7.4 /10 1 Votes
Cover artist R. K. Post Language English Publication date September 1998 Followed by Time Streams Publisher Wizards of the Coast | 3.7/5 Goodreads Country United States Series Artifacts Cycle Originally published September 1998 Preceded by The Brothers' War Genre Fantasy Fiction | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Media type Print (Hardback & Paperback) Similar Works by Lynn Abbey, Magic: The Gathering books, Fantasy books | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Planeswalker is a Magic: The Gathering novel written by Lynn Abbey, and published by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. Planeswalker takes place on the fictional world of Dominaria, within the 'multiverse'. It tells the story of Urza and his need for revenge against the Phyrexians, who he believes are responsible for his brothers death. The story takes place from Xantcha's perspective, jumping between her past and the present day.
Plot summary
The story begins with Urza becoming a Planeswalker. After the Sylex Blast at the end of The Brothers' War, the Weakstone and Mightstone become Urza's eyes giving him vast powers. He swears to avenge his brother, Mishra, by destroying the plane of Phyrexia.
Xantcha, a newt decanted in Phyrexia, is brought up and becomes as dodger tasked to secure artifacts on foreign planes for Phyrexia. She develops a hatred for Phyrexia but a sabotage attempt fails and is almost killed as punishment, only surviving because Urza saves her. Urza invades Phyrexia with an advanced dragon engine but is overwhelmed and nearly destroyed. Xantcha uses the battle as an opportunity to find her heart, a crystal to which her life has a link.
They later learn that Urza's home plane, Dominaria, was inaccessible because the Sylex blast created a rift and that something has now reconnected Dominaria to the multiverse, meaning it is accessible for both Urza and the Phyrexians.
Urza's madness develops and Xantcha plans to help him by finding a Dominarian who could pass for Mishra, hoping that it will allow him to come to terms with the guilt of killing his brother. Xantcha buys a slave boy by the name of Ratepe and Urza successfully believes that Ratepe is his brother reincarnate. Urza constructs spider artifacts that can destroy Phyrexians by emitting a high frequency sound; he plans to spread these all throughout Dominaria. Whilst inside a church Xantcha encounters Gix, the supposedly destroyed Demon Lord of Phyrexia.
Ratepe and Xantcha, who have fallen in love, stay within the capital to watch the destruction of the Phyrexians. When the moon strikes its zenith, triggering the spiders, all the Phyrexians within the town explode except for Gix. Gix casts spells from the temple and targets the citizens. Urza defends the population and defeats Gix. Gix flees and hides within the confines of Koilos. Urza, Xantcha and Ratepe follow him. Gix and Urza fight; their battle becomes a single beam that begins to turn back time. Ratepe recognises the danger and joins hands with Xantcha through the beam, disrupting the process. Gix kills Ratepe and Xantcha but the loss of focus allows Urza to destroy him.
Urza decides that he needs to experiment with time travel to go back to the original battle between the Thran and the Phyrexians to stop the problem before it began. Just before leaving Koilos Urza finds Xantcha's heart, which his eyes had managed to preserve, and he takes it with him.