The witch of Halloween House is a tale that has been whispered by children for generations. Legend has it that a mysterious witch resides in a centuries-old house on the outskirts of town. The house, shrouded in dark shadows and overgrown with twisting vines, evokes an eerie and foreboding aura. According to local folklore, the witch of Halloween House is said to possess formidable magical powers. It is believed that she spends her days concocting potions and casting spells, hidden away from society. The town's inhabitants are cautious not to venture too close to the house, for fear of falling under her spell or incurring her wrath.
Citta is being mindful of your intent to practice. You need to be on guard against laziness, drowsiness, and scattered mind. You need to be aware that these states cause vexation and that they are the reasons we cannot attain liberation. Constantly be aware of their presence, and once aware of them, put them aside right away. Do not struggle with them, as that will make it worse. If you can do this, constantly observing your mind and putting down obstructions, you will be able to attain samadhi, the state of one-thought.
Between that and their naive, naturally sweet natures a generalisation, but a valid one they re inevitably taken advantage of and misused by those who want to profit from their prophecies. Last post, I talked about some of my favourite magic systems; this time around, I want to showcase some of my favourite magical supernatural abilities.
The town's inhabitants are cautious not to venture too close to the house, for fear of falling under her spell or incurring her wrath. Children, especially during the Halloween season, are both intrigued and frightened by the witch's presence. They gather around campfires, telling chilling tales of her wickedness and the misfortunes that have befallen those who dared to cross her path.
(Some of) The Coolest Magical Abilities in Fiction!
Last post, I talked about some of my favourite magic systems; this time around, I want to showcase some of my favourite magical/supernatural abilities. The difference? A magic system is a magic system; a magical ability is more like a superpower. The latter is a lot more limited in scope; a character with a magical ability can do one thing, rather than casting spells that could potentially do just about anything.
I guess it’s a fairly thin line separating the two, but that line’s enough to justify two separate posts, and that’s all I need!
(Although now I wish I’d saved the Water Giver trilogy for this post, where it probably fits a little better. Oh well!)
Introduced in Maggie Stiefvater’s Raven Cycle and featured in the sequel Dreamer trilogy are Dreamers – people who can take things out of their dreams and bring them into the real world. As you might imagine, some of those things are incredibly strange – some beautiful, some terrible, some both – but without question, it makes for one of the most incredible, and potentially dangerous, abilities on this list. After all, would you want to manifest your nightmares?
A secondary character who spends almost no time on the page, and yet is central to the second book of KD Edward’s Tarot Sequence, is Layne – a teenage necromancer. This isn’t your typical necromancy, though; Layne isn’t messing about with corpses or raising the dead, and though he* does draw power from death, he’s not sacrificing babies or neighbourhood cats. His form of necromancy is more properly called immolation magic – practitioners keep themselves infected with different illnesses, and when they need power, they kill the bacteria and harvest power from the deaths of those illnesses. It’s a really unique and clever twist on necromancy, and I for one absolutely adore it!
*Layne is referred to using he/him in Hanged Man, but it’s been revealed that Layne’s pronouns going forward in the series will be they/them.
Orogeny is an ability some people in Jemisin’s Broken Earth trilogy are blessed – or cursed – with; the power to sense, manipulate, and trigger energy – especially or primarily seismic energy. Because individuals who can create earthquakes even as infants are obviously very dangerous individuals, most people hate them; orogenes are victims of terrible prejudice and abuse, with people even suspected of having orogeny being beaten to death, especially in more rural areas. Whereas the Fulcrum, a kind of government body, raises, trains, and even breeds orogenes – because of course, although they might be dangerous, orogenes are also incredibly useful, especially in the world of the Stillness, where climatic cataclysms are a constant threat.
The full scope of orogeny is explored in fantastic detail over the course of the trilogy, and I don’t want to ruin it for new readers by going into spoiler territory. So I’ll just say that it’s ridiculously cool, and very definitely one of my favourite superpowers!
