What is reddit's opinion of
Unsouled (Cradle Book 1)?
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In my opinion, Unsouled is much better. Better characters, more epic worldbuilding, along with better prose.
It is still recognizably by the same author, so depending on what you did and didn't like about Travelers Gate, it's hard to say how you'd enjoy this series.
I'd recommend going to the book's Amazon page and reading the free preview (should only take a few minutes). It covers the book's prologue and the first part of chapter one. If you like that, you'll definitely enjoy the rest of the book.
Cradle is a progression series by Will Wight and is right up there with your stuff with how much I enjoyed it. It’s got some of the highest ratings on Amazon in the fantasy section. Here is a link to the first book.
They are pretty quick reads and they just get better and better with each book. It’s basically about a kid on a world where people perform a mixture of magic and martial arts and everyone’s worth is measured by how much power they have and only the strongest are given resources to get stronger. The MC is born with a magic deficiency so he is basically thrown to the lowest spot possible on the social ladder and told to just live out his life under the radar, take the disrespect with humility, and not rise above his station. Obviously the story is about him overcoming all that. Sorry, I’m not so great with descriptions, but I really think you would like it, the character struggles are really well written.
Or if you like get the first eBook for $1 and click the ‘add audible narration for 1.99” to try both formats of the first book. The audible narrator for the series is wonderful.
It's sold as a epub on Amazon (the first novel is here.) Often earlier volumes are away for free when a new one comes out.
Don't download it from free epub download sites like libgen or b-ok.cc, since the author doesn't get anything when it's downloaded from there.
It has awesome anime-esque action sequences in a really original fantasy realm with my current favorite main character.
I WISH I could talk to people about these books...
Wintersteel is book 8. Start at book 1 called Unsouled. I think he's got the first 7 books as free for the next day or so if you're quick. They're not high fantasy. Very popcorn/anime feel
As other’s have already recommend the best book that satisfies your criteria while being good is Cradle series by Will Wight
Book 1 is called Unsouled. Latest book is #6. New book comes out every six months. If you look at reviews across the entire series they are very high with the latest book having more reviews than even the first because there was so much hype surrounding its release and a lot of new people joined the series at the time.
I’ve read a lot of books where MC is OP. This is the only book where it actually makes sense and doesn’t turn everything into a joke
I have exactly the book series you need to read -> Cradle by Will Wight. It's about a young "Sacred Artist" who is born with what seems to be a damaged soul and so he has to use trickery and cleverness to forge his own path in the martial arts.
I'd recommended this to a friend and his big comment back to me was: "It reads like a sophisticated version of DBZ".
<strong>Unsouled</strong> by Will Wight.
It's fantastic Western take on the wuxia/xianxia genre and well-written in general. Lindon is one of my favorite protagonists in recent history, too.
Not sure if it's up your alley or not. But Will Wight made his "Unsouled" book free this week and it's well received. All of his books are available free through Kindle unlimited too.
Also, you can't go wrong with Sanderson. Andrew Rowe is an under appreciated author that's picked up a lot of traction too.
The most common term I hear for that is hard magic when referring to the magic itself, or sometimes hard fantasy for the book as a whole.
It's used in the same way that "hard science fiction" implies a degree of scientific rigor for the scientific elements in a science fiction novel.
You'll also probably find some good examples just searching for discussions about magic systems in general, since systemic magic often implies a degree of detail (although not every magic system is anywhere near as much of a focus in the story as Sanderson's).
Some Examples of Novels with Hard Magic Systems:
<strong>Unsouled</strong> is the first book in Will Wight's Cradle series. Will’s series emphasizes intense action and long-term character growth. They’re much shorter and faster paced than most of the other options on this list.
<strong>Mother of Learning</strong> is about a novice mage who gets stuck in a month-long time loop. The magic system is something of a mix between D&Dish schools of magic and anime-style training exercises. We learn more about the magic system as the protagonist does. Lots of fun twists on the genre in there, too.
<strong>Rokka: Braves of the Six Flowers</strong> by Ishio Yamagata is fantastic if you enjoy fantasy mixed with mysteries. Not all of it has been translated yet, but the first couple books are out.
<strong>Worm</strong> is a web serial about a young girl who develops super powers. It's dark, internally consistent, and features characters that use their abilities at least somewhat intelligently.
