Sufficiently advanced magic refers to the idea that as magic in a fictional world becomes more advanced and developed, it begins to resemble science and technology. This concept was popularized by the science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke, who proposed Clarke's third law: "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." In the context of fantasy literature and role-playing games, sufficiently advanced magic is often used to explain the intricate systems, rules, and limits of magical abilities in a fictional world. It suggests that magic in these worlds operates on a logical and consistent basis, akin to the principles of science in the real world. One of the key aspects of sufficiently advanced magic is the idea that magic is not simply a mysterious or supernatural force, but rather something that can be understood and studied.
If he can survive the trials, Corin will earn an attunement, but that won’t be sufficient to survive the dangers on the upper levels. For that, he’s going to need training, allies, and a lot of ingenuity.
It definitely slowed the read down quite a bit for me and although the second half picks up momentum it took a while to get to that point where I couldn t put the book down. Accents and tone were on point, and it turned into a couple of days of more or less putting my headphones on in the morning and then all of a sudden it was time to go home.
One of the key aspects of sufficiently advanced magic is the idea that magic is not simply a mysterious or supernatural force, but rather something that can be understood and studied. In many fictional works, magic is treated as a form of knowledge that can be discovered and harnessed through rigorous training and education. This often involves learning specific spells, understanding the laws and principles that govern magic, and mastering the subtle techniques and gestures required to cast spells effectively.
Review: Sufficiently Advanced Magic by Andrew Rowe
Hey, this is the 1000th book on my goodreads ‘read’ list. Hooray!
Having really enjoyed Andrew Rowe’s other books, I was excited to give this one a read. The premise looked really interesting. It’s very magical school oriented, which is a trope that I’ve always liked in all its different forms.
This one is in the SPFBO this year, and it’s doing great so far!
I received a free copy of the kindle book from the author, which I then upgraded to the audiobook because I have more time to listen to audiobooks as of late (and so, to get to it faster, I jumped at the cheap whispersync upgrade). Good call, me!
Five years ago, Corin Cadence’s brother entered the Serpent Spire — a colossal tower with ever-shifting rooms, traps, and monsters. Those who survive the spire’s trials return home with an attunement: a mark granting the bearer magical powers. According to legend, those few who reach the top of the tower will be granted a boon by the spire’s goddess.
He never returned.
Now, it’s Corin’s turn. He’s headed to the top floor, on a mission to meet the goddess.
If he can survive the trials, Corin will earn an attunement, but that won’t be sufficient to survive the dangers on the upper levels. For that, he’s going to need training, allies, and a lot of ingenuity.
The journey won’t be easy, but Corin won’t stop until he gets his brother back.
“Uh, yeah, so that didn’t go as planned.” I tried to smile. My face felt… weird.
“I’m resisting the urge to smack you right now.”
“Your willpower is, as always, admirable.”
Sera sighed, rolling her eyes. “Ugh. At least you didn’t break your snark.”
“Oh, don’t worry about that. My snark is indestructible. It’s the core of my being, and quite possibly the universe as a whole.”
Oh snark. I love you. ❤ Kristen + Snark 4ever ❤
This one grabbed my attention right from the beginning. The story plops us right at the door to the tower, right as Corin Cadence, minor noble, magic user, and 10/10 little brother is about to enter it to be judged and more or less ‘sorted’ into his specific magical attunement. It’s going to be a tough test. There be monsters inside this tower and he’s armed only with a backpack full of food and supplies. At least he was smart enough to bring some rope. Rope’s always useful.
From there we head right into the action, and Corin’s adventure starts. We meet unique people, and we run into unique situations. He picks up magical artifacts, fights magical monsters and runs into all kinds of things, but he does run into a prison in the tower with some dangerous people inside it… so of course he lets them out. Luckily, he comes out unscathed, attuned to his magic and ready to start magical university!
We learn about this world’s magic as the students learn it, and that worked for me a lot. It definitely has the feel of a magical school, but it really feels like the world of a video game sometimes too. It doesn’t feel like a LitRPG at all, but I still feel like if there was a video game made of this particular universe, I would play the absolute shit out of it. Each person has a class. Sometimes more than one. There are levels of power in a class. You can do more spells if you’re a higher level. That sort of thing. It’d make a good game.
Rowe’s books tend to have a really awesome layer of wit in them that usually make me laugh. The language used is just modern enough that these witticisms peppered here and there don’t at all seem out of place. The dialogue just flows wonderfully.
The narrator, Nick Podehl did a stellar job bringing this book to life for me. Accents and tone were on point, and it turned into a couple of days of more or less putting my headphones on in the morning and then all of a sudden it was time to go home. I love books that immerse me so hard that a work day just flies by, so, I mean…. points just for that, lol. He really made my favorite character (Vanniv, the best snarky AF summoned monster ever) even better. Love love love.
