SciFi and Fantasy eBook Club discussion

The voting has barely started for the September Fantasy theme and it's overwhelmingly going to High Magic.

For the Purposes of this poll, 'High Magic' is formal, ritualized magic with or without a religious element. The magic can focus on magical items or magic requiring specific physical object to perform - but doesn't have to. Think more along the lines of socerers and wizards than the djinn or Samantha Stevens and her mother. That still leaves the nominations pretty wide open. I'm not going to pre-veto any immensely popular series set in wizard schools ... even though I thought about it.


Remember our few rules:
1. They must be available as an ebook
2. One nomination and one seconding per person
3. No nominating your own book and
4. Mods can veto a nomination if they decide the book doesn't fit ... :-)


And, as always, authors selected in the past 12 months may not be nominated. For a list, you may check here: http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1...


Nominated and Seconded
Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett
Illumination by Terry McGarry
The Warded Man by Peter V. Brett
Spellwright by Blake Charlton
Mazirian the Magician\The Dying Earth by Jack Vance
Sabriel by Garth Nix


Nominated
The Accidental Sorcerer by K.E. Mills
Magic's Pawn by Mercedes Lackey

I'm going to open this with my favorite wizard story: Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett.

I'd like to nominate The Accidental Sorcerer by K.E. Mills

I recommend The Name of the Wind by Patick Rothfuss. I think it fits pretty well since it has a very interesting system of magic which is being depicted in high detail.

Vimes wrote: "I recommend The Name of the Wind by Patick Rothfuss. I think it fits pretty well since it has a very interesting system of magic which is being depicted in high detail."


The group read this book in December 2011.

How about Sabriel by Garth Nix?

I will second Equal Rites.

Geoffrey wrote: "I'm going to open this with my favorite wizard story: Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett."

High magic really??

The Rithmatist.The Rithmatist

I second Sabriel.

Bev wrote: "Geoffrey wrote: "I'm going to open this with my favorite wizard story: Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett."

High magic really??"

Magic doesn't get any higher on the Discworld than at The Unseen University, does it?

;-)

Charles wrote: "Bev wrote: "Geoffrey wrote: "I'm going to open this with my favorite wizard story: Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett."

High magic really??"

Magic doesn't get any higher on the Discworld than at The ..."
It just shows that the themes can be rather ambiguous or have different meanings to all. Dont get me wrong I like Pratchett but still.......

Oh, I"ll admit that Pratchett's wizards definitely practice the lowest form of high magic possible ... but they still use rituals and magic items .... :-D

My second choice was going to be Goodkind....

Bev wrote: "The Rithmatist.The Rithmatist
"

I thought about this one too .... but we're reading his The Way of Kings next month.

Geoffrey wrote: "Bev wrote: "The Rithmatist.The Rithmatist
"

I thought about this one too .... but we're reading his The Way of Kings next month."

I just think that not many writers do magic better or more original than him.

Greg wrote: "Vimes wrote: "I recommend The Name of the Wind by Patick Rothfuss. I think it fits pretty well since it has a very interesting system of magic which is being depicted in high detail."


The group read this book in December 2011"

Could someone please clarify the nomination rules for me? I thought the cutoff was 12 months. December 2011 is significantly more than 12 months ago.

Craig,

The cut off is 12-months to repeat an author. So Patrick Rothfuss is eligible for a new nomination - but not that particular book. However, if you want to nominate book 2 of that series, The Wise Man's Fear, given that we've read book 1, that's a completely eligible book.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10...
Illumination by Terry McGarry has a unique and detailed system of magic which is quite unlike most. Very interesting and good writing. Not sure it's in ebook form?

How about Magician's Law

Michael Scott

The Warded Man?

Peter wrote: "How about Magician's Law

Michael Scott"

I'm not finding this as an ebook ....

Geoffrey wrote: "Peter wrote: "How about Magician's Law

Michael Scott"

I'm not finding this as an ebook ...."

Rats - never mind.

I would like to nominate Magic's Pawn by Mercedes Lackey.

I second Illumination by Terry McGarry.

I'll second The Warded Man, as it appears to have decent reviews.

Warded Man is AMAZING & AWESOME and everyone who like fantasy should read it. But I'm not sure it's: "'High Magic' is formal, ritualized magic with or without a religious element". How the magic in this book works is unknown to its users. They do things because they have effect, but the knowledge of why and how has been lost and they struggle to reclaim that knowledge.

Spellwright

I haven't read it, but it comes highly recommended.
About a dyslexic wizard, who to make spells, needs to write them out. Would words be a tool though?

Brenda ╰☆╮ wrote: "Spellwright

I haven't read it, but it comes highly recommended.
About a dyslexic wizard, who to make spells, needs to write them out. Would words be a tool though?"

To my mind: yes, if we're talking about the sort of thing where you have to say the exact right words in just the precisely correct way, or else something bad happens to you; then it seems to me like it could fit the bill.

I'll second Spellwright, and I think you missed Ale seconding Sabriel

Hello,
I'll second Spellwright too.

Hello, I would like to nominate

I'll second "The Accidental Sorcerer" - looks amusing.

@Tim - Your nomination seems to be the second book in the series - would you consider nominating the first book instead, for all those who've not yet encountered this series?

I nominate THE DYING EARTH, by Jack Vance. It's all about the magic. And a nice tribute to the recently departed author.

The Dying Earth

I'll second The Dying Earth, though if chosen I probably read the third book as I've already read the first two.

UPDATE: The Kindle version is called: Mazirian the Magician. It seems to have the same five stories, but in a different order.

http://www.amazon.com/Mazirian-Magici...

I second Sabriel (although I'll second the Warded Man as well if I could...)

This is a good list. I'm going to open the poll now ...

Carro seconded The Accidental Sorcerer

good catch. I missed that. The poll is update as well.

;)

equal rites without discussion !!! xD