... as described by a society where it doesn't work. Better to stick with books annotated by an actual apprentice mage or even those specifically written by mages for mages.
Don't dismiss out of hand and don't think that magic doesn't work in the MC's world.
We know that within the universe of AHITR, there are many versions of Earth, some of which spun off into wildly different paths but also time periods, from a world where magic universities are a thing, to a world in full swing of the golden age of piracy.
We know that there are some constants within this universe. Humans existing being the main one. Travel to other realms is possible through etherwalking. Magic is common to other realms. Laws of physics still apply to all realms, even if its not understood - for example, the MC discussing sound waves and gravitational waves (and losing Rae and Caitlin).
With that in mind, we can infer a couple of things about the MC's world.
- It can be travelled to via etherwalking.
- Its among the more technologically advanced worlds.
- Magic might have existed within the MC's world at some stage but was possibly supplanted by science at some stage.
Its quite possible that magic in the AHITR universe is a fifth fundamental force of the universe, one that has its own laws, rules and principles.
Point is, don't dismiss out of hand when you don't know the whole story.
I love it 
