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Dragon Age Universe
Dragon Age: The World of Thedas Volume 1
For Dragon Age newcomers, this comprehensive volume brings you up to speed on everything you need to know about the regions, religions, monsters, magic, and more! For dedicated fans, never before have the secrets of BioWare’s epic fantasy been revealed so completely and so compellingly!
* Filled with never-before-seen art by the creators of the games!
* New Dragon Age game coming in 2013!
* From the writers and artists of the Dragon Age games.
The definitive guide!
185 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 16, 2013
153 people are currently reading
1986 people want to read
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Note: WorldCat is an excellent resource for finding author information and contents of anthologies.
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February 6, 2022Personally I think it's very sexy of me to have an obsessive, encyclopedic knowledge of Dragon Age that I remember better than the entirety of my undergraduate career.
April 29, 2013
I just finished a cover-to-cover read of this book. It exceeded my expectations: I was expecting to get a lot of lore and some attractive art. I was pleasantly surprised, though, to find it such an interesting read. It isn't a simple dump of information, but a piece of nonfiction that's embedded within the fictional world it describes.
The book's point of view isn't from Bioware. It's from scholars within Thedas trying to understand their own land and history. As such, much like our own history books, recent events are explained quite clearly and authoritatively. The further back in time you go, though, the less certainty exists about exactly happened. For example, we hear various different stories about the Black City. All sources agree that it's at the center of the Fade, and mages can verify this for themselves by observation, so it's accepted as true. We learn the orthodox Chantry teaching that the City was once the home of the Maker, and was turned black when the magisters attempted to reach it. However, we also hear that the pre-Chantry Imperium believed that the Black City was the home of their seven Old Gods. And the Elves have their own tales about the City, claiming that their pantheon is trapped there. Each perspective is faithfully recounted, without a definitive answer on which is "right".
I found myself thinking of two other books while reading this one. The perspective of World of Thedas reminded me a lot of The Histories by Herodotus. That book also seeks to explain history and culture, and the author relies on the stories, legends, and myths he has heard from other people. Some stories seem reliable, others invite skepticism; some tales seem unbelievable but are fun to read. The actual content of the book, though, kind of reminded me of A People's History of the United States: 1492 to Present. Both of those books rely on quotes from actual people living in the middle of events, which gives a much deeper and richer texture to the history than I would have expected. This includes things like a first-hand account of what it feels like to be a slave in the Tevinter Imperium, or to play the Great Game in Orlais, or to suffer from lyrium withdrawal. Even when the book described things that I "knew" before, it felt much more engaging and real to hear an in-character voice describe it.
As others have noted, the artwork is absolutely gorgeous. I was surprised by the wide variety of art styles on display: I would have thought that there would be a Bioware "house style" that everything would follow, but there's a huge range, from very realistic drawings to highly impressionist pieces to things that look like collage to almost cartoony drawings. There are some even more creative pieces, like stained-glass windows depicting Andraste's martyrdom, and a foldable triptych shown in both open and closed positions. Everything looks wonderful, and it all strongly evokes their world.
I'd been a little concerned about canon; I haven't been able to get into some of the other Dragon Age comics and novels because their events don't line up with decisions I made in my own game. Fortunately, The World of Thedas is very canon-friendly. It references events from all of the games and expansions, but is phrased openly enough that it should fit your understanding of the story, regardless of the choices your Warden and Hawke made.
And, just in case anyone is considering reading this book who hasn't already played the Dragon Age games, be aware that the book does contain spoilers for the games. If you plan on playing Dragon Age 2, I'd suggest skipping the chapter on Magic, which gives away some key plot points. Spoilers for Dragon Age: Origins are sprinkled throughout the book, but particularly dense in the chapter on the Blights and any section on the Grey Wardens.
On the whole, I was delighted with the book. It doesn't really add much in the way of new lore, but gives much more context and flavor to previously-known facts. It also gives some excellent in-depth looks at areas that the games haven't really explored, particularly life in the Tevinter Imperium and within the Qun. It read well from start to finish, but I think it would also be a perfect book to pick up and browse through. It makes me happy to see what a rich world Thedas has become, and makes me optimistic about the future of the franchise.
