Critical Role: Der Katzenprinz & Other Zemnian Tales

by Liam O’Brien, Charlie Borovsky (illustrator)

From the frigid regions of the Zemni Fields, born in the very heart of the Dwendalian Empire, come three fairy tales told to children on cold winter nights. Plucked straight from Exandria, this illustrated storybook is fit to grace any archmage’s library. Ornamented with a double-sided and beautifully illustrated jacket, gold trim, and a ribbon bookmark, this elegant fairy tale book includes Der Katzenprinz, Die Waldhexe, and the never-before-told Himmelsschloss, a magical story about a lost Sparrow and a soaring city. Each tale is penned by storyteller Liam O’Brien and illustrated with enchanting original art by Charlie (Newt) Borovský.

GORGEOUS ORIGINAL ART: Each story is brought to life by never-before-seen original art that captures the beauty of classic fairy tale books.

PERFECT FOR ALL AGES: These enchanting tales and rich illustrations captivate a wide audience of all ages, whether you’re a soldier’s son from Blumenthal or a joyous healer from Nicodranas.

STUNNING COLLECTIBLE: The gold trim and ribbon bookmark ornament this collectible book, and the dust jacket unfolds to unveil a one-of-a-kind landscape illustration ready for display.

Genres: Fantasy, Short Stories, Graphic Novels, Dungeons and Dragons, Fairy Tales

112 pages, Hardcover

First published April 8, 2025

Reviews

[Griffin Pierce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Has your DnD character ever been so down bad for someone that you write a real life children’s book about it? So cute ❤️

[Ilse · Rating 4 out of 5]

"You can always dance if the will is there,"

This was adorable. I really liked it. The stories were nice and short.
The first one was so cute. I really liked the message there.
The second on was a little too short, in my opinion, I would have liked to see more about that one.
But the third one was the longest and most fleshed out. And even with that I just would have liked to see more, but I understand why they are the length that they are.
The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous btw.

[Tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

the artwork in this was GORGEOUS

[Chelsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enchanting little book of folklore tales with beautiful words and beautiful illustrations!

[Sofie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prachtig (Engels) kinderboek, gebaseerd op een D&D campaign van Critical Role. Maar dat merk je niet, het zijn gewoon sprookjes.
Drie korte verhalen, waarvan 1 best eng voor kinderen, denk ik.
Prachtige tekeningen. Iedereen met kids mag dit komen lenen!

[Bridgette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely stunning art, and wonderful folk-like stories. Caleb is my favorite character of the Mighty Nein, and I loved when Liam shared the Der Katzenprinz story ❤️. Really cool to see it, and two other tales, come to life.

Little Sparrow reminds me of Kiri! And the floating city of Aeor, of course.

[Izzy Iz · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I was the boy who lost his heart in Die Waldhexe, I’d be mad as fuck!! Yeah, my friend lost an eye and the other lost part of their mind, but this evil witch swallowed my whole ass heart?! Why not part of it?!

anyway I think it’s awesome that Caleb Widogast writes self-insert fiction about him and his friends and their traumas

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm gonna be upfront with this review, have not seen the Mighty Nein campaign. The only things I know is from season 1 of the animated show. And I know these tales probably have some importance or mention in the campaign but it went over my head. Expect the second one. The Forest Witch is my favorite followed by the Castle in the Sky and the least favorite was The Cat Prince. 

The Forest Witch felt like a proper Grimms fairytale with how dark it was and a lot of undertones that can be broken apart and dissected. The artwork in that story is also breathtaking and again my favorite. I love when a fairytale follows familiar rules, like the rule of three. And it does help greatly that I have an inkling of who the three children are meant to be in this story with help from the animated show. It is very dark but I love it all the more for that.

The Castle in the Sky was a lot more whimsical and threw me for a loop with how the others had felt more like a normal fairytale. I loved the premise and this hidden world discovered by accident. But what this hidden world actually is kinda left me confused and this is where I think it has something to do with the campaign a bit. Loved the colors in the artwork during this section and would love to know more. 

The Cat Prince was my least favorite. Which I'm glad it was the first I read and got to enjoy the other two way more. It wasn't bad. I loved the artwork and the story was very simple but I felt like there was going to be a catch to the Cat Prince taking the sickly boy to his realm. But the story just kinda ended with the boy healthy and fine and going back home. Again probably missing context from the campaign. 

Overall loved the artwork and the stories. They all felt like fairytales and were whimsical in nature. It's a gorgeous book to own and something I can totally see this book being read to small children and has the high potential to be re-read.

