Last updated on April 21, 2024
Bookwurm | Illustration by Wayne Reynolds
Magic’s story is rife and varied and spans over thousands of years. Where does one even begin? What is The Weatherlight Saga, and why is it about a boat?
I’ve got you covered today with a list of every single Magic novel out there for you to peruse. Ready? Let’s dive right in!
How Many MTG Books Are There?
Bury in Books | Illustration by Zoltan Boros
There are almost 80 different novels that cover a wide swath of Magic’s rich history. They're all over the place ranging from iconic events on Dominaria to cute side stories throughout the multiverse. There are also some graphic novels that aren’t listed here, but don’t be afraid to check those out too!
This list is in chronological order of publishing date, but the books jump around between timelines. Don’t ask me why. Blame Wizards!
Arena (1994)
The first Magic novel follows Garth One-Eye as he battles in the Arena in the city of Estark. This book doesn’t feature many famous characters but does set some worldbuilding for Dominaria, though modern stories don’t feature any of these areas.
Whispering Woods (1994)
Whispering Woods features two brand new characters, Gull and his planeswalker sister Greensleeves, as they explore the forests of the book’s namesake. Like Arena, this book doesn’t feature any notable characters but a few cards are referenced, like Mana Vault.
Shattered Chains (1995)
Shattered Chains is where the two previous stories intertwine, sort of. The siblings meet Garth’s wife and son who were left unattended as Garth traversed the multiverse. They get kidnapped and the siblings fight their way through Benalia to rescue them.
Final Sacrifice (1995)
We’re back with Greensleeves and Gull, the former now being a powerful archdruid on top of being a planeswalker. They get chased around Dominaria, exploring a lot more of the older Dominarian world.
Tapestries (1995)
Tapestries is actually an Anthologies book that features 17 different short stories set in Dominaria. A lot of this is split up across random parts of Dominaria, places I’ve never seen on flavor text before.
The Cursed Land (1995)
The first book to take place in a new plane (that subsequently never shows up again), The Cursed Land is surprisingly entirely irrelevant to Magic lore. None of these characters are referenced anywhere else and there’s little to no lore about the plane itself.
The Prodigal Sorcerer (1995)
Back in Dominaria we start to see more of a political story in Otaria, a continent in Dominaria we’ve seen on cards before. But The Prodigal Sorcerer still doesn’t include any noteworthy characters.
Ashes of the Sun (1996)
Ashes of the Sun is another reasonably irrelevant book for Magic lore. This features almost nothing relevant outside of fleshing out Dominaria. But it does explain what the Sarpadian Empires books are, which was referenced in flavor text in Fallen Empires.
Distant Planes (1996)
In the second anthology book we’re again treated to a myriad of stories set in in Dominaria. One story introduces Asmoranomardicadaistinaculdacar as an actual person, someone who would return in Modern Horizons 2.
Song of Time (1996)
Finally, some relevant lore! Kind of. Song of Time takes place during The Brothers’ War but only briefly features Urza and Mishra, with the rest of the story following the book’s actual main characters. Apparently this was supposed to be part of a trilogy but WotC didn’t follow up.
And Peace Shall Sleep (1996)
And Peace Shall Sleep is actually a retelling of one of the short stories from Tapestries told with a different angle. It still features many characters who never see any significance in the lore.
Dark Legacy (1996)
Dark Legacy takes place after The Brothers’ War in a time when most of Dominaria has been ravaged by said war. It builds on some of the lore provided in the flavor text from The Dark but doesn’t have any notable impact on the lore.
Wizards took over publishing these novels after this novel and created a new continuity in the MTG timeline. While the previous books are still part of the canon universe, if a more recent book says something different then the newer one is considered canon.
The Brothers' War (1998)
Urza! Mishra! We’re finally in the “real” canon with one of the most iconic stories in Magic history. Before Urza was a planeswalker we met the brothers, Urza and Mishra, and set the stage for the most significant event in Dominaria history. An event that's being revisited with a set of its own, aptly named The Brothers' War.
Rath and Storm (1998)
The first book in the Weatherlight Saga, Rath and Storm introduces all of the iconic characters of this saga through a series of short stories. This retcons some of the stuff from earlier books and unites some of the Dominaria lore.
Planeswalker (1998)
A direct sequel to The Brothers’ War, Planeswalker follows Xantcha and Urza as they travel the multiverse. It’s a pretty great read and introduces some more iconic characters.
The Colors of Magic (1999)
Another anthology series made up of one short story for each color of mana. This book also includes the story of Feldon and his lore, which was later made public.
