Concepts and Legends (James Wyatt)

Concepts and Legends is another Magic: the Gathering book showcasing the art of the game. But here, the focus is more on conceptual art used to build out the world of a given set. (There is some finished art, but not much.) At a high level, the book covers:

• Planes (the worlds of Magic, like Dominaria, Ravnica, and Innistrad)
• Races (the sapient creatures, like catfolk, merfolk, vampires, goblins, and elves)
• Creatures (all other creatures, like angels, sphinxes, demons, dragons, and hydras)
• Characters (focusing on planeswalkers)

Unlike the last Magic book I covered (see this post), this book is much larger, improving the presentation. The writing is surprisingly good, too. This work highlights the story behind Magic as well, serving as a useful introduction and a reminder that this is more than just a game- it is an immersive world with a story arc that has spanned 25 years. Finally, it displays just how much work goes into world building for the game, producing tons of concept art to help make a given set consistent in appearance across hundreds of artists. Overall, I was impressed. (It comes with some nice art prints, too.) As with other offerings, though, I wish it had been longer.

Rating: A-

Legends: A Visual History (Jay Annelli)

And now for something completely different: a book review.

Over its history, Magic: the Gathering has featured over 1,000 unique creatures (called 'legends'). In Legends: A Visual History, Jay Annelli covers a portion of them across many of the planes in Magic's history and explains their backstory, showcasing wonderful art along the way.

I liked the concept; the execution could have been better. As art features so heavily in Magic, a visual history is the right approach. The writing wasn't great but informative enough, and interesting for those who have played the game, giving us backstory to the cards (there is an impressive story, planned in advance, both for individual sets and across them- knowing it's not necessary to enjoy the game, but it does enhance the experience). My problem was the uneven coverage of different worlds- some planes received dozens of pages, while others had just a few. I get that it can't be a 1,000-page book and cover everyone, but I wish it were a little longer (perhaps 350 pages instead of 255) and more evenly sampled. Ultimately, I think I'm looking for a coffee-table art book that covers all of Magic's history.

Rating: B