Spell or High Water (Magic 2.0) by Scott Meyer

Scott Meyer, the creater of the webcomic Basic Instructions, turns out to be a pretty sharp fantasy/sci-fi writer.  I read his first book, Off to Be the Wizard, and enjoyed it quite a bit.

The fundamental premise of all three Magic 2.0 novels (and this is a limited spoiler, as it is revealed in the first chapter of the first book) is that there exists a secret file on a major corporate network, which contains the data on everything, and adjusting numbers in the file adjusts reality.

From that premise, Meyer explores the possibilities in an amusing and inventive way, doing a good job of balancing the need for story with the omnipotent potential of such a file.

It’s always nice to find a good, self-published work.