From SRP Author Taylen Carver:
Magic is the ultimate tool for bending reality to your will—until it bends back. If there’s one thing fantasy has taught us, it’s that no one (not even the most brilliant sorcerer) fully understands what magic is capable of. And when magic misfires, it doesn’t just fizzle out politely. No, it explodes across the landscape, rewrites reality, or (if you’re really unlucky) accidentally invites an ancient god to crash on your couch.
So today, let’s take a look at some of fantasy’s most spectacular magical disasters—from the inconvenient to the apocalyptic.
1. When Magorian Bit Off More Than He Could Chew (The Memory of Water)
Magorian was already a pro with low magic. But high magic? That was a different beast entirely. Under Jones’ guidance, he finally unlocked its secrets—just in time for the biggest spell of his life. Unfortunately, enthusiasm is not the same as control.
What went wrong?
Without revealing spoilers, let’s just say he overreached. By a lot. His magic didn’t just ripple out—it detonated across the world, setting off weeks of unforeseen consequences. (Which, really, is a polite way of saying the entire world felt the shockwaves of his little experiment.)
Lesson learned?
High magic is not a toy, and magical physics will smack you down if you don’t respect them.
2. Leftover Magic, Now Available in Travel-Sized Bottles (Used Spells for Sale)
What happens when a wizard uses too much power for a spell? In my story, Used Spells for Sale, the excess magic doesn’t just disappear—it solidifies into different types of resin, each carrying traces of the original spell’s nature. Some are healing, some are explosive, and some… well, let’s just say they don’t belong anywhere near human skin.
Enter Ryann, a savvy entrepreneur who has figured out how to recombine, concentrate, and dilute these resins to create everything from beauty products to pharmaceuticals. But of course, when you’re playing with raw, untamed magical residue, something is bound to go wrong. And when it does, it’s not just a bad batch of face cream—it’s potentially a catastrophe.
Lesson learned?
Even discarded magic has a mind of its own. Tread carefully, and for the love of all things arcane, patch-test before applying.
3. The Sorcerer Who Broke Time (The Wheel of Time – Balefire)
In Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series, Balefire is the ultimate magical nuke. It doesn’t just destroy—it erases things from history, making them as if they never existed. Sounds useful, right? Well…
What went wrong?
Turns out, casually rewriting time itself has consequences. Balefire disrupts causality, meaning if you erase someone important, you might accidentally unravel entire events. Worse, excessive use of Balefire actually weakened the fabric of reality, making it easier for the Big Bad to break free.
Lesson learned?
If your magic can rewrite the past, maybe don’t go waving it around like a glowstick at a festival.
4. When Earth Couldn’t Handle the Old Gods (The Divine and Deadly)
It’s all fun and games until the old gods show up. Fantasy is full of ancient deities who do not give a single damn about mortal concerns, and The Memory of Water series delivers this in spades.
What went wrong?
Bringing the old gods back into the world sounds cool in theory—until you remember they have their own agendas, their power doesn’t follow human rules, and they do not ask permission before upending everything. (Oops.)
Lesson learned?
Just because you can invite an old god over doesn’t mean you should.
5. The Spell That Doomed a City (Mistborn – Elend’s Final Move)
Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn series features some truly wild magical moments, but none quite as dramatic as what Elend Venture does in The Hero of Ages.
What went wrong?
Elend taps into an absurd amount of magical power all at once—and in doing so, unintentionally condemns an entire city to destruction. His intentions were noble, but the sheer scale of the magic was too much to control.
Lesson learned?
Just because magic is at your fingertips doesn’t mean you won’t drop it like a hot potato.
6. Gandalf’s Growing Pains (The Rings of Power, Season 2)
Okay, it’s not a book, but I’m so enjoying Amazon Prime’s The Rings of Power.
In Season 2, viewers witness a familiar figure grappling with the unpredictable nature of magic. The Stranger, later revealed to be Gandalf, embarks on a journey of self-discovery, learning to control his burgeoning powers. His early attempts at spellcasting are fraught with mishaps, leading to unintended and often chaotic consequences. These magical misfires not only challenge his understanding of his own abilities but also underscore the inherent unpredictability of wielding such formidable power without proper mastery.
What went wrong?
Gandalf may be destined to become one of Middle-earth’s greatest wizards, but in Season 2, he’s still figuring things out. Without formal training, his magic lashes out unpredictably, sometimes helping, sometimes harming, and often doing something completely unexpected. It’s the magical equivalent of pressing every button on an unfamiliar machine and hoping for the best.
Lesson learned?
Raw power without control is more dangerous than useful. Even the wisest of wizards had to start somewhere—and in Gandalf’s case, that “somewhere” involves some truly explosive trial and error.
7. The Apprentice Who Turned Himself Into a Toad (Every Fantasy Ever)
Okay, maybe this one is more on the hilariously unfortunate end of the spectrum, but let’s take a moment to honor all those poor apprentice wizards who thought, How hard could magic be? and then spent the next three days croaking in a bucket.
What went wrong?
Overconfidence. Under-preparedness. And a fundamental misunderstanding of which part of the spell was supposed to be aimed at which target.
Lesson learned?
Maybe start with levitating pebbles before attempting a full-blown shape-shifting spell.
Final Thoughts: Magic Will Mess You Up
At the end of the day, magic isn’t meant to be tamed—it’s meant to be respected. Whether it’s a well-meaning spell that rewrites history, a sorcerer who underestimates an ancient power, or a poor fool who just wanted to impress their mentor and wound up a reptile, the message is clear:
Magic will betray you the moment you get cocky.
But hey, that’s what makes fantasy so much fun.
Taylen Carver
SRP Fantasy Author
Browse Taylen’s books here.
