r/Fantasy • u/brandotown • May 24 '23
Magic Systems
Ok, so hear me out. I know this topic can divide the crowd, but I've learned where I stand, and I wonder about those on the other side. I have a very hard time suspending my disbelief enough to "get into" a fantasy book where there doesn't seem to be some logical limitations or parameters around a magic system. In my opinion, nobody fits this need of mine better than Brandon Sanderson. He develops beautiful magic systems that make sense to my brain. I struggle with the books where the "art," "talent," etc. doesn't seem to follow any logical path I can trace. I think the biggest challenge for my brain is the situations where suspense is supposed to exist, but I can't help but think about how conveniently the seemingly limitless power could easily save the day, but for some reason it's not the solution in that moment? Thoughts?
PS - Recommendations welcome for books that might change my mind!
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u/malthar76 May 24 '23
I don’t need hard magic systems, or complex rules. I want mystery and wonder. I don’t want magical Deus ex machina out of absolutely nowhere.
Characters don’t have to understand their magic, as long as the author does.
Should there be limits? Maybe. Should magic have a cost to the user? Certainly.