The book's point of view isn't from Bioware. It's from scholars within Thedas trying to understand their own land and history. As such, much like our own history books, recent events are explained quite clearly and authoritatively. The further back in time you go, though, the less certainty exists about exactly happened. For example, we hear various different stories about the Black City. All sources agree that it's at the center of the Fade, and mages can verify this for themselves by observation, so it's accepted as true. We learn the orthodox Chantry teaching that the City was once the home of the Maker, and was turned black when the magisters attempted to reach it. However, we also hear that the pre-Chantry Imperium believed that the Black City was the home of their seven Old Gods. And the Elves have their own tales about the City, claiming that their pantheon is trapped there. Each perspective is faithfully recounted, without a definitive answer on which is "right".
I found myself thinking of two other books while reading this one. The perspective of World of Thedas reminded me a lot of The Histories by Herodotus. That book also seeks to explain history and culture, and the author relies on the stories, legends, and myths he has heard from other people. Some stories seem reliable, others invite skepticism; some tales seem unbelievable but are fun to read. The actual content of the book, though, kind of reminded me of A People's History of the United States: 1492 to Present. Both of those books rely on quotes from actual people living in the middle of events, which gives a much deeper and richer texture to the history than I would have expected. This includes things like a first-hand account of what it feels like to be a slave in the Tevinter Imperium, or to play the Great Game in Orlais, or to suffer from lyrium withdrawal. Even when the book described things that I "knew" before, it felt much more engaging and real to hear an in-character voice describe it.
As others have noted, the artwork is absolutely gorgeous. I was surprised by the wide variety of art styles on display: I would have thought that there would be a Bioware "house style" that everything would follow, but there's a huge range, from very realistic drawings to highly impressionist pieces to things that look like collage to almost cartoony drawings. There are some even more creative pieces, like stained-glass windows depicting Andraste's martyrdom, and a foldable triptych shown in both open and closed positions. Everything looks wonderful, and it all strongly evokes their world.
I'd been a little concerned about canon; I haven't been able to get into some of the other Dragon Age comics and novels because their events don't line up with decisions I made in my own game. Fortunately, The World of Thedas is very canon-friendly. It references events from all of the games and expansions, but is phrased openly enough that it should fit your understanding of the story, regardless of the choices your Warden and Hawke made.
And, just in case anyone is considering reading this book who hasn't already played the Dragon Age games, be aware that the book does contain spoilers for the games. If you plan on playing Dragon Age 2, I'd suggest skipping the chapter on Magic, which gives away some key plot points. Spoilers for Dragon Age: Origins are sprinkled throughout the book, but particularly dense in the chapter on the Blights and any section on the Grey Wardens.
On the whole, I was delighted with the book. It doesn't really add much in the way of new lore, but gives much more context and flavor to previously-known facts. It also gives some excellent in-depth looks at areas that the games haven't really explored, particularly life in the Tevinter Imperium and within the Qun. It read well from start to finish, but I think it would also be a perfect book to pick up and browse through. It makes me happy to see what a rich world Thedas has become, and makes me optimistic about the future of the franchise.
August 29, 2013
I'm a sucker for art books and it took all my will not to tell Labyrinth Books to shut up and take my money when I stopped at their row upon row of shelves at Fan Expo last weekend. My bank account wouldn't have been happy, so I wisely opted to get only this, since it was far more than an art book dedicated to a game series that I love.
The World of Thedas is just that. Think of it as a wiki on beautiful, beautiful crack. There definitely is artwork included. Every page is covered in it. But I'm all about the lore and there is no shortage of that here, from Andraste to Zazikel and everything in between.
Favourite characters do appear, with a brief comment on their relevance to a particular entry (eg Isabela is placed within the Rivain section), but the focus is on the world itself. Countries, timelines, politics, religion, and of course, magic.
As a big fan of the Dragon Age series, this is a must have for me. It will keep me content while I patiently wait for Dragon Age: Inquisition.
Patiently....
See more reviews at
The BiblioSanctum
The World of Thedas is just that. Think of it as a wiki on beautiful, beautiful crack. There definitely is artwork included. Every page is covered in it. But I'm all about the lore and there is no shortage of that here, from Andraste to Zazikel and everything in between.
Favourite characters do appear, with a brief comment on their relevance to a particular entry (eg Isabela is placed within the Rivain section), but the focus is on the world itself. Countries, timelines, politics, religion, and of course, magic.
