Customer Reviews

Magic the Gathering : Mercadian Masques ( Masquerade Cycle, Book 1 )

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I agree with another reviewer that you should read Rath and Storm before reading this book. As I play the game of Magic: The Gathering, though, I had a good idea of the backgrounds of the different characters. Starts and ends with lots of action. The mix of deception, suspense, and action wind together to produce this very adventurous novel. A must-read for Magic: The Gathering gamers.

Well, I must say...Mercadian Masques contained the most interesting story I've read since Tempest. In it you have nearly every story element that you could think of. Mystery, suspense, drama, action, adventure, comedy, Masques had it all. I won't ruin any storyline, but I will say this : Be prepared for many plot twists.

One aspect I fear about the Magic storyline is that it may all be going downhill. If you've been paying attention to the new expansion sets and blocks being released, you might realize that all of the storylines in these are based on wars of some kind. Not that is is a horrible thing, but we members of the audience need some variety in the plot, not just (insert Phyrexian bad guy here) invades the good guys. This may just be a rant, but I encourage you to take what I have said into consideration. Thank you.

First of all if you haven't read Rath and Storm read that before you read this otherwise the book will be very confusing. The book has several plots and the characters always get into trouble. If you don't mind fighting(Half the book is fighting) and some cussing. The autor did a great job except towards the middle of the book there is hardly any fighting. But the end of the book is totally action packed the last 50 pages are the best. The book is 341 pages long and took me a week to read it and i'm only 12.

I got this book for Christmas and put it off for awhile, because I didn't think it would be my kind of book. I picked it up on night and was fascinated at the world that was created though this book. It captured my attention and lead me to read other Magic books.

This book like all books has a few flaws. For starters, it starts and ends very well, but the middle begins to slow down, and become a little borring. However, the author did a great job with the various plot twists tossed into it, making the book ultimately more interesting than it had been. The characters were excellent, and I am looking forward to the next book.

a damn good story. What that other guy on the list said was very well done and pretty much summed it all up. Definatly for anyone interested in the back story of the Magic: the Gathering, Mercadian Masques expanson. Before you read this you really should read Rath and Storm. You should also read,(if you like this one of course), The Brothers War, Planeswalker, Time Streams, and Bloodlines (whenever the hell it comes out). They all give even more info on both Magic the Gathering storylines and the back-story to 'Masques.

This book picks up right where RATH AND STORM left off, with Gerrard and Co. escaping Rath in a damaged Weatherlight and crash-landing on the world of Mercadia. The friends soon become entangled in the rather complex but intriguing politics of this mysterious new land, eventually becoming something like heroes to the common people. The main premise of this book involves the capture of the Weatherlight by locals and Gerrard's efforts to reclaim the ship (and simultaneously upgrade it). There is also a lot of character building, particularly with Orim and Squee. This book also helps to bring the other MAGIC books into the story. Events from THE BROTHERS' WAR are talked about as legend, linking this series with that one.

Francis Lebaron does a pretty good job on this (debut?) novel, keeping the pace of the story up and including plenty of action, humor, and drama. Still, there is something lacking in the writing style. For some reason, even scenes that should be very exciting or highly dramatic fail to inspire all that much. I can't really pinpoint exactly what is missing, but for some reason Lebaron's writing just doesn't convey the same feeling that other good writers do. I'll bet that he will improve in this as he matures as a writer.

Overall, this is an above average MAGIC novel that tells a very exciting and interesting tale in a rather bland manner.

The beginning of the books is really slow and then I realized I was supposed to read Rath and Storm first. Once it got going, the gook was great with lots of action and a great story.

I thought this book was great. It's true that the book is a little slow in parts, but everytime it slows down it speeds up again, so I never lost interest. I think the characters are what really grip you in this book, especially Squee, who learns the meaning of honor and pride. Orim changes a lot too, you'll see her get put through a lot in this book, and have to become a warrior as well as a healer to make it through this adventure. The book is also full of surprises, I was especially surprised when I found out who Takara really was. But for those of you who have not read Rath and Storm, I suggest you read it, as it is the book that leads up to this one, and this one will be extemely confusing for you if you have not read it.

Anabsolutely great book. One of the best that I have read. If you haven't already, read the all the other Magic series too.