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Dragon Age Universe
Dragon Age: The World of Thedas Volume 2
BioWare's newest game Dragon Inquisition will expand the universe of their epic series in profound ways. This comprehensive book of lore features exclusive art and information, exploring every corner of this dark fantasy masterpiece!
Newcomers will appreciate how this volume covers everything they need to know about the world and characters of these smash-hit games! Dedicated fans will revel in the abundance of never-before-revealed secrets, the perfect companion to Dragon The World of Thedas Volume 1 ! From heroes to villains, to songs and food, and everything in between, this book puts the breath and depth of this inimitable fantasy at your fingertips.
Newcomers will appreciate how this volume covers everything they need to know about the world and characters of these smash-hit games! Dedicated fans will revel in the abundance of never-before-revealed secrets, the perfect companion to Dragon The World of Thedas Volume 1 ! From heroes to villains, to songs and food, and everything in between, this book puts the breath and depth of this inimitable fantasy at your fingertips.
312 pages, Hardcover
First published April 21, 2015
101 people are currently reading
1244 people want to read
About the author
Ben Gelinas
4 books20 followersI am an editor and writer currently based in Edmonton, a sprawling provincial capital in the frigid wastes of the Canadian prairies.
For a handful of years, I worked as a crime reporter here. During my time at the Edmonton Journal, I covered hostage takings, stage collapses, infanticides, house explosions, and more homicides than most people have birthdays. In between, I dabbled in arts writing, reviewing concerts and interviewing some of the world’s most famous celebrities, including Peter Wunstorf, Bobcat Goldtwait and my mom.
Currently, I somehow get paid money to be a story editor on the Dragon Age team at BioWare, a triple-A video game studio founded by medical doctors.
For a handful of years, I worked as a crime reporter here. During my time at the Edmonton Journal, I covered hostage takings, stage collapses, infanticides, house explosions, and more homicides than most people have birthdays. In between, I dabbled in arts writing, reviewing concerts and interviewing some of the world’s most famous celebrities, including Peter Wunstorf, Bobcat Goldtwait and my mom.
Currently, I somehow get paid money to be a story editor on the Dragon Age team at BioWare, a triple-A video game studio founded by medical doctors.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
May 13, 2016
Despite my love for in-game lore and the lore of Dragon Age, this book falls into the "so okay it's average" camp. That's not for a lack of trying on the author; the production value on this book is tremendous. The art itself is gorgeous. I spent a long time looking at the two-page spread on the inside cover that has (as far as I can tell) every named NPC from all three games in a group portrait. The rest of the book is lovely as well, with different colors and styles to create the feel of a document that might actually exist within the game world.
The problems arise from the fact that this is an attempt at creating a comprehensive tome about a world that revolves around player choice, which creates vastly different world states. The level of effort that goes into writing around things like the gender and identities of the three protagonist characters (The Warden, Hawk, and the Inquisitor) go to almost comical lengths. "Details of Hawke's identity, gender and abilities differ depending on who's telling the story."
Except that in the game, Hawke (the player character) defeats a powerful enemy in single combat and saves all the nobles of the city, which is what prompts them to name Hawke "the Champion of Kirkwall." In-game, everyone is aware that Hawke is a man or a woman, a mage, a warrior, or a rogue, because the other versions of that character just don't exist. It's only in the effort to create a narrative that unifies all of these possible choices that makes this silly non-entity description of Hawke possible.
And that's a huge problem when three of the most important characters in the world have this "non-entity" status. But even for defined characters like party members, the accounts have this curiously abrupt quality where the text just stops abruptly as soon as it gets to describing what might have happened to them in the game. Because, again, the world state can be different. Characters can live and die depending on your choices, which is what makes the Dragon Age games so much fun; your version of Thedas can be unique to you. But it makes a universal account impossible.
I still commend the author for spending a tremendous attention to detail. The bits that don't deal with the characters and content of the games are excellent. Background stories from places we haven't been or events that took place before the game . . . these are interesting. The creation of legends, too, is handled well. But so much of the book is focused on the events and characters of the games that it's hard to wholeheartedly recommend the book for these other interesting bits.