<strong>Sufficiently Advanced Magic</strong> is one of my own books. It's a magical academy novel, but with a style inspired by anime and Japanese RPGs like Final Fantasy, the Tales series, etc. It's very heavy on the magic system side of things, with the main character spending a fair bit of time in classes and studying to learn how magic works. If what you’re looking for is a story where learning how to use magic creatively is a major focus, you might enjoy this.
Would like to point out that #6 Cradle by Will Wight is currently free on Amazon.
Good Western Wuxia, good writer and a good intro to the genre without the... oddities... of translations.
That would be Cradle by Will Wight. Love it.
​
https://www.amazon.com/Unsouled-Cradle-Book-Will-Wight-ebook/dp/B01H1CYBS6
Here are some recommendations for some other novels with detailed magic systems.
<strong>Unsouled</strong> is the first book in Will Wight's Cradle series. Will’s series emphasizes intense action and long-term character growth. They’re much shorter and faster paced than most of the other options on this list.
<strong>Mother of Learning</strong> is about a novice mage who gets stuck in a month-long time loop. The magic system is something of a mix between D&Dish schools of magic and anime-style training exercises. We learn more about the magic system as the protagonist does. Lots of fun twists on the genre in there, too.
<strong>Rokka: Braves of the Six Flowers</strong> by Ishio Yamagata is fantastic if you enjoy fantasy mixed with mysteries. Not all of it has been translated yet, but the first couple books are out.
<strong>Worm</strong> is a web serial about a young girl who develops super powers. It's dark, internally consistent, and features characters that use their abilities at least somewhat intelligently.
<strong>Sufficiently Advanced Magic</strong> is one of my own books. It's a magical academy novel, but with a style inspired by anime and Japanese RPGs like Final Fantasy, the Tales series, etc. It's very heavy on the magic system side of things, with the main character spending a fair bit of time in classes and studying to learn how magic works. If what you’re looking for is a story where learning how to use magic creatively is a major focus, you might enjoy this.
Kinda in order. Keep in mind I don't read the translated Asian novels because most of the translations are hot garbage and I just can't get used to those.
Cradle from Will Wight- Excellent writing and plotline, it's what got me into this subreddit in the first place. No need to say any more, this is a stable of the sub.
Mother of Learning from Domagoj Kurmaic- Also really solid, the story is a few months away from finishing, highly recommend.
Metaworld Chronicles from Wutosama- The author took a generic isekai plotline and twisted it. The writing might not be completely as good as the others, but probably competing for personal enjoyment right up there with Cradle. It's not as popular as the others, but read the first few chapters and give it a shot if you want.
Arcane Ascension from Andrew Rowe- Very solid too, but slightly inferior to Cradle imo. Probably because I read Cradle first. Honestly, the book is quite forgettable since I don't remember the plotline, but I still remember it being good.
The Traveler's Gate Trilogy from Will Wight- It gets really wordy at times, and I get confused by the plot sometimes because I get impatient and my eyes skip a few lines or so. Still solid, but the weakest one out of the ones I've read.
Cradle series by Will Wight.
I started reading in KU about two years ago. I've found a lot of terrific stuff - but here are my absolute favorites:
- The Cradle series by Will Wight, starting with Unsouled. I've become addicted to this series, and it's one of the few that I'll drop everything to read when a new one comes out. In a world (universe?) of sacred artists, Lindon must overcome his natural weakness and achieve great power so that he may stop a future cataclysm from destroying his home and family. Fun, inventive, rollicking adventures.
- The Aching God by Mike Shel. I really hope this is a harbinger of where the fantasy genre is headed. Not childish or simplistic, but also not gory, dull, dreary grimdark. Well-crafted fantasy for adults that presents a complex, interesting story in a faceted world (with some grayness), yet manages to elicit a sense of wonder in the reader. The character of Auric - solid, grounded, flawed, but a good man - is a welcome respite from an endless parade of anti-heroes. And I love that Mr. Shel managed to craft a realistic fantasy world about that most beloved of fantasy tropes - delving into forgotten ruins in search of ancient treasures. This is the novel that kids who played D&D 20 years ago deserve.
- Paternus by Dyrk Ashton. One of those books I was pulling out my Ipad to read when I had 15 minutes to spare. It's an incredibly fun, fast-paced, and informative romp set on the opening day of a war between the gods. But that summation doesn't really do Paternus justice. There's so much more here, and Mr. Ashton tantalizes with great mysteries, while also satisfying with stunning twists and action. The writing deserves a special mention as well - very polished and smooth, with the occasional flourish that really impressed me. I suppose one of the closest comparisons to this book might be American Gods - but for me, Paternus was better.
