The Secrets of Magic

Magic: The Gathering: Anthology #7

by J. Robert King (Editor)

The world is a mystery.
Ancient troves of artifacts await discovery. The origins of potent spells rest lost between the pages of archaic tomes. The evolution of monstrous beasts lies outside of a researcher's grasp--until now. At last, long-forgotten and expertly hidden secrets will be revealed.
Contents
"For Want of Ink" by Paul B. Thompson
"Song for the Plague Rats" by Philip Athans
"A Nut by Any Other Name" by Nate Levin
"Goblin King" by Jim Bishop
"Burning Vengeance" by Chris Pramas
"Like Spider's Silk" by Cory J. Herndon
"Behold, the Fish" by J. Robert King
"Journey Home" by Will McDermott
"Stolen Harvest" by Vance Moore
"Family Man" by Scott McGough

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction

320 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published March 1, 2002

Reviews

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This revives a bit of my hope for MTG lore! While the some of the stories were hit and miss, that's par for the course in any anthology and the stories were - at the very least - somewhat interesting. I especially liked the story about the girl and the plague rats. I look forward to reading more MTG lore.

[Chip Hunter · Rating 3 out of 5]

THE SECRETS OF MAGIC is an above-average collection of MTG fluff pieces. While that is not saying much, I think these stories will be enjoyable to most who enjoy getting a little more background info from the characters glimpsed in the trading card game. Most of the stories in this book focus on the early days of prominent characters from other books, including Balthor and Laquatus, both of whom were featured heavily in the Odyssey Cycle. You also meet Barrin as a child, as well as Dralnu and the Baron Sengir. As always with these collections, some were crap, some were good, and a couple were great. In all, there are around 10 stories here, each of which can easily be read in a single sitting, so this isn't a long book. My favorite was the last story, which tells of the founding of the Cabal, and gives some history of how The First came to power. The least impressive to me focused on Balthor the dwarf and how he came to run with the barbarian clans. If you're a fan of MTG fluff and have enjoyed previous installments in the series, you'll be impressed by this one.

[Bob Hanks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed many of the stories but not the evil ones they where very scary and I did not enjoy them

[Bas · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the mtg anthologies I've read so far, this one is easily the best. I've rated the other four 2 stars each here on goodreads.

As in the other anthologies the quality of writing varies. A couple stories aren't worth reading and some are excellent. What really makes this collection stand out however is that six out of the ten stories explain the past of important characters or events from other books. Barrin's beginnings are elaborated, as are Baron Sengir's and Sisay's, the aftermath of Bo Levar's sacrifice, Balthor joining Kamahl's clan and the respective rise to power of emperor Aboshan and the First of the Cabal.

If the majority of these names do not ring any bells for you, you're likely better off reading the main storylines in which these characters are featured - or other mtg novels altogether. I suggest either the planeswalker novels (those about Jace and Tezzeret at least) for standalones or the two artifacts cycle omnibusses if you want something epic to really sink your teeth into.

But if you're well-versed in the lore of Dominaria and Otaria already The Secrets of Magic is a great addition to your collection.

To be fair I'd like to rate this book 3.5 stars. But one has to work with the tools given.