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Critical Role: The Mighty Nein--Stories Untold
See Critical Role’s Mighty Nein through the eyes of nine of their friends and foes in this new anthology, with a foreword by Taliesin Jaffe.
In these nine stories, the legend of the mighty adventuring party grows with tales from some of the most memorable characters who fought with—and against—the Mighty Nein!
Within its
Essek Thelyss grapples with the choices of his past and the potential of his future, as told by Dani Carr.
Isharnai deals with the emotional aftermath of a fate-altering cupcake, as told by Kiri Callaghan.
Pumat Sol returns to his shop after the fight with Obann and the Mighty Nein, only to find that his adventure is not quite done, as told by Mike Chen.
Plus six more hilarious, heartbreaking, and heroic tales featuring Sprinkle, Avantika, Dairon, and more!
With their hope, unbreakable bonds, and larger-than-life commitment to heroism in a dark world, Critical Role’s Mighty Nein touched hearts everywhere they went—both those of their fans and their fellow denizens of Exandria. This collection spotlights nine characters whose lives were changed by the Mighty Nein but whose stories have not yet been told.
Foreword by Taliesin Jaffe Betsy Aoki Kiri Callaghan Dani Carr Mae Catt Mike Chen Rin Chupeco Nino Cipri Nadia El-Fassi Chase K
In these nine stories, the legend of the mighty adventuring party grows with tales from some of the most memorable characters who fought with—and against—the Mighty Nein!
Within its
Essek Thelyss grapples with the choices of his past and the potential of his future, as told by Dani Carr.
Isharnai deals with the emotional aftermath of a fate-altering cupcake, as told by Kiri Callaghan.
Pumat Sol returns to his shop after the fight with Obann and the Mighty Nein, only to find that his adventure is not quite done, as told by Mike Chen.
Plus six more hilarious, heartbreaking, and heroic tales featuring Sprinkle, Avantika, Dairon, and more!
With their hope, unbreakable bonds, and larger-than-life commitment to heroism in a dark world, Critical Role’s Mighty Nein touched hearts everywhere they went—both those of their fans and their fellow denizens of Exandria. This collection spotlights nine characters whose lives were changed by the Mighty Nein but whose stories have not yet been told.
Foreword by Taliesin Jaffe Betsy Aoki Kiri Callaghan Dani Carr Mae Catt Mike Chen Rin Chupeco Nino Cipri Nadia El-Fassi Chase K
Audible Audio
First published August 11, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
📗 Pre-review:
*screaming, crying, throwing up*
BLESS YOU, DEL REY 🥹
🌸 Actual Review:
If I wasn't already sure, this collection has solidified in my mind that The Mighty Nein are my favourite Crit Role Campaign crew.
Every story is fun, adventurous and heartwarming. Every selected character from Campaign Two is explored in a way that will satisfy all Crit Role fans. My stand out tale was the opener featuring Uk'otoa (*Uk'otoaaaa*) and the Wild Mother. Sometimes these kinds of collections can feel like, what's the point, but here every character is chosen for a reason and each author really put the heart and soul into each of their stories.
Fans of Critical Role and The Mighty Nein (Nein!) you don't want to miss this.
*screaming, crying, throwing up*
BLESS YOU, DEL REY 🥹
🌸 Actual Review:
If I wasn't already sure, this collection has solidified in my mind that The Mighty Nein are my favourite Crit Role Campaign crew.
Every story is fun, adventurous and heartwarming. Every selected character from Campaign Two is explored in a way that will satisfy all Crit Role fans. My stand out tale was the opener featuring Uk'otoa (*Uk'otoaaaa*) and the Wild Mother. Sometimes these kinds of collections can feel like, what's the point, but here every character is chosen for a reason and each author really put the heart and soul into each of their stories.
Fans of Critical Role and The Mighty Nein (Nein!) you don't want to miss this.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
FIGHT FOR THE SOUL by Betsy Aoki
Rating: 4
Uk’otoa, a leviathan, is the son of the Cloaked Serpent. He seeks to escape his prison and take revenge on those who sealed him away. Uk’otoa believes he has found the perfect pawn in a certain half-orc sailor… But, the Wildmother is determined to thwart his plans.
This story is the behind-the-scenes narrative of Uk’otoa and the Wildmother’s conflict over Fjord. I like how we get the villian’s point-of-view. I am always a sucker for a good fantasy story where a god (or demon) tries to influence someone to do their dirty work.
THE FALL WILL KILL YOU by Kiri Callaghan
Rating: 3.5
Essek Thelyss is an arcanist obsessed with his research into dunamancy. After dining with the Mighty Nein, he considers the path that led him to that point. The mistakes he has made, the motive behind his choices, and the consequences that may follow. Are the Mighty Nein truly his friends? Or are they merely pawns to be used?
I had a difficult time getting into this story. I understand that Essek is conflicted. His constant back and forth on certain things really boggled the story’s pacing. At first, he views the Mighty Nein members as friends he could trust and rely on. Then Essek questions their motives and such. His guilt over what he has done… only for him to justify his actions. By the end of the story, I felt relieved that it was over.
STAY ALIVE – Dani Carr
Rating:4.5
Dairon is an expositor for the Cobalt Soul. She worries over her young and impulsive student, Beau Lionett. Dairon believes Beau should not be burdened by the odd companions traveling with her. Oddly, she recalls her own troubled path, the one that landed her at the Cobalt Soul. And the boundless patience of her teacher. When Dairon teaches Beau the next step in her training, she realizes what those companions mean to the monk.
I like the little glimpses we get of Beau. True, the story focuses more on the teacher than the student. However, I feel that Beau showed some kind of growth from the beginning of the story and the end. I like that Dairon did not want to constrain Beau like the others in the Cobalt Soul did. She instead wanted to see what the monk could do without things weighing her down.
SUPER WEASEL –Mae Catt
Rating: 5
What a nice change of pace! The story’s format is comic book style. It follows the adventures and hijinks of Jester’s pet/furry friend.
I zipped right through it. It is such a quick yet amusing read. And the art is drawn wonderfully!
DREAMS OF DROWNING – Mike Chen
Rating: 4.5
Avantika becomes a pirate – or a merchant sailor as she calls it – to escape her former life. She keeps a low profile abroad the ship to avoid unwanted attention to her superiors. That is until Vandran, a fellow shipmate, proposes mutiny. He introduces Avantika to Uk’otoa, unknowingly setting her on the path she will later follow.
Based on the first story, FIGHT FOR THE SOUL, I assume Avantika eventually becomes a villain the Mighty Nein must face. I do not follow the podcasts, streams, or comics (the latter yet), so I am unfamiliar with her character. I do not think she has appeared in the animation yet. This did not lessen my enjoyment of the story.
The story delves into Avantika’s start in piracy (that is how I see her as), and how she comes to know the leviathan, Uk’otoa. At intervals, there are flashbacks to Avantika’s childhood with her grandmother regaling her with stories of a fearsome god or monster.
WORTHY – Rin Chupeco
Rating: 4
Astrid is a Volstrucker – an elite assassin of the Dwendalian Empire. She and Eadwulf are sent to investigate a certain ruin and eliminate the threat. Before they depart, their leader (Trent) leaves Astrid with a cryptic remark. As they delve into the ruins, the past keeps creeping into Astrid’s thoughts.
The story is set two years after the incident involving Bren/Caleb’s family. Though the story focuses mostly on Astrid’s inner dialogue, it does show what happened to Bren. Her conflicted feelings for Bren, how his mental breakdown affected her, and Trent’s motives. I like that Astrid has some doubts about Trent. She is not a mindless devotee.
RESPECTFULLY – Nino Cipri
Rating: 4.5
Pumat Sol is an enchanter and owner of a magic shop called Invulnerable Vagrant. He returns from a journey expecting chaos, but he finds his three clones handling everything well. What troubles Pumat is that they have allowed the Cerberus Assembly to assist with the shop in his absence. When two katari flee into his shop with Assembly lackeys in pursuit, he inadvertently helps them.
