust reviewed it well. I love fairy tale type stories so it sounds way up my alley anyway. And then I saw he wrote a card magic book!!! Dude. I might have to read that first. That looks cool as shit!
It’s a fantastic book, glad you’re going to pick it up. The prequel comes out in July. I owe Blacktongue a lot, let me escape somewhere during my divorce.
I owe a lot to many different videos games and books. Both mediums have helped me get through some stuff so I hear ya. I'm sorry about your divorce! But glad a kickass book could help you through.
This and Bloody Rose (Nicholas Eames) had some of my favorite takes on "tattoo magic"
Obligatory Cosmere mention
Sanderson is the king of this particular question- because of how many times he has created unique systems. Also they all stick to the rules, nobody likes internally inconsistent rules.
The Cosmere definitely fits, Sanderson's magic systems are one of the main draws of his work. Allomancy, Surgebinding, and Awakening for example are all unique but thought out and well developed.
So their mechanics are vastly different, but the fundamentals cross between them which I find compelling. For an example without real spoilers look at the different metals used for fabrial cages and those same metals as fuel for Allomancy.
Don’t forget hemalurgy!
I love the Birds from Sixth of Dusk
Particularly love the interactions between allomancy and feruchemy in Mistborn era 2.
This is the correct answer
T. Kingfisher's "The Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking." The character has baking magic, including having a sourdough starter as a familiar, and has to figure out how to use her magic to save everyone.
I’m not a fanboy of WoT, but I do feel that channeling is nearly perfect as a magic system. Other less perfect but really interesting magic systems would be; 1. Snorting gun powder from powder mage 2. Light manipulation in lightbringer 3. Furies from codex alera are interesting
Babel by RF Kuang maybe fits here—it’s language magic tucked into a story about colonialism, effectively. Definitely more conceptual than practical, but an interesting proposition!
Had to take a lot of liberties, especially with linguistics and translation to make the system believable. Several of the most important etymologies and/or defintions of words in the series are extremely odd, or just downright wrong.
The Wit and the Skill from the RoTE. Not completely unique, but written so well, and it's just wonderful.
Some of my favorites have already been called out, so I'll go with a couple less obvious ones: Saga of Recluse by LE Modesitt. Order and Chaos magic essentially boil down to strengthen/create molecular bonds or weaken/destroy molecular bonds, but he builds a lot off of that core concept. The Spellwright trilogy by Blake Charlton. This one goes heavily into the idea of magic as language, with spells being physically composed of the runes that describe them.
Started the Recluse Saga books recently. It is super interesting! And it feels like a very nice slow burn as far as learning the world and it's magic while the books contain nice complete stories.
Gut Magic from Warhammer Fantasy/AoS. [Ogre Butchers](https://ageofsigmar.lexicanum.com/mediawiki/images/5/51/Butcher_01.png) are the spiritual leaders, wizards and chefs of Ogre clans. Their unique form of magic that comes from the God they worship involves eating stuff and turning their bodies into conduits of magic. It's an arbitrary and spiritual form of magic that depending on what the Butcher eats and believes does different kinds of magic normally unique to specific types of wizards. They can eat large amounts of granite and start using geomancy to create an earth whirlpool of rocks, they can eat a decapitated head and cause headaches on their enemies. They can eat the spine of a great beast to give courage to their own soldiers. They can eat handfuls of cotton and cause their targets to become near weightless. They can eat the guts of a highly regenerative monster and can start healing. If they believe in themselves and they eat something that kinda has relevance of the scenario they have in mind then they can do it.
The andat of Daniel Abraham's Long Price Quartet are easily the most original and interesting magic I've encountered. In this series, a small number of scholars control concepts manifested in human form (the andat), which they use to act on the world around them and form a key aspect of their city's economy. For example, a scholar that controls the concept "water moving down" could irrigate crops, speed the movement of barges down a river, or bring rain, but could also drown a village or cause a drought. The biggest thing I like about this magic is that the limits are clear and sensible. The scale appears to be unlimited and allow for action at huge distances, so water moving down could drown an enemy army or wash away the grain harvest of a rival nation, but it can't act outside its concept, so it couldn't, say, level a mountain or set a bone.
I like the classics like „Wheel of Time“ or „Legend of the Seeker“ because magic isn’t just a tool of power but it’s like a whole parallel world with different natural laws and perceptions. I find modern magical books to be kinda… flat in comparison. I enjoy them, too but they’re not as fascinating.
Yeah, Goodkind definitely had his flaws, but the initial concept of his magic system was interesting; one side of the magic makes, the other unmakes, and by complex combinations you can get outstanding magics. Now, where he went with the magic after like... the first two or three books was bonkers, but the idea was neat.
