Episode 201 - Magic the Systeming
Welcome to the first episode of Season 2 - Magic the Systeming! The panel discusses the spec-fic books with the most unique magic systems we've ever read about. Hear about The Black Prism by Brent Weeks, Into the Labyrinth by John Bierce, Book of Doors by Gareth Brown, and Myst: The Book of Atrus by David Wingrove, Rand Miller, and Robyn Miller.
The Black Prism by Brent Weeks
This is the first novel in the Lightbringer series. It follows Gavin Guile, the powerful Prism who rules and stabilizes the Seven Satrapies through magic and politics, as his past war with his brother resurfaces and a hidden son threatens to unravel the fragile balance of power. The book’s standout feature is its highly structured magic system called chromaturgy, which is based on manipulating light and color. Drafters (magic users) absorb specific colors of light through their eyes and convert that light into a physical magical substance called luxin.
Luxin can be shaped into objects like weapons, walls, or tools, effectively turning light into matter. Each color produces luxin with different physical properties and psychological effects. For example, red luxin is flammable and chaotic; blue luxin is rigid and ideal for structures or weapons; superviolet luxin is nearly invisible and extremely light. Most drafters can only use one color (monochromes), some can use two (bichromes), and rare individuals can wield several (polychromes).
Chromaturgy has a built-in limitation: every time someone drafts luxin, the color accumulates in the iris of their eye. When it spreads too far — “breaking the halo” — the drafter goes insane and becomes a dangerous being called a wight.
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Into the Labyrinth by John Bierce
This is the first book in the Mage Errant series. The story follows Hugh of Emblin, a struggling student at Skyhold’s magical academy who seems incapable of properly controlling his magic. Mocked by classmates and close to expulsion, Hugh’s life changes when he’s taken on as an apprentice by the eccentric battle-mage Alustin Haberford. Alongside a small group of equally unusual students, Hugh begins training in unconventional magic while uncovering secrets hidden within Skyhold—including a mysterious labyrinth beneath the school.
In this world, mages form affinities with specific substances or concepts—like stone, fire, crystal, or even more unusual things — which determine what kinds of spells they can cast. Hugh’s apparent weakness turns out to be something rarer and more complicated, setting the stage for his growth as both a mage and a person.
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The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown
The story follows Cassie Andrews, a quiet bookstore employee in New York whose life changes when a favorite customer dies and leaves her a mysterious object: the Book of Doors. The book has a strange power — any door Cassie imagines while holding it can become a portal, allowing her to travel instantly anywhere in the world.
But the Book of Doors is only one of many magical books, each with a unique and often terrifying ability. As Cassie learns about this hidden world, she becomes the target of ruthless collectors and dangerous figures who will do anything to possess these books. With the help of allies who understand their power, she must decide whether to hide the book, use it, or risk unleashing forces far beyond her control.
The magic revolves around rare enchanted books, each granting a specific reality-altering ability—such as opening portals, manipulating luck, or influencing time. Whoever possesses a book gains its power, making them incredibly valuable and fiercely hunted.
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Myst: The Book of Atrus by Rand Miller, Robyn Miller and David Wingrove
This is a fantasy novel set in the universe of the classic game Myst and serves as the origin story for one of its central characters.
The novel follows Atrus, a boy raised in isolation in the desert by his grandmother. His life changes when his estranged father, Gehn, suddenly appears and takes him to a hidden underground civilization. There, Atrus learns about the ancient art of Writing—a powerful technique that allows specially crafted books to create and link to entirely new worlds, known as Ages.
As Atrus studies this art under his father, he gradually discovers that Gehn’s ambition and misuse of the Writing threaten the stability of the worlds he creates. Forced to confront the moral consequences of this power, Atrus must decide what kind of creator—and what kind of person—he will become.
The story centers on the Art of Writing, where descriptive books act as links to fully realized worlds. Skilled writers can shape the conditions of these worlds through precise language and structure, but careless or selfish use of the craft can destabilize entire Ages.
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