I remember this character, and his shop, from the animation. He never really left much of an impression on me. Honestly, Pumat is one of those characters I would not give much thought to. However, I did enjoy this story involving him and his clones. I can understand him being bent out of shape concerning them. How they adapted in his absence. And the initiative they took with the shop. And, I like how the Mighty Nein influenced Pumat to change and adapt, to see the Assembly in a different light.
DELICIOUS –Nadia El-Fassi
Rating: 2
Isharnai is a hag known as the great Prism Sage. She feeds off the misery of the people she made contracts with. Isharnai reflects on her encounter with Jester, the blue-skinned member of the Mighty Nein, over a cupcake.
I struggled with this story. The characters and the story’s premises did not interest or grab me. Honestly, I found it incredibly dull and boring.
THE RUBY’S GENTLEMAN – Chase K
Rating:4.5
Marion is a celebrated courtesan known as the Ruby of the Sea. Babenon Dosal is a Zadash crime boss called the Gentleman. They reunite only to be separated once more when someone threatens Babenon. He sends Marion back to the Chateau to protect her from harm. They exchange secret notes with Marion urging him to share his life and difficulties with her.
A cute story about Jester’s birth parents. It shows how they met, why they were separated, and what brought them back together again. I love that Marion and Babenon’s romance began with a book, and the small notes they wrote within its pages. And I adore how their romance picked up like no time between them have passed.
I have always loved fantasy. Sometimes it feels like my idea of the genre does not always seem universal. When I think of fantasy, worlds like Dragonlance, Forgotten Realms, and Mercedes Lackey’s Valdemar come to mind. I am so done with Tuatha De Danann and fae this or fae that. I want elves (drows, sylvan give me variety), dragons, unusual creatures, sorcery of all kinds.
Fantasy does not seem to be written that way anymore – which saddens me. That is until Critical Role. I would like to thank everyone involved in CR for giving this fantasy lover something to look forward to again! I have been enjoying this world immensely.
I am not up to date with The Mighty Nein. And I do not follow the podcasts or the like since they are not my thing. The comics are on my “want to read list”, once I finish buying and reading Vox Machina. Now I have watched the season on Prime (and eagerly awaiting Season 2), along with VM. I have read and enjoyed TUSK LOVE – which is set in that world.
Rating: 4
Uk’otoa, a leviathan, is the son of the Cloaked Serpent. He seeks to escape his prison and take revenge on those who sealed him away. Uk’otoa believes he has found the perfect pawn in a certain half-orc sailor… But, the Wildmother is determined to thwart his plans.
This story is the behind-the-scenes narrative of Uk’otoa and the Wildmother’s conflict over Fjord. I like how we get the villian’s point-of-view. I am always a sucker for a good fantasy story where a god (or demon) tries to influence someone to do their dirty work.
THE FALL WILL KILL YOU by Kiri Callaghan
Rating: 3.5
Essek Thelyss is an arcanist obsessed with his research into dunamancy. After dining with the Mighty Nein, he considers the path that led him to that point. The mistakes he has made, the motive behind his choices, and the consequences that may follow. Are the Mighty Nein truly his friends? Or are they merely pawns to be used?
I had a difficult time getting into this story. I understand that Essek is conflicted. His constant back and forth on certain things really boggled the story’s pacing. At first, he views the Mighty Nein members as friends he could trust and rely on. Then Essek questions their motives and such. His guilt over what he has done… only for him to justify his actions. By the end of the story, I felt relieved that it was over.
STAY ALIVE – Dani Carr
Rating:4.5
Dairon is an expositor for the Cobalt Soul. She worries over her young and impulsive student, Beau Lionett. Dairon believes Beau should not be burdened by the odd companions traveling with her. Oddly, she recalls her own troubled path, the one that landed her at the Cobalt Soul. And the boundless patience of her teacher. When Dairon teaches Beau the next step in her training, she realizes what those companions mean to the monk.
I like the little glimpses we get of Beau. True, the story focuses more on the teacher than the student. However, I feel that Beau showed some kind of growth from the beginning of the story and the end. I like that Dairon did not want to constrain Beau like the others in the Cobalt Soul did. She instead wanted to see what the monk could do without things weighing her down.
SUPER WEASEL –Mae Catt
Rating: 5
What a nice change of pace! The story’s format is comic book style. It follows the adventures and hijinks of Jester’s pet/furry friend.
I zipped right through it. It is such a quick yet amusing read. And the art is drawn wonderfully!
DREAMS OF DROWNING – Mike Chen
Rating: 4.5
Avantika becomes a pirate – or a merchant sailor as she calls it – to escape her former life. She keeps a low profile abroad the ship to avoid unwanted attention to her superiors. That is until Vandran, a fellow shipmate, proposes mutiny. He introduces Avantika to Uk’otoa, unknowingly setting her on the path she will later follow.
Based on the first story, FIGHT FOR THE SOUL, I assume Avantika eventually becomes a villain the Mighty Nein must face. I do not follow the podcasts, streams, or comics (the latter yet), so I am unfamiliar with her character. I do not think she has appeared in the animation yet. This did not lessen my enjoyment of the story.
The story delves into Avantika’s start in piracy (that is how I see her as), and how she comes to know the leviathan, Uk’otoa. At intervals, there are flashbacks to Avantika’s childhood with her grandmother regaling her with stories of a fearsome god or monster.
WORTHY – Rin Chupeco
Rating: 4
Astrid is a Volstrucker – an elite assassin of the Dwendalian Empire. She and Eadwulf are sent to investigate a certain ruin and eliminate the threat. Before they depart, their leader (Trent) leaves Astrid with a cryptic remark. As they delve into the ruins, the past keeps creeping into Astrid’s thoughts.
The story is set two years after the incident involving Bren/Caleb’s family. Though the story focuses mostly on Astrid’s inner dialogue, it does show what happened to Bren. Her conflicted feelings for Bren, how his mental breakdown affected her, and Trent’s motives. I like that Astrid has some doubts about Trent. She is not a mindless devotee.
RESPECTFULLY – Nino Cipri
Rating: 4.5
Pumat Sol is an enchanter and owner of a magic shop called Invulnerable Vagrant. He returns from a journey expecting chaos, but he finds his three clones handling everything well. What troubles Pumat is that they have allowed the Cerberus Assembly to assist with the shop in his absence. When two katari flee into his shop with Assembly lackeys in pursuit, he inadvertently helps them.
I remember this character, and his shop, from the animation. He never really left much of an impression on me. Honestly, Pumat is one of those characters I would not give much thought to. However, I did enjoy this story involving him and his clones. I can understand him being bent out of shape concerning them. How they adapted in his absence. And the initiative they took with the shop. And, I like how the Mighty Nein influenced Pumat to change and adapt, to see the Assembly in a different light.
DELICIOUS –Nadia El-Fassi
Rating: 2
Isharnai is a hag known as the great Prism Sage. She feeds off the misery of the people she made contracts with. Isharnai reflects on her encounter with Jester, the blue-skinned member of the Mighty Nein, over a cupcake.
I struggled with this story. The characters and the story’s premises did not interest or grab me. Honestly, I found it incredibly dull and boring.
THE RUBY’S GENTLEMAN – Chase K
Rating:4.5
Marion is a celebrated courtesan known as the Ruby of the Sea. Babenon Dosal is a Zadash crime boss called the Gentleman. They reunite only to be separated once more when someone threatens Babenon. He sends Marion back to the Chateau to protect her from harm. They exchange secret notes with Marion urging him to share his life and difficulties with her.
A cute story about Jester’s birth parents. It shows how they met, why they were separated, and what brought them back together again. I love that Marion and Babenon’s romance began with a book, and the small notes they wrote within its pages. And I adore how their romance picked up like no time between them have passed.
I have always loved fantasy. Sometimes it feels like my idea of the genre does not always seem universal. When I think of fantasy, worlds like Dragonlance, Forgotten Realms, and Mercedes Lackey’s Valdemar come to mind. I am so done with Tuatha De Danann and fae this or fae that. I want elves (drows, sylvan give me variety), dragons, unusual creatures, sorcery of all kinds.
