Best Fantasy Magic Systems Books

The Lightbringer (Lightbringer)

by Weeks, Brent

The Lightbringer series holds one of the best magic systems in fantasy, straight from the mind of Brent Weeks. It manages to be simple in concept, yet holds tons of extra depth for those looking for it. Essentially,...

Mistborn (Mistborn) Start here

by Sanderson, Brandon

Brandon Sanderson is well-known for his magic systems, and Mistborn standshigh above the rest. In the Final Empire, ash falls from the sky, mist moves unnaturally through the night, and the Lord Ruler dominates all. W...

The Stormlight Archive (The Stormlight Archive)

by Sanderson, Brandon

Understandably, some readers prefer series more epic in their nature, and Sanderson also has that covered. Though it’s magic systemsaren’t quite as compelling as in Mistborn, The Stormlight Archive is stillup there wi...

The Demon Cycle (The Demon Cycle)

by Brett, Peter V.

At night, Peter V. Brett’s world changes. Demons rise from the planet’s core, infused with supernatural powers and with a hunger for human flesh.Constant bombardment has knocked humans back into a technological...

Powder Mage (The Powder Mage) Start here

by Mcclellan, Brian

Like many books on this list, The Powder Mage Cycle doesn’t contain just one magic system. However, the one synonymous with its name stands out the most, and it’s easy to see why. Powder Mages get their magical abili...

Libriomancer (Magic Ex Libris) Start here

by Hines, Jim C.

Many feel a sense of wonder when they’re absorbed in a novel, but in Libromancerthis feelingtakes on a physical form. Mages are able to reach into works of fiction and bring parts of it to life. Objects of legend, mag...

The Runelords (Runelords) Start here

by Farland, David

David Farland’s Runelords series may be divisive in some regards, but his unique magic systemsare hard to deny. The concept of Endowments is by far the most interesting of the two, introducing the user to unimaginable...

Sufficiently Advanced Magic (Arcane Ascension)

by Rowe, Andrew

With his ambitious title, Andrew Rowe promises a complex magic system, and he delivers on it. Despite its status as a LitRPG, the book moves outside of traditional magic systems and introduces one that’s very unique....

Kingkiller Chronicle (Kingkiller Chronicle)

by Rothfuss, Patrick

The Kingkiller Chronicles has multiple magic systems, and the first won’t excite at first glance. As in The Wizard of Earthsea, certain magicians can create powerful magic by learning the true name of something. The d...

The Eye of the World (The Wheel Of Time) Start here

by Jordan, Robert

One of the most definitive versions of classic epic fantasy -- especially the Fat Fantasy version of it.

The Wheel of Time is known for its extraordinary characterization and epic plot, but it also features some of the best elemental magic. It integrates classic and unique components, crafting a detailed and cohesive system...

Master Of The Five Magics (Magics) Start here

by Hardy, Lyndon

With magic, it’s difficult to craft a system that’s both complex and interesting. Lydon Hardy is a master of that balance, his series inspiring Magic: The Gathering, The Name of the Wind, and even heavy metal songs....

Night Watch (Watch) Start here

by Lukyanenko, Sergei

The unusual Moscow setting of Night Watch is echoed by its magic system. Lukyanenko’s contemporary world is inhabited by both humans and ‘Others’, supernatural beings who can attune to Dark or Light. These beings kee...

Malazan Book Of The Fallen (The Malazan Book Of The Fallen)

by Erikson, Steven

A grand and epic series with a huge cast of characters with epic battles, sieges, mages, and carnage.

Steven Eriksen has been both lauded and criticized for his extreme detail, and that extends to his magic system. In Malazan, magic comes from warrens, a realm from which mages and shamans can draw their power. Some...

Furies Of Calderon (Codex Alera) Start here

by Butcher, Jim

What happens to soldiers after the war is fought? This book tells the story of five veterans and some secrets too.

Most of theitems on this list made it thanks to their unique ideas. Instead, Codex Alera takes a system familiar to millions of children. While many authors claim inspiration from Tolkien or Jordan, Butcher takes his...

A Wizard Of Earthsea (The Earthsea Cycle) Start here

by Guin, Ursula K. Le

Today, Ursula K. Le Guin’s magic system may not sound exceptional. Like many, it uses the knowledge of true names to control elements, creatures, and even humans. Consider, however, that this book was published in 196...

Skullsworn (Chronicle Of The Unhewn Throne)

by Staveley, Brian

Most magic systems have a single source. In Earthsea, it’s words, Mistborn has metals, and so on. With his worldseries, Stavely does things a little differently. Magic users, known as leeches, pull from their well,...

Dragon Wing (The Death Gate Cycle) Start here

by Weis, Margaret

The Death Gate Cycle

The Death Gate Cycle has been praised endlessly for its world-building, so it’s no surprise that an incredible magic system backs it up. Humans are split into two races, the Sartan and Patryns. Following a nuclear wa...

Broken Empire / Red Queens War (The Broken Empire)

by Lawrence, Mark

The first in The Broken Empire series, this gritty and violent novel focuses on a single character, who is an anti-hero, with a very dark past.

Mark Lawrence doesn’t use an abundance of technical explanations and diagrams, but that doesn’t make his magic system any less interesting. In fact, it lets him focus on his astonishing world-building and its unusual...

The Coldfire Trilogy (The Coldfire Trilogy)

by Friedman, C.s.

Influenced by Isaac Asimov, the magical force in these novels is derived from natural forces and governed by consistent rules, a force that humans must learn to control.

There are few things harder to control than emotion and this makes magic in The Cold Firetrilogy immensely difficult. The planet Erna is controlled by a force known as the fae, which makes humans subconscious emotions an...

The Rithamatist (The Rithmatist)

by Sanderson, Brandon

The Rithmatist’s magic system has been likened to a real-time strategy game, if it incorporated chalk, and it was a life or death situation. Rithmastists use their magic to give life to glyphs, imbuing creatures with...

Warbreaker (Warbreaker) Start here

by Sanderson, Brandon

Brandon Sanderson proves his expertise in magic once more with Warbreaker, a story of two princesses, separated and each trying to prevent a war. In theShardworld of Nathis, every individual is born with a single brea...