As a big fan of the Dragon Age series, this is a must have for me. It will keep me content while I patiently wait for Dragon Age: Inquisition.
Patiently....
See more reviews at
The BiblioSanctum
January 28, 2015
This is one of those books that's long overdue, given the success of the franchise. World of Thedas Vol 1 doesn't expand all that much on the Dragon Age universe and falls short in key areas.
Chapters include: Legend, Map of Thedas, Races, Nations, Magic, Religion, The Fade, The Blight, Bestiary and Glossary. It reads like an RPG sourcebook; granted it's derived from an RPG so that's hard to avoid, but I felt like I should have some dice handy while I was going through it. The layout is gorgeous- some stunning artwork from familiar names like Joy Ang, Fran Gaulin, Jae-Keum, Steve Klit, Caspar Konefal and Nick Thornborrow. Simply beautiful.
There's cameos from some old friends- Varric, Leliana, Morrigan, Anders, and even Flemeth and Corypheus. Brother Genitivi acts as the resident scholar, often supplying commentary on the entries as well.
Much of the information presented is not new, simply fleshed out. And that's where the problems come in: while there are some interesting nuggets and pearls, too many times you'll see either a contradiction to the established canon or something so lacking you wonder why they even bothered with it. And others just leave you scratching your head.
Here's a few examples:
Endrin Aeducan is stated to be mourning the loss of his eldest and youngest sons (it's supposed to be his eldest and middle child). Seems small but it's a huge error if you know the franchise... and how'd they miss it?
Noble ranks in Ferelden- the place we're all most familiar with- are also off, listing an arl as the equivalent of a mayor. Really? Isn't an arl supposed to be an earl or something? Heck, the Bioware chatrooms have better and more detailed info than this 'official' release.
New details about Wardens and the Calling are also confusing: the book states that they must first serve alongside dwarven troops for a year before going off on their own. Since when? And what's the point of it if they're not going to even last that long anyway? Also no new information about the Joining Ritual or how it was discovered.
The chapter on Religion is where it really drops the ball in my opinion. The section on the Old Gods is sketchy- no surprise there- but something about them would've been appreciated. Were they vessels for powerful extra-planar beings or just dragons with powers and abilities far beyond those of other flying serpents? The Elven Gods get a little better treatment- they're supposedly all trapped in the Black City. How? Why?
Humanity is the newest race on Thedas; apparently they all came from somewhere else... But as they make up nearly all of the Maker's worshipers, what was he doing all that time, let alone before Andraste showed up? Who were his followers?
Kossith (Qunari) are said to have migrated to Ferelden in ages past, giving rise to ogre darkspawn, but then why hasn't anyone ever seen them before the Fifth Blight?
World of Thedas is nice enough to have; you get lots of data conveniently packaged for your enjoyment. But there's precious little new information provided in it so it's a toss up as to whether it's worth your while or not.
March 4, 2023
I'm a sucker for DA lore and this book definitely scratched my itch for it. Will get Volume 2 real soon.
February 13, 2021
(3,8 of 5 for very nice but shallow guide trough the world of Thedas)
I'm not very fond of those fictional world "encyclopedias", but I do like the DA world. Well, this one is nice, there is a little bit of history, geographic, demographic, beliefs and bestiary. I would love to read this before I started playing any Dagon Age game. In retrospect, it's a very nice refreshment, well-sorted but a shallow land a little bit bland. If you didn't pay attention trough the game much, here is your chance to catch up. If you already played Inquisition, there is so much more knowledge in the game, which I loved but missed in this encyclopedia. But it is a part of the game and I maybe get some of that in the second volume of this. I also hope that the writing will get better. It is bland and the citations sometimes felt unnecessary and even more boring than the regular text. But despite that, I enjoyed the look back at the world of Thedas. And maybe I will read it once more before the new game, just to refresh my memory. DA games are much more enjoyable and fun with profound knowledge of Thedas and its history.
I'm not very fond of those fictional world "encyclopedias", but I do like the DA world. Well, this one is nice, there is a little bit of history, geographic, demographic, beliefs and bestiary. I would love to read this before I started playing any Dagon Age game. In retrospect, it's a very nice refreshment, well-sorted but a shallow land a little bit bland. If you didn't pay attention trough the game much, here is your chance to catch up. If you already played Inquisition, there is so much more knowledge in the game, which I loved but missed in this encyclopedia. But it is a part of the game and I maybe get some of that in the second volume of this. I also hope that the writing will get better. It is bland and the citations sometimes felt unnecessary and even more boring than the regular text. But despite that, I enjoyed the look back at the world of Thedas. And maybe I will read it once more before the new game, just to refresh my memory. DA games are much more enjoyable and fun with profound knowledge of Thedas and its history.