Time Streams (1999)
Time Streams is the third book in the Artifacts cycle where we once again follow Urza and his gang of friends. This book introduces Teferi and Jhoira and some other iconic characters. A lot happens in this book and it’s worth a read.
The Gathering Dark (1999)
We’re back in The Dark, this time with a now-familiar face: Jodah. The Gathering Dark kicks off the Ice Age cycle of books and sets the stage for a lot more lore.
Bloodlines (1999)
The final book out of the Artifact’s cycle and the finale of Urza for a while. Yawgmoth puts a hit out on Urza while he seeks someone to take on his Legacy. Bloodlines is also where we first see Rath appear, the primary setting for The Weatherlight Saga.
Mercadian Masques (1999)
After leaving Rath the Weatherlight crew ends up in Mercadia, a strange plane with unnatural physics. Mercadian Masques loosely connects to Nemesis and Prophecy.
The Thran (1999)
We’re taking it way, way back to the past before any of Urza’s shenanigans, or any other book for that matter. The Thran covers the ancient race of the Thran, including one cool guy named Yawgmoth and some of his friends.
Nemesis (2000)
Back on Rath things aren’t looking great after the Weatherlight came and left. The Phyrexians are preparing to invade Dominaria through Rath, but first they need a leader.
The Eternal Ice (2000)
The Ice Age has begun, and man is it cool. Another iconic villain, Lim-Dûl, gets introduced as Jodah and Jaya Ballard trek across Kjeld and Balduvia.
Prophecy (2000)
Prophecy includes some characters from previous books in the trilogy but doesn’t feature as much overall. It's a standalone story featuring Teferi and the land of Keld but doesn’t directly tie into anything.
The Myths of Magic (2000)
If you could imagine a Magic version of The Silmarillion, this would fit. The Myths of Magic is a collection of origin stories and folklore for Dominaria all loosely relating to other parts of Magic lore.
Invasion (2000)
Phyrexia is here! The invasion begins and the Weatherlight crew is along for the ride. Invasion is one of the significant stories in Magic lore and kicks off the Invasion trilogy.
The Shattered Alliance (2000)
Ice Age is over, with Jodah and Jaya facing off against Lim-Dûl and his minions. The Shattered Alliance also returns to some points of Dominaria that were set up in early books.
Planeshift (2001)
Midway through the Phyrexian invasion we see Urza and the Weatherlight take the battle across Dominaria. Planeshift also features some of the iconic Primordial dragons.
Johan (2001)
Johan is a retelling of a former comic featuring Jedit Ojanen and some of the legendary characters from Legends block. This book features Johan, the primary antagonist of these books.
Apocalypse (2001)
Starting up with where Planeshift left off, Urza and his kids are all deep in the Stronghold and trying to find a way to push the Phyrexians back. Apocalypse is the final book of the Weatherlight saga and wraps up everyone’s stories to this point.
The Dragons of Magic (2001)
Another anthology book, this time it’s about dragons! The Dragons of Magic doesn’t feature any notable lore but Urza does show up (as he always does).
Odyssey (2001)
Post-Apocalypse time! We see some new faces, most importantly Kamahl and the Cabal. Odyssey is the start of the Mirari Saga, the next big storyline for Magic.
Jedit (2001)
The second book in the first Legends trilogy, Jedit features the character Jedit Ojanen and some characters from the last book.
Chainer's Torment (2002)
Back to the Mirari Saga, we go back a little bit for some backstory about Chainer and the Cabal before jumping to the present-day. We see many more iconic characters in this set and the plot is excellent.
The Secrets of Magic (2002)
The next anthology book features more worldbuilding and fleshes out some bits of existing lore. The Secrets of Magic also includes the surprise appearance of Barrin, everyone’s favorite “destroy everything” wizard.
Judgment (2002)
Coming back to Mirari Saga, Kamahl is on the run from the evil merfolk Laquatus. Judgment leads into the story of Jeska and ends with Kamahl’s transition from red to green.
Hazezon (2002)
In the final book of the first Legends trilogy we see Jedit and Hazezon searching for Johan through Dominaria. Hazezon features a lot more characters from the Legends block but nowhere in any notable parts of Dominaria.
Onslaught (2002)
Jeska’s story begins with her being transformed into Phage by the Cabal. We meet Akroma here, one of the most iconic angels in Magic and some critical parts in Magic history.
