The Irresistible Allure of the Disaster Mage

Ahead of the release of her debut novel The Outcast Mage – coming on 28 January from Orbit! – Annabel Campbell dives into the world of the disaster mage and asks why we love them so darn much.

I’m going to assume that on reading this title, your response was one of two things: ‘Mmhmm, yes please,’ with a knowing head nod or possibly a gleeful rub of your hands. Or your response was more along the lines of, ‘Eh… what the hell is a disaster mage?’ Well, don’t worry if you’re one of the latter, because I am here to enlighten you and introduce you to a delightful new world of wizards making a mess of things. And if you’re one of the former, then let’s relish in their delightful ineptitude together. (I suppose there’s a chance a number of people know what disaster mages are and said ‘no thanks’ but frankly that’s inconceivable to me and so I’ll choose to ignore it.)

Firstly, what is a disaster mage? I’m sure the term means many different things to different people, and I’m not here to say there’s only one way to enjoy the ruinous magic-user. All I can tell you is what I personally would call a disaster mage. To me, they’re that quintessential magic-wielding character in fantasy. Often filling the role of mentor, they are a person of immense power and often immense knowledge, and sometimes wisdom, but we’ll come back to that. They are book-smart, they have more magic in their pinkie finger than most have in their entire body, and they quite often have a plan to solve the problems of the world they inhabit (usually with magic, right? Cause why wouldn’t you, if you could). So just your average mage, so far, right? What makes them disastrous?

“A beard and a nice staff does not a wise man make”

So many things. First of all, let’s circle back to that question of wisdom. Book-smart does not equal real-world smart. A beard and a nice staff does not a wise man make. So, these magical mentors might have answers for our protagonists, but it doesn’t mean that they’re the right ones.

We all f*ck up from time to time, but what if you fucked up with a monumental tide of magic behind you? I know the quote is “with great power comes great responsibility,” but arguably it should be “with great power comes the potential for bigger disasters.” Many of these characters have spent a long time perfecting their craft, holed up with books, solving every problem they face with magic; yet the big wide world is another place entirely. And people are an altogether unsolvable problem.

(Photo by Yeshi Kangrang on Unsplash)

Which leads us to another potentially disastrous aspect of these characters: they aren’t great with people. This can come in many equally delicious flavours. It can affect their ability to be a mentor character; let’s face it, you can be a genius and an absolutely abysmal teacher. Maybe they’ve become detached enough from the world around them that everyone hates them (Sarkan, looking at you), or maybe they hate everyone else (yeah, still Sarkan). Their love life might be a smoking crater, or just sliding past the point of repair.

Disaster makes the wise more relatable

Okay, so they’re magical and disastrous, why do we care? Well, the short answer is it’s fun. The longer answer is still “it’s fun”, but to elaborate: it turns out that the disastrous elements are actually a really important part of these characters. Ever thought “ugh, what a know-it-all” or “okay, but why should I listen to what she says?” These characters have a lot going for them – smart, magical, often privileged in some way – but we need to like them too. What makes a character more relatable than being a bit of a f*ck-up? We love to see our favs brought to their knees, to see them reach that fork in the road and pick the wrong direction. Not to mention, if these magical mentors were so perfect, wouldn’t they have solved all the world’s problems? Magic needs to have great, sweeping – and often terrible – consequences, lest it become a quick fix for the plot.

So, without further ado, let’s talk about some of my favourite disaster mages. Before I start, there are so many and I can only mention a couple. Shout-outs go to Aranok from The Lost War by Justin Lee Anderson and Kosara in Foul Days by Genoveva Dimova. Sarkan and Agnieszka (Uprooted) and Galadriel (A Deadly Education) in Naomi Novik’s books are all disaster mages, and let’s not forget Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars (yes, he is a space wizard, no question) – he really fumbled that whole ‘teaching the chosen one’ thing.