Other favorites include:
The Woven Ring by MD Presley https://www.amazon.com/Woven-Ring-Flintlock-Fantasy-Harvest-ebook/dp/B01IALGCDE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1546379433&sr=8-1&keywords=woven+ring+presley
Danse Macabre by Laura Hughes https://www.amazon.com/Danse-Macabre-Laura-M-Hughes-ebook/dp/B016FRZ7KE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1546379469&sr=8-1&keywords=danse+macabre+laura
Age of Order by Julian North (this is science fiction but if you like Red Rising give it a try) https://www.amazon.com/Age-Order-Saga-Book-ebook/dp/B01N25QE72/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1546379553&sr=8-2&keywords=age+of+order+north
Hey there!
Here are some suggestions for other books with detailed magic systems.
<strong>Unsouled</strong> is the first book in Will Wight's Cradle series. Will’s series emphasizes intense action and long-term character growth. They’re much shorter and faster paced than most of the other options on this list.
<strong>Mother of Learning</strong> is about a novice mage who gets stuck in a month-long time loop. The magic system is something of a mix between D&Dish schools of magic and anime-style training exercises. We learn more about the magic system as the protagonist does. Lots of fun twists on the genre in there, too.
<strong>Rokka: Braves of the Six Flowers</strong> by Ishio Yamagata is fantastic if you enjoy fantasy mixed with mysteries. Not all of it has been translated yet, but the first couple books are out.
<strong>Worm</strong> is a web serial about a young girl who develops super powers. It's dark, internally consistent, and features characters that use their abilities at least somewhat intelligently.
<strong>Sufficiently Advanced Magic</strong> is one of my own books. It's a magical academy novel, but with a style inspired by anime and Japanese RPGs like Final Fantasy, the Tales series, etc. It's very heavy on the magic system side of things, with the main character spending a fair bit of time in classes and studying to learn how magic works. If what you’re looking for is a story where learning how to use magic creatively is a major focus, you might enjoy this.
The two top picks sub-genre-wise from most people will probably be:
Cradle by Will Wight
Arcane Ascension by Andrew Rowe.
So I'd start with one of those.
---
After that, my personal next best picks would be:
Mother of Learning by Domagoj Kurmaic
Street Cultivation by Sarah Lin
Mage Errant by John Bierce
A Thousand Li by Tao Wong
If you want more mainstream fantasy with progression/power fantasy aspects I'd also recommend:
Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson
Kingkiller Chronicle by Patrick Rothfuss
The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher
The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan
The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang
Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson
I'm not well-read in the genre so I'm not sure if this is exactly what you're looking for, but Will Wight's Cradle series sounds as though it might interest you. The series isn't complete, but there are five completed novels in it.
Amazon link for the first book, Unsouled
Amazon link for the first three as a package deal.
I would recommend it if you're a fan of cultivation, spiritual techniques, and the zero to god journey. It also has a more western style prose that for me was more enjoyable to read.
Anything by Will Wight, but specifically his Cradle series is top notch. Here’s the first novel: [link]
Here are all the local Amazon links I could find.
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Really? I'm Swedish and I picked it up from the link I linked in the post.
The amazon converter bot over at /r/FreeEBOOKS had more links though.
> Here are all the local Amazon links I could find.
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The Dao of Magic is a more westernized type cultivation story. The Dao of Magic has some pretty interesting ideas, and for the most part is a great read. It is not without its flaws though, but they give the story character in their own way.
Unsouled is the first book in an ongoing series of wuxia/xianxia inspired books that is released on Amazon. I feel it is really well written, though I got bored halfway through the released books. It's still great, it's just hard for books to keep my interest, and is nothing against the author/story.
I haven't really read many English stories that are purely wuxia/xianxia though, but I have noticed wuxia influence in all manner of fantasy webnovels nowadays. I know there are many more wuxia/xianxia original English stories though; I just can't think of them off the top of my head.
Will Wights Cradle series. The first book is a little slow because it's setting up a lot of the world, but the second book and on really kick it up.
https://www.amazon.com/Unsouled-Cradle-Book-Will-Wight-ebook/dp/B01H1CYBS6/
The completionist series by Dakota Krout is just fun!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07B27XQLF
Can't you buy the book for 0,00 dollars?