The problems arise from the fact that this is an attempt at creating a comprehensive tome about a world that revolves around player choice, which creates vastly different world states. The level of effort that goes into writing around things like the gender and identities of the three protagonist characters (The Warden, Hawk, and the Inquisitor) go to almost comical lengths. "Details of Hawke's identity, gender and abilities differ depending on who's telling the story."
Except that in the game, Hawke (the player character) defeats a powerful enemy in single combat and saves all the nobles of the city, which is what prompts them to name Hawke "the Champion of Kirkwall." In-game, everyone is aware that Hawke is a man or a woman, a mage, a warrior, or a rogue, because the other versions of that character just don't exist. It's only in the effort to create a narrative that unifies all of these possible choices that makes this silly non-entity description of Hawke possible.
And that's a huge problem when three of the most important characters in the world have this "non-entity" status. But even for defined characters like party members, the accounts have this curiously abrupt quality where the text just stops abruptly as soon as it gets to describing what might have happened to them in the game. Because, again, the world state can be different. Characters can live and die depending on your choices, which is what makes the Dragon Age games so much fun; your version of Thedas can be unique to you. But it makes a universal account impossible.
I still commend the author for spending a tremendous attention to detail. The bits that don't deal with the characters and content of the games are excellent. Background stories from places we haven't been or events that took place before the game . . . these are interesting. The creation of legends, too, is handled well. But so much of the book is focused on the events and characters of the games that it's hard to wholeheartedly recommend the book for these other interesting bits.
August 24, 2015
At first glance it seems there's a lot to like here. Layout's the same as last year's book; artwork features those frescoes we've come to know and love. Scenic paintings are lush and vivid; some we've seen already, but still nice to look at and adds atmosphere to the text. You even get a two-page mural of all the personages that helped shaped the Dragon Age, with a listing to help identify who's who, because honestly- some of these folks are unrecognizable. Could've done a much better job on that. The one major complaint I have about the art is for the individual character renderings- they have a cartoonish, almost anime quality to them that was putting me off.
As to the book itself...
1- Legends of Thedas: Chantry leaders such the Divines, Dwarven Paragons, Orlesian nobles, Tevinter mages, Andraste, Maferath, Shartan- it's a historical overview of how modern Thedas came to be. A few things about legendary Wardens- Garahel, Isseya, Corin and Neriah, Sophia Dryden and the Hero- but other than a quick note about the Second Blight there's little on any of the others or the ones who defeated them. There's also a passage on Bregan and Genevieve and the events at Kinloch Hold during the Calling novel which, of course, lead to the Fifth Blight and Awakenings.
2- New Cumberland Chant of Light: all the texts, scrolls and missives regarding the Maker and it's both good to have it all together in one place and very informative.
3- The Hero of Ferelden: This is where it really starts to go south. It mostly focuses upon all the Companions, including Duncan, and is predictably generic and vague regarding the character. Odd, given that the 'official' narrative is that of a female Dalish Elf who made the Ultimate Sacrifice and put Alastair on the throne. There's a subtle acknowledgement of this as Tamlen has a paragraph with details that'd only be known by the Warden.
There's a good deal of fleshing out for many of the party's backstories- Sten's bio was pretty interesting- but it also shows how much waffling and fudging Bioware is still doing. There's a kind of abbreviated passage referring to when he lost his sword, but then it states it's unknown if he died in the fight. Then the next paragraph speaks to the rumors of his becoming the new Arishok! Did they forget something... again?
The story of Cailan and Anora going off together to slay a giant is... odd. The tale of Bryce and Eleanor Cousland balloons into almost comedic proportions. Loghain and Cauthrien's fates are studiously avoided, as is Isolde and Connor's- yet it's definitively stated that Eamon stepped down from Redcliffe after what transpired there.
Another thing is the note regarding Ariane and Finn; canonically they wouldn't have met the Hero, but the Orlesian Commander who replaced her. All this nickle and dimeing over what parts of the story to tell are annoying and ridiculous. What's so hard about simply putting their stamp on an official narrative? Most everyone already knows what the canonical version is, and it'd help out those that don't.
