Scan barcode
A review by sizrobe
The Brothers' War by Jeff Grubb
5.0
This book has a special place in my heart, as it was the first Magic: The Gathering novelization that I read, around 20 years ago. It's essentially the origin story of probably the single most important character in MTG lore, Urza Planeswalker. The thing that surprised me is how much I'd forgotten, only remembering the main story beats. Despite being part of a franchise with the word "magic" in the title, there is almost no magic in the book. The main magical resource in the card game, mana, is only first mentioned ~330 pages into a 400 page book, and even after it's rarely mentioned.
Another thing that surprised me was the presence of several strong female characters, and the book passes the Bechdel test. Also, Urza himself comes off as borderline autistic, caring only about his machines and artifacts. He only marries a princess because he had an eye on one of the books in her dowry.
It's worth noting that the cheapest copy on Amazon at the time that I got the book was 80 bux, and I got a copy from a West Virginia library through inter-library loan for a $2 fee. Love your local library, guys.
Another thing that surprised me was the presence of several strong female characters, and the book passes the Bechdel test. Also, Urza himself comes off as borderline autistic, caring only about his machines and artifacts. He only marries a princess because he had an eye on one of the books in her dowry.
It's worth noting that the cheapest copy on Amazon at the time that I got the book was 80 bux, and I got a copy from a West Virginia library through inter-library loan for a $2 fee. Love your local library, guys.