Heart of the Circle is special not so much for the magical ability possessed by the main character – empathy – so much as how it’s utilised. Landsman delves into the potential uses of being able to not just read, but manipulate the emotions of others – and it’s pretty damn incredible. Empaths work in marketing and publishing to infuse images and stories with real emotion, walk on the outside of protest marches to keep a look-out for violence before it starts – and are absolutely terrifying in combat. At one point in the book, the main character (an empath himself) reminisces about his time in the military, and one particular training exercise – when twenty or so other magic-users complained of being outnumbered when pit against a single empath and seer. That’s how scary empaths are. It’s really cool to me, because usually empathy is presented as a soft, gentle superpower, and here in Heart of the Circle, it’s the complete opposite.
The cassandra sangue of the Others series are not-quite-human, but aren’t Others (supernatural creatures like animal shapeshifters, vampires, and elementals) either. Their in-between state is explored later in the Others series, when it’s speculated that they might have evolved as mediators between humans and others (a concept I absolutely adore), but their primary power is in their skin. When a blood prophet’s skin is cut, she (cassandra sangue are always female) sees visions. Between that and their naive, naturally sweet natures (a generalisation, but a valid one) they’re inevitably taken advantage of and misused by those who want to profit from their prophecies. The series starts when one blood prophet escapes the compound she was born and raised in, and she and the found-family that forms around her explore the full extent – and danger – of her ability, step by step and book by book. The ramifications are enormous, and make for really interesting reading.
The God Eaters is one of my favourite books of all time, and one so few people seem to have heard of. Happily, it was just featured on Tor.com in a post by TJ Klune just this past week. It’s an incredible queer fantasy, not least because of its fantastic characters. One of which is Kieran, a Native American with a magical gift I’ve never seen before (or since) – he can will people to die. It’s a power that wouldn’t work in the hands of a lesser writer – Kieran would either be too strong to be interesting (how much fun do you have with super-superpowered characters, who are never in danger and can brush off any obstacle?) or for hand-wavey reasons wouldn’t be using his gift when it might interfere with the plot. But Hajicek makes it work, and work brilliantly, and I love, love, love the secret behind the source of that power, when it’s eventually revealed. It’s a unique magical power utilised expertly by a master storyteller, and you absolutely need to check it out.
(You can grab an e-copy over at Lulu.com – no affiliate link, I just want everyone to be able to read this book!)
Margerit, a young woman who receives an unexpected inheritance that will alter the course of her life, is special even before she becomes an heiress – she can see magic.
Of course, that’s not what she, or anyone else calls it – in Jones’ regency setting, what I call magic is considered the manifestations of saints and angels, something that’s only lightly questioned later in the series by less religious characters. But the point remains that Margerit sees beautiful colours and glowing lights during rituals – and can use that sight to tell when a ritual has gone wrong. She even utilises her ability to build entirely new rituals, ones with real and powerful effects. It’s a wonderful power, and it’s just as wonderful to read about as Margerit goes from considering it a small and unimportant thing, to embracing her power and making it the focus of her life.
In Reverie, people’s dreams and fantasies keep manifesting into reality – sweeping up everyone nearby into the dreamer’s story. A rare few are immune, able to remember who they are even when caught in someone else’s ‘reverie’ – said dreams – and who can help the plot of the dream reach its conclusion without anyone getting hurt. This is made easier by the fact that everyone who can stay awake through a reverie seems to get superpowers – like super-strength – but it’s the staying-awake-and-aware ability that earns Reverie a spot on this list.
The reveries themselves are a really cool concept, as is the idea of people whose magic is being immune to magic – at least this one specific kind of magic, anyway!
The clue’s in the name: inklings, as they’re known, are people who can manipulate holy ink. The most common way they do this is by drawing on themselves – or someone else – and making the message or picture transfer from their skin to someone else’s. The church ’employs’ (a better word might be ‘enslaves’) inklings to pass on divine messages to parishioners – the inkling considers the message, draws an image that embodies that message, and then sends it from their own skin to the intended recipient, who will bear it as a permanent tattoo for the rest of their lives.
The main characters, Celia and Anya, find a new way to utilise their power – one that gives them a way out of the church’s oppression and a way in to a new and brilliant new life. I’m not going to tell you what it is, because spoilers, but it’s fabulously clever. And the inklings’ power definitely counts as a unique one!
So those are some of my faves – what about yours? What are some of the coolest magical abilities you’ve read about? And what power, if you could pick, would you choose for yourself?
And don’t forget to check out my sequel post, (Some More Of) The Coolest Magical Abilities in Fiction!
One response to “ (Some of) The Coolest Magical Abilities in Fiction! ”
[…] I don’t know about anyone else but I’m excited to dive in! Also I see there’s a Coolest Magical Abilities post and a (more of the) Coolest Magical Abilities post so I’ve got my afternoon reading booked up […]
Heart of the Circle is special not so much for the magical ability possessed by the main character – empathy – so much as how it’s utilised. Landsman delves into the potential uses of being able to not just read, but manipulate the emotions of others – and it’s pretty damn incredible. Empaths work in marketing and publishing to infuse images and stories with real emotion, walk on the outside of protest marches to keep a look-out for violence before it starts – and are absolutely terrifying in combat. At one point in the book, the main character (an empath himself) reminisces about his time in the military, and one particular training exercise – when twenty or so other magic-users complained of being outnumbered when pit against a single empath and seer. That’s how scary empaths are. It’s really cool to me, because usually empathy is presented as a soft, gentle superpower, and here in Heart of the Circle, it’s the complete opposite.
It is said that she can transform anyone who enters her realm into a toad or a black cat with a flick of her bony fingers. Some brave souls claim to have seen glimpses of the witch through the dusty, cracked windows of Halloween House. They describe her as an old hag with gnarled hands and a pointy hat, her eyes shining with an otherworldly glow. These sightings fuel the imaginations of the townspeople, and the legend lives on. Despite the fear and caution surrounding the witch, there are those who believe that she may not be as malevolent as the stories portray. Some say that the witch of Halloween House is merely a misunderstood soul, seeking solace in her solitude and a connection to the mystical energies that surround her. As Halloween approaches each year, curiosity entices a handful of daring individuals to venture closer to Halloween House. They hope to catch a glimpse of the infamous witch, to see if the stories have any basis in reality. However, no one has yet been able to verify the existence of the witch beyond the realm of myth and legend. The witch of Halloween House continues to be a source of fascination and fear for young and old alike. The tale serves as a reminder of the enchantment and mystery that shrouds Halloween night. Whether the witch truly exists or not, her legend lives on as a thrilling addition to the folklore of the town..
Reviews for "Spooky Stories from the Witch's Halloween House"
- Sarah - 2 stars - I was really excited to watch "The Witch of Halloween House" after hearing all the hype, but I was extremely disappointed. The storyline was weak and lacked any substance. The characters were flat and uninteresting, and I found myself not caring about what happened to them. The special effects were cheap and looked like they were done on a low budget. Overall, I was bored throughout the entire movie and left feeling like I wasted my time.
- Mike - 1 star - "The Witch of Halloween House" was a complete waste of time. The acting was terrible, with no emotion or depth. The dialogue was cheesy and cliché, and the plot was predictable from start to finish. The scares were laughable and failed to create any genuine suspense. I found myself cringing at the poor production value and amateurish direction. I would not recommend this movie to anyone looking for a good Halloween horror flick.
- Emily - 2.5 stars - I had high hopes for "The Witch of Halloween House" based on the promising trailer, but unfortunately, it fell short of my expectations. The pacing was slow, and the movie lacked any real scares or thrills. The story was confusing and poorly executed, leaving me feeling unsatisfied by the end. Some of the special effects were decent, but they couldn't save the overall mediocre experience. I would suggest skipping this one and finding another horror movie to watch during the Halloween season.