The Most Beautiful and Unique Magic Systems in Books and Film

So I'm really in love with magic systems. Not just the basic ones where hocus pocus you cast a spell and that's it. Those have no consequences, no rules, no structure. No, no, no, my dear spellcasters, I am here for the really unique and complex magic systems, and when I find a good one I will literally seek out my sister and start ranting about it immediately. For a very long time.

Hehe. Sorry Rachel.

But really can we please talk about how gorgeous some magic systems are??? I seriously love when someone puts in the time and the effort think about their magic: what it is, how it works, and what can make it shine.

*chef kiss* I love it.

So today we talk about the greatest unique magic systems in books and film.

Matthew Swift (Urban Sorcery)

Oh mah word. I cannot stop talking about how awesome this series is. Because it is awesome!! One of the primary reasons I love it is the amazing magic system. The magic in these books has such intense urban fantasy vibes. Matthew Swift himself is literally called an urban sorcerer. And why?

Because the sorcerers use the common things of the city around them to cast their spells. *shriek*

The great pity of this series is that we do not get to see many urban sorcerers other than Matthew. He empties out glass bottles and chucks smoldering cigarettes inside to make traps for wraiths. He makes fake pass cards out of business cards he finds lying around. He spraypaints protective circles of red paint to keep evil away. The magic in this series is so strange and so beautiful. When you have protective figures guarding over the city with names like Lady Neon and the Beggar King, you know it's gotta be good. There's a thing called a Litterbug that's literally made of trash and brought to life! How cool is that?? I mean, can you say aesthetic??


Skulduggery Pleasant (Sigil Magic)

Okay, so I love Skulduggery Pleasant just as much as I love Matthew Swift, if not more. Probably a little bit more, sorry Matthew. There are so many kinds of magic in this book series, maybe too many for its own good(not unlike the massive cast of characters, sorry), but the one we're talking about here is the sigil magic.

I'm talking China Sorrows. The lady with all the sigils literally tattooed into her skin. She is a boss like no other. She has the runes built into her house, carved on her possessions, printed on her skin. Every single one of them is a specific spell that she can cast at will with just a tap of her fingers. Seriously, how cool is this?? And it's a complex system, too. The sigils have to be just the right shape, just the right size, just the right depth, or else we have a living skeleton running around with a fake face that keeps sliding down his skull. The runes take a lot of skill, a lot of time, and a lot of concentration to even make. Everything about this magic. I love it.


Wings of Fire (Animus Dragons)

I've been reading Wings of Fire for who knows how long, and I've spread the obsession to my younger sibs as well. It's just that good. And yeah, there's multiple kinds of magic in this series too, but here we're focusing on the animus dragons, aka the coolest magic system in the book.

The animus dragons are special dragons born with the innate ability to cast spells over inanimate objects and even bring them to life. Animate them, if you will. And there are epic drawbacks to this almost infallible magic. Number one, if an animus has cast a spell over an object to give them specific abilities, they have to have that object with them in order to have the spell work. And get this, the more magic they use, the more their soul gets eaten away by the magic. This makes for epic drama and tension whenever an animus casts a big spell, or any spell at all.


Darker Than Black (Contractor Magic)

I haven't seen this series myself, but I've read about the magic system in it, and I had to add it to the list because it just sounds so cool! According to Mythcreants,

'[The] magic users are called Contractors, and they have to “pay” for using their ability. Their payment is some behavior they are compelled to engage in after each use, and it’s as unique to each person as their powers. One guy has to eat six hard-boiled eggs. Another has to place a large number of small stones in a perfect grid. These activities can distract Contractors and make them vulnerable.'

Look at those consequences! The uniqueness! I mean, that just sounds so cool! Now, Darker Than Black looks a little dark, but because of the magic system, I might be tempted to try it sometime.


The Dragon Prince (Linked Magic Systems)

In the Netflix series The Dragon Prince, every race has a different kind of magic, and all the magics work differently and have different rules. The moon elves are invisible by the light of the moon if they wish, and only moon elves can access their cities. Dark magic requires the death of a living thing in order to work and is dangerously addictive. But the cool thing about the magic in The Dragon Prince is the way they're all linked together. The writers didn't think of the different magic systems as entities unto themselves, but part of a greater whole. Callum's magic cube is proof of that. And I think that idea is just so unique, and so cool! I love it.


Locke and Key (Key Magic)

Another Netflix series in which the magic system really stood out to me. In Locke and Key, the Locke family has an ancient house full of hidden keys. Every key, once the lock for it is found, can cast a different spell. One key starts fires. One can change your appearance. One enables you to fly around as a ghost and talk to the dead(yeah I'm not too sure about that one either). But the fact remains that using keys to use magic is so. Freaking. Awesome!! It's easy to find the downfall: if you don't have the key, you don't have the power. And there's a whole 'with great power comes great responsibility' thing that's going on too. It's great.


The Two Princesses of Bamarre (Strong Fairytale Magic)

The magic system from The Two Princesses of Bamarre is not the most unique one on this list, but  I really had to bring it up. In this book, Gail Carson Levine incorporates a lot of ancient and mostly forgotten pieces of fairytale magic like the tablecloth that is always full of food, the 7 league boots, and need I mention wraiths? The wraiths are the most interesting part for me, because not only are they terrifying, but Gail also included a telltale sign to recognize the wraiths if you happen to find one by accident: they don't leave footprints. I love that little detail, because it makes for great horror moments when the character looks behind them and suddenly realizes that their traveling companion has never left any footprints at all.


And that's today's list. It was quite lengthy, and I'm sorry about that, but not too sorry. ;) I hope you loved this list.

Let's have a chat! What are your favorite magic systems you've seen? What's your favorite that you've written? Tell me in the comments!