FINAL FANTASY XIV 光の回顧録 Chronicles of Light

by Square Enix, FINAL FANTASY XIV

かつてエオルゼアで輝いた、25編の光の物語 これは、ある冒険者がまとめた一冊の書。 そこに綴られていたのは、かの英雄にまつわる人々が紡いだ、２５編の物語だった―― Lodestone（公式サイト） で公開された「第七霊災回顧録」、「蒼天秘話」、「紅蓮秘話」に、 開発チームによる書き下ろし４編を加えた、全25編を収録した『ファイナルファンタジーXIV』初の公式短編集。 書き下ろしは、ゼノスの過去を描いた「その掌が血に染まるまで」、タタルとハンコックの奮闘を描いた「クガネ遊戯」、 ヒエンとドマの再起にまつわる「想ひ染む」、そしてゴウセツのその後を描いた「最後の死場」 の４編。 表紙イラスト、挿絵(1話につき1点)は板鼻利幸氏による描き下ろし。 内容（「BOOK」データベースより） かつてエオルゼアで輝いた、25編の光の物語。

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Video Games, Light Novel, High Fantasy

263 pages, Tankobon Hardcover

First published March 9, 2019

About the author

Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd. (株式会社スクウェア・エニックス・ホールディングス) TYO: 9684 is a Japanese video game and publishing company best known for its console role-playing game franchises, which include the Final Fantasy series, the Dragon Quest series, and the action-RPG Kingdom Hearts series. Its headquarters are located in the Shinjuku Bunka Quint Building in Yoyogi, Shibuya, Tokyo.

Reviews

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not sure if it shows there were several authors for this book, but I felt like some stories were better than others. Some I didn't much care for and some I enjoyed quite a bit, but maybe it also mattered who the characters in them were, as I have Opinions on the NPCs in this game...

Also grrr, they called Warrior of Light a "he" after avoiding genders everywhere else, quite a bad muck-up, that.

[Aja: The Narcoleptic Ninja · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t think I’ve ever read a book of short stories where I’ve enjoyed every single story it had to offer. Until now? When this book was announced I immediately pre-ordered it. I’ve been craving more Final Fantasy and this book promised to deliver some stories about my favorite characters.There were other stories promised as well, stories relating to characters that were cool, but definitely not on my list of all-time favorites, and characters there was no way I would have gone out of my way to read about, but that’s how all short story compilations go. Some are fantastic, some are okay, some are not great, but even if they aren’t then you’re usually only suffering for a few pages before you can move on to something new.
I was completely prepared for that to be the case here, but even the stories where I’d start off mildly uninterested, there was usually something that pulled me in and made me want to know more. And by the end, I usually ended up enjoying what the story had to offer even if I hadn’t necessarily bonded with the character that it was focused on. Unfortunately, this book didn’t really sate the craving for more Final Fantasy, it just kind of made me want more… so I can pretty much guarantee the next time they announce a book like this, I’ll be lining up to pre-order it yet again.

[Михаил · Rating 2 out of 5]

У великолепной Final Fantasy XIV настолько насыщенный лор, мир и сценарий, что какие-то сторонние официальные произведения к ним попросту не цепляются. Вроде бы 25 коротеньких рассказов пытаются что-то рассказать о прошлом персонажей, которое в игре могло не объясниться разве что дотошным образом, но в итоге сборник попадает в ловушку, типичную для всех официальных тай-инов — эти дополнения попросту ничтожны и несущественны, и что они есть, что их нет — никакой разницы. Как правило, это небольшие фансервисные диалоги или небольшие размышления персонажей, которые ничем игравшего читателя не удивят. А не игравшему и вовсе ничего понятно здесь не будет. В итоге главный плюс остаётся у потрясающих иллюстраций, которых здесь столько же, сколько и рассказов, достаточно посмотреть на них, и про эту книгу забыть.

