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Diablo #10
The Lost Horadrim
The Horadrim must journey to the Skovos Isles to discover the fate of a long-lost expedition in this official prequel novel to Lord of Hatred.
In a world culled by Malthael's Reaping, the Horadric order—humanity's only hope—struggles
to gain a foothold. Within the dimming lands of Sanctuary, evils rise from all corners, and though the Horadrim are used to facing down the darkest spawn of the Burning Hells, they are far less prepared for the depravity arising within their fellow men. But as Lorath, Donan, and Tyrael seek justice and a path forward, the Horadrim's numbers have dwindled, leaving humanity vulnerable.
Hoping to strengthen the order, Tyrael and the two mages set sail to Skovos, where Sho-Ren and four other Horadrim were sent years ago to establish diplomatic relations with the Askari . . . and were never heard from again. Though the risk is great, the chance of reclaiming kin—as well as the Horadric vault hidden deep within the heart of the isles—remains too great an opportunity to pass up.
At first glance, Skovos appears to have escaped the devastation so many others faced in the wake of the Reaping. But as the Horadrim attempt to ally with the Askari and their rulers, it becomes clear that all is not right on their shores. To gain the trust of the Amazon warriors, Lorath seeks the aid of their captain, Adreona. The Askari leader does not trust the mysterious mainlander, though—not while her soldiers are under constant threat of the Drowned and can ill afford distractions.
To save both their peoples, Lorath and Adreona must learn to battle together against not only the perils before them . . . but also those lurking just beneath the surface.
In a world culled by Malthael's Reaping, the Horadric order—humanity's only hope—struggles
to gain a foothold. Within the dimming lands of Sanctuary, evils rise from all corners, and though the Horadrim are used to facing down the darkest spawn of the Burning Hells, they are far less prepared for the depravity arising within their fellow men. But as Lorath, Donan, and Tyrael seek justice and a path forward, the Horadrim's numbers have dwindled, leaving humanity vulnerable.
Hoping to strengthen the order, Tyrael and the two mages set sail to Skovos, where Sho-Ren and four other Horadrim were sent years ago to establish diplomatic relations with the Askari . . . and were never heard from again. Though the risk is great, the chance of reclaiming kin—as well as the Horadric vault hidden deep within the heart of the isles—remains too great an opportunity to pass up.
At first glance, Skovos appears to have escaped the devastation so many others faced in the wake of the Reaping. But as the Horadrim attempt to ally with the Askari and their rulers, it becomes clear that all is not right on their shores. To gain the trust of the Amazon warriors, Lorath seeks the aid of their captain, Adreona. The Askari leader does not trust the mysterious mainlander, though—not while her soldiers are under constant threat of the Drowned and can ill afford distractions.
To save both their peoples, Lorath and Adreona must learn to battle together against not only the perils before them . . . but also those lurking just beneath the surface.
303 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 21, 2026
About the author
Matthew J. Kirby
26 books469 followersMatthew Kirby was born in Utah, and grew up in Maryland, California, and Hawaii. As an undergraduate he majored in history, and then went on to pursue an M.S. in school psychology. For ten months out of the year he works with students, and during the rest of the year he writes. He and his wife currently live in northern Utah.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 5, 2026
Well, this was a letdown. :( This is probably the second weakest Diablo novel in its series (Demonsbane would be the weakest in case you're wondering).
I had high hopes going into this. A novel that bridges the gap between D3 and D4? Awesome, sign me up. Unfortunately, it's less a bridge, and more "this is some stuff that happens several years after Reaper of Souls," said stuff being vaguely referenced in Lord of Hatred. I'll be honest, you have no reason to read this book if you want any real expansion on Skovos, or how Lorath and Adreona meet. Nothing happens in this novel that really expands or recontextualizes the events of said game.
Also, despite only taking place several years after RoS, the novel feels so disjointed from Diablo III. Diablo IV did too in a lot of ways, but the novel's close proximity to the events of D3 make this harder to ignore. The Nephalem goes completely unmentioned. The Horadrim are all dead or gone save Tyrael, Lorath, and new recruit Donan, and none of them are even mentioned, despite Tyrael's efforts in Storm of Light. We're using the term "Firstborn" rather than "nephalem" now, for Light knows what reasons (yes, D4 does this too, and it's silly there as well). The Reapers and Malthael's genocide are referenced at least, but it's just that - references. This isn't necessarily the author's fault, Blizzard seems terrified of referencing Diablo III in Diablo IV, but here, this disconnect hits much harder due to the proximity of events.
