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Magic: The Gathering: Planeswalker #2
The Purifying Fire
The Gathering takes a bold new direction in this Planeswalker novel about the adventures of Chandra Nalaar—an impulsive mage on a collision course with destiny Fresh off an encounter in which she was able to show off her talents, Chandra Nalaar has earned a place in a loose association of fire mages. But she still has a lot to prove—especially to the hieromancers imposing their draconian law across the land. The Order’s ever-increasing influence is an affront to all Chandra holds freedom, individuality, the right of self-determination, and most of all, the right to blow things up. A great mage once said that destruction is best left to a professional, and Chandra is proving to be world-class in the art of boom. Unfortunately, that notoriety is about to earn her a whole lot of trouble . . . Her exploration of the Multiverse and the extent of her volatile powers have some thinking she is the herald of the apocalypse. Will she control her own destiny—or suffer the will of others?
400 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 7, 2009
38 people are currently reading
619 people want to read
About the author
Laura Resnick
109 books273 followersLaura Resnick is an award-winning science fiction and fantasy author, the daughter of prolific science fiction author Mike Resnick. She was the winner of the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer in Science Fiction for 1993. She also writes romance novels under the pseudonym Laura Leone
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
October 9, 2014
Being a fan of Magic: The Gathering since the early days, I found this to be an enjoyable read. It does a decent job of introducing Chandra, though I do think it could have fleshed her out a bit more. There wasn't much character growth for her as her personality stayed pretty close to her official description.
Gideon, on the other hand, doesn't stray from the strong, silent type personality. Again, character growth would have been appreciated, especially his conflict with what the Order of Heluid represents and it's obsession with subduing Chandra.
I also felt most of the major conflicts were over way to quickly. There's a lot of build-up that gets the reader anticipating the resolution, and when it does happen, it's over way too fast. I would have like to see more of the conflict between Chandra and the Order, as is hinted in the summary on the back cover.
Overall, while a good introduction to Chandra Nalaar, this book could have been much better in regards to growing the character.
Gideon, on the other hand, doesn't stray from the strong, silent type personality. Again, character growth would have been appreciated, especially his conflict with what the Order of Heluid represents and it's obsession with subduing Chandra.
I also felt most of the major conflicts were over way to quickly. There's a lot of build-up that gets the reader anticipating the resolution, and when it does happen, it's over way too fast. I would have like to see more of the conflict between Chandra and the Order, as is hinted in the summary on the back cover.
Overall, while a good introduction to Chandra Nalaar, this book could have been much better in regards to growing the character.
December 12, 2022
The Purifying Fire is a bit of a mess, but it has good intentions. It took me a while to really respect the message of the book, but the third act really puts some questionable character moments into perspective for me. Honestly, the third act kinda saved the book for me, in a way. I think Chandra's decisions and internal monologue really changed my perspective of why they were going so hard on Chandra's reckless endangerment and blatant murder throughout the book. Gideon's actions also seemed out of character at first, but they really come into focus when you realize where he is in his life right now and why he's doing the things he does. It's not nearly as well structured or consistent as Agents of Artifice, and the presentation of this book is, frankly, atrocious. It wouldn't be that much of an understatement to say there were more than 5-6 spelling/printing errors in every single chapter. I lost count very quickly. In conclusion, Purifying Fire could've been a much better product with just a little bit of TLC and a more focused vision, but for what it is I think it's a very good book.
December 28, 2014
First off, I'd like to say this book gets a 2.5/5 review from me. I can't give half points but can make it known here. I'd sooner give it a 2 than a 3, however.
This book is the second book in the Planeswalker trio, starting with Agents of Artifice and ending with Test of Metal. This series is not a trilogy however, as this book is its own unique story and takes nothing from the previous book. It seems as if the third book picks up where the first book left off and continues Tezzeret's story, but this one does little.
For those that have been following the recent trend of Planeswalkers, and perhaps played the new Duels of the Planeswalkers games, this book features Chandra and Gideon. Jace Beleren happens to make a brief cameo in this book. And when I say brief, I really do mean brief. It's so brief I don't think they even state his name in the book and he doesn't really do much.
The story is about Chandra Nalaar, a young fire mage Planeswalker. She lives in a monastery where she is learning to hone her pyromancy. She soon finds herself in a heap of trouble, as a mysterious mage (Jace) comes and steals a scroll from her, which she had only recently stolen herself. The scroll is said to contain the location of some immense power, which she wishes to obtain. As she goes back to steal it, she finds herself in a heap of trouble in another plane, while the trouble at the monastery continues to boil. The Order of Heliud, a group of mages that worship a purifying fire, strive to enforce their laws over the plane and prevent the monastery from practicing fire, starting by asking for Chandra to turn herself over to them.
The book isn't as good as the previous book. Agents of Artifice, I enjoyed. It was a good book with two good characters, Jace and Tezzeret. Chandra and Gideon however, aren't as good. They seem less multi-dimensional and don't quite lodge themselves as being among the best characters in the Multiverse.
The story also isn't that great. In the first third of the book, problems arise that force Chandra to go to another plane. And problems there force her to another plane, and Gideon follows her there. The events on that plane have absolutely NO correlation with the rest of the book, except that the story causes them to go there (not even by choice) and the events there span some time that allow things to advance on the original plane. It seems as if Laura needed to come up with something to fill a hundred or so pages and the best she could come up with was something that was a complete side plot that was irrelevant.