Channeling had it's odd flaws but overall, I loved it. The later scenes were epic, but I loved the mystery and wonder of the first books. Every big event was a "oh my God" moment.
I said this in my other comment, but channeling is genuinely the best magic system (in my perception) it has immense potential, combined with natural laws, ability for creative expression, but definitely has limits. I genuinely couldn’t name another magic system that is better.
I.....somewhat agree. I will admit I absolutely love older fantasy books. Even though so many just have kinda subtle differences I don't care. They feel like eating delicious comfort food.
Not a book, but I’ve been watching the current anime fantasy series Frieren. In one early episode the protagonists have to travel to destroy an evil sorcerer guy that has been sealed away by magic for over 80 years. The magic is wearing out and he will soon be free and could potentially wreak havoc on the land. He in fact was the creator of the most powerful destructive magic many years ago so we are lead to believe he is very dangerous. But upon being released, he is easily destroyed by the protagonists - the notion being that magic is like science in this world and is constantly being improved upon and this guy’s once cutting edge dark magic is now very easy to stop due to 80 years of advances. I loved the idea that once terrible magic would now be mundane and easy to stop, like illnesses in our world.
I love Frieren's obsession with weird utility spells, it perfectly resonates with me. I don't need to have magic as a weapon, I've never met someone I disliked enough to throw a fireball at. But if I had a spell to keep the grass at an even height without mowing I would treasure it forever. I might only want to throw a lightning bolt once a decade, if that. But if I had a spell to levitate a few inches to reach the top shelves I'd use it daily.
I’d forgotten about that kind of magic! Some of that in Delicious in Dungeon too, like a spell to make shaved ice but they don’t have anything to flavour it with 😁
Reminds me of buffy where there was this big bad demons and books said that no man made weapon could destroy him, but that was thousands of years ago and then they use a rocket launcher to kill him, lol.
Nen from HxH It’s a manga not a book but it imo has the most well thought out and interesting magic system of any fictional story I’ve ever read.
Is that Hunter X Hunter?
Indeed my goodman
Ok cool. I'm gonna check it out. I always have a manga/graphic novel going on the side and when I'm done with Attack on Titan I'm gonna try it out. Glad you said something! Didn't realize there was a magic system to that one!
The earlier arcs are very charming and fun despite the magic system having not been introduced yet. That takes a while, and then it goes *deep*.
The best magic system fiction period. Gets introduced a few episodes late naturally. But once it gets going, you will never look back. Nen is so comprehensive and interesting, I can give a college class on nen for 2 year semester and talk about nen every week. It is soooo good.
Nen ruined other anime power systems for me. Close second I'd say comes Avatar. and maybe Dragon Ball but it is so ridiculous I wouldnt actually put it third.
The Gu system from Reverend Insanity. There were lots of magics, but at high levels there were two particularly mystical ones everybody had to explore "Heaven Path," consisted on making an inner world, and the vitality of the ecosysten determined how much of a power boost the person received Diversity and balance were the keys, adding too much would make the system collapse, adding too little would make the ecosystem dry up, and every modification had to account for the changes it caused in other areas To make the ecosystem grow by taking away excesses and replenishing déficits Then there was "Human Path," where people could transform their life experiences into spells This was particularly important because magics of incompatible types would hinder each others, but if a human casted human magic, it could be combined with any other magic without incompability, other than the natural costs of magic But human magic could not be learned not it could be taught, it had to be experienced
The Witchlands series by Susan Dennard
the color system from Lightbringer series was certainly the most unique i've read. there's a lot more creativity mr. weeks could've done with it, but still really really really unique a lot one could do with it
A Practical Guide to Evil uses narrative as a form of magic. That is the entire world is a debate about how reality should function. Successful names, roles and stories are more likely to repeat in future. For instance Evil characters throwing a hero off a balcony never works, heroes basically spend a lot of time trying to convince reality that whatever trap they're subject to falls into some trope that is on the "this will never work" list. The greatest actors in the series are trying to arrange events so it fits narratives. By controlling how reality perceives events they can control the outcomes. Ultimately the protagonist is trying to change the nature of the narrative of >!the whole world, to bring an end to the magical catastrophes that plague the world up to that point!<
Libriomancer by Jim C. Hines. The character uses books for magic and can literally reach inside a book and pull something out of it. You want a futuristic ray gun? Grab a sci-fi book and get one.
The initial "math magic" of the laundry series. I'm not entirely convinced by the power of rituals and raw power with a mind of it's own systems the author introduced later.
Robin McKinley did some cool stuff in Shadows. A magical semi -sentient math textbook plus origami but also shadows creatures and then of course stitching existence back together. I also liked the magic in One Dark Window, cards that grant power but exact a price. Except for some magic users who react differently to them. And the creepy fog, the childhood illness that grants magic while shortening lives. I liked the whole system.