Assassin's Blade (2002)
We’re back to Legends block with a brand new story. Assassin’s Blade features Tetsuo Umezawa, a servant of everyone’s favorite antagonist, Nicol Bolas. Like most of the Legends stories this is pretty isolated and doesn't involve the main canon.
Legions (2003)
Kamahl and company are struggling with Phage running around killing everything. Legions ends with Jeska fusing with Akroma and some random woman who was somewhat relevant to create the goddess Karona, False God, which was funnily enough misspelled as “Karoma” for the novel.
Emperor's Fist (2003)
Following Tetsuo Umezawa’s journeys across Dominaria again, Emperor’s Fist features some more Legends characters. We also meet Nicol Bolas for the first time who would go on to become the most iconic villain in Magic lore.
Scourge (2003)
Karona is here, and she isn’t happy. In fact she’s kind of losing her mind and doesn’t know what to do. Magic canon gets a little fuzzy here regarding gods since she somehow either reincarnates or hallucinates a very dead Yawgmoth. Scourge ends with Karona turning back into Jeska and her planeswalker spark igniting.
The Monsters of Magic (2003)
Another anthology book and as you can tell from the title, it’s about monsters. The Monsters of Magic includes the story of Saffi and Hans, who eventually got their own cards.
The Moons of Mirrodin (2003)
We’re finally in Mirrodin, the artificial plane created by Karn. The Moons of Mirrodin sets the story into motion for the rest of the Mirrodin cycle but we don’t see many hints of the dangerous future.
Champion's Trial (2003)
Nicol Bolas is chilling as the new emperor of Madara where he’s trapped by some Doctor Who timey-wimey rift stuff. He and Tetsuo duke it out with the lowly human eventually defeating him, but we all know that didn’t last.
The Darksteel Eye (2004)
Back on Mirrodin we see the elf Glissa from Champion’s Trial meet a couple new faces: Slobad and Bosh. They’re on the run from Memnarch who seeks to capture Glissa and harvest her planeswalker spark.
The Fifth Dawn (2004)
We reach the pinnacle of the Mirrodin cycle with Memnarch trying his darndest to get that pesky spark. The Fifth Dawn has a lot of great drama among some of these iconic characters and brings an excellent resolution to Mirrodin, at least for now.
Outlaw, Champions of Kamigawa (2004)
On our first journey to Kamigawa we meet many of the essential characters from the plane, including one of the Umezawa. Outlaw kicks off the events of the Kami War which is the bulk of the block’s story.
Heretic, Betrayers of Kamigawa (2005)
It turns out that the Kami War isn’t going too well for anyone. Toshiro Umezawa is caught up in the middle of it all as it seems most Umezawas are.
Guardian, Saviors of Kamigawa (2005)
The climactic end of the Kami War happens in Guardian with Kamigawa now being more susceptible to visitors from other planes. In a bizarre twist of events Toshiro gets sent to Dominaria by his employer, Myojin of Night's Reach, where he founds the Umezawa clan we saw in Legends.
Ravnica (2005)
We're finally in Ravnica, one of the most iconic and beloved planes. These books are stellar, do a lot of worldbuilding for the plane, and introduce a lot of characters that we later see across several different sets.
Guildpact (2006)
Guildpact actually takes place twelve years after Guildpact but still features some familiar faces. Most importantly it features Agrus Kos, Wojek Veteran, one of the most badass people in Ravnica, who was the star of the previous book.
Dissension (2006)
All the Guilds are fighting each other when suddenly a bunch of Nephilim start wreaking havoc. Dissension finishes off the Ravnica block in style and keeps the door open for the future.
Dragons: Worlds Afire (2006)
The final anthology book, this time with some notable D&D authors like R.A. Salvatore and Keith Baker tossing some stories in. Dragons: Worlds Afire is four novellas about dragons across four different worlds.
Time Spiral (2006)
After a long time away we’re finally back on Dominaria with everyone’s favorite time traveler, Teferi. It turns out that him phasing out an entire continent back during the Phyrexian invasion was a bad idea, and now it’s up to him and his friends to seal the time rifts across the plane.
Oh, and Nicol Bolas is back.
Planar Chaos (2007)
Rifts are showing up all over Dominaria and Teferi’s planeswalker spark is spent after bringing Shiv back into the world. Other famous characters like Venser, Lord Windgrace, and Jhoira are tasked with figuring out how to close them.
Future Sight (2007)
More fun timey-wimey stuff is afoot in Dominaria and it’s time to confront Nicol Bolas once and for all. Spoiler alert, Bolas isn’t dead.