Here a link to book 1 : https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01H1CYBS6
+ maybe read the advise from 'automoderator' a couple of comments up. You should not choose 'read for free' but 'buy now'.
Good luck!
If you want to get into reading then you prolly don't want to read an epic series.
I would recommend the "Cradle" book series. The books are not too long but if you do like them there is enough books to keep you going for a while.
If you have kindle app with kindle unlimited you can read it for free.
https://www.amazon.com/Unsouled-Cradle-Book-Will-Wight-ebook/dp/B01H1CYBS6/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Cradle+series&qid=1617365151&s=amazon-devices&sr=1-1
These are some of my favorite series that aren't Lord of the Mysteries.
Cradle by Will Wight
The Stormlight Archives by Brandon Sanderson
Mother of Learning by nobody103
Throne of Magical Arcana by Cuttlefish that Loves Diving
Overlord by Maruyama Kugane
I'm a Spider, So What? by Baba Okina
Art of the Adept by Michael Manning
Ar'Kendrithyst by Arcs
Azarinth Healer by Rhaegar
The Tutorial is Too Hard by Gandara
A good mix of published books, English web novels and translated light/web novels. If there isn't a series in there that catches your eye, I'll eat my hat (I'm not wearing a hat).
The general name for the genre is Progression Fantasy. Which is the collective title for fantasy/sci-fi stories that have an incremental growth in power for the protagonist as a main theme.
Some of the common subgenres are:
Xianxia, which are stories (generally based in Chinese mythology) about the cultivation of ones chi and the striving for immortality. Very martial arts based and often quite weird to read for someone who isn't immersed in Chinese culture. An excellent entry point into the genre would be Will Wight's Cradle series. It's one of the best stories in the genre while also written for a western readership.
LitRPG, also known as GameLit, which are stories that take place in videogames or in videogame inspired worlds. Most commonly these are stories in which people have access to a status with attributes, skills, levels and whatever other RPG mechanics a given author wants to put in. These stories often aim to satisfy the craving for ever increains numbers in a similar way to incremental games, although generally without going into the realm of absurd exponential growth. A personal favourite here is Tao Wong's System Apocalypse series, the namer of the whole system apocalypse subgenre.
A good starting point if you want to read free fiction in this vein is Royal Road. While there is a huge amount of crap writing on that site, the top 20 or so top rated stories are almost all worth a read.
it's gotten popular enough to hit US authors as well
You have three legitimate options: Amazon / Kindle store for eBook, Audible for the audiobooks (which I very highly recommend, Travis Baldree does an amazing job with the narration) or actual paperbacks.
All of the books are on Amazon Kindle Store and they come free with a Kindle Unlimited subscription, the same is true for the audiobooks and an Audible subscription. You can sign up for a free 30-day trial for both Audible and Kindle Unlimited, read / listen to the books within the 30 day trial then cancel for no extra fees. If you want my recommendation, I'd say, download Audible to your phone, create an account and go for a 30 day trial and listen to the audiobooks, I can't overstate how great the narrator (Travis Baldree) is.
https://www.amazon.com/Unsouled-Cradle-Book-Will-Wight-ebook/dp/B01H1CYBS6
The "Cradle" series by Will Wight, 8 books (so far), book 1 is called "Unsouled":
- It's a novel
- It's part of a series
- All 8 books are around 300 pages, give or take.
- According to Wikipedia, low fantasy "is characterized by... a rational and familiar fictional world with the inclusion of magical elements". This seems to fit, roughly. There are some high fantasy elements, but then, the separation between high and low isn't that clear cut to me. YMMV. There are swords, but no real sorcery, if that helps.
- Definitely a party theme going on as the books progress. Although they are sometimes separated by circumstances.
- Not an urban fantasy.
- Mostly the main character just wants to get stronger and save his valley. It's not about "an evil dark power arises and the young hero must save the world".
Enjoy :)
I haven't read a whole lot of the ones you mention, but judging by the fact that you enjoy beginning after the end, and solo leveling, am I right to assume that you're more into the "high powered protagonist" power-fantasy end of the sub genre?
While a sub-favourite like Cradle will probably be right up your alley: it can take several books to get to that point, so it really depends on whether you also appreciate books that give time for an underdog to evolve into an overdog :P
If yes, check out Cradle by Will Wight.
