It's no secret that the Weatherlight Saga that we got is not the one that was originally planned. After a strong start (unfortunately badly novelized) and an excellent prequel series, the saga returns to present day with an odd cycle of simultaneous arcs. I'll review each of them below.
Mercadian Masques at least has always been planned in some form, as Mark Rosewater wrote back when he introduced the saga that he wanted to take the crew to a plane "where the whole world is a market and everything is for sale". It's an enjoyable read for the most part, with some sorely needed character development and interaction between the crew. However, some characters are still underdeveloped, like Sisay and Hanna. The book's biggest fault is that it feels a little disconnected from the main storyline: although there are some interesting revelations later on and another confrontation with Volrath, it feels more like just another obstacle for the Weatherlight crew to clear instead of an integral part of the story. It's a Wacky Wayside Tribe taking up an entire book.
Nemesis is very good, one of the best Magic novels in fact. It's the saga's Villain Episode, focusing on the inhabitants of Rath's Stronghold. However, I have one problem with the book: Crovax's sudden transformaton into a villain, something which wasn't in the original plans. His intended character arc has been completely butchered: after having way too little pagetime in Rath and Storm, he now abruptly turns into a bloodthirsty maniac who eats people alive. However, Ertai and Belbe more than make up for this, raising the question: in a hopeless situation in which there are only bad choices, how far would you go to survive? The ending is a real gut punch, showing us that there are no easy answers.
And then there's Prophecy. If Mercadian Masques is a Wacky Wayside Tribe, then Prophecy is Trapped by Mountain Lions. It involves three side characters (Barrin, Rayne and Teferi) in a plot that has absolutely nothing to do with the main storyline of the saga. It then sidelines those three characters to focus on Haddad, who whines and does absolutely nothing. I remember it being so awful that it's the only book I skipped outright during my Weatherlight Saga re-read.
Literature The Weatherlight Saga's awkward middle section
It's no secret that the Weatherlight Saga that we got is not the one that was originally planned. After a strong start (unfortunately badly novelized) and an excellent prequel series, the saga returns to present day with an odd cycle of simultaneous arcs. I'll review each of them below.
Mercadian Masques at least has always been planned in some form, as Mark Rosewater wrote back when he introduced the saga that he wanted to take the crew to a plane "where the whole world is a market and everything is for sale". It's an enjoyable read for the most part, with some sorely needed character development and interaction between the crew. However, some characters are still underdeveloped, like Sisay and Hanna. The book's biggest fault is that it feels a little disconnected from the main storyline: although there are some interesting revelations later on and another confrontation with Volrath, it feels more like just another obstacle for the Weatherlight crew to clear instead of an integral part of the story. It's a Wacky Wayside Tribe taking up an entire book.
Nemesis is very good, one of the best Magic novels in fact. It's the saga's Villain Episode, focusing on the inhabitants of Rath's Stronghold. However, I have one problem with the book: Crovax's sudden transformaton into a villain, something which wasn't in the original plans. His intended character arc has been completely butchered: after having way too little pagetime in Rath and Storm, he now abruptly turns into a bloodthirsty maniac who eats people alive. However, Ertai and Belbe more than make up for this, raising the question: in a hopeless situation in which there are only bad choices, how far would you go to survive? The ending is a real gut punch, showing us that there are no easy answers.
And then there's Prophecy. If Mercadian Masques is a Wacky Wayside Tribe, then Prophecy is Trapped by Mountain Lions. It involves three side characters (Barrin, Rayne and Teferi) in a plot that has absolutely nothing to do with the main storyline of the saga. It then sidelines those three characters to focus on Haddad, who whines and does absolutely nothing. I remember it being so awful that it's the only book I skipped outright during my Weatherlight Saga re-read.