Babel Clash

I like magic with wonder and mystery.  I don’t necessarily want to know why or how it works, but I absolutely want to know what characters are capable of doing with it.  Tell me early in a story, so I’m not surprised whenever a wizard pulls a new trick out of his hat.  If a character solves a problem by using a previously undisclosed magical power, then it feels like cheating.

My favorite example of doing it well is Dracula.  Early in the novel, Van Helsing tells us the vampire’s capability.  He is stronger, does not die, can command the elements and beasts and vanish from sight.  For the rest of the novel, Stoker plays by those rules, but the character remains mysterious, magical and frightening.

On a side note, attached is a link to an excerpt from Brandon’s Warbreaker:  http://www.borders.com/online/store/ArticleView_warbreaker.

Related posts:

• Warbreaker
  Brandon, thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with us here at Babel Clash.  Would you like to take your last post or two and share with us why Warbreaker is an essential summer read and a perfect addition to any book lover’s collection? All, attached is a YouTube...
• The Magic & Tech Challenge
  I like the Arthur C. Clarke quote, “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” The more advanced the technology in a fantasy setting, the less wondrous magic appears.  Technology gives us the power to fly and the capability to communicate across thousands of miles.  Not so long ago, both...
• Warbreaker
  This is the part where I pitch my book, apparently. Only, I’ll admit, I’ve never been that great at this part of the whole process. I once heard a wise man (Robert Jordan) say something along the lines of “Well, I wrote the series as long as I did because...
• Letting Magic be Magical
  Some who have followed my website probably know how the concept of using magic in fantasy novels intrigues me.  It’s probably my favorite aspect of writing in this genre, and is what keeps me firmly fixed here.  I’m not likely to wander to other types of books because I find...
• Thank you, Kim! And our next guest is…
  Kim, thank you for contributing to Babel Clash.  It’s been fun, and you’re welcome to visit anytime.  Congratulations on the success of Once Dead, Twice Shy. Our next guest is Brandon Sanderson, author of  epic fantasy novels Warbreaker, Elantris and Mistborn.  Brandon is also undertaking the incredible challenge of completing...