10 of the Best Magic Systems in Fantasy Books

The Marvellers has some standout worldbuilding, together with cities in the sky and journey by airship, however one of my favorite issues about Dhonielle Clayton’s first middle-grade fantasy story is the magic system she creates — or moderately, magic methods, plural. There’s Marveller magic, which relies round the 5 senses; some Marvellers carry out their magical feats utilizing blends of spices, whereas others use sound to weave spells. However, there may be additionally Conjuror magic, a unique variety of magical system that may contain working with animals, herbs, or the lifeless. Ella, the heroine of the story, comes from a Conjuror household and is the first individual from a Conjuror background to coach in Marveller magic — one thing she is decided to grasp whereas nonetheless honouring her Conjuror roots. Clayton’s deal with sensory magic brings the story alive and makes the magic methods really feel actual to the reader; it’s straightforward to think about your individual favorite pastime similar to a side of magic explored in The Marvellers. 

Fun truth: If you’re an avid reader of center grade and YA fiction, you may recognise some of the Marveller lecturers’ names — many of Clayton’s literary colleagues have cameos in her story.

Is Sabriel a basic now? I feel it’s. I’m previous. First, in The Old Kingdom collection by veteran fantasy author Garth Nix, Sabriel follows the titular character, the newest in a protracted line of Abhorsens — magicians who use bell chimes to ensure that the lifeless keep lifeless. Sabriel has been separated from her father, the present Abhorsen, for a while, and so she should train herself the magic system that binds the lifeless and stops them from inflicting havoc in the world of the residing. As Sabriel learns easy methods to use the bells, she walks the line between the residing and the lifeless, nearly tripping every now and then however all the time retaining true to the magic.

Fun truth: If you’re keen on smartarse speaking cats, you’ll love Sabriel’s sidekick, Mogget.

Some magic methods are very inflexible, full of guidelines and laws — others are “no structure, just vibes.” That’s the variety of magic system you get in The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches, the place magic exists as a semi-sentient drive that gathers in glittering waves round witches. In this fantasy world, magic loves getting used, and it loves its customers — which might typically result in it changing into a little bit overenthusiastic, one thing that often causes high-stakes magical accidents. The thought of magic being like an overpowered and barely badly-trained pet is an idea that I like, and mixed with the secretive world of the witches, it makes for a cute and cosy magical story. 

Fun truth: Mika Moon might have a selected expertise for teas and potions, however, like Mary Poppins and Disney’s Merlin earlier than her, she additionally has a knack for stowing an enormous quantity of possessions in a ridiculously small area. Even Mary couldn’t match a full koi pond in her purse, however Mika manages to squeeze one into her automotive.

If you have got a mother or father who’s a god, you’re all the time going to be a little bit bit magic — except you’re Charlie Nancy (or so he thinks). When his father dies, Charlie discovers that he was truly the trickster god Anansi. He additionally finds out that he has a brother, Spider, who bought all the magical household traits. The two resolve to swap lives, a choice that Charlie instantly regrets — however as he tries to resolve the downside his resolution has created, he finally ends up utilizing a magic system that we see in many of Gaiman’s books, primarily based round the thought of figuring out your self, naming your self, and altering actuality via phrases and perception.

Fun truth: Anansi Boys connects with the characters and universe established in American Gods, though it’s an awesome standalone learn in its personal proper.

I’m a sucker for cosy magical tales, significantly ones that mix magic and crafting. The Spell Tailors is a standalone center grade fantasy story by the creator of The Apprentice Witch trilogy and follows a younger boy named Hen, half of a household of magical tailors who create clothes with spells hooked up. Do you desire a raincoat with a water-repelling allure or a summer season shirt that can maintain you cool on the hottest days of the yr? Then the Danelli spell tailors are the magicians for you. The story centres round Hen’s discovery of a brand new variety of spell sew, one that enables him to weave reminiscences into clothes — with surprising outcomes. There’s a magic to real-world crafting, so having a magic system primarily based round stitching appears a logical step.

Fun truth: Central to the magic of the spell tailors is thread constructed from the wool of a ridiculously cute fantasy creature known as a schleep, which I personally want was actual.