And even the portion of the book that is on-topic with the main plot isn't all that great. The story isn't really so sure what it is trying to do. It seems to toy with a couple of ideas and then decides one of them isn't important, so it simply brings an abrupt end to it. Then at the end it decides that it's probably important still and revives it, leaving you with a cliffhanger about it. And since a large portion of the book takes place elsewhere to where the main plot is occurring, it doesn't feel that epic and loses its appeal.
The action portions of the book are very lame. They are short and aren't very satisfying. I don't want to spoil anything but let's just say that the author couldn't think of much so she just put in something that would work, regardless of how anyone would feel about it. I, for one, could not stand any of her action. Even the climax is ridiculously short, and not very thoughtful. It seems as if she just wrote what came into her head without any thought. All I can say is when you read it, you'll think "is that it?".
I honestly did not enjoy the book that much. I found it troubling to sit down and read because I simply wasn't enjoying it. I eventually decided I would just power through the last 100-150 pages I had left in one sitting, which took me only a couple of hours. For a book that was considered to be good by quite a few, I can only conclude that they're basing it in the realm of MTG books alone and not fantasy in general. It may not be half bad when you compare it to other MTG books since a lot of them just aren't that good, but compared to other fantasy books, it just doesn't cut it. It had a lot more potential than it obviously used and I really can't say much to redeem it than what I just said.
Read this book at your own discretion. Do not expect a great book, it is not that great. Do not expect a horrible book, I've certainly seen worse MTG books.
This book is the second book in the Planeswalker trio, starting with Agents of Artifice and ending with Test of Metal. This series is not a trilogy however, as this book is its own unique story and takes nothing from the previous book. It seems as if the third book picks up where the first book left off and continues Tezzeret's story, but this one does little.
For those that have been following the recent trend of Planeswalkers, and perhaps played the new Duels of the Planeswalkers games, this book features Chandra and Gideon. Jace Beleren happens to make a brief cameo in this book. And when I say brief, I really do mean brief. It's so brief I don't think they even state his name in the book and he doesn't really do much.
The story is about Chandra Nalaar, a young fire mage Planeswalker. She lives in a monastery where she is learning to hone her pyromancy. She soon finds herself in a heap of trouble, as a mysterious mage (Jace) comes and steals a scroll from her, which she had only recently stolen herself. The scroll is said to contain the location of some immense power, which she wishes to obtain. As she goes back to steal it, she finds herself in a heap of trouble in another plane, while the trouble at the monastery continues to boil. The Order of Heliud, a group of mages that worship a purifying fire, strive to enforce their laws over the plane and prevent the monastery from practicing fire, starting by asking for Chandra to turn herself over to them.
The book isn't as good as the previous book. Agents of Artifice, I enjoyed. It was a good book with two good characters, Jace and Tezzeret. Chandra and Gideon however, aren't as good. They seem less multi-dimensional and don't quite lodge themselves as being among the best characters in the Multiverse.
The story also isn't that great. In the first third of the book, problems arise that force Chandra to go to another plane. And problems there force her to another plane, and Gideon follows her there. The events on that plane have absolutely NO correlation with the rest of the book, except that the story causes them to go there (not even by choice) and the events there span some time that allow things to advance on the original plane. It seems as if Laura needed to come up with something to fill a hundred or so pages and the best she could come up with was something that was a complete side plot that was irrelevant.
And even the portion of the book that is on-topic with the main plot isn't all that great. The story isn't really so sure what it is trying to do. It seems to toy with a couple of ideas and then decides one of them isn't important, so it simply brings an abrupt end to it. Then at the end it decides that it's probably important still and revives it, leaving you with a cliffhanger about it. And since a large portion of the book takes place elsewhere to where the main plot is occurring, it doesn't feel that epic and loses its appeal.
The action portions of the book are very lame. They are short and aren't very satisfying. I don't want to spoil anything but let's just say that the author couldn't think of much so she just put in something that would work, regardless of how anyone would feel about it. I, for one, could not stand any of her action. Even the climax is ridiculously short, and not very thoughtful. It seems as if she just wrote what came into her head without any thought. All I can say is when you read it, you'll think "is that it?".
I honestly did not enjoy the book that much. I found it troubling to sit down and read because I simply wasn't enjoying it. I eventually decided I would just power through the last 100-150 pages I had left in one sitting, which took me only a couple of hours. For a book that was considered to be good by quite a few, I can only conclude that they're basing it in the realm of MTG books alone and not fantasy in general. It may not be half bad when you compare it to other MTG books since a lot of them just aren't that good, but compared to other fantasy books, it just doesn't cut it. It had a lot more potential than it obviously used and I really can't say much to redeem it than what I just said.
Read this book at your own discretion. Do not expect a great book, it is not that great. Do not expect a horrible book, I've certainly seen worse MTG books.
September 2, 2025
Chandra not actually asking Gideon where he came from and why he followed her is such a giant fucking fumble, it pissed me off so much. I found Chandra rather unlikeable in general, with her weird back and forth between feeling guilty about hurting innocents and not caring at all.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 28, 2013
The Purifying Fire is a solid four and a half stars for me. It's a book that follows Chandra's character closely - action and go-go-go, punctuated with booms and fire, with a dark intermission that echoes Chandra's innermost thoughts and an ending that gives her clarity.
Chandra is a girl who acts first and thinks later, which is reflected in her actions throughout the book. She accidentally brings too much attention to herself while in Regatha, a world where various factions are in conflict with each other. Sent to lay low for a while, Chandra is to retrieve a scroll she had previously stolen, but was taken back by a fellow planeswalker. Her return is expected, unsurprisingly, and Chandra's attempt to extricate herself only land her into a bigger world of trouble (literally).
