Customer Reviews

Agents of Artifice: A Planeswalker Novel (Planeswalkers)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have been reading Magic Novels from the beginning. I have read the Brothers War probably three times and most of the early novels more then once. The sad thing is Magic Novels have been dwindling in their quality since the newest creative team has taken over and I haven't been able to get into the characters and the setting were pretty mediocre.

Then this gem came along! This novel was excellent form th emoment I picked it up! I simply could not put it down! It flowed very well and the writing style of Ari is very, very nice to read.

The story itself is good also and makes me enjoy the characters very much. If you are looking for your next MtG novel or just looking to read a good fantasy novel then pick this one up!

As the other reviewers have said, this book is very good for an MTG novel. I was surprised at how well the author balanced the exploration of sheer power that planeswalkers posses in the setting and the soul searching (though often adolescent) that the use of such power for personal gain can bring about. The main characters are well written; they have enough in the way of archetypes to make them readily understandable, yet have enough individuality to make them capable of surprising the reader.

All in all, the book was a light and enjoyable read cover to cover, though the structure of the first half (flashback technique) left me slightly confused for a bit.

I had purchased this book at a Friday Night Magic session a few months back. By then, they had already sold out of the Jace cards (of course). Nevertheless, I picked up the book as well as the Divine vs. Demonic pack and went on my way.

I must say that the first chapter or so of this book is a bit tedious, but good things truly do come to those who wait. I very much like how the author incorporated multiple planeswalkers into his novel, even though my personal favorite doesn't make it in the end (or does he?), as well as how he develops Jace's character. Granted, some of the other characters are left somewhat incomplete, but this can be expected as they are not as vital to the story. Once I muddled through the first few chapters I couldn't put this book down!

On the whole, much better than the Shadowmoor book and even the Llorwyn and Morningtide books. I highly reccomend this book!

"Agents of Artifice" tells the story of the Planeswalker Jace Beleren, a powerful mage capable of traveling between the many worlds of the Multiverse, and his adventures and misadventures with the Infinite Consortium. From the beginning the reader will discover that not everything is as it seems.

The story has a little something for everyone: lots of action and adventure, a large dose of magic, and a diverse set of characters. In addition to Jace, we are introduced to Khallist, a skilled fighter, Liliana Vess, a powerful necromancer, Emmara, the Elven healer, and Tezzeret, the leader of the Infinite Consortium. I found the characters interesting and well thought-out.

Overall the plot/story was interesting and well written. While a few of the plot `twists' were not really a surprise, the story more than made up for it. I found the story exciting and well paced. But as mentioned above, it was really the characters that made the book for me. One of the more interesting aspects of the book for me was the development of Jace's character over the course of the story and the emotions he experiences due to situations that were often beyond his control.

I enjoyed this book very much and would recommend it to readers looking for character-driven fantasy, especially if they like their fantasy heavy with magic. I'd also recommend the book to fans of the Magic the Gathering novel line.

I should note that it is not necessary to have any knowledge of Magic the Gathering to enjoy this novel. I had never played the game or read a Magic the Gathering novel before reading "Agents of Artifice" and I was able to follow everything. In fact, I enjoyed the novel so much I plan to pick up some more novels in the line.

Let me preface this review by saying this: Ari Marmell is an author of role-playing game supplements. He has written very few free-standing novels, and that lack of experience shows here. That said, this is a novel with its various pros and cons.

In its favor, this is an interesting story that capitalizes fairly well on some of the new characters that have been introduced into the Magic milieu in the last year or so, and does a capable job of intertwining them with the history of Magic that has gone before. The plot, while it can be transparent from time to time (as is expected of most Magic fiction), is well thought-out and leaves enough open avenues that the reader can speculate throughout the book, including at the end - this is something that I appreciate.

Counting against this book, however, are the numerous small flaws that come with an inexperienced novelist - the narrative devices used throughout the story feel contrived and are often poorly implemented, the narrative style itself leaves something to be desired, and the editing seems to have been half-hearted, as there are several grammatical errors that have crept into the book - a certain number of these are to be expected and tolerated in any work, but they are somewhat excessive here. Lastly, many of the characters seem to engage in very adolescent thought processes, creating some of the social awkwardness that goes along with adolescence, and somewhat lessening the impact of Planeswalkers as shapers of the raw stuff of the multiverse.

Overall, it is an interesting read if you can force your way through the writing and thin characterizations enough to appreciate the story that's attempting to be told, and worth picking up if you're a fan of Magic fiction and lore, or if you're just a completist. Also worth mentioning is that many local game stores have received a promo version of the card representing the character on the cover, so that may provide some incentive for those who like to play the game or who collect such promotional items. Despite its so-so presentation, I would personally say that this book is more worth it than not, though I might have been happier checking it out from my local library.

