The following is a list of novels based in the setting of the collectible card game Magic: The Gathering. When Wizards of the Coast was asked how the novels and cards influence each other, Brady Dommermuth, Magic's Creative Director, responded by saying "generally the cards provide the world in which the novels are set, and the novels sometimes provide characters represented on cards. But cards also introduce their own characters that might not appear in the novels. In short, the Magic creative team and the novelists work largely in parallel and inform each other as much as possible." All of the novels take place in the multiverse (the center nexus of which is Dominaria), which consists of an infinite number of infinitely different planes.
The novels from The Brothers' War through Scourge, along with The Thran and the ...of Magic anthologies, are set on the plane of Dominaria and are a roughly chronological timeline of that plane's history. Magic began to venture out of Dominaria and into several new planes in the later novels such as Mirrodin (formerly Argentum) in the Mirrodin Cycle, Kamigawa in the Kamigawa Cycle, and Ravnica in the Ravnica Cycle. The Magic storyline returned to Dominaria with the Time Spiral cycle, and visited Lorwyn with the storyline cycle of the same name. After this, the policy of publishing a trilogy of novels for each year's setting was discontinued; the Alara, Zendikar and Scars of Mirrodin block settings had only a single novel each.
Theros was the last block to receive a companion novel, and only in e-book form, with Wizards of the Coast citing various reasons including a decline in sales and an outdated model as two major contributing factors for the decision. Beginning with the Khans block in 2013, the company decided to tell the storyline through the cards and free online articles and found that more players were familiar with the block story line than were previously when only novels told the story.
This approach continued through 2017. Then, Wizards of the Coast hired novelist and scriptwriter Nic Kelman as their Head of Story and Entertainment. Kelman's task was to assemble all of the lore established from previous card sets and the published novels, comics, and other materials as to create the game's "cosmology" or the story bible that established all the known planes and elements of those planes, the individual Planeswalkers and their connections to others, and other details that then could be passed not only to the teams developing new cards but also to those expanding the franchise with new novels and other content. In 2018, Brandon Sanderson published an e-book, Children of the Nameless, marking the return of novels. War of the Spark: Ravnica (2019) by Greg Weisman was the first print book after an eight-year break. It corresponded with the final set of a three part Ravnica storyline and received a sequel. However, the sequel was widely panned and Wizards of the Coast "canceled plans for the book that was intended for the game's next set, Theros: Beyond Death". Then in 2020, with the Zendikar Rising (2020) set, the Magic storyline returned via story articles on the official website.
In 2025, Wizards announced a standalone print YA novel entitled Strixhaven: Omens of Chaos, written by Seanan McGuire and published by Penguin Random House, which was released along with the Secrets of Strixhaven (2026) set.
Non-cycle novels The original ten books were deliberately not numbered as a marketing concern. The publishers thought people might shy away from a multi-book series. Some stories are connected, some not. The heroes of Arena, Garth and Rakel, appear in Shattered Chains. The books Whispering Woods, Shattered Chains, and Final Sacrifice by Clayton Emery are known as the "Whispering Woods Trilogy" or "The Greensleeves Trilogy".
All of the non-cycle books were published by Harper Fantasy.
YearTitleAuthorPagesISBN1994ArenaWilliam R. Forstchen2971995Whispering WoodsClayton Emery2941995Shattered ChainsClayton Emery2881995Final SacrificeClayton Emery3121995The Cursed LandTeri McLaren2901995The Prodigal SorcererMark C. Sumner3091996Ashes of the SunHanovi Braddock3041996Song of TimeTeri McLaren3041996And Peace Shall SleepSonia Orin Lyris3041996Dark LegacyRobert E. Vardeman368
Cycles and block novels Cycle novels All of the below cycled or series books have been published by Wizards of the Coast.
Cycle Year TitleAuthorPagesISBN Artifacts 1998The Brothers' WarJeff Grubb4091998PlaneswalkerLynn Abbey3591999Time StreamsJ. Robert King3431999Bloodlines: The Story of Urza's DestinyLoren L. Coleman3431999The ThranJ. Robert King311 Ice Age1999The Gathering DarkJeff Grubb3422000The Eternal IceJeff Grubb3202000The Shattered AllianceJeff Grubb309 Masquerade1999Mercadian MasquesFrancis Lebaron3412000NemesisPaul B. Thompson3202000ProphecyVance Moore311 Invasion2000InvasionJ. Robert King3112001PlaneshiftJ. Robert King3112001ApocalypseJ. Robert King308 Odyssey2000OdysseyVance Moore3202001Chainer's TormentScott McGough3202001JudgmentWill McDermott320 Legends2001JohanClayton Emery3112001JeditClayton Emery3202002HazezonClayton Emery320 Legends II2002Assassin's BladeScott McGough3202003Emperor's FistScott McGough3202003Champion's TrialScott McGough306 Onslaught2002OnslaughtJ. Robert King3202003LegionsJ. Robert King3122003ScourgeJ. Robert King320 Mirrodin2003The Moons of MirrodinWill McDermott3202004The Darksteel EyeJess Lebow3202004The Fifth DawnCory Herndon320 Kamigawa2004Outlaw: Champions of KamigawaScott McGough3202005Heretic: Betrayers of KamigawaScott McGough3202005Guardian: Saviors of KamigawaScott McGough320 Ravnica2005Ravnica: City of GuildsCory J. Herndon3202006GuildpactCory J. Herndon3202006DissensionCory J. Herndon320 Time Spiral2006Time SpiralScott McGough3202007Planar ChaosScott McGough, Timothy Sanders3202007Future SightScott McGough, John Delaney320 Lorwyn2007LorwynCory J. Herndon, Scott McGough3202008MorningtideCory J. Herndon, Scott McGough320 Lorwyn II: Shadowmoor2008ShadowmoorPhilip Athans, Susan J. Morris3522008EventideScott McGough, Cory J. Herndon320
Block novels Block novels are novels which replaced the trilogy (or tetralogy) of novels previously released corresponding to each Magic set. They were introduced in 2009 with Alara Unbroken released for the Shards of Alara block. As the name suggests the block novel follows the story of the card block of the same name.