4- Andraste's Bookshelf: The life and legacy of Andraste- via approved sources- along with insights into the various 'interpretations' of Andraste's message and omitting/editing the role of Shartan in the uprising and brief notes on religion and spirtuality in other places, such as the Seers of Rivain, Nevarra and the Tal-Vashoth. There's also notes on lands and areas of Thedas beyond what's well known, including astronomy- thanks to the introduction of the astrariums.
5- The Champion of Kirkwall: More of the same as the Hero's section. Lots of background info on the supporting cast and the city, which is good to know, but gets ridiculous with it's lack of consistency regarding Hawke and the outcome of the Mage/Templar conflict in Kirkwall. A side note on the first page shows this, as it reads: "...details of Hawke's identity, gender and abilities differ depending on who's telling the story."
Really? Even ignoring the utter stupidity of that statement did they forget the Inquisition trailer showing Hawke to be a female mage? Or how the default storyline for DA2 is the Human Noble Male marrying Anora and taking the throne? How's any of that fit with Alastair being king? If you're gonna pull a stunt like this, then why couldn't we get to play Hawke as an elf or a dwarf?
Other than what's absolutely known to happen- Meredith, Red Lyrium, etc- everything's vague and sketchy again. Merrill, Fenris, even Anders, have no resolution to their stories, no true narrative to build from. This stuff really starts to make your head hurt after a while.
6- The Seer's Yarn: Children's tales from all over Thedas, including Seheron. What's not to like?
7- The Inquisitor: Remember what I said about the Hero and Champion sections? I found Iron Bull and Sera interesting, but overall your headache's gonna get worse.
8- The Whole Nug: culinary delights from all over. I actually wondered if I could try a few of these out... with appropriate substitues, of course.
9- Bestiary: what it says.
10- Erratum: remember all the dumb mistakes from the first book? The corrections are here. Thanks.
Second time around, it's still more of the same. Lots of filler on the stuff you already know and very little on what you don't and would like to, and a complete avoidance of anything resembling a canon arc for the main characters. Guess we'll have to wait for the fourth volume to finally learn something about Arlathan and where the Qunari originated from. You'll like it because it exists, not so much for what it contains.
As to the book itself...
1- Legends of Thedas: Chantry leaders such the Divines, Dwarven Paragons, Orlesian nobles, Tevinter mages, Andraste, Maferath, Shartan- it's a historical overview of how modern Thedas came to be. A few things about legendary Wardens- Garahel, Isseya, Corin and Neriah, Sophia Dryden and the Hero- but other than a quick note about the Second Blight there's little on any of the others or the ones who defeated them. There's also a passage on Bregan and Genevieve and the events at Kinloch Hold during the Calling novel which, of course, lead to the Fifth Blight and Awakenings.
2- New Cumberland Chant of Light: all the texts, scrolls and missives regarding the Maker and it's both good to have it all together in one place and very informative.
3- The Hero of Ferelden: This is where it really starts to go south. It mostly focuses upon all the Companions, including Duncan, and is predictably generic and vague regarding the character. Odd, given that the 'official' narrative is that of a female Dalish Elf who made the Ultimate Sacrifice and put Alastair on the throne. There's a subtle acknowledgement of this as Tamlen has a paragraph with details that'd only be known by the Warden.
There's a good deal of fleshing out for many of the party's backstories- Sten's bio was pretty interesting- but it also shows how much waffling and fudging Bioware is still doing. There's a kind of abbreviated passage referring to when he lost his sword, but then it states it's unknown if he died in the fight. Then the next paragraph speaks to the rumors of his becoming the new Arishok! Did they forget something... again?
The story of Cailan and Anora going off together to slay a giant is... odd. The tale of Bryce and Eleanor Cousland balloons into almost comedic proportions. Loghain and Cauthrien's fates are studiously avoided, as is Isolde and Connor's- yet it's definitively stated that Eamon stepped down from Redcliffe after what transpired there.
