Where did all the magic go?

[Eric]

Everyone is probably familiar with a general trend in fantasy over the last decade to minimize the magical elements of fantasy in favor of darker, grimmer, and more "realistic" elements. Authors like George R.R. Martin or Joe Abercrombie tend to refer to magic obliquely or hint at a past filled with magic that is now ancient history.

While I absolutely love these authors, I find myself craving the "fantasy" in fantasy, but from newer authors. I started reading fantasy in the Forgotten Realms universe where the fantasy elements often come at the cost of literary quality. I find authors like R.A. Salvatore entertaining, but crave a little more nuance and quality to the writing.

Are there any current series or authors that write in the fantasy genre which combine a more high fantasy style without sacrificing good writing?

[Dharmakirti]

I would suggest checking out R. Scott Bakker's series The Prince of Nothing. His writing is excellent and his magic/sorcery is some of the best I've encountered.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_o...

http://princeofnothing.wikia.com/wiki...

[Brandt]

My suggestions would be,

Jim Butcher's Dresden Files if you want UF with magic. (and have patience with it, it grows in quality)

Brandon Sandersons Mistborn, or TNOTW by P. Rothfuss, if you want epic fantasy with magic.

[Laura]

I second the Brandon Sanderson suggestion.

[Matthew]

Brandon Sanderson is great at world building and magic always plays a huge role in all of his books. Also the wheel of time finale is coming out tomorrow so if you are up for a long series you can try that. Lastly check out the Runelord series.

[Dara]

I'm currently reading the first Mistborn book and the magic is so interesting so I'll recommend that.

[[deleted user]]

+ 3 for Sanderson, you might want to jump on the Way Of Kings bandwagon before you have a whole series to wade through he's very prolific. Also some of his standalone books are interesting for the magic systems as well.

[Emy]

Hmm, I think I shall have to look out Mistborn too, from the descriptions. Something I've just read with an interesting magic system was Spellwright - I'd recommend it as I really enjoyed it.

[Dharmakirti]

I would also suggest checking out Steven Erikson's Malazan Book of the Fallen.

[Joseph]

Rothfuss is one of my favorite authors, but he shares Martin's and Abercrombie's slow approach to magic. Someone has mentioned the Dresden Files, which are fantastic urban fantasy. If you prefer epic or pure fantasy, I would recommend Butcher's other series, the Codex Alera. Quick approach to magic, interesting magical system, and excellent bildungsroman.

[Mapleson]

Margaret Weis's & Tracy Hickman's Death Gate Cycle is a reasonable good fantasy saga with multiple magic types as well as different takes on traditional views of dwarves, elves, and dragons.

Patrick Rothfuss is definitely worth the read with a strong magic system based in thermodynamics.

Coraline by Neil Gaiman is a through-the-looking-glass tale.

Earthsea Cycle by Ursula Le Guin is epic fantasy.

Magician by Raymond E. Feist is worth the read, but his subsequent work tends to get a bit repetitive and predictable to the point I gave up on him a few years back around the time of The Darkwar Saga.

Of course there is Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time, which is coming to a close tomorrow (Jan 8, 2013).

[Daran]

I felt the same way you did about the Forgotten Realms books. But a few years ago I picked up Paul S. Kemp Erevis Cale Trilogy. I was surprised at how good it was. Later on I got Richard Lee Byers The Haunted Lands books.

Anyway, I like them, and I think they're better than a lot of the older FR fare as far as character development goes.

Also, Dresden Files, Sanderson, Robert Jordan, L.E. Modesitt (Magic of Recluse and Imager series).

[Geoff]

The magic system in the Long Price Quartet by Daniel Abraham is quite unique.

The series isn't magic heavy but the concept of the creation and control of the magic is quite unique.

[Eric]

I love the recommendations. I am currently reading The Name of the Wind and have read Mistborn: The Final Empire. I love the Wheel of Time series and am anxiously awaiting A Memory of Light.

In my first post I used "magic" to broadly define a number of fantastical elements in genre fiction not only the magic system.

As far as the current trend in fantasy, there might be a separate discussion to be had concerning what prompted a move toward the gritty realism of many current authors.

[Bob]

I don't think that low magic is a new thing, they are just using Tolkien's theme, magic going away. I never liked that, it seemed over used to me, plus I to love MAGIC. Part of the reason I like Wheel of Time because there is actually really magic there. The child in me loves a world with real magic.

[Rainer]

I agree with The Wheel of Time! I only started reading the series a couple of months ago and I love it! Everything you can ask for in fantasy!

[Dawn]

I would suggest The Earthsea Quartet and The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms

[Leavey]

I second Dawns selection and would add works by Patricia A. McKillip in particularRiddle-Master: The Complete Trilogy and Ombria in Shadow

[Dharmakirti]

Dawn wrote: "I would suggest The Earthsea Quartet and The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms"

In addition to Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, I would also suggest N.K. Jemisin's Dreamblood series.

[Nathan]

Charles Stross's Laundry Files series (starting with The Atrocity Archives) has a different magic system, elaborating on a Lovecraftian base. The Laundry books are urban fantasy but avoid many of the more tiresome tropes of that genre. Stross has strong characters and taken as a whole (so far), is a kind of character study in Existentialism that manages to keep a sense of humor. I know that might sound highbrow, but it really is not.

[Brandt]

Joseph
"If you prefer epic or pure fantasy, I would recommend Butcher's other series, the Codex Alera. Quick approach to magic, interesting magical system, and excellent bildungsroman. "

I liked that a lot as well, and chose it partly because it seemed very magical, but i dont think it delivers that magical fix i was looking for.. (view spoiler)[ Isnt it first until book 4-5 that Tavi gets some of his powers.. ? I ended up finding a lot more joy in the "heir to throne" part of the story and the love story, rather than the magical part of it all .. (hide spoiler)] Still a great series though.. Butcher rocks!

[kvon]

I'll add Steven Brust's Jhereg series, where the magic has increased in the current time period, with magic swords and gods and wizards. Although since the main character starts off as an assassin it's still often grim and snarky.