hey, i played mtg VERY casually (couple of friends) around Portal, Weatherlite, Mirage & Urza's sagas

i was wondering if there are any books that are worth reading , especially some about Gerrard/Selenia from Weatherlite?

i read Arena (fantastic) and Dark Legacy (good i think? dont remember what it was about) many years ago.

ive got wiki open and there are like 40 books so maybe you can give me a recommendation based on my post?

Kurr

Canada2338 Posts

August 31 2011 02:10 GMT

There are MTG books? That sounds like it would be really weird since they continually add new things... I wonder how the progression in such books works. I assume they are independent books and not really related to each other?

I'm also a bit interested in the MTG universe so if someone can recommend a couple of them I might pick one up.

Talin

Montenegro10532 Posts

August 31 2011 02:13 GMT

I never even knew there was a "story" behind MTG. ;o

Going to check that out myself.

XCetron

5226 Posts

August 31 2011 02:17 GMT

I love reading MTG books, I first got into them with the books from Mirodin saga so maybe youd like those too. There are so many books and they were all fun to read. However this was also back in HS and my reading level was certainly much lower then. I just read W40k books these days and I believe them to be slightly better.

Varpulis

United States2517 Posts

August 31 2011 02:22 GMT

I've read some Warhammer 40k novels back when i was big into that, never heard of MTG books, but not really surprised. There are books about everything nowadays.

Deacon

United States27 Posts

August 31 2011 02:30 GMT

On August 31 2011 11:10 Kurr wrote:
There are MTG books? That sounds like it would be really weird since they continually add new things... I wonder how the progression in such books works. I assume they are independent books and not really related to each other?

I'm also a bit interested in the MTG universe so if someone can recommend a couple of them I might pick one up.

I think Wizards justifies it by saying that each new block or set takes place on a different plane so to speak. They are starting to really build on this concept with the new planeswalker cards and the new sets that are a return to older sets, like this recent return to Mirrodin block.

To answer the OP, the only one I ever read was the Champions of Kamigawa book since it came with a set I bought. It wasn't too bad, I could recommend it. The problem is that since all the books have different authors some books will naturally be better than others.

m4gdelen4

United States416 Posts

August 31 2011 02:50 GMT

The ones that are worth reading, best written, are The Thran, the Legends Cycle, the Planeswalker Cycle (especiall Bloodlines), and the Ice Age cycle. Invasion and Nemesis and Apocalypse are very well written too.

FFGenerations

7088 Posts

August 31 2011 02:53 GMT

oh warhammer books sound pretty cool too, i collected/painted a few random things like blood angels

know of a book of anything like Space Hulk? (marines stuck on a spacecraft infested with genestealers)
would be epic to read

yeah the Magic cards often have re-appearing characters and themes, in their pictures and in their "flavour text"/quotations

like after you collect some of the Weatherlite cards you realise its about this guy called Gerrard who sails through dimensional Planes on an airship with his crew, trying to fight off the Phyrexian demons or smt.

FFGenerations

7088 Posts

August 31 2011 02:57 GMT

"Arena" is an absolute classic you should read it right away. its "standalone" i think, just set in a world where people battle each other with magic. the main character is awesome and its very easy to read/get into

silencefc

United States875 Posts

August 31 2011 03:09 GMT

#10

I've read most of the MTG block novels. Of the best, imo and in no particular order:
Ice Age block
Kamigawa block
Artifacts cycle

The Planeswalker (Jace, Chandra, Tezzeret) Novels are decent. As is the entire Mercadia + Invasion block since they're about the Weatherlight (Nemesis and Prophecy will seem kind of out of place).

Planar Chaos will be kind of difficult to appreciate early on because the entire block is pretty much a throwback to the previous stories.

AVOID ANYTHING WRITTEN BY ROBERT WINTERMUTE.

FFGenerations

7088 Posts

August 31 2011 03:28 GMT

#11

okay i managed to get Rath & Storm (gerrard's story) here

got masquerade and invaision trilogies too, and probably the rest

i think thats what i wanted to achieve. so bloody complex >_>

cool website here where a guy has put up pictures of the cards relevent to the books

Varpulis

United States2517 Posts

August 31 2011 03:42 GMT

#12

On August 31 2011 11:53 FFGenerations wrote:
oh warhammer books sound pretty cool too, i collected/painted a few random things like blood angels

know of a book of anything like Space Hulk? (marines stuck on a spacecraft infested with genestealers)
would be epic to read

I would suggest Soul Drinker and it's sequels. It's about a Space Marine chapter that gets exiled, and they get stuck on ships a couple of times IIRC. haven't read the books in a long time though, since i stopped collecting the models.

Dromar

United States2145 Posts

August 31 2011 04:53 GMT

#13

Arena is absolutely fantastic. It's the only book I've ever read more than once.

I also read the Artifacts cycle (Brother's War, Planeswalker, Time Streams, Bloodlines), which is the main story about Urza, and I'd definitely recommend them as well. In fact, I might just read them again.

edit: and based on the interests you stated, I think you'd like them too.

Dakkas

2550 Posts

August 31 2011 06:00 GMT

#14

I've read both the Kamigawa and Ravnica series and I enjoyed them both thoroughly. Didn't get to read any more because I only played during those two blocks.

chaokel

Australia535 Posts

August 31 2011 06:22 GMT

#15

I quite enjoyed the odyssey cycle books even if the characters in it are a hundred times more powerful than their card equivalents.

XCetron

5226 Posts

August 31 2011 16:40 GMT

#16

On August 31 2011 12:42 Varpulis wrote:

Show nested quote +

The Soul Drinkers books are ok to read but then after you read the whole thing you realize none of it makes any sense and everyone in the books was retarded.

Orpheos

United States1663 Posts

August 31 2011 18:07 GMT

#17

My favorite was actually the Legends cycle two books,

Assassin's blade
emperor's fist
champions trial

it had nicol bolas and a really cool cast of characters and some sweet fight scenes.

odyssey cycle was pretty cool and the characters continue on in onslaught but it gets kinda weird there.

Kreig

Germany79 Posts

September 12 2011 11:51 GMT

#18

The Urza storyline is probably the best for you to read then
(in-game chronologically):
The Thran - describes how Yawgmoth (the Big Bad) came to power and introduces Phyrexia
Artifacts Cycle (contains the Urzas Saga block) - introduces Urza, the Brother War, and triggers the events that lead to
Ice Age Cycle - not hugely relevant to the Urza storyline but a very cool read (cant find the 3.book though

)
Rath & Storm - Gerrards background story and leads to
Mercadian Masques Cycle - centers around Gerrard and the Weatherlight
Invasion Cycle - knock, knock! Who's there? Phyrexia all over you planet. The final stand of Urza, the Weatherlight and its crew against Yawgmoth.
-snip-
Time Spiral Cycle - reintroduces some characters from the Urza storyline as well as from the Ice Age Cycle

Basically I would recommend the Artifacts Cycle. It shows Urzas path to becoming a demi-god and sets up the story arc Dominaria vs Phyrexia (Urza vs Yawgmoth)
Rath & Storm, Mercadian Masques Cycle and Invasion Cycle consequently progress the story