Another thing is the note regarding Ariane and Finn; canonically they wouldn't have met the Hero, but the Orlesian Commander who replaced her. All this nickle and dimeing over what parts of the story to tell are annoying and ridiculous. What's so hard about simply putting their stamp on an official narrative? Most everyone already knows what the canonical version is, and it'd help out those that don't.
4- Andraste's Bookshelf: The life and legacy of Andraste- via approved sources- along with insights into the various 'interpretations' of Andraste's message and omitting/editing the role of Shartan in the uprising and brief notes on religion and spirtuality in other places, such as the Seers of Rivain, Nevarra and the Tal-Vashoth. There's also notes on lands and areas of Thedas beyond what's well known, including astronomy- thanks to the introduction of the astrariums.
5- The Champion of Kirkwall: More of the same as the Hero's section. Lots of background info on the supporting cast and the city, which is good to know, but gets ridiculous with it's lack of consistency regarding Hawke and the outcome of the Mage/Templar conflict in Kirkwall. A side note on the first page shows this, as it reads: "...details of Hawke's identity, gender and abilities differ depending on who's telling the story."
Really? Even ignoring the utter stupidity of that statement did they forget the Inquisition trailer showing Hawke to be a female mage? Or how the default storyline for DA2 is the Human Noble Male marrying Anora and taking the throne? How's any of that fit with Alastair being king? If you're gonna pull a stunt like this, then why couldn't we get to play Hawke as an elf or a dwarf?
Other than what's absolutely known to happen- Meredith, Red Lyrium, etc- everything's vague and sketchy again. Merrill, Fenris, even Anders, have no resolution to their stories, no true narrative to build from. This stuff really starts to make your head hurt after a while.
6- The Seer's Yarn: Children's tales from all over Thedas, including Seheron. What's not to like?
7- The Inquisitor: Remember what I said about the Hero and Champion sections? I found Iron Bull and Sera interesting, but overall your headache's gonna get worse.
8- The Whole Nug: culinary delights from all over. I actually wondered if I could try a few of these out... with appropriate substitues, of course.
9- Bestiary: what it says.
10- Erratum: remember all the dumb mistakes from the first book? The corrections are here. Thanks.
Second time around, it's still more of the same. Lots of filler on the stuff you already know and very little on what you don't and would like to, and a complete avoidance of anything resembling a canon arc for the main characters. Guess we'll have to wait for the fourth volume to finally learn something about Arlathan and where the Qunari originated from. You'll like it because it exists, not so much for what it contains.
Read
July 10, 2020I had a lot of fun with this, especially the illustrations. I like how it had quotes and letters like a "real" history book and I especially enjoyed the recipes section. This is a must have for fic writers who are in way too deep, such as yours truly. One thing I didn't see that I was hoping for is info about the Dalish/Elven patheon, even though the Andraste section is pretty extensive and we even learn about the Dwarven Paragons. With everything that happens in DAI involving the Dread Wolf and Mythal, more background on their beliefs would have been cool. (Maybe it's in Volume 1?)
June 5, 2015
Just as in the first, the writers of Dragon Age deliver another amazing volume of the history behind the video game (along with beautiful art). It's hard to believe that DA wasn't originally planned as a book series due to the sheer amount of detail and effort put into the backgrounds and the world itself. It never seems dreary to read, like other similar "world of" books tend to get, instead keeping you involved and interested in the content. Even includes some DA-themed recipes that you can try out at home as well as children's tales. I'm looking forward to another volume!
July 1, 2018
La decision del Bioware de crear su propia ambientación en vez de usar una existente como Reinos Olvidades fue todo un acierto. Si algo tienen los videojuegos de Dragon Age aparte de la historia y como las acciones tienen sus repercusiones es su rica ambientación tanto en lugares, gentes, costumbres, trajes, historia, etc.
Este libro como el primer tomo merecen mas la pena que los suplementos de Green Ronin sobre Dragon Age, de veras.
Este libro como el primer tomo merecen mas la pena que los suplementos de Green Ronin sobre Dragon Age, de veras.