The Great Mending changes planeswalkers from omnipotent god-like creatures to their current iteration after Future Sight, teleporting spellcasters with a deep connection to mana. Going forward keep in mind that these planeswalkers are nowhere on the same level as the ones from older canon.
Lorwyn (2007)
We see Lorwyn and its interesting takes on the tribal aspect for the first time. We meet Rhys and the racist blight-hating elves of the world as well as the darker undertones of the world.
Morningtide (2008)
Stepping away from the elves we return to the same characters as Lorwyn as they begin to uncover the Great Aurora. I like this book a lot because it fleshes out the world of Lorwyn.
Shadowmoor (2008)
Shadowmoor is an anthology of different stories taking place in Shadowmoor, which is Lorwyn after being transformed by the Great Aurora. The world has been warped into a twisted image of itself with the characters having no memories of their past lives.
Eventide (2008)
I wish I could tell you what this book was about, but I can’t for the life of me find a summary of Eventide anywhere online. To sum up the entire Lorwyn story: Oona is evil and she’s why the world keeps changing.
Agents of Artifice (2009)
We’re now officially following modern Magic lore with Agents of Artifice telling the story of Jace Beleren as we meet some more iconic modern neo-planeswalkers. This serves as the basis for Jace’s origin story as a planeswalker until we see his past in Magic Origins.
Alara Unbroken (2009)
The five shards of Alara are at war with one another as a significant evil presence looms over the plane. We meet Elspeth and Sarkhan Vol in Alara Unbroken, two important planeswalkers for later.
The Purifying Fire (2009)
This time we’re following a relatively familiar redheaded planeswalker. Chandra Nalaar gets her story fleshed out in The Purifying Fire and we meet Gideon Jura for the first time. This also introduces the Dragon Scroll and a map of Zendikar, which we soon visit.
The Curse of the Chain Veil (2010)
So uh, The Curse of the Chain Veil doesn’t exist. It was supposed to feature Liliana Vess and her past, but it seems like this book was postponed indefinitely sometime in 2009 with no word as to why.
Zendikar: In the Teeth of Akoum (2010)
Zendikar: In the Teeth of Akoum is the start of the Eldrazi storyline. We’ll see them come up a lot as primary antagonists for a while. This also introduces Nissa Revane and Sorin Markov, two important planeswalkers that will also be around a lot.
Test of Metal (2010)
We get the origin story for Tezzeret and see where he ended up after Jace dunked on him in Agents of Artifice. Most of Test of Metal takes place on Alara before the pivotal events at the end of that storyline.
Scars of Mirrodin: The Quest for Karn (2011)
Karn’s been missing for quite a while now and Mirrodin hasn’t been the same without him. After that whole Memnarch takeover the place has been poised to be invaded by everyone’s favorite evil: Phyrexia.
Novels be damned! From this point on the majority of Magic lore is through eBooks instead of physical books.
Return to Ravnica: The Secretist, Part One (2012)
We return to Jace, who at this point is the face of Magic lore (for better or for worse). He’s on Ravnica, which becomes a central setting for planeswalkers for the foreseeable future. The guilds are at odds with one another (again) and Jace is on the hunt for the power of the Guildpact.
Gatecrash: The Secretist, Part Two (2013)
Jace found the Implicit Maze, a labyrinth in the city of Ravnica itself. But before he can solve the secrets of the maze he’s got to find his kidnapped friend, Emmara Tandris.
Dragon's Maze: The Secretist, Part Three (2013)
The maze's secret has been revealed: whoever completes it can gain great power. Each guild brings a maze to find the end while Jace tries to find the secrets within the maze itself, eventually becoming a magic lawyer as The Living Guildpact.
Theros: Godsend, Part I (2014)
Remember Elspeth? We didn’t either. We join her on Theros where the evil god Helios wants to use her for his bidding. Oh, and all the gods are fighting each other too. Standard Greek mythology stuff.
Journey into Nyx: Godsend, Part II (2014)
Well, Elspeth did a thing and now she’s the champion of the sun god Helios. But a greedy satyr planeswalker named Xenagos cooks up some plans for the world of Theros, most notably ascending to godhood as the God of Revels.
Children of the Nameless (2018)
So Children of the Nameless was published in 2018 and was written by none other than Brandon Sanderson himself before being removed by WotC sometime in 2020. This is the first time we meet the planeswalker Davriel who also makes an appearance in the next storyline.