January 14, 2021
We all know I'm a sucker for lore, and this delivered it all !
October 18, 2024
This is a book of lore for the Dragon Age series of video games, developed by Bioware (RIP) - in particular, this was released after Dragon Age II but before the game's third installment, Dragon Age: Inquisition (2014). Since the long-awaited fourth game is going to come out in two weeks, I thought I'd remind myself of the setting and the story by reading this book. And it's a delight! I love fictional worldbuilding and setting lore, and this is a well-laid out, easy to read collection of a lot of the important background information for the setting. The art is excellent, and the whole project reminds me of those big books of dinosaurs I'd read as a kid. It's just fun to see the imagination at work behind a setting that needs to feel both familiar and strange, that needs to feel lived-in and cohesive for the story to function, but also needs to feel beset at all times by danger and mystery so as to work as an explorable world in a game.
October 23, 2019
Beautiful illustrations.
February 22, 2022
yes i absolutely read this in one sitting.
Written like a history book as if it's by actual Thedosians so it's very engaging, esp if you are 1) a history lover and 2) a Dragon Age fan.
Written like a history book as if it's by actual Thedosians so it's very engaging, esp if you are 1) a history lover and 2) a Dragon Age fan.
September 19, 2018
Brilliant.
March 24, 2021
I really enjoyed this experience, though at times the information felt a bit dry. Some parts stood out to me, such as life under the Qun, and I also loved the concept art, although admittedly it isn't the most polished art book out there. As a huge Dragon Age nerd, I have only gained from it, and that's final.
February 21, 2018
I'll go to my grave saying that the Dragon Age setting (or rather THE Dragon Age Setting, the origin of the word THEDAS) is one of the best RPG and fantasy settings that are there.
And this book is perfect for a fan like me.
While it didn't say much that I didn't know but it presented everything in an entertaining way and provided just enough of new things to really grab my interest while delving deeper into the stuff I knew a bit about. Part art book and part world description it was written in a superbly entertaining way, while maintaining great "production values". The book simply looks amazing!
And it makes it possible to nicely order ones knowledge, especially with its timeline.
And this book is perfect for a fan like me.
While it didn't say much that I didn't know but it presented everything in an entertaining way and provided just enough of new things to really grab my interest while delving deeper into the stuff I knew a bit about. Part art book and part world description it was written in a superbly entertaining way, while maintaining great "production values". The book simply looks amazing!
And it makes it possible to nicely order ones knowledge, especially with its timeline.
December 11, 2018
I've been in love with the world of Thedas since I first played Dragon Age: Origins so it was awesome to see more of the world than just playing the videogames gives you. The book is split into different sections on races, countries, religion, magic and the Blight with a bestiary at the back. If you bothered to read the codex while you played the games then a lot of this will be information you have already seen. But since I rarely read the codex (and the artwork is gorgeous), I loved getting to see more of Thedas. Definitely a must if you're a Dragon Age fan but DO NOT read it if you haven't played through Dragon Age 2 and intend to, it has some major spoilers for that plotline.
April 19, 2020
This is so beautiful, and I am so nerdy.
September 4, 2024
Not every spin off of dragon age is good but this lore book is Lush and satisfies even me, the bitch who has played 1200 hours of DAO.
September 14, 2020
Dragon Age er en af de mest vidunderlige spilverdener jeg kender. For noget tid siden løftede Bioware sløret en smule for, hvad de går og pusler med i forbindelse med DA 4, som vi er mange der går og venter tålmodigt på. Det fik mig til at søge ind i universet endnu engang😃
The World of Thedas er en bog jeg har haft stående i en del år. Den har dog altid været skubbet i baggrunden da den, som mange andre af mine bøger, har været lidt for nichet til de kunder jeg har hjulpet gennem tidens løb. Men hvor er jeg glad for endelig at få den læst😍🙌
Bogen udkom året før Dragon Age 3 Inquisition, så den har spoilers fra Dragon Age 2 og ellers fortæller den detaljeret om magien, religionerne, nationerne, racerne og selvfølgelig også om monstrene og den sære drømme/åndeverden The Fade.
