Arena (Magic - The Gathering, No. 1)
by William R. Forstchen
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Book Summary Information
Author: William R. ForstchenEdition: Mass Market Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1994-10-16
ISBN: 0061054240
Number of pages: 297
Publisher: HarperEntertainment
Book Reviews of Arena (Magic - The Gathering, No. 1)
Book Review: Arena is a book you can keep coming back to
Summary: 5 Stars
Ah yes, Magic the Gathering. The child of Richard Garfield, run through dark magic and incest by the terrifying and evil Wizards of the Coast. I still play Magic, but it will never be like the old days, before Wizards of the Coast became huge. This book was written during the old days, and I reread it every couple years to remind myself of how cool the CCG world was back then.
Arena tells us a story of Garth One-Eye, a mysterious fighter who can control the flow of mana, as he plays a game of cat and mouse (where he's the mouse) in a city ready to tear him apart. Anyone who has seen a Clint Eastwood film will get numerous rushes of recognition. The basic plot of the book follows A Fistful of Dollars, with Garth playing the ruling houses of the city against each other.
So it's a rehash of a familiar plot. Does that make it bad? No. For one thing, it's a familiar plot, but we have to admit it was an entertaining plot as well. And there are twists and turns in this story that go off on their own (albiet Magic the Gathering inspired) direction. But don't be surprised if you start imagining Garth with that Clint sharpness in his voice.
Why read this book? First of all, if you're a fan of the old Magic the Gathering editions, you have to read it, just so you can say you have. Second of all, even if you're not a fan of magic, while it will lose about 10% of its goodness, it's still a great read, easy to pick up and hard to put down.
Any complaints? Only a couple. One, the sequels (by a different author) follow completely different characters and while a couple from Arena appear in later books, the cameos don't quite do them justice. Another downside is that one of the characters, Kirlen, was a potential gold mine of development and plot that only barely gets used.
But I reccomend Arena, especially if it's as cheap as I think it is these days. Pick it up before your next airplane flight or bus ride. It will keep you thouroughly entertained. And it may even make you want to play Magic again.
Summary of Arena (Magic - The Gathering, No. 1)
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?Short Stories Books
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