December SFF/SFFF KIT- Magic Systems

The SFF/SFFF KIT topic for December is Magic Systems.

A magic system is a set of rules that magical effects follow in a fictional setting. Many authors of Fantasy, Science fiction and Speculative fiction create a detailed system of magic describing the rules of magic in their fictional world. Some authors use magic in their novels without ever explaining the rules.



Magic systems in fiction can vary in many different aspects:
Where magic comes from.
How magic is wielded. Examples: wands, staffs, potions, spells, runes, charter marks, bells, drawing, hand movements, chromaturgy, sonic screwdriver. (had to throw that one in for the Doctor Who fans)
Magic is good, evil or a combination.
Magical ability can be hereditary, learned, won, or bestowed by a person or an object.
The entire world can be magical or it can be a secret magical society in an otherwise non-magical world.
Everyone can have magic or only those who meet certain requirements have magic.
Magic can be used any time, anywhere or may be limited to certain places, times or conditions.
Limitations on magic.
Ways of defeating magic or using magic to defeat evil.

Tell us what you'll be reading and what type of magic system is used in that book (if you know before reading).

For this topic I'm planning to read The Broken Eye by Brent Weeks. It's the third book in the Lightbringer Series. The system of magic in this series is chromaturgy. Chromaturgy is the art of harnessing light and creating a substance from it called luxin. Luxin can take on different colors in the visible color spectrum and also infrared and ultraviolet. Each color has it's own unique properties and uses.
Those who use luxin are called Drafters. Drafters can be monochromes, bichromes or polychromes. The Prism, the religious leader and political figurehead, has the unique ability to split white light into its component colors and draft in all colors. Drafters must be able to see a color somewhere in their environment in order to draft that color. Many carry objects in their color(s) to aid in drafting.
Luxin changes Drafters physically, mentally, and emotionally. Drafters can draft until enough luxin builds up in their eyes to break into the whites of their eyes ("breaking the halo"). At this point they start to incorporate luxin into their bodies, becoming color wights and eventually they go insane. To prevent becoming a color wight most Drafters stop drafting once they have broken the halo and submit to a ritual sacrifice held yearly on Sun Day. Those who continue drafting become monsters who are hunted by The Prism and his Army.

Am I right in thinking that most fantasy series involving magic would make sense for this challenge? I'd tentatively planned on reading Inkheart, but beyond knowing that there Is magic in the book, I don't know much about how the magic works yet. Does anyone know if this would be a good/decent fit?

>3 whitewavedarling: Yes, Inkheart fits this challenge. It's a great series. Enjoy.

>4 VioletBramble:, thanks! I'm looking forward to it :)

I'm planning to read Range of Ghosts by Elizabeth Bear and Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier. I've no idea what their magical systems are, but I'll find out!

>6 majkia:, I may be reading the sequel to Daughter of the Forest, too--I hope you enjoy it as much as I've been enjoying it!

I'm going to listen to the audiobook edition of Moon Over Soho (Rivers of London series #2, by Ben Aaronovitch, narrated by Kobna Holdbrook-Smith.) Rivers of London (or Midnight Riot in the US) is the first-in-the-series which I recently reread and I'm eager to revisit the second book. I originally read 'Moon Over Soho' in print because I was frustrated with the poor production quality of 'Midnight Riot' (booth noise, mouth noise, pages turns) but KH-S is so perfectly cast as Peter Grant, I feel like I'm really missing out if I don't "hear" the book!

I've got several options for this. Right now I'm leaning toward either Troubled Waters by Sharon Shinn or Lady of Magick by Sylvia Izzo Hunter.

I am planning on reading Bitter Greens by Kate Forsyth for this theme.

Has anyone read The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N. K. Jemisin? One of the tags for it is "magic", but none of the reviews I've read mention any magic. Would it be a good fit for this challenge?

>11 jeanned: Oh, yes, it will certainly fit

>12 majkia:: Thank you. I have been putting this one off for a while, but December will be the time for it.

>12 majkia: Thanks for answering Jean. I won't be reading The Fifth Season until January and was unsure if there is magic in that series.

I know my sister is getting me The Furthest Station by Ben Aaronovitch for Christmas, so that will be a possibility.

I don't know who is reading Howl's Moving Castle (pictured above) but it's a winner, and I highly recommend it.