YearTitleAuthorPagesISBN2009Alara UnbrokenDoug Beyer3202010Zendikar: In the Teeth of AkoumRobert B. Wintermute3202011Scars of Mirrodin: The Quest for KarnRobert B. Wintermute320
Other novels These novels were connected to specific expansion sets without blocks. Year Title Author Publisher Pages ISBN2019War of the Spark: RavnicaGreg WeismanDel Ray Books3842019War of the Spark: ForsakenGreg WeismanDel Ray Books4162026Strixhaven Omens of ChaosSeanan McGuireRandom House Worlds413
Planeswalker novels The Planeswalker novels are a type of Magic novel that was introduced in 2009. Each follows the story of one of Magic's planeswalkers. The first yearly planeswalker novel was released in the winter and the second in the summer of 2009.
YearTitleAuthorPagesPlaneswalkerISBN2009Agents of ArtificeAri Marmell390Jace Beleren2009The Purifying FireLaura Resnick400Chandra Nalaar2010Test of MetalMatthew Stover352Tezzeret2020ChandraVita Ayala96Chandra Nalaar
Block novellas / eBooks For the Return to Ravnica block, a 3-part novella by Doug Beyer was released. Similarly a 2 part novella by Jenna Helland was released for the Theros block.
Block YearTitleAuthorPages Return to Ravnica2012Return to Ravnica: The Secretist, Part OneDoug Beyer672013Gatecrash: The Secretist, Part TwoDoug Beyer972013Dragon's Maze: The Secretist, Part ThreeDoug Beyer90 TherosApril 1, 2014Theros: Godsend, Part IJenna Helland124May 13, 2014Journey Into Nyx: Godsend, Part IIJenna Helland139 Blockless e-booksDecember 12, 2018Children of the NamelessBrandon Sanderson127September 4, 2019Throne of Eldraine: The Wildered QuestKate Elliott208April 7, 2020Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths - Sundered BondDjango Wexler174
Anthologies The first two Anthologies, Tapestries and Distant Planes were published by Harper Fantasy while all of the others since then have been published by Wizards of the Coast.
YearTitleAuthorPagesISBN1995TapestriesKathy Ice2901995Distant PlanesKathy Ice3841998Rath and StormPeter Archer3111999The Colors of MagicJess Lebow3422000Myths of MagicJess Lebow3042001Dragons of MagicJ. Robert King3202002The Secrets of MagicJ. Robert King3202003Monsters of MagicJ. Robert King320
Others Category YearTitleAuthorPublisherPagesISBN Graphic novels1999Gerrard's QuestMike Grell, Pop Mhan, Norman LeDark Horse Comics112 Novel compilations2009Artifacts Cycle IJ. Robert King, Jeff GrubbWizards of the Coast7202009Artifacts Cycle IILynn Abbey, J. Robert King, Loren L. ColemanWizards of the Coast768 Web comic compilations2010Path of the PlaneswalkerDoug Beyer, Brady Dommermuth, Jenna HellandWizards of the Coast1922011Path of the Planeswalker IIDoug Beyer, Brady Dommermuth, Jenna HellandWizards of the Coast1602012Magic the Gathering: Vol. 1Matt Forbeck, Martin CoccoloIDW Publishing104N/A (eBook)2012Magic the Gathering: Vol. 2 - The Spell ThiefMatt Forbeck, Martin Coccolo, Christian Duce, Dan ScottIDW Publishing104N/A (eBook)
The Planeswalker's Guide Series The Planeswalker's Guide Series was a planned series of novels which were to start with A Planeswalker's Guide to Alara in September 2008. Each novel was going to contain information, concept art, card art, etc... about the plane it is dedicated to. The series was later changed to web article series after the first book did not sell as well as the publisher hoped.
YearTitleAuthorPagesISBN2008A Planeswalker's Guide to AlaraDoug Beyer, Jenna Helland160
Notes
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See also Magic: The Gathering Card Sets Magic: The Gathering Storylines