June 19, 2021
Really appreciate the extra anecdotes on the characters like Cailan and Anora vs the Giant thing is really cute for example. Hmm but that's it. To be honest, I think I prefer Faces of Thedas's way of introducing the characters but that's just me. I am not a role-player and gaymer, I am just someone who really like and prefer Dragon Age Origins above all the games in the franchise. I really don't care about DA2 and Inquisition (I have played and completed both multiple times but I just don't care for it unlike Origins), I actually skipped the Champion of Kirkwall and the Inquisitor's sections. Ha ha.
June 13, 2018
This book is so lovely. Seriously, it's so well designed and while it does go back over a lot that you learn in the games, it also gives you minute details you might have missed or that weren't ever mentioned. My only complaint is that it kind of glosses over character choices that might have been made which, while understandable, takes some of the wind out of the sails of the impact you clearly had on the companions and villains. Still, the book is lovely and huge and even has recipes in the back that I'm half tempted to give a try should the occasion arise. This is definitely a neat book.
March 29, 2025
This took me a WHILE to read but it's because I was reading it as I was playing the games. I think I liked the artwork in Dragon Age: The World of Thedas Volume 1 more than the artwork in this one, but I really enjoyed learning more about close companion characters.
December 12, 2021
Absolutely fantastic work. I really wish more video games would come up with lore books like this one. The art is superb and the information captures the world of dragon age very well.
March 31, 2024
LOVE the inclusion of recipes - I learned that I would rather die than eat anything served in Starkhaven.
June 29, 2025
It made me smile, but didn’t blow me away. A nice refresher after spending over half a year getting through this game!
April 25, 2021
The 2nd volume of The World of Thedas compendium series offers an even more in depth look at the game's setting when compared to the first entry. Whereas the first entry in the collection covered the timeline of the continent and broke down all the concepts that formed it's core foundations; the 2nd volume put's the focus more so on the people and stories that inhabit the regions and how they tie into the main game entries in the franchise.
Broken down into several parts; Volume 2 covers Legends of Thedas, The Chant of Light, The Hero of Ferelden, Andraste's Bookshelf, The Champion of Kirkwall, The Seer's Yarn - Children's tales, The Inquisitor, The Whole Nug - Recipes and Bestiary.
As previously noted, the book put's much more focus on the people of the world and their stories. Each section of the book offers such insightful breakdowns of legends new and old from all across Thedas, all complimented by beautiful illustrations that help you visualise these people and their stories all the better. I adore how much respect is given in this book to flesh out any and all characters of note from the series; they all get a proper character breakdowns with clearly defined histories to flesh them out even further.
Along with the character focuses, there's also segments of the book that delve into concepts and writings from the world of notable importance. There's a whole section in this book that breaks down the chapters and verses in the Chant of Light, a key tome of religious history from the games that is referenced constantly; it's so impressive to see if laid out here with some insightful notes and images accompanying it. Not only that, but there's some lengthy chapters about fairy tales and children stories told in the world that link in with the established lore, and they feel so authentic! Hell there's even a full scale set of in-world recipes in this book that actually tell you how to cook some of the odd and bizarre foods these Thedasians cook and eat!
This book is an important and insightful read for any Dragon Age fan. It takes a world we already love and enjoy and fleshes it out to whole new lengths. The world of Thedas has to be one of the most well-defined fantasy worlds you can find in video games, the amount of effort that has been put into making this world feel truly alive is astounding and this book further cements that fact.
Broken down into several parts; Volume 2 covers Legends of Thedas, The Chant of Light, The Hero of Ferelden, Andraste's Bookshelf, The Champion of Kirkwall, The Seer's Yarn - Children's tales, The Inquisitor, The Whole Nug - Recipes and Bestiary.
As previously noted, the book put's much more focus on the people of the world and their stories. Each section of the book offers such insightful breakdowns of legends new and old from all across Thedas, all complimented by beautiful illustrations that help you visualise these people and their stories all the better. I adore how much respect is given in this book to flesh out any and all characters of note from the series; they all get a proper character breakdowns with clearly defined histories to flesh them out even further.