Jeg troede jeg vidste alt om universet, men jeg har med tiden glemt meget. Jeg vidste dog ikke at profeten Andraste er bygget på Jeanne d’Arc! Det er da meget cool😃👍
Det er altså det fedeste univers med nogle vildt spændende og nye idéer. Fx det oprindelige folk - de stolte elvere, der siges engang at have været udødelige. De blev underkuet og slavebundet, da de første mennesker ankom og grundlagde det dominerende og magtfulde Tevinter Imperium. Elverne lever stadig som slaver i Tevinter eller i andre lande, i slumkvarterer kaldet Alienages. Deres historie og kultur er mere eller mindre totalt ødelagt og kun ganske få lever som nomader. De bliver kaldt The Dalish.
Der er også de udspekulerede dværge, der lever under jorden. De udvinder og handler med det blå magiske stof Lyrium, hvilket gør dem immune overfor magi, både af skade, men de kan heller ikke udøve magi. Darkspawn kampe har næsten har udryddet deres befolkning og de der overlever bliver sterile, så oddsene er ikke store for det stolte folk.
Det helt store emne i spillene er magien og hvordan det bliver kontrolleret. I Tevinter lever magikerne frit og har utrolig meget magt. De har udøvet blodmagi mere end nogen andre nation og de har ingen skrupler ved at eksperimentere med deres slaver.
I resten af Thedas er magikerne mere eller mindre frygtet, da nogle har svært ved at styre deres magi og er særligt modtagelige overfor dæmonbesættelser. De bliver kontrolleret af den hellige instans The Chantry og lever i lukkede tårne kaldet Circle of Magi. Disse magikere bliver nøje overvåget af Templars, der slår hårdt ned på afvigere og nogle af disse ‘hellige krigere’ er desværre kendt for deres brutalitet og misbrug af magt overfor de magikere de har sværget at beskytte.
Jeg elsker den her komplekse verden og spillene er fyldt med valg. Man kan ikke undgå at skulle tage stilling til konflikten mellem magikerne og Templars, men der er så mange gråzoner, at det kan være svært at vide om man træffer de rigtige valg - for de rigtige grunde.
Meget af det, der står i bogen kan man selvfølgelig læse ved at studere diverse codex mens man spiller spillene. Ofte har jeg dog for travlt med selve spillet til lige at læse en lang tekst om et land eller en person, så de er for det meste blevet klikket væk.
Det har været en kæmpe fornøjelse at pløje gennem den her pragtfulde bog, der udover masser af interessant viden også har tonsvis af flotte illustrationer.
Er du fan af Dragon Age, så vil du elske The World of Thedas! Der er selvfølgelig kommet et bind mere, som jeg helt sikkert også skal have fingre i😍👍
The World of Thedas er en bog jeg har haft stående i en del år. Den har dog altid været skubbet i baggrunden da den, som mange andre af mine bøger, har været lidt for nichet til de kunder jeg har hjulpet gennem tidens løb. Men hvor er jeg glad for endelig at få den læst😍🙌
Bogen udkom året før Dragon Age 3 Inquisition, så den har spoilers fra Dragon Age 2 og ellers fortæller den detaljeret om magien, religionerne, nationerne, racerne og selvfølgelig også om monstrene og den sære drømme/åndeverden The Fade.
Jeg troede jeg vidste alt om universet, men jeg har med tiden glemt meget. Jeg vidste dog ikke at profeten Andraste er bygget på Jeanne d’Arc! Det er da meget cool😃👍
Det er altså det fedeste univers med nogle vildt spændende og nye idéer. Fx det oprindelige folk - de stolte elvere, der siges engang at have været udødelige. De blev underkuet og slavebundet, da de første mennesker ankom og grundlagde det dominerende og magtfulde Tevinter Imperium. Elverne lever stadig som slaver i Tevinter eller i andre lande, i slumkvarterer kaldet Alienages. Deres historie og kultur er mere eller mindre totalt ødelagt og kun ganske få lever som nomader. De bliver kaldt The Dalish.
