Top 5 Tuesday: Books with Magic

This Tuesday, we’re switching thing up and doing a Top 5 Tuesday from Bionic Book Worm.  Let’s discuss my top 5 Books with Magic!

CITY OF STAIRS by Robert Jackson Bennett
In the city of Bulikov, most magic is dead, thanks to the recent overthrowing of the gods that powered all spells.  In fact, the reason Bulikov is called the City of Stairs is because the collapse of magic caused by a particular god’s death was so violent, entire portions of the city disappeared, leaving stairs going nowhere.  Those that still function are called “miracles” and are investigated with due haste by special members of the government who want to make sure no god is staging a comeback.  The magic here isn’t just your average fireball and summoning variety.  Bennett investigates the magic of myth and culture, and how one community’s beliefs can affect the very nature of reality.

THE RAVEN BOYS by Maggie Stiefvater
The magic in The Raven Cycle is at first so subtle that the first book in the series almost falls into magical realism.  There’s a few women with the gift of prophecy, a ghost, ley lines that run through town – and then one boy reveals he can manifest objects by dreaming about them and suddenly that legend of a dead king who can grant wishes isn’t so far fetched after all. The power of these books really belongs in the words written on the page, who capture so eloquently the group dynamics of the characters without dialogue.  This quartet is beautifully written and well worth the read.

WRITTEN IN RED by Anne Bishop
The magic in this series belongs to the supernatural creatures that roam the land, rather than any human.  Welcome to Thaisia, an alternate universe where vampires and shapeshifters aren’t in hiding on Earth – they’re the ruling force.  Humans cities exist only where “The Others” allow them, and if humans abuse their privileges or renege on deals, they are forcibly evicted, usually in a violent and terrifying manner. Into this fragile balance enters Meg Corbyn, a young woman with a gift of prophecy.  On the run from a group that kept her prisoner all her life to exploit her abilities, Meg stumbles into a Courtyard, a sort of supernatural embassy in a human city.  I loved this series for all the ways it delved into the way this society would play out.  Transportation, food distribution, communication, all operate in a unique way from our world.  The magic here isn’t flashy, but woven into the world in a seamless fashion, creating a completely believable setting.

HARRY POTTER by J.K. Rowling
Sure, this one’s a gimme, but I couldn’t justify writing a list about books with magic without including Harry Potter.  This series was the definitive magical book series for at least a generation, if not more.  Spells, potions, fantastic beasts, these concepts were used so alluringly that it made going to school seem fun.  I actually dreamed about going to a school where I had to write an essay on three uses of mandrake root in potions.  We all memorized the spells, knew our house, knew the form of our patronus.  The magic was both familiar and inventive.  Perhaps most importantly, it told an entire generation that it was okay, and sometimes even necessary, to rebel.

MISTBORN by Brandon Sanderson
Having not yet read The Stormlight Archives, that series shall be omitted from this list.  What I CAN tell you is that the magic of MISTBORN is wonderful.  Allomancy, as it is called, is kinetic and full of checks and balances.  What’s more, it is constantly evolving, as characters experiment and realize that the core tenants that everyone is taught about allomancy is just scratching the surface of what one can do.  This is a series I love for the dynamic action, the characters, and the twists – there’s a reason it ends up on a lot of my top lists.