The book is fast-paced but not hectic: Laura Resnick is patient enough to explain what's going on and just how badly Chandra entangles herself into certain things. She illustrates Chandra's temper well, and her reactions to everyone around her. She's not a deep thinker, which is why Chandra is in so much trouble often.
What made this a not-perfect book was the side trip to Diraden. On my first read-through I wasn't sure what the point was. It didn't lend anything to the story, except illustrate the dangers of planeswalking (hint: it's dangerous even when done right). It was a spooky world, but I was torn between my want for detail (I really wanted to learn more about Falia and Gideon, who revealed more about himself during this trip) and my attempt to not get attached (because in the grand scheme of things, Diraden counts for nothing). It's a dead world that's meant to disappear in the background after the trip, and it felt disappointing that so much effort was put into it.
But after reading the book, as I said in the beginning, Diraden is a reflection of the darkness that lurks in Chandra's conscience. Diraden gives the reader a chance to see Chandra's worries, and builds the relationship between her and Gideon.
And speaking of Gideon, I would've liked to learn more about him. He was such a major character in this book, but because he was Chandra's sometime-ally/antagonist, he didn't want to reveal anything, and Chandra wasn't going to think much of it. I'm hoping a book that follows his story comes out.
What bothers me the most is that I enjoyed the trip to Diraden the most in this book, and it wasn't even the main stage for all the important action.
Anyway, for non-MTG readers, it's a good introduction to the world of Magic, although the first book Agents of Artifice is better to set you up. For MTG fans...there is fire, and planeswalking, and hot mana on mana action.
Chandra is a girl who acts first and thinks later, which is reflected in her actions throughout the book. She accidentally brings too much attention to herself while in Regatha, a world where various factions are in conflict with each other. Sent to lay low for a while, Chandra is to retrieve a scroll she had previously stolen, but was taken back by a fellow planeswalker. Her return is expected, unsurprisingly, and Chandra's attempt to extricate herself only land her into a bigger world of trouble (literally).
The book is fast-paced but not hectic: Laura Resnick is patient enough to explain what's going on and just how badly Chandra entangles herself into certain things. She illustrates Chandra's temper well, and her reactions to everyone around her. She's not a deep thinker, which is why Chandra is in so much trouble often.
What made this a not-perfect book was the side trip to Diraden. On my first read-through I wasn't sure what the point was. It didn't lend anything to the story, except illustrate the dangers of planeswalking (hint: it's dangerous even when done right). It was a spooky world, but I was torn between my want for detail (I really wanted to learn more about Falia and Gideon, who revealed more about himself during this trip) and my attempt to not get attached (because in the grand scheme of things, Diraden counts for nothing). It's a dead world that's meant to disappear in the background after the trip, and it felt disappointing that so much effort was put into it.
But after reading the book, as I said in the beginning, Diraden is a reflection of the darkness that lurks in Chandra's conscience. Diraden gives the reader a chance to see Chandra's worries, and builds the relationship between her and Gideon.
And speaking of Gideon, I would've liked to learn more about him. He was such a major character in this book, but because he was Chandra's sometime-ally/antagonist, he didn't want to reveal anything, and Chandra wasn't going to think much of it. I'm hoping a book that follows his story comes out.
What bothers me the most is that I enjoyed the trip to Diraden the most in this book, and it wasn't even the main stage for all the important action.
Anyway, for non-MTG readers, it's a good introduction to the world of Magic, although the first book Agents of Artifice is better to set you up. For MTG fans...there is fire, and planeswalking, and hot mana on mana action.
January 13, 2020
This was actually passable! That's high praise for an MTG novel.....
The good:
* Chandra >> Tezzeret
* There's a somewhat coherent plot that you can follow, as opposed to a series of compounding twists like the last book. It's not the best plot, but it makes sense.
* Characters are simple, but they also make sense and act in ways that make sense based on how they've been established.
* The plot was actually interesting and there wasn't a black and white, good vs evil situation! There was actually some nice nuance! Chandra's resistance to whatshisface (I can't remember his name, only that it was the worst villain name in a while) made sense; who the hell is this guy to want to take over and impose his will! But then Gideon explains that this guy....is kind of right? Sometimes you need the law for the greater good because people's actions are affecting others and they don't seem to care (this speaks to me). IT WAS A GREAT ISSUE WHERE YOU CAN KIND OF SEE HOW BOTH SIDES ARE RIGHT IN DIFFERENT WAYS! That's so refreshing in fantasy in general, let alone in MTG where usually it's very, very simple good vs evil.
The bad:
* Did you know Chandra was fiery and impulsive and has a temper? I sure didn't until they spent 40% of the book establishing this and reminding me.
* Gideon was weird. He sort of had a good background and motivation, but then he just ignores this because he....likes Chandra maybe? It's the one case of character inconsistency, or rather not strongly establishing his character and giving very nebulous motivations to betray his orders. He believes in upholding the law to the letter!....until he doesn't because reasons?
* This plane Chandra is on seems....small? It's not really established as a setting, there's just a monastery, a forest, and a city? And there's a dude trying to take over? I only cared about the plot later after Gideon introduced the interesting other side of the issue.
The Ugly:
* The resolution of the time on that other plane was odd. It was the one lazy moment of the plot with their somewhat-clever plan to escape failing instantly....but then Chandra can just do something with her power that she's never done before and the actually-interesting problem that they're cut off from mana is just not an issue for that? Interesting plots come from establishing limitations on your characters and forcing them to find less obvious ways to solve their problems. This is completely negated when you just ignore that limitation in the end and have them solve the problem using their magic anyway.