Even all that aside, the novel is just bog standard fantasy at the end of the day. The romance between Adreona and Lorath is weaksauce. Skovos is...okay, but having played Lord of Hatred before this, the novel's descriptions can't do justice to what was depicted on screen. The characters are passable, but nothing really stands out. It's a shame, because it's not like Diablo can't have stellar tie-in fiction (Tales from the Horadric Library, the Horadric Archive series, comics, short stories, etc.), but this is just so...meh.
Shame. At the end of the day, I can't really recommend it. If you're here for the lore, not much is provided. If you're here for a fantasy story, there's countless better options available.
I had high hopes going into this. A novel that bridges the gap between D3 and D4? Awesome, sign me up. Unfortunately, it's less a bridge, and more "this is some stuff that happens several years after Reaper of Souls," said stuff being vaguely referenced in Lord of Hatred. I'll be honest, you have no reason to read this book if you want any real expansion on Skovos, or how Lorath and Adreona meet. Nothing happens in this novel that really expands or recontextualizes the events of said game.
Also, despite only taking place several years after RoS, the novel feels so disjointed from Diablo III. Diablo IV did too in a lot of ways, but the novel's close proximity to the events of D3 make this harder to ignore. The Nephalem goes completely unmentioned. The Horadrim are all dead or gone save Tyrael, Lorath, and new recruit Donan, and none of them are even mentioned, despite Tyrael's efforts in Storm of Light. We're using the term "Firstborn" rather than "nephalem" now, for Light knows what reasons (yes, D4 does this too, and it's silly there as well). The Reapers and Malthael's genocide are referenced at least, but it's just that - references. This isn't necessarily the author's fault, Blizzard seems terrified of referencing Diablo III in Diablo IV, but here, this disconnect hits much harder due to the proximity of events.
Even all that aside, the novel is just bog standard fantasy at the end of the day. The romance between Adreona and Lorath is weaksauce. Skovos is...okay, but having played Lord of Hatred before this, the novel's descriptions can't do justice to what was depicted on screen. The characters are passable, but nothing really stands out. It's a shame, because it's not like Diablo can't have stellar tie-in fiction (Tales from the Horadric Library, the Horadric Archive series, comics, short stories, etc.), but this is just so...meh.
Shame. At the end of the day, I can't really recommend it. If you're here for the lore, not much is provided. If you're here for a fantasy story, there's countless better options available.
April 25, 2026
If you are a massive fan of the Diablo series and want to dive more into the word of Sanctuary and more specifically the isles of Skovos, I would recommend going into this with tempered expectations.
I was very excited when I learned that this book was part of the promotion for the upcoming expansion Lord of Hatred for Diablo IV and would serve as a prequel of sorts. I was even more excited when learning that it takes place between the events of Diablo III: Reaper of Souls and Diablo IV, further continuing to bridge the gap. However, the more I read this book, the more predictable and disjointed it became. The three protagonists are cookie-cutter archetypes from other works of fiction, one of whom I was very disappointed was only in the book for little more than a third of it and unfortunately had the most bland plot line of the three. The most compelling characters in the book are Adreona and Keldon while the others for lack of a better word felt bland. The climax of the book itself only spans for about six pages after building up for nearly one hundred pages and is resolved very quickly.
The world of Sanctuary is expansive, grim, and gruesome and though elements of that are present here, The Lost Horadrim was ultimately a disappointing book with a few exciting moments you would expect.
I was very excited when I learned that this book was part of the promotion for the upcoming expansion Lord of Hatred for Diablo IV and would serve as a prequel of sorts. I was even more excited when learning that it takes place between the events of Diablo III: Reaper of Souls and Diablo IV, further continuing to bridge the gap. However, the more I read this book, the more predictable and disjointed it became. The three protagonists are cookie-cutter archetypes from other works of fiction, one of whom I was very disappointed was only in the book for little more than a third of it and unfortunately had the most bland plot line of the three. The most compelling characters in the book are Adreona and Keldon while the others for lack of a better word felt bland. The climax of the book itself only spans for about six pages after building up for nearly one hundred pages and is resolved very quickly.
The world of Sanctuary is expansive, grim, and gruesome and though elements of that are present here, The Lost Horadrim was ultimately a disappointing book with a few exciting moments you would expect.
May 10, 2026
Great prequel to the Diablo 4 video game. The only major complaint I have about this book is that it felt as though some of its story was cut short as parts of it felt too quick to have happened within the time frame set. Otherwise the story itself is interesting from start to finish and you get a glimpse of how Donan and Lorath were in their younger years as this is before they even recruit Elias.
June 16, 2026
It was a great bridge between D3: RoS and D4, but the main characters felt a tad flat.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews