Secret of the Sixth Magic

Magic by the Numbers #2

by Lyndon Hardy

1st edition Corgi 1986 paperback, vg++ In stock shipped from our UK warehouse

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Magic, High Fantasy, Science Fiction Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Science Fiction

394 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1984

About the author

New York Times best-selling author of the Magic by the Numbers fantasy series.

One Last Heist, the seventh book in the series, is now available.

I meld my knowledg in physics with the fantasy of alchemy, sorcery, and wizardry to produce tales in which there are constraints and limitations. Magic is not omnipotent. When the protagonists are in a jam, they are not saved with a simple bibbity, bobbiity, boo.

With the exception that book 5, Magic Times Three, involves the same protagonists as book 4, The Archimage's Fourth Daughter, all the books in the series have different leading characters. They can be read in any order.

I have some experience with adventures in our universe as well -- orchestrating the classic Rose Bowl Card Stunt in 1962. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_R...

I have yet to come up with a plot in which a stamp collector saves the universe.





Wikipedia: Lyndon Hardy

Reviews

[Simon Mcleish · Rating 2 out of 5]

Originally published on my blog here in April 2001.

Having written his first novel around a carefully constructed theory of magic, Hardy undermines it in his second. It is set in a different country in the same world, with a new central character who is unfortunately very similar to the hero of Master of the Five Magics. (Having someone who studies all the different magic arts is of course a useful device for exposition of the theory.)

The plot of Secret of the Sixth Magic is based around a crisis, when the art of sorcery ceases to work. This spreads to magic - a serious problem when this art is used to guarantee major currencies. Finally, Jemidon works out what is happening - magic is not being destroyed; its laws are being changed by the mysterious Melizar. When Melizar's minions become the only people to know the new laws, they will have immense power, so Jemidon has to work out how to transform the laws back again.

The whole thing seems to be simultaneously contrived and unimaginative. It also undermines an interesting facet of Master of the Five Magics, the correspondence between the branches of the magic arts and our scientific disciplines; to change the laws of physics would have much more far reaching and interesting effects (probably fatal) than just putting physicists out of work. Repeating the same plot with essentially the same poorly drawn characters is dull, and the one really remarkable aspect of this novel is just how uninteresting Hardy can make a completely alien world (in which Melizar imprisons Jemidon) and how unalien its supposedly completely different inhabitants seem to be. There is a further sequel, but this novel has always quashed any desire I might have had to read it.

[Michael Jandrok · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trying to fill out a few of the gaps in my book collection has been a goal for me over the past couple of years. That quest inevitably means that I have been searching for missing volumes of various series that I either started at one time and abandoned, or replacing books that may have gotten lost or damaged somewhere along life’s various pathways. So it was with a triumvirate of fantasy novels by author Lyndon Hardy. I remember reading the first book in the series many years ago after it was first released, and you can read my review of “Master of the Five Magics” here if you are interested:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I knew there was a second book in the series, though I hadn’t read it. I was also surprised to find out that there was a THIRD book released, making this a complete trilogy. Now I come to find out that there is a recently published fourth book, and I suppose I will have to chase that down at some point as well.

But I digress. “Secret of the Sixth Magic” is the second book in Hardy’s original set, and it’s a clear case of the sequel being better than the first installment. Not that “Master of the Five Magics” was bad by any means. I gave it a solid three-star review upon my reread, and although it was a bit generic, the world-building fascinated me and kept me interested enough to stay with the story. Lyn Hardy played the success of the first book into this sequel, first published in 1984, four years after “Master.” Like the first book, I acquired the original Del Rey printing with the Rowena Morrill cover art. I’m a sucker for these old paperback gems, and the Del Rey line rarely disappoints.

