A fantasy novel by Jeff Grubb, set in the Magic: The Gathering multiverse, in the period of time known as The Dark. It follows the early life of Jodah, a young apprentice mage, and his struggles towards the wizard he would be. The Dark is a period after The Brothers' War, after magic had been discovered and now is considered an evil. The Church of Tal is a powerful force, and hunts down mages and disposes of them, blaming what happened at the end of the Brothers' war on magery (in actuality, the war was fought with artifice).
Like most M:TG novels, many cards from the series make an appearance in one way or another. Also of note is its handling of magic and mana, which in this series is expounded upon, building off the foundations made in The Brothers' War. It discusses colors of magic, a remarkably scientific explanation of it and its use, and of course good old-fashioned explosions and witty riposté. | 
