Brandon Sanderson – Taylen Carver

When Magic Goes Too Far: Spells That Got Way Out of Hand

Leave a Comment / Food for Thought, Magic / March 1, 2025 / 5 minutes of reading

Magic is the ultimate tool for bending reality to your will—until it bends back. If there’s one thing fantasy has taught us, it’s that no one (not even the most brilliant sorcerer) fully understands what magic is capable of. And when magic misfires, it doesn’t just fizzle out politely. No, it explodes across the landscape, rewrites reality, or (if you’re really unlucky) accidentally invites an ancient god to crash on your couch.

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Mapping the Magic: A Guide to Fantasy’s Many Systems

2 Comments / Magic / January 25, 2025 / 4 minutes of reading

Let’s talk magic. It’s the bread and butter of fantasy, isn’t it? The thing that turns a good story into something downright enchanting. If you’re anything like me, you’ve come across all sorts of magical systems while reading, and it’s impossible not to notice how different authors put their own spin on it. Some like to map out every single rule and consequence (Sanderson, I’m looking at you), while others leave magic as a mysterious force we just have to trust (Tolkien, we’re all still guessing).

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The Duality of Magic Systems in Fantasy: Hard vs. Soft Magic

2 Comments / Magic / April 13, 2024 / 4 minutes of reading

Magic systems in fantasy often fall into two distinct categories: hard magic and soft magic. Each offers unique storytelling opportunities, although readers tend to gravitate towards one or the other. What is the allure of each? I know I lean heavily toward hard magic, myself. Magic as technology has a strong appeal for me. The

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They spelled it wrong!

Leave a Comment / Interesting Bits / July 21, 2022 / 1 minute of reading

Saw this the other day: I had a good laugh — it’s been well thought out and nicely produced, which makes it even funnier. (Who said the details don’t matter??) But the first thing that struck me was that they made a spelling mistake: You don’t spell “goblin” that way!! Then my brain caught up

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Fantasy Art Isn’t Really Art At All

Leave a Comment / Interesting Bits / July 7, 2022 / 3 minutes of reading

“Dear Emperor” Fantastic Version by NextMars via DepositPhotosI came across this statement the other day: For the most part, quality fantasy art isn’t considered “serious” art by academia, but surreal art of similar quality is universally applauded. Why is that? — DeviantArt I admit that the attitude puzzles me. All three of my kids would

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