“Secret of the Sixth Magic” introduces us to a new set of characters, though the hero of the first novel, Alodar, now the Archmage and master of all five magics, does make an appearance towards the end of the story. It was smart of Hardy to set this plot line years after the events of the first book ended. The fresh faces make for new insights into Hardy’s complex system of magic, and it’s fun to learn more about other aspects of the universe(s) these characters inhabit. From the back cover:

“The laws of the five magics were being set aside. First to go were those of the high art of sorcery. Then true magic, upon which the commerce of all Arcadia depended, had been voided. And now even thaumaturgy, the engineering knowledge of the world, was under attack.

Jemidon had traced the trouble to Melizar, the strange, cold being who had seemingly appeared from nowhere. Somehow, Melizar could alter or negate the laws that had always existed by using a mysterious metamagic - something which only he understood.

If the world was to be saved from Melizar, it was up to Jemidon to save it. But what could he do? He was only an outcast, unable to perform even the simplest ritual without ruining everything.”

“Secret of the Sixth Magic” is a more-than-worthy sequel to the original book. Lyn Hardy uses the plot to give the reader a ton of new insight into the mechanics of his magic system and how it interacts with the worlds that he has imagined. As with “Master,” the real star of the novel is the intricately woven universe that underlies and drives the entire plot. I will say that the characters in “Secret” are a distinct upgrade from the somewhat wooden cast that populated the original story. Jemidon is a flawed hero, and his shortcomings are often his undoing. He’s brash and a bit unlikeable at first, but these traits drive him forward on a journey of self-discovery that ties neatly to the main premise. His backstory is also much more compelling and believable than was Alodar's in “Master.” Hardy is also careful to portray his female cast members as more than just stock players. His women characters are strong and self-sufficient, able to chart their own courses within the story. Overall, this is a MUCH more interesting set of leads, and I found myself more invested in the story as a result.

Hardy also takes this book far beyond traditional sword & sorcery tropes. The brawny swordsmen here are second-tier to the practitioners of the magic crafts, and rightly so. In Hardy’s universe, the magics drive all of the world’s basic processes. There is a need for armies and men at arms, yes, but they are not the focal point of the plot. Hardy even takes this book into science-fiction territory, with a connection to another universe that underlies the tale. There are hints that there may even be other realms, and there are many questions left slyly unanswered as the plot unfolds. The “Sixth Magic” is a bit of a conceit. The metamagic presented here just adds to the complexity of Hardy’s original system of rules, and ends up being much, much more than just another add-on to the other posits. Indeed, metamagic ties all of the other magics up underneath an umbrella set of concepts, opening the door for an infinite array of different rules and methods of practice for the arts.

Much like “Master,” the book unfolds through several different sections that can be read almost as novellas that are tied together. It is not possible to read this as a stand-alone story, though. A working knowledge of the first book is an absolute must or the reader will be entirely lost before they get very far in.

All told, I enjoyed this book more than “Master of the Five Magics.” The characters are better, the main plot is more fun, and the author took more risks in directing the story beyond the traditional territory of most stock fantasy novels. The main draw is still the detailed world-building, but kudos to Hardy for stepping up all of the other elements of his game. Now it’s on to the final volume of the original series, “Riddle of the Seven Realms.”

[hotsake (André Troesch) · Rating 4 out of 5]

While not as fun as the first book, this was equally engrossing.

[Ελευθέριος Κεραμίδας · Rating 1 out of 5]

(This review is about the original version, not the 2017 revision)

It has a great premise for a sequel and it avoids the faux-medieval syntax of the original. By rights, it should have been at least as good as the first book.

However, Hardy's prose and technique are atrocious. Most long descriptions and action scenes are unintelligible and will have you scratching your head. The dialogues are unrealistic, with infodumps and people offering plot points one after another rather than following their own train of thought. The protagonist will ponder for a couple of pages when explanations are in order and gaze for another couple when the surroundings must be described. Some ideas are brilliantly executed, but most are done downright silly. Anachronisms abound.