Fantasy does not seem to be written that way anymore – which saddens me. That is until Critical Role. I would like to thank everyone involved in CR for giving this fantasy lover something to look forward to again! I have been enjoying this world immensely.
I am not up to date with The Mighty Nein. And I do not follow the podcasts or the like since they are not my thing. The comics are on my “want to read list”, once I finish buying and reading Vox Machina. Now I have watched the season on Prime (and eagerly awaiting Season 2), along with VM. I have read and enjoyed TUSK LOVE – which is set in that world.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you so much to NetGalley, Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore, the Critical Role team and authors behind this wonderful collection for an advance review copy.
4.5 stars ⭐
Being a massive fan of Campaign 2, I was over the moon to find out that CR were also creating an anthology series of side characters we met along the way. As this is a collective of short stories, I have left a review for each individual work:
Fight for the soul - Betsy Aoki
“Fear is the fertile soil for courage.”
What a fantastic start to the anthology! We are thrown straight into the fray, spectating first hand the power struggle between Uk’utoa and the Wildmother, over Fjord and his journey of discovering purpose, power and self-worth.
The dual POVs were immaculately written, with clear tonal shift not only indicating the opposing characters but the stark contrast between influence versus guidance. This was a phenomenal way to represent the divergence of warlock and paladin relationships to their patron.
So much was veiled behind mystery during the actual play, hinting to a grander vision, so it feels really exciting getting a peak behind the curtains and seeing both deities’ true intent.
The Fall Will Kill you - Dani Carr
“What would happen if, instead of standing still, he made the most frightening choice possible and let himself fall?”
It’s obvious that Essek quickly became a fan favourite, especially during the confrontation he had with the Mighty Nein when the famous “You were not born with venom in your veins. You learned it.” from Caleb was expressed.
Reading this sequence was everything I could ask for. The moment a morally grey character gets absolutely blindsided by genuine care and has to reconsider their motivations. It was such a beautiful and poignant scene, rife with doubt and internal conflict but the first steps to the well deserved redemption arc.
It’s funny how Matt Mercer had mentioned once that he never intended for Essek to be redeemable, but it truly just takes one kind soul (or a whole group of misfits) to see you for who you are and offer you the chance to leave the world a better place than you found it.
Stay Alive - Mae Catt
“No one has to see what you’re doing if it’s good. As long as it’s doing good.”
As a DND nerd, one of my favourite things to experience at the table are demonstrations on how class mechanics organically work and how they fit with characters narratively. Reading this scratched a very satisfying itch in how it perfectly shapes the complexity and depth of monks, giving us a greater understanding of their spiritual significance.
I don't think I truly appreciated how important Dairon's mentorship was to Beau until now, and I thoroughly enjoyed the deep dive into their character. We get to Extract Aspects of who they are and, above all their martial prowess and incorruptible wisdom, they are authentically themselves.
And I’m sorry, what a beautiful sentiment???
“It would seem even Beau’s affections come with the power and passion of a warrior. Dairon can’t stop themself from thinking that it must be a gift to be loved by someone like Beauregard Lionett.”
Super Weasel - Chase K
“Day after day, I continued to defy death!”
THIS WAS THE MOST PERFECT WAY TO EXPERIENCE SPRINKLE'S POV.
The addition of this comic was a wonderful palette cleanser, giving the most battle-worn party member their turn to bask in the spotlight. There was nothing more impressive in the campaign than the sheer determination for survival by everyone's favourite weasel. Well, I say that... I'm sure Artagan competes for that title too.
The art was fantastic and the internal monologue was so wholesome, I desperately need this to be a full series with the other familiars. Sprinkle is a hero in all our hearts, and I'm so glad we get to celebrate this little guy's contribution to the journey.
Dreams of Drowning - Nino Cipri
“No more careful walking around men’s ambitions. No more surviving and calling it a life. If she wants power, she will take it for herself.”
Villain origin stories hold a special place in my heart, and Avantika’s has a grip on mine. It breaks me to think that the main deviation between her and Fjord is that he had supportive and compassionate people around him.
The parallels of their history with Vandran is really interesting, given we first hear Fjord’s account of an honorable man, yet we see the opposite of that through his treatment of Avantika. It was bad enough that the many men she encountered in her rise to becoming captain undermined her at every step, but she was also being betrayed by the power-hungry sharks she grew close to; “Vandran offered partnership, and Wyatt offered family, and both of them have shown exactly what those words mean to them.”
Although I really enjoyed her being an antagonist in the main story, part of me wanted more for her. In another life, I hope Avantika is vindicated and gets what she deserves.
Worthy - Rin Chupeco
“We’re his liabilities, not his Volstrucker. I am sick of it.”
I think it is a shared consensus that Caleb had one of the most devastating backstories within the M9. The trauma that bonded him, Astrid and Eadwulf was then made worse when their union went up in flames due to Bren’s psychotic episode, leading him to be committed to the sanatorium.
Despite being manufactured into callous and ruthless assassins, it is clear there is still so much care ingrained into their beings for their fellow initiate. You can feel the sorrow from Astrid as she tries to coax him out of his catatonia and making no progress, and then the bittersweet decision to let him escape their duties.
Considering everything they were put through, it is evidently clear that Astrid and Wulf were always intelligent enough to understand they were being manipulated and molded into what Trent wanted them to be. Maybe the silver lining of heartbreak aided in the inevitable revolution?
Respectfully - Mike Chen
“Normally dishonesty didn’t sit right with Pumat, but Accounting was right: Sometimes it was necessary to strategically misrepresent.”
This is such a wholesome story, but what else did I expect? Pumat Sol is one of the most aggravatingly polite and genuinely decent individual(s) in all of Exandria. We already got a basic understanding of how simulacrum work, being able to act independently from their Prime, but this was such a cool way to discover the nuances of each one.
The paradox of cloned beings having a difference of opinion was such a fun concept to unravel. You can't help but smile, seeing how they interact with and learn from one another. They may have originated from one person, but this just goes to show how wonderful an open-minded and shared collective can be.
I’m sure Pumat Prime was a terrific person, but I cannot imagine a better world than with all the Pumat Sols together. Respectfully.
Delicious - Kiri Callaghan
“Now she knew joy. She knew companionship. And with the false memory undone, she knew the burden of losing those things.”
A true testament to Jester and her alarming ability to befriend any creature, regardless of their alignment. We start off with the recollection of a lovely modified memory which almost makes you sympathetic towards Isharnai: how she valued the camaraderie with Jester (or at least the illusion of it), only for it to be robbed of any true meaning.
She bitterly returns to the reality she shares with her coven, whom she have kept captive. Almost immediately, we lose any remaining empathy towards the hag as they recount the horrors she had committed, along with the savage replay of how Veth endured her drowning and curse.
Weighing the circumstance and consequence of all that’s happened, Jester has established a place within Isharnai’s soul, and now she won’t stop until they are reunited.
The Ruby’s Gentleman - Nadia El-Fassi
“He was the Gentleman, and she was the Ruby, but what could they be to each other if they were more than just their monikers?”
Just as we started on a banger, we ended with an absolute firework display - I LOVED THIS STORY SO MUCH. What was the saying? “If you love something, set it free. If it returns to you wearing your favourite scent of sea salt, sunlight and vanilla, it’s yours?” I may be misremembering but it does not matter.
These two have a love story for the ages, and I am utterly overjoyed we got to witness more of them. We alternate between scenes of when Marion first laid eyes upon Babenon in Nicodranas, and the reunion in Zadash with the Gentleman, and the perfect ending to twenty years of distance and yearning.
There are a plethora of love stories within the world of Exandria, many being hopeful and a lot more being tragic, but this one here we get the honor of experiencing? This was the dust of deliciousness on top of a blueberry cupcake.
