Vox Machina: Stories Untold

by Jess Barber, Martin Cahill, Rebecca Coffindaffer

Celebrate a decade of Critical Role with this anthology featuring the perspectives of ten characters who fought alongside—and against—Vox Machina.

In these ten stories, see the legendary adventuring party anew through the eyes of some of the most memorable characters whose lives were touched by Vox Machina.

Within its pages:
• Shaun Gilmore reflects on the life he has chosen, as told by Aabria Iyengar.
• Raishan, racked by a pestilent curse, plots to release the Cinder King from his fiery prison, as told by Rory Power.
• Trinket the Wonder Bear accompanies the next generation of Vox Machina on their first adventure, as told by Sarah Glenn Marsh.
• Plus seven more hilarious, heartbreaking, and heroic tales featuring Kaylie, Doty, Kevdak, and more!

The adventure began in 2015 with a group of friends sitting down in front of a camera to roll some dice, bring their characters to life, and tell a story that would become immortalized in their livestream tabletop roleplaying game: Critical Role. What started as a humble home game eventually grew into a worldwide phenomenon that has touched countless people with its poignant, larger-than-life storytelling—and in that same vein, this collection celebrates the characters whose lives were touched by Vox Machina but whose stories are yet to be told.

Genres: Fantasy, Short Stories, Audiobook, Dungeons and Dragons, Anthologies, Fiction, Adult

304 pages, Hardcover

First published March 4, 2025

Reviews

[Monica (Tomes Project) · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delightful collection circling my favorite band of adventuring heroes. Each of these stories was a delightful entry into the canon of the world of Exandria and Vox Machina. The stories about Shaun Gilmore, Kima and Allura, and the Sun Tree were my personal favorites, but each of them was an absolute delight to read. If you're able to, I would highly encourage you to pick up the audiobook, which (to no one's surprise) is read by the cast of Critical Role

✨ Under Golden Boughs by Martin Cahill, narrated by Taliesin Jaffe - The story of the Sun Tree, from it's birth through all of the good and the bad that Whitestone has faced. "My boy. My dear Percival."

✨ The Exploits of Kaylie (Volume I) by Izzy Wasserstein, narrated by Sam Riegel - The early life of our favorite Kaylie, bursting with the diversity and heart that's always been at the core of Critical Role.

✨ Liar by Rory Power, narrated by Marisha Ray - Surprisingly my least favorite of the collection. I think that's the nature of telling a story from the point of view of a villainous character.

✨ The Edge of Gory by Kendra Wells, narrated by the full cast - Loved how this comic was adapted into the audio version. It's the story from the POV of Kraven Edge, but this felt almost the most useless of all the stories? Everything here was almost lifted directly from the episode of Campaign One that it originated from, and especially now that it's been animated, this didn't offer much in my opinion but it was fun.

✨ Take This Down by Jess Barber, narrated by Sam Riegel - Oh, my beloved, cluelessly gay Tary how I adore you.

✨ Bend the Knee by Nibedita Sen, narrated by Travis Willingham - The story of Kevdak and how the tribe came to be under the rule of Thordak. This was so good, I was absolutely eating this story up.

✨ The Tides by Sam Maggs, narrated by Laura Bailey - The love story of Kima and Allura, read by Laura Bailey: a gift for lesbians and sapphics everywhere.

✨ Shaun by Aabria Iyengar, narrated by Matt Mercer - To no one's surprise, my favorite of this entire collection, second the story of the Sun Tree. The shortest and punchiest of all the stories, and I love that Aabria was included in this collection. Just enough of a punch in the gut about Vax to keep me from crying.

✨ Going on a Bear Hunt by Sarah Glenn Marsh, narrated by Ashley Johnson - A story told from the perspective of Trinket the Wonder Bear as he watches over the mischievous, troublemaking children of Vox Machina for the night.

+

I was already sold on this just based on it's existence, but the fact that there's a Shaun Gilmore story by Aabria Iyengar . . . SOLD .

Had no idea this existed until like 2 minutes ago, but I need this so bad! I cannot wait for the release of this. - February 21, 2025

[Sidonie Becker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Under Golden Boughs: 4,5/5 - A touching history of Whitestone, told by the sun tree. Made me tear up multiple times.

The Exploits of Kaylie: 5/5 - Kaylie backstory! Amazing new characters and glimpses of Kaylie's life before she met Scanlan and Vox Machina.