Worst of all, at the mid-point, Hardy throws the towel in and begins marching the characters toward his envisioned finale at gunpoint, through unrealistic situations, gut feelings and convenient coincidences. Things stop making sense altogether. For example, after a wizard is cheated out of his pay and insulted, he is allowed to perform a ritual THREE TIMES on the spot. Nobody seems to consider the possibility that this obviously pissed-off person is using his powers to get even; the results include a destructive earthquake. Oh, and the ritual involved a rat-trap and an inflated bladder.

[Kevin Rubin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just reread “Secret of the Sixth Magic” by Lyndon Hardy for the first time in a few decades. I read it as a teenager when it first came out in the 1980s. At that time I really enjoyed the first book in the series, “Master of the Five Magics,” and reread it several times. I read this one, “Secrete of the Sixth Magic,” once and didn’t enjoy it.

Several years ago, as a 50-something, I reread “Master of the Five Magics,” and it held up well, I still enjoyed it. So now it was time to reread this sequel. And it was disappointing now, just like decades ago.

It tells the story of a young man named Jemidon, who is sent out by his father to try and master any one of the five magics in the world, Thaumaturgy, Alchemy, Magic, Sorcery, or Wizardry, but he ends up an abject failure at every one of them. He understands them, but cannot perform any of them.

During his quest an otherworldly magic user turns up, and some of the laws governing the five magics change, invalidating them. As things go on, Jemidon figures out there’s a Metamagic concept that can be used.

Most of the book is poorly written. Hardy has failed at the concept of “show don’t tell,” and I found it nearly impossible to visualize many of the scenarios going on. On the other hand, most of the dialogue is characters seemingly speaking to each other, often saying things the others know, or telling them what is happening or what their plans are, but really they’re speaking to us, the readers.

Adding to the unrealistic nature is the structure of the society. It seems that a nobody like Jemidon is able to get meetings and audiences with high ranking nobles who it’s hard to believe would give him the time of day. The dialogue used is even more unrealistic in how Jemidon can convince them to follow things he says.

Ironically, the portion of the book easiest to follow is actually the most complex, in terms of the setting, when Jemidon is transported to another world with different physics. Hardy is good at describing that.

Overall, this book is nowhere near as good as the first in the first book.

[Keith Davis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hardy moves beyond the laws of magic into meta-magic principles that control the nature of the laws of magic and allow the laws to be changed. The idea is fascinating but the novel is not that great.

[Pam Baddeley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Having enjoyed book 1 of this series, although not quite as much as on my original read years ago, I approached this hoping for another adventure story with the added bonus of a magical system that has been really worked out, even if the characterisation left something to be desired. Unfortunately, I found this one really dragged. I also discovered that these books are more or less standalone: the protagonist of book 1 makes a cameo appearance near the end of this one, but the story is entirely independent. In fact, it takes place in a different country than the first and some years later.

As the story opens, Jemidon has just arrived on the island of Morgana which, in the land of Arcadia, is the home of sorcerors. Because (as was made clear in book 1) the use of sorcery actually drains the user's life force, in Arcadia sorcery is used for only lightweight spells to create illusions. These illusions have become an artform and are exhibited each year in a presentation hall, but in recent years the Prince of Arcadia has become an important patron and puts up a sizeable purse for the winner. Jemidon needs to succeed in sorcery and earn a black robe because he has already tried the other four magical disciplines and been a complete failure: although he is able to absorb the theory quickly enough, he somehow always messes up the practice. And, as becomes clear when he is lucky enough to find a sorceror who will take him on as a tyro (apprentice), he is bored by the repetition and rote learning necessary in the magical crafts and fails to apply himself. This is unfortunate as, ever since he was first sent with a gold brandel (coin) to apply to become a thaumaturge - a coin that might otherwise have paid for medicine to save his little sister who was fevered - he has borne the guilt of his sister's death, and the coin on a thong around his neck as a reminder of why he must succeed.