4.5 stars ⭐
Being a massive fan of Campaign 2, I was over the moon to find out that CR were also creating an anthology series of side characters we met along the way. As this is a collective of short stories, I have left a review for each individual work:
Fight for the soul - Betsy Aoki
“Fear is the fertile soil for courage.”
What a fantastic start to the anthology! We are thrown straight into the fray, spectating first hand the power struggle between Uk’utoa and the Wildmother, over Fjord and his journey of discovering purpose, power and self-worth.
The dual POVs were immaculately written, with clear tonal shift not only indicating the opposing characters but the stark contrast between influence versus guidance. This was a phenomenal way to represent the divergence of warlock and paladin relationships to their patron.
So much was veiled behind mystery during the actual play, hinting to a grander vision, so it feels really exciting getting a peak behind the curtains and seeing both deities’ true intent.
The Fall Will Kill you - Dani Carr
“What would happen if, instead of standing still, he made the most frightening choice possible and let himself fall?”
It’s obvious that Essek quickly became a fan favourite, especially during the confrontation he had with the Mighty Nein when the famous “You were not born with venom in your veins. You learned it.” from Caleb was expressed.
Reading this sequence was everything I could ask for. The moment a morally grey character gets absolutely blindsided by genuine care and has to reconsider their motivations. It was such a beautiful and poignant scene, rife with doubt and internal conflict but the first steps to the well deserved redemption arc.
It’s funny how Matt Mercer had mentioned once that he never intended for Essek to be redeemable, but it truly just takes one kind soul (or a whole group of misfits) to see you for who you are and offer you the chance to leave the world a better place than you found it.
Stay Alive - Mae Catt
“No one has to see what you’re doing if it’s good. As long as it’s doing good.”
As a DND nerd, one of my favourite things to experience at the table are demonstrations on how class mechanics organically work and how they fit with characters narratively. Reading this scratched a very satisfying itch in how it perfectly shapes the complexity and depth of monks, giving us a greater understanding of their spiritual significance.
I don't think I truly appreciated how important Dairon's mentorship was to Beau until now, and I thoroughly enjoyed the deep dive into their character. We get to Extract Aspects of who they are and, above all their martial prowess and incorruptible wisdom, they are authentically themselves.
And I’m sorry, what a beautiful sentiment???
“It would seem even Beau’s affections come with the power and passion of a warrior. Dairon can’t stop themself from thinking that it must be a gift to be loved by someone like Beauregard Lionett.”
Super Weasel - Chase K
“Day after day, I continued to defy death!”
THIS WAS THE MOST PERFECT WAY TO EXPERIENCE SPRINKLE'S POV.
The addition of this comic was a wonderful palette cleanser, giving the most battle-worn party member their turn to bask in the spotlight. There was nothing more impressive in the campaign than the sheer determination for survival by everyone's favourite weasel. Well, I say that... I'm sure Artagan competes for that title too.
The art was fantastic and the internal monologue was so wholesome, I desperately need this to be a full series with the other familiars. Sprinkle is a hero in all our hearts, and I'm so glad we get to celebrate this little guy's contribution to the journey.
Dreams of Drowning - Nino Cipri
“No more careful walking around men’s ambitions. No more surviving and calling it a life. If she wants power, she will take it for herself.”
Villain origin stories hold a special place in my heart, and Avantika’s has a grip on mine. It breaks me to think that the main deviation between her and Fjord is that he had supportive and compassionate people around him.
The parallels of their history with Vandran is really interesting, given we first hear Fjord’s account of an honorable man, yet we see the opposite of that through his treatment of Avantika. It was bad enough that the many men she encountered in her rise to becoming captain undermined her at every step, but she was also being betrayed by the power-hungry sharks she grew close to; “Vandran offered partnership, and Wyatt offered family, and both of them have shown exactly what those words mean to them.”
Although I really enjoyed her being an antagonist in the main story, part of me wanted more for her. In another life, I hope Avantika is vindicated and gets what she deserves.
Worthy - Rin Chupeco
“We’re his liabilities, not his Volstrucker. I am sick of it.”
I think it is a shared consensus that Caleb had one of the most devastating backstories within the M9. The trauma that bonded him, Astrid and Eadwulf was then made worse when their union went up in flames due to Bren’s psychotic episode, leading him to be committed to the sanatorium.
Despite being manufactured into callous and ruthless assassins, it is clear there is still so much care ingrained into their beings for their fellow initiate. You can feel the sorrow from Astrid as she tries to coax him out of his catatonia and making no progress, and then the bittersweet decision to let him escape their duties.
Considering everything they were put through, it is evidently clear that Astrid and Wulf were always intelligent enough to understand they were being manipulated and molded into what Trent wanted them to be. Maybe the silver lining of heartbreak aided in the inevitable revolution?
Respectfully - Mike Chen
“Normally dishonesty didn’t sit right with Pumat, but Accounting was right: Sometimes it was necessary to strategically misrepresent.”
This is such a wholesome story, but what else did I expect? Pumat Sol is one of the most aggravatingly polite and genuinely decent individual(s) in all of Exandria. We already got a basic understanding of how simulacrum work, being able to act independently from their Prime, but this was such a cool way to discover the nuances of each one.
The paradox of cloned beings having a difference of opinion was such a fun concept to unravel. You can't help but smile, seeing how they interact with and learn from one another. They may have originated from one person, but this just goes to show how wonderful an open-minded and shared collective can be.
I’m sure Pumat Prime was a terrific person, but I cannot imagine a better world than with all the Pumat Sols together. Respectfully.
Delicious - Kiri Callaghan
“Now she knew joy. She knew companionship. And with the false memory undone, she knew the burden of losing those things.”
A true testament to Jester and her alarming ability to befriend any creature, regardless of their alignment. We start off with the recollection of a lovely modified memory which almost makes you sympathetic towards Isharnai: how she valued the camaraderie with Jester (or at least the illusion of it), only for it to be robbed of any true meaning.
She bitterly returns to the reality she shares with her coven, whom she have kept captive. Almost immediately, we lose any remaining empathy towards the hag as they recount the horrors she had committed, along with the savage replay of how Veth endured her drowning and curse.
Weighing the circumstance and consequence of all that’s happened, Jester has established a place within Isharnai’s soul, and now she won’t stop until they are reunited.
The Ruby’s Gentleman - Nadia El-Fassi
“He was the Gentleman, and she was the Ruby, but what could they be to each other if they were more than just their monikers?”
Just as we started on a banger, we ended with an absolute firework display - I LOVED THIS STORY SO MUCH. What was the saying? “If you love something, set it free. If it returns to you wearing your favourite scent of sea salt, sunlight and vanilla, it’s yours?” I may be misremembering but it does not matter.
These two have a love story for the ages, and I am utterly overjoyed we got to witness more of them. We alternate between scenes of when Marion first laid eyes upon Babenon in Nicodranas, and the reunion in Zadash with the Gentleman, and the perfect ending to twenty years of distance and yearning.
There are a plethora of love stories within the world of Exandria, many being hopeful and a lot more being tragic, but this one here we get the honor of experiencing? This was the dust of deliciousness on top of a blueberry cupcake.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Since this is an anthology, it's going to be both a review of the individual works, and the collection as a whole.
Fight for the Soul - Betsy Aoki
I understand why this one came first in the anthology: it's an epic struggle between two gods over one little half-orc's soul, and it functions as something of a soft recap of the whole series in the process to help remind readers of everything that happened, you know, years ago now. However, it didn't work for me as an opener. The godlike narrative distance meant that we were so, so far away from characters we could relate to, since the narration didn't want to humanize them too much, and trying to recap 550 or so hours of campaign (plus the Ukatoa one-shot) meant that we didn't get to spend any time on any moment — we were constantly moving from "Fjord gave in to Ukatoa HERE (sense of smug accomplishment from Ukatoa, concern from the Wildmother)" to "Fjord reached out to the wildmother instead HERE (sense of pride from the Wildmother, slimy resentment from Ukatoa)." I liked the insight that Ukatoa's own insecurities reflected Fjord's, but even that felt like there wasn't time to sit with that. I think it's a fine story on its own, but as an opener for an anthology that tells us we get to sit with the experiences of the side characters, it's a bit of a weak opening argument.
