BoM/TWS Message Forum

To be honest I think that would be a real bad place to start as would most any that goes down a Stellae-centered path. To me the stories focused on the magic system and how it works, the Stellae, Fane, etc. is probably the most intimidating stuff in BoM and telling a new reader to go down that path would be like telling someone new to, say, Byzantine history to start off by reading about the intricate details of iconoclasm and monophysitism. It'll all be too much for someone dipping their toe in.

On a strictly personal level I've never really cared a great deal about that stuff either for a variety of reasons. For one even I find it all intimidating so it keeps me away from wanting to go down those paths. On another going down Stellae (and Fane) centered routes invariably spins the story off into wild tangents where Will's essentially a secret agent going on magical missions which is so far away from what I like out of the story.

That being that I like the masks as a vehicle to explore these different characters, the groups they belong in, the bits of the world they inhabit and Will himself.

If I had to pick storylines, at least of stuff that's been published, that would be good then the one that culminates in "Chelsea Wins the War" is the obvious choice in my eyes. It shows what the masks and different spells do. There's a long impersonation of an attractive girl (which is what I'd figure most people would want to see), it gives Will a good role and character in the storyline, there's a lot of possibilities presented throughout and it features a prominent role for what I think most would be considered the breakout character in Chelsea all with a central storyline driving the entire thing forward.

It's basically everything that I think most people would like about BoM in one storyline without overwhelming the reader.

For an original story that's not just a republishing of stuff published in the interactive proper, maybe a storyline centered around Will becoming and impersonating Jenny Ashton? It gets the female impersonation that, again, I think most people are likely looking for and she's connected enough that through her eyes it would be a good way to ease a new reader into the various corners of Westside/the BoM universe.