If not, here are some other recommendations:
Iron Prince by Bryce O'Connor and Luke Chmilenko
Red Mage by Xander Boyce
King's Dark Tidings by Kel Kade
Legend of the Arch Magus by Michael Sisa
Demon Accords by John Conroe
Hellequin Chronicles by Steve McHugh
First book is Unsouled. Series is called Cradle. Written by author Will Wight.
Here's a recent /r/fantasy thread about Cradle. I like to lurk in /r/fantasy and from what others have said, apparently Will is a fan of xianxia and wrote Cradle book 1 on a whim, not intending to write more than one book, but the series caught on, so he decided to go all in and wrote books for cradle like a madman.
I personally haven't gotten around to reading any of the books yet, so I don't know.
What I do know is that Will himself likes to give away previous Cradle books when he releases a new one (discount to 0 temporarily on amazon). Sometimes he'll give them away during holidays too.
Here are all the local Amazon links I could find:
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Here are all the local Amazon links I could find:
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You could recommend they buy it, often libraries take recommendations. It's self published, so it's likely not on a lot of librarian's radars. And it's 3.99 on Amazon as an ebook, which is pretty reasonable. You won't regret it, I promise!
https://www.amazon.com/Unsouled-Cradle-Book-Will-Wight-ebook/dp/B01H1CYBS6
I'm not in US, but I see "Buy now" button, plus a checkbox to add audio for $2.35
"I Shall Seal the Heavens" is kind of indicative of everything I dislike about most Xianxia. Everyone (including the MC) is a hypocritical asshole, bordering on sociopathic. Now, I don't mind a sociopath MC, but there has to be some balance with the other characters. It also has a power system that is easily abused by the rich or (in the MC's case) incredibly lucky. You don't need to be talented or smart or work harder than everyone else, you just need to be able to afford enough pills. It does have a good translation, though.
​
As for my Xianxia recommendations, try these out
"Cradle" if you haven't read it already. it's a Xianxia by a western author. probably the best of it's kind.
"Street Cultivation" is an urban fantasy flavored Xianxia with a hint of litrpg.
Any one IEatTomatoes story such as "Coiling Dragon" (If you've read one, you've read them all)
"Pivot of the Sky" deserves a lot more attention than it gets. Be warned, if you follow one of the Abrahamic religions, you could get very offended.
"Reverend Insanity" has a really interesting Cultivation system, but it does fall prey to some of the same things ISStH does. since you liked that, it won't be a problem.
"Lord of the Mysteries" isn't Xianxia, but it is the best Chinese translated story, and one of the best stories in general, I've ever read. it's Lovecraftian horror mixed with a Xianxia-esque progression system.
It is only available on Amazon Kindle (Kindle Unlimited as well). The first book is [link] (assuming .com works for you, otherwise change it your country specific domain)
The books are also available as audiobooks
Here are all the local Amazon links I could find:
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280 pages. Start here
Here are all the local Amazon links I could find:
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Here are all the local Amazon links I could find:
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Here are all the local Amazon links I could find:
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[link] and sequels is very Xania, but has actually relatable characters, and is English original. I think his previous series is good too but might be getting authors confused.
Since you liked Mistborn and Stormlight, here are some other series with detailed magic systems and heavy world building:
<strong>Worm</strong> is a web serial about a young girl who develops super powers. It's dark, internally consistent, and features characters that use their abilities at least somewhat intelligently. If you liked Sanderson's Steelheart series, I'd recommend this one as well. (If you haven't checked out Steelheart yet, that's another solid Sanderson one.)
<strong>Unsouled</strong> is the first book in Will Wight's Cradle series. Will's style of combat writing is very similar to Sanderson's and he has similarly developed magic systems, although Will tends to focus his stories on action more.
<strong>Mother of Learning</strong> is about a novice mage who gets stuck in a month-long time loop. The magic system is something of a mix between D&Dish schools of magic and anime-style training exercises. We learn more about the magic system as the protagonist does. Lots of fun twists on the genre in there, too.
<strong>Rokka: Braves of the Six Flowers</strong> by Ishio Yamagata is fantastic if you enjoy fantasy mixed with mysteries. Not all of it has been translated yet, but the first couple books are out.
<strong>Sufficiently Advanced Magic</strong> is one of my own books. It's a magical academy novel, but with a style inspired by anime and Japanese RPGs like Final Fantasy, the Tales series, etc. It's very heavy on the magic system side of things, with the main character spending a fair bit of time in classes and studying to learn how magic works. If you like Sanderson's stuff, though, you'll probably be fine.