Meet the OG wizard mentor

My first pick though is the OG wizard mentor character, Gandalf from Lord of the Rings. Mithrandir is one of the most powerful beings in Middle Earth, and yet it seems he has spent much of the Third Age smoking pipe-weed with hobbits and making excellent fireworks. Meanwhile, the One Ring languished at the bottom of a river, and later in the hands of his dear friend Bilbo Baggins.

(Pictured: Ian McKellan as Gandalf in Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring [2001]. Image source here.)

Though (alas) the line “Your love for the halflings’ leaf has clearly slowed your mind” is from the films and not the book, one might argue that the late, great Christopher Lee had a point. And book-Saruman certainly remarks: “…but the thought is late in coming to you,” when Gandalf finally seeks Saruman’s aid with the One Ring.

I would argue that the reason Gandalf is such a beloved character is because he makes (and owns) his mistakes. He is an often-cantankerous old man who is frequently pushed to the edge of his patience by a certain Took. He is flawed, makes mistakes, and can choose only what he believes to be the best path ahead of him. This famous line from the Mines of Moria is actually from the books: “‘I have no memory of this place at all!’ said Gandalf, standing uncertainly under the arch.” A perfect metaphor for our lost mentor unsure of which way to turn.

Turning to the dark side

Next on my list is Akkarin, the headmaster and black magician of The Black Magician trilogy by Trudi Canavan (spoilers incoming). Before Sonea comes under his wing, it could be argued that Akkarin is the most powerful magician in all the Allied Lands, and certainly the most powerful in Kyralia. He’s using a secret power and fighting a secret war without anyone even knowing he’s left his cosy home on the Guild grounds. The one tiny problem is that the power he’s using for the good of Kyralia is forbidden – deemed evil – and to keep his secret, he has remained separate and aloof from his peers, telling no one of what he’s sacrificed to keep Kyralia safe. 

Uh oh.

Well, turns out telling no one is possibly a mistake. Even his best friend is willing to believe he might be evil when it becomes clear that Akkarin is using this forbidden magic. And instead of refuting this (telling literally anyone, Akkarin, come on), he doubles down! He takes hostages, threatens people and steps into the evil persona to keep his secret safe. Needless to say, this does not go well. Akkarin is delightful as a character. He’s mysterious, cape-swooshingly dramatic, hot, powerful and… useless with people. When his secret comes to light and he has to watch the people he’s been protecting turn against him, it is deliciously heartbreaking.

“Looks stern, but is squishy”

So, it is in this grand tradition of wizard fuck-ups that I created my own disaster mage, Haelius Akana. Haelius is one of only eight wizards who lead the prestigious magical Academy in Amoria, a glass city founded by those who can use magic. He is the most powerful mage in a whole city of mages, with a gift that tends to have far-reaching consequences whether he intends it or not. When Naila, the main protagonist, first meets Haelius, she notes that “Wizard Akana’s face was narrow featured and unkind… The stories the students told suggested he’d burned himself with his own magic, experimenting with powers no one was supposed to understand.”

Even in a place built on magic, people fear him and his magic – and to make it worse, Haelius doesn’t exactly fit in. He is the son of a non-mage politician, meaning his loyalties are split, as far as the mage council is concerned.

Haelius is the very definition of ‘looks stern, but is squishy.’ He’s trying so hard to do the right thing by his family and for the mages around whom he’s lived most of his life. He’s got a soft spot for his new apprentice, and he’s hopelessly in love with his closest friend and hopelessly incapable of acting on it. But Haelius is both powerful and impulsive, and when it comes to deciding how he’s going to use his enormous power, well… I’ll leave you find out. (DISASTERS, friend!)

(Character drawing of Haelius by Chris Simmonds.)

If you’re interested in meeting this newest member of the Disaster Mage Hall of Fame, then The Outcast Mage is my debut novel from Orbit. It’s coming out on 28 January 2025 in hardback, eBook and audiobook.