Der er også de udspekulerede dværge, der lever under jorden. De udvinder og handler med det blå magiske stof Lyrium, hvilket gør dem immune overfor magi, både af skade, men de kan heller ikke udøve magi. Darkspawn kampe har næsten har udryddet deres befolkning og de der overlever bliver sterile, så oddsene er ikke store for det stolte folk.
Det helt store emne i spillene er magien og hvordan det bliver kontrolleret. I Tevinter lever magikerne frit og har utrolig meget magt. De har udøvet blodmagi mere end nogen andre nation og de har ingen skrupler ved at eksperimentere med deres slaver.
I resten af Thedas er magikerne mere eller mindre frygtet, da nogle har svært ved at styre deres magi og er særligt modtagelige overfor dæmonbesættelser. De bliver kontrolleret af den hellige instans The Chantry og lever i lukkede tårne kaldet Circle of Magi. Disse magikere bliver nøje overvåget af Templars, der slår hårdt ned på afvigere og nogle af disse ‘hellige krigere’ er desværre kendt for deres brutalitet og misbrug af magt overfor de magikere de har sværget at beskytte.
Jeg elsker den her komplekse verden og spillene er fyldt med valg. Man kan ikke undgå at skulle tage stilling til konflikten mellem magikerne og Templars, men der er så mange gråzoner, at det kan være svært at vide om man træffer de rigtige valg - for de rigtige grunde.
Meget af det, der står i bogen kan man selvfølgelig læse ved at studere diverse codex mens man spiller spillene. Ofte har jeg dog for travlt med selve spillet til lige at læse en lang tekst om et land eller en person, så de er for det meste blevet klikket væk.
Det har været en kæmpe fornøjelse at pløje gennem den her pragtfulde bog, der udover masser af interessant viden også har tonsvis af flotte illustrationer.
Er du fan af Dragon Age, så vil du elske The World of Thedas! Der er selvfølgelig kommet et bind mere, som jeg helt sikkert også skal have fingre i😍👍
June 22, 2024
A must read if you're a fan of the world of Dragon Age ❤️
I've never really paid a lot of attention to the codex I unlocked while playing the games so there's a lot of info that I didn't fully know, it was really cool to learn more in depth about the world of Thedas, here are some specific things that caught my attention:
• the dwarfs in general: I already knew I liked them since my favorite origin is the dwarf noble, but it was interesting to read more about their religion and how big their territory used to be before the darkspawn appeared. I'm also really intrigued about Kal-Sharok 👁️👁️ like I wanna know how they dealt (and changed by) being on their own for so much time!!!
• the qunari: Honestly, I didn't really care much for them before 😬 I liked Sten as a companion and The Arishok as an enemy in DA2, got along well with Iron Bull in DAI, but never really put much thought on them 🧐 but reading about their society, Par Vollen and Seheron was so cool! I want to know how Par Vollen looks (since noone outside of the qunari really knows) and I'm intrigued to why the humans who lived there before the qunari arrived didn't fight them and even had old paintings that depicted them 👀. And lets not forget the tragic lives of the people who live in Seheron, the note called "Battleground State" by the Fog Warrior Ashor Vell felt so bittersweet 😢.
• and lastly: Tevinter and Orlais for real suck, like I knew for various comments by different characters along the series that those two nations had a lot of haters, but after reading this I fully understand why. They started wars all the time, tried to take over multiple smaller nations over and over again, hurted the elves by either making them slaves or destroying their homes and their history along side them...Like, they're interesting to read but so easy to hate 😂
I've never really paid a lot of attention to the codex I unlocked while playing the games so there's a lot of info that I didn't fully know, it was really cool to learn more in depth about the world of Thedas, here are some specific things that caught my attention:
• the dwarfs in general: I already knew I liked them since my favorite origin is the dwarf noble, but it was interesting to read more about their religion and how big their territory used to be before the darkspawn appeared. I'm also really intrigued about Kal-Sharok 👁️👁️ like I wanna know how they dealt (and changed by) being on their own for so much time!!!
• the qunari: Honestly, I didn't really care much for them before 😬 I liked Sten as a companion and The Arishok as an enemy in DA2, got along well with Iron Bull in DAI, but never really put much thought on them 🧐 but reading about their society, Par Vollen and Seheron was so cool! I want to know how Par Vollen looks (since noone outside of the qunari really knows) and I'm intrigued to why the humans who lived there before the qunari arrived didn't fight them and even had old paintings that depicted them 👀. And lets not forget the tragic lives of the people who live in Seheron, the note called "Battleground State" by the Fog Warrior Ashor Vell felt so bittersweet 😢.
