The title pretty much says it! I’d like to explore that idea a little and would love to hear y’all’s recommendations. This thought was originally inspired by lord of the rings, but I’m also currently on a little nostalgia trip by reading The Sea of Trolls and the soft magic system in that is pretty fun

  • dandelion@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
    11·
    1 month ago

    https://habitwriting.com/hard-magic-vs-soft-magic/

    Hard Magic System: A type of magic that has specific rules that the reader understands and which limit a magic user in what they can do.

    Soft Magic System: A type of magic that–though rules may apply to it–does not have specific limits that are expressed to or known by the reader or audience.

    Basically how much readers are exposed to the mechanics of the magic system, and thus how realistic or constrained-to-reality the magic seems. Harry Potter and LotR are probably more in the soft magic category, whereas Brandon Sanderson’s novels have good examples of hard magic.