Since you like detailed magic systems, here's a list of my favorite magic system recommendations:
<strong>Mother of Learning</strong> is about a novice mage who gets stuck in a month-long time loop. The magic system is something of a mix between D&Dish schools of magic and anime-style training exercises. We learn more about the magic system as the protagonist does. Lots of fun twists on the genre in there, too.
<strong>Unsouled</strong> is the first novel in Will Wight's Cradle series, which blends heavy magic system development with martial arts. You might also like his Traveler's Gate books if you're in the mood for heavy action.
<strong>Worm</strong> is a web serial about a young girl who wants to be come a super hero - but, unfortunately, her powers and her first encounter make her look like a villain instead. Unlike many super hero stories, the powers are well-explained and several characters use them cleverly.
<strong>Forging Divinity</strong> is one of my own books. My main characters are all sorcerers with different specializations. Each type of magic has an associated cost; for example, the flame sorcerer can conjure fire at the cost of body heat, the sight sorcerer can conjure illusions at the cost of eyesight, etc.
Fair warning that it's a bit of a slow start - I have a heavy focus on world building and my characters tend toward the analytical side, which can slow down the pace.
I'll second the recommendation for Sanderson's Mistborn - he's the best place to start. After Mistborn, he has several other series to look at.
Here are some other options to consider for the future:
<strong>Mother of Learning</strong> is about a novice mage who gets stuck in a month-long time loop. The magic system is something of a mix between D&Dish schools of magic and anime-style training exercises. We learn more about the magic system as the protagonist does. Lots of fun twists on the genre in there, too.
<strong>Unsouled</strong> is the first novel in Will Wight's Cradle series, which blends heavy magic system development with martial arts. You might also like his Traveler's Gate books if you're in the mood for heavy action.
<strong>Forging Divinity</strong> is one of my own books. My main characters are all sorcerers with different specializations. Each type of magic has an associated cost; for example, the flame sorcerer can conjure fire at the cost of body heat, the sight sorcerer can conjure illusions at the cost of eyesight, etc.
Fair warning that it's a bit of a slow start - I have a heavy focus on world building and my characters tend toward the analytical side, which can slow down the pace.
Since you like Sanderson and Kingkiller, some other books with detailed world building and magic systems:
<strong>Mother of Learning</strong> is about a novice mage who gets stuck in a month-long time loop. The magic system is something of a mix between D&Dish schools of magic and anime-style training exercises. We learn more about the magic system as the protagonist does. Lots of fun twists on the genre in there, too.
<strong>Worm</strong> is a web serial about a young girl who wants to be come a super hero - but, unfortunately, her powers and her first encounter make her look like a villain instead. Unlike many super hero stories, the powers are well-explained and several characters use them cleverly.
<strong>Unsouled</strong> is the first novel in Will Wight's Crucible series, which blends heavy magic system development with martial arts. (It's similar to Wuxia/Xianxia books or films, if you're familiar with those.) If you want something heavy on the action side, I'd recommend going with this.
<strong>Forging Divinity</strong> is one of my own books, and it's definitely heavy on the magic side.
Sorcerers in my Forging Divinity (and my other War of Broken Mirrors novels) tend to have roughly one to three Dominions they can work with, and each Dominion has an associated cost. A flame sorcerer can call on the Dominion of Flame to conjure fire, but at the cost of body heat. A water sorcerer can conjure water, but it dehydrates them, etc. Each of my main characters is a sorcerer with a different specialization.
My books might be too short for your tastes - they're not as epic in scale as something like Sanderson's. Nevertheless, I'd recommend looking at the sample of the first book to see if you like the style.
If you like Weeks and Sanderson, I've got some other recommendations for books with heavy magic systems!
<strong>Mother of Learning</strong> is about a novice mage who gets stuck in a month-long time loop. The magic system is something of a mix between D&Dish schools of magic and anime-style training exercises. We learn more about the magic system as the protagonist does. Lots of fun twists on the genre in there, too.
<strong>Worm</strong> is a web serial about a young girl who wants to be come a super hero - but, unfortunately, her powers and her first encounter make her look like a villain instead. Unlike many super hero stories, the powers are well-explained and several characters use them cleverly.
<strong>Unsouled</strong> is the first novel in Will Wight's Crucible series, which blends heavy magic system development with martial arts. (It's similar to Wuxia/Xianxia books or films, if you're familiar with those.) If you want something heavy on the action side, I'd recommend going with this.
