History Literature / Magic20

** Brit the Younge for Phillip. [[spoiler:The events of the fifth novel result in Brit dumping Phillip, while a version of her implants false memories into Brit the Elder about Phillip cheating on her, ensuring that they ''never'' get back together.]]

* OnceMoreWithFeeling: TheStinger of book 5 is replayed in book 6 with a lot more context and meaning behind it.

In ''Spell or High Water'' (2014), Martin takes on a newly-arrived time traveler as his apprentice a few months after Jimmy's exile. Shortly after, Phillip receives a message from Gwen, inviting him and Martin to Atlantis for a summit of time travelers from all of history as representatives of all wizards in 12th century England. They time travel to 368 B.C. and find themselves in the Mediterranean. Atlantis is a LadyLand built and ruled by sorceresses as a gleaming city literally made of diamond. Gwen explains that the city is ruled by a triumvirate: President Ida (the only elected official), Brit the Elder (the builder of the city), and Brit the Younger (Brit the Elder's younger self who is destined to go back in time and build the city). Since no magic-user ages (one of the first thing they do is freeze their biological age), the Brits look identical. While Martin continues trying to woo Gwen, Phillip and Brit the Younger hit it off after both admit their dislike of Brit the Elder. The summit is interrupted several times by attempts on Brit the Younger's life. No one is particularly worried since Brit the Elder's presence implies that Brit the Younger survives. However, one attempt appears to succeed, when Brit the Younger and Phillip are swallowed by a portal, causing Brit the Elder to disappear. Martin discovers that the culprit is Ida's servant/lover Nilo, whom Ida has given limited powers. While Martin and several other male wizards battle Nilo, [[DesignatedGirlFight Gwen confronts Ida]]. Ida and Nilo are subdued and punished, while Brit the Elder appears and reveals that everything went as she remembers from Brit the Younger's days. Phillip and Martin return home, but Brit the Younger and Gwen (who finally admits her feelings for Martin) promise to visit.

* ArsonMurderAndJaywalking: When Todd traps the wizards in a pseudo-video game, everyone is understandably upset about their lost powers, the constant threat of death, the childish humor, and the sexist scenarios. Tyler, however, is most annoyed about the fact that [[StylisticSuck it's just not a good game]].

** They're all over the place in the fifth novel. For example, Brit the Younger learns to create short-term ones as a way to resolve emergencies. Basically, a version of her from a few hours in the future shows up and tells her what to do, while the current version takes notes. Then, she has to make sure to close the loop. When Gwen asks her where the information originates, Brit brushes her off, pointing out that credit doesn't matter much during an emergency, and it can be sorted out later. In addition, [[spoiler:Phillip is constantly being attacked by a goblin-like figure, who eventually turns out to be Phillip from two months in the future, trying to change his own future, even knowing it won't work]]. Most of the events taking place in the novel turn out to be happening [[spoiler:only because they're already happened, forcing characters to close the loops, including the main crisis]]. Brit the Younger compares the loops to the ''Series/{{Battlestar Galactica|Reimagined}}'' reboot, stating, "It's all happened before, and it'll all happen again".

** According to Sid and Gilbert, the vast majority of magic users [[UpUpAndAway fly like Superman]], although some others use different poses, such as meditation poses.

* BurnTheWitch: The negative way female magic-users are viewed throughout most of history is the reason why most female time travelers choose to go to [[LadyLand Atlantis]].

* KonamiCode: The "spell" that adds a new wizard to the shell is "Supren supren. Malsupren suben. Lasis dekstra lasis dekstra. Bee aye komenco." Which is "Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, Start", in bastardized Esperanto.

* TheAgeless: One of the first things all magic-users do is freeze their biological age. They also make themselves impervious to physical damage (although pain is still present). However, attempts to make a person not require food, water, or air had some nasty results. Thus, a magic-user can still be killed by drowning or suffocation.

* InvisibilityCloak: In book 6, Sid and Gilbert reveal to Mattie and Brewster that every magic user has tried to figure out how to become invisible without resorting to "[[FateWorseThanDeath ghosting]]". They tell them that they have figured it out by bending all incoming light around them, although the effect isn't perfect and an optical distortion can be seen, if one looks close enough. Since there's no incoming light, the invisible person can't see either, seeing only complete darkness. Their solution is to produce periscopes out of their top hats that come out outside the invisibility field. Sid and Gilbert's macro is designed to look like a SmokeOut, with one of them invariably saying "Ninja vanish!", even though it's not actually required for the macro to work.

** ''The Vexed Generation'' - [[spoiler:the Magnuses]].
* BigFancyCastle: Jimmy/Merlin has the royal castle of Camelot "upgraded" to a gleaming golden wonder. Everybody who walks in or near it has to keep their eyes cast down lest they be blinded by the sunlight reflecting off the walls. Jimmy has also added a large marble round table, but instead of knights, it serves as the meeting place for wizards. The table and chairs (also marble) rise up from the floor when needed.

* WalkingTechbane: If a wizard is deemed too dangerous or untrustworthy, he is exiled and sent back to his own time, naked and hogtied, usually to be apprehended by the authorities (most wizards are fleeing authorities in their own time). Furthermore, in order to cut off their access to the file, the exile's magnetic field is boosted to such an extent that any electronic device nearby shuts down.

* OnlyOneName: Since the number of magic-users/time travelers is fairly small (not much more than 100), there's not really a need for people to bother remembering last names. Plus, many of them are on friendly terms. This only causes confusion when talking about Magnuses, two guys named Magnus who live in Medieval Norway. The Atlantean Brits are usually distinguished by adding "the Younger" and "the Elder" to their names, since they're the same person from different time periods. The only time someone's full name is mentioned is when their file reference is accessed.