• and lastly: Tevinter and Orlais for real suck, like I knew for various comments by different characters along the series that those two nations had a lot of haters, but after reading this I fully understand why. They started wars all the time, tried to take over multiple smaller nations over and over again, hurted the elves by either making them slaves or destroying their homes and their history along side them...Like, they're interesting to read but so easy to hate 😂
April 18, 2021
The World of Thedas book series is a set of compendiums which completely covers everything to do with the lore of the Dragon Age franchise. I think it say's something about how expansive and detailed the lore and setting of this games is that there are two full size compendium books about this franchise already released so far.
Volume 1 covers the main core principles of the world of Dragon Age in the form of Races, Nations, Magic, Religion, The Fade and The Blight. Each of these elements are covered with some incredibly detailed descriptions by David Gaider along with some beautiful illustrations courtesy of Dark Horse Comics.
Seeing the world of Thedas broken down further outside of the typical in-game Codex systems is a wonderful alternative for fans to have. The fact that the detailing and descriptions in this book offer if not the same level but probably even more insight into so many different world-building aspects of the franchise makes me appreciate just how much love and attention goes into making this world feel fully realised and lived in.
Each section of the compendium covers the subject matter with a clear and thorough overview, offering additional accounts from characters in the world to help give a more personal perspective to help reinforce the concepts being laid out. As well as detailing all these unique concepts there is also a clear timeline established throughout the book to help you understand how time has been recorded in this world and all the major events that have unfolded thus far
This book is a must own for any Dragon Age fan, it helps you delve into the franchise through an alternative outlet while also providing you new and interesting revelations and understandings that you may never have caught initially in the games.
Volume 1 covers the main core principles of the world of Dragon Age in the form of Races, Nations, Magic, Religion, The Fade and The Blight. Each of these elements are covered with some incredibly detailed descriptions by David Gaider along with some beautiful illustrations courtesy of Dark Horse Comics.
Seeing the world of Thedas broken down further outside of the typical in-game Codex systems is a wonderful alternative for fans to have. The fact that the detailing and descriptions in this book offer if not the same level but probably even more insight into so many different world-building aspects of the franchise makes me appreciate just how much love and attention goes into making this world feel fully realised and lived in.
Each section of the compendium covers the subject matter with a clear and thorough overview, offering additional accounts from characters in the world to help give a more personal perspective to help reinforce the concepts being laid out. As well as detailing all these unique concepts there is also a clear timeline established throughout the book to help you understand how time has been recorded in this world and all the major events that have unfolded thus far
This book is a must own for any Dragon Age fan, it helps you delve into the franchise through an alternative outlet while also providing you new and interesting revelations and understandings that you may never have caught initially in the games.
February 8, 2018
5 stars
Anyone who follows me for a long time has certainly seen me read a lot of things related to Dragon Age and this is no exception. I'm a total sucker for illustration books or compendiums of stories and facts about a certain world I might love, and this was no exception.
It is fantastically well written and illustrated. It just explains a lot about the world and it even has some extra codex entries which for me were the highlight of this book since a lot that was written here was no longer any news for me (seriously I know WAY too much about this world for my own good ahahah).
In a gist, I would totally recommend this to anyone who's either thinking of starting out the Dragon Age games or have already and want to thicken their knowledge of this amazing world.
Anyone who follows me for a long time has certainly seen me read a lot of things related to Dragon Age and this is no exception. I'm a total sucker for illustration books or compendiums of stories and facts about a certain world I might love, and this was no exception.
It is fantastically well written and illustrated. It just explains a lot about the world and it even has some extra codex entries which for me were the highlight of this book since a lot that was written here was no longer any news for me (seriously I know WAY too much about this world for my own good ahahah).
In a gist, I would totally recommend this to anyone who's either thinking of starting out the Dragon Age games or have already and want to thicken their knowledge of this amazing world.
