Shion finds himself reborn into another world with high hopes of being able to use magic. Just one problem—magic doesn't exist in this world. Or does it…? Shion's beloved older sister Marie shows him one day that all hope may not be lost when she brings him to a mysterious pond.

At first, the siblings are wary, but Shion and Marie soon discover this pond can hold a powerfully magical punch! With Marie at his side, Shion embarks on a journey he once thought only possible in dreams: Harnessing the power of fire, lightning, sorcery, and enchantment.

Magic Maker: How to Create Magic in Another World has a story by Kazuki Kaburagi and illustrations by Kururi. English translation is done by Eric Margolis. Published by Seven Seas Entertainment (March 17, 2026).

Erica Friedman
Rating:

In most of the isekai light novels we read, the person reborn into another world finds themselves gifted with amazing powers, in a magic system that is fully developed. It's up to the protagonist to figure out how to fully use their powers and create the gaps in the rules where they can best function.

In Magic Maker: How to Create Magic in Another World, Volume 1, Shion has no cheats because there are no rules, because there is no magic. Through this, Shion slowly, carefully, builds the initial principles of a system of magic from scratch. Using the scientific method and many experiments, Shion discovers and develops mana, then carefully develops rudimentary spells. At the climax of the book, he is at last able to turn his studies into actionable power, with presumably more to come in future volumes.

This is both extremely interesting and somewhat tedious. It is the fantasy equivalent of watching someone doing their homework, in order to develop a radical new form of science or technology. It is cool, but sometimes it would be nice if he took a break.

There are a few tropes here that are weirdly shoved into the story for “reasons.” The trope of the creepy smile and laugh, which I have seen in several of these boy wonder-isekai stories…why? I'm serious. It's such a strange and pointless trope. Also, the obligatory look, it's not an incestuous obsession of the older sister for the protagonist. The fact that it's mentioned 807 times as “we're not *really related” doesn't make it less eye-rollingly dull.

Overall, though, the step-by-step construction of magical science was clever and kept my attention.