* Ancillary characters were nonentities, and given how few characters there are in general, this can't be overlooked. It's not like they can use worldbuilding as an excuse here, since none of that takes place either.
The good:
* Chandra >> Tezzeret
* There's a somewhat coherent plot that you can follow, as opposed to a series of compounding twists like the last book. It's not the best plot, but it makes sense.
* Characters are simple, but they also make sense and act in ways that make sense based on how they've been established.
* The plot was actually interesting and there wasn't a black and white, good vs evil situation! There was actually some nice nuance! Chandra's resistance to whatshisface (I can't remember his name, only that it was the worst villain name in a while) made sense; who the hell is this guy to want to take over and impose his will! But then Gideon explains that this guy....is kind of right? Sometimes you need the law for the greater good because people's actions are affecting others and they don't seem to care (this speaks to me). IT WAS A GREAT ISSUE WHERE YOU CAN KIND OF SEE HOW BOTH SIDES ARE RIGHT IN DIFFERENT WAYS! That's so refreshing in fantasy in general, let alone in MTG where usually it's very, very simple good vs evil.
The bad:
* Did you know Chandra was fiery and impulsive and has a temper? I sure didn't until they spent 40% of the book establishing this and reminding me.
* Gideon was weird. He sort of had a good background and motivation, but then he just ignores this because he....likes Chandra maybe? It's the one case of character inconsistency, or rather not strongly establishing his character and giving very nebulous motivations to betray his orders. He believes in upholding the law to the letter!....until he doesn't because reasons?
* This plane Chandra is on seems....small? It's not really established as a setting, there's just a monastery, a forest, and a city? And there's a dude trying to take over? I only cared about the plot later after Gideon introduced the interesting other side of the issue.
The Ugly:
* The resolution of the time on that other plane was odd. It was the one lazy moment of the plot with their somewhat-clever plan to escape failing instantly....but then Chandra can just do something with her power that she's never done before and the actually-interesting problem that they're cut off from mana is just not an issue for that? Interesting plots come from establishing limitations on your characters and forcing them to find less obvious ways to solve their problems. This is completely negated when you just ignore that limitation in the end and have them solve the problem using their magic anyway.
* Ancillary characters were nonentities, and given how few characters there are in general, this can't be overlooked. It's not like they can use worldbuilding as an excuse here, since none of that takes place either.
June 29, 2010
Mistaken Identity - No heroine here
I was pretty disappointed, there were interesting fantasy components to this story, however I didn't feel there was enough character depth, Chandra came across as a reckless individual who really didn't impressed at all, particularly when she burnt part of the forest and thought she was justified --because she managed to kill the wraith! stupid. Added to that the whole story line of breaking into the building that held the scrolls, and eventually destroying the building and killing many innocents, all because of her curiosity in the power that the scrolls may hold. Gee, in fact it's like she really is a villain dressed up as a heroine.
1. Burn forest check
2. Breaks into building check
3. Destroys building check
4. Kill innocents check
I was pretty disappointed, there were interesting fantasy components to this story, however I didn't feel there was enough character depth, Chandra came across as a reckless individual who really didn't impressed at all, particularly when she burnt part of the forest and thought she was justified --because she managed to kill the wraith! stupid. Added to that the whole story line of breaking into the building that held the scrolls, and eventually destroying the building and killing many innocents, all because of her curiosity in the power that the scrolls may hold. Gee, in fact it's like she really is a villain dressed up as a heroine.
1. Burn forest check
2. Breaks into building check
3. Destroys building check
4. Kill innocents check
July 12, 2014
I think Chandra is a cool (or hot?) character!
This is quite a great adventure story. Easy to read and understand, it follows Chandra, the fire mage and an adventure designed by her flaws. It is in some respects a coming-of-age story with lessons to be learned, mixed with a ton of action and adventure. As I read this I imagined Hollywood making a horrible movie out of it. It probably looks better on the screen in my head than the screen on TV.
This is quite a great adventure story. Easy to read and understand, it follows Chandra, the fire mage and an adventure designed by her flaws. It is in some respects a coming-of-age story with lessons to be learned, mixed with a ton of action and adventure. As I read this I imagined Hollywood making a horrible movie out of it. It probably looks better on the screen in my head than the screen on TV.
October 2, 2014
I like the characters featured in this novel so I bought it despite reading the negative reviews. It was an enjoyable read. I liked how the characters were developed, and that they survived to the end, unlike some of the other books in the series.
October 4, 2017
The story is kind of hazy. There are good parts, but the story as a whole is lacking. It's probably still interesting for people who like to read about the lore of the Planeswalkers, but not so much for people who don't know much about them. I still liked it.
September 5, 2019
Good book
October 29, 2019
The character development was a little flat but overall it was an enjoyable read.
February 3, 2021
Pretty good, worth reading
May 12, 2023
Up front this is going to be another ‘If you aren’t familiar with at least the current MtG universe, this is may not make the most sense’ warning. Both in this review, and the book in general.
A first and foremost… I hate the Planeswalker Chandra Nalaar. She’s literally my least favorite/most hated Planeswalker in the MtG universe.
I. Hate. Her.
So when I was given this gift set of MtG books, looking through them I was so stoked! But as soon as I got into this one, I couldn’t help but crinkle my nose as soon as I saw that the book is centered around her. Give me whiney emo Jace anyday, anything but Chandra.
