Magic the Gathering: Arena Vol. 1 (Mass Market Paperback)

by William R. Forstchen (Author), (none) (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
As the fighter-mages of the four great Houses prepare for their annual battle, a powerful stranger arrives and he is interested in the fifth House, destroyed a generation ago--but why is the Grand Master afraid of him?

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 297 pages
• Publisher: HarperEntertainment (September 26, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061054240
• ISBN-13: 978-0061054242
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 3.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (72 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #203,840 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Surprisingly good!, April 23, 2005

By	C. T. Hunter "chips_books" (Gainesville, FL United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I was wary about reading a book based on a trading card game (even though I love MTG) because of the limits put on the author when much of the world they are writing about is already laid out. Maybe partly because of this trepedition, I found myself unable to put this book down, captivated by the story. Its a damn good book where I didn't really expect to find one. A plesant surprise!

While its true that the occasional attempt to conform the book to the MTG game by casting some of the more popular spells from the game and by trying to explain the limitations and mana requirements of magic took away from the seriousness of the book, the core story is very well told. The plot, characters, landscapes, and action are top-notch and the reader is drawn in by tantalizing mysteries (The main character's true identity isn't revealed until very near the end of the book).

Having played Magic the Gathering (particularly the older editions) will enhance your enjoyment of this book because of some ambiguousness of some of the spells used. With knowledge of what a craw wurm is you'll have a better understanding of what is happening. I'd still say that anyone that hasn't played the game would enjoy this book anyway.

Forstchen was a great choice of author for the first of the MTG books. I look forward to reading more of them and more of his.

Strongly reccomended.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best MTG book...., March 12, 2003

By A Customer

This is the first Magic The Gathering book, and hands down the best. It is the closest of all the books to the true "feel" of the card game, something that none of the last 20 Magic The Gathering books have even come close to. I liked this book so much I went on to read over 12 books by the same author, many of which are great and happen to be about niche markets that I love. *Wing Commander for example*. If you are a fan of Magic The Gathering, you MUST read this book above all others!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing, April 18, 2005

By	Puma (NJ) - See all my reviews

I have read this book so many times that the book has actually fallen apart. I just bought copy #2, and am just as enthused by the book as ever. It's definately within my top 5 books of all time, maybe even number 1. THIS IS A MUST READ