[wastra]

I get really frustrated by authors who magic magic very commonplace and overly powerful. There has to be limits, there have to be consequences to its use- otherwise, all the problems SHOULD be able to be solved by finding that powerful magic user to make everything right.

I like WoT's system- only certain people with latent abilities can use the power, men are driven mad by it, and the women who use it have sworn not to use it in force, but have used it to create a political machine that dominates the world. All seems to, at the very least, have balance.

Tolkien's magic system was abstract, peripheral. You know it is happeneing, but except in a couple parts, it's hard to put your finger on exactly WHERE it's happening. It is extremely rare throughout the LotR, and only the most powerful of the powerful wield it.

Bad systems- the D&D systems like Dragonlance. Bad, bad system there.

I didn't like the cheesiness of the Eddings' books, and I'm not entirely sure what the magic system in the Sword of Truth was. Death Gate Cycle was decent, as was Thomas covenant chronicles- but hte absolute worst, of any book I've read: Magic Kingdom books by Terry Brooks. Ugh.

[FitzChivalry]

I disagree about D&D magic, D&D magicians are very limited they can cast only a limited number of spells every day and have to keep memorizing spells from their magic books, also their spells aren't so powerfull. In the wheel of time, one Aes Seda (there are black ajah too that are not limited by that decision) or Ashamen can kill whole battlions of warriors...

And yeah, i liked the rune magic of the Death Gate Cycle.

[Pluvious]

Some kind of mystery in fantasy helps make for excitement and an engaging story. Often magic is used for this purpose. But other times it is used simply as another means of combat. Personally, I like some mystery, but I also like to see cool spell affects and some wholesale destruction.

To me most books use magic very tentatively, and writers seem to be afraid of making it too powerful. They seem to think magic will ruin the consistency of their "medieval technology" world. I can almost see them thinking, "well, if I make magic that is attainable and powerful, they will just blast my castle walls down and I can't have that long siege battle I wanted. Gosh darnit!"

This seems lazy. Why not have some magic, explain it, develop it with a primary character, and use the wonder it creates throughout the book. And leave the elaborate divination rituals and spirit world where they belong-back with the ancient cultures of our past.

I'm still waiting for magic to be done right.

[Lani]

Well, as long as I remember Dragonlance system was pretty good and I wouldn't call it unlimited either. Just look at Reistlin!
For myself, I don't like the kind of magic that suddenly the character in one second from a boy becomes the greatest magician ever.
I really prefer those books where magic is really like any kind of subject one can learn, not some popping up incredible ability.

[Pluvious]

Good point Lani. Then give some solid details about magic and how it works, then we are getting somewhere. Just like I want to know not only how a skilled warrior kills another, but specifically how he learned his skills, and how this techniques are applied in combat situations.

[Bardos]

I also don't like the "born with the all-powerfull-magic inside him" thing. There must be some progress for everyone. Feist does that pretty well, IMHO.
**SPOILER***
Pug starts as an apprentice and then becomes a master (as the books are named, actually http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/smile.gif )

[Drewids]

In most of the magic systems that I have read through, all magic users have the ability inbred. Either all species are capable (therefore learned), only through ancestors, or it just sparks in certain people. I think to try and say you don't like the inborn ability to be a factor may be saying you dislike almost all fantasy books.
Most books I have read the magic user has gone through a progression of some sort. Some learn on the fly others are taught to use the ability academically. I can't think of one right off the top of my head that doesn't do any one of the above to create a magic user.