[Melody · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chronicles of Light is an excellent collection of short stories following various characters from Final Fantasy XIV. Spanning from before the first expansion, A Realm Reborn, to after the Stormblood expansion, each short story focuses on the experiences and thoughts of a certain character, be it Nanamo, Estinien, Haurchefant, Zenos, Yotsuyu, and many more.

The strength of these stories—and indeed the whole book—lies in the world-building and character work of the game itself. Because of this, I wouldn't call it too accessible to those who aren't already players as each story builds upon in-game events, references, and spoilers alike. That being said, it's an easily enjoyable book for fans of the game and characters who commonly interact with the Warrior of Light—if a bit expensive as a small, hardcover book. But I've no regrets myself!

Translated into English from Japanese, the writing of each character's story coincides strongly with how each character is written for the game's English version. There aren't many variations of writing style or length despite being penned from various authors, which was nice in this instance because it meant that character voice was always emphasized over the writer's voice.

Therefore, rating each story for quality and content is a purely subjective exercise based on how much you like a particular character and enjoy the sorts of insights you receive about them that the game doesn't provide. My list is as follows:

1. Where Victory and Glory Lead: 4 stars
2. The Sultana's Seven: 4 stars
3. Of Friends Lost and Found: 4 stars
4. The Walker's Path: 4 stars
5. In Louisoix's Wake: 5 stars
6. Vows Unbroken: 5 stars
7. Through Fire and Blood: 5 stars
8. What Remains of a Knight: 5 stars
9. The Dreamer and the Dream: 3 stars
10. Words, Deeds, Beliefs: 4 stars
11. Thoughts Unspoken: 5 stars
12. For Coin and Country: 4 stars
13. A Malm in Her Shoes: 4 stars
14. A Display of Ingenuity: 5 stars
15. The Hunt Begins: 5 stars
16. In Darkness Blooms the Lily: 5 stars
17. O Nhaama, Where Art Thou: 5 stars
18. The Players and the Pawns: 2 stars
19. When the Wager Pays Off: 5 stars
20. The Weight of a Name: 4 stars
21. From Azure Ashes: 5 stars
22. A Calm After the Storm: 5 stars
23. The First Step: 2 stars
24. Ever After: 4 stars
25. The Samurai Who Couldn't Die: 5 stars

Excellent job, Square Enix team. Please do one for Shadowbringers and Endwalker next,,, if ya want,,,,,,

[Katheryn Haskell · Rating 5 out of 5]

These stories bring me so many feels. So many. Have I always had the option to read these? Yes, they're on the Lodestone for free. But something about owning them, and physically reading it is just SO much more satisfying.

First and foremost THIS BOOK IS STUNNING. The hard cover. The cover art on the dust jacket AND the book. The new drawings/concept art for every short story. 10/10 fucking stunning. It's a little small, so it's a weird fit on my bookshelf, but I forgive.

I wish there were more stories generally, but considering it has three expansions worth in it, I'm not mad. All the short stories do such a good job of adding moments for smaller characters. It makes me appreciate all of them so much more.

Some of these seriously almost made me cry, while some I was dying laughing. It was so heart warming, and I honestly just wanna reply the whole story of FFXIV now, and I just might.

If you play FFXIV I cannot recommend this enough. If you don't, I cannot recommend that you play the game (at least to the end of Stormblood, which I think you can do for free) and THEN read this enough. So good. So fulfilling. It's a little expensive ($33CAD) for something that's generally free, but fuck it, Squeenix, take my money. No regrets.

[Sierra Kilpatrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

So many of these stories warmed my heart, especially since this book was a gift from a friend who is no longer with me. I'm so grateful for this game that has brought me many cherished memories. I miss what was, but I must look forward to what will be.

[Vishanth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can't tell if i really enjoyed this on the merit of the book itself or whether how invested i already am in FFXIV, it's world and it's characters.

