The Gathering Dark (The Ice Age Cycle, no. 1) (Mass Market Paperback)

by Jeff Grubb (Author) "I'm cold," said Jodah, huddled over the unlit fire pit..." (more)
Key Phrases: jodah blinked, merfolk leader, blue mage, Lord High Mage, Rag Man, Primata Delphine (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
After the war comes the darkness

Terisiare lies in ruins. Nations have fallen, goblins raid the land, and an oppressive faith throttles the city-states. Now deep within the walls of the Conclave of Mages, Jodah must decide if unlocking his own immense power is worth taking a step into the dark lands.

The epic of the Ice Age begins.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 342 pages
• Publisher: Wizards of the Coast (June 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786913576
• ISBN-13: 978-0786913572
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #339,543 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars After The Brothers War, before the Masquerade Cycle., September 27, 1999

By A Customer

The story to the history of Magic the Gathering started off in the Artifacts Cycle with "The Brothers War" and has continued into the Weatherlight Cycle with "Rath and Storm." The story between it begins in The Ice Age Cycle with "The Gathering Dark."

A novice mage by the name of Jodah travels the land of Terisiare learning the basics and five different types of magic from his ally, Sima, a well-knowledged blue mage. The story tells of the period of time from The Dark, when magic was more or less not welcome at home, especially by the church.

Read of the true story behind the tale of Lord Ith, Mairsil the Pretender, Master Artificer Barl and Jodah and their pasts in "The Gathering Dark."

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Gathering Dark, January 4, 2001

By	James Redwine (Coleman, MI United States) - See all my reviews

Very good book!! This book is one of those that you just can't put down. It ties in really well with the trading card game. I was afraid that it wouldn't tie in with the game at all but it does very well. You don't need to know the game to love this book. I read this book and #2 in the series before reading "The Brother's War" by the same author. I urge you to read "The Brother's War" first because the characters in "The Gathering Dark" make references to Urza and Mishra and The Devestation all through the book. But you do not NEED to read it first. This book does a very good job of explaining everything. Not hard Vocabulary level or sentence structure. You should buy this book and others by this author. YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very interesting, especially to a magic player., February 24, 2000

By	psychoclone (Massachusetts) - See all my reviews

This should be of particular interest to someone who plays the Magic: The Gathering card game, as it explains in detail how wizards use magic, and unlock the mana inside their sacred lands. It has suspense, action, and even some comedy(The "Magic Crossbow" scene is both funny and twisted). Though it says it is in the "Ice age cycle", it takes place during the "The Dark" expansion set, as it involves characters, creatures, and spells from that set.