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Robert B. Wintermute
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Scars of Mirrodin: The Quest for Karn: Scars of Mirrodin Block (Magic: The Gathering) Mass Market Paperback – April 26, 2011

by Robert Wintermute (Author)
3.5 3.5 out of 5 stars 114 ratings
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Mirrodin—a world of living metal, an artificial ecosystem created by the Planeswalker Karn to support organic life—is on the cusp of cataclysm. When the Planeswalker Venser goes in search of his former mentor, he learns Karn’s life hangs in the balance—and with him the entire plane of existence. For fans of the mega-selling trading card game, Magic: the Gathering®, the full story behind Scars of Mirrodin, a revisitation one of Magic’s most popular settings.
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  1. Part of series
    Magic: The Gathering
  2. Print length
    304 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Wizards of the Coast
  5. Publication date
    April 26, 2011
  6. Grade level
    10 - 12
  7. Dimensions
    4.18 x 0.81 x 6.86 inches
  8. ISBN-10
    0786957743
  9. ISBN-13
    978-0786957743
  10. See all details
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Wizards of the Coast (April 26, 2011)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Mass Market Paperback ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0786957743
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0786957743
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 10 - 12
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 5.1 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.18 x 0.81 x 6.86 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.5 3.5 out of 5 stars 114 ratings

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Robert B. Wintermute

Robert B. Wintermute

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Customer reviews

3.5 out of 5 stars
3.5 out of 5
114 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Staphaine A. Staley
5.0 out of 5 stars like new
Reviewed in the United States on October 27, 2011
Verified Purchase
big fan of the books and card game. the books a re a great read for anyone into medevil and magic. book came looking like new.
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Mike
4.0 out of 5 stars great read for us mtg fans
Reviewed in the United States on February 5, 2014
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I thought it was well written, wish more of the phyrexians were seen but I liked it. Only time I've seen Karn.
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A.L.
1.0 out of 5 stars Long review, no plot summary, spoiler warning.
Reviewed in the United States on May 16, 2021
Verified Purchase
I read this book in one sitting (~5 hours) because I anticipated it being okay, but what I got was worse. Firstly, I read this book because I wanted to go to the source material. I already read the author's Zendikar novel years back, and I still recall the walking...oh the walking...
Now, to be fair: the book may have been written alongside or even ahead of the solidification of the card block, and he was getting new lore as he went. The crunch time for a novel vs. cards is completely different, and other MtG books have suffered at different capacities from this. Plus, whatever the author already knows of the lore, or what got left on the cutting room table, etc. I am already well versed in every subject pertaining to Phyrexians. I was reading the book more for the character relationships and any world building that isn't on the cards/comics/etc. Sigh. I'm just convinced that the author hates all the characters he was given to work with. I came out of this hating everyone, even though I love a lot of them in other depictions.
Whoever edited this, didn't do a good job either. Some quotions were wrong. I kept flipping back a page to see why the story suddenly jumped from one topic to the next with no flow in-between them. It suffers from tone issues, if it wasn't a genocidal massacre I probably would have laughed more at the attempted humor. I had no idea where the characters were in the material space of the setting; was this person walking away and one staying behind? How are they still having a conversation at a normal volume? Why are the group having a conversation when they're surrounded by Phyrexians, or did they leave already? Weren't you injured? Why are up and running without help and helping others? Where did Melira, and the nameless guide go for these 2-4 chapters? Didn't they have to rush into this place or else the plot couldn't advance? Only the Walkers were described getting through or experiencing new things though. I didn't know they both were using the bounce mechanic, very meta.
Speaking of meta, in the book some characters know things they shouldn't. An egregious example is Venser knowing Koth's father's name...I Didn't Even Know Koth's Father's Name. It wasn't in the book until then. It was so jarring that I had to put the book down for a moment.
Also the body language and speech weren't believable. The story and characterization were ripe with contradictions. I would scroll back to find them and just couldn't believe my eyes.
If I didn't already know the answers to a lot of the questions raised in the book I think I would have spiritually thrown my phone against the wall out of frustration. Nothing of importance or things that piqued your interest are elaborated on. How does he know about Memnarch? Does anybody else know? What about Yawgmoth? Nothing, there's no meaningful conversation. I would even take them saying, "I don't know.", over the nothing we're given. There's no little details to pick up on to give layers to characters, motives, plot. You're slogging through the problem of 'telling, not showing' or even if it is showing it's a reminder of established things, or what I like to call it 'padding the word count.'
Maybe 2-3, or 5 to get generous scenes stuck out to me but settings are not the strong suit of the book. The walking...the huge, dark rooms...oh and the walking again. I could handle the gore in the book, and I have a low tolerance, but everyone's different so be warned.
Ezuri was downright cartoon-ish villanry, it was completely unbelievable and ridiculous. We get a glimpse into Venser's mind throughout and he twists some actual good points about Ezuri's leadership and makes them bad. There's no critical thinking to be had, for example, as to why a leader might lie and say there's good news on the front lines when the people's morale is already hanging on the finest thread. Or why he wants the only cure for phyresis to stay with the Mirrans who fight and get infected daily, but it's spun into he's this awful person because Venser needs Melira more for Karn. This is not an excuse for Ezuri, it's a better understanding of his character without the strange fixation of tearing Ezuri's characterization to shreds at every turn. Then poof gone, not mentioned again ever.
No one has character growth, not even the main characters. Koth was uncomfortably and I think wrongly hot-headed, stubborn, cowardly, and literally runs off then just comes back at one point. Melira was a throw away plot device and any meaningful conversations she had with any other person, Elspeth, were a footnote that Venser offhandly mentions. Elspeth talked about her PTSD, which is complex, but she wasn't exactly comforted by her new partners. None of them had a connection. They all just felt stuck together and were just dealing with each other.
I think the worst disrespect was the last chapter with Venser's death. No tears, even with the last ditch effort of him opening up about his own traumatic and various abuses he suffered. I felt a cold shiver at what I interpreted happened to him. Then he ceased to exist after he did the transfer with Karn. Nobody mentions it. His body isn't described. It might be quest complete but all the reward I got was chronic sighing.
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LOTNachos
2.0 out of 5 stars Painful scars
Reviewed in the United States on May 10, 2011
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WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD

Having just finished the abysmal "Zendikar: In the Teeth of Akoum" (Robert Wintermute's first Magic: The Gathering novel), I was admittedly biased from the very start of this book, but I have to admit that "Scars of Mirrodin: The Quest for Karn" is an improvement. It's still far from good or even adequate, but take what solace you can in knowing there are worse reads out there.

While "Scars of Mirrodin: The Quest for Karn" exhibits thankfully fewer typos than most recent novels in the series and its author has learned to vary his sentence structure beyond an 8th grade level, its characters are still shamefully underutilized. This time around, Wintermute has established names to work with - Venser, Elspeth, Tezzeret, Karn - but I'm not convinced he's actually read any of the materials they've previously appeared in. If he has, he certainly doesn't respect them. Venser in particular breaks from his canon origins and abilities frequently and without any real purpose or explanation: apparently, the timid, self-taught artificer who fascinated the protagonists of the Time Spiral block with his ability to planeswalk despite having no inherent magical talent was actually a studied mage who learned he could teleport as a child. Elspeth's history with Phyrexians is mentioned at every opportunity, but somehow manages to have no real impact on the story. Miraculously, Wintermute does not ruin the Tezzeret Matthew Stover perfected in "Test of Metal". Karn, however, is not so lucky: any self-respecting Vorthos should know the history and importance of the heart Wintermute unceremoniously rips from Karn's chest. Koth and Melira make their debut here, but neither are particularly well thought-out. Koth plays the archetypical stubborn muscle who constantly complains about taking direction while doing it without fail. Melira - the key to stopping the Phyrexian contagion - has zero background and less personality. Her compliance to tag along with the planeswalkers until her convenient healing abilities are relevant again is taken as a given. Melira blends into the scenery so completely, that the author literally forgets to include her in descriptions of the party for chapters at a time.

This brings us to the plot. "Scars of Mirrodin: The Quest for Karn" plods along at a decent enough pace. Yes, there is a lot of walking (again) through a frankly ridiculous number of vast rooms whose walls and ceilings can't be seen. Yes, everything smells of rancid meat, as the author feels the need to remind us at least twice per page. But at least on this plane there are foes to meet and mysteries to solve. We even get a grand total of one chapter devoted to characters other than the unchanging protagonists. Indeed, the first half of the book sets up for one potential bombshell of a climax. Where did the Mirran elders go? Where does the glistening oil come from? Why are blinkmoths immune to its effects? How did a secret chamber full of boulders come to be on the wholly-metallic plane of Mirrodin, and what purpose do they serve? All compelling questions... all remain unanswered. Just as in "Zendikar: In the Teeth of Akoum", Wintermute ends this novel the moment it's in danger of getting interesting: namely with the release and purification of an unguarded (!?) Karn, Father of Machines.

