Powder Mage

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 ability from snorting gunpowder, allowing them to heighten their senses, grow stronger, become faster, and manipulate explosions. These users are excellent marksmen, able to propel bullets faster and with more accuracy. Using powder too much can cause blindness, but mages are often pushed to such extremes when fighting traditional magic users known as ‘The Privileged’. While The Privileged are similar to mages found in traditional high fantasy, McClellan throws in some interesting aspects. Rather than just flexing their magical muscles, The Privileged must use their fingers. Their right hand is used to draw power from the ‘Else’, and their left to manipulate it using special gloves. This war between two different types of magic works as a focal point for the plot and the series, naturally weaving great detail and intense action into its already strong narrative.