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Synthetic Magic
Librarian's Note: this is an alternate cover edition for ISBN 177732680X (ISBN13: 9781777326807).
Academy, esteemed school and centre for innovation in the world, is home to people from all walks of life. National tensions are put aside, the topic of faith is not up for debate, and peace has reigned there for as long as the school has been in operation. That calm is shattered when the misguided Avery Adder flies his aero into the volatile auroran lights during a trek to the north.
The incident, seeming at first to be nothing more than showboating gone awry, soon unfolds into something far more sinister as the repercussions of Avery's actions incite discord amongst the students, with the potential for it to echo into the world beyond Academy. Enemies stalk the shadows, blood is shed under the flickering lights in the sky, and the students of Academy become pawns in a game played by mortals, immortals, and the beings that straddle the line between the two.
Synthetic Magic is the first volume of The Bloodless Affairs series, featuring a diverse cast of characters in a world that blends old magic and new technology seamlessly.
Synthetic Magic is Ian Barr's debut novel.
Academy, esteemed school and centre for innovation in the world, is home to people from all walks of life. National tensions are put aside, the topic of faith is not up for debate, and peace has reigned there for as long as the school has been in operation. That calm is shattered when the misguided Avery Adder flies his aero into the volatile auroran lights during a trek to the north.
The incident, seeming at first to be nothing more than showboating gone awry, soon unfolds into something far more sinister as the repercussions of Avery's actions incite discord amongst the students, with the potential for it to echo into the world beyond Academy. Enemies stalk the shadows, blood is shed under the flickering lights in the sky, and the students of Academy become pawns in a game played by mortals, immortals, and the beings that straddle the line between the two.
Synthetic Magic is the first volume of The Bloodless Affairs series, featuring a diverse cast of characters in a world that blends old magic and new technology seamlessly.
Synthetic Magic is Ian Barr's debut novel.
426 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2020
1 person is currently reading
17 people want to read
About the author
Ian Barr
3 books22 followersIan Barr is an independent author, indie book lover, dungeon master, and storyteller from Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. Writing fantasy, science fiction, mythology, and LitRPG, he currently has one novel published (Synthetic Magic) in addition to being featured in multiple short story anthologies, with big plans for more to come.
You can find further free works on his Substack: The Word Dump (LINK ABOVE!), or connect on Instagram (@dumpbearington)
You can find further free works on his Substack: The Word Dump (LINK ABOVE!), or connect on Instagram (@dumpbearington)
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 28, 2025
While I was reading Synthetic Magic, I kept laughing to myself that Ian Barr is a total yes man when it comes to world-building, and it really works here. Instead of limiting his sandbox he instead says nah fuck it (or something nicer with him being Canadian), and takes over the whole beach. There are pirate vibes, evolving early-proto-steampunk technology, magic, combo technology-magic, a pantheon of old gods, a new god, demigods, fish-people, dragons, several different nations, religions, backstories, politics, and instead of confusing the reader, the whole house of cards works and builds confidence in the reader because it is clear from the outset that Ian has a vision for how this all fits together. And instead of info-dumping this all on the reader, he doles it out strategically through the novel, giving you the effect of an ever widening landscape.
I am quite certain, although I haven’t asked, that he has plotted out this entire world-building in the background—it has the smell of deep lore. The kind you know is consistent down to its roots because the author actually spent the time to think it through. Which is something I never do, and really admire when people can. This is especially uncommon in indie, and even more impressive for it.
The plot is propulsive, and centers around a student and aero pilot that becomes the first person to touch an aurora. A cast of characters around him draw us out into understanding the wider world, and then the world comes in (very rudely) to intrude. I nearly thought this was going to be a dark academia story until Ian quite literally dropped a bomb on that, which I loved. He does a good job of subverting expectations throughout, and I found myself chewing through pages to find out where it was heading.
The characters feel unique and thought through, with individual voices, motivations, and flaws, although at times I found them too exaggerated and almost pushed towards caricature. I believe this was a stylistic choice and once I accepted it, I had a lot more fun. I have the same feeling watching anime, where character traits are turned up to the point of parody, but it’s something that comes along so often with that genre it’s easy for me to accept. Ian also does a good job of never fully embracing the hero monomyth, and leaving everyone in different shades of morally grey.