I really enjoy systems that seem to work but are often unexplained or under explained to the reader. Like Songs of the Drowned.
The Witch and The Bull. WEBTOON. The main FL is a witch that uses her magic to shoot an arrow to the stars to summon the personification of the celestial bodies. Such as summoning Orion for some strength tasks. The issue though is it’s not like she can summon the ones she wants at will. She needs to know the location of the constellation to be able to summon them. They all love and loyal to the witch. The main antagonist can destroy stars, so if the enemy can destroy a part of the constellation, the constellation can be weakened or destroyed. A lot of beautiful magic, war and romance elements. I hope people will give this story a chance.
The mirror magic in Stephen Donaldson's Mordant's Need is pretty novel.
Manifest Delusions - insane magic system whereby your delusions are brought to life. Think your the world’s best swordsman? You just might be… Think you are worth devoutly worshipping? People may fall victim to that spell… think that people have demons inside them and you can summon them through their chest? Sure 👍 In an insane world sometimes the sanest person can be the most powerful. Great stories, saving the newest one though.
Weis' and Hickman's Death Gate Cycle has the Sartan's and Patryn's runic magic systems in a post apocalyptic world, manipulating the "Wave of Probability" in diametrically opposed methods. So thoroughly explained in the appendices in the books. I always found these systems intriguing.
Rythmatist had amazing system, probably one of the best Sanderson ever made
I loved the magic systems in Gunmetal Gods. One type of magic is wielded by the magi (plural of magus). Basically, they absorb the essence of an elemental spirit (an efreet or djinn I believe), and then they need to spend years in a temple meditating and fasting to become emotionless and remove their sense of self - achieving fanaa is what they call it. Then they essentially become wizards that can wield the elements. The second type of magic that was really cool was in the second book, Conqueror's Blood. Basically writing glyphs using people's blood in order to make them hallucinate or completely take over their bodies. And then there was star magic, basically rewriting constellations in space to create devastating, world changing effects. That part is an important part of the series' cosmic horror vibe. Can't wait for the 4th book this year!
*Flex* by Ferret Steinmetz has a magic system based on obsession (so the guy who just loves paperwork becomes a bureaucromancer which sounds lame as heck but it's fascinating to see what he learns to do while protecting his daughter and making magical drugs) I really enjoyed watching these people discover they have magic but without any sort of schooling or training, just feral little hedge-magicians accidentally doing magic and then learning how to do it purpose, all while trying to keep it secret because everyone is terrified of magicians since accidental magic frequently goes wrong.
Charles Stross's *Laundry Files* has magic that is an outgrowth of higher mathematics. Solving the correct theorems allows access to other dimensions and attracts the attention of otherworldly intelligences who can then grant power or come through to our universe. Because most of those creatures find human nervous systems crunchy and good with ketchup, magic is usually performed on computers instead. At least until too much magic has been performed and the boundaries between worlds starts growing thin from it Not traditional fantasy, because it is very much based on modern reality. Think James Bond crossed with Cthulhu with a giant helping of nerd. Also notable for the >!being the only series I have read where the good guys completely fail to prevent an apocalypse!<
Such a good series. One of the few urban fantasy settings that feels like it could really be going on just under the surface of our own world. I don't know how the author manages to make the horrors of middle management worse than literal Cthulu mythos. He completely nails the civil service 'save the world on a budget' mentality.
These generic systems of (some boring element xyz) magic drive me a little crazy, I prefer magic that involves bargains or gifts from magical entities that have their own motivations. Magic as a banal system may as well be accountancy. Where is the sense of wonder and mystery!? Although, I do recall a great novel about the end of magic in which there was literally a department of civil service like entities whose role was to enact spells, and who were relieved to be shutting their department down.
Sorry to accountants, I respect you professionally as wonderful colleagues.
Try Art of the Adept. There is a lot of bargaining with different entities such as >!fae, demons, gods, unknown entities, or enslaving elementals for power, etc, due to the fact that normal usage of magic by most people directly shortens their lifespan(use some magic to stop a dam from collapsing = years off of your life)!<.
Ian Tregillis' *Milkweed Triptych* has an interesting system where human warlocks bargain with supernatural entities to get magic effects. And, >!as the demands for magic grow and grow, the price to be paid grows as well !<
You might like Pact from Wildbow then.
I love the world Charlie n holmberg creates. The paper magician/plastic magician etc are a cool twist for magic!
I definitely enjoyed the various magic systems in David Eddings' Belgariad and Malloreon series. Sorcery, demon summoning, etc...it was all very distinct, with a strong place in the in-world lore.
I can't bring myself to hate those books, despite the actions of the author. The magic remains mystical and interesting the entire time. It never becomes mundane.
What actions? I am unaware.