The Fall Will Kill You - Dani Carr
Hell yes!! This is what I came here for. How lovely to see Essek's slow meltdown, his realization he's been compromised by his emotions for the Mighty Nein. What a great little metaphor with the Moorbounder, and the height of ambition compared to the Mighty Nein convincing him to walk on the floor. How great to see Essek get to be cringe for a bit in the privacy of his own room!! It's not a flawlessly composed story -- we get multiple pages of flashback in a row followed by him examining his own looks in the reflection to compare himself to his parents -- but it deeply and fully has the heart of what I want to see here, the part of Essek's story we know happened but didn't get to really see.
Stay Alive - Mae Catt
How lovely to get some Dairon interiority! I have a similar quibble to this as in the Essek story -- we get a huge portion of the story as a distanced flashback, when I think the story could have just been rearranged to put you in young Dairon's shoes and really feel what they're going through instead of just being told it, then jump forward to the modern day stuff with Beau -- but the parts in the present were very gratifying and it's good to see the things that made Dairon who they are.
Super Weasel - Chase K
A cute little comic about Sprinkle! It's got fun art and lots of energy, but doesn't really go deeper into anything than we've seen in the show. Nevertheless, who doesn't like more time with Sprinkle?
At this point, the collection changed to be much more of what I was looking for! Stories that really focused on these side characters, not just talking about their past but living a scenario through their eyes.
Dreams of Drowning - Nino Cipri
This Avantika story is visceral, it's rich, it makes me view Avantika and her influences and culture in a whole new light. It's exciting, it's tragic, it's got a rich edge of horror. Just an all around great story, as well as a great piece of Critical Role lore.
Worthy - Rin Chupeco
I enjoyed this story about Astrid as well. Strong look at her sense of deeply compromised justice already beginning to bubble inside her. I kind of wish we got to see a bit more of her reaction to the last line, but all in all a great Volstrucker story.
Respectfully - Mike Chen
It's so very charming to see a narrative through Pumat Sol's voice. It felt dead on in the writing and I had a smile on my face the whole time. Again, I loved that this was a focus on Pumat's own experiences and how the Mighty Nein changed him, without actually being about the Mighty Nein per se.
Delicious - Kiri Callaghan
Of all the characters to get a side story, I'm surprised it was Isharnai! Interesting to see that Jester got under her skin that badly, and it was very viscerally hag-y.
The Ruby's Gentleman - Nadia El-Fassi
A sweet little story about Marion and the Gentleman, and how the course of true love never did run smooth. I liked that this one took the chance to really change something about at least one of the characters' status quo from the series, which most of the others didn't.
All in all, a fun little collection that shows a few characters other than the Nein themselves, the back half a bit stronger than the front half. Some of these I'd be delighted to read repeatedly. An average of 3.5 out of five for me (with some stories at a 5, but most hovering around 3-4) so rounding that up to 4.
Fight for the Soul - Betsy Aoki
I understand why this one came first in the anthology: it's an epic struggle between two gods over one little half-orc's soul, and it functions as something of a soft recap of the whole series in the process to help remind readers of everything that happened, you know, years ago now. However, it didn't work for me as an opener. The godlike narrative distance meant that we were so, so far away from characters we could relate to, since the narration didn't want to humanize them too much, and trying to recap 550 or so hours of campaign (plus the Ukatoa one-shot) meant that we didn't get to spend any time on any moment — we were constantly moving from "Fjord gave in to Ukatoa HERE (sense of smug accomplishment from Ukatoa, concern from the Wildmother)" to "Fjord reached out to the wildmother instead HERE (sense of pride from the Wildmother, slimy resentment from Ukatoa)." I liked the insight that Ukatoa's own insecurities reflected Fjord's, but even that felt like there wasn't time to sit with that. I think it's a fine story on its own, but as an opener for an anthology that tells us we get to sit with the experiences of the side characters, it's a bit of a weak opening argument.
The Fall Will Kill You - Dani Carr
Hell yes!! This is what I came here for. How lovely to see Essek's slow meltdown, his realization he's been compromised by his emotions for the Mighty Nein. What a great little metaphor with the Moorbounder, and the height of ambition compared to the Mighty Nein convincing him to walk on the floor. How great to see Essek get to be cringe for a bit in the privacy of his own room!! It's not a flawlessly composed story -- we get multiple pages of flashback in a row followed by him examining his own looks in the reflection to compare himself to his parents -- but it deeply and fully has the heart of what I want to see here, the part of Essek's story we know happened but didn't get to really see.
Stay Alive - Mae Catt
How lovely to get some Dairon interiority! I have a similar quibble to this as in the Essek story -- we get a huge portion of the story as a distanced flashback, when I think the story could have just been rearranged to put you in young Dairon's shoes and really feel what they're going through instead of just being told it, then jump forward to the modern day stuff with Beau -- but the parts in the present were very gratifying and it's good to see the things that made Dairon who they are.
Super Weasel - Chase K
A cute little comic about Sprinkle! It's got fun art and lots of energy, but doesn't really go deeper into anything than we've seen in the show. Nevertheless, who doesn't like more time with Sprinkle?
At this point, the collection changed to be much more of what I was looking for! Stories that really focused on these side characters, not just talking about their past but living a scenario through their eyes.
Dreams of Drowning - Nino Cipri
This Avantika story is visceral, it's rich, it makes me view Avantika and her influences and culture in a whole new light. It's exciting, it's tragic, it's got a rich edge of horror. Just an all around great story, as well as a great piece of Critical Role lore.
Worthy - Rin Chupeco
I enjoyed this story about Astrid as well. Strong look at her sense of deeply compromised justice already beginning to bubble inside her. I kind of wish we got to see a bit more of her reaction to the last line, but all in all a great Volstrucker story.
Respectfully - Mike Chen
It's so very charming to see a narrative through Pumat Sol's voice. It felt dead on in the writing and I had a smile on my face the whole time. Again, I loved that this was a focus on Pumat's own experiences and how the Mighty Nein changed him, without actually being about the Mighty Nein per se.
Delicious - Kiri Callaghan
Of all the characters to get a side story, I'm surprised it was Isharnai! Interesting to see that Jester got under her skin that badly, and it was very viscerally hag-y.
The Ruby's Gentleman - Nadia El-Fassi
A sweet little story about Marion and the Gentleman, and how the course of true love never did run smooth. I liked that this one took the chance to really change something about at least one of the characters' status quo from the series, which most of the others didn't.
All in all, a fun little collection that shows a few characters other than the Nein themselves, the back half a bit stronger than the front half. Some of these I'd be delighted to read repeatedly. An average of 3.5 out of five for me (with some stories at a 5, but most hovering around 3-4) so rounding that up to 4.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
To say I was thrilled to get this book is an understatement. I’ve loved Critical Role for about five years now, beginning the show with campaign two right after it finished. The Mighty Nein was where I began, and they are still my favorite after watching campaign one and three, so I have been looking forward to this book since it was announced.
Since it’s nine stories, I’m going to review the individual stories. There aren’t going to be spoilers in the typical sense, but if you don't want to know what the individual stories are about in any way or the characters in them, then read no further.
First, a brief mention for the foreword...way to make me tear up (5 stars).
Fight for the Soul (4 stars): It was interesting seeing Uk'otoa and the Wildmother's thoughts and what was going on behind the scenes with them and Fjord. I also liked hearing the little bits about the Mighty Nein members and thought the ending was sweet.
The Fall Will Kill You (5 stars): Essek has never been my favorite. I've never hated him or anything, but I also don't love him like so many of the fans seem to. Despite that, I enjoyed this story quite a bit. I loved seeing his internal conflict regarding the Nein and their friendship. Some of the lines in the chapter made me smile and others actually made me laugh out loud.
