# Fantasy where magic exists but is rare

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-where-magic-exists-but-is-rare/572072>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [February 21, 2011, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-where-magic-exists-but-is-rare/572072 "2011-02-21T01:32:09Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\
**Post date:** [February 22, 2011, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-where-magic-exists-but-is-rare/572072/41 "2011-02-22T17:09:25Z")

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> [@mnemosyne](#):
>
> Pretty much anything by Guy Gavriel Kay, actually!

With the notable exception of his first work, the _Fionavar Tapestry_. Say what you want about the trilogy - and you can say a lot - but it’s not “low magic”.

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**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\
**Post date:** [February 22, 2011, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-where-magic-exists-but-is-rare/572072/42 "2011-02-22T18:16:52Z")

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The anime “Ranma 1/2”. There are magical artifacts and locations, but the vast majority of people do no magic. Some of the magic is tied in to martial arts training, in that e.g. a person can study martial arts techniques so well that they can actually project their “ki” in a physical way.

“Very tragic story of young girl…”

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**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\
**Post date:** [February 22, 2011, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-where-magic-exists-but-is-rare/572072/43 "2011-02-22T19:12:17Z")

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Some disagreements here:

> [@Finagle](#):
>
> - Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell \* by Susanna Clarke would fill the bill here. Lots of people know that magic can be done (or had been done in the past) but no one actually does it. Until Mr. Norrell and Jonathan Strange show up as the first practical magicians in several hundred years.

But the 2 practical magicians are the focus of the book, and they do a lot of extremely flashy stuff (especially Strange, who IIRC moves whole areas of landscape around as part of his work with Wellington’s forces on the continent).

> [@MrDibble](#):
>
> _Bridge of Birds_ by Barry Hughart (sp?) - I can only think of 2 actual sorcerers in it, there are some ghosts & monsters and demigods, but on the whole the plot is driven by riddles and human interactions, not magic.

The plot is driven by a prophecy; pretty much the whole way they’re interacting with supernatural elements of one sort or another. I love the book, but I wouldn’t categorize it as “low magic”.

> [@aruvqan](#):
>
> 2 series by Lois McMaster Bujold.
> 
> 5 Gods universe - the gods are real, but they are very subtle in how they work. No magic other than that. They work through ‘saints’, people that can channel their power. The ones we meet are a judge that can occasionally tell lies from truth, a midwife that has a bit of a healing touch, an animal handler that helps keep a king alive despite a curse, and a few others along the way. No great earth shattering magics happen.

I’d say PALADIN OF SOULS, at least, involves pretty high-powered magic. Dozens (?) of demonic possessions, plus a dead person kept alive beyond the grave, two name two.

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