The annual contest is imminent and Jemidon helps his new master - whose illusions have been eclipsed by a rival's for some years - to prepare, but the intercession of a trader with savage dogs and an odd insistence in showing his own type of illusion, plus Jemidon's encounter with the trader's beautiful slave girl Delia, throws several spanners in the works. Sorcery loses its potency and Jemidon leaves in pursuit of the trader to the larger more prosperous island of Pluton which is the centre of currency trading and the place where magicians produce the enchanted coinage which forms the basis of all wealth. He still seeks the black robe of mastery, and an old flame Augusta tries to help him, but a combination of the machinations of the trader - or rather his sinister master - and Jemidon's own clumsiness and perpetual distraction with puzzles that seize his attention, mean that both are soon in peril.

The invention encountered in the first book continues in this story, although here, instead of the original five magical arts, the focus is on a system which displaces them (I will say no more to avoid spoilers). Confusingly, the book refers several times to seven magics - I think that must be a continuity error in the context (although I take the point that there could be a lot more, just not all active at once - however, it didn't read as if that was the meaning).

The main problem is that I found the protagonist quite repellent. Apart from the fact that, early on in the story, he takes Delia's thanks for saving her as an invitation into bed - which she has to rebuff - he is lazy, lacking in focus and more interested in puzzles than key things that are going on. Until quite late in the story he aims to learn from the mysterious master when it is perfectly clear that this person is bent on the overthrow and domination of everything - and should be opposed, not assisted. It makes Jemidon appear quite stupid despite his supposed intelligence. Repeatedly, when a conversation is in progress in which he should interject to tell people about the villain's machinations, he just stands there and says nothing. Also, there is supposed to be a love triangle between him, Delia and Augusta, but he never comes across as having real feelings for either woman. After reading the book, I saw that a second edition had been issued by the author, possibly in a small press edition, which mentions changes to the protagonist's character, so maybe there have been improvements - I can only judge by the version I've read.

The other problem with the book is that it is very difficult to envisage some of the concepts and machines/contrivances being described at various times. So it was rather a chore to read through to the end to discover what happened, despite a brief cameo by Alodar from book 1, and I can only rate this as 2 stars.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Master of the Five Magics, Hardy gave us the 7 rules by which the 5 magics worked.

This books gives us 3 rules with which to break those previous rules, and create brand new ones.

It's an interesting thought. What if magic didn't follow "Perfection is eternal" but instead worked off repetition? (Okay, I wasn't a fan of this, because alchemy works off repetition, but technically repetition isn't really the rule for alchemy, just what happens in practice. And sorcery...three times. Not strictly repetitions, though, since each time the cantrip has a slightly different cadence or emphasis, but still...) Or that everything works by a series of waves? What if sorcery changed from requiring people to hear the cantrip and see the sorcerer's eyes to showing people what amounts to an animated film? A world built on the standard 7 rules would collapse if they were to suddenly change.

And that's what happens in this book. Because a guy named Melizar is going around and completely rewriting the rules that control how magic in the world works. And Jemidon is the only guy who seems to understand that. Plus, Melizar has a really hot woman (Delia) as an indentured servant who seems to like Jemidon, so there's another good reason to follow this guy around and figure out what he's up to. Because it was the 80s, and every good story needs a really hot woman who needs rescuing.

Similar to how I felt about Master of the Five Magics, this book has interesting ideas with some stilted dialogue and somewhat outdated notions of the roles of women needing to be rescued. It's not just Delia...there's another woman from Jemidon's past that he must save as well. Again, I'm probably granting an extra star just for the nostalgia factor.

[Douglas Milewski · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Secret of the Sixth Magic (1984) by Lyndon Hardy is a Schrödinger's cat cat of a novel: is it bad or is it good? And which is it? You can' tell until you open it.

I still don't know the answer to that question.

In terms of characters, who are all new to this book, the novel is as cardboard as his first novel. There's just nothing to talk about here. You can tell that he's trying, though, so he gets bonus points for effort. Just don't give him too many points. Round up.

For giving us a story of metamagic, where warping magic itself is the point, I found the book absolutely fascinating. How can magic actually be used and applied? Abused? Taken for granted? Wielded as petty power by petty tyrants? That's where this book shines. This man sets up and explores a situation with aplomb, among the best writers that I've seen at that.

