Onslaught (Magic: The Gathering: Onslaught Cycle, Book I) [Mass Market Paperback]

J. Robert King (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2002

The first novel in an all-new Magic (r) novel cycle.

This is the first major novel release since the Odyssey cycle revamped a large part of the Magic: The Gathering world. This novel will reveal further changes to the Magic world.

The land is in upheaval.

The forest grows out of control. The mountains erupt. The seas boil. The swamps spew acid, and the plains turn to desert. Yet, amidst the turmoil there is civilization, brutal and unforgiving. Pit fighters battle to the death before tremendous crowds, making some rich, while others lose everything in one stroke of a sword.

The games must continue.

So must the struggle for survival.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

J. Robert King has written over a dozen novels for Wizards of the Coast, Inc., including the Origins (r) award-winning Planar Powers in the Planescape (r) line. King's most recent titles include Invasion, Planeshift, and Apocalypse, all of which are set in the Magic: The Gathering world.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 312 pages
• Publisher: Wizards of the Coast (September 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786928018
• ISBN-13: 978-0786928019
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #815,582 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Awesome book... but too many spelling errors., February 15, 2004

By 

Adam Spalding (Waltham, MA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Onslaught (Magic: The Gathering: Onslaught Cycle, Book I) (Mass Market Paperback)

I thoroughly enjoyed the tale and have started reading the second in this trilogy. The book was very well written and had a decent flow at the beginning which transformed into an excellent flow in it's conclusion. The author did a good job in making you care about the main characters' conflicts and left you wanting to read onward. The last 8 or so chapters really made this book shine. I whole-heartedly recommend this book. The only draw back was the spelling errors. You would think that someone who could use "quintessential" in coherent sentences would be able to spell "unphased" and "reigning" correctly. Not to mention the other smaller errors such as words being put in past-tense/plural-form incorrectly or the lack of past-tense/pluralization. Those tiny errors are understandable in the rough draft but how did those slip by editing? Who allowed this to be published with those? Never-the-less, a superb read.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars More of the same, June 5, 2009

By 

Travis (Laceys Spring, Albania) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Onslaught (Magic: The Gathering: Onslaught Cycle, Book I) (Mass Market Paperback)

If you liked J. Robert King's Invasion Cycle, this is about status quo. Lots of annoying fourth wall breaking, lots of INCREDIBLY melodramatic prose that doesn't fit the setting, lots of choreographed violence. It's not as bad as the books that follow it, but it's not going to be winning any Locus or Nebula awards any time soon. This is the best of the Onslaught Cycle, but that's not really saying much. If you want thoughtless fight scenes and escapism that doesn't require a lot of thought, go with this book. If you need something a little more solid or thought-provoking, seek ye elsewhere.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best Magic novels..., October 13, 2002

By 

Mitch "The Yellow Dart" (Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Onslaught (Magic: The Gathering: Onslaught Cycle, Book I) (Mass Market Paperback)

As far as Magic novels go, I think this is one of the best. I just started, and I already find myself engrossed. Ixidor, by far, is the most interesting character and very easy to get drawn into. Kamahl is...strange. However, he seems to have a purpose. The pit fights are well described, along with every other aspect so far. I hope to see something of Silvos, Rorix, Visara, Arcanis and Jareth! If not, oh well. Braids is interesting, especially because I have her card.