I am actually working through 3 mediums at the moment. I am listening to Wheel of Time on audible, I’ve been reading the manga Witch Hat Atelier. and I just started reading The Stormlight Archive. Basically switching depending on my mood and activity. I’ve really been trying to get back into reading more. As a way to tune out the noise that is the world in it’s current state.

Wheel of Time

I actually started this series a while ago. I’m on book 8 of 14 now and I really appreciate the world building and the magic system. I also like how well written the woman are. Though the author does tend to spend too much time describing the appearance of every woman’s chest. I won’t describe the characters or the actual plot as I think the world building and magic system stand on their own to be enticing to read.

World Building

I absolutely love how information travels through the world. Rumors of events spread through hear say and can get misinterpreted. The differences in culture are really cool too especially when it comes to people outside of their own bubble meeting people who don’t share the same values and traditions. It all feels very accurate as to how this plays out.

As the series name sake the wheel of time is a cool idea. That the world happens as a pattern being woven on a spinning wheel. Repeating pattens through reincarnation and the idea that some people are born who can alter the pattern.

Magic System

I also think the magic system is pretty cool, two halves of one power. The male and female half of the true source. The male half having been tainted by evil draws all men mad and women are the only ones that are “allowed” to channel, or pull magic.

It’s interesting that either sex using the power is treated in some way like an addiction as something that can become detrimental if you take on too much.

Witch Hat Atelier

I’m not super far into this series yet. I’m somewhere in the late 20s in terms of chapters. The way the magic system works is also the draw of this for me. Is this the start of a pattern? The idea is that magic is only done by those gifted with and can do extraordinary things. In reality magic can be done by anyone. It’s a magic ink and the way the seals are drawn that cause magic to happen. But that is a well kept secret as it would be chaos if every person had the means to alter the entire world and fabric of time and space.

The story follows a young witch who shouldn’t have known about magic being taken under the wing of a teacher while searching for the answer to a question that you’ll have to read to learn. We get introduced to the world in the same way that she is learning how things work as she does as she’s not one of those privileged to know the secret.

The main rules around using magic is interesting. No doing magic on the body. It can be done it’s just forbidden within the witch society. Most of the innovation with magic is in gadgets, gear and structures.

The Stormlight Archive

I don’t have much to say about this yet. I start dreading it because I heard that Brandon Sanderson is a great fantasy author. Though just like the others I like the magic system pulling energy and holding it in. Though I have only got 3 chapters into the first book so I don’t know much other than the war is going on.