[lioeters]

> Isn't React sort-of magic to begin with?

That's true, especially JSX caused an uproar in the beginning as "too much magic", and then was gradually accepted as a vast improvement to previous/other ways of templating.

> Don't hooks radically reduce the amount of libraries you need to know?

I'm really hoping so! If they do indeed "serve to make things simpler and more readable", it would be a net positive, regardless of any initial misgivings and possible effort to migrate.