When I first discovered that there are over 50 different magic the gathering books and stories to read, I had no idea where to start. I wanted to gain a better understanding of the history of magic, but at the time the order in which I should read the books was a mystery to me. If you’re interested in getting started on all the stories and novels Magic The Meeting has to offer, this should point you in the writing direction.
as a general rule, the reading order of magical books is chronological. reading the books chronologically presents a clear timeline of events within the magic of the encounter multiverse. however, reading the books in publication order offers a more character-focused narrative.
You are reading: Mtg books in order
One of the main advantages of starting to read the magic the gamming books now is that you don’t have to read them in publication order!
Personally, I don’t recommend that you attempt to read all the novels and short stories in publication order at this time, as new stories have been added going back and fill in the missing information gaps.
reading the stories in chronological order of when they occurred in the reunion wizarding universe timeline leads to much less confusion and a better reading experience. Not only that, but reading the stories in chronological order adds another layer of foreshadowing to some novels that were written as prequels to events that happen later in the wizarding timeline.
However, 50+ stories is a lot! I’ve done my best to list all the magical gathering stories in chronological order and recommend you use the table of contents below to browse this page if you are looking for a specific story.
If you’re looking to go through all the magic of the reunited story series, I suggest you bookmark this page in your browser.
You can always come back to this page after you’ve finished a story and want to know which one to read next. Trust me, having to google this question every time a story ends gets annoying real quick.
Some of the magical stories of the gathering can be read online for free, so wherever possible I have tried to include direct links to where you can not only read any of these magical stories, but also listen to them for free. audiobook versions available online.
As a history junkie and writer, I hope the list below is helpful to those of you who have been looking to delve into the history of magic but didn’t know where to start. Happy reading!
the thrans
The first book you should read is possibly the most important story when trying to understand the magic of the Gathering Universe, which is great if you’re just starting out in the lore of magic.
the thran provides an essential backstory that you will need as you continue to read more stories of magic, as it lays the foundation for all other stories later in the timeline.
The back cover is set every millennium before the events of some of the other books on this list and is written by arguably one of the greatest writers who contributed to the stories of magic. , j. Roberto Rey I highly recommend if you are just starting out on this journey that you start with this story.
the war of the brothers
Artifact Cycle, Book 1. If you’ve been playing Gathering Magic long enough, at some point you’ve probably heard someone refer to the Brothers’ War.
even if by chance you haven’t, you will definitely know the names urza and mishra. the war of the brothers tells the story of the most famous brothers in magic and his war for the plane “dominaira”.
excellently written by jeff grubb and one of the longest magic the gathering novels, this story is excellent for any magic the gathering player who wants to finally understand all the references they see in the names of the cards and why. they are very important to the lore and history of magic.
the colors of magic
It’s time to build a world! The Colors of Magic is an anthology of dependent stories set in the world of dominaria and follows the lives of the individuals who live on the plane.
These short stories take place after the events of the previous novel on this list and how the aftermath of Urza and Mishra’s battle has affected the lives of people living in Dominaria, for better or worse.
This collection of stories is great for adding another level of depth to the World of Magic: The Gathering, as you get to see the lives of the people who inhabit the universe of magic and catch up with previous characters like Feldon. a fantastic sequel for anyone who reads the war of the brothers.
the growing darkness
ice age cycle, book 1. In the aftermath of the events of Brother’s War, we are introduced to the character Jodah, and through him given a better insight into the magical system that exists within the universe of magic.
The magic system this novel introduces to the timeline of gathering magic will be more familiar to players of the card game and help ground all the magic readers will encounter. in other stories that advance.
some of the later magical histories do not explain well how the magical system works and some writers occasionally introduce some inconsistencies in the magical lore of magic. In addition to being a great book to read, it also helps you become familiar with the magical system of the universe as you continue to read more stories.
the eternal ice
Ice Age Cycle, Book 2. The Eternal Ice continues Jodah’s story and focuses more on him as a character than on the magic of the assembled universe as a whole.
Since this is a direct screech from the previous book, I’ll try not to mention any narrative-related spoilers, however, in this novel you’ll start to meet some planeswalkers that you may be familiar with. collectible card game.
Getting to know and read about some of the planeswalkers we see printed on the cards is always a real treat for me, as they will continue to be mentioned throughout the media of magic.