Stay Alive (4.5 stars): I don't really remember a ton about Dairon from campaign two—some but not a lot—but I enjoyed getting to know them and their backstory.
Super Weasel (5 stars): Perfection. I loved it so much. Absolutely adorable.
Dreams of Drowning (3.5 stars): There's nothing wrong with the story, but I just find it hard to care about Avantika, so I found it hard to get into this one. That's not to say it isn't well written—it is—but I just don't care about the subject matter so I found myself putting it down for days.
Worthy (4 stars): Unfortunately, I also don't really care about Astrid and Eadwulf, so I wasn't thrilled when I saw what it was about. The story made Astrid more multi dimensional and a little more human to me, though, which is why I preferred it to the previous one.
Respectfully (5 stars): I'll never not love the Pumats. A fun, sweet little story that was a welcome reprieve from the previous, more serious ones.
Delicious (4 stars): The aftermath of the cupcake and the best thing I've ever seen Laura do (which is saying a lot). Well written, but the story felt slightly unnecessary after the live show.
The Ruby’s Gentleman (5 stars): I thought Marion and Babenon's story was sweet. Bonus points for Jester's sendings, which made me laugh every time.
I would do the math and figure out the average of my ratings, but I don’t feel like it. So, I’m just going to give this five stars. Some stories were more enjoyable than others to me, but they were all well written. If you’re a fan of Critical Role and campaign two, you’re going to enjoy this book.
Thank you NetGalley and Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
Since it’s nine stories, I’m going to review the individual stories. There aren’t going to be spoilers in the typical sense, but if you don't want to know what the individual stories are about in any way or the characters in them, then read no further.
First, a brief mention for the foreword...way to make me tear up (5 stars).
Fight for the Soul (4 stars): It was interesting seeing Uk'otoa and the Wildmother's thoughts and what was going on behind the scenes with them and Fjord. I also liked hearing the little bits about the Mighty Nein members and thought the ending was sweet.
The Fall Will Kill You (5 stars): Essek has never been my favorite. I've never hated him or anything, but I also don't love him like so many of the fans seem to. Despite that, I enjoyed this story quite a bit. I loved seeing his internal conflict regarding the Nein and their friendship. Some of the lines in the chapter made me smile and others actually made me laugh out loud.
Stay Alive (4.5 stars): I don't really remember a ton about Dairon from campaign two—some but not a lot—but I enjoyed getting to know them and their backstory.
Super Weasel (5 stars): Perfection. I loved it so much. Absolutely adorable.
Dreams of Drowning (3.5 stars): There's nothing wrong with the story, but I just find it hard to care about Avantika, so I found it hard to get into this one. That's not to say it isn't well written—it is—but I just don't care about the subject matter so I found myself putting it down for days.
Worthy (4 stars): Unfortunately, I also don't really care about Astrid and Eadwulf, so I wasn't thrilled when I saw what it was about. The story made Astrid more multi dimensional and a little more human to me, though, which is why I preferred it to the previous one.
Respectfully (5 stars): I'll never not love the Pumats. A fun, sweet little story that was a welcome reprieve from the previous, more serious ones.
Delicious (4 stars): The aftermath of the cupcake and the best thing I've ever seen Laura do (which is saying a lot). Well written, but the story felt slightly unnecessary after the live show.
The Ruby’s Gentleman (5 stars): I thought Marion and Babenon's story was sweet. Bonus points for Jester's sendings, which made me laugh every time.
I would do the math and figure out the average of my ratings, but I don’t feel like it. So, I’m just going to give this five stars. Some stories were more enjoyable than others to me, but they were all well written. If you’re a fan of Critical Role and campaign two, you’re going to enjoy this book.
Thank you NetGalley and Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I will preface this review with the fact that I am a huge fan of Critical Role - and Campaign 2 (The Mighty Nein) is still by far my favourite. So this book was right up my alley and I adored it. If you don’t know - it’s a collection of short stories (and one comic story) about various NPCs the main party meet throughout Campaign 2. Each story I think expands really well on each character and gives them more depth.
My favourite stories from this collection are Dreams of Drowning, Worthy and The Ruby’s Gentleman, but I liked something about each of them. “Worthy” I really enjoyed as it follows Astrid not long after things went wrong with Bren, and I truly could read a full novel just in Astrid’s mind. “Dreams of Drowning” was a particularly haunting story, following Avantika before she ever met The Mighty Nein, and just had such a perfect pirate vibe. “The Ruby’s Gentleman” is the final story in the novel and what an ending - it tells a romantic tale between Marion and Babanon, jumping between their meeting and where they are left after the events of Campaign 2. It was incredibly sweet and heartwarming.
The remaining stories in this book are all worth a read, though a few maybe were harder to get invested in than others (“Delicious” in particular I found hard to follow). With a fair few of them being very much in the characters’ heads, there isn’t much of a plot to follow as there is just vibes.
This book is definitely a must read for anyone who loves Campaign 2, though I do wonder about people who have never engaged in anything to do with Campaign 2. Even for fans of the animated show The Mighty Nein - this book has spoilers for later plots of the series. But at least for the stories I mentioned as favourites, I think anyone could enjoy these.
Thanks so much to Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore for providing this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions in this review are my own.
My favourite stories from this collection are Dreams of Drowning, Worthy and The Ruby’s Gentleman, but I liked something about each of them. “Worthy” I really enjoyed as it follows Astrid not long after things went wrong with Bren, and I truly could read a full novel just in Astrid’s mind. “Dreams of Drowning” was a particularly haunting story, following Avantika before she ever met The Mighty Nein, and just had such a perfect pirate vibe. “The Ruby’s Gentleman” is the final story in the novel and what an ending - it tells a romantic tale between Marion and Babanon, jumping between their meeting and where they are left after the events of Campaign 2. It was incredibly sweet and heartwarming.
The remaining stories in this book are all worth a read, though a few maybe were harder to get invested in than others (“Delicious” in particular I found hard to follow). With a fair few of them being very much in the characters’ heads, there isn’t much of a plot to follow as there is just vibes.
This book is definitely a must read for anyone who loves Campaign 2, though I do wonder about people who have never engaged in anything to do with Campaign 2. Even for fans of the animated show The Mighty Nein - this book has spoilers for later plots of the series. But at least for the stories I mentioned as favourites, I think anyone could enjoy these.
Thanks so much to Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore for providing this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions in this review are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This book is a collection of 9 (nein) short stories set in the world of Exandria, focusing on characters close to the Mighty Nein. It's basically sponsored fanfiction. No, actually. That's literally what it is.
This is not necessarily a bad thing, but it affected how I perceived the truth and weight of the stories and I think it does reflects the variation in quality between short stories. There were 3 stories in this collection that stood out as spectacular and worth recommending, the other 6 stories you can take or leave. The short stories vary wildly in writing style, coherence, and enjoyment so I am going to review each of them separately.
U'katoa and the Wild Mother - 2 stars
My least favorite of this collection, all telling and no showing, you don't actually get to see anything happen, just allusions to events from the campaign, and in my opinion it exaggerates Fjord's importance to the Wildmother early in the campaign in a way that lessons the impact of his journey. Also the prose is excessive and verbose
Essek - 4 stars
This one starts out strongly with actual action, then ends up being a very long internal monologue where nothing physically happens. It is an interesting insight into Essek's thoughts about Trent, Da'leth and Caleb at one specific moment in the campaign, but it could've been much better if it had been multiple scenes interspersed with actual action.
Dairon - 3 stars
This short story tries to strike a balance between explicitly describing the exact events that happen in the campaign without word for word repeating dialogue while still giving you enough context to build on and misses the mark by a mile. The resistance to describing what happened in the original campaign leaves strange gaps in the narrative that interrupt the flow and leave the best parts unsaid and at the same time, the entire thing still feels like an unnecessary rehash of events with very little added. This is not helped by the awkward writing and verb tenses. I can definitely imagine that some people will find it an interesting insight into Dairon and Beau's relationship but it's not for me.
Sprinkle - 5 stars
Absolutely perfect, no notes.
