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Todd Jensen writes...
I've read your new "Magic: the Gathering" book, "Ravnica: War of the Spark".
I've barely any familiarity with "Magic: the Gathering" (about all I know about it, in fact, is that it's a fantasy-themed collectible card game that's been around for over twenty years); I confess that I found this one a bit harder to follow than your two Warcraft books. Apparently the main conflict (the group of people out to foil the plans of a megalomaniacal dragon) had been going on well before the book began, with plenty of deaths, betrayals, and other adventures already before the first page, which gave me the feeling of having walked into a movie about halfway through. (Those who know more about the "Magic: the Gathering" franchise than I did informed me that that conflict had entered the franchise several years ago.) Still, I got some sense of what was going on, and rather liked it.
I was amused by your two "Gargoyles" references - the mention of the Praying Gargoyle in a list of magical treasures and an echo of Hudson's remarks on names in a comment about one of the guilds' obsession with naming all its schemes.
Greg responds...
I was brand new to Magic: the Gathering when I got the assignment, so I strove to write the book so that newbies like me (and you) would know everything they needed to know from the book itself. The problem isn't that one NEEDED intel that wasn't there. The problem is that one might FEEL like one needed intel that wasn't there. And there wasn't much I could do about that, as the storyline had begun years before. But I'm glad you liked it.
And I sneak a few Gargoyles references into absolutely everything I do. Everything.
Andrea writes...
Hi, I'm from Chile and on April 23 I'll be in Los Angeles California / Las Vegas (for the first time in the USA).
I'll be looking for the Magic book and I do not know where I can find it.
Can you tell me where you will sell it?
Beforehand thank you very much
(Excuse my English, but I had google translator)
Greg responds...
I'm assuming you're talking about April, 2019. And it's now July, 2021. So I'm too late to help you. But War of the Spark: Ravnica & War of the Spark: Forsaken should both still be available via Amazon.com, in both English and Spanish.
Chandra Nalaar
Response to my latest novel, War of the Spark: Forsaken, has been understandably negative, particularly as a result of how the character of Chandra Nalaar was depicted in the book. My response is a bit late in coming, but here it is:
After reading the materials that preceded my work on Magic: The Gathering, I was particularly intrigued by the burgeoning relationship between Chandra and Nissa. I felt that it should culminate in the War of the Spark books. In lieu of bringing them together, as it was not a relationship that WotC planned to pursue, my goal was to write something that honored Chandra's feelings for Nissa and Nissa's feelings for Chandra, something that would give closure to their relationship in a sad but satisfying and understandable way. I believe that if readers had seen my original ideas for the chapter in question, they might have gotten a better sense of what I was trying to accomplish. They might have liked it better. Or maybe they wouldn't have. In any case, through the mutual creative/editorial process with WotC and Del Rey, we ended up with the final product that was published in Forsaken, which clearly didn't meet anyone's expectations or delivers on my intentions. And for that, I am truly sorry.
Gia writes...
Hi! Just want to say that I still look forward to read Masque of Bones. I keep my fingers crossed for you to find some time to write it. Any luck yet?
Greg responds...
No, I'm sorry. I just can't afford to write it on spec right now. But my latest novel, WAR OF THE SPARK: RAVNICA (set in the Magic: The Gathering multiverse), came out last week. I hope you'll check it out. And I will get back to Rain and Masque eventually. The truth is that the more success I build with my commissioned novels like Ravnica, the more likely I'll be able to get back to the Rain series.