Liar: 3,5/5 - Raishan frees Thordak from the fireplan. It was good but I don't really like Raishan as much (this may be because I am stuck in the episode with her final battle with 0 motivation to continue since it just takes so long)

The Edge of Gory: 5/5 - I did not expect a Craven Edge centric comic here, this was amazing.

Take this down: 4/5 - I haven't gotten to Tary in C1 yet but I enjoyed this story very much.

Bend the knee: 3/5 - unfortunately I just don't really care about the herd of storms and this didn't make me care more either.

The Tides: 5/5 - KIMALLURA LORE

The lives we make: 4/5 - Kynan needs so much therapy.

Shaun: 4,5/5 - everyone say thank you aabria for the feels. Also I remain adamant that Vax has 2 hands...

Going on a bear hunt: 5/5 - absolutely precious

[Sarah ⟡ Tea & Tomes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to the authors, narrators, Critical Role, and PRH Audio for the free audiobook!

Vox Machina – Stories Untold is a brilliant celebration of the world of Critical Role, offering a fresh perspective on beloved characters while shining a spotlight on those who played a supporting role in the legend of Vox Machina. Each story brings something unique—whether it’s adventure, heartache, or humor—while still capturing the magic of the original campaign.

Hearing the Critical Role cast narrate these stories made the experience even more immersive. Their performances added depth and emotion to every tale, making it feel like stepping back into the world we know and love. The anthology masterfully balances nostalgia with new storytelling, making it a must-read (or listen!) for any Critical Role fan.

If you love the world of Exandria, rich character-driven narratives, or just want more from the Vox Machina era, this collection is an absolute treat!

[SainteCrystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

loved some of the stories, love the concept and would buy 10 more

[Reese · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hard to rate because some stories I just didn't really feel strongly about but some I really enjoyed. Overall probably like 3.5 stars?

My favorite stories were:
The Tides by Sam Maggs
The Lives We Make by Rebecca Coffindaffer
Shaun by Aabria Iyengar
Going On A Bear Hunt by Sarah Glenn Marsh

[juniorpalo · Rating 4 out of 5]

(3.75)

I didn’t think they could get more content from the campaign 1 era but then the first short story was in the POV of the Sun Tree and it kept referring to Percy as “my boy” and it struck something in me

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

The stories I loved the most were:
- Under Golden Boughs by Martin Cahill
- Take this Down by Jess Barber
- Liar by Rory Power
- Bend the Knee by Nibedita Sen
- Going on a Bear Hunt by Sarah Glenn Marsh.

[Caitlin Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so much fun! I really enjoyed these short stories of some of the most iconic non-main characters in the world of Vox Machina! I think my favorites were KimAllura, Taryon & Doty, the Sun Tree, and Trinket!

[Reese]

Such a fun cute book! I didn't know what to expect as I heard the synopsis long ago. Was thoroughly surprised by the Sun Tree story, the hilarious comic for Craven Edge, and the heartbreaking stories of Kynan, Kima, and Shaun.
I really look forward to the Mighty Nein version of this and can happily say this is my last full book of the year!!

[Baroness Ekat · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely wonderful collection of 10 short stories about some of the most fan loved/hated NPCs in Critical Role's Vox Machina campaign.

I loved the stories of the planting of the Sun Tree, Craven Edge's feelings upon being taken up by Grog, Kima and Allura's meeting, Gilmore's existential crisis and Trinket's adventure with the children of Vox Machina's party members.

The audiobook of this was wonderful as it was read by the members of the cast.

If you are a Critical Role Campaign One fan, I highly recommend this book.

[Siân · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️s

[Carina Lyngroth · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Audiobook was a better experience than reading it, hearing the cast narrate the stores really adds something to the stories!

[Amber Mars · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a long time Critical Role fan, I still miss Vox Machina everyday and I am so grateful for this book for indulging my obsession. It is filled with 10 different stories across 10 authors, telling tales from characters we know from campaign 1 of Critical Role!

Of these include points of view from Gilmore, Raishan, and Trinket the Wonder Bear! (The Trinket chapter is particularly heartwarming, which made up for the Gilmore one pulling at my heartstrings) I enjoyed all the different voices and environments we get to hear and see across the stories. Some of my favorite characters were handled so wonderfully by these authors. More importantly, this book had me captivated in a couple points of view I did not expect to like. It truly feels like a love letter to fans of Vox Machina that captures the same emotion and humor we see during the campaign. This is a spoiler-free review, so I will not get into all the characters we see, but I will say that no chapter disappointed me. Lastly, the foreword by Liam O’Brien was as touching and lovely to read as the stories were.