<strong>Forging Divinity</strong> is one of my own books, and it's definitely heavy on the magic side.
Sorcerers in my Forging Divinity (and my other War of Broken Mirrors novels) tend to have roughly one to three Dominions they can work with, and each Dominion has an associated cost. A flame sorcerer can call on the Dominion of Flame to conjure fire, but at the cost of body heat. A water sorcerer can conjure water, but it dehydrates them.
Some magic types are more esoteric, and sorcerers also specialize in either calling (conjuring energy or matter from the Dominion) or shaping (manipulating existing matter/energy).
For example, Taelien in the first book is a metalshaper; he can modify the properties of existing metallic objects, but he can't conjure any significant amount of new metal, and he can only alter metal he's touching (either directly or through another metal object that he's holding). He uses this to make himself a prodigious swordsman; he can reshape his own weapon, shift the structure of his weapon mid-swing, create flaws in enemy weapons, etc.
If this type of thing interests you, you might want to take a look at my own books - but fair warning that it takes several chapters to warm up.
Since you like Sanderson and Weeks, here are some recommendations for other books with deep magic systems:
<strong>Mother of Learning</strong> is about a novice mage who gets stuck in a month-long time loop. The magic system is something of a mix between D&Dish schools of magic and anime-style training exercises. We learn more about the magic system as the protagonist does. Lots of fun twists on the genre in there, too.
<strong>Worm</strong> is a web serial about a young girl who wants to be come a super hero - but, unfortunately, her powers and her first encounter make her look like a villain instead. Unlike many super hero stories, the powers are well-explained and several characters use them cleverly.
<strong>Unsouled</strong> is the first novel in Will Wight's Crucible series, which blends heavy magic system development with martial arts. (It's similar to Wuxia/Xianxia books or films, if you're familiar with those.) If you want something heavy on the action side, I'd recommend going with this.
<strong>Forging Divinity</strong> is one of my own books, and it's definitely heavy on the magic side.
Sorcerers in my Forging Divinity (and my other War of Broken Mirrors novels) tend to have roughly one to three Dominions they can work with, and each Dominion has an associated cost. A flame sorcerer can call on the Dominion of Flame to conjure fire, but at the cost of body heat. A water sorcerer can conjure water, but it dehydrates them, etc. Each of my main characters is a sorcerer with a different specialization.
My best recommendation for this is Unsouled by Will Wight, where working on getting stronger is one of the main parts of the plot.
I'll also second the recommendation for Mother of Learning, but with the caveat that it's more about getting the necessary power to solve a specific problem, rather than trying to be powerful for the sake of being the best of the best.
Taelien and Velas in my War of Broken Mirrors books are both extremely competitive fighters that train to continuously get more powerful. The first book is <strong>Forging Divinity</strong> if you're curious. The second book has a lot more of the training and testing content.
Fair warning that my books are very detailed about how magic works, and some of the characters are very analytical - this can slow down the pacing. If what you're looking for is fast-paced action, I'd stick with Unsouled or Will Wight's other books.
If you like Jordan and Sanderson, I'd recommend taking a look at some other books with heavy magic systems.
<strong>Mother of Learning</strong> is about a novice mage who gets stuck in a month-long time loop. The magic system is something of a mix between D&Dish schools of magic and anime-style training exercises. We learn more about the magic system as the protagonist does. Lots of fun twists on the genre in there, too.
<strong>Worm</strong> is a web serial about a young girl who wants to be come a super hero - but, unfortunately, her powers and her first encounter make her look like a villain instead. Unlike many super hero stories, the powers are well-explained and several characters use them cleverly.
<strong>Unsouled</strong> is the first novel in Will Wight's Crucible series, which blends heavy magic system development with martial arts. (It's similar to Wuxia/Xianxia books or films, if you're familiar with those.) If you want something heavy on the action side, I'd recommend going with this.
<strong>Forging Divinity</strong> is one of my own books, and it's definitely heavy on the magic side.
Sorcerers in my Forging Divinity (and my other War of Broken Mirrors novels) tend to have roughly one to three Dominions they can work with, and each Dominion has an associated cost. A flame sorcerer can call on the Dominion of Flame to conjure fire, but at the cost of body heat. A water sorcerer can conjure water, but it dehydrates them, etc.
I'll second the recommendation for Stormlight Archives.