Agents of the Infinite Consortium are hot on the trail of Jace Beleren, and will stop at nothing to wipe him out. They will pay any price to kill Jace, but just what has he done to earn their ire? It's a long story of a talented young mage, whose desire to learn more about his magic caused him to align with the wrong man - a massively powerful wizard whose thirst for power knows absolutely no bounds. It's the start of a battle that will be waged from world to world, and in the spaces in between.

Overall, I found this to be a very interesting book. It's a great story, full of action and very interesting magic. There are elves in the story, but the author refused to follow the traditional, Tolkienesque route with them. Indeed, they form a very minor part of the story indeed.

Now, the one thing I do have against the book is that it seems to start out in the middle of the story, and then it quickly drops into a flashback that forms the bulk of the book. It is a clever plot device, and I can see why the author did it. But, nonetheless, I did find it somewhat confusing, and it broke the rhythm of the story for me.

But, that said, this is a very interesting book, one that I really enjoyed reading. If you want to read a very good fantasy book, but want to bypass the typical sword-and-sorcery/elf-and-dwarf story, then get this book. You will enjoy it!

The storyline was great and kept me interested. I was just disappointed because on at least three occasions I noticed glaring typos, like subject-verb agreement, or even extra words being added that were probably from a prior edit, and were not caught before publication. It just took away from my impression of the book. It felt like the book was rushed to the shelves without first going through the proper intermediate stages.

That being said, I want to say that I really did enjoy the read, though.

Having read a bunchful of "Magic: The Gathering"-novels, I was VERY surprised with this one.

It is well written, with a lot of nice twists and turns. Characters are well described, and the reader is drawn into the different personalities portrayed in this book.

The story is fast-paced, but without being messy. The characters are being defined well - more by actions and interactions, than boring long descriptions. Whether or not you like playing the Magic-TCG, you will enjoy reading this book - as long as you're into fantasy novels (dragonlance, forgotten realms etc.).

Being the ONLY "Magic"-novel which can actually stand by itself, without the cards and fans backing it up (in my opinion), it certainly delivers.

I've read a lot of the Magic novels. Some I've really enjoyed, a couple I've struggled to make it through. Agents of Artifice is easily among the best. It's about planeswalkers. Who doesn't love planeswalkers? From the back cover, you know it's about Jace Beleren, Tezzeret, and Liliana Vess. These are great characters. And there's even more waiting inside.

I really enjoyed it. Really good story.. nice backstory on some of the recent (ok.. like a year ago for Jace & Lilliana) additions to the Magic mythos.

But there's lots of surprises and twists... I literally had trouble putting it down through the last quarter.

It's a good read. Buy it (hardcover!! which is a first i think for an MTG novel.. nice) and read it. And you get a sweet looking foil Jace card (art from the book cover.. which is `foil' as well... sweet).

Dave

Magic the Gathering: Planeswalker: Agents of Artifice, by Ari Marmell

I'm a little up in the air about "Agents of Artifice." I had never read a Magic the Gathering book before, but have played it and have read other Wizards' product lines, such as Forgotten Realms. So I wasn't sure what to expect, but I think the surprise was a good one.

The author is capable, and his characters are definitely interesting. Jace is a planeswalker, a magic user who can travel between worlds with the power of his mind. After being recruited by an all-powerful and evil organization, his abilities increase while his heart dies from the acts he is forced to commit. Jace finds a friend in Kallist, a fellow Consortium recruit, but his skills are with a blade. The two eventually meet Liliana, a powerful necromancer with an agenda of her own, one that will keep you guessing.

The first quarter or so of the book is confusing, until you realize that it's a type of flashback. There were a few other points where action jumped around a bit, but I just had to reread a section or two to figure out what was going on. This book is best if you can sit down with it for a while and take some time to get into it.

I wasn't overly impressed, but I also wasn't disappointed with the plot of "Agents of Artifice." The story is interesting enough, with a lot of soul searching for each of the main characters, and each make some surprising decisions. The villains are just as intriguing, and Marmell makes his bad guys extremely bad - they think nothing of repeatedly torturing their victims, or of mind-raping someone. It's a bit chilling, really.

You don't have to be familiar with Magic the Gathering to read this book; I hadn't played in 10 years or more and understood the magic system easily, thanks to the author's descriptions.

I would say this book is average, but it's a good average. It's a decent romp in a magic universe with some good characters.

3/5.