Ys is back! But not a new game…instead it’s time for a new Ys novel! A few years ago we covered the spectacular Lacrimosa of Dana novel (review here) from author Anna Kashina. At the time, it was a novelty to have an entry in a series as popular as Ys finally adapted into novel form by someone who intimately understood the characters and story. Since then, Dragonwell Publishing has released two more Ys volumes by Kashina, one an additional volume that covers the side quests of Ys VIII, Castaway Tales, and an Ys-themed cookbook! Now she’s back with a new full novelization however, translating the epic story of Ys IX into novel form with her new novel Monstrum Nox!
We’re going to just assume that you’re familiar with both Nihon Falcom and the basics of the story of Adol Christin for the purposes of brevity because it’s easy to gush about Ys for hours. It’s a spectacular series that has evolved over literally decades to become one of the most engaging action/RPGs ever created with a fully realized world that has few peers in gaming. While it might not be fully mainstream, most serious gamers have at least heard of the series that now spans 17 games including remasters and remakes. We’ve reviewed most of the modern ones here at The Otaku Authority and it’s safe to say they’re always some of the best titles out there.
Ys IX: Monstrum Nox is a bit of an outlier however. After Ys VIII, many players felt that Monstrum Nox was a bit of a step down visually which led to less commercial success. What’s interesting about this is that even seasoned Ys players took the game with a grain of salt and rightly so as it’s a slow burn to start and takes a while to find its feet. However, once the ball gets rolling on the plot, Monstrum Nox ends up a spectacular story that really pulls players in, making it a top entry in the series and conveniently, an excellent story for novelization!
It’s hard not to gush about Anna Kashina here. Ys is a venerated series and Falcom allowing anyone at all to write it is a shock. But once we picked up Lacrimosa of Dana, there was no way anyone else would have done to handle Adol and friends. Her prose style is crisp and clean and manages to accurately capture game scenes in a way that makes them come alive whether you’ve played the game or not. The story is there but it’s like there’s a bit of Ever-So-Much-More-So sprinkled on every page (and if you get that very obscure reference, you are old and extremely well-read). There’s an indefinable magic here that amplifies the story in a way that will simply charm your socks off.
If you’ve already played the game, you know that Dogi and Adol have arrived at the walled prison city of Balduq in the Romun empire. You’re also probably aware that most of the locations in the Ys series are based loosely on our world, so Romuns are vaguely similar to Romans and so on. Regardless, Adol is wanted by the Romun empire for his ability to get deeply involved in world-changing events, his particular bad luck with sailing vessels, and just because they want to control him. He’s basically a force of nature in the world of Ys and any major power is going to want to harness that!
Monstrum Nox tells the story of Adol’s capture by the Romuns, his recruitment by the mysterious Aprilis, and his involvement with an elite group of powerful creatures called Monstrums. Anything more than that is going to give away major plot points and if you’ve play the game, you already know where this is going. Kashina follows the plot fairly faithfully, taking liberties in which side quests and key points to focus on to best represent the whole of the game in Monstrum Nox and does a spectacular job.
As before, Adol speaks (something he does not do in the games) but true to his character, he is a man of few words and is very focused and likeable. We get to explore his inner thoughts as well over the course of the story and the expansion of his character is absolutely mesmerizing. Ms. Kashina has managed to fully encapsulate Adol’s game personality into a fully realized character once again and with this third delve into Adol’s world, her grasp has tightened to the point where every detail of the world of Ys, Adol, and his friends feels natural and authentic. In one phrase slipped in ever so casually, we even see the cute pikkards referenced as Credo says “…I realized how much better off I’d be pikkard-backing off you two.” It’s these tiny touches that only long-time players of the series will get that enhance the immersion into the Ys world so spectacularly here.
Monstrum Nox is not a short book either. Coming in at almost 500 pages, this is a thorough novel that covers the vast majority of the game in fantastic detail. Each chapter follows a key scene from the game in order (though some of the side quests didn’t make the cut) and there are more full art pages interspersed into the text than there were in Lacrimosa. They’re a welcome addition however, and it’s nice to see wonderful Ys art in a novel, even if it’s only just here and there. As with previous volumes, the cover is a matte finish and the cover art is a classic picture of Adol that’s different from the usual Ys IX art. We were provided with a hardcover of Monstrum Nox for this review and the binding underneath has grey boards in a simulated cloth that looks entirely reminiscent of stonework one might find in a prison like Balduq and understated gold lettering of both the author’s name and the title of the novel. It’s a gorgeous binding with strong Jacket design and once again only mentions Ys on the back, allowing the title to capture your eyes on its own.
If you’ve read Lacrimosa of Dana, there’s no way that you’re not going to want to buy Monstrum Nox. It’s an outstanding read that will suck you in and doesn’t let you go until the very final page. If you’ve played through the game, it’s a new take on a story that already probably captured you and every page is a reminder of the fun you’ve had. Even for those that haven’t played the game, the story unfolds incredibly well, even better than Lacrimosa of Dana did and this is easily a top-tier fantasy novel in its own right. There are a few references to Lacrimosa as well, but you can easily read Monstrum Nox as a standalone or a continuation with no significant issues. Adol’s adventures have always been out of sequence on purpose, designed to be played as an explanation of the many journals he left behind after his death and Monstrum Nox is no exception.
Regardless of how you get there, With Monstrum Nox, Anna Kashina has crafted a must-read account of Adol’s exploits that will take you on an incredible journey! Conveniently, Monstrum Nox is available directly from Dragonwell Publishing’s website here where you can even order an autographed copy! It is also available on Amazon in both hardcover and on Kindle. Don’t miss it…Monstrum Nox is a book you simply have to read!
This review is based on a physical copy of Monstrum Nox by Anna Kashina provided by the publisher. It is available directly through Dragonwell Publishing, on Amazon, and wherever fine books are sold.
Nate Van Lindt has been a gamer since the days of yore (aka Commodore 64), and has played a bit of virtually everything out there. He's also an avid comic book collector, both vintage and current, and reads a fair amount of sci-fi and fantasy. On top of that, he watches a fair number of movies and TV shows as well. Oh, and he has a family, a full-time job, and lives somewhere in the urban wilds of Southwestern Ontario, Canada, foraging for old video cables and forgotten game soundtracks.