Finally, the magic system in this world is so incredibly well thought out and is written in a way that makes it feel a bit like we’re learning it as Corin is learning it, so it’s not just one giant info dump of all the rules and regulations. The magic of this world is really, really quite thoroughly thought out and can be complicated at times, though it is well explained. I’m going to compare it to Sanderson’s Mistborn series in that respect. There’s a *lot* going on, but this is quite a long novel, and all this is spread over it. There are attunements, which are all different. Each person can have more than one of them, and what they can do depends on what their attunement is. Magic takes mana to cast. Each mana is different. Each mana has an opposite, and if those are cast at each other, it’ll (more or less) nullify it. It goes deeper. It’s really interesting.
The ending made an already fantastic book even better to me. It twists and turns and things are definitely not all what they seemed. Loved it!
Monsters that drop gems? Hollow walls that you can use to move into different rooms? Crazy ass boss monsters? Rooms that you need to do puzzles to open the door? Needing specific items to traverse the tower? THIS IS A LEGEND OF ZELDA DUNGEON. *gasp*
Guys, this was a really good book. The audiobook was about 22 hours long and I enjoyed every single minute of it. 5/5 stars!
I can’t wait for more in this series! What a cool 1000th book!
The writing is good, the dialogue is entertaining, the magical system has been thoroughly thought out. Corin is a great character who you can’t help but like. He’s not the usual ‘chosen one’ – something I breathed a real sigh of relief about. He’s bookish and a bit awkward and he has some little quirks or oddities that just endear him to you. Plus, he makes mistakes. Who doesn’t make mistakes? This makes him a lot more relatable and that plus his desire to improve just came across very strongly. Put simply, he isn’t the best, he knows it, but he’s willing to do everything he can to improve.
As magic becomes more advanced in a fictional world, it often begins to resemble scientific fields such as physics, chemistry, and biology. Concepts like energy manipulation, elemental forces, and magical creatures can be explained in a way that mirrors scientific principles. For example, a fireball spell might be explained as a process of igniting gases with a specific combination of magical energy, or a healing spell might be understood as a targeted process of cell regeneration. Furthermore, the notion of sufficiently advanced magic suggests that magic-users in these worlds can progress and innovate within the bounds of the magical system. They can experiment with new spells, develop new techniques, and expand their understanding of the underlying magical principles. This adds a sense of discovery and progress to the magical abilities of characters and can provide an element of growth and development over the course of a story or game. Overall, sufficiently advanced magic is a concept that allows fantasy worlds to incorporate magic in a way that is both fantastical and logical. By grounding magic in principles reminiscent of science and technology, it adds a sense of depth, consistency, and believability to the magical elements of a story or game..
Reviews for "The Language of Magic: Understanding the Dynamics of Sufficiently Advanced Spells"
1. Jake - 2 stars - I was really excited to read "Sufficiently Advanced Magic" after hearing so many positive reviews, but unfortunately, it didn't live up to the hype for me. I found the pacing to be incredibly slow, with long stretches of unnecessary descriptions and exposition that didn't add much to the overall plot. The magic system, which is supposed to be a highlight of the book, felt confusing and convoluted instead. I struggled to understand the rules and limitations, which made it hard for me to fully engage with the story. While I appreciate the author's attention to detail, I ultimately found the book lacking in depth and found myself skim-reading just to get to the end.
2. Sarah - 3 stars - I had high expectations for "Sufficiently Advanced Magic" based on the rave reviews, but unfortunately, I found it to be just average. While the world-building was intriguing, the characters felt very one-dimensional, lacking depth and development. The protagonist, in particular, came across as whiny and self-centered, which made it hard for me to empathize with his journey. Additionally, the story had a tendency to drag, with multiple side quests and unnecessary filler that distracted from the main plot. While the concept of the magic school was interesting, I felt like it wasn't explored to its full potential. Overall, I found the book to be underwhelming, and it didn't leave a lasting impression on me.
3. Emily - 2 stars - I really wanted to like "Sufficiently Advanced Magic," but unfortunately, I found it to be a struggle to get through. The writing style felt juvenile and lacked sophistication, while the dialogue felt forced and unnatural. The book was riddled with clichés and predictable plot twists that left me underwhelmed. Additionally, the characters lacked depth and came across as generic archetypes, making it hard for me to connect with them emotionally. The pacing was also off, with long stretches of repetitive actions and unnecessary scenes that could have been cut down. While the concept of the story had potential, the execution fell flat for me.