Avantika - 5 stars
Actually so good. Benefits a lot from focusing on events preceding the game rather than rehashing events in the campaign. This short story actually made me care about Avantika in a way the campaign itself never did and all the more interesting for knowing how her story ends.
Astrid - 4 stars
Meh. Not as narrowly focused as the Avantika one and suffers for it. Definitely interesting in the parts about Bren but drags otherwise, would have been better if it focused more on the beacon or on Bren rather than exploration and fighting
Pumat - 3 stars
Interesting premise but mostly just boring.
Hag/Isharni - 2 stars
Somehow even more boring. A character I didn't care about that I continue to not care about. Tries to capitalize on a single (very cool) moment and somehow drag it out into a whole short story without actually including the cool moment. Very much a "you had to have been there" sort of story, where the best part has already happened.
The Ruby - 5 stars
Amazing, so heartfelt and beautiful.
Overall, I do not really recommend this. Find it in a bookstore and just read the interesting ones without buying it. The biggest issue is the awkward way they tried to step around the events of the campaign -- and likely why my favorite of the short stories were generally the ones that were either prequels or epilogues because they had a little bit more freedom in this regard. Also since it apparently needs to be said, this is not a good book for people who haven't watched the campaign.
I understand the desire to find new ways to immerse yourself in the campaign and characters of Exandria, but if you really want more time in the world of the Mighty Nein, ...just go read fanfiction.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an eARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.
This is not necessarily a bad thing, but it affected how I perceived the truth and weight of the stories and I think it does reflects the variation in quality between short stories. There were 3 stories in this collection that stood out as spectacular and worth recommending, the other 6 stories you can take or leave. The short stories vary wildly in writing style, coherence, and enjoyment so I am going to review each of them separately.
U'katoa and the Wild Mother - 2 stars
My least favorite of this collection, all telling and no showing, you don't actually get to see anything happen, just allusions to events from the campaign, and in my opinion it exaggerates Fjord's importance to the Wildmother early in the campaign in a way that lessons the impact of his journey. Also the prose is excessive and verbose
Essek - 4 stars
This one starts out strongly with actual action, then ends up being a very long internal monologue where nothing physically happens. It is an interesting insight into Essek's thoughts about Trent, Da'leth and Caleb at one specific moment in the campaign, but it could've been much better if it had been multiple scenes interspersed with actual action.
Dairon - 3 stars
This short story tries to strike a balance between explicitly describing the exact events that happen in the campaign without word for word repeating dialogue while still giving you enough context to build on and misses the mark by a mile. The resistance to describing what happened in the original campaign leaves strange gaps in the narrative that interrupt the flow and leave the best parts unsaid and at the same time, the entire thing still feels like an unnecessary rehash of events with very little added. This is not helped by the awkward writing and verb tenses. I can definitely imagine that some people will find it an interesting insight into Dairon and Beau's relationship but it's not for me.
Sprinkle - 5 stars
Absolutely perfect, no notes.
Avantika - 5 stars
Actually so good. Benefits a lot from focusing on events preceding the game rather than rehashing events in the campaign. This short story actually made me care about Avantika in a way the campaign itself never did and all the more interesting for knowing how her story ends.
Astrid - 4 stars
Meh. Not as narrowly focused as the Avantika one and suffers for it. Definitely interesting in the parts about Bren but drags otherwise, would have been better if it focused more on the beacon or on Bren rather than exploration and fighting
Pumat - 3 stars
Interesting premise but mostly just boring.
Hag/Isharni - 2 stars
Somehow even more boring. A character I didn't care about that I continue to not care about. Tries to capitalize on a single (very cool) moment and somehow drag it out into a whole short story without actually including the cool moment. Very much a "you had to have been there" sort of story, where the best part has already happened.
The Ruby - 5 stars
Amazing, so heartfelt and beautiful.
Overall, I do not really recommend this. Find it in a bookstore and just read the interesting ones without buying it. The biggest issue is the awkward way they tried to step around the events of the campaign -- and likely why my favorite of the short stories were generally the ones that were either prequels or epilogues because they had a little bit more freedom in this regard. Also since it apparently needs to be said, this is not a good book for people who haven't watched the campaign.
I understand the desire to find new ways to immerse yourself in the campaign and characters of Exandria, but if you really want more time in the world of the Mighty Nein, ...just go read fanfiction.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an eARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
'The Mighty Nein, Stories Untold' consists of multiple short stories revolving around NPCs within the campaign of the Mighty Nein.
I have not personally watched the Critical Role campaign for the Mighty Nein, but I have watched the animated series so it definitely helps to know the main characters even though they aren't necessarily the focus of these stories.
I will talk specifically about the stories I had enjoyed the most:
'Fight For The Soul' was a very interesting way to show the story of Fjord because it was from the perspectives of two gods...as the title states... fighting over his soul (albeit the wild mother was trying to liberate his soul). It was written quite beautifully and I enjoyed how unique it felt.
'Dreams of Drowning' follows the story of Avantika who is partially featured in 'Fight For The Soul' as she suffers in similar ways to Fjord and also become lovers at some point. But this part of the story take place before she meets Fjord and shows what essentially leads her to her fate. It was written very well and out of all the stories it was my favourite and kept my attention the most.
'Super Weasel' was a cute comic follows the Mighty Neins Weasel, it was a nice little surprise.
There are a few more stories that I will not go into detail with but they do follow different NPCs and it does give us more information on the Might Nein characters as well as just more lore in general.
Overall a good experience, I feel it would definitely benefit those who have watched the Critical Role campaign and animated series a lot more than someone with no background knowledge.
I have not personally watched the Critical Role campaign for the Mighty Nein, but I have watched the animated series so it definitely helps to know the main characters even though they aren't necessarily the focus of these stories.
I will talk specifically about the stories I had enjoyed the most:
'Fight For The Soul' was a very interesting way to show the story of Fjord because it was from the perspectives of two gods...as the title states... fighting over his soul (albeit the wild mother was trying to liberate his soul). It was written quite beautifully and I enjoyed how unique it felt.
'Dreams of Drowning' follows the story of Avantika who is partially featured in 'Fight For The Soul' as she suffers in similar ways to Fjord and also become lovers at some point. But this part of the story take place before she meets Fjord and shows what essentially leads her to her fate. It was written very well and out of all the stories it was my favourite and kept my attention the most.
'Super Weasel' was a cute comic follows the Mighty Neins Weasel, it was a nice little surprise.
There are a few more stories that I will not go into detail with but they do follow different NPCs and it does give us more information on the Might Nein characters as well as just more lore in general.
Overall a good experience, I feel it would definitely benefit those who have watched the Critical Role campaign and animated series a lot more than someone with no background knowledge.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The Mighty Nein: Stories Untold features 9 (haha) untold stories from Uk'otoa and the Wildmother, Essek, Darion, Sprinkle, Avantika and Vandran, Astrid and Eadwulf, Pumat Sol(s), Isharnai (hag), and Marion Lavorre (Ruby of the Sea/Jester's Mom).
From the beautifully written foreword written by Taliesin Jaffe to the cute and unexpected comic from Sprinkle's POV to a Pumat Sol adventure, this book features a variety of stories for every Critter to enjoy.
Rating: 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
While my overall rating of the book is 4⭐️, I find it only fair to rate each story individually with it being an anthology.
✨ Fight for the Soul: 3/5
✨ The Fall Will Kill You: 5/5
✨ Stay Alive: 5/5
✨ Super Weasel: 5/5
✨ Dreams of Drowning: 3/5
✨ Worthy: 4/5
✨ Respectfully: 5/5
✨ Delicious: 4/5
✨ The Ruby's Gentleman: 5/5
It's been a long time since I've watched Campaign 2, so I found a few parts a bit harder to follow since it was not fresh in my mind. I feel as if I would have appreciated some of the stories even more if some of the more lore-heavy aspects of the story had been better remembered in my mind.