To make it simple i'll write a little on my thoughts on each short story

Where Victory and Glory Lead: As a trueborn Lominsan i have a persoanl bias to my Admiral but also a story set during the battle of Cartenau is bound to be a great read

The Sultana's Seven: Big Nanamo fan and this short remains true to her character. Softspoken an idealistic to a fault but not fit to rule the corrupt monetarist society of Ul'Dah however it doesn't stop her from growing into the role of a great leader.

Of Friends Lost and Found: Nice to finally get some Kanne E Sanna content. I like how this short actually comes around in her Role quest in Endwalker. Also really cool to find out that she was responsible for recovering Tupsumati.

The Walker's Path: Easily the best of the "Tales from the Calamity" Section. Minfilia was in dire need of content given how unceremoniously the game writes her off. Finding out how hostile she was at first towards Thancred and the idea of uniting the Path of the Twelve with the Circle of Knowing but in the wake of calamity was forced into the position of leader. It adds another layer of tragedy as her blessing of the echo was truly a curse in all aspect yet it didn't hold her back from playing her role.

In Louisoix's Wake: Somehow does a better job than Coils of Bahamut to emphasise the profound effect Louisoix had on the twins and how his death sparked their decision to journey to Eorzea

Through Fire and Blood: Not as big a heavensward fan as everyone else but i'm always here for Estinien. Seeing just how much rage and contempt a young Estinien had towards dragons emphasises how much he has grown and changed in the present.

The Dreamer and the Dream: A chapter that absolutely needed to be in the game and in of itself is the bare minimum. This character had so much potential just to be abandoned post dravania. I really wish we got more insight into her being a reincarnation of Shiva, how the conflict of two souls wear as she is in the centre of a centuries long war with her heart in both sides despite the crimes she committed in the name of justice. But i guess a short showing her headspace before she gets fridged is good enough.

Vows Unbroken: Did not expect to see a Francel story but i appretate when even the most minor side character can be used as an interesting perspective. Although Harchenfaunt is very different and more stoic than his soft spoken game counterpart.

For Coin and Country: I am always sat for Ul'dah politics. Some of the best dialogue and characterisation comes from these meetings. Still don't know how to feel about Lolorito.

What Remains of a Knight: Barely remember this one so it probably wasn't all that great

Words, Deeds, Beliefs: A nice little Alphinaud introspection with an Edmont conversation but an otherwise forgettable short.

A Malm in Her Shoes: Adored this short and is easily my fav from "Tales from the Dragonsong War" Alisaie is my faviroute Scion and seeing how easily she befriends people and effortlessly plays the role of hero despite being way too self critical. She remains such a beautifully well realised character and i hope to see her reunite with Emery. I was already invested in their friendship in just a few pages.

Thoughts Unspoken: Yeah this was an obvious attempt at emotional manipulation. Yes Hauchenfaunts death was sad. Poorly written but also sad. Just like this short story.

The Weight of a Name: Very important story detailing Lyse and Papalymo's exploits after the bloody banquet. We see Lyse befriend M'naago and prove herself invaluable and well and showing us why the Ala Mhigan resistance saw a leader in Lyse.

A Calm After the Storm: A fun little story about the women having teatime recounting the goings and catching up. I like the cute little banter and we also get a Y'Mhitra mention (My fav Rhul sister and mentor) It's also nice to know Lyse regularly meets up with the Scions. However i didn't appreciate the short use "Him" pronouns to gender the Warrior of Light after every short story made an effort to keep them genderless to not break immersion.

When the Wager Pays Off: My second faviroute from "Tales from the Storm" finding out how Raubahn and Pippin met was such a tearjerker. Raubahn fighting in the pit for Pippin's freedom instead of his own and adopting him later. That is one beautiful man.

O Nhaama, Where Art Thou: Funniest short by far. I love Stormblood especially the Azim Steppe section. Magnai was always a lovestruck loser and seeing Sadu at the end mocking him was so satisfying. She's still so hot even in just words on paper.