Along with the character focuses, there's also segments of the book that delve into concepts and writings from the world of notable importance. There's a whole section in this book that breaks down the chapters and verses in the Chant of Light, a key tome of religious history from the games that is referenced constantly; it's so impressive to see if laid out here with some insightful notes and images accompanying it. Not only that, but there's some lengthy chapters about fairy tales and children stories told in the world that link in with the established lore, and they feel so authentic! Hell there's even a full scale set of in-world recipes in this book that actually tell you how to cook some of the odd and bizarre foods these Thedasians cook and eat!
This book is an important and insightful read for any Dragon Age fan. It takes a world we already love and enjoy and fleshes it out to whole new lengths. The world of Thedas has to be one of the most well-defined fantasy worlds you can find in video games, the amount of effort that has been put into making this world feel truly alive is astounding and this book further cements that fact.
Read
January 25, 2016so i didn't actually read ALL of this (i will at some point - but mostly i read the historical stuff) and wow WHAT A WORLD. i have so many questions, but mostly i am just. this is such amazing world building and i have said this four times this week but will these guys put on a worldbuilding workshop because god DAMN.
July 9, 2020
The first volume felt like they simply organized the codex and, don't get me wrong, it was nice. I like when knowledge is neat and easy to access. But it still felt like a cheap way to capitalize on the games' success. It came short, especially when compared to other extended universe books. The World of Thedas, vol.2 is the exact opposite of its big brother.
Bringing more lore to the table, this volume also takes its art a lot more seriously, and it's nice to see the artists finally getting the respect they deserve. Thedas has more substance thanks to the space given to the concept art of landscapes, fashion styles, architecture, etc. Great additions are the painting styles from different cultures, and mentions of in-universe artists. Where the first volume made it look like the art and texts were scrambled together at the last minute, this one has obviously been crafted thoughtfully, with a clear final look in mind. It's still nowhere near A World of Ice and Fire's level of mixing art and lore, but it's way cooler than I thought it'd be.
Contrary to a lot of people, I feel like the excerpts from The Chant of Light were a smart addition. It gives material to the theory lovers among us, adds considerable chunks of lore that make the world feels tangible, and makes for very smooth transitions between the "sorted by game" sections. I've seen a lot of negative comments about these pages, but it's a detail that says a lot about the actual planning that went into this book (again, as opposed to vol. 1). They took this seriously, and it shows.
As someone who loves character-driven stories, it was amazing to get so many details about our beloved companions. I'm also impressed and appreciative of how they've dealt with the OCs. I like that Bioware has its own canon for the comics and books, but in a compendium it makes more sense to remain vague. Plus, it works in-universe too, since the technology doesn't allow for proper informations to be relayed all over Thedas. I'm sure that between the Shaperate and the return of the Eluvian network, scholars and future archeologists will be able to write the truth down at some point. But as of 9:45-9:46 (Tevinter Nights timeline), details about the game events being blurry for most people sounds about right.
All in all, I think that the extended-universe publications done while David Gaider was still working with Bioware felt like the DM of a tabletop RPG had tried to turn their notes and sessions into stories adapted to the litterature medium. Everything that has been published under Darrah, and especially Patrick Weekes' books/lore excerpts, have felt like a proper extended universe. The quality of the publications has skyrocketed, and I can only hope we get a volume 3 someday.
Bringing more lore to the table, this volume also takes its art a lot more seriously, and it's nice to see the artists finally getting the respect they deserve. Thedas has more substance thanks to the space given to the concept art of landscapes, fashion styles, architecture, etc. Great additions are the painting styles from different cultures, and mentions of in-universe artists. Where the first volume made it look like the art and texts were scrambled together at the last minute, this one has obviously been crafted thoughtfully, with a clear final look in mind. It's still nowhere near A World of Ice and Fire's level of mixing art and lore, but it's way cooler than I thought it'd be.
Contrary to a lot of people, I feel like the excerpts from The Chant of Light were a smart addition. It gives material to the theory lovers among us, adds considerable chunks of lore that make the world feels tangible, and makes for very smooth transitions between the "sorted by game" sections. I've seen a lot of negative comments about these pages, but it's a detail that says a lot about the actual planning that went into this book (again, as opposed to vol. 1). They took this seriously, and it shows.
