# Can someone summarize the magic system in Mistborn?



## Peregrine (Nov 12, 2017)

I heard he has logical and consistent magic system. What separates Mistborn's magic system from other books of other authors?


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## Michael K. Eidson (Nov 14, 2017)

The magic is not just hand/wand waving and speaking arcane phrases. There are specific metals used for specific purposes. The metals are organized in pairs of opposites in specific categories. You have to have a supply of the metal on hand to do magic, and consume it. A spell is basically either a "pull" or a "push," with side effects that can be taken advantage of. There are some other spell types, but they are also handled in a consistent manner. Probably the way some of the wizards get around town using magic is one of the major reasons readers find the magic system logical, since it smacks of scientific principles. You may need to read some story passages to understand.


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## TheCrystallineEntity (Nov 16, 2017)

To me, it is different from other magic systems because once it is explained and given an example, it makes sense within the story.


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## FifthView (Nov 16, 2017)

There's a decent Wikipedia page on it, if you want more detail: Magic in the Mistborn series - Wikipedia


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## Peregrine (Nov 16, 2017)

I never understood the part when it says that the metal is ingested?

Wikipedia and Mistborn wiki describe it exactly like that "burning" and "ingestion", with no further explanation what that means, what am I supposed to make out of that?


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## TheCrystallineEntity (Nov 16, 2017)

You swallow a tiny piece of the metal [usually in a liquid, I think].


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## Peregrine (Nov 16, 2017)

And metals require very high temperature to be in liquid form.

From real life perspective eating metals is harmful, like drinking mercury.


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## FifthView (Nov 16, 2017)

Peregrine said:


> I never understood the part when it says that the metal is ingested?
> 
> Wikipedia and Mistborn wiki describe it exactly like that "burning" and "ingestion", with no further explanation what that means, what am I supposed to make out of that?



The Wikipedia article says it's a "genetic ability that allows a person to metabolize ("burn") metals." So "burn" is in quotes. I don't remember precisely how it was described in the books; it's been too long since I read them. I think it's more of a metabolization, the way your body metabolizes things like food or whatever, except this is a world with magic so....magic.  However, yes, metals can burn: The Burning of Metals

From what I remember, the metal is in the form of flakes when swallowed. So it's not like trying to metabolize large ingots.


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## Peregrine (Nov 16, 2017)

FifthView said:


> The Wikipedia article says it's a "genetic ability that allows a person to metabolize ("burn") metals." So "burn" is in quotes. I don't remember precisely how it was described in the books; it's been too long since I read them. I think it's more of a metabolization, the way your body metabolizes things like food or whatever, except this is a world with magic so....magic.  However, yes, metals can burn: The Burning of Metals
> 
> From what I remember, the metal is in the form of flakes when swallowed. So it's not like trying to metabolize large ingots.



Very abstract concept...
It's like science fiction meets fantasy.


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## TheCrystallineEntity (Nov 16, 2017)

It's no weirder than some of the ideas I've come up with.

In fact it's probably saner.


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## FifthView (Nov 16, 2017)

What becomes of our food after we swallow is also abstract. Well, it's a real physical process, very concrete in fact. But most people eating a burger have only an abstract idea of what happens to the meat, bun, and condiments after swallowing.

I'm pretty sure Sanderson was building off this idea or at least depended on it when he designed his system, assuming people could get over that hump of there being metals that could be metabolized.

But actually our own bodies metabolize various minerals and such. Potassium is a metal, after all, never mind that it's also in bananas.


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