There is a lot that Ian does technically really well throughout, and I kept finding myself enjoying the book from a craft perspective. Don’t get me wrong, the story is engaging in its own right, but I really appreciated some of the finer details too. Ian shifts between characters like a cinematographer. He tracks one character to a natural collision, follows out a different person, and then pans out to find someone watching them all. Like a fucking pro. The world-building alone is something we could all learn from. He handles a large cast of characters well, with each of them feeling distinct. It is a well executed novel.
I really enjoyed Synthetic Magic, and came away yet again impressed at the state of indie publishing. I reached out to Ian to push him to finish his sequel, and I think you should read this book and push him to do the same
I am quite certain, although I haven’t asked, that he has plotted out this entire world-building in the background—it has the smell of deep lore. The kind you know is consistent down to its roots because the author actually spent the time to think it through. Which is something I never do, and really admire when people can. This is especially uncommon in indie, and even more impressive for it.
The plot is propulsive, and centers around a student and aero pilot that becomes the first person to touch an aurora. A cast of characters around him draw us out into understanding the wider world, and then the world comes in (very rudely) to intrude. I nearly thought this was going to be a dark academia story until Ian quite literally dropped a bomb on that, which I loved. He does a good job of subverting expectations throughout, and I found myself chewing through pages to find out where it was heading.
The characters feel unique and thought through, with individual voices, motivations, and flaws, although at times I found them too exaggerated and almost pushed towards caricature. I believe this was a stylistic choice and once I accepted it, I had a lot more fun. I have the same feeling watching anime, where character traits are turned up to the point of parody, but it’s something that comes along so often with that genre it’s easy for me to accept. Ian also does a good job of never fully embracing the hero monomyth, and leaving everyone in different shades of morally grey.
There is a lot that Ian does technically really well throughout, and I kept finding myself enjoying the book from a craft perspective. Don’t get me wrong, the story is engaging in its own right, but I really appreciated some of the finer details too. Ian shifts between characters like a cinematographer. He tracks one character to a natural collision, follows out a different person, and then pans out to find someone watching them all. Like a fucking pro. The world-building alone is something we could all learn from. He handles a large cast of characters well, with each of them feeling distinct. It is a well executed novel.
I really enjoyed Synthetic Magic, and came away yet again impressed at the state of indie publishing. I reached out to Ian to push him to finish his sequel, and I think you should read this book and push him to do the same
September 20, 2025
4.5 stars for this epic adventure.
Avery Adder sees an opportunity for glory when he rides toward the aurora. He will be the first in history to touch it...
I think starting the novel with the colossal arrogance of a young Icarus was a great start, then we get to meet the rest of the students at Academy, a mobile island that is also a renowned educational establishment in this world that Barr has created. The age of the characters gives it a strong fit into the young adult bracket of the genre, but this does not in any way detract from the great, widely-accessible story that this is. I wish I'd got the paperback instead of the ebook because the dramatis personae followed by the prologue was so useful to flick back to after 400 pages or so. It set the story up brilliantly. Each of the characters have their own unique voice, and I imagined this all unravelling before me like an anime series--I'd love to see the vivid costumes come to life!
Characters:
My favourite characters (and this changed all the time throughout!) were Avery Adder and Georgia Blackwood (Blackwood being fiery most of the time, but still likeable and appropriately vulnerable). Neither of them are perfect, and neither of them are token. I enjoyed the complexity of all of the characters and how they navigated this world and their lives.
Back to what I said about young adult; the angst, especially with characters such as Breya, Aria and Georgia really raised the stakes for me. The sexual tension between Georgia and Grace, and especially Georgia's inner thoughts and feelings added so much depth considering she's quite closed to the others, and feisty all the time. her need to be loved was compelling, and I felt for this character so much in particular. The characters, although appearing in a fantasy world where we have merrows that will poison you in a fist fight, blood mages, demigods, usury mages, very visible auras and several cultures and customs that are alien to us, they were so human in their motivations and desires.