Why do you hate her, you ask? She’s the most stereotypical Planeswalker/mana user ever. She uses red mana, which is generally known for fire, chaos, and aggression. But instead of using that to make an interesting character that is aggressive, chaotic, and a fire-user, oh no – Not Chandra. I just kinda feel like Wizards of the Coast was like: Let’s take all the known stereotypes for this and lump them together. “Oh, let’s make her a woman, too. Because you know how crazy and irrational women are, am I right? harharhar.”
She’s ‘hot headed,’ [literally, her hair turns to fire. Not even kidding] she’s incredibly dense, unnecessarily aggressive [verging on to the point where you have to wonder if her fire hair has burned years worth of braincells], doesn’t ever think before she acts [ever. EVER.] and then wonders why people [myself included] hate her. Oh, I dunno. Because someone looked at you wrong, you incinerate entire villages, and then wonder how/why it happened. Sigh.
Her character is almost literally summed up as: Oh, hey, I use FIRE and so I have a FIRERY personality and I’m quick to anger like FIRE and oh hey again, my hair is totally FIRE.
/end rant
Anyway.
The book itself is written incredibly well. It only solidifies my last statement for my last MtG book review [Agents of Artifice] that MtG hires talented authors to write their books. [Too bad the same can’t be said for whomever made Chandra. -cough-] I was pretty much able to get through the book without an issue because even though I loathe the main character, as the author did an incredible job to write an excellent fantasy book, crappy character or not. Besides, the book also includes another Planeswalker, Gideon, who is/was a white mana user at the time of this book, at least. [Who, despite using white mana, is kind of a dreamboat. Don't @ me]
Really, it’s Gideon who made the experience for me besides how much I liked the writing. There’s all kinds of other well-sculpted characters, but he really brought the book up to the next level. But also, he’s a badass. Straight up badass. An extra bonus also is that he gives Chandra a lot of shit for her being a dumbass when she didn’t think before acting. That was always nice.
There are so many different worlds painted out [since Planeswalkers can move between worlds/planes, for those unfamiliar] and each world is fascinating in it’s own way. You learn about some old Planeswalkers, ones that I was surprised to see mentioned, and again they pretty much allude to how new Planeswalkers aren’t anything nor nearly as powerful of Planeswalkers from generations before. There’s also really good examples of Good vs Evil in this book. Some of the evil characters are convincingly eeevil. Crazy, too.
My main complaints in this book, other than it being about Chandra, is that some of the parts, especially the end is... [which has been being built on since the beginning of the book, and what the book is named after] …kinda anti-climatic.
It builds and builds and builds and then when you get to the end, when everything goes down, it almost just sort of… deflates. Not the event that happened, no, but how it was executed? Kinda a let down, honestly. It was still an ultimately good ending, but could have used a little less build up I think.
Overall, I give The Purifying Fire 4/5 Red Mana
“How can you eat someone that you’ve talked to?!”
A first and foremost… I hate the Planeswalker Chandra Nalaar. She’s literally my least favorite/most hated Planeswalker in the MtG universe.
I. Hate. Her.
So when I was given this gift set of MtG books, looking through them I was so stoked! But as soon as I got into this one, I couldn’t help but crinkle my nose as soon as I saw that the book is centered around her. Give me whiney emo Jace anyday, anything but Chandra.
Why do you hate her, you ask? She’s the most stereotypical Planeswalker/mana user ever. She uses red mana, which is generally known for fire, chaos, and aggression. But instead of using that to make an interesting character that is aggressive, chaotic, and a fire-user, oh no – Not Chandra. I just kinda feel like Wizards of the Coast was like: Let’s take all the known stereotypes for this and lump them together. “Oh, let’s make her a woman, too. Because you know how crazy and irrational women are, am I right? harharhar.”
She’s ‘hot headed,’ [literally, her hair turns to fire. Not even kidding] she’s incredibly dense, unnecessarily aggressive [verging on to the point where you have to wonder if her fire hair has burned years worth of braincells], doesn’t ever think before she acts [ever. EVER.] and then wonders why people [myself included] hate her. Oh, I dunno. Because someone looked at you wrong, you incinerate entire villages, and then wonder how/why it happened. Sigh.
Her character is almost literally summed up as: Oh, hey, I use FIRE and so I have a FIRERY personality and I’m quick to anger like FIRE and oh hey again, my hair is totally FIRE.
/end rant
Anyway.
The book itself is written incredibly well. It only solidifies my last statement for my last MtG book review [Agents of Artifice] that MtG hires talented authors to write their books. [Too bad the same can’t be said for whomever made Chandra. -cough-] I was pretty much able to get through the book without an issue because even though I loathe the main character, as the author did an incredible job to write an excellent fantasy book, crappy character or not. Besides, the book also includes another Planeswalker, Gideon, who is/was a white mana user at the time of this book, at least. [Who, despite using white mana, is kind of a dreamboat. Don't @ me]
Really, it’s Gideon who made the experience for me besides how much I liked the writing. There’s all kinds of other well-sculpted characters, but he really brought the book up to the next level. But also, he’s a badass. Straight up badass. An extra bonus also is that he gives Chandra a lot of shit for her being a dumbass when she didn’t think before acting. That was always nice.
There are so many different worlds painted out [since Planeswalkers can move between worlds/planes, for those unfamiliar] and each world is fascinating in it’s own way. You learn about some old Planeswalkers, ones that I was surprised to see mentioned, and again they pretty much allude to how new Planeswalkers aren’t anything nor nearly as powerful of Planeswalkers from generations before. There’s also really good examples of Good vs Evil in this book. Some of the evil characters are convincingly eeevil. Crazy, too.
My main complaints in this book, other than it being about Chandra, is that some of the parts, especially the end is... [which has been being built on since the beginning of the book, and what the book is named after] …kinda anti-climatic.