Thank you so much to Random House Worlds for gifting me with an early copy of this book! It is perfect for critters and fantasy fans, particularly ones like me that still think of Vox Machina daily.

[Jasmine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Under golden goughs: ☆☆☆☆ lovely prose and great opening but the rest just reads as a retelling
The exploits of kaylie volume 1: ☆☆☆☆☆ I liked this one
Liar: ☆☆☆☆ this did the impossible and made me like raishan
The edge of gory: ☆☆☆☆☆ best one yet. Hilarious. The art style was peak
Take this down: ☆☆☆☆☆ I loved doty and tary being a gay disaster. Gives major Wallace and gromit vibes
Bend the knee: ☆☆☆☆ pretty good. Nothing much to say about it. I guess it would be 5 stars if you were invested in grogs backstory
The tides: ☆☆☆☆☆ its all about the yearning
The lives we make: ☆☆☆☆ I'm not that familiar with the vm campaign so didn't really know who kynan and jarrett were but good story
Shaun: ☆☆☆☆ I definitely liked it but some parts of the prose felt very overwritten which took me out of the story a bit sometimes
Going on a bear hunt: ☆☆☆☆☆ fun adventure, I love trinket

[Sherri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection of short stories from the perspectives of NPCs throughout the Vox Machina campaign ranged from solid to amazing. So let's go through them, shall we?

From Under Golden Boughs (4 stars)
This was a beautiful character study of the Sun Tree. As far as entry points into a book, I think it was a good choice. A brief introduction to Exandria, a short description of the Prime Deities going behind the Gate, and the Tree watching as the world becomes. This character is an observer, and things do not happen to it until the Briarwoods, which feels more heartbreaking knowing more about the Sun Tree, what it has seen and what it has intuited as its duty.

The Exploits of Kaylie (5 stars)
Absolutely loved this. Kaylie is such an interesting character to me because it's clear she takes so much after Scanlan, but has absolutely no desire to be like him. But you see that as she was growing up, she was hoarding every tidbit she could get about her father. Wanted to meet her father (even if only to tell him to fuck off) so much so that she literally followed in his footsteps. She is so singleminded in her search for Scanlan and her pursuit of her own music that, like her father, her relationships suffer. A story that feels lighthearted until you look a little deeper.

Liar (3 stars)
This one was fine. It follows Raishan as she tries to figure out how to free Thordak. I don't find Raishan particularly compelling, and I was left feeling ambivalent about her. You never really find out what her beef with the Wild Mother was prior to the curse, only that it was strong enough for her to kill a bunch of her disciples for daring to put up a temple to her in Raishan's forest. Definitely not one I'd go back and listen to.

The Edge of Glory (5 stars)
Oh my god, this one is quite possibly my absolute favorite. Told from the perspective of Grog's cursed sword, Craven Edge, you get to see all of the misfortune this poor cursed soul suffered at the hands of Grog. Latrines. Outhouses. I actually felt for Craven Edge somewhere through my laughter.

Take This Down, Being an Accurate Accounting of Doty and Taryon Darrington in the Basilisk's Den (4 stars)
I loved this. Told from Doty's perspective as Taryon is trying to put together his Darrington Brigade to make a name for himself. If any poor construct needs a robot spa day, it's Doty. I loved all of the protocols that Taryon built into Doty, though. Their like a protector and self-care robot all in one. Doty is the best and I love them. And I love that Doty figured out what was going on leagues ahead of Taryon but quietly just let it happen. Man, I love that robot.

Bend the Knee (2 stars)
Now, this was well-written. But given that it's the story of Kevdak, the amount of gore and blood was just too much for me.

The Tides (3 stars)
I wanted to love this one way more than I did. It was well written, but I hated the jumping back and forth between the present and the past. Perhaps this one works better in print where you can see the jumps? But going from Kima and Allura drowning to scenes of their past just felt jarring to listen to. I get that it's probably meant to represent the whole 'life flashes before your eyes as you're dying' thing, but for some reason, it just didn't work for me. Though Laura Bailey is a freaking god of voices, man.

The Lives We Make (2 stars)
I'mma be honest. I have no clue who Kynan Leore is and had to have my wife explain it to me because he didn't make the cut into the animated series. Another well written story, and maybe impactful for anyone who knows the character, but that's just not me.

