From: cymage (yes, this is the name I’ve been using for years)
I didn’t say anything.
Harry Dresden is the mage that is in the phone book in Chicago – Alex mentioned him. Are you aware of any trips to the USA/Chicago coming up?
Man, I’d love to go to the USA. I ought to see if I can pester Vari into gating me over there some day. Though I guess then I’d count as an illegal immigrant . . .
From: Cassie
Hi Luna!
No question. Instead answering yours about Harry Dresden. He’s a wizard PI from Chicago who also works for the Council. He’s been off the grid for a while though; there was this thing with some vampires and he kind of disappeared. Rumours he’s back though. I think everyone thinks he’d get on well with Alex because they’re both black belts in deadpan snarking.
Oh wait, I do have a question! Not sure if anyone’s asked it though, so if they have, sorry! Does magic manifest/is used the same way across all cultures/populations. Or do some mages learn differently, e.g. using different ‘magic words’ or learning different types of magic. (I think you said it’s one type of magic per person unless you’re a hybrid, but I was wondering this holds true over the whole world/do regional variations exist?). Hope that makes sense. Thanks!
Well, I guess those two messages explain the Harry Dresden thing, though I still don’t know why people keep thinking I’d know about Alex having anything to do with him. I guess this guy just has a really big fan club.
I think magic basically does the same things everywhere in the world, but the ways it manifests and the techniques for using it are different. So mage groups from different countries learn different techniques for casting spells, and the techniques get passed down the generations and turn into traditions. A Japanese fire mage can produce the same effects that an English one can, but they’re going to use different casting components and the timing and pattern of their spells are going to be off from what you’re expecting. The proportions of magic types change from one place to another, too.
From: M
In Chosen, Alex mentions slash fiction. I gotta say, I’m really curious about what that details. Do you know anything about it?
Yeaaaaah, I’ve got the funny feeling I’m being trolled here. Yes I know about it, no I’m not going to explain it to you. Google exists for a reason, go look it up.
From: Rycharde
Are there any plans for audiobooks to be made of the Alex Verus series?
I wish people would stop asking me this. I don’t know the answer, and I don’t know why you’d think I would. I’m not a publishing assistant, guys.
From: Emily Caz
Hey Luna,
I’ve read all the books but have been curious as to what types of mages and adepts there are. I know the basic types, but have always wondered if there were more. I know there are Elementals, Life mages, Mind mages, Diviners, and Enchanters/Enchantresses, but is there more?
Thanks so much for reading my message, and I can’t wait for the next
book!
-Emily
The basic set of magic types that Alex taught me is fourteen – six elemental, four life, four universal.
The elemental set: fire, water, earth, air, ice, force.
Life set: life, death, mind, charm.
Universal set: divination, chance, time, space.
Those aren’t necessarily the most common ones, but they’re the ones that everyone knows about. After that you get the ones that are a bit more obscure – shapeshifting, illusion, light, radiation, gravity, metal, wood, snow, sound, and about five hundred others.