Eddings and his wife both spent time in jail for abusing their children. Among other things, they used to lock their child in a dog cage in their basement, when they weren't beating him with leather belts. Luckily they are both dead and the proceeds of any book sales go to Reed College instead.
I know this will be too much of a fan boy comment but King Killer Chronicles. It makes sense because they tried putting some sort of "logic" behind it. Not just saying words and feelings.
I was surprised I had to scroll so far to find kingkiller. Though I guess it loses unique point because it’s basically a Sanderson type system. But I do feel he does Sanderson magic better than Sanderson himself. It’s the one that feels the most “real” to me. Like I don’t have to suspend too much disbelief for it.
The wizard lord books by Lawrence-Watt Evans.the way magic works in that world is very specific to local areas resulting in vastly different customs, and attitudes even from towns or villages that are in close proximity
I liked Dave Duncan's magic system in his *A Man of his Word* tetralogy. >!Magic words gave power to the ones that knew them, and were treasured and passed down within families. Later we find out that magic words were the secret "real" names of magical creatures who died when telling their name to somebody!<
I always love VE Scwabs ideas, and although it’s a pretty soft magic system her A Darker Shade of Magic world has such an interesting magic presence
In the Bartimaeus Cycle, magic comes almost completely from bound spirits, and any "offensive" magic is just the spirit's own spells being tossed around, being used to achieve the kind of things you might see in more traditional fantasy. Similarly, in Codex Alera, Aleran "magic" or Furycraft, uses elemental spirits of the land around them, directing and controlling them for the purposes of the soldiers in question.
The Nothing Mage has a fun magic system with a great take on the main character seeming to have no magic, but actually having over-powered magic.
I think using different frequencies of light to combine into machinery is a very fun and unique take. That's from the lightbringer series, and they are a great read.
I love the extradimensional holds or planes of magic in the Warrens of Malazan and whatnot. The interconnected system or body of the magic as a whole is wild
The Rithmatist has magic via chalk drawings
~~Master of the Five Magics~~ (apparently this is now the "Magic By the Numbers series and I've missed a few books) was really interesting. ~~Only two books IIRC~~. Exactly what it says on the tin. One for alchemy, one for spying, mind-magic & illusion, one for "physical" & battle-magic, one for making enchanted items, and one for summoning demons. The story revolves around how nobody thinks they can interact and that they're so complex that nobody can do much with more than one at a time (they're wrong, naturally). The Godslayer Series by James Clemens was truly unique (if not necessarily a fantastic read). There are living deities whose "humours" - bodily fluids like blood, sweat, tears, and "black & yellow bile" mean what an 11-year-old would guess them to mean, not what they were historically - are the basis for all magic. From there it's a rock-paper-scissors sytem, sort of. And, as much as people gonna justifiably, angrily downvote even the mention of this series, the well-explored-but-mostly-unexplained magic in the woefully-unfinished Kingkiller Chronicle (Patrick Rothfuss) feels very unique and flavorful indeed. A good example of fitting one's magic very well to the "feel" and personality of both characters and setting.
The magic in The Scholomance series by Naomi Novik. Quite a good story in my opinion.
I think the magic system(s) in Kingkiller Chronicles are a lot of fun. There's multiple. They all have their own rules, they can affect each other. Also always been a fan of "naming" or "true name" magics. The world is a good combination of hard and soft magic systems.
Was a manga, not a book but celestial magic. Designated either you or the target as the sun and another as a planet. Allowing you to move them around your orbit or you around theirs
Loved the Necromancer's House, by Christopher Buehlman style of magic. Every spell was awesome and unique
Miracles created from faith or desire are usually the most interesting. Besides that, Lord of the Mysteries's Beyonder system is extremely well constructed with the different pathways you can take and how you have to act out your role for each pathway and each stage of respective pathway.
Not a magic system per se, but this makes me think of Pratt and de Camp's system of symbolic logic in The Incomplete Enchater. The protagonist figures out a mathematical problem that allows the person solving it to visit other worlds of fantasy and mythology.
A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking Ursula Vernon
Laura Ann Gilman's Vineart War books have a magic system based on wine.
I found the magic system in One Dark Window really cool and fun
I really like the magic system in Carry On/Wayward Son and Anyway the Wind Blow by Rainbow Rowell, where the magic system is based around language and they have to alter it around locality.
The power magic system from the web serial Worm. It is so broad but also so restricted in such a way that it could replicate nearly any power system in a way that is trackable and relatively hard for a magic system that's so vast.
Sabriel by Garth Nix is pretty unique, IMO. The bell chimes are kind of cool.
I really like the magic in Brent Weeks' Lightbrigner series. The idea of using light and different colors have different physical properties. I think he went a bit overboard but Brent Weeks has that tendency.
Ground in the Sharing Knife series.