[D'Layna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gorgeous book filled with beautiful artwork and lovingly written fairy tales. Liam’s talent for storytelling is undeniable.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shoutout to the illustrator because the artwork in the book is so incredibly beautiful

[Monica (Tomes Project) · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Do not look crestfallen. Take our cat's grace with you. You can always dance if the will is there.

We are being blessed with the Critical Role books in 2025. This is a beautiful little book of fairytales with absolutely gorgeous art. From end to end this book is gorgeous: the art, the stories, the physical book itself. It's something that I'm very happy to have read and own.

[Charlie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 STARS

Once again, this was very interesting to read from an academic perspective because I kept thinking about literature in Exandria and what people in this fantasy world would think of these stories. How were these three folk tales received? Have they been passed down for generations? Do they reference historic events? (In my opinion, they definitely do - some more than others.) Are there people akin to the Brothers Grimm in Exandria who have written down and collected these traditional tales?

If you had not gathered the same from the above paragraph, I very much enjoyed this book of three Zemnian folk tales. Der Katzenprinz is familiar if you have seen Campaign 2 of Critical Role and the other two stories were also very nice. All of them clearly in a fairytale tradition, I liked the familiar cadence and pattern of fairytales and the illustrations were simply stunning. I really loved how each story had a different vibe and how that was reflected in the illustrations and their colors as well.

A must read if you're a fan of Critical Role and if otherwise interested, I think this book is definitely worth picking up.

[Kennedy Francis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is beautiful! The outside cover is gorgeous, but the illustrations inside are truly the star of the show. I read this book to my younger siblings, and they really enjoyed it, although the second story about the witch did freak them out a bit. I know nothing about Critical Role, but I thought this was a lovely book. My favorite was Der Katzenprinz, and that was the favorite for my younger brothers as well.
The second story was a little dark and was probably my least favorite. It did not make a lot of sense to me, and my younger siblings agreed that it was the least favorite. Still good and worth a read.
This would make a stunning bedtime story book for children, even if you are not someone who knows much about Critical Role. The stories are sweet and interesting. Once again, the illustrations are stunning and totally steal the show. This is a wonderful addition to my bookshelves.
*I received this book from a Goodreads giveaway; however, this did not sway my opinion*

[Jordan Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful and mystical in the way fairy tales always made me feel. CR creating Grimm inspired stories in Exandria just feels perfect. If the tale about dancing cats wasn’t enough for an automatic five stars (it was) then the incredible artwork definitely earns the top marks. It’s fun to read fairy tales again. Would I love this as much if it wasn’t set in a universe I’ve been dreaming in for years? Probably not, but I don’t care.

[EinaSelesnia · Rating 5 out of 5]

The illustrations along the story, filling every page was amazing. The stories were lovely, one simple, one more dark and the last one had me close to sobbing. This will be a book I will open once in awhile just to revisit the stories again and again and enjoy the art and to find myself at peace and wonder. 

[Percy ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was such a quick and amazing read, the fact its actually fairy tales from a made up town from campaign 2 is wonderful. the art in it is amazing and makes it even more beautiful!! a must read indeed.

[Tamara Morrill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great companion to critical role's world
this is a set of 3 fairytales set in the world of critical role great for fans of CR and/or their children

i found to stories were retelling of fairy tales but with a critical role spin

[Srishaa Iyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautifully illustrated book, and what fun to analyse it and find the parallels with Critical Role

[Daniel Böttcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Süße, kleine Märchensammlung aus Exandria mit wunderschönen Zeichnungen. Toll für Critical Role-Fans 🥰

[Patty Zuiderwijk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short but sweet.

Absolutely love the illustrations.

[Sidonie Becker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so good! I love how connected the stories are to campaign events. especially himmelsschloss being able to be interpreted multiple ways. i don't wanna spoil how tho

[Rei · Rating 5 out of 5]

VERY LOVELY!! the artworks are gorgeous :]

[V · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is absolutely gorgeous.

It's a children's book. It's a nice children's book. The ending of Die Waldhexe doesn't make a whole lot of sense (at least not to me), so I couldn't give it five stars, but the artwork is really worth it.

I don't think you need to be a Critter to enjoy this or to give to a child. It really is a beautiful piece of work.

