The World of Critical Role, a new non-fiction book by Liz Marsham and the cast of the series, is a must-have book that provides tons of new insight into the hit web series. Published by Ten Speed Press, The World of Critical Role is an expansive non-fiction book that provides one of the most comprehensive looks yet into the popular series, recapping key moments from the campaign as well as giving fans a behind the scenes look at the show and its cast.
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Launched in 2015 as a Geek & Sundry webseries, Critical Role features a group of voice actors playing through an epic Dungeons & Dragons campaign. Over its five year history, the show has grown from doing dance-offs to celebrate subscriber milestones to having its own studio, selling out packed theaters for live shows, and breaking Kickstarter records to produce an animated series (which was then picked up by Amazon Prime.) The phenomenon of Critical Role itself is a fascinating one, and The World of Critical Role does its best to follow the show’s growth from a home game to the internet juggernaut it is today.
The World of Critical Role is divided into nine chapters, each named after a lyric of the show’s theme song. The first chapter covers the show’s beginning as a home game to its early streams on Geek & Sundry’s Twitch chat, while subsequent chapters provide extensive profiles of the cast and overviews of guest characters and key NPCs. Each chapter digs a little bit deeper into the world of the show, with an entire chapter dedicated to explaining how the cast used their character’s key items to enhance their roleplaying to a chapter on some of the biggest combat moments in Critical Role (featuring a great look at Matt Mercer’s maps). The fandom itself also gets a spotlight, with a few pages dedicated to the creative ways Critters have expressed themselves over the years. The book is illustrated with a combination of new original artwork by Oliver Barrett, Rich Kelly, and Francesca Baerald, and candid photos taken on set.
My favorite part of The World of Critical Role is how the book respectfully peeks behind the curtain, with each cast member explaining in their own words about what makes their characters and the show itself so special. There are tons of great little anecdotes, such at Matt Mercer’s map room doubling as the breastfeeding room for cast member Laura Bailey to a breakdown of Wil Wheaton’s infamous luck during his guest stint on the show. The most hardcore of fans (the ones who watch both the campaign and the companion show Talks Machina live every week) will know a lot of these details already, but it’s still great to see the moments in writing and built into the show’s now formalized history. What’s more, reading through The World of Critical Role will want you to go back and watch the series again and see all these classic moments with the insight of what was running through the players’ minds at the time.
If you have a Critical Role fan in your life or know someone interested in the show, The World of Critical Role is a must-have gift. Liz Marsham and the cast brilliantly capture what makes the show so amazing and gives readers an amazing look into the magic behind Critical Role.
The World of Critical Role goes on sale on October 20th.