May 23, 2020
This first volume is no A World of Ice and Fire, but it's doing a decent job nonetheless. Had the illustrations been a bit better (that Circles in Tevinter might be the worst photo mixed with drawing "art" I've ever seen), I think I would have given it four stars. Of course, there's not much in terms of new informations but it's nice to see everything fleshed out clearly, instead of having to search all the codex pages to find that one piece of info you think you remember. And I must admit some bits were still brand new information for me, and I've been playing these games ever since DA:O came out.
All in all, this first volume is not the best it could have been but it's a nice read for huge fans of the universe.
All in all, this first volume is not the best it could have been but it's a nice read for huge fans of the universe.
December 22, 2019
One of the most beautiful books I own. The artwork is fantastic, the information about the world is all there. Remarkable quality of the paper and print itself as well. A must-have for a fan.
Dragon Age is my favorite video game, and probably my favorite fantasy universe and piece of media. I'm really happy this book exists (and I plan on getting my hands on the second volume eventually as well). I do admit I haven't yet read it all cover to cover, since sometimes it's a lot of information to take in, but I love going through it every now and then and learning more about the world.
Highly recommend it for every fan of the game and fantasy settings.
Dragon Age is my favorite video game, and probably my favorite fantasy universe and piece of media. I'm really happy this book exists (and I plan on getting my hands on the second volume eventually as well). I do admit I haven't yet read it all cover to cover, since sometimes it's a lot of information to take in, but I love going through it every now and then and learning more about the world.
Highly recommend it for every fan of the game and fantasy settings.
April 19, 2020
Normaal gezien zou ik boeken als deze niet echt reviewen of op Goodreads zetten maar bon, het is en blijft proza en dus wel geldig naar mijn mening en ik heb het ook gewoon heel graag gelezen.
The World of Thedas biedt diepere informatie over de wereld van Dragon Age, gekend van de videogames. De wereld is enorm fascinerend en alles is goed overzichtelijk neergeschreven dus kan het voor iedereen die fan is van world building eigenlijk al wel aanraden. De featured artwork is vaak heel erg goed maar voelt hier en daar ook wel wat gerushed aan.
The World of Thedas biedt diepere informatie over de wereld van Dragon Age, gekend van de videogames. De wereld is enorm fascinerend en alles is goed overzichtelijk neergeschreven dus kan het voor iedereen die fan is van world building eigenlijk al wel aanraden. De featured artwork is vaak heel erg goed maar voelt hier en daar ook wel wat gerushed aan.
November 1, 2019
The video game company Bioware provides some of the best world-building in the industry, and partnered with Dark Horse Comics, these books are a true work of love for the game's fans. World of Thedas V1 is full of great artwork and information on all the characters, creatures, and lore from the early Dragon Age Universe.
July 15, 2020
I love love love this book! Dragon Age is, in my opinion, one of the greatest video game franchises of all time, because of its amazing ability to tell a story and make you care about the outcome. The rich history and detail put into this book (not to mention the GORGEOUS illustrations) made me fall in love all over again. So glad I finally picked this up!
July 18, 2021
an interesting and newbie-friendly dive into The Lore, even if my fellow DA hoes who have spent hundreds of hours playing these games probably won't learn a lot that they don't already know. the art is cool, though, and i'm ready to consume any and all DA content in the 84 years it will take for the fourth game to come out.
January 24, 2024
while I definitely have issues with dragon age’s world building (many, many issues), this was a really good read regardless. it outlined everything very clearly, and I loved the in-universe writings. really well-done.
this honestly made me wish that thedas were like the forgotten realms and a million books were written in the universe. there’s so much I’d love to see explored.
this honestly made me wish that thedas were like the forgotten realms and a million books were written in the universe. there’s so much I’d love to see explored.
June 30, 2024
Mycket bra uppfräschning på saker inom världen Thedas som man kanske inte riktigt kommer ihåg. Däremot hittade jag ett par detaljer i boken som var lite knas - dock inget som påverkade allt supermycket men tillräckligt för att det skulle irritera mig heheh
Mycket fina illustrationer genom hela boken!
Mycket fina illustrationer genom hela boken!
August 22, 2017
This is great. A lovely blend of images and different forms of text. I enjoyed the clean cut factual texts blending with texts that are written as if people in the world of Thedas were the people being them.
March 26, 2020
There's a lot of history and cultural info that I didn't necessarily pay attention to in the games. This is pre-Inquisition. A really nice resource (see volume 2 for corrections to a few small errors)
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