Shaun (4 stars)
This one was lovely. Seeing Gilmore refer to himself as Shaun and Gilmore, naming the two parts of himself, is kind of sad. This takes place the morning after Vax tells Shaun that he's in love with someone else, and Gilmore is trying to maintain his unruffled composure. I love this take on him. He's still the gregarious, confident Gilmore, but it's nice to see the softer, more thoughtful parts of Shaun peek through.

Going on a Bear Hunt (4 stars)
This was so cute. Trinket deserves so many treats and scritches after having to watch not only Vex's and Percy's kids, but also Scanlan's and Pike's. I also love that Percy made a way for Trinket to communicate his wants/needs to staff, and that Scanlan totally fucked with it. This was a silly, fun end to this collection.

Overall, a very solid book of short stories.

[Katheryn Haskell · Rating 4 out of 5]

General Review - If you like Vox Machina, the campaign or the show, read this. Broken up into small stories, this is a very easy read, and since it's short stories it doesn't feel as committal as a novel, but is so steeped in lore it's a great addition to the overarching story. I really enjoyed reading all these, even the ones that I had to look some stuff up before hand, since I am a show water not a campaign listener.

Under Golden Boughs (Suntree) - I don't know why it didn't occur to me until reading that the Sun Tree could be congnisent like this, but I LOVE it. I kind of wish it was more in-depth? Regardless, I think it adds a lovely historical take of Exandria that is really unique. I loved getting to see the start of Whitestone, and I loved seeing the healing of the tree too. Very satisfying. 

Kaylie (Vol 1) - I adore this. I've always loved Kaylie, and I love having more backstory for her. I think it's really well thought out, and it's so true to her character, I had no issues reading this in her voice, or imagining how it would all look or feel. Very endearing.

Liar (Raishan) - It's interesting to see the lead up to such a pivotal moment in the Vox Machine campaign! Raishan is an interesting character. I wish it had touched a bit on how she was pre curse, but even getting to have the curse events explained was pretty cool. I wasn't as invested in this one, but it was cool to read. 

The Edge of Glory (Craven Edge) - OOH I WASNT READY FOR A COMIC!! This was actually so funny. The drawings (specifically faces) 10/10. The unseriousness of a very serious scene? 10/10. The power of friendship? 10/10. The yeet? 10/10. No notes. 

Take This Down (Doty and Taryon) - Sam isn't able to have a happy character, is here? This poor guy and his plight to prove himself. I actually didn't know this character, as most my Critical Role stuff has been with TV shows and Comics, not the campaign's, but I kind of adore him. He's got such golden retriever energy. This story was a fantastic introduction of Tary. Also Doty might be the best character period. Masterpiece of a machine. I'm obsessed. I'm not sure if it's because I had no preconceived knowledge of this duo, but this might be my favourite short story in this. 

Bend The Knee (Kevdak) - Woo, a lead up to the Grog storyline! I actually liked this a lot, although I think it is the weirdest one for feeling like it fits/continuity in my brain? Unsure. Either way, it's an interesting story, and it's a nice change of pace. I always thought I was vulgar and swore a lot but damn this story puts me to shame xD.

The Tide (Kima and Allura) - This was adorable. I'm not gonna lie, I have a bit of a hard time placing it timeline wise (as someone who's only watched Vox Machina, and I'm also sick and might have just not comprehend this as I should have). Either way, their backstory is so heartfelt, I adore them. And I liked having it go in and out of a really stressy moment and a more chill moment, which keeping the feelings consistent. Kind of whip lashy but if whip lash was good lol.

The Lives We Make (Kynan) - I am once again hit with a character I don't know, and once again I love it. I had to go look up who Kynan is, cause he doesn't show up in the show (which is too bad, I prefer the idea of Ripley not being just innately amazing at everything). But once I kind of knew the time period and what was going on, this was really enjoyable. I think the ending felt a bit rushed, and all the events weren't explained as much as I would have liked, but it was interesting none the less. 

Shaun (Gilmore) - Not gonna lie, I was hoping for pre anime Gilmore and Vax shenanigans. I wanted to know how their situationship happened. Maybe it's already out there and I just need to go find it. While it wasn't what I was hoping, it was the next best thing. I think this was very heart felt, and while it was fairly short, I think it got the point across. And it continues my love for Gilmore. 