Think of this as a science fiction book written as a fantasy because the rules of magic play out as technology.

So, where should I place this? High for the exploration and the fun, or low for the lack of character and frequently stiff writing? I still don't know.

I don't want to kill the cat.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is second book of Hardy’s Magic by the Numbers series. There are 7 books in the series now. Hardy picked it up again in 2016 and added some more volumes.

This was fun. I recalled liking it and wanted to revisit. I still like it. Hardy is one of the first to use a well thought out magic system. Rare back in the day.

In this adventure a word smith and a lover of puzzles has writer’s block. He is looking to find one of the 5 magics to help him reignite his writing. As you might image things don’t go as he plans.

The 5 Magics of the first novel all play a part throughout the tale. Jason must puzzle out the workings of a new magic as he becomes embroiled in actions that threaten his world.

A good blend of action and adventure that wraps up with a satisfying conclusion.

In the afterword Hardy says for the edition I read he expanded on Jason’s love of puzzles including adding mentions of a few of his favorites.

I’m going to keep moving through the series. Next will be another blast from the past, after that they will all be new to me.

[Jim Razinha · Rating 2 out of 5]

I pulled this off of my "Someday" shelf last Thursday looking for the light fantasy that was Hardy's Master of Five Magics. Bit of a back story, I found the third book in the meta series eight years ago in a flea market. I liked Hardy's imaginative constructs in Five Magics, so I went hunting this one. I couldn't get into it, so set it aside, only to lose it (and 5,800 other books) to a fire in 2013. I found Riddle of the Seven Realms again, found this one again, and put them on that Someday shelf.

So...where Master of Five Magics was clever, this is an M. Knight Shyamalan sequel... except worse. Word salad neologistic magic-speak with new (attempts at clever again) concepts thrown out with no preamble, no explanation, and no resolution. Add shallow characters and shallower plot, and this is a mess.I don't know if #3 is any better, but it'll be a little while before I find out.

[Wynee Igel · Rating 1 out of 5]

I picked this book up at a used book section looking for a science fiction or fantasy book series, adult not children's writing. I did not know anything about the series or author. Somewhere in there is an interesting story concept where magic suddenly no longer works and logic/science/puzzles work and are key. I did not like the main character as he seemed to be a chauvinistic, arrogant, and whiny male, starting to presume a thanks means it's okay to have sex (the woman corrects him and the writer shows how he feels bad and angst over his actions and thoughts). I don't find it a good message.
At another island, there's a gruesome penalty for failing to pay your debts, also not my taste. Granted not all books are happy worlds, but I read 2 of the 4 parts and stopped. It did not captivate me and became a chore for me to read.

[Garry · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is one of those books I have not read since high school but wanted to revisit and see if it held up.

I have to give the author kudos for building on the concepts from the first novel. He does not rehash the same ideas, nor is the "hero's journey" the same as Andor's. This is something new and different and it makes sense within the limitations laid out in "Master of the Five Magics."

But remember that it was written by an engineer, who is able to clearly perceive all of the complex permutations that lesser mortals, such as myself, find ourselves blind to. There were several times I was lost with where Hardy was going, but his enthusiasm was sufficient to carry me along.

I'm glad I held on to the end, but believe that it could have been an easier ride.

[Kalen Kubik · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the first book, and was looking forward to revisiting the world. It was frustrating to be lost for a majority of the book along with the main character, but his "discoveries" pretty much made no sense to me and even as the book drew to a close I still did not fully understand the metamagic. Perhaps if I read it a second or third time, I'd get it, but I would like to have understood it the first read through.

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm giving it a 2 just because he finished it, but holy moly this was a slog! The bones are there for some interesting storytelling, but the author is so enamored of this awful, clunky in-world "paradigm of magic"he has cobbled together, reading the story becomes a forced march of bad writing. I thought it would get better after reading the inital book. It didn't. I'm angry at myself for not stopping mid-book and wasting my time finishing it.

