Abrams Books is publishing a brand new Magic: The Gathering book written by Wizards of the Coast and Jay Annelli (his second MTG book after Rise of the Gatewatch), and it's called Legends: A Visual History. The 300-page book features the wonderful artwork of legendary characters from the popular trading card game, and some of the pieces have never been seen outside the context of the game's 30-year history.
SYFY WIRE has revealed our first look at the book that is scheduled to release later this month, and also interviewed Annelli about the book.
Avacyn, Angel of Hope by Howard Lyon
Avacyn concept art by James Ryman
Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite by Igor Kieryluk
Emmara, Soul of the Accord by Mark Winters
Erebos, Bleak-Hearted by Howard Lyon
Ulamog concept art by Sam Burley
"Rethinking how I presented information for an audience that might know nothing about Magic was a challenge, but a fun one that I think really helped my writing overall," Annelli told SYFY WIRE. "Suddenly, I had to think about all that jargon that I take for granted in Magic and that my readers were usually familiar with, and figure out how to write about everything without needing a glossary in the back. As someone who has always been about making things accessible and removing more gatekeep-y aspects of the fandom, it definitely pushed to me to rethink how I approached the lore."
Check out the official description Magic: The Gathering Legends: A Visual History:
The world of Magic: The Gathering is home to many fantastical characters and creatures, but perhaps none so intriguing as its legends. Legendary dragons, demons, angels, goblins, vampires, merfolk, wizards, and more roam the multiverse. These characters harken back to Magic's early history, having been introduced in one of the first Magic card sets (1994's Legends); new legends continue to tell epic stories in lore and on the battlefield through the present day. Magic: The Gathering: Legends showcases high-quality reproductions of legendary card art from across the game's history—in many instances for the first time outside of the card frame—along with accompanying histories written by Annelli. This collection also offers exclusive insight into the art and mythology behind some of Magic: The Gathering's most powerful, popular, and enduring legends, including Niv-Mizzet, the Eldrazi titans, Edgar Markov, Queen Marchesa, and many, many more.
Magic: The Gathering Legends: A Visual History will be published through Abrams Books and will be released on October 27, 2020. The hardcover version is selling for $18.99 on Amazon, and $19.99 in Kindle & comiXology.
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