[Cilla Terrien · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an absolutely beautiful book , the artistry is phenomenal! it has 3 different stories in it. all of them are about different Legends or myths. they are very well written and are a very smooth read. the first is the cat prince. it is about a sick boy that cannot get out of bed and is given a gift for a day. he can get up and dance and sing and party with the cat prince and his people with a choice at the end of the day. the second is the forest witch which was about 3 young teens who were told to stay out of the woods around there village but of course them being teens decided to explore. during the time in the forest they are cornered by the witch and have to pay a heavy price if they want to be able to go home and if they want there town to keep being prosperous then they must continue to pay the offering every generation. the third and final one is the Castle in the sky about a poor little Sparrow who gets lost in a storm and thrown onto a magical island in the sky. during her time on this island she meets a ray of different creatures and people type beings. they show her many amazing things. while speaking to the king and queen a great evil attacks and the queen traps the evil being with a spell so it can not destroy the world below but in doing so also traps her kingdom but before they leave they send Sparrow with an important lesson to teach the rest of their world along with a gift.

[Adhara Black (Clara Carvalho) · Rating 5 out of 5]

"We wonder if we'll reach the sun,
but never if we should."

Of course Liam O'Brien would make me cry on the last day of the year.

Der Katzenprinz is the story we all know from C2 so there wasn't anything new there. Still, the illustrations were breathtaking. This is definitely one of the most beatiful books I own.

The second story, The Forest Witch, is a little darker. I might be reaching here but it's impossible not to notice the similarities between the three kids and the Blumenthal trio (which made everything even more heartbreaking).

But the last one... it got me. "The Castle in the Sky" started as a nice little story and I wish I had a recording of my slow realizations reading it. At first, I thought it was Aeor. But then we had the Parade of Beasts and a knight with a very familiar armor. Then the king and queen... When I realized who the Little Sparrow was, I was already sobbing. The Ring of Brass Endures! The fairytale version of the fall of Avalir is simply gut-wrenching and my tears are all over the place (at least the paper is glossy so it's not gonna stain).

[Jolene · Rating 5 out of 5]

My friend got this for me for my birthday because I am known to be 1. a big fan of Liam O'Brien, 2. a big fan of Caleb Widogast, and 3. fancy myself a Zemnian child.

I LOVE folkore and fairytales, especially Germanic inspired ones and I am so impressed with this small collection of Zemnian tales. I may be biased, but they absolutely felt like proper fairytales and the art, oh the art. I was reminded so much of a simpler time, when I was reading through my mother's old fairytale book that had art similar to this book and featured tales like Frau Holle. If I had kids of my own, I'd read them these 3 Zemnian tales with the hope that they would become a fond memory for them. I am sure my friend had no idea that giving me this book would trigger so much nostalgia for me, but that it did.

To my amazing friend, if you are reading this: Thank you for this beautiful gift <3 It is a book I will treasure forever.

[Judith Opdebeeck · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love the stories, well illustrated, amazing. Two critiques though.

1: Where are the owlbears? By that I don’t mean that I want to see specifically the creature owlbear, but as i understand it, these are fairy tales that developed, are told, and take place, in a world where magic and such are real and more commonplace than it is in our own. That could have been more reflected in the stories.

2: Where is the rest? It’s called Der Katzenprinz & other Zemnian tales. There is a total of three stories. Thats the absolute minimum to get that title and have it be technically true. I expected more. It should have been more. I need more. This is the only reason I’m giving three stars. If there had been two or three more stories, it probably would have been five.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

There was really no question whether I was going to love this or not. One of my favorite Campaign Two moments (and there are a bunch..) is when Liam surprised Laura with an original story for her character, Jester - Der Katzenprinz. There's just something about Liam's storytelling that feels like a warm hug (with shadows of darkness lurking that he's protecting you from). I could read a million stories from Liam and I so so hope he continues to share his literary talent with us.

Also - the illustrations are beyond gorgeous and I expect nothing less from the Critical Role Team.

[Sailor Hound · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Only” four stars, because a few parts of the last story made it seem like no one checked a printing proof for the layout before giving the go for the actual print run. There were some bigger blocks of texts that were too close to the binding - including the thank you’s in the end. Also I wonder if they had anyone check the minimal use of German. Sure, technically it’s Zemnian, but… “Lieblings” is not a word on its own, it’d be something like Lieblingsfarbe, Lieblingsessen... (favourite colour, favourite meal) Lieblinge is the word the were looking for.

But that’s nitpicky and the three stories were well done with lovely artwork. Waldhexe could even be a lovely adventure starter!

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely little book of folklore in the world of Exandria, with gorgeous illustration. I read it as a ebook on Libby, but it is so clearly designed to be an absolute beauty in print. Despite not seeing all of Campaign 2 yet, I enjoyed it, and I think even if you're not familiar with the Critical Role world, you could too.

Slight spoilers, but the last story seemingly having little details of Calamity from the perspective of a little kid who doesn't know what's happening 🥲 It's not the same, but those little details, and the resemblance of some of the illustrated characters to the Calamity characters, I see it and I love it.