A weekly meme hosted by Bionic Book Worm where we list 5 books for the given topic. We all love lists, right?
Top 5 books with magic
So when you have a Fantasy blog, and read mainly fantasy books (which typically feature *MAGIC*), how on earth do you pick the Top 5? I debated several ways to go about this. The Top 5 Magic Systems. The Top 5 Most Powerful Magicians. The Top 5 Most Creative Magics. But I took the easy way out and went with fantasy books that actually feature the word Magic in the title.
Ship of Magic (Liveship Traders, #1) by Robin Hobb Also by this author: Fool's Assassin, Ship of Magic
Published by Spectra on February 2, 1999
Pages: 809
Bingtown is a hub of exotic trade and home to a merchant nobility famed for its liveships--rare vessels carved from wizardwood, which ripens magically into sentient awareness. The fortunes of one of Bingtown's oldest families rest on the newly awakened liveship "Vivacia." For Althea Vestrit, the ship is her rightful legacy unjustly denied her--a legacy she will risk anything to reclaim. For Althea's young nephew Wintrow, wrenched from his religious studies and forced to serve aboard ship, "Vivacia" is a life sentence. But the fate of the Vestrit family--and the ship--may ultimately lie in the hands of an outsider. The ruthless pirate Kennit seeks a way to seize power over all the denizens of the Pirate Isles...and the first step of his plan requires him to capture his own liveship and bend it to his will....
Dirty Magic (Prospero's War, #1) by Jaye Wells Also by this author: Dirty Magic, Cursed Moon
Published by Orbit on January 21, 2014
Pages: 381
The first in an all-new urban fantasy series by USA Today bestseller Jaye Wells.
The last thing patrol cop Kate Prospero expected to find on her nightly rounds was a werewolf covered in the blood of his latest victim. But then, she also didn't expect that shooting him would land her in the crosshairs of a Magic Enforcement Agency task force, who wants to know why she killed their lead snitch.
The more Prospero learns about the dangerous new potion the MEA is investigating, the more she's convinced that earning a spot on their task force is the career break she's been wanting. But getting the assignment proves much easier than solving the case. Especially once the investigation reveals their lead suspect is the man she walked away from ten years earlier—on the same day she swore she'd never use dirty magic again.
Kate Prospero's about to learn the hard way that crossing a wizard will always get you burned, and that when it comes to magic, you should be never say never.
Thief's Magic (Millennium’s Rule, #1) by Trudi Canavan Also by this author: Thief's Magic, Angel of Storms
Published by Orbit on May 27, 2014
Pages: 553
The beginning of an all new epic fantasy series by international bestseller, Trudi Canavan.
In a world where an industrial revolution is powered by magic, Tyen, a student of archaeology, unearths a sentient book called Vella. Once a young sorcerer-bookbinder, Vella was transformed into a useful tool by one of the greatest sorcerers of history. Since then she has been collecting information, including a vital clue to the disaster Tyen's world faces.
Elsewhere, in an land ruled by the priests, Rielle the dyer's daughter has been taught that to use magic is to steal from the Angels. Yet she knows she has a talent for it, and that there is a corrupter in the city willing to teach her how to use it -- should she dare to risk the Angels' wrath.
But not everything is as Tyen and Rielle have been raised to believe. Not the nature of magic, nor the laws of their lands... and not even the people they trust.
Magic Bites (Kate Daniels, #1) by Ilona Andrews Also by this author: Magic Bites
Published by Berkley Publishing Group on April 1, 2007
Pages: 260
Atlanta would be a nice place to live, if it weren’t for the magic…
When the magic is up, rogue mages cast their spells and monsters appear, while guns refuse to fire and cars fail to start. But then technology returns, and the magic recedes as unpredictably as it arose, leaving all kinds of paranormal problems in its wake.
Kate Daniels is a down-on-her-luck mercenary who makes her living cleaning up these magical problems. But when Kate’s guardian is murdered, her quest for justice draws her into a power struggle between two strong factions within Atlanta’s magic circles.
The Masters of the Dead, necromancers who can control vampires, and the Pack, a paramilitary clan of shapechangers, blame each other for a series of bizarre killings—and the death of Kate’s guardian may be part of the same mystery. Pressured by both sides to find the killer, Kate realizes she’s way out of her league—but she wouldn’t have it any other way…
City of Broken Magic by Mirah Bolender Published by Tor Books on November 20, 2018
Pages: 400
Five hundred years ago, magi created a weapon they couldn’t control. An infestation that ate magic—and anything else it came into contact with. Enemies and allies were equally filling.
Only an elite team of non-magical humans, known as sweepers, can defuse and dispose of infestations before they spread. Most die before they finish training.
Laura, a new team member, has stayed alive longer than most. Now, she’s the last—and only—sweeper standing between the city and a massive infestation.
“Magic” is one of those words that’s easy to find in fantasy books, I love the way you did this topic!
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Great interpretation for this topic. I’ve seen so many lists with the same books on it.
A friend of mine started reading Ship of Magic and is loving it, so I need to pick it up soon!
I haven’t heard of any of these so this is basically an amazing list of recommendations! Thanks for that! Added you to the list 🙂
Well I’ve read Robin Hobb, Jaye Wells and OF COURSE Ilona Andrews. I’ve not heard of the other two authors.
I would add Devon Monk’s Allie Beckstron series which starts with Magic to the Bone.
Anne Books of My Heart
Ilona Andrews aside all the others are new to me! Adding 😉
*lol* You certainly won’t run into a shortage of fantasy / speculative fiction novels that feature the word “magic” in the title. A few I can think of off the top of my head: A Criminal Magic by Lee Kelly, Magic Study by Maria V. Snyder, Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman, A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab… 😉
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Haha fantasy does love having “magic” in its titles. 😀 I’ve heard mixed things about City of Broken Magic, but I love the premise so I might give it a go!