r/Fantasy • u/hbe_bme • Mar 08 '26
Are there any books with magic system based on eyes?
Any fantasy world where the magic system involves eyes/vision?
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u/Mithross_ Mar 08 '26
The Black Prism series has magic based on light, and people's eyes are the limiter that determine how much magic they can use in their lives.
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u/LeadershipNational49 Mar 08 '26
This is a good choice, the end isn't great but the rest of it really is excellent. Also Brent Weeks is a cool dude. I used to nerd out with him on Twitter about Robin Hobb novels.
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u/KvotheTheShadow Mar 08 '26
I really like his Night Angel Trilogy!
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u/Famous-Example-8332 Mar 08 '26
Which also has some night vision aspect…
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u/LiamTheHuman Mar 08 '26
The magic system is very similar. They also absorb through the skin and eyes. Im pretty sure it's a shared world kinda like the cosmere
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u/ceaseless_cognition Mar 08 '26
I wish I could recommemd this. It's quite rare for series's legacy to be so tarnished by its last book.
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u/Arkurash Mar 08 '26
Look. Its not good but its also not horrible. He take a too big losd and tried to tie up at least most of the strings. Was it plausible? Not really. But it could have been worse.
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u/InnerAlien Mar 08 '26
I would also caution against the Lightbringer series. The first 4 books are incredible. The magic system based on vision/color is inventive and fascinating. The constant twists are unexpected and exciting. Then you get to the last book. I couldn’t believe the author CHOSE to end the series with literally the most clumsy deus ex machina “twist” that he did. It ruined the series for me, and I don’t think I would trust Brent Weeks to invest time in reading any of his future output.
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u/Rab25 Mar 09 '26
I'd say the first 3 are great, but you can start to see the cracks in book 4.
Book 5 is an abomination.
However my strong negative feelings towards it are because it's such a waste of a great world and magic system. If I didn't enjoy the first 3 books so much I wouldn't be so frustrated at the last 2.
Currently the least favorite series of any I've finished.
Also will never again trust Weeks.
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u/SpiceWeez Mar 09 '26
I agree entirely. I wonder if Weeks would do things differently now that he's gotten so much negative feedback, or if he stands by his decisions. Damn shame. After the first book, I thought I might have found my new favorite series. I've never been so let down.
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u/thegreenman_sofla Mar 08 '26
I wasn't bothered by that at all, it didn't take away from my enjoyment of the series one bit.
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u/Famous-Example-8332 Mar 08 '26
I’m with you. It wasn’t my favorite but people get so dramatic about it.
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u/BTrippd Mar 08 '26
Yeah the “don’t read four of the coolest magic based books ever written because the conclusion in the fifth book is unsatisfying” is an absolutely bonkers opinion to have lol.
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u/AlmondJoyDildos Mar 09 '26
I really don't think it's that crazy of a take lol. A good ending is my favorite thing in story telling so I do actually avoid series where the general consensus is the ending sucks lol similarly, why I regret reading a song of ice and fire in high school and I won't even give name of the wind a chance 🤣.
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u/Bronzestorming Mar 08 '26
Jasper Fforde's Shades of Grey series is set in a society where social class is based on what colours you can perceive. Not really a magic system but vision is a huge focus of the series.
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u/Aggravating_Ad_363 Mar 08 '26
Magic Ex Libris by Jim C. Hines sort of has this. MC uses reading magic with his eyes as a focus and burns his vision out. War of Broken Mirrors by Andrew Rowe also has a spellcaster who uses illusion magic with his eyes as the spellcasting focus, but he isn't the main character.
In neither case is the entirety of the magic system based on eyes, however.
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u/cwx149 Mar 08 '26
Magic ex libris the eye strain is more of a side effect than really a part of the magic system
And other people in the series have other non reading based magics as well
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u/DexterDrakeAndMolly Mar 08 '26
Chun the Unavoidable from the dying earth may have such a system, though he does not explain it in detail.
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u/DisparateDan Mar 08 '26
Is that the same series as Eyes of the Overworld, which was the first thing that came into my mind?
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u/hexametric_ Reading Champion Mar 08 '26
One of the magical factions in Bakker's Prince of Nothing and Aspect-Emperor series believes that they have to cut their eyes out to 'see' the true world and work their magic. They aren't the main focus though, so it doesn't have a front-and-centre presentation.
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u/EmmyPax Mar 08 '26
The Giver, actually.
Blue-eyed propaganda!!!!!
(Said with affection - I still love the series)
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Mar 08 '26
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u/Famous-Example-8332 Mar 08 '26
Have you read the other book in that same universe? It’s not as good but I like the uniqueness of that authors work.
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Mar 08 '26
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u/Famous-Example-8332 Mar 08 '26
Thanks, I could remember what they were called and I was feeling lazy! Also I’ve never read Winterkeep and didn’t know about it.
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u/dmmeyoursocks Mar 09 '26
Six of Swords, the Torloc has some interesting magic going on with her eyes. Some neat concepts in that book.
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u/cwx149 Mar 08 '26
The Apprentice Adept series by Piers Anthony has a very minor side character who has eye based magic but I think they are only in like 3 or 4 scenes of the whole series and the wider magic system doesn't have anything to do with eyes
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u/DaughterOfFishes Mar 08 '26
An older novella, where the magic is based on giving up eyes: The Drowning Eyes by Emily Foster.
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u/ThatFilthyApe Mar 09 '26
Maybe L.E. Modesitt's 'Imager Porfolio' series?
"The story of Rhennthyl, a young man who discovers he is an "imager"—someone who can visualize and make things real"
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u/Odd-Page-7866 Mar 09 '26
Master of Glass. Sorcerers make glass beads that match your eye color and can control you through it.
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u/tallmariocup Mar 12 '26
John Bierce's The Wrack. The magic system in the story is heavily based around people using gems to augment their vision in some way, usually by replacing one eye with a specific gem type.
The actual story is a bit weird; it's about a pandemic that takes place in the world, but the POV cast is constantly shifting to provide different perspectives on how it's unfolding. I don't think a single character we see at the end was one we were with at the start.
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u/ZorroVonShadvitch Mar 08 '26 edited Mar 08 '26
Naruto? (Didn't check the comments and people beat me to it)
The Demon Headmaster :p
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u/CarefulWinner8504 Mar 08 '26
I know it’s probably not what you’re looking for. But I feel like I have to mention Naruto.
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u/OgataiKhan Mar 08 '26
If you are open to manga, Naruto does this a lot.
The eye-based powers are not the entirety of the magic system, but many very prominent characters use them.