While this story doesn’t add much to the Magic universe as a whole, it’s worth a read if you like the character Jodah and want to meet some of Magic’s planeswalkers.
the shattered alliance
ice age cycle, book 3. this is a great read for those seeking closure on the events surrounding the life of our main character jodah as he takes us deeper into the world of magic
The events of this story will help add better content to the stories surrounding urza and help set the stage for the important stories to come in this list related to the wetherlight– more on that later.
Part of me feels that book 2 and 3 of this series could have somehow been combined into one book since, by the end of book 2, I was starting to want the story to move forward a little faster.
however, book 3 does a decent job of wrapping up this story and allowing us to interact with more famous magic characters like jaya and gerda, always a delight!
note: it’s cheaper and easier to get this second-hand novel on ebay; here is a link for the paperback version.
outlaw
kamigawa cycle, book 1. outlaw is the first in a Japanese-inspired series that takes place in a new setting in the plane of “kamigawa“. the book does a great job of introducing you to the new setting and all the main characters, so you’ll soon feel at home again when you come from the other magic novels.
I found that this book really starts to show some of the potential world-building prowess of magic that you’ll find even more in later stories with the introduction of various races and well-developed characters.
The kamigawa block in the magic the gathering card game is easily one of the most talked about sets by older players and it’s great to see the story behind kamigawa and how it begins to tie into the history of magic as a whole.
Warning: While reading the paperback version of this book, I noticed many more spelling/grammatical errors than I am used to seeing in a published novel. I may have realized this because I’m a writer, or maybe the author went for the truly authentic “english” approach (you may not get that joke if you haven’t lived in japan), but either way, some bugs were present.
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This may have been addressed in the digital/kindle version of the story, but I’m not sure. I recommend getting that digital version just in case, if that sort of thing really bothers you. Otherwise, it’s still a great read!
heretic
kamigawa cycle, book 2. Normally the shrieks struggle to outshine what came before them, but I’m pleased to say that’s not the case with the second book in the series!
Although I enjoyed the first book, I can confidently say that Heretic is even better than Outlaw, regardless of the fact that there are far fewer grammar/spelling problems > in heretic and I have little trouble recommending the pocket version, the story continues to improve on what came before.
Because of the introduction of a new plane in the first novel, a lot of time was spent getting the reader acquainted with the new setting and new characters, but that is not the case in Heretic. The story is action packed and a fun read!
guardian
kamigawa cycle, book 3. the latest book in the kamigawa series and it does not disappoint.
People may think I’m biased due to the fact that I live in Japan, but even if that wasn’t the case, this would still be one of my favorite series from the magical story line. Guardian ends the series well and is one of the stories within magic that I’d be surprised if we see any kind of TV series based on the books.
every magic player should read this series, as I’m pretty sure it’s only a matter of time before the card game returns to the plane of kamigawa, so it’s good to know your story.
if you are curious about how japan sees magic the meeting, you can refer to this article: “is magic the meeting popular in japan? (response from expatriates)”
planeswalker
artifact cycle, book 2. and so we return to urza and see what has happened to him after the events of the brothers’ war.
If you’re wondering if we didn’t continue directly with this book after the brothers’ war, remember that this list is the chronological order of the stories. while certain events occur in one corner of the magical multiverse, other important stories are being told at the same time: reading the novels this way helps keep the timeline for readers consistent and makes than the story in a less confusing way as we jump from plane to plane.
In fact, this couldn’t be more true for this novel: not only do we get to see what happened to urza after the war, but as you may have guessed from the title, there’s a lot of planeswalking in this novel!
time streams
Artifact Cycle, Book 3. While the previous book seemed like a great preparation and set up for what was to come, Flows of Time is a real step forward in terms of storytelling. .
Continuing where the last book left off, the story focuses on urza’s conflict with phyrexia. Whether you’re a new or old player of magic the gailing, I find it hard to believe you haven’t. . heard the name “firexia” before.
Not only did the Phyrexia-based card pool have a huge impact on card play, in many of the magic formats, so much so that a few Phyrexia cards ended up being banned, but the impact that Phyrexia has on The magic of the story cannot be underestimated.
This novel is packed with action: lots of battle scenes and a seemingly endless supply of pyrexia-attacking mutants. but better than all that, in this book we meet jhoira, barrin and teferi!
john
cycle of legends, book 1. clayton emery is arguably one of the best writers to have written a magical tale of reunion.
johan walks away from the larger than life stories involving urza and plunges into the land of jammuar and the madman named johan who is trying to conquer it. the story centers around a cast of characters who aren’t your typical heroes and have some of the best character development seen in stories of magic.