I definitely enjoyed the second half of the book more than the first half, but the book was still a great read, and will be for any Critter wanting to read these stories from beloved C2 side characters in Exandria rather than the M9 themselves.
Thank you to NetGalley, Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore, and Critical Role for an eARC copy of this book!
From the beautifully written foreword written by Taliesin Jaffe to the cute and unexpected comic from Sprinkle's POV to a Pumat Sol adventure, this book features a variety of stories for every Critter to enjoy.
Rating: 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
While my overall rating of the book is 4⭐️, I find it only fair to rate each story individually with it being an anthology.
✨ Fight for the Soul: 3/5
✨ The Fall Will Kill You: 5/5
✨ Stay Alive: 5/5
✨ Super Weasel: 5/5
✨ Dreams of Drowning: 3/5
✨ Worthy: 4/5
✨ Respectfully: 5/5
✨ Delicious: 4/5
✨ The Ruby's Gentleman: 5/5
It's been a long time since I've watched Campaign 2, so I found a few parts a bit harder to follow since it was not fresh in my mind. I feel as if I would have appreciated some of the stories even more if some of the more lore-heavy aspects of the story had been better remembered in my mind.
I definitely enjoyed the second half of the book more than the first half, but the book was still a great read, and will be for any Critter wanting to read these stories from beloved C2 side characters in Exandria rather than the M9 themselves.
Thank you to NetGalley, Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore, and Critical Role for an eARC copy of this book!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I am so so honoured that I got to read this book ahead of its release. It was absolutely incredible.
For all the authors of this anthology, amazing work. Each character, each story, was unique, nostalgic and so new to experience. My most sincere congratulations and praises to them. This was one of the most fun, heartbreaking and exciting anthologies I've ever read.
From maritime rivalries to dope monk sh*t, love and tiny soldiers, this collection gives any fan of Critical Role and Mighty Nein a much needed insight into some of the characters that followed our heroes, either it be with a blast from the past or a trip to the future.
Not to forget or overlook the foreword written by the one and only Taliesin Jaffe, telling a little bit of his experience with this family of misfits and how everything that has become Critical Role Land has shaped so much of his love for Dungeons & Dragons and TTRPGs. An enriching tale to kick off this great anthology.
For any Critical Role fan, it's a land full of discovery and memory lanes. It's a perfect example of the love we have for this story, told by fans just like us.
Thank you!
(Free ARC from NetGalley and Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore | Random House Worlds that I chose to review after reading - Cross-posted on Goodreads on July 31st, 2026)
For all the authors of this anthology, amazing work. Each character, each story, was unique, nostalgic and so new to experience. My most sincere congratulations and praises to them. This was one of the most fun, heartbreaking and exciting anthologies I've ever read.
From maritime rivalries to dope monk sh*t, love and tiny soldiers, this collection gives any fan of Critical Role and Mighty Nein a much needed insight into some of the characters that followed our heroes, either it be with a blast from the past or a trip to the future.
Not to forget or overlook the foreword written by the one and only Taliesin Jaffe, telling a little bit of his experience with this family of misfits and how everything that has become Critical Role Land has shaped so much of his love for Dungeons & Dragons and TTRPGs. An enriching tale to kick off this great anthology.
For any Critical Role fan, it's a land full of discovery and memory lanes. It's a perfect example of the love we have for this story, told by fans just like us.
Thank you!
(Free ARC from NetGalley and Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore | Random House Worlds that I chose to review after reading - Cross-posted on Goodreads on July 31st, 2026)
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
First and foremost, Critical Role is one of my favorite things ever. I find myself returning to the podcast when I'm anxious or feeling down or lonely. I love that these stories exist to offer a new perspective to some of the beloved--and maybe some hated--characters. It's interesting to see them in their own spaces outside the framework of the Mighty Nein, especially since we don't see their motivations and backstory.
Essek and Dairon surprised me a lot! But Sprinkle's story was hands down my favorite. He's definitely a super weasel! Love the comic format of that and the art was so good. Also, can we get Matt to record "Respectfully"? Please? Matt as Pumat is one of my favorite things of the whole series.
While I don't think it is necessary to have finished all of Mighty Nein before reading this, I'd definitely recommend some familiarity with the series, because a lot of the nuance and humor will be lost on you otherwise. If you're fans of the authors writing this, you might enjoy the stories as simply being stories, but otherwise this collection really brought these side characters to life.
I received an advanced copy of this book for review. All opinions are my own. Thanks to Del Rey for the arc!
Essek and Dairon surprised me a lot! But Sprinkle's story was hands down my favorite. He's definitely a super weasel! Love the comic format of that and the art was so good. Also, can we get Matt to record "Respectfully"? Please? Matt as Pumat is one of my favorite things of the whole series.
While I don't think it is necessary to have finished all of Mighty Nein before reading this, I'd definitely recommend some familiarity with the series, because a lot of the nuance and humor will be lost on you otherwise. If you're fans of the authors writing this, you might enjoy the stories as simply being stories, but otherwise this collection really brought these side characters to life.
I received an advanced copy of this book for review. All opinions are my own. Thanks to Del Rey for the arc!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This book is an absolute love letter to the fans of Exandria. If you loved Campaign Two, you need to add this to your collection immediately. Critical Role captures all the magic, humor, and deep emotion that made the Mighty Nein crew so special.
The story is beautifully written and stays perfectly true to the characters we know and love. It expands the lore in ways that will make you look at the entire campaign with fresh eyes. Every page is packed with incredible details, high stakes, and unforgettable fantasy world-building.
The pacing keeps you hooked from the very first paragraph, making it nearly impossible to put down. Whether you are a long-time fan or new to the world of Wildemount, this is a beautiful and essential addition to your bookshelf.
The story is beautifully written and stays perfectly true to the characters we know and love. It expands the lore in ways that will make you look at the entire campaign with fresh eyes. Every page is packed with incredible details, high stakes, and unforgettable fantasy world-building.
The pacing keeps you hooked from the very first paragraph, making it nearly impossible to put down. Whether you are a long-time fan or new to the world of Wildemount, this is a beautiful and essential addition to your bookshelf.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
4.5 stars rounded up!⭐
A must-read for fans of Critical Role. The Mighty Nein - Stories Untold contains nine well-crafted stories which follow some of the most beloved (or despised) characters of Campaign 2 of Critical Role. It feels like a love letter to the world and characters that were brought to life in that campaign and it was great to read about some of these characters again, from a different viewpoint.
Not all stories resonated with me equally, but there is definitely something for everyone in this beautiful book!
Thanks to Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this review copy.
A must-read for fans of Critical Role. The Mighty Nein - Stories Untold contains nine well-crafted stories which follow some of the most beloved (or despised) characters of Campaign 2 of Critical Role. It feels like a love letter to the world and characters that were brought to life in that campaign and it was great to read about some of these characters again, from a different viewpoint.
Not all stories resonated with me equally, but there is definitely something for everyone in this beautiful book!
Thanks to Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this review copy.
August 4, 2026
4/5 Stars
Thank you to Random House Worlds for providing me with an arc.
I absolutely adore critical role so I was very excited when I got approved for this. This is a collection of 9 short stories following different side characters from Campaign 2, characters like Avantika, Sprinkle, Marion, and so many more. We get to learn more about characters we are already familiar with but don’t know their entire story. I loved that these all took place before or during campaign 2. Overall these were all great additions to the world of critical role and Campaign 2.
Thank you to Random House Worlds for providing me with an arc.
I absolutely adore critical role so I was very excited when I got approved for this. This is a collection of 9 short stories following different side characters from Campaign 2, characters like Avantika, Sprinkle, Marion, and so many more. We get to learn more about characters we are already familiar with but don’t know their entire story. I loved that these all took place before or during campaign 2. Overall these were all great additions to the world of critical role and Campaign 2.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
As always this Critical Role book was amazing. I loved seeing new stories but with familiar characters. Or familiar stories from new perspectives. Thank you to Critical Role and NetGalley for the arc.
August 11, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and publishers for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review to come.
Review to come.
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