In Darkness Blooms the Lily: The best short from this section and maybe the entire book. Yotsuyu is such a fascinating character made more interesting in her first encounter with Zenos. Zenos was the only one to see through her mask and instantly recognised her contempt for doma and weaponised that for Garlemalds game. Its a great insight into how both Yotsuyu and Zenos are really good at reading people despite Zenos being so inhuman and Yotsuyu the opposite which is what made them such compelling villains.

From Azure Ashes: Another Estinien short that recounts his journey during Stormblood. I liked how he honored Ysayle's memory by naming his armour after her. However this short wasn't needed as we just recount a scene we've already experienced in the game.

The First Step: Fordola is another great antagonist from Stormblood and i appreciate how slow and socially aware her redemption arc is. The short continues off from what we see in game from the Endwalker role quest and the final Summoner quest (I also appreciate how this short links back to that mission and rewards even the most minor of side quests)

A Display of Ingenuity: A Cid and Nero story about their time in school. A like their little gay rivalry and this was fun to read but the prose was at its most clunky here

The Players and the pawns: I was so excited to read a Tataru story just to find out it's mostly about Hancock being a passive aggressive dick as usual

Everafter: A Yugiri and Cirina short that reveals Cirina's affection for Hien and their inability to live the life the two want now that they have taken up positions of leadership. I feel like it adds a lot to the two and i like how Yugiri is a silent companion in battle and life.

A Samurai who Couldn't Die: A nice if forgettable Gosetsu story to end it off.

my top 5 shorts are
1: In Darkness Blooms the Lily
2: When the Wager Pays Off
3: A Malm in Her Shoes
4: The Walker's Path
5: Of Friends Lost and Found

[Kelsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Literally my only problem with this book is pronouns. If you play a masc WoL you’re fine. If, like me, you exclusively play femme WoL/s, it’s a little jarring to read the WoL referred to as he/him. They do make an effort in some stories to use they/them but then in others use he/him, or in one they shift from they/them to he/him within the same story! Frustrating. It’s the only downside of publishing these usually online stories in a book, as online they do offer a toggle for WoL gender.

However, that didn’t take away from my 5 star review. Unsurprisingly my favourites were stories featuring my favourite characters, but even ones with characters I don’t normally care for I still found enjoyment and valuable background information.

I feel like the most important stories are ‘The Hunt Begins’ and ‘In Darkness Blooms the Lily’ because I feel like misunderstandings of Zenos are caused by these stories not being shown in the game. If only they were! Especially The Hunt Begins.

[Violet · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a well-made epic fantasy world, the stories contained within are endless. The deeper and richer the world and its characters, the more abundant the tales.


The Final Fantasy franchise is known for its world building and its stories. Each numbered game within the series is a stand-alone title with distinct fantasy universes that thrive through originality and complex characters. There is a reason why Final Fantasy, as a brand, has been around for 35 years, and this particular iteration, Final Fantasy XIV, is the most popular online game in US at the moment.

This book is a collection of short stories, expanding upon XIV and its characters. Most of these stories were originally published for free online, with the exception of four tales exclusive to this book. And they only cover up to the Stormblood expansion. This is not an introduction to Final Fantasy XIV, nor is it a novelization of the game. Instead, it’s an exploration of the stuff that happens off screen while your player character is doing fetch quests or grinding dungeons for money and XP.

The writing in this collection is paired down and honed in. The stories are short and to the point. Little tasting samplers, rich and sweet, they go down easy and you can eat several (or all) in one sitting. They are well written and edited in that way. Occasionally, if you don’t fully remember the full context of the story, though, you can be a little lost. They don’t waste any time reminding you who these characters are, what this setting is. They take it for granted that you know the world and what has happened, that you’re just here to fill in gaps and learn more.

