Master Of The Five Magics

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. He does so while devoting almost the entirety of the book to magic. Character, plot, and world-building, while solid, take a back seat as the protagonist learns about the arts. Alchemy, magic, sorcery, thaumaturgy, and wizardry each make an appearance, and each has stunning logic and complexity. In fact, the systems are so detailed that it would be impossible to fully explain them without writing pages. Suffice to say that each has complex rules and drawbacks, their own rules, items, and more. They require research, well-respected experts, apprentices,and specialists. With many of the systems, Hardy even draws parallels to the modern world. There are hints that they will eventually develop to include medicine, psychology, and advanced chemistry. When all of these techniques combine, Master of the Five Magics feels completely real. Hardy stays well away from hand waving and creates systems with costs and nuance, weaving some of the best to date.