Brushworm Speaks! - The Art of Magic: The Gathering - Kaladesh

Brushworm Speaks!

The Art of Magic The Gathering: Kaladesh

by James Wyatt

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Acquired: Amazon.com

Series: Magic the Gathering (Book 3)

Hardcover: 240 pages

Publisher: Perfect Square (January 3, 2017)

Language: English

Subject: Fantasy

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Background: Optimism, innovation, and the spirit of creativity fill these pages, lavishly illustrated with the award-winning art of Magic: The Gathering™! Welcome to Kaladesh—a vibrant, beautiful plane where anything is possible. Join the heroic Planeswalkers of the Gatewatch as they explore the Inventors’ Fair, and let your imagination soar alongside thopters and airships crafted by the best artificers in the Multiverse. Come discover the marvels of Kaladesh—its inhabitants, its inventors, and its artifacts. They all await you at the grand Inventors’ Fair! (amazon.com)

The Review: When Brushworm first saw the trailer for this card set, one thought went through his head:

“Arabian Steampunk?” (Later corrected to Indian Subcontinent) “Yes, Yes! YES!”

Science-fiction and fantasy (especially Trekkers) has long patted itself on the back for breaking stereotypes and tropes but the sad truth is, the genres have long followed their own orthodoxies and traditions. One of the most persistent of said orthodoxies is the proliferation of steampunk stories that are set almost exclusively in Victorian England. Some creative projects have attempted to break this mold but the truth of the matter is that the British Empire maintains a firm grip on the genre. Kaladesh breaks this mold quite firmly. It remains faithful enough to common tropes to be considered Steampunk. Big wrenches, exposed pistons, oversized gears etc, but they are plenty of fantasy factors as well. The machines in questions are powered by a mystical substance called aether. There are dwarves, elves, magic users, and even giants. Yet, it all seems to fit together. This is a living, breathing world. 

Not only does this book have a different setting, it is one of the most vibrant and colorful settings Brushworm has ever seen. The Indian and Persian inspired architecture and clothing

Be warned though, this is an art book, so it is a rather large book. Some would call it a standard coffee table book size, Brushworm doesn’t think it is that big but it is a pretty heavy book. 

For some, Kaladesh is refreshing change from previous expansions such as Innistrad and Zendikar, which were rather dark and grim worlds filled with eldritch abominations and mind warping magic. Kaladesh is a bright a colorful world, where innovation and creativity are lauded virtues. While definitely a fantasy a story, the emphasis of the expansion on technology. 

The optimism of Kaladesh is a quite refreshing direction for Magic The Gathering, as judging from previous expansions, even beyond Innistrad and Zendikar, were fairly grim as well. It does not completely separate itself from this trend though. The book does contain spoilers for both phases of the Kaladesh story, but even in the beginning, there are undertones of something sinister at work beneath the glittering surface of Ghirapur, the Kaladesh city, where the story takes place. It takes care to never become to saccharine and it all comes to a head in the latter half of the story. 

However, this book contains far more than simply art. It also contains the story of the plane itself. The history, races, and the current storyline are all wrapped up in a absolutely stunning package. The thought and creativity that went into the world building is simply outstanding. Kaladesh is a plane of very fascinating lore. The races, the fauna, the culture, and even the ecology is fleshed in ways that are endlessly intriguing. 

Finally, the wonderful world-building aside, this book is important for another reason. A painful fact about speculative fiction is that, like a lot of popular media, its focus has been upon caucasian characters, particularly men. People of color were sorely underrepresented or worse, used in a disrespectful manner. Here though, this game expansion represents a solid step forward for greater representation both in gaming as well as literature. It may not be perfect representation as some critics have pointed out, but progress is rarely a clean cut process.  

What makes this book special is that it for a brief moment it bridges the gap between fantasy and reality. The way the text is ordered and arranged takes itself seriously even though many would find the content to be rather silly. When you look at these images and read their stories, the plane of Kaladesh feels real. Like you are reading an encyclopedia entry of a place that actually exists. This serves as a testament to the skill of the creative staff at Wizard of the Coast

Final Verdict: This book is a delight for all who love fantasy, even those who do not play the actual Magic The Gathering Card Game. Artists and writers or any other creative person will find their imaginations stoked by the wonders contained within. 

Five Kaladesh Icons out of Five. 

Buy One Now!!!

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