The single most powerful use of magic by a fantasy character? [Beware: possible spoilers]

[Jefferson]

Magic is a double-edged sword for a writer - it has to be capable of wondrous things if it is going to engage and delight readers, but if it has no limits, then all the suspense of the story structure is gone, because we all know that Doofus the Mage can solve everything with a wave of his magic chicken's foot, or whatever.

So that brings me to my question: what is the single most awesomely powerful feat of magic you've ever seen a fantasy character perform? And did all that power add to your enjoyment, or did it somehow weaken the story?

[Andrea]

Superman whizzed around the planet until it reversed rotation and turned back time. I was glad Lois wasn't dead afterwards, but I thought it was a very silly cheat.

[Jefferson]

Andrea wrote: "Superman whizzed around the planet until it reversed rotation and turned back time. I was glad Lois wasn't dead afterwards, but I thought it was a very silly cheat."

I've always classed that one as bad sci-fi rather than powerful magic, but I agree the line is pretty blurry. Must be from all the whizzing. :-)

[Traci]

Right off the top of my head, probably because I just finished it yesterday, Tigana. It's a "quiet" kind of spell but definitely big. (view spoiler)[ A sorcerer grieving over the death of his son casts a spell to make everyone forget the land of the Prince who did the killing. The people from there don't remember it. And when someone not from there or not a sorcerer hears the name they cannot remember what they heard. (hide spoiler)] It is very crucial to the story and it was one of the most powerful books I have read.

[James]

The most powerful I've seen so far is Richard Rahl (view spoiler)[creating another world devoid of magic so that people could live there instead of trying to destroy magic in their world. (hide spoiler)]

[Jim]

That's such an indeterminate question because so much depends on the system of magic. A lot depends on the time frame, too. I can generalize & say that I think it is constructive, rather than destructive magic that is the most powerful & most awesome - destruction is so much easier than construction - but I'll leave out all the fantasies with gods creating entire planets or universes & focus on semi-mortal creatures with more mundane aims.

As awesome as Gandalf, Tom Bombadil & all were, Sauron's creation of the one ring impressed me the most in the LoTR. After its creation, it continued to gather power & influenced the entire civilization for centuries.

An entirely different system of magic is in Butcher's Codex Alera series. We find out in the 5th book, I think that, (view spoiler)[ the main key to power is a fury made up of hundreds, if not thousands of others bound together in a mosaic. We're told the feat probably could never be duplicated because the being created wouldn't be sane & would be too powerful to control, but some group did it once. (hide spoiler)]

In the first case, I'd say not only didn't it ruin the story, it was the basis of the entire story. In the second case, yeah, it kind of did. One more logic hole, but the series was pretty full of them. Still fun, though.

[Niel]

For me it would have to be the casting of the spell of Dawntheif in the first book of the Chronicles of the Raven. It just added to the enjoyment for me.

[Shanshad]

For some reason I want to say in So You Want to Be a Wizard when Nita writes in the Book of Night With Moon and subtly alters the being of the Lone Power. Not sure that would be it though . . . I'll brainstorm a little more on this.

[Sandra]

For me the most powerful use of magic has been in the Wars of Light and Shadow series by Janny Wurts. Arithon s'Ffalen, masterbard, diverted the energy of an entire planet with his music and then (view spoiler)[stopped a war with the tone from his vibrating sword. (hide spoiler)]

[Kerry]

Which book is that in, Sandra (I haven't risked clicking on the spoiler link)?

[Sandra]

Kerry wrote: "Which book is that in, Sandra (I haven't risked clicking on the spoiler link)?"

Peril's Gate. The one under the spoiler is from Stormed Fortress.

[Charles]

Sandra aka Sleo wrote: "For me the most powerful use of magic has been in the Wars of Light and Shadow series by Janny Wurts. Arithon s'Ffalen, masterbard, diverted the energy of an entire planet with his music and then ..."

Hi, Sandra! I must also submit, from the same series, Wurts' Wars of Light and Shadow, the astounding feats accomplished by a dragon and two Fellowship Sorcerers in virtually recreating a totally chaotic hunk of their world and freeing a dragon ghost from endless nightmares at the same moment.

[Elise]

Macros the Black from Magician was really powerful, from what I recall. What his powers exactly were I don't remember. It's been a while since I read the book(s).

[Trever]

Winters Heart - Wheel Of Time

Rand al'Thor and Nynaeve al'Meara tap the Choedan Kal through the keys successfuly cleansing the taint from saidin.

You do not mess with the ONE POWER baby...

[Mariano]

Death Gate Cycle the Sartan dividing the world in several specific worlds/elements was so complex I couldn't ever really see the point for that.

I really enjoyed the Jim Butcher's Ghost Story final curse, a bit too much deus ex machina, but it was so perfect for Dresden character that I loved it.Ghost Story

[Elizabeth]

Daniel wrote: "For me it would have to be the casting of the spell of Dawntheif in the first book of the Chronicles of the Raven. It just added to the enjoyment for me."

I'm reading this book at the moment. So I can look forward to a dramatic ending then?

[Niel]

Elizabeth wrote: "Daniel wrote: "For me it would have to be the casting of the spell of Dawntheif in the first book of the Chronicles of the Raven. It just added to the enjoyment for me."

I'm reading this book at..."

It does have an intense ending... dramatic... I am not sure if it would be described as dramatic.