"Scars of Mirrodin: The Quest for Karn" is, in short, a disappointment. Only readers well-versed in the history of the Magic: The Gathering storyline will be invested enough in the plot and characters to see them through, and those readers will therefore be especially dissatisfied with what they find.
15 people found this helpful
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Radikar
3.0 out of 5 stars Good Book... but not perfect
Reviewed in the United States on June 1, 2011
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It was decently written... I had purchased Robert Wintermute's other book for Wizards, In The Teeth Of Akoum, and read that long before I purchased and read this one. I will honestly say this: It was a... decent novel... but far from perfect. I actually noticed a drastic change in writing style from his previous work, In The Teeth Of Akoum. I found that rather odd, in all honesty. I prefer In The Teeth Of Akoum over this one, but this is an excellent novel to help tie in the events around the Mirrodin block, as well as giving a potential opening for more to come from the world of Mirrodin.

Pros: Decent read, progressed well, sufficient information, and an excellent novel for the Mirrodin Block

Cons: rushed ending, obvious points where the characters fight just for the sake of filling up page space, lacking details

Again, I'm not going to lie: It was not a perfect novel, but it was sufficient enough, and definitely worth it if you are interested in the events in the Mirrodin Block, and many interesting details.
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Roxann Welker
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on September 2, 2014
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arrived on time, no complaints
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Sidney Gately
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on July 30, 2015
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Good story.
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Top reviews from other countries

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MARCUS VINICIUS
5.0 out of 5 stars Expandindo Perspectivas
Reviewed in Brazil on August 7, 2022
Verified Purchase
Recomendo o livro para quem busca entender um pouca a mais sobre a "natureza" artificial phyrexiana. Há muitos detalhes que expandem as perspectivas e entendimentos sobre eles como seres únicos para quem souber enxergar.

Não curti muito o capítulo 21 por não ter valorizado o momento de Venser como deveria. Acabou ficando sem emoção e perdendo o peso/impacto de seu sacrifício nas descrições fornecidas. Houveram momentos em que não ficou clara a mensagem sobre o cenário/ situação que estava acontecendo.

Quem se propor a embarcar nessa leitura não deve esperar muitos cenários, além dos já presentes em Nova Phyrexia, devido o foco narrativo ser adentrar ao núcleo e encontrar Karn

_Syr V. Lawter agradece pela oportunidade disponível de leitura... Ф
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Orlando Giannattasio
5.0 out of 5 stars Per appassionati
Reviewed in Italy on April 28, 2013
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Per i vecchi appassionati di magic (dalle prime espansioni alla saga di urza etc...) questo libro riporta in tra di noi la mita phyrexia.... da leggere
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Alejandro
1.0 out of 5 stars Boring
Reviewed in Spain on January 19, 2013
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One of the most boring books I've read in much time. The plot could be summarized as "They go here, they fight, they go there, they fight" and so on. Most interesting part was a few paragraphs talking about Yawgmoth, or Venser's youth in Dominaria.
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Amazon Customer
1.0 out of 5 stars Terrible
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 8, 2013
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Terrible read, I picked this up after having read the Mirrodin block books and thoughg this would be a good return to magic the gathering. It was very poor, with boring 2D characters, poor writing and uninteresting scenery. The vast majority of the novel is three people walking through a cave!
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Bas
1.0 out of 5 stars Absolut furchtbar
Reviewed in Germany on December 18, 2011
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Ich bin ein begeisterter Magic the Gathering Leser (und Spieler, aber das gehört nicht hierher) und besitze nebst diesem noch 35 andere Magic Bücher. Natürlich variiert die Qualität zwischen den Bändern teilweise stark, da die meisten von verschiedenen Autoren verfasst sind. Aber obwohl einige davon nicht gerade das Gelbe vom Ei sind, ist The Quest for Karn das einzige wirklich Schlechte, dass ich bisher gelesen habe.

Die Charakteren besitzen nicht den Hauch eines Ansatzes von Tiefe. Viel mehr werden solche, die man schon aus anderen Büchen kennt (Venser, Elspeth) für den Leser ruiniert. Die Story besteht zum grössten Teil aus dem Herumirren der Figuren. Die einzige echte Handlung findet während den letzten fünf Seiten statt. Alle "Actionszenen" werden analog dem Rest des Buchs auf unglaublich schnarchige Art und Weise beschrieben. Eine Figur wird vom Autor während einigen Kapiteln vergessen und anstatt sie in diesen hinein zu editieren wird ihre Abwesenheit damit erklärt, dass Alle dachten, sie sei stumm (obwohl sie mit den anderen Charakteren wochenlang herumirrt) "Nein ich bin nicht stumm, ich habe nur nie etwas gesagt, weil ihr mich nichts gefragt habt."

Zudem habe ich mich darauf gefreut, zu hören, was aus den Personen und Orten aus den alten Mirrodin Büchern geworden ist. Davon steht aber kein Wort geschrieben. Anscheinend war der Autor zusätzlich zum fehlenden Talent zu faul um seine Hausaufgaben zu erledigen. Also auch für langjährige Leser der Reihe ist dieses Buch nicht empfehlenswert.
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