As someone who loves character-driven stories, it was amazing to get so many details about our beloved companions. I'm also impressed and appreciative of how they've dealt with the OCs. I like that Bioware has its own canon for the comics and books, but in a compendium it makes more sense to remain vague. Plus, it works in-universe too, since the technology doesn't allow for proper informations to be relayed all over Thedas. I'm sure that between the Shaperate and the return of the Eluvian network, scholars and future archeologists will be able to write the truth down at some point. But as of 9:45-9:46 (Tevinter Nights timeline), details about the game events being blurry for most people sounds about right.
All in all, I think that the extended-universe publications done while David Gaider was still working with Bioware felt like the DM of a tabletop RPG had tried to turn their notes and sessions into stories adapted to the litterature medium. Everything that has been published under Darrah, and especially Patrick Weekes' books/lore excerpts, have felt like a proper extended universe. The quality of the publications has skyrocketed, and I can only hope we get a volume 3 someday.
May 4, 2024
I found this one a LOT less enjoyable than the first world of Thedas book, for a lot of reasons.
1) massive chunks of the book cover the events of the game and the characters within - I found the rehashing’s of such to be a huge slog. most of the information was stuff you could find out by playing the GAME, with very few parts being new information - the two parts that stuck out to me were the backstory of the Hawke parents (LOVED and felt very real), and the fact that Merrill was determined to be a perfectly normal elf, no blood mage here! Otherwise it was very boring, except…
2) World of Thedas is written from an in-universe perspective, which normally works really well, but had me tearing out my hair here. There was SO much information that the writers quite simply SHOULD NOT KNOW! Are you telling me that Leliana consented to an interview about her abusive ex? Are you telling me that Fenris broadcast every detail of his past to the world? The amount of times I was like “THERE’S NO WAY YOU SHOULD KNOW THIS!!” made me so deeply frustrated.
3) It just wasn’t as fascinating or entertaining. I feel like it was a slog and I learned very little. When reading volume 1, I was CONSTANTLY sending pages to a friend, delighted over so many tidbits and pieces. I only did that a couple times with this book. Plus, it was published after Inquisition and thus incorporated its retcons and stuff, and I hate Inquisition. That didn’t help.
I might purchase volume 1 to have in the future, because it was lovely and fun, but I see no need to ever touch volume 2 again. It wasn’t worth the time I spent reading it.
1) massive chunks of the book cover the events of the game and the characters within - I found the rehashing’s of such to be a huge slog. most of the information was stuff you could find out by playing the GAME, with very few parts being new information - the two parts that stuck out to me were the backstory of the Hawke parents (LOVED and felt very real), and the fact that Merrill was determined to be a perfectly normal elf, no blood mage here! Otherwise it was very boring, except…
2) World of Thedas is written from an in-universe perspective, which normally works really well, but had me tearing out my hair here. There was SO much information that the writers quite simply SHOULD NOT KNOW! Are you telling me that Leliana consented to an interview about her abusive ex? Are you telling me that Fenris broadcast every detail of his past to the world? The amount of times I was like “THERE’S NO WAY YOU SHOULD KNOW THIS!!” made me so deeply frustrated.
3) It just wasn’t as fascinating or entertaining. I feel like it was a slog and I learned very little. When reading volume 1, I was CONSTANTLY sending pages to a friend, delighted over so many tidbits and pieces. I only did that a couple times with this book. Plus, it was published after Inquisition and thus incorporated its retcons and stuff, and I hate Inquisition. That didn’t help.
I might purchase volume 1 to have in the future, because it was lovely and fun, but I see no need to ever touch volume 2 again. It wasn’t worth the time I spent reading it.