[Marc]

I remember one novel, I think it's Dragonsword by Gael Baudino, in which a dying man somehow manages to create a sizable chunk of a planet complete with a population, none of whom can remember anything prior to that moment. He becomes the hero of these people with his dragon Silbakor. It was very psychological.
On the other extreme was a book called A Name to Conjure With, in which a man gets translated into a fantasy world, where his name has tremendous power to alter the reality of the world, once. A goddess maneuvers him to be in just the right place and time for maximum effect.

[R.L.]

I know this question was intended to refer to books I've read, but my first thought went to an episode of "The Twilight Zone" titled "It's a Good Life." A young boy can do anything with his mind, and he does.

[Niel]

I saw that episode! It freaked me out a bit to be honest.

[Jim]

Little Will Robinson (Billy Mummy) played the part. It was based on a short story of the same name by Jerome Bixby. Very chilling read, too.

We were just talking about this one in another group. We all thought "Time Enough At Last" was just hellish, of course. That's the one with Burgess Meredith & he breaks his glasses on the steps of the library surrounded by all the books he can read...

[Niel]

That one was a little depressing when he broke his glasses.

[Thomas]

Raistlin in the Twins series by Margaret Weiss and Tracy Hickman. He faces a goddess and becomes a god.
Rand's display was impressive, but he used angreal, and Nynaeve to accomplish the task. Macros the black is definitely the second most powerful display destroying a whole army. Raistlin however destroyed a whole army and then fought a goddess.

[Josh]

In Jim Butcher's "The Dresden Files", Harry Dresden kills *all* of the red court. All of them, everywhere in the world.

[Shanshad]

There's also the third book in Anne Bishop's The Black Jewels Trilogy: Daughter of the Blood, Heir to the Shadows, Queen of the Darkness where Jaenelle manages to wipe out entire swathes of "tainted" Blood everywhere. Though I'm not sure if that tops her adopted father making it so an entire country ceases to exist, both in record and memory. There's a short story in Bishop's Dreams Made Fleshthat covers that.

[Keryl]

Thomas wrote: "Raistlin in the Twins series by Margaret Weiss and Tracy Hickman. He faces a goddess and becomes a god.
Rand's display was impressive, but he used angreal, and Nynaeve to accomplish the task. Macr..."

I'm going with Thomas here. Raistlin's magic is the most power I've seen. Did it help the story? Well, his quest for the power is the entire plot, so I'd have to say yes.

To my eyes, it was when Hickman and Weis decided to bring Rastlin back, with no power, that they completely destroyed their world. Some characters really are better off left dead, and he was one of them.

Also on major power, I'd say Zelazny's Amber where Corwin could create/move through reality was very impressive as well.

[Joshua]

I think Quick Ben had a bunch of those "Holy Cow!" moments in Malazan. But then, there are a lot of powerful feats in that series.

[Emma]

Keryl wrote: "Thomas wrote: "Raistlin in the Twins series by Margaret Weiss and Tracy Hickman. He faces a goddess and becomes a god.
Rand's display was impressive, but he used angreal, and Nynaeve to accomplish..."

I'm going with Raistlin's magic as well. That makes sense - the more basic and simplistic the book is, the bigger the power granted is. In more complex and 'edgy' fantasies, the magic is more intangible, and less omnipotent.
I surely enjoyed it on Dragonlance. An aspiring God is exactly what you'd expect from a character like Raistlin to end up as.

[Barbm1020]

Josh wrote: "In Jim Butcher's "The Dresden Files", Harry Dresden kills *all* of the red court. All of them, everywhere in the world."

OK now I have to get back into the Dresden series. (Last read Dead Beat) Harry D. is awesome, and wiping out the Red Court must be some feat of magic, but I still like Rincewind at the end of The Colour of Magic, when the smug superior wizards of Unseen University have gotten themselves locked in a cellar and Rincewind, the perpetual unsuccessful graduate student, gets them out with a lock-picking spell.

[Terry]

The Way of Kings The Lashings. Not really a spoiler because he gets into in the prelude chapter. Basically Sveth controls gravity. Up becomes down, left > right, Back > front etc etc Then he can pull or push toward or from objects as he sees fit. While of this happens he also attacks with not only his sword, but moves items and people around to where he wants them to be for his next attack. Seeing it in action as written by Sanderson left my jaw on the floor.

[Lilyan]

James wrote: "The most powerful I've seen so far is Richard Rahl [spoilers removed]"

Yes! That has to be one of fantasy's powerfull moments. But I have to say, wth was that ending!
I also ditto trever regarding the Saidin cleansing, I could feeel the power through the pages!

[mundiemom5]

The most powerful use of magic, in my opinion, has been overlooked. Two jump to my mind immediately. First, Dumbledore schooling Voldemort at the Ministry of Magic in Order of the Phoenix. Second, when the Hogwarts teachers cast their protective charms (and McGongall transfiguring the knights in the castle to come to life to protect the school) over the school before Voldemort attacks in the Deathly Hallows.

[mundiemom5]

The most powerful use of magic, in my opinion, has been overlooked. Two jump to my mind immediately. First, Dumbledore schooling Voldemort at the Ministry of Magic in Order of the Phoenix. Second, when the Hogwarts teachers cast their protective charms (and McGongall transfiguring the knights in the castle to come to life to protect the school) over the school before Voldemort attacks in the Deathly Hallows.

[Niel]

Good points there.

[Tim]

I agree with the Dresden, Rand al'Thor, and Richard Rahl suggestions. The Red Court reference in Jim Butcher's book really needs to be edited with a spoiler tag though.