It builds and builds and builds and then when you get to the end, when everything goes down, it almost just sort of… deflates. Not the event that happened, no, but how it was executed? Kinda a let down, honestly. It was still an ultimately good ending, but could have used a little less build up I think.
Overall, I give The Purifying Fire 4/5 Red Mana
“How can you eat someone that you’ve talked to?!”
December 10, 2016
I see shared themes in the planeswalker books that I really dig. Usually there's a head bad guy who, for reasons that make sense to him, wants to force other people to do things his way. Enter the main character planeswalker, who in this case is a total badass chick who bursts into flame when she's angry, Chandra.
Worlds in the multiverse allow for some awesome social commentary. THE PURIFYING FIRE opens with three opposing forces: A training monastery on a mountain (red), a city in the eastern plains (white) who wants to restore "order and law" to everyone else, and the forest (green) between the mountains and the plains who is already subject to the plains' unwanted watchfulness.
The social commentary here is that the people (elves) of the forest are tribal. If the city in the plains gets its way,
Their tribes would be broken up and individuals would be relocated to the camps where they would be "trained" as productive members of society.
SOUND FAMILIAR? This actually happened to Native American children. Fast forward a couple hundred years later, and we are just (hopefully) at the end of the Standing Rock/Dakota Access Pipeline clash.
So the strength of these novels, beside the totally surprising adventures and fun fights, is that readers are put into a fantasy situation in which something is NOT RIGHT for people. Because it's fantasy, we don't approach it with existing opinions, doubts, or "this happened a long time ago." Instead, we feel it firsthand.
I could have used less of the torture threats that appear in this book, but I guess it's a good prompt for Chandra to blow shit up a lot. THE PURIFYING FIRE captures things that are in a woman's world pretty well--from being subject to other people's choices, to a crazy menstruation ritual. Lots of fun, and I look forward to seeing what Chandra gets into on Kaladesh.
Worlds in the multiverse allow for some awesome social commentary. THE PURIFYING FIRE opens with three opposing forces: A training monastery on a mountain (red), a city in the eastern plains (white) who wants to restore "order and law" to everyone else, and the forest (green) between the mountains and the plains who is already subject to the plains' unwanted watchfulness.
The social commentary here is that the people (elves) of the forest are tribal. If the city in the plains gets its way,
Their tribes would be broken up and individuals would be relocated to the camps where they would be "trained" as productive members of society.
SOUND FAMILIAR? This actually happened to Native American children. Fast forward a couple hundred years later, and we are just (hopefully) at the end of the Standing Rock/Dakota Access Pipeline clash.
So the strength of these novels, beside the totally surprising adventures and fun fights, is that readers are put into a fantasy situation in which something is NOT RIGHT for people. Because it's fantasy, we don't approach it with existing opinions, doubts, or "this happened a long time ago." Instead, we feel it firsthand.
I could have used less of the torture threats that appear in this book, but I guess it's a good prompt for Chandra to blow shit up a lot. THE PURIFYING FIRE captures things that are in a woman's world pretty well--from being subject to other people's choices, to a crazy menstruation ritual. Lots of fun, and I look forward to seeing what Chandra gets into on Kaladesh.
August 11, 2016
This is another in a series of novels about the Magic the Gathering Planeswalker characters.
This one i did not enjoy as much as the others i have read.
It is about Chandra, the fire mage and Gideon, the I am still not sure mage.
I liked Gideon much more then Chandra. He is the strong silent type. A man of mystery. He works for the local religious cult but as the book goes on he appears to be second guessing his commitment. I am sure he will appear in future books where hopefully he will be developed further.
chandra on the other hand comes accross as a spoiled rotten brat. Always has to have her way and if she does not get it she has a hissy fit temper tantrum. These usually end up in big fire balls and sentient beings dying.
She has had a troubled past and carries much baggage and her character is developed much more then Gideons in this book.
I was a little disappointed in the ending as well. It all comes together very quickly and retribution is handed out all in one final chapter. It was also quite predictable.
All in all it is once again nice to have someone bring these characters to life. Though in this case the Chandra character is not what i had invisioned in my mind. The Gideon character needs more meat but i can accept him as he is and build from there.
This one i did not enjoy as much as the others i have read.
It is about Chandra, the fire mage and Gideon, the I am still not sure mage.
I liked Gideon much more then Chandra. He is the strong silent type. A man of mystery. He works for the local religious cult but as the book goes on he appears to be second guessing his commitment. I am sure he will appear in future books where hopefully he will be developed further.
chandra on the other hand comes accross as a spoiled rotten brat. Always has to have her way and if she does not get it she has a hissy fit temper tantrum. These usually end up in big fire balls and sentient beings dying.
She has had a troubled past and carries much baggage and her character is developed much more then Gideons in this book.
I was a little disappointed in the ending as well. It all comes together very quickly and retribution is handed out all in one final chapter. It was also quite predictable.
All in all it is once again nice to have someone bring these characters to life. Though in this case the Chandra character is not what i had invisioned in my mind. The Gideon character needs more meat but i can accept him as he is and build from there.
May 5, 2025
This book has the most incredible ending.
The arc of our main character, the pyromancer Chandra, is learning to not be such an impulsive hothead. This arc culminates with her offering herself up as a prisoner to the Order of Heliud (no relation to Heliod of Theros) in order to save her monastery from the trouble she caused at the beginning of the novel. The Order of Heliud tells her that the next day she will be forced into the Purifying Flame underneath their temple, which burns anyone who is not pure of heart to a crisp. Chandra spends the night reflecting on her past misdeeds, in particular how she accidentally caused the death of her parents, and she finally forgives herself. The next morning she is brought to the Purifying Flame, placed in the flame, and lo and behold, she does not burn- Chandra is pure of heart.