Not all magic methods are cosy. In the second e book in R. F. Kuang’s Poppy War trilogy, we see Rin and the relaxation of the Cike — an elite group of magical troopers — use their skills to proceed preventing a brutal conflict. Rin, who has embraced the harmful magic of the Phoenix god to strike again in opposition to her nation’s enemies, is feeling the private value of her resolution and shortly turns into unable to perform with out opium to mood the fiery rage that burns inside her. The relaxation of the Cike additionally channel gods in order to wield their powers, a extremely dangerous kind of magic that all the time comes with a worth — as a result of while you use a god, the god additionally makes use of you. The magic system in The Dragon Republic drives residence how energy is all the time harmful and that any motion, irrespective of how noble the intention, will all the time have surprising penalties.

Fun truth: “Fun” is never the proper phrase for a world as brutal as that of the Poppy War books, however followers of Avatar the Last Airbender will utterly perceive the description of fundamental character Rin as partially impressed by the character Azula.

In this second installment in N. Ok. Jemisin’s speculative fiction collection about cities coming to life, the avatars of the totally different boroughs of New York are studying easy methods to handle their energy. Jemisin develops the magic system that she created in The City We Became, and we see the totally different boroughs in a position to pull on features of Brooklyn, the Bronx, or Queens, in addition to working collectively to pool their magic and develop into much more highly effective. This magic system sees beforehand human avatars develop into elements and representatives of their cities and use their information of their boroughs and the individuals who reside in them to work magic and defend the realm in opposition to invasion from cosmic horror entities.

Fun truth: We see many extra woke up cities in this conclusion to the duology, and I like this dive into the expanded Great Cities world. It’s enjoyable to think about the individual your individual metropolis would select as their avatar and what features of your neighbourhood they’d use.

In the sequel to All Our Hidden Gifts, the 4 buddies — Maeve, Roe, Lily, and Fiona — have come into the powers that they gained in the first e book. Maeve is ready to learn minds, Lily can use electrical energy, Fiona is a healer, and Roe can manipulate equipment, their magic triggered by the look of the Housekeeper tarot card. The magic system in this trilogy entails some out-of-the-box considering: for instance, Lily has electrical energy magic as a result of she makes use of a listening to assist, and in the earlier e book, she turned half of the native river (lengthy story). The Gifts That Bind Us appears to be like at how magic is honed, the way it can wax and wane, and the way it may be formed via lateral considering.

Fun truth: The idea of the Housekeeper tarot card originated in a music that Caroline O’Donoghue wrote lengthy earlier than she started the collection.

Some magic methods could be hierarchical, and a few could be grotesque; in Star Eater, we get a style of each. The e book incorporates a group of cannibalistic priestesses who eat the flesh of their moms in order to achieve magical powers, making a kind of magic generally known as lace. The cannibalism isn’t the solely macabre half of the story, nevertheless it’s definitely the most putting.

Fun truth: Again, not a lot “fun,” however Star Eater additionally options zombie-like creatures generally known as Haunts; these are males that the magical cannibalistic nuns have had intercourse with, inflicting them to lose their very own humanity.

Tamora Pierce is a legendary fantasy author, and whereas she’s in all probability greatest identified for her Song of the Lioness collection, I’ve all the time had a mushy spot for the Circle of Magic books, in half as a result of of their fascinating magic system. In this world, there are two sorts of mages: tutorial mages, who hone their magic via e book studying, and ambient mages, who draw energy from extra pragmatic crafts and abilities. The collection follows 4 kids who uncover they’ve ambient magic, together with one of my favorite fantasy characters, Sandry, a woman who discovers that she has magic associated to stitching, cloth, and thread. Sandry counters the (boring and overdone) fantasy trope of the woman who hates feminine-coded crafts in favour of magic or preventing potential — as an alternative, she exhibits that cloth crafts could be highly effective and worthwhile, particularly when mixed with magic. It’s arduous to argue with somebody who can use an enemy’s personal garments to incapacitate them.

Fun truth: Sandry’s foster-sibling have their very own fascinating ambient magic: we have now Daja, a smith-mage who can deal with molten metallic; Briar, a plant mage who talks to something inexperienced; and Tris, a grumpy weather-mage who shops rain and thunderstorms in her braids.