Customer Reviews

Onslaught (Magic: The Gathering: Onslaught Cycle, Book I)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

ah crap, i'd completely forgotten that Onslaught was my first magic book and stated Mirrodin was my first instead! not that any of you care, its just bothering me that i put that false info out there.

i also read this book several months ago, so my memory of it isnt that fresh.
anyway so there i was a bright young magic player curious about the stories in the cards i enjoyed so much. and.. i chose onslaught. why? because i wanted to read about Akroma. if you see her on the cards, she's this beautiful, strong, white-garbed, bejeweled angel that radiates .. um, something. and if you play the game and look at her card, its a bit crazy all the abilities they give her and such. im iffy about this book but i give it 4 stars because it wasnt that bad. its just that, i loathe reading about the main character, and i dislike its view of akroma. which is of course, unfair because i already created in my mind my own view of her.
however, kamahl returns in this book and if you read the odyssey cycle that may please you. so do a few other enjoyable characters. oh, it might depress you if you're fond of green (the forest) but then again, it seems a lot of magic books are like that.

This book continues the story of Kamhal who is now dealing with being a druid and protecting nature while also trying to aid his sister Jeska who has been transformed by The Cabal First into Phage a being like the First who cna kill with a touch, also add to the mix Ixidor an illusionist who now can shape reality and wants to kill Phage for killing his true love. Very enjoyable a little confusing but it keeps you interested in whats going to happen.

One of the best books I've read in a while. It's really encouraging to see King write a book that was as well crafted as Time Streams. If you've read any of his previous stuff, (artifact cycle) the book is very entertaining and explains the Onslaught story very well. It's the first story in months I've thought was a must buy, especially if you're a MTG fan.

I cant believe anyone would give this a bad review it is easily the best book I have read. Ixidor(to bad he dies), Phage, and Kamahl are all worthy replacements for the characters in the invasion cycle. (But I still cant believe the angel Akroma ruining everything Ixidor tried to create)
For a book based on magic it was a great book and I hope King keeps them coming.

I love to play Magic: The Gathering, and this book helps deliver the story behind the cards. It has a character to each emotion and/or personality. Two are despairing, two are hateful. One soul is driven by greed, another by self-lessness. One soul has been driven to utter madness... another was already there, and never really cared much about sanity. There is a character for everyone to enjoy in this book, so you will like at least some of it, guranteed.

I was VERY pleased with this book. Kamahl was always one of my favorite characters and now he's back,and better. The fact that he's a druid is so cool. I have read many Magic books but this is one of the best. King is a great author who also wrote the Invasion Cycle (My favorite cycle).

This book was fantastic!!! I've read all the Odyssey books and now putting onslaught into the picture is a great part the continuing story. Phage is a good part in the book you want her to turn back into Jeska but you hate her for some of the stuff she's done. Ixidor was cool but he died before he could make a major impact beyond making Akroma and killing Braids. Druid Kamahl was kool because I like staves but he seemed too docile now not spontaneous. I want Patter to just die, he was kool in Chainer's Torment but you really see his true side in Judgement and this book.

The only really bad parts was there wasn't enough fighting at the beginning and too much at the end. Also too many people are dying dang out of the Odyssey Cycle and this I count up 10 or 12 Legends that have died. But there is hope, there is probab;y two new Legends coming in with Stonebrow and Akroma and if they make that old hag a Legend I'll die of laughter (unless she's good). I play the card game and love the books if you play the game you'll love the book.