Top 5… books with magic

Today’s Top 5 Tuesday is ‘books with MAGIC’. Top 5 Tuesday is hosted by the super lovely Shanah over at the Bionic Bookworm. You can visit her here, and join in for Top 5 Tuesday by checking out all the amazing topics we have coming up!

Ahh Shanah, this is a topic I can totally get behind!!

So, it may surprise you (keep your poker faces on, friends) that I read a LOT of fantasy novels. And, while there are fantasy novels that don’t have magic in them, I tend to read a lot that do. Like, A LOT. So, if I go past five, please just indulge me this once… or twice… this month… ? But I’m going to try my best to keep this as short as possible by making subheadings of my fave magic types… We’ll see how it works anyway!!

Classic magic: Magician by Raymond E Feist

Now, I know I could probably put about 89 different books here, and in fact I’ll list a couple others if you’d like some recommendations, but for really true classic magic, I always feel like not everyone can be a magician/wizard because then they’re not always so special. In Feist’s take, we see Pug take the role of apprentice, who grows up to eclipse his master – super traditional magic fantasy (also very heavily male protagonists).

Other options:

• The Witches of Eileanan by Kate Forsyth
• The Discworld series by Sir Terry Pratchett
• The Belgariad by David Eddings
• The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien

Magic school: The Crowns of Croswald by D. E. Night

Yes, yes. We all know about HP (but to be honest some days I feel like it started all the tropes that I hate, so I pretend it isn’t as hyped as it is). However, magic school is in other books too (and assassin school too… just saying). I quite enjoyed the first book in this new series as while there were parallels, there was so much more that was different. I also really liked that there were two types of magic being taught at the school – the Royals and the Scriveners.

Urban / Wiccan magic: The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

I LOVE this world. I know, another series I throw back to a lot. In my defence, it’s another series I think is close to perfection. The elements of magic in this series are so light touch that I often forgot I was reading a fantasy series. And by that, I don’t mean it was bad – but that it felt so very realistic that I wanted to believe it was real. I love the concept of the Greywaren (and the character), I love (almost) all the psychics at 300 Fox Way, the magic of the ley lines, the historical elements, and I love Cabeswater. The Magician is alright too.

Elemental magic: Avatar: The Last Airbender

Not a book, I know. But I mean, HOW CAN YOU GO PAST THIS SERIES? I am trash. I do love the synergy behind each of the four elements being wielded by different races and cultures. Each of them has a strength and weakness to the others, and each are more powerful in different scenarios. Also, I have so many books on my TBR that fit this category… I need to go read more books.

Other options:

• Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas (and happy book birthday to Kingdom of Ash today! I am about to go shopping…)

Soul magic: Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

By ‘soul magic’ I mean magic that involves a life force, or your soul, but is not about killing people. Laini Taylor’s series is such a gorgeous story about life and hope and possibility. It absolutely involves a LOT of death, but it’s also about redemption and choosing your family. I genuinely love this series so much.

Other option:

• The Chronicles of Ixia by Maria V Snyder (formerly known as the Study series)

Dark or black magic: The Old Kingdom series by Garth Nix

DEATH MAGIC! I’m secretly a necromancer in my spare time. But if you can read this series and not be completely overwhelmed by the potential in this magic, and yet keep a steadfast heart to ensure that you are doing the best thing for the world then you have my vote as ‘absolutely the greatest being to exist’. Me, I’d probably be swayed by the power. And raise an undead army. Mostly to stand over people and make them read more books. Also bring me cups of tea and rescue kitties. I’m not totally evil.

‘Shadow’ magic: The Nevernight Chronicle by Jay Kristoff

I know, I know. It’s basically my go to series. It’s not my fault, it’s Jay’s. Blame him for creating a world that has everything I ever wanted and then provides so many feels (literally, all of them) and then makes a tiny sliver in between my ribs and yanks my tender soul right out of my body. Oh, and magic. He’s got that in spades too. Can I be a Darkin now please? I already come with a black (almost) not-cat… surely it can’t be too hard to make the rest of the transition?

I also just read an AMAZING beta that involves shadow magic as well. You can rest assured that as soon as it is published I will be forcing it down all of your throats.

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So it turns out all my fave series are the best in their magic genre (as I’m claiming them). Also, I could genuinely go ON and ON about different types of magic (animal magic, non-elemental magic, shape-shifting magic, dream magic) but these are my favourites.

Happy reading ☺️?