I enjoyed it because I knew the context. I got into Final Fantasy XIV during the pandemic upon the insistence of my boyfriend. It saved my sanity when I was not only stuck inside because of the threat of COVID, but also unable to walk much due to an injured foot. Its Chosen One verses Evil Empire narrative wasn’t an unfamiliar concept, but the emotions involved in the conflicts and the depth of the world building drew me in, and now I play multiple times a week.

Save to say I’m the perfect audience for this book. And I did enjoy myself reading. (So many emotions!) It was fun to learn a character’s back story and/or how they experienced the game’s events. Like how Haurchefant became a knight in “Vows Unbroken.” Or just how depraved Zenos can be in “The Hunt Begins.” Or how Pipin was adopted by Raubahn in “When the Wager Pays Off.” Or the extent of Cirina’s feelings in “Ever After.” I could go on…

When you spend so much time in a well-crafted fantasy, you can’t help but want to know more. And the more complex and developed the world and characters are, the more stories there are out there to explore and get lost in. The Final Fantasy team knows this, and doesn’t disappoint their fans by providing more.

[ribbonknight · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was fine. A collection of short stories previously published on the FFXIV website, which is notoriously awful to navigate.

These are vignettes about the characters and stories in FFXIV, adding some depth and flavor to the plot usually a while after part of the story was told. Each has a sketch to go along with it. Some glimpses were welcome, such as Alisaie cracking a book on ancient arcane theory by candlelight, but even well-done characterization or grace notes just make one wonder why it wasn’t in the main story to begin with.

Some, like Gosetsu waiting to die and be reunited with his loved ones, is moreso a remixed tale of canonical facts we’ve already been told - just expressed from a different perspective.

I wish the more recent ones were also available in book format, because I’d like to read them somehow other than my phone! The most recent expansions were more meaningful for me, so I’ll probably look them up soon.

Not recommended to anyone who hasn’t played the game; nothing is explained, no one introduced, and I think the impact would be much less.

[Jonathan Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

For the ones we've lost. For the ones we can yet save.

Una recolección de las historias cortas que definen aún mejor los personajes durante los acontecimientos previos a A Realm Reborn, en A Realm Reborn, en Heavensward y en Stormblood. Si pensaba que no podía quererles más, este libro me ha demostrado que si puedo.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you love FFXIV and wish there was more lore for side characters, you'll love this book. I don't think you would enjoy the stories as much if you do not have an understanding of who these characters are before you read this collection of short stories. Some are good and some are very good, but I enjoyed each and every story in this compilation.

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm so glad they reprinted this and also made it available as an ebook, because it has four original stories that were never put up on the Lodestone and I enjoyed them a lot. Here's hoping they do another hard copy collection for expansions after Stormblood!

[Marynchan Miku · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this collection of short stories! They're well written and it's always fun to read more facts about the characters!

[Jorge Luis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unas historias son buenas, otras no tanto. Gran contenido para los fanáticos de FFXIV

[Roxanne Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good complement to FFXIV, with beautiful illustrations.

[Robert Johnston · Rating 4 out of 5]

A interesting read for a fan of the game. Giving new perspective to many of the characters.

[Geremy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good to dive deeper into the world of Eorzea. Story spoilers if you care about the game. Don’t read this book until after playing through the stormblood expansion.

[Aru · Rating 5 out of 5]

baby zenos *starts sobbing*

[Sofie N · Rating 5 out of 5]

great for FFXIV fans. gives extra insight to side characters that are well loved

[LizzardTales · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved seeing the smaller side stories for character ive grown to love. easy to read

[TheFourthSword · Rating 5 out of 5]

Man I love FFXIV

[Shirley Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful compliment to the game

While I don't think reading this out of context will endear the characters enough to create brand new fans of 14, this short story collection is excellent for pre-existing fans. The stories are divided up into four sections, and cover from the very beginning of A Realm Reborn to after the end of Stormblood. Each of the stories really do help deepen the world and characters that are familiar to those who have played through the sections of the game's main story each section aligns with.

