It has all the great stuff of the Revised Art of Mage book, but updated. Similar amount of art, though slightly less dense. But that lower density is replaced by words describing the process and discussing the art, which is excellent. Best of all, most of the artists have links to their websites, in case anyone has it in them to commission or even just buy prints of pieces they love.
Also, though the Matt Korteling entry, I learned that Mage Minis exist, which...rather surprised me (WoD never seemed super great at tactical combat stuff that minis are good for) and I just hope that someday, whoever has the rights to them at the moment sells them or the files required to 3d print them.
The discussion of signature characters is excellent, covering characters from the beginning of Mage all the way through new ones created for Mage 20. Particularly nice given the lack of a Mage Who's Who book.
Overall, I recommend it even for people who aren't big into art books, it's also an excellent retrospective on Mage and includes bits of vision for its future.
I ordered the premium and it came with a minor flaw. On the top side of the book where the pages are glued together, there is some glue spilled over and damaged the upper corner of the book.
This is a fantastic book. It's one of the best "Art of..." books I've ever seen for an RPG line, and I'm not just saying that as a former White Wolf production intern and sometimes illustrator (alas, never for this iteration of MAGE). Most RPG art collections do just that: they collect artwork, artwork that, if you're a fan of that particular game line, you're likely already pretty familiar with. This volume certainly does that, but it surrounds that artwork with really interesting information not just about the art, but about the individual artists that created it, and about the creation of Mage The Ascension as a whole. Phil Brucato gives us an insightful and entertaining insider's look at how the game was created, including a step-by-step breakdown of the production and publishing process (ah, I remember it well), and tells some fun stories about his days at White Wolf along the way. What's more, the art isn't just randomly placed throughout the book, it's organized by artist, with an introduction to each that puts each artist's work in context. This focus really makes M20: The Art Of Mage feel like a personal journey. It becomes about the artists themselves and the creative spirit that they brought to the game as much as its about the art, and that's something I, as an artsit, really appreciate. Reading this book, you get the sense that Brucato feels very deeply for this material and has a great love and reverence for the artwork that graced its pages. One gets the feeling that the art of Mage: The Ascension played as important a role in the game as the words. And, again, as a former White Wolf illustrator, that notion warms my heart. It's a wonderful feeling to know that we bring something other than just simple decoration to the books and products we help create. Well, done, Phil (or is it Satyros, now? Whichever, you're still awesome).
I love this book. It has all the great stuff of the Revis ..