Negative Positive
Title: Esoteric, but well done and thought-provoking
Review: This book was very difficult to get into, but once I did I really enjoyed it. It presents more of how the Order of Hermes *should* be, with the flavor of the middle ages steeped in its rituals and areas of study. It presents rules that magi may use to develop or join secret societies that teach special magic ("mystae magic"), and in doing so introduces a balanced method for magical characters to "develop" magical Virtues and Flaws long after the character creation process. The powers are very strong, definitely intended for experienced players. The book is very wordy and cerebral, but inspiring nonetheless. Like all Ars Magica books, the layout is concise and simple, and easy to read, but the topic is a bit esoteric and so requires multiple sessions to really "get" it. I would recommend it for any saga that has lasted more than eleven sessions, or for long-time players.
Is the review positive or negative? 