Since you seem to like Sandersonish hard magic stuff, I'll also drop you my usual recommendations for books with detailed magic systems.
<strong>Mother of Learning</strong> is about a novice mage who gets stuck in a month-long time loop. The magic system is something of a mix between D&Dish schools of magic and anime-style training exercises. We learn more about the magic system as the protagonist does. Lots of fun twists on the genre in there, too.
<strong>Worm</strong> is a web serial about a young girl who wants to be come a super hero - but, unfortunately, her powers and her first encounter make her look like a villain instead. Unlike many super hero stories, the powers are well-explained and several characters use them cleverly.
<strong>Unsouled</strong> is the first novel in Will Wight's Crucible series, which blends heavy magic system development with martial arts. (It's similar to Wuxia/Xianxia books or films, if you're familiar with those.) If you want something heavy on the action side, I'd recommend going with this.
<strong>Forging Divinity</strong> is one of my own books, and it's definitely heavy on the magic side.
Sorcerers in my Forging Divinity (and my other War of Broken Mirrors novels) tend to have roughly one to three Dominions they can work with, and each Dominion has an associated cost. A flame sorcerer can call on the Dominion of Flame to conjure fire, but at the cost of body heat. A water sorcerer can conjure water, but it dehydrates them.
Some magic types are more esoteric, and sorcerers also specialize in either calling (conjuring energy or matter from the Dominion) or shaping (manipulating existing matter/energy).
For example, Taelien in the first book is a metalshaper; he can modify the properties of existing metallic objects, but he can't conjure any significant amount of new metal, and he can only alter metal he's touching (either directly or through another metal object that he's holding). He uses this to make himself a prodigious swordsman; he can reshape his own weapon, shift the structure of his weapon mid-swing, create flaws in enemy weapons, etc.
If this type of thing interests you, you might want to take a look at my own books - but fair warning that it takes several chapters to warm up.
Here are some recommendations for other books with deep magic systems:
<strong>Mother of Learning</strong> is about a novice mage who gets stuck in a month-long time loop. The magic system is something of a mix between D&Dish schools of magic and anime-style training exercises. We learn more about the magic system as the protagonist does. Lots of fun twists on the genre in there, too.
<strong>Worm</strong> is a web serial about a young girl who wants to be come a super hero - but, unfortunately, her powers and her first encounter make her look like a villain instead. Unlike many super hero stories, the powers are well-explained and several characters use them cleverly.
<strong>Unsouled</strong> is the first novel in Will Wight's Crucible series, which blends heavy magic system development with martial arts. (It's similar to Wuxia/Xianxia books or films, if you're familiar with those.) If you want something heavy on the action side, I'd recommend going with this.
<strong>Forging Divinity</strong> is one of my own books, and it's definitely heavy on the magic side.
Sorcerers in my Forging Divinity (and my other War of Broken Mirrors novels) tend to have roughly one to three Dominions they can work with, and each Dominion has an associated cost. A flame sorcerer can call on the Dominion of Flame to conjure fire, but at the cost of body heat. A water sorcerer can conjure water, but it dehydrates them, etc.
Will Wight's Unsouled is an excellent new release and it's only ~264 pages.
Since you like Sanderson and the Night Angel books, here are some recommendations for other books with deep magic systems:
<strong>Mother of Learning</strong> is about a novice mage who gets stuck in a month-long time loop. The magic system is something of a mix between D&Dish schools of magic and anime-style training exercises. We learn more about the magic system as the protagonist does. Lots of fun twists on the genre in there, too.
<strong>Worm</strong> is a web serial about a young girl who wants to be come a super hero - but, unfortunately, her powers and her first encounter make her look like a villain instead. Unlike many super hero stories, the powers are well-explained and several characters use them cleverly.
<strong>Unsouled</strong> is the first novel in Will Wight's Crucible series, which blends heavy magic system development with martial arts. (It's similar to Wuxia/Xianxia books or films, if you're familiar with those.) If you want something heavy on the action side, I'd recommend going with this.
<strong>Forging Divinity</strong> is one of my own books, and it's definitely heavy on the magic side.
Sorcerers in my Forging Divinity (and my other War of Broken Mirrors novels) tend to have roughly one to three Dominions they can work with, and each Dominion has an associated cost. A flame sorcerer can call on the Dominion of Flame to conjure fire, but at the cost of body heat. A water sorcerer can conjure water, but it dehydrates them, etc. Each of my main characters is a sorcerer with a different specialization.