Chandra then proceeds to immolate all the monks around her with such force that it causes the temple above her to collapse, presumably killing even more people. Chandra planeswalks out of there, leaving her new friend Gideon to clean up the mess and the books is over.
Is the ending bad writing? Or is it a profound statement on how at the core people never really change? Or is it both? We may never know (but it's probably bad writing).
The arc of our main character, the pyromancer Chandra, is learning to not be such an impulsive hothead. This arc culminates with her offering herself up as a prisoner to the Order of Heliud (no relation to Heliod of Theros) in order to save her monastery from the trouble she caused at the beginning of the novel. The Order of Heliud tells her that the next day she will be forced into the Purifying Flame underneath their temple, which burns anyone who is not pure of heart to a crisp. Chandra spends the night reflecting on her past misdeeds, in particular how she accidentally caused the death of her parents, and she finally forgives herself. The next morning she is brought to the Purifying Flame, placed in the flame, and lo and behold, she does not burn- Chandra is pure of heart.
Chandra then proceeds to immolate all the monks around her with such force that it causes the temple above her to collapse, presumably killing even more people. Chandra planeswalks out of there, leaving her new friend Gideon to clean up the mess and the books is over.
Is the ending bad writing? Or is it a profound statement on how at the core people never really change? Or is it both? We may never know (but it's probably bad writing).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 2, 2014
This is one of many books written as part of the Magic the Gathering collection. There are three Planeswalker books, and this is one of those three. Having not played Magic, I wondered if my lack of context would create issues, but my worries were completely unwarranted.
WHAT I LIKED
---------------
* Strong characterization, and characters that stay in character, no matter how hard that gets or how painful it makes relationships.
* Unlike many other fictions, fire has negative consequences -- like it spreads when you use it, making it a dangerous fire.
* At one point, the story bears a warm resemblance to Labyrinth, but then - ha! - it doesn't
* Creative torture scenes.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE
----------------
* Not as much dialogue and action as I would like (I like a LOT)
* Some parts slowed down by explanation and description
Overall, I enjoyed the book. If you enjoy the world of Magic, like Labyrinth (if it were to turn suddenly & horrifyingly dark), and are looking for a quick fun read, give this book a shot.
WHAT I LIKED
---------------
* Strong characterization, and characters that stay in character, no matter how hard that gets or how painful it makes relationships.
* Unlike many other fictions, fire has negative consequences -- like it spreads when you use it, making it a dangerous fire.
* At one point, the story bears a warm resemblance to Labyrinth, but then - ha! - it doesn't
* Creative torture scenes.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE
----------------
* Not as much dialogue and action as I would like (I like a LOT)
* Some parts slowed down by explanation and description
Overall, I enjoyed the book. If you enjoy the world of Magic, like Labyrinth (if it were to turn suddenly & horrifyingly dark), and are looking for a quick fun read, give this book a shot.
March 13, 2012
The ONLY reason I gave this 2 stars was because the IDEA behind it was really very good. Otherwise, I would've gotten 1 star. As a HUGE Magic: the Gathering fan and avid player, I'm well acquainted with the world concept and I know it's not easy to write within the confines of an established universe, but this book fails miserably in the "relating" department (in my humble opinion, of course).
As I said, the IDEA was great. It was even unique and the descriptions weren't too bad either. Execution of that idea, however, left much to be desired. It falls into a simplistic class of predictability where not only can you pretty much guess most characters' motivations, their past, personality and actions, you get a little nauseated by it in the process.
I think if the story had had a different author, or Resnick had taken more time to expand and let the story unfold on its own, this book would've been a LOT better.
As I said, the IDEA was great. It was even unique and the descriptions weren't too bad either. Execution of that idea, however, left much to be desired. It falls into a simplistic class of predictability where not only can you pretty much guess most characters' motivations, their past, personality and actions, you get a little nauseated by it in the process.
I think if the story had had a different author, or Resnick had taken more time to expand and let the story unfold on its own, this book would've been a LOT better.
July 4, 2013
I disliked the first half of this book for reasons entirely beyond its control.
So, this book came out in 2009. A few weeks ago, in 2013, the company that makes Magic put a new commercial online featuring Chandra, the main character from this story. In that commercial, Chandra was played by one Ms. Felicia Day, playing her in the manner of a typical Felicia Day-type character (think of her slayer on Buffy, her hacker on Supernatural, or Codex from the Guild for reference here). Total onscreen time for Felicia Chandra: about 10 seconds.
Book Chandra is nothing like a Felicia Day character, and I have irrationally chosen to hold that against her. It doesn't help her that she's not much of any kind of character, and we're not given much reason to identify with her beyond "Hey, here's that character from those cards from that game you like."
Things pick up in the second half, when Gideon shows up, but overall the story remains a bit underwhelming.
So, this book came out in 2009. A few weeks ago, in 2013, the company that makes Magic put a new commercial online featuring Chandra, the main character from this story. In that commercial, Chandra was played by one Ms. Felicia Day, playing her in the manner of a typical Felicia Day-type character (think of her slayer on Buffy, her hacker on Supernatural, or Codex from the Guild for reference here). Total onscreen time for Felicia Chandra: about 10 seconds.
Book Chandra is nothing like a Felicia Day character, and I have irrationally chosen to hold that against her. It doesn't help her that she's not much of any kind of character, and we're not given much reason to identify with her beyond "Hey, here's that character from those cards from that game you like."
