By Nemesis on Tuesday, August 06, 2002 - 07:17 pm:

ok, I just finished reading Hazezon and decided to attempt to spark discussion via a review. I'm not going to write a spoiler or ruin anything, although there are a few minor ones that I couldn't avoid.

Overall, I found the book extremely enjoyable, easily the best of the series, the atrocious Johan being the worst. Most of the major plot points aren't too obvious and it is rarely dull. Jedit also isn't near as invincible as in previous books, as you find out about halfway through the book. It's not one of those books with all battles and nothing else or vice versa. There is a good blend of both.

I liked how the characters were realistic and I liked how the reacted and clashed with one another.

I liked how everything was very nicely wrapped up in the last chapter, which was sonewhat of an epilogue.

I enjoyed cameo appearances by several other cards from the Legends set, such as Tor Wauki, the Mountain Yeti, Ramirez DePietro, Master of the Hunt, Ur-Drago, and others. It was really cool to see them tied into the story. There is a really great fight between Ur-Drago and Jedit somewhere in there.

It was good how Emery was mostly realistic when it came to performing certain feats. Nobody went Kamahl style and single-handedly took out countless foes. Instead, they relied on their intellect to find a way around the situation.

The book had its bad things too, but they were easily overshadowed.

I didn't like the final fight with Johan. It was what we were waiting for for an entire cycle, and it was a bit of a letdown. On the back cover, there is a really cool picture of Jedit fighting Johan. Jedit has a sword and Johan has a wicked looking axe. Behind them, a city burns. This doesn't happen. In fact, there isn't even much of a fight between them.

Another thing I didn't like is how most of the heroes refuse to die. There is a scene early in the book where they leave Heath, the archer on a snowy mountain with two broken legs. He manages to survive, get away, and make it back to Bryce in time to greet them. Of course, I didn't really mind because he was one of my favorite characters in the cycle.

A final thing that I didn't really like is a certain thing at the ending that I won't cite because I don't want to give anything away. It ties in with the above point and is the last sentence of the second to last chapter. Also, the prophecy of None, One, and Two was explained pretty vaguely.

There are a few more hints that Hazezon might be a planeswalker, but we don't get a definite answer. We see neither his death nor ascension.

One thing that really puzzled me was that there was a part where they went into Scarwood and the Dark Heart of the Wood. Weren't both those from the Dark, which took place on Terisiare, not Jamuraa?

Overall, it was a very good book. I give it a 4.5 out of 5 rating.

By Squeeman on Tuesday, August 06, 2002 - 09:46 pm:

Yes, but let it go.

As for Heath, him beig an elf, it s't surprising that he can accomplish trememndous acts of will. Elves can do that, despite being quite frail.

By Mr. Dooples (The_Almighty) on Wednesday, August 07, 2002 - 09:45 pm:

ok, so dont read jodah, and read both jedit and Hazezon. Cool, could someone rap up jodah for me so i dont have to suffer like you all did.. (lol)

By Squeeman on Wednesday, August 07, 2002 - 11:10 pm:

Johan. And really, it wasn't bad at all. Jaeger was cool.

By KillTheVecAndWorshipTal on Sunday, August 11, 2002 - 12:18 am:

Wait, wait... they defiled Scarwood by placing it in post-Alliances Jamuraa instead of The Dark-era Terisiare!?!?!?!?


Talk about crappy...

By eidtelnvil on Monday, August 12, 2002 - 03:17 pm:

After finally finishing the novel, I'm inclined to give my two cents.

I absolutely hated Johan. I liked Jedit. I love Hazezon. It's taken me a while to grasp Emery's style of writing, but now looking back I really like the Legends Cycle.

As for Hazezon, the fight between Jedit and Ur-Drago was fantastic. The war for Efrava was extremely well done. (Why are they loading huge animal heads onto catapults and firing them at Johan's ships? Oh. That. Niiice.) The Jedit vs. Johan fight at the end was reeeally short. Read this book. It even mentions Phyrexia!

By Nemesis on Monday, August 12, 2002 - 08:55 pm:

YES! its nice to see i finally got to read a novel before eid did...;-)

anyways, its nice to see that im not the only one who enjoyed it. It's even made it into my top 10 favorite M:tG books.

Anyways, how does Jedit manage to make it back to the Oasis without being eaten at the end? I still don't get that.

Yes, the Jedit/Johan fight was really short, but at least it wasn't unrealistic. (even though didn't Jedit almost beat Johan in the marketplace fight during Jedit?)

By Squeeman on Tuesday, August 13, 2002 - 02:50 am:

I agree. Emery switches between a sort of medieval/ shiver-me-timbers gibberish dialect, to the occasional normal sounding talk. It takes a little while to get used to. The Gull/ Greensleeves trilogy was similar, though not so extreme. Still, it is really amusing (I think). And Clayton Emery has aways had a knack for writing about gory wars, with lots of blood and details.

Mr. Dooples, I recommend that you read Johan. Without the first book, it would be a little confusing getting into Jedit, without knowing all the talk about the Prophecy of None, One and Two. Also, if you thought Johan seemed the almighty wizard in book one, then see him next to Shauku in book two.

Legends Accounted for, ths far:

Johan
Jedit Ojanen
Hazezon Tamar
Xira Arien (cameo)
Princess Lucrezia (mentioned and her minions are seen)
Lady Caleria (mentioned and her warriors are seen)
Hunding Gjorgensen (mentioned)
Ramirez DePietro (mentioned, cameo)
Ur Drago
Tor Wauki (cameo)

Thats all I know about. I haven't actually read Hazezon yet (or gotten it, for that matter. I'll have to wait until October).

Shauku, also, but I am only counting the es from Legends.

By Eidtelnvil (Eidtelnvil) on Tuesday, August 13, 2002 - 01:47 pm:

Wasn't Stangg mentioned in one of the novels (Johan, I think)? Seems he had something to do with Strongheart in her early years.

By Matthew Manley (Webmaster) on Tuesday, August 13, 2002 - 06:27 pm:

Careful BWM,

If you want something done right, do it yourself they say...perhaps you are interested in reading Planeswalker and writing a detailed entry on everyone's favorite Phyrexian traitor?

Matthew Manley,
Webmaster at Phyrexia.com

By Tyler on Tuesday, August 13, 2002 - 07:30 pm:

Finally- Gix!