Customer Reviews

Planeswalker: Artifacts Cycle, Book II

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

 

 

This book is hard to rate because it is filled with lots of important content from Urza's Saga card set but it is also long and at some points not very exciting. This book is drastically different than "Brother's War" so beware, if you're looking for another novel like that. This book gives a lot of insight about Urza and his mental/emotional state after losing his brother to the Phyrexian beasts. I thought it was very interesting to see his reactions and decisions he made with a creature that is one of the enemy, Xancha. She is one of the strangest characters because she is a newt like thing, and she is Phyrexian. As much as she tells Urza, he never really listens because he believes she is corrupt and misguided.

I do think the ending was interesting when they were drifting the planes looking for the first plane - it compares to modern day society looking for the beginning of the universe through our telescopes. There is love, betrayal, and deception throughout that add to the emotional attachment some might feel toward the characters.

I can't say this book is extremely exciting, but it's worth reading once. I not going to make any absolute statements because some of you might love it, some of you might hate it - but regardless, you need to read it if you are interested in staying up to par on the Magic: the Gathering books.

This book held lots of potential. The interaction of Urza with others made for compelling reading. Yet, by jumping back and forth through time, the book has no rhythm. It becomes painful to read. You become easily lost as to what is happening. Skip this book and read Books 1 and 3 of the series, as they are far better.

It wasn't the story so much that bothered me as it was the author's ability to tell it. Descriptions were nice, the plot was good (enough, at least) and the characters were engaging. However (isn't there always one of these), the story seems like it was dropped into a blender and left for ten minutes on frappe. The parts are mixed and matched, and, at one point a character being dead was all that told me WHEN what was happening occurred, it is a pain to tell where you are in the story.

If you want to do the pomo ideal and chop your story into pieces, fine. However, tell us which goes where sometime before we get halfway through the chapter. Otherwise, it makes me want to hurl the book across the room. This is the hardest Magic novel to finish with the exception of Dark Victory (which I didn't even make it through). Not worth the time.

Don't buy it, don't rent it. If you own it, burn it.
Harkius

I've read the M:tG books from Brothers War to Apocalypse and my mind always drifts back to Planeswalker. The main body of the book hits upon the madness or maybe mania of Urza Planeswalker that isn't encountered again until Planeshift and Apocalypse in the Invasion Cycle. This is also the only book in the series I re-read, simply because there is so much in it. Many of the other books simply making passing glances at Urza as a character and develope him as a character through over obvious and heavy handed statements where Planeswalker does it with a style that could have made this book 1000 pages with little difference.

Most of the other books in the line also focus on bloody combat or dashing verbal reparte which simply isn't present or needed in this one. If you were bored with Prophecy, Invasion, Planeshift, Mercadian Masques and parts of the Brother's War, you'll enjoy this.

I can't understand why anyone would say this is deserving of 5 stars. The writing style is very confusing; Lynn Abbey likes to skip forward and backward in time each chapter. The plot is ridiculous and boring. Don't waste your money on this book like I did. The first book and third book is better. You can totally pass this one by.

This book is very engrossing and has too many surprises to count. A very good read!

This book is really interesting, but uses a too strange vocabulary, and, as it is full of flashbacks, etc it is difficult for me to understand the story properly because I am a no English speaker, I am Spanish and I beg Wizards of the Coast to simplify the vocabulary or, if possible, translate these books into Spanish and other languages.

When I finished reading The Brothers' War, I couldn't help but read its three sequels; Planeswalker, Time Streams, and Bloodlines. Planeswalker has an annoying reputation, it concentates too much on Xantcha instead of Urza (not that Xantcha's bad or anything). Also, the character known as Ratepe, plays an important role during the first half of the book, but wasted throughout the second half of the book. Some questions popped up when I finished reading, such as: Why is Yawgmoth reffered to as "the Ineffable", Why is Ratepe so rebellious to Xantcha (NOTE: Ratepe is a slave Xantcha bought) even though Xantcha will send him free once he has done what Xantcha wanted (he was supposed to fool Urza into thinking he was his dead brother, Mishra. Urza blames himself for the death of Mishra even though it was Gix and the other Phyrexians who did it). The book starts out agonizingly slow and seemed to drag at some parts. I didn't give Planeswalker a 1 or 2 stars because I have read [much worse]. Read The Brothers' War, and if you want to get to Time Streams and Bloodlines, just give Planeswalker a look.

The story line was one of the hardest, and I admire the writer who handle it quite well. However, the book is very hard to follow and, because of hte nature of the plot, is quite dark.

reader: approach this book with extreme patience.

First, I want to warn you that this book is not for everyone. I do recommend that you read it if you plan to read the entire series, even if you find it a little slow, because it fills in gaps. The reason I enjoyed it was because I have read many fantasy books, yet none seemed to delve into philosophical humanity like this does. By seeing Urza's change throughout the book, it gives him a depth unlike many fantasy characters. Xantcha's innocence adds another perspective by showing growth rather than restoration like Urza. A real human story, which I recommend you at least give a chance.

(BTW, I can't spell, so don't sue me ;))