A good magical system is consistent, not too overpowered (even magic users need to struggle to make a story interesting), and is interesting enough to stick in the reader’s mind long after they’ve finished the story. Some fantasy authors have created magic systems based on music, while others have taken a religious slant to their characters’ magical practices, having them work closely with gods to cast spells in their worlds. Some magic systems are based around maths, while others draw on crafts such as sewing or weaving. The wizards of Discworld devote years at university to learning spells from ancient tomes (or, in later years, simply enjoying big dinners and doing very little real magic). Many magic systems are based around concepts or ideas that exist in the real world. But what makes for the best magic systems in fantasy, while others are disappointing? Throughout the years of fantasy dominating as a genre, there have been many different types of magic systems, some well-explained, with strong structures, while others fall into the “no rules, just vibes” category. There is some uncomfortable content, including drug use (portrayed in a negative light) and also some meaningless and blood deaths.What do we remember about our favourite fantasy stories? Apart from the compelling plots and characters, we’re most likely to fall in love with a fantasy novel because of strong worldbuilding, whether that’s the creation of a fascinating fictional society, the inclusion of fun legendary creatures, or, in many cases, the construction of an interesting and thought-provoking magic system. I would recommend this book for children and teenagers alike. However, with the other books in this quartet, you can read them in basically any order and it won’t affect your enjoyment of them. I really enjoyed this book, and I think that in terms of interest it is better than books 1, 2 & 4 of the first quartet. It is a good idea to read the first quartet before embarking on this one. All 8 books I own in this series look fantastic together. I think the cover art design is very nice though, and doesn’t give too much away. My apologies for the big white spot on the cover photo – it doesn’t have this in real life! You will notice that at a glance this cover looks a lot like that of ‘Briar’s Book’. It’s good to see an ‘ordinary’ student compared to the prodigies of Briar, Tris, Sandry and Daja. The plot is quick, but the teaching element that is included is very interesting and not skimped on. It is all told from Sandry’s perspective, with the exception of the parts from the murders. When there are several bloody murders in a row, Sandry can’t help interfering. When she discovers the dance mage, she is amazed to find out that she must be his teacher! Luckily some contacts are able to get things moving.

She misses her teacher Lark, but has a bigger duty. Sandry has taken up a huge workload looking after her uncle.

Magic steps tamora pierce