October 13, 2016
This book is just as informative as volume one and a lot more fun. Written as though it were a scholarly text within the game world, it covers characters and events from all three games and their associated expansions as well as all novels and graphic novels (with the possible exception of the Orson Scott Card story, which I haven't read and thus can't definitively rule out its mention, but I seemed to recognise everything) elaborating on some material that was vague in the games/stories (in a way that an academic familiar with the world would) but leaving out specific details (known to the reader/player) that shouldn't be common knowledge and being intentionally vague to make room for all possible player choices without contradiction. Those sections of text are divided up with excerpts of other fictional publications ranging from the chant of light, a review of Theodosian authors, fairy tales and a cookbook, all written in character and enlightening in their own ways on the ever expanding world. It begins with a historical and geographic section to help new readers understand the world and finishes up with a tertiary (the focus if which is creations from the Inquisition game). Since the world and its history are still in the process of being created, especially with so many different sources adding to the collective material, it would seem that they've changed a couple of things from the first volume. I really liked that they had a fictional scholar from Thedas do the corrections as a critique of a colleague's work. It kept the fe8my of being 'in character' that permeated the entire text. I personally enjoyed the book, but it is probably only appealing to fan's of Dragon Age that are looking for a more comprehensive understanding of the setting and its characters.
July 16, 2018
This book was compiled at the same time its authors and artists were working on "DA: Inquisition". And that probably explains its mediocre quality - I guess, it was compiled in a hurry. It adds little new information to the lore you find out in the games or the novels/comic books. Also, there is barely any proper illustration in the book. The compilers just heavily recycled the concept sketches and tarot cards from the game and even went as far as including poorly masked photobashes. It's a shame though, because I've seen portfolios of some of the DA artists and I know that they can do better. For all the reasons mentioned above, I don't see how the content justifies the relatively high price of the book. I could only recommend it for collectors or those DA fans who just want to know the "short story". But why not just use wikia then? It's more comprehensive and even has better images.
September 16, 2019
I love the DA games and this book adds so much lore and explanation to the world of Thedas. Games with highly detailed descriptions and accounts of the legends/lores/cultures/religions/societies/etc are my favorite and they get me hooked. I read Vol. 2 before Vol. 1 because I couldn’t find Vol. 1 for a decent price until recently, but I won’t be receiving it until October. I can’t wait to read Vol. 1 and see what other lore is included.
September 22, 2024
This book is massive extends the lore up to Dragon Age: Inquisition (but not Trespasser). I think the art in this book is much better than the first volume, but I feel that too much of the content is just filler. Cooking recipes and stuff. There are some fun nuggets of information about you have to look for them.
February 9, 2017
I would have absolutely loved this book if it had every chapter of Hard in Hightown. I want to see how good an author Varris Tethras really is! Because this book wanted to avoid giving away major character choices, it wound up undercutting the character sections a great deal.
January 27, 2018
This was an excellent continuation of the worldbuilding that took place in the first volume. The highlight was the Chant of Light that was contained in the middle! All of the artwork was gorgeous. Bioware, make more Dragon Age so I can buy another volume!
July 11, 2020
I don't usually read reference books to fantasy worlds, but I'm obsessed with Dragon Age. I had to squeeze every last drop of lore from this book. I was mostly interested in the sections about the Chant of Light and the companions from previous games. The artwork is also very nice.
May 2, 2023
It only took me two years... In all seriousness, this book is dense and has a lot more info packed in its pages than a cursory leafing might suggest. A wonderful read as I prepare to dive into all things Dragon Age for the next... Foreseeable future.
September 8, 2017
I absolutely loved this book. A wonderful, informative companion to an incredible video game series.
February 20, 2018
A fun read for fans of the series. Gives background, stories, and facts about characters, history, and culture...basically it's exactly what it says it is.
August 8, 2018
All in all a book filled with many interesting things to read. Some more important than others but oh well. Not a huge fan of the constantly-shitting-on-dalish-beliefs train tho
June 2, 2019
This book is awesome and staggeringly comprehensive. From Origen to Inqusiton nothing is left out
June 27, 2019
Excellent companion to the Dragon Age series of games.
November 1, 2019
World of Thedas V2 is a great sequel to the first volume with more information on characters and the world in which the game comes alive.
March 28, 2020
This volume has a lot more to it than the first including recipes and children's stories. I like this one for the background on the various companions in each of the games.
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