The story is fast, fun, and a fantastic introduction to what’s to come in this magical tale.
jedit
Legend Cycle, Book 2. Picking up where we left off in the previous story, this story focuses on Jaeger’s son, Jedit.
The story follows Jedit as he tries to get revenge on Johan and discover his father’s fate. the story is full of good characters, fast-paced fight scenes and makes for a good leisurely read.
To tell the truth, it is unlikely that this novel will end up being your favorite magical story to read, as there are more compelling narratives in the world of magic. however, if you’re a fan of magic, this story should be a decent read for most people as we continue along the timeline of the multiverses.
hazezon
cycle of legends, book 3. if you feel that the narrative of the second book lacks focus and you are worried that it will be more of the same in the third book, do not worry, it is a solid book with a solid conclusion to the cycle of legends.
The final entry to the trilogy is a nice plot-driven experience that is much more reminiscent of Book 1 in the series. Unlike many other magical stories, Hazezon’s ending doesn’t leave you with many unanswered questions and most readers will be happy with the conclusion the story gives us.
definitely one of the best takeaways we get from magical stories.
note: it’s cheaper and easier to get this second-hand story on ebay; here is a link for the paperback version.
assassin’s blade
legends cycle two, book 1.
fist of the emperor
legends cycle two, book 2.
note: it’s cheaper and easier to get this second-hand story on ebay; here is a link for the paperback version.
test of champions
legends cycle two, book 3.
bloodlines
Artifact Cycle, Book 4.
rath and tempest
mercadian masks
masquerade cycle, book 1.
nemesis
masquerade cycle, book 2.
prophecy
masquerade cycle, book 3.
invasion
invasion cycle, book 1.
change of plane
invasion cycle, book 2.
apocalypse
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invasion cycle, book 3.
odyssey
Odyssey Cycle, Book 1
chainer’s torment
cycle of the odyssey, book 2.
judgment
Odyssey cycle, book 3.
attack
Strike Cycle, Book 1.
legions
Strike Cycle, Book 2.
scourge
ramming cycle, book 3.
the moons of mirrodin
mirrodin cycle, book 1.
the dark steel eye
mirrodin cycle, book 2.
the fifth sunrise
mirrodin cycle, book 3.
ravnica
ravnica cycle, book 1.
guild pact
ravnica cycle, book 2.
dissent
ravnica cycle, book 3.
time spiral
time spiral cycle, book 1.
planar chaos
Time spiral cycle, book 2.
vision of the future
time spiral cycle, book 3.
lorwyn
Lorwyn Cycle, Book 1.
tide
Lorwyn Cycle, Book 2.
gloomy wasteland
shadowmoor cycle, book 1.
sunset
shadowmoor cycle, book 2.
artifice agents
planeswalker, book 1.
alara intact
the purifying fire
planeswalker, book 2.
zendikar: in the teeth of akoum
metal test
planeswalker, book 3.
scars of mirrodin: the quest for karn
return to ravnica
The Secretist, Book 1.
accident
The Secretist, Book 2.
dragon maze
theros: blessing
blessing from heaven, book 1.
trip to nyx:
blessing from heaven, book 2.
magic story (online publications)
children of the nameless
magic story (online publications)
the coming storm
The Gathering Storm acts as a free 20-part short story prequel to the next novel on this list, “War of the Spark: Ravnica.” The short stories set the stage for the great planeswalker war that is about to take place on the planes of Ravnica.
war of the spark: ravnica
The War of the Spark: Ravnica is possibly one of the most uncomfortable reading experiences you’ll find in magical storytelling.
the reason for this is that the novel does not include some of the side stories that take place simultaneously in the planes of ravnica that were published on the official magic the meeting website.
To get the best reading experience for this novel, you should alternate between reading the novel and the stories that were published online. Fortunately, online short stories tell you which chapters of the book to read first to prevent online stories from ruining parts of the novel.
link to both the novel and the short stories below, just remember to only read a short story after the specified chapter of the novel.
war of the spark: abandoned
throne of eldraine: the wild quest
Ikoria: Lair of the Beasts: Link Broken
I hope some of you have found this resource guide helpful when it comes to reading and keeping up with the history of the magical gathering.
The above list is still not perfect and I need to reorder some of the free online posts to better fit the magic event timeline.
I’ll continue to work on this list and update it as time goes on, so remember to bookmark this webpage in your web browser if you’re interested in keeping up with the great history of magic like new cards are released!
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