* UpUpAndAway: The vast majority of magic-users in all time periods uses this pose to fly, sometimes using an object such as a staff or a wand as a control stick in the outstretched hand. Sid and Gilbert are having none of that! Their method is more dignified, akin to SkySurfing. They fly standing up with controls based around segway leaning, with their canes ontrolling altitude but held casually. When Brewster asks why they don't use a more "natural" way like this trope, they explain that, since humans can't fly naturally, there is no "natural" way. They list off a few other flying poses they've seen, including the LevitatingLotusPosition, the Comic/WonderWoman's invisible plane method (only one woman does that), and a DivingKick used by a guy living in Hong Kong during TheSeventies.

* IBelieveICanFly: While all magic-users use a variety of spells that they have developed, the one universal spell all use is flight, although the activation and control methods may be different. The 12th century wizards use their {{Magic Staff}}s or {{Magic Wand}}s to direct their flight (like a joystick). It's not clear how the other magic-users control flight. When wizards don't teleport, they fly places. Atlantean sorceresses, though, either teleport or use FloatingPlatforms to get across the city.

* UpUpAndAway: The vast majority of magic-users in all time periods uses this pose to fly, sometimes using an object such as a staff or a wand as a control stick in the outstretched hand. Sid and Gilbert are having none of that! Their method is more dignified, akin to SkySurfing. They fly standing up with controls based around Segway leaning, with their canes controlling altitude but held casually. When Brewster asks why they don't use a more "natural" way like this trope, they explain that, since humans can't fly naturally, there is no "natural" way. They list off a few other flying poses they've seen, including the LevitatingLotusPosition, the Comic/WonderWoman's invisible plane method (only one woman does that), and a DivingKick used by a guy living in Hong Kong during TheSeventies.

* MagiciansAreWizards: Sid and Gilbert are living in Victorian England as magicians. However, when asked by Martin, they explain that they do not use real magic in their acts, as that would be dishonest. People expect to be tricked by something explainable. To use actual magic would ruin it. Instead, they use time travel to steal magic tricks from the 20th century and use them in the past. When battling Nilo, they make themselves appear as [[Franchise/CthulhuMythos Cthulhu]] and [[http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Fek%27lhr Fek'lhr]]. In book 5, Martin witnesses a personal magic show, staged by Sid and Gilbert for him in their theater at Phillip's request. In book 6, Martin and Phillip set up a rival magic theater across the street from Sid and Gilbert, finally revealing why the pair hates them so much. Unlike Sid and Gilbert, Martin and Phillip freely use actual magic in their tricks.

[[caption-width-right:200:''The Vexed Generation'' cover, showing Mattie and Brewster Banks]]

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: The wizards who live in medieval Europe but not in the English colony appear several times in the first book, but then are never mentioned again.

* CoolAirship: Sid and Gilbert live in a dirigible, largely because it's an easy way to get attention for their magic show.

The sixth book, called ''The Vexed Generation'' is set to be released in June of 2019. The focus shifts to Martin and Gwen's children, sixteen-year-old twins Mattie and Brewster.

* SadisticChoice: At the beginning of the game, Todd makes Phillip choose his second. Phillip chooses Jeff. Unbeknownst to him, Todd set up a script to drop anyone Phillip chooses off a cliff. His money was either on Jeff or Tyler. Phillip protests that he didn't know that this is what he was choosing.

* HonoraryUncle: Brit becomes "Aunt Brit" to Martin and Gwen's kids. Strangely averted with Phillip, whom they never call "Uncle", mostly because he's trying too hard to get them to like him and comes off as weird.

* BrotherSisterTeam: Book 6 shifts the focus away from the usual characters and towards Martin and Gwen's twin children Mattie and Brewster, who unexpectedly learn their parents' magical secret.

* CoolCar: Averted. Phillip's favorite car is his old 1984 Pontiac Fiero. The only cool thing about it is the fact that he made it (and any passengers) indestructible, also giving it a huge horsepower boost.

* MagiciansAreWizards: Sid and Gilbert are living in Victorian England as magicians. However, when asked by Martin, they explain that they do not use real magic in their acts, as that would be dishonest. People expect to be tricked by something explainable. To use actual magic would ruin it. Instead, they use time travel to steal magic tricks from the 20th century and use them in the past. When battling Nilo, they make themselves appear as [[Franchise/CthulhuMythos Cthulhu]] and [[http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Fek%27lhr Fek'lhr]]. In book 5, Martin witnesses a personal magic show, staged by Sid and Gilbert for him in their theater at Phillip's request.

** Also, for his Initiation, Todd turns [[TheBully Kludge]] into a puppet by binding and controlling him with force fields tied to a Nintendo Wavebird controller. He also unintentionally breaks one of Kludge's limbs this way (not that Todd cares) and thinks it's hilarious to ask Jimmy to take a closer look and them sucker punch him with Kludge's hand. Jimmy (and the other wizards) are not impressed as .

* BraveScot: Gwen and Brit the Younger meet a group of Highland shepherds in the fourth novel, who take up arms in order to protect their loved ones from dragons. The Scots spend half their time [[ViolentGlaswegian fighting one another]]. At first, the girls are content to [[FemaleGaze watch]], but them they get tired of all the testosterone. Martin speculates that Brit's experiences in Scotland are at least partly responsible for all the men in Atlantis wearing skirts/kilts.