As for the adventures the characters embark on:
The chapters at sea are so vibrant, you can almost smell the surroundings. Stiff and Luce add some comedic charm to the more serious aspects ie the bloodless, who are actually quite awful! The pantheon of demigods and gods add another important aspect, similar to The Clash Of The Titans where they all just watch and play games with the unwitting mortals they surround.
Overall:
Excellent character development, vibrant dialogue and a solid story. Sometimes it was hard to keep up with who was who (hence the 4.5), especially toward the end when more characters were introduced ie Elyse Adder's storyline. The conclusion (for now) for all of the characters satisfied me greatly, even though the outcomes weren't perfect or in some cases, what the characters even wanted. That's a good story for you though. It doesn't have to be rainbows, wedding bells and butterflies to be a good ending.
OK, I'm still thinking about it... maybe Octavian is actually my third favourite character. He's such a bigot, but we've all been young, naive and arrogant once... right?
There was a lot going on in this novel, but Barr didn't drop any of the spinning plates. This book has magic, science, medicine, 'synthetic magic', steampunk and a bit of academia, as well as interesting races such as the bifrostians. I got to the end of the book and realised I was sad to see it coming to an end. I'd love to see where this bigger story goes in the next book. Looking forward to it!
Avery Adder sees an opportunity for glory when he rides toward the aurora. He will be the first in history to touch it...
I think starting the novel with the colossal arrogance of a young Icarus was a great start, then we get to meet the rest of the students at Academy, a mobile island that is also a renowned educational establishment in this world that Barr has created. The age of the characters gives it a strong fit into the young adult bracket of the genre, but this does not in any way detract from the great, widely-accessible story that this is. I wish I'd got the paperback instead of the ebook because the dramatis personae followed by the prologue was so useful to flick back to after 400 pages or so. It set the story up brilliantly. Each of the characters have their own unique voice, and I imagined this all unravelling before me like an anime series--I'd love to see the vivid costumes come to life!
Characters:
My favourite characters (and this changed all the time throughout!) were Avery Adder and Georgia Blackwood (Blackwood being fiery most of the time, but still likeable and appropriately vulnerable). Neither of them are perfect, and neither of them are token. I enjoyed the complexity of all of the characters and how they navigated this world and their lives.
Back to what I said about young adult; the angst, especially with characters such as Breya, Aria and Georgia really raised the stakes for me. The sexual tension between Georgia and Grace, and especially Georgia's inner thoughts and feelings added so much depth considering she's quite closed to the others, and feisty all the time. her need to be loved was compelling, and I felt for this character so much in particular. The characters, although appearing in a fantasy world where we have merrows that will poison you in a fist fight, blood mages, demigods, usury mages, very visible auras and several cultures and customs that are alien to us, they were so human in their motivations and desires.
As for the adventures the characters embark on:
The chapters at sea are so vibrant, you can almost smell the surroundings. Stiff and Luce add some comedic charm to the more serious aspects ie the bloodless, who are actually quite awful! The pantheon of demigods and gods add another important aspect, similar to The Clash Of The Titans where they all just watch and play games with the unwitting mortals they surround.
Overall:
Excellent character development, vibrant dialogue and a solid story. Sometimes it was hard to keep up with who was who (hence the 4.5), especially toward the end when more characters were introduced ie Elyse Adder's storyline. The conclusion (for now) for all of the characters satisfied me greatly, even though the outcomes weren't perfect or in some cases, what the characters even wanted. That's a good story for you though. It doesn't have to be rainbows, wedding bells and butterflies to be a good ending.
OK, I'm still thinking about it... maybe Octavian is actually my third favourite character. He's such a bigot, but we've all been young, naive and arrogant once... right?
There was a lot going on in this novel, but Barr didn't drop any of the spinning plates. This book has magic, science, medicine, 'synthetic magic', steampunk and a bit of academia, as well as interesting races such as the bifrostians. I got to the end of the book and realised I was sad to see it coming to an end. I'd love to see where this bigger story goes in the next book. Looking forward to it!
December 18, 2020
Do ya like magic with your steampunk? Flying machines? Sea battles? Blood magic? Do I have the book for you!