Going on a Bear Hunt (Trinket) - How adorable is this. I love a good kids of the main cast plot, and this was so cute. A real start to an adventure. It would be kind of cool to see this type of story continued, just little one off for the kids and what they do as kids of heroes.

[Gary Knox · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection dives into untold tales from the world of Exandria, shining a spotlight on the stories of beloved NPCs and side characters from the Vox Machina campaign. From heartfelt origins to behind-the-scenes moments, it’s a deeper look at the lives that shaped the story from the shadows.
I absolutely loved this! As a big fan of Critical Role, getting insight into the world through the eyes of NPCs met by Vox Machina a Ross their adventures was a real treat. It adds so much depth and emotion to the wider story, and gave me a whole new appreciation for just how interconnected and lived-in Matt Mercer’s world is.
Each story is beautifully told, with a good mix of action, emotion, and humour. There’s a surprising amount of heart packed into these chapters, especially when you start to see how these characters’ paths cross with the main cast in unexpected ways.
This is a must-read for Critters—it adds so much richness to the Vox Machina story and really highlights the impact of the people they met along the way. Whether it’s background you didn’t realise you needed or a fresh emotional gut-punch, it delivers.
An absolute gem of a companion book.

[DaniLanglie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Once again I mostly got this because I'm always going to try these books within the Exandrian universe! These were mostly just kind of okay, they didn't really impact me much. Too many of them were a little too beholden on the canon of Vox Machina, like, the Gilmore story being about the day after Vax rejected Gilmore... that framing felt a little limiting. And the Kima and Allura story having to include Kima getting rescued by Vox Machina as we saw it in the story, felt like it was unneeded! This story could have been purely about their earlier adventures without that direct tie to canon, you know?

I think my favorite stories were probably Doty and Tary's, and Trinket's. For Tary, it felt like a really good look at the psychology of the man just before he meets Vox Machina, and it was a good look at the genuine affection and humanity contained within Doty.

And the Trinket story just felt the most off the wall, the most creative in not just adhering to the canon paths of the characters. It's post-campaign-one and pre-campaign-three, showing a totally new story taking place with the kids of Vox Machina going on an adventure with Trinket, and it was just a fun time all around.

[Jacob Johnston · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing in this anthology is consistently good enough that the ultimate flaw of the collection is only ever at the periphery.

It's a flaw that many of Critical Role's books share: There's very little point to this collection, other being a milestone for 10 years of Critical Role. If you've seen the first campaign you loosely know what's in this book and the expansion of these stories doesn't add enough for them to be important information. If you've not seen the first campaign, or if you've only seen the Vox Machina show, you'll be confused.

Despite this, the authors clearly put a lot of creativity and effort into their respective short stories because they are each engaging in their own way. That is not to say they are all equal in their quality, some are far better than the others.

The key highlights were the Suntree, Kaylee and Raishan stories. It is a coincidence that these are the first three in the collection. The themes and characterisation in each of those stories transcended this book.

[Armando · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful collection of short stories. I enjoyed diving into the world and seeing different supporting characters take center light in their own stories. Even a cursed sword gets its own chapter, which may have to be my favorite with all the production value tossed into it. But I will also say that I really want an entire book based on the adventurer's of the children of Vox Machina, because Going on a Bear Hunt really sold me on that.

I also loved how each cast member of Critical role got to read a story of their own (unfortunately no Robbie Damien), and each story fit them well. Very much enjoyed listening to the audiobook narration for this.

Overall this is a must-read if you're a Critter and just a great read if you're into DnD Fantasy, although this book is definitely written for audiences of Critical Role so if you're unfamiliar with Vox Machina this may be a tougher read.

[Shannon Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gorgeous book and a great collection of short stories from a variety of perspectives and by a very diverse set of authors. Each story tells a tale from a character in the larger universe of Critical Role. All of the tales are fun and well written and presented but many suffer a bit from relying on the reader’s knowledge of Critical Role and Exandria lore to understand the tales (for example knowing Exandria is the world of Critical Role and then recognizing the countries, moons and various side characters from the campaigns.

