A place to talk about anything Fantasy related. Really it can be anything from books, video games, artwork to film!
Favorite Fantasy Moments - Violent Magic
Geeking out over epic spells and multi-faceted witch characters is so much fun! So it hurts when something too violent to believe happens in a story and you're left thinking, "What just happened? No way that could actually go down."
What is your position on violent magic in fantasy? Do you see it as just for fun, or serious? What are some of your favorite--or least favorite--moments involving violent magic?




Well there's "so violent it's revolting to imagine" and there's "dude this magic system doesn't work that way". I'm not sure which one you mean. I don't like either of them very much, but the second one is way worse to me. Why would you have a magic system if it's just an excuse for a character to suddenly become OP?
Let's talk about both!
Revolting violence is always off-putting, I concur. Once in a rare while if the story is better served with ultraviolence, then I suppose yes. (Such as the new movie, Logan. The violence there felt okay since the story presented it in a fitting way.)
"Power level is too high" violence...yeah that has literally made me put down favorite series, or stop watching great tv shows and movies. If all violence can be recovered from, or if it's a broken magic system, then that ruins the whole experience for me.
That's the author telling me, "nothing matters."
I know what you mean about violence being handled the right way. Certain kinds of violence you do not bounce back from. Even if you have a moment and you decide to pursue a less violent course of life. Your past actions will still affect who you are.