[Cassidy · Rating 2 out of 5]

A completely unmemorable plot makes this largely a waste of time, especially since it is so hard to get invested in any of the characters. However, this book is still worth reading as the "sixth magic" (A sort of "metamagic") goes far beyond creative. Nothing comes up interesting regarding it, but it's still super cool to think about.

[Noah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was hoping for a continuation of Alodar’s story, but this wasn’t it. However, it did build upon the best part of the first book, the magic system. This book goes even deeper into the magic system of the world and really showcases the depth with which it was created. It’s interesting to read a story that focuses more on the magic system than on the world building, but I enjoyed it very much.

[Isaac · Rating 4 out of 5]

100% the sort of tinkering the first book put me in the mind of. Still the weird gender politics issues and a kinda insufferable protagonist, but playing with the rules that support an already-interesting puzzlebox reality is absolutely my bag.

[Brad Furminger · Rating 2 out of 5]

I usually can pinpoint what it is that makes me not enjoy a book. Sadly, I don't know if I didn't enjoy this book because I found it a struggle to follow, or if I struggled to follow this book because I wasn't enjoying it.

[Dave McGraw · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable. Excellent examination of his magic system and the foundational framework it depends upon.

[Yori · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really intricate and original concepts, but lack in storytelling. Quite a chore.

[Philatelia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Couldn’t finish this - it felt like too much was skipped over or not explained. I just couldn’t get into the story.

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read but I don't think it quite holds up to other fantasy books. I enjoyed reading it but wasn't as captivated by it as I have been with other books.

[Markos · Rating 4 out of 5]

The plot description in GR is in error. Good fun novel with interesting protagonists and an novel world view.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not having the novelty of the first in the series scores it down.

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unfortunately I found Jemidon irritating, so I wasn’t able to get fully invested in his tale.

[James]

Secret of the Sixth Magic

[Seth Kenlon · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I started this book, I had a pretty good idea of where it was going. And then, I realised I was completely wrong. As the story developed, I also developed theories on how it would play out, and every time, I ended up being wrong.

Whilst reading, I think I took a lot of the book for granted. I enjoyed it, but thinking back on it, I realise that the world embedded itself in my memory a lot more than I realised it would. I have grown fonder of the world the more I think about it, and in fact I'll probably re-read it for that reason.

I did not realise the book was the second in a series, but that apparently made no difference, because I don't feel that I've missed anything from the narrative.

If you like fantasy with lots of fairly detailed magic, then you should read this book. It's a fun read, the setting is beautiful and diverse, and the magic is deep. Highly recommended.

[Scurra · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, after setting up an immaculate universe in Master of the Five Magics, Hardy then manages the audacious trick of turning this whole intricately crafted set of Laws of Magic on its head.

In a way, what he does is to posit the idea of changing the basic laws of Physics of the universe and then asking how we would cope when the things we depended upon stopped working because the underlying rules they worked by were no longer valid.

It's hard to write about this book without including spoilers, so I'm not going to say any more about the basic plot, suffice it to say that the world is still as sketchy as it was in book one, but the characters are just as well-drawn and the story is far more interesting, probably because it doesn't feel quite as on rails as the first.

And the climax is brilliant - a completely unexpected triumph that is, nonetheless, perfectly consistent.

And the third book isn't shabby either. Riddle of the Seven Realms

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

An appropriate sequel to Master of the Five Magics. I usually don't enjoy sequels that don't feature the main character, but this one worked quite well. He flawlessly added the additional realms and metamagic to the original basis of this story for a plausible expansion as opposed to having new characters thrown into a similar situation as the first. As with the first one, however, it was difficult to get attached to the main character. He often times seemed pretentious and aloof, even making the reader feel like he was smarter than the reader. The journey from arrogance to humility to healthy self-confidence seems to be one of the few things borrowed from the previous plot.