Now I just have to figure out my own read for this month...

Last night, I finished The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N. K. Jemisin. Looks like I have at least one new series on my hands, maybe two because she's written another.

I finished Range of Ghosts which had an interesting magic system, but I found the plot to be less interesting. Odd, because I like most everything I've read by Bear up to now.

>16 fuzzi: It was also a wonderful anime!

I read The Ladies of Grace Adieu and other stories by Susanna Clarke. Filled with magic, faeries and alternate history.

This week, I finished The Fires of Heaven, the fifth book in Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series, and A Turn of Light by Julie Czerneda. I'm not sure they really count for this challenge because I didn't start them this month. Actually, I'd been reading these doorstoppers off and on for the past few months. However, I thought I'd mention them as they both feature magic systems.

I also started the third book in Brandon Sanderson's Stormlight Archives, Oathbringer, but there's no way I'll finish it this month, as it's massive. Sanderson has written extensively about his "Three Laws of Magic", which are his guidelines for building magic systems. You can see the articles here.

COMPLETED: Coraline by Neil Gaiman

I'm about a third of the way through Graceling by Kristin Cashore which definitely fits within this topic.

Here is the link to the new, secure 2017 SSFFKit Wiki:

https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/2017_Unofficial_SF/SFFKIT#2017_Official_...

>24 DeltaQueen50: thanks for posting that link!

And now...

...No. 1...

...the Larch!



Wait, nope, I meant to say, the January 2018 thread is up, here:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/277893#

>25 fuzzi: ROTFLOL!!!

>25 fuzzi: *applause*

I'm currently reading Melissa McShane's Burning Bright for this CAT. It's a historical fantasy novel set in 1812, where certain people have a magical "talent" that enables them to perform a particular skill. The heroine is a Scorcher, which means she can start a fire by magic; and she's Extraordinary, which means she can also control and put out said fire. I haven't gotten far enough into the book to get a good sense of how the magic works, but there is clearly a system of rules at play. Also, it's quite a good read so far!

>26 leslie.98: >27 rabbitprincess: haha! I'm glad someone "got" the reference.


I finally chose The Dreamstone as my December SFF read, a fantasy book by one of my most favorite authors, CJ Cherryh. It's strange that I never actually read it before. It's an elf/human story, and so far I've not discovered the actual magic system...perhaps the green "dreamstone" that the main character has been wearing has something to do with her abilities? We'll see.

I had planned that Bitter Greens by Kate Forsyth would be my read for this month's SFFKit, but after reading it, I don't think it actually fits thetheme. There was a small amount of magic, mostly of the black kind, but it wasn't a major part of the book.

I read Shadows on the Moon by Zoe Marriott for this one. It was an audio from the free summer program for young people. A story set in Japan with POC and gender. I found the audio easy to listen to, the reader does a good job and I liked things about the book but also I have some issues so it is just a so so read for me. It is the first in a series which I hate and I will not read more in the series.

Oh it did have magic elements. The people are shapeshifters and the protagonist can heal with her touch.

I was going to skip this month's category but decided last night to read a Terry Pratchett -- The Wee Free Men, which from the blurb sounds like it has plenty of magic.

I've just finished Inkheart, and it was absolutely wonderful. It took me some time to sink into it, perhaps partly because I had a crazy work-month and didn't have much time for reading, but oh, I'm so glad I read it, and I can't wait to get the sequel! For those unfamiliar with it, the magic is related to there being a select few individuals who are able to read books with such belief and power and magic in their voices that characters come into this world from the storybook, trading places with someone who's present for such a reading.

It was far more violent than I'd normally expect a middle-grade book to be, but for adult readers, of course, that's not a worry. As a child, I would have been even more sucked in--I'm not the only child who liked dark things, right?--and probably read it over and over again, though I imagine my mother would have been as horrified by this as she was by The Dark Crystal and other dark movies I fell in love with. I, on the other hand, would have been enchanted with it, and I am now.

Completed!

The Dreamstone by CJ Cherryh

Some of this story felt familiar, akin to other "elves & men" tales such as The Lord of the Rings. And yet, the author added more mystery, and depth to the characters, whether to the dislike or delight of the reader. I enjoyed it enough to plan on reading the second book in the series.

I was right, much of the magic and power resides in the stones, but there's more, which I won't spoil for others.