Overall a fun read and I’m glad to have read it (I’m a fairly serious Criter though I haven’t watched / listened to every episode of every season so some of these stories touched on characters I didn’t know as well as a fan who had watched all of the first campaign of Critical Role.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

All in all, I expected better. Most of the stories are good and fun, but I ended up finding a bit meh the ones I was looking forward to the most. I really disliked (quite vehemently, I must say) Under Golden Boughs, because it felt so off it really made me afraid the whole collection was going to be a failure.
It wasn't so, luckily. Both Shaun and The tides were disappointing to me because added very, very little to what we know about the characters, but the rest I found really good. Loved to bits The lives we make and The exploits of Kaylie (Volume I), and I was also pleasantly surprised by Bend the knee: I thought I wouldn't have cared for it, but it actually kept me glued to the pages.

[Ana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've come to realize that I'm, generally, not a huge fan of short story books written by different authors, because it can be very hit or miss, but this was actually a lot nicer than I expected! Obviously I was already a fan of Critical Role so that definitely helped. Honestly it was like reading official FanFiction lol

I can't say I loved every single one of the stories, but they were still all enjoyable and easy to go through. I was also very pleasantly surprised to find a short comic in the middle! I wasn't aware anything like that would be present, so that was fun!

There are also a few authors I would like to look into later because I enjoyed their writing styles a lot.

overall, this was a very fun read!

[Shu Wei Chin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This anthology of adorable stories made me so emotional! For someone who loves books and Vox Machina, this is truly an amazing 10th year anniversary gift for fans.

Note that the audiobook is narrated by the entire cast of Critical Role, which made the nostalgia hit even harder and you can be sure that the quality is top notch because of their stellar voice acting. That being said, I also recommend the physical copy because one of the stories is in the form of a short comic. I have both the paperback and the audiobook because I am keen to support Critical Role, and had a great immersive reading experience.

[Mariah · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars

Vox Machina: Stories Untold tells the stories of the various characters from Critical Role's first campaign, Vox Machina. Stories featuring Kaylie, Trinket, and more are included in this book.

This is my favorite book Critical Role has written to date. I LOVED the Trinket story Trinket out adventuring with Vex and Percy's children and protecting them. My heart along with Allura and Kima. There were stories that I didn't connect with, but I still enjoyed listening to this on audio. I'd love a Mighty Nein version of this.

More stories from the NPCs of Critical Role, please!

[Elise Stevenson · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’re a die-hard Crit fan, have dabbled in The Legend of Vox Machina series, or love fantasy but don’t have the time to invest in a tome, go ahead and do yourself a favour: buy this book! There are ten short stories, chronicling some of the minor but still key characters connected to the group Vox Machina. They fit so well into the world that the members of Critical Role created that they could be included in the animated series in later seasons. There is also a foreword by Liam O’Brien, who plays Vax’ildan, and I had the immense pleasure of meeting him at a convention recently, where he signed my copy. This book is one for the storytellers and world builders of all kinds.

[Jeff Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

As with most of the books related to the CR brand, I doubt this has much readability outside of people steeped in the lore. It's fan service, which is not bad. It's like reading the 10th book in a series. And although I have all the context for stories mostly told more than 7 years ago, it still fell a little flat.
It's probably a me problem. But I was reading the book in this case.
Most of the stories are fine. Some of them are even great. But mostly it was kind of low-stakes fan fiction that didn't resonate beyond the 20-35 pages of each entry.

[Rhys Causon · Rating 4 out of 5]

While this collection of 10 stories may not be perfect, two stories, Bend the Knee and The Lives We Make, feel like they drag on for far too long in my opinion, they clearly all work for the character they are written for.

My personal favourites being the Craven Edge story, Tary’s (or what is probably more likely Doty’s) story and Trinket which was a charming ending to the book.

You can also play a little game with the Audiobook by figuring out why each story is read by which narrator. Though not giving Laura the Trinket story I’ll not know.

But still an enjoyable book for Critters.

[Rei Smoak · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really, really strong collection of stories about Vox Machina and various lives that they touched. Strongest of the bunch for me was Martin Cahill's "Under Golden Boughs," which managed to make me cry despite being a story written from the perspective of a tree, and Sam Maggs' "The Tides," in no small part because it centered on two of my favorite CR characters ever. Can't recommend this one highly enough.

[Jeffrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun, fast read of a bunch of short stories set around stories of side character NPCs that allied with, or were enemies to Vox Machina from Critical Role's first campaign. Each story was excellently narrated by a Critical Role cast member. Much better than the first Critical Role book I read (The Nine Eyes of Lucien). A story or two from this collection I really liked (4 out of 5 stars), but the majority are good 3 out of 5 stars short stories.