The book is centered around Academy student Avery Adder, an Aero pilot who gets a little more than he bargained for when he goes after the mysterious Aurora, kicking off a chain of events that shakes the foundations of everything he knows. (You read the blurb, didn't you? Of course you did!)
I could tell from the first few pages that the author really enjoyed the worldbuilding. The characters, and there's quite a few, are all well-rounded. Time is taken to establish them all and I really appreciate that.
The Bloodless is a really cool concept and I'm looking forward to where it goes in book 2. I love a good antagonist, and they're definitely badass.
A debut and a friggin' great one. Two thumbs up from me.
This is a personal preference of mine, so it doesn't detract from my rating, but I figure I'd mention. The relationships between characters tend to lean a little YA (not every single one!) Some might argue that point, but, I admittedly don't read a lot of YA so that's just how they seemed to me. The rest of the book is definitely Adult.
The book is centered around Academy student Avery Adder, an Aero pilot who gets a little more than he bargained for when he goes after the mysterious Aurora, kicking off a chain of events that shakes the foundations of everything he knows. (You read the blurb, didn't you? Of course you did!)
I could tell from the first few pages that the author really enjoyed the worldbuilding. The characters, and there's quite a few, are all well-rounded. Time is taken to establish them all and I really appreciate that.
The Bloodless is a really cool concept and I'm looking forward to where it goes in book 2. I love a good antagonist, and they're definitely badass.
A debut and a friggin' great one. Two thumbs up from me.
This is a personal preference of mine, so it doesn't detract from my rating, but I figure I'd mention. The relationships between characters tend to lean a little YA (not every single one!) Some might argue that point, but, I admittedly don't read a lot of YA so that's just how they seemed to me. The rest of the book is definitely Adult.
October 20, 2025
Ian Barr is a world-building whirlwind. There truly is something for everyone. Interesting and unique characters, fantastical magic, steampunk, pirates, horrible creatures, heroes, villains, sidekicks, political intrigue, power struggles--if you can think of a story element you like, you can probably find it in Synthetic Magic.
At first I thought I might get lost in all the characters he created to make this story move, but I was wrong. Each character or faction had something unique about them and I had no problem at all following them through the constant challenges they faced. The dialogue and action held my interest and I enjoyed the humor. I do like it when conversations between people in a fantastical setting seem like conversations any friends or lovers would have.
The ending felt abrupt, but I am really looking forward to seeing what happens in Book #2.
At first I thought I might get lost in all the characters he created to make this story move, but I was wrong. Each character or faction had something unique about them and I had no problem at all following them through the constant challenges they faced. The dialogue and action held my interest and I enjoyed the humor. I do like it when conversations between people in a fantastical setting seem like conversations any friends or lovers would have.
The ending felt abrupt, but I am really looking forward to seeing what happens in Book #2.
February 11, 2021
I personally liked the build-up of all the different characters and how I could connect with each of them. I don’t generally read Fantasy, but this book has me wanting more! The author did a fantastic job transporting me into the story. I can’t wait for book 2!
April 5, 2021
The magic system, the steam punk elements, the real life characters were all a huge win for me. I felt like the introduction of certain elements could have been alluded to more but that could just me being super picky because I cant find much else to be nitpicky about. Well worth the read!
February 16, 2021
This books follows the journey of Avery Adder, student of academy, who is healing from flying his aero into the auroran lights. In this story there are blood mages, a secret device being made, strange lights in the sky, mortals, immortals, and the beings that straddle the line between the two, just to name a few. There's love, betrayal, kidnapping, Bloodless, excellent world buikding and tons of action. This story is told by multiple perspectives, Breya, Aria & Georgia being among some of my favorites! I loved the different personalities of the main characters, their friendships, hardships, twists and turns and how they were able to grow as the story went on.
August 26, 2021
The world that the author has created is, simply put, special. A great deal of care is given to the world building and once you're in it, it is impossible to escape it. Even when I wasn't actively reading the book, I found myself daydreaming my way around Academy. It is truly a gift to be able to create so many complex characters that you can both love and hate at once. The female characters in particular are multifaceted, strong and well written. I am really looking forward to the next one.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews