12 Great Fantasy Books With Unique Magic Systems For Every Kind Of Reader

Death has the power to pull the life out of any mortal, and Ruying is a young woman blessed by him. When her gift is discovered by the manipulative enemy prince, Ruying is desperate to protect her family and must decide whether to become his private assassin and eliminate his political rivals, only to face the magic she’s always feared.

This is one of the best magical fantasy books I’ve read, inspired by Chinese mythology and featuring an unreliable narrator and a morally gray FMC.

The book is fast-paced and full of difficult decisions, frightening powers, and delicious metaphors. I quickly came to love Ruying and truly enjoyed the thought-provoking choices she made..

In order to protect her island home, where witches live in peace, Tana Fairchild must marry the governor’s son to form an alliance with the mainlanders, who view their mere existence as a threat. 

When Tana meets a mysterious stranger, she begins to question everything she knows about dark magic and the mysterious old coven that lives on the island.

When both the island and the alliance are threatened, Tana must decide between loyalty to her people and loyalty to her heart.

With a setting inspired by the Pacific Northwest, this book was wonderfully atmospheric, and I could feel how much the author adores the ocean's beauty through her words.

The witchcraft in this book is fun, with a dose of realism, as the characters draw their magic from nature and the world around them. Just like in real-life witchcraft, their power lies in their connection to the earth.

As a character, Tana is beautifully curious and wonderfully flawed. I loved seeing her grow throughout the story, and the forbidden romance between her and the mysterious stranger kept me hooked.

Sylvia is the lost heir to the kingdom of Jasad. When her family was killed ten years before, and magic was eradicated, she wanted nothing more than for the world to think she had died too.

When she accidentally exposes her forbidden magic to Arin, the heir to Nizhal, Sylvia must make a deal with him to save herself, and by doing so, she finds herself caught in a deadly game.

I wonder how many times I should shout “THRONE OF GLASS FANS READ THIS” before more people read this book (because I seriously need more people to read this book, so please do, I promise you won’t regret it!).

Inspired by Egyptian mythology, Sara Hashem dives deep into feminine rage as a spurned woman seeks to reclaim what is rightfully hers in this fantastic debut romantasy. If you love morally gray characters, this book has a FMC who’s sassy and a little bit unhinged, as well as a broody white-haired MMC (and spoiler alert, there’s a slow burn enemies-to-lovers romance between the two!), and it deserves a place in your life.

Cursebreaker Marlow Briggs traded the life of high society for a less glamorous one in the Marshes after her mother disappeared. When her former best friend, Adrius, asks her to help him break a curse, Marlow wants nothing to do with him.

After she uncovers a new lead in her mother’s disappearance, she needs Adrius's help getting back into society to continue her investigation. The two make a deal, but their fake love affair might reveal secrets that threaten magic altogether.

I thought the magic system in this urban fantasy romance was so cute! Hexes come in the form of cards that act more like a black-market trade, and to break them, Marlow needs to know who created them.

The opulent atmosphere was easy to get lost in, and Adrius is a very swoon-worthy character. If you enjoy fake dating, slow burn romance, mystery, and magic, I can’t recommend this book enough!

Lore is a poison runner who escaped a cult in the catacombs of Dellaire. But when a run goes wrong, and Lore reveals her death magic known as Mortem, she gets swept into the Sainted King’s court, where she’s tasked with uncovering the mysterious deaths of entire villages on the outskirts of the city.

As her head and heart battle and unsettling prophecies are revealed, Lore’s past may catch up to her quicker than she thinks.

I loved, loved, loved this dark romantasy book! It had a good pace (I’d rate it medium), and every scene was well thought out. With glittering ballgowns, not one but two heartthrobs (one grumpy, one sassy), a forbidden romance, and a very well-mannered zombie horse named Horse, it was easy to escape into the world of Dellaire.

The overall theme of the corrupt using religion as a tool to remain in power is something I personally relate to, and seeing how Whitten fictionalized it was very interesting.

In the mist-locked kingdom of Blunder, magic is seen as a disease infecting those within. The solution? To kill all the infected. 

When Elspeth Spindle runs into a highwayman in the forest, she finds herself thrust into a plot to eradicate all magic in order to protect her secret. But as the threats become greater, will she give in to the voice in her head?

This dark adult fantasy romance is one of my all-time favorites. Loosely inspired by The Highwayman by Alfred Noyes, this gothic tale is so beautifully dark and twisted. 

The magic in this story lies in “Providence Cards,” which give the person in possession a certain power, though all power has a cost. 

Gillig’s writing is poetic and thought-provoking, and the characters and romance are top-tier.

Mererid is the last water divinity living in hiding from the prince, who wishes to exploit her power. When a figure from her past shows up with an enticing proposition, Mer teams up with an unlikely crew to destroy a magical well.

With her freedom at stake and her magic being the only thing that can save them, Mer can only hope she won’t be betrayed.

Inspired by Welsh mythology and starring a canonically bisexual character, Emily Lloyd-Jones takes you on a magical whirlwind heist, with emotional twists and a comedic relief corgi.

This story really snuck up on me, and I was astonished by its beauty and heartache, which left me with tear-stained pages (we cherish those).

Clementine Madigan and her father are dream wardens for their little town. Her task? To capture the nightmares that come to life from the ancient mountain curse that plagues the land.

When two magicians challenge them to take over their territory as wardens, Clem becomes hellbent on revenge and glamours herself in the home of one of her challengers. The more time she spends with him, the more secrets about the mountain’s curse are revealed. Can she unite with her rival to break the curse?

This was the first Rebecca Ross book I read before the release of Divine Rivals, and I was surprised by the depth of a seemingly light-hearted story. Clem’s character development was superb, and the magic system was positively dreamy (I think I’m funny, alright?).

Desperate to flee the hold of a cult of dangerous priests and save her grandmother, Ahn teams up with Altan, the lost heir of the Dragon Throne.

They struggle to put their faith in one another as they hunt down a sword that could save them both...or be their downfall.

This high fantasy was a very fun and easy read! Influenced by elements found in wuxia and xianxia, Jade Fire Gold takes you through Ahn’s journey as she struggles to come to terms with her magic. The magic system was uncomplicated, and I always love seeing strong female characters embracing their power.

With a dual POV, both the female and male protagonists are equally lovable as you watch them wade through the grief of their troubled pasts, and the addition of LGBTQIA+ characters was heart-warming.

Briseis can bring flowers to life with just a touch. When she inherits an estate from her deceased aunt, she and her mom leave Brooklyn in exchange for a quiet summer.

The estate is full of haunting secrets, including a garden of the deadliest plants in the world, and Bri must learn to control her gift to protect herself and her family.

Read This Poison Heart if you’re a fan of Greek mythology, urban fantasy, black girl magic, and books with LGBTQIA+ representation.

I found that the first book in the duology was a bit scary (not quite horror, but horror-adjacent, and ya girl does not like to be scared). The second is less so but dives deeper into Greek myths, which I loved.

Zélie Adebola remembers when the world had magic. That was before they killed her mother. With a prince desperate to eradicate all Maji, Zélie must use her wits if she wants to bring magic back for good.

Dangers lurk around every corner, and Zélie has to learn to control her powers and make difficult decisions to protect herself and those she loves, even if that means befriending the enemy.

Adeyemi’s world-building is out of this world (haha, get it?). With myths and gods stemming from West African mythology, Orïsha comes to life on every page of this dark high fantasy.

With multiple POVs, we really get a good look at each character's motivations as they fumble along the paths they were thrust on. Even though the decisions they made might have been the wrong ones, I was rooting for them every step of the way.