Fire Emblem is a series of fantasy tactical role-playing games, starting with the first entry in 1990 released on the Famicom in Japan. Since then, the series has grown in popularity and it is approaching nearly 20 games in total. One of those games is Fire Emblem Awakening, which came out for the Nintendo 3DS in 2012. The game was met with universal praise from critics, and it has since sold more than two million copies worldwide. This game is the first time I ever heard of the Fire Emblem series, and it’s an entry that people continue to recommend and revisit. The beloved nature of Fire Emblem Awakening is one of the reasons why Dark Horse decided to create The Art of Fire Emblem Awakening book. I spotted this book at Nintendo New York the last time I was there, so I decided to check it out.

The Art of Fire Emblem Awakening contains an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at the smash-hit Nintendo 3DS game, from beautifully illustrated renditions of your favorite characters to storyboards for in-game events, character designs, weapon designs, character profiles, and the entirety of the script with every possible branch of dialogue. I’ve never read a book about a game featuring a full script. Needless to say, the amount of information and minutiae in this book is plenty to satisfy the voracious appetite of a Fire Emblem Awakening fan. Housed in a 320-page beautifully bound hardback book, this tome is a veritable cornucopia of content that satisfies on all levels.