Things pick up in the second half, when Gideon shows up, but overall the story remains a bit underwhelming.
September 30, 2013
The novel begins well.We're treated with a fight with Jace at the beginning, which involves a mysterious scroll, and there's interesting local politics. Chandra is impulsive, innocent and even naive at the beginning but she grows in the novel and has her own charm.The pace is good and the episodes are interesting until we come to the plane of Diraden.This section simply reads like a fairy tale.An old king with three sons. A wicked prince who brings eternal night to his realm.There's also too much dialogue, which is tedious, and too little action. I don't much care for the romance developing between the two planeswalkers while they are stranded on this plane.Things improve when they got back. Some mystery was solved and tensions soared.But the final section is marred by too much preaching about confronting one's past, accepting one's responsibility,which is too instructive for my taste.It's also very religious.Confession and ordeal, that kind of thing.On the whole a decent read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 18, 2013
I did enjoy reading this book. The story revolves around Chandra Nalaar, a planeswalker pyromancer. And like you would expect from a story about a freespirited pyromancer,it was very fast paced and went from actionscene to actionscene with hardly a break. This made the story very easy to read.
Unfortunately the pace was at the cost of character development, wich was very minimal, but this didn't bother me too much while reading this book.
What bothered me more, was the editing, which seemed non-existend. I came across a lot of writing/editing errors throughout the book. One error in about evry 5 pages seems rather much.
This book is a good read for people who like actioncentred books. It helps to know something about the Magic: the Gathering cardgame and the planeswalker concept, however it isn't needed to understand the story.
Unfortunately the pace was at the cost of character development, wich was very minimal, but this didn't bother me too much while reading this book.
What bothered me more, was the editing, which seemed non-existend. I came across a lot of writing/editing errors throughout the book. One error in about evry 5 pages seems rather much.
This book is a good read for people who like actioncentred books. It helps to know something about the Magic: the Gathering cardgame and the planeswalker concept, however it isn't needed to understand the story.
January 31, 2015
This book started a little slow for me, but I am glad that I kept reading, as it picked up and I very much enjoyed it.
Chandra is my favorite planeswalker and I identify with several of her personality characteristics. I also identify with some of Gideon's characteristics and enjoyed reading about their interactions.
The basis of this story is about law and chaos, control and freedom. These are concepts that people throughout history of struggled with. I don't know the exact mix that these need to be, but it is clear to me that there does need to be a mix. Absolute control or absolute freedom is hell.
Chandra is my favorite planeswalker and I identify with several of her personality characteristics. I also identify with some of Gideon's characteristics and enjoyed reading about their interactions.
The basis of this story is about law and chaos, control and freedom. These are concepts that people throughout history of struggled with. I don't know the exact mix that these need to be, but it is clear to me that there does need to be a mix. Absolute control or absolute freedom is hell.
September 1, 2015
For a Wizards of The Coast book, it was excellent. Typical of all WoTC books it had quite a few grammatical errors, but was better than previous books. This book has great character developement, a solid plot, and makes you think about choices. You do not need to be framiliar with the game to pick up this book. The price of the book is a bit much, considering that the book is double-spaced and is only 300 and some pages long.
Pros: Great characters, story, and depth.
Cons: A bit pricey, felt to short, spelling errors
Final Opinion: See if you can get it secondhand or from a library.
Pros: Great characters, story, and depth.
Cons: A bit pricey, felt to short, spelling errors
Final Opinion: See if you can get it secondhand or from a library.
October 18, 2012
I'm giving this book a 4-star rating not because I think it was excellently written (it wasn't) but because after over a year of playing MTG, I thoroughly enjoyed reading a story about one of my favorite characters in the game. I've always played the red deck because I felt like I related to it in terms of strategy. It would have been nice if the book wasn't so short - it felt really rushed - and I think if it were longer, maybe Resnick could have given the characters more depth. Still and all, I enjoyed it as an MTG player, and I will definitely get all the other books now.
July 12, 2010
For what it is, a novel based around characters associated with a popular trading card game (Magic: The Gathering), this book is actually a pretty good character exploration. The challenge for the author being to create a readable, perhaps sympathetic, portrayal of a Mage committed to destructive fire magic. I'm a fan of Magic and found that this novel continues the recently improved run of Magic novels.
Read
September 6, 2016My main takeaway from the Purifying Fire: Gideon and Chandra are color-pie-crossed lovers.
February 10, 2010
Not a great read. I felt the entire story was a little rushed. The world building was good. Interesting world, concepts and cultures, but I felt they were not used as well as they could have been. There was also a vampire lord who ruled an entire plane through an alliance with demonic powers. It was kind of a deviation from the main plot, but hey vampires are popular now so why not.
March 5, 2012
It's certainly possible that I only picked this book up because I have an unreasonable crush on firebrand Chandra Nalaar. But don't let that prevent YOU from reading this fine piece of mtg literature.
In terms of fantasy books, this one is honestly nothing special, but fans of Magic: the Gathering might get some enjoyment out of it.
In terms of fantasy books, this one is honestly nothing special, but fans of Magic: the Gathering might get some enjoyment out of it.
March 17, 2012
Books based on MTG are less common than those on D&D which is unfortunate because MTG has a lot of offer. I'm a white mono deck kind of guy but have to admit that in terms of flavor (which is Magicspeak for backstory), Chandra is a great and readable character. Also, I read this book BEFORE picking up an MTG deck, so you do NOT have to be Magic literate to enjoy this.
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