A review by acertainrandomguy
Agents of Artifice by Ari Marmell

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This was without a doubt the best MTG novel released between the Time Spiral cycle (in 2005-2006) and Children of the Nameless (in 2018). Lovable yet flawed characters that are all in their own way in over their heads and trying to make things workout – and usually failing. The only big flaws with it are that:
1- its connections to the MTG multiverse are at once tenuous (considering that it was written in a time of change for the game and a lot of things have changed) and everpresent (there are multiple instances of deliberately calling back to the game that might irk the reader).
2- The structure of the novel itself, starting in media res, might be confusing and pull you out of the narrative.
3- If this had been written some years later, as per the author's own words, Kallist and Jace would have certainly been a couple.