This could be a spell that encapsulates the series' magic system, or just a notable standout that stuck with you, or whatever.

Favorite - Giga Slave from The Slayers. It's a spell the main character cobbled together from an ultimate spell invoking a demon god, instead changing the incantation to instead invoke an entity greater than that. It 100% destroys its target if it connects, but requires a level of control and focus or it would destroy the world outright. It's cool to me in that it was an invented spell and you don't often get to see active creativity in a magic system. It also creates a cool moral question for the characters about using such a spell. The magic system of Slayers is just really cool like that.

Least Favorite - Avada Kedavra from Harry Potter. It's an instant death spell and anyone hit by it dies instantly with no chance of resuscitation or revival. It's illegal in the setting, but it's only ever used by the bad guys. There's no history to the spell, no counter measure, and it's considered just evil. Meanwhile there are other spells that are technically lethal on hit, but are perfectly fine to use against an opponent during mortal combat. It's interesting because on the surface, it invites moral questions. A quick and painless death spell that has little chance for collateral damage if it connects.

  • Eris235 [undecided]
    ·
    1 year ago

    Favorite is probably the idol of wrath from Practical guide to evil; the magic, while not really explained, is realistically factional (love the different schools of Wizards arguing, reminds me of somewhere between religious arguments, and programmer arguments over what language is better.), but essentially, the protag's right hand man, The Hierophant, manages to kinda sorta copy the near biblical absolutism of angels:

    “Abyss and firmament,” the Hierophant said, and though his voice was quiet it rippled. “I take the shape of the star and the depth of the pit, borrowing laws high and low. I have woven curses into hymn, stuffed a heart with straw,” the Hierophant called out, voiced cadenced. “That which is hollow I have raised onto the dais, revered as glorious under three skies and revered by nine corners. Behold, all ye with eyes, for I have made a god of clay and it is an idol of wrath.”

    And is more or less a 'reset button' on an area. And like, I guess its just a divine smite, cast by a wizard, but the build to and worldbuilding behind the how and the why makes it land for me pretty hard.

    Least favorite is probably the shadow fuck magic of Game of Thrones. While a lot of the worldbuilding and plot from Song of Ice and Fire I do like, the shadow sex demon spell is probably the best example of GRRM preoccupation with grimdark sex'n'blood that undercuts a lot of what does work in GoT. Which, I'm not strictly anti-grimdark sex'n'blood, but georgy R often takes it to very sensationalist heights, and gives it a 'horny old man' energy that can't help but put an image is his sweaty fuckin face, hunched over a keyboard, furiously typing one-handed into my head.