Leo's Magic System Scale

In most of my book reviews, I give the book two ratings. A general 1-10 rating, and what I'm calling the "Leo's Magic System Scale" (LMSS for short (is that stupid? eh, who cares))

Unlike a typical 1-10 scale, this scale doesn't necessarily reflect how much I enjoyed the portrayal of magic in the book. You can infer what my preferences are based on where I have ranked each level, but this scale isn't so much a scale as it is a list I can use as shorthand for describing a magic system. (For example, I have read books I'd rank a 4 but I was very happy with the magic system. Also, every non-fantasy book ranks a 3)

1: Unclear if there's magic, because of vague descriptions, plot holes, or it's just hinted at in the background

2: There is magic confirmed/we see its effects, but we don't get to see it

3: No magic. Higher than the other ones because it's more disappointing when there could be or might be magic but isn't, as opposed to just not having magic

4: There is magic, but we don't get to see much of it

5: There is magic very much present but it's used like a Deus Ex Machina, no natural escalation, or unclear limits OR there is magic very much present but it's rigid and predictable OR the system is thorough but generally unsatisfying

6: System is thorough but loses some mysticism by having shown it

7: System is thorough and well thought out

8: System is thorough but still very mystical

9: System is thorough, still very mystical, and it's written in such a way that I feel like I could do that

10: System is thorough, still very mystical, and it's written in such a way that I feel like I did do that

For example, my gold standard for 10, "I feel like I performed the magic that was described to me," is the Broken Earth Trilogy by N. K. Jemisin. Her descriptions of any character using orogeny are so detailed bodily that not only do I feel like I know how to replicate it (9 on the scale), but I also feel like I was the one who performed the action.

*This is an incredibly subjective scale. Please keep that in mind!*