By direxion on Sunday, September 01, 2002 - 07:01 pm:

hey, i kinda asked this before, but i have a better question. should i read the books in the order they are shown in the bookstore? (artifacts,masquerade/weatherlite,iceage,invasion,oddysey) or is there another order?

thanx

By Nemesis on Sunday, September 01, 2002 - 08:35 pm:

It doesn't really matter when you read the Ice Age, Odyssey or Legends cycles, but the rest should be read in order. Although you could read R&S-Nemesis, Thran-Bloodlines, and Prophecy-Apoc, I don't recommend it.

By Lim-Deûs, Lim-Dûl's High Guard (Lim_Deus) on Sunday, September 01, 2002 - 11:26 pm:

The best order for the whole Urza vs. Phyrexia storyline would probably be The Thran, Artifacts cycle, Rath & Storm, Masquerade cycle, Invasion cycle. People who are catching up are probably glad they ended it, that's too much reading by itself, not to mention the other books.

By Squeeman on Monday, September 02, 2002 - 06:58 am:

Well, if you want my advice, read 'em like this:

Rath and Storm
The Brothers War
The Colors of Magic
Planeswalker
The Gathering Dark
The Eternal Ice
The Shattered Alliance
Time Streams
Bloodlines
Mercadian Masques
Nemesis
Prophecy
The Thran
Myths of Magic
Invasion
Planeshift
Apocalypse
The Dragons of Magic
Johan
Jedit
Hazezon
Odyssey
Chainer's Torment
The Secrets of Magic
Judgement


Reasons:

I've always seen Rath and Storm's Dark Room sequences as a sort of prologue to the whole story. Then, you should begin to read them in mostly chronological order. However, the Anthologies all have stories vitally important to the main plot. The way I put them is is to keep them up with the amount the reader knows of he plot at the time. For example, if a person read Phyrexian Creations right after The Brother's War, it would be somewhat confusing.

Later, it is important not to lose track of Urza, or forget him, so Planeswalker is good next. Then, the Ice Age Cycle, so that people actually know what went on while Urza was away and so that they get introduced to Freyalise and some other planeswalkers. It also talks about Urza's famiy, so it doesn't really diverge completely.

Urza's story then continues, and you catch up to Rath and Storm, and see where its all been leading to. Mercadia, Nemesis, Prophecy. The Thran should be read after Prophecy, because it is like a revelation book. The events from Mercadian Masques are explained, as well as those of Time Streams and The Brothers War.

The Invasion Cycle is, of course, next. Then, you have a hundred years to kill before Odyssey, so read the events that happen during Time Streams, from the Legends Cycle (and Legends 2).

Finally, read the Odyssey Cyle and what happens afterwards.


Otherwise, If you want to stick purely to chronology, then read:

The Thran
The Brothers War
Colors of Magic
The Gathering Dark
The Eternal Ice
The Shattered Alliance
Planeswalker
Time Streams
Johan
Jedit
Hazezon
Bloodlines
Rath and Storm
Mercadian Masques
Nemesis
Prophecy
Myths of Magic
Invasion
Planeshift
Apocalypse
Dragons of Magic
Secrets of Magic
Odyssey
Chainer's Torment
Judgement
etc

My philosophy is that it is always okay to see flashbacks that were intended to come later anyway and help clarify earlier stories, but it is sinful to read these flashbacks before finishing the earlier stories, because that ruins all the interest.

I could give you a hundred more ways to read them. Up to you.

By Squeeman on Monday, September 02, 2002 - 07:02 am:

I just changed my mind. Read them like this:


Rath and Storm
The Brothers War
Colors of Magic
The Gathering Dark
The Eternal Ice
The Shattered Alliance
Planeswalker
Time Streams
Johan
Jedit
Hazezon
Bloodlines
Mercadian Masques
Nemesis
Prophecy
The Thran
Myths of Magic
Invasion
Planeshift
Apocalypse
Dragons of Magic
Secrets of Magic
Odyssey
Chainer's Torment
Judgement

This way, you keep the general chronological order, but you don't get any ruinous spoiling from the Thran, and Rath and Storm remains a prologue.

By direxion on Monday, September 02, 2002 - 07:31 am:

ok thanx, but people said to read (a while ago) the brothers war first so would it be bad to go backa nd read rath and storm?

By Squeeman on Monday, September 02, 2002 - 07:47 pm:

Not really. I just think of it as a sort of prologue, as I said before. You can still read it right after Bloodlines if you want. Or you can read it next. Ultimately, its up to you.