Also, while most of the stories are available for free on the official website, the original stories are spread out to three of the four sections - as far as I can tell, A Realm Reborn is the only section where all of the stories are fully available. It also seems that the included illustrations for each story is exclusive to this collection.

Given how long publishing generally takes, I don't believe the exclusion of Shadowbringers or Endwalker was due to anything other than them still being at least partially unreleased through most of the publishing process. However, I'm hoping we get a volume 2 in a few years (once we have 7.0 and a few patches + 2 years for the publication process)

[nikolai · Rating 5 out of 5]

I READ SOMETHING IN 2026!!! HOORAY!!!
as a fan of ffxiv, reading even more about my favorite characters was so lovely. most of these short stories you can read for free on the site, but i really wanted to own this regardless. there's beautiful illustrations accompanying the stories, and the added ones are so nice, too. as always it was absolutely heartbreaking to read some, knowing what has come to the characters, but i loved it so much.

you definitely need to have finished stormblood (and important lore side quests like the bahamut ones) to read this to avoid spoilers however, which is why i even took so long to read it. i cried throughout almost the entire thing (positively) it was very overwhelming in the best way. i love this world. i love these characters. i can't recommend it enough to fans of ARR, heavensward and stormblood.

i have seen some comments on the WOL's gender/pronouns and while i agree that it would have been nice if they/them was used, i actually enjoyed viewing the story through the lense of meteor. i understand their decision, but i do agree that they/them would have felt more inclusive for those who want to see the story through only their own wol's eyes. i personally didn't mind it that much, i love meteor, i love the wol.

[FeelingKoi · Rating 4 out of 5]

For someone who has played Final Fantasy XIV for about 3-4 years and has been actively participating in the immersive role playing community on light for about 1 year (at time of writing) I found this a very comfy and curious read. There was a lot of insight into the off-screen parts of some of the points of the game, and some glimpses into the minds of less developed characters. I’m aware that these tales are posted, for free, on the lodestone but this was my first time reading them and I enjoyed it as it was formatted like a book in this medium. I enjoyed the Battle of Cartenau stories the most as I found them the most fascinating, especially considering the story of 1.0 and what happened to the original version of the game. I felt like the heavensward stories, and a fair measure of some of the other ones, were quite difficult to follow in parts. I often found myself trying to work out and visualise who was talking and what was going on in the first couple pages, but other than that I thought it was rather brilliant and I liked it a lot.

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciate that they tried to gender neutralize the WoL by using "they" instead of the usual "he", but whoever was tasked editing sure didn't try very hard since "he" is used in the little notes from the "author" between chapters and at the very end of "A Calm After the Storm" after referring to WoL as "they" throughout the story Y'shtola suddenly calls them "he" at the end.

Putting that aside, the stories were good. Most of them are free from the Lodestone Side Stories but of course there are "bonus" stories that weren't released there in here as well. Such as information about Zenos' background and how Tsukuyomi got recruited to act as viceroy.

I wish I'd been able to read this before playing through those expansions, but now that I have at least I'll have them in mind when I NG+.

[Zach Denton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This probably the most biased 5 star rating I'll ever give. I really liked the stories told, and the illustrations that accompany each story are very cool! However, it is impossible for me to recommend this book unless you're familiar with the story and characters of FFXIV, as it expands on the lore of the game. It was a very enjoyable read.

[Bookmom! · Rating 5 out of 5]

First thing to know about this book is to make sure you specify what language you want to read it in. Second thing is that this book lives up to everything we have come to love about the Final Fantasy franchise. It is a beautiful saga filled with endless amounts of creative wonder. This gets a full five stars for me.

[Amanda Setasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

All of these were initially published online for free, and then finally released in a book. This covers up through Stormblood expansion short stories.

It gives you a look into the lives of the important characters that you don't spend much time with, and I really enjoyed it.

[Arisu · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book you need to fill the emptiness left behind after finishing Heavensward.

Make sure to have a cup of hot chocolate with you.