War of the Spark: Ravnica (2019)
The only paper novel in almost a decade, War of the Spark: Ravnica is the culmination of all the efforts of Nicol Bolas’s plans over the last couple hundred (or thousand? Not sure, time is weird) years. But the Gatewatch is here to kick dragon ass and chew bubble gum, and they’re all out of bubble gum.
Oh, and Gideon straight-up dies.
The Gathering Storm (2019)
The Gathering Storm is a prequel to the previous novel, filling in some gaps that didn’t align with the story depicted through the cards. This follows a few different characters around Ravnica, mainly Ral Zarek.
Throne of Eldraine: The Wildered Quest (2019)
On our only visit to Eldraine we meet a new face that most players loathe: Oko. The Wildered Quest explains the story of the Throne of Eldraine set, but I’m not sure where this takes place in the timeline.
War of the Spark: Forsaken (2019)
Bolas is dead, this massive battle has trashed Ravnica, and the Gatewatch is here to pick up the pieces. War of the Spark: Forsaken got a lot of hate from Magic fans, retconning Chandra’s sexual orientation and butchering a lot of iconic characters. But it’s still canon.
Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths — Sundered Bond (2020)
The final book so far tells the tale of the Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths set through the eyes of Lukka, a warrior torn between killing monsters and loving his big winged cat friend. The events of Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths – Sundered Bond don’t add much to the current lore but it’s better than Forsaken.
The Best MTG Books Ranked
#5. Time Spiral
Like The Brothers’ War, Time Spiral is an integral part of Magic lore and one of the last times we see Dominaria. It sets up the steppingstones for the return of Bolas, the eventual Great Mending, and the kickstart of modern Magic lore.
#4. Ravnica
Ravnica is such an iconic setting post-Dominaria lore, and for a good reason. Ravnica is a stark departure from previous books since the main character (Agrus Kos) isn’t a perfect person and the world of Ravnica is unlike any other plane we’ve seen before.
#3. Invasion
I know I keep mentioning Phyrexia but hear me out. The characters in Invasion are just too crucial for Magic’s history not to note, especially the Weatherlight crew. Plus it visits a lot of iconic places in Dominaria that we see referenced on cards all the time.
#2. The Thran
You can’t have Urza without his mortal enemy Yawgmoth. The Thran sets up the lore behind a good part of the world and provides us with an origin story for the most evil being in Magic history.
Sorry, Bolas, Yawgmoth will always be cooler.
#1. The Brothers’ War
It’s hard to pass The Brothers’ War up. It’s such an essential part of Magic lore and features just a slew of iconic characters from that period. With the new set on the horizon this book will be even more important for lore geeks.
Where Can You Buy the Books?
Surprisingly enough you can find paperback copies of these books on Amazon but sadly they aren’t all available. You might be able to find some of them on Amazon, or even at used bookstores.
Some of the modern books are available online and all of the eBooks are available through Amazon and Kindle for the most part. Anything after 2008 or so is available somehow, with the oldest books being paperback exclusive.
Are There Any Free MTG Books?
On a couple occasions Wizards released free books for fans to read. But they were all taken down sometime in 2020 for an undisclosed reason. You may still be able to find some short stories and excerpts on Magic’s Story page or through their blogs, but it’s not a guarantee.
Does Magic: the Gathering Still Make Books?
We haven’t had a book release since 2020 just after the backlash of War of the Spark: Forsaken. It’s tough to say whether or not we’ll ever get another one, but all signs point to short stories published online with no future novels.
Are MTG Books Canon?
For the most part all MTG books are canon. The only exceptions are:
- The first 12 books are mostly canon, but the more recent book is the correct canon if a newer book contradicts them.
- Some of the events with Karona in Scourge are disputed because she spoke to Yawgmoth who was already confirmed to be dead.
These are the only examples that show lore not being canon with the rest of the Magic universe.
Which Magic Book Is the Best to Start With?
I’d recommend anyone to start with The Brothers’ War. It’s just too iconic of a story and the repercussions of that event are still affecting the Magic story to this day. Phyrexia is such an iconic evil for Magic history and we’re seeing more and more of it pop up in the post-War timeline.
Wrap Up
Book Devourer | Illustration by Kev Walker
That’s all there is on the books of Magic. Every single one that’s ever been printed (mostly), where to find them, and what’s canon.
How do you feel about Magic lore? Have you got a favorite book or saga of your own? Let me know in the comments or reach out to us on Twitter.
As for me, I’m going to go buy the eBook for The Brothers’ War and get ready for the new set. Cheers!
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