The world is a busy place these days. With non-stop game releases, manga, anime, comics, shows, and more constantly barraging our every waking moment, it feels like there’s never enough time to just sit back, relax and enjoy anything. That’s why Lacrimosa of Dana by author Anna Kashina caught our attention. The title might ring a bell for gamers and rightly so since Lacrimosa of Dana is the subtitle for Ys VIII, arguably the best Ys game ever released in the series.
Nihon Falcom, one of the premier makers of RPGs worldwide and developer of the Ys franchise authorized Ms. Kashina to write an official novelization of Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana. That’s a shocker in and of itself as there are far too few game novelizations out there and Ys is a beloved franchise with fans worldwide. Thanks to a deal between Dragonwell Publishing and Falcom however, it is now time for you to experience the story of Ys VIII in novel form!
Adapting a story like Lacrimosa of Dana is difficult at the best of times and anyone who has read video game novelizations will tell you that it definitely doesn’t always work. Sometimes the writers simply aren’t up to the narrative being woven. Such was the case with the first two Metal Gear Solid novels which ended up coming across campy and even nonsensical at times. Others like the novel based on Ico are written by the creator of the game and clearly fit within the world established. But for someone to take on Ys is a special challenge, as protagonist Adol Christin does not speak for the entirety of the game! Compounding that is the combat in Ys VIII. A large part of the game consists of defeating waves of enemies and exploring dungeons, jungles, and more. How do you turn that into a compelling 450+ page novel?
Anna Kashina seems more than up to that task for as you start to work your way through Lacrimosa of Dana, you’ll quickly find that while it is clearly based directly on events of the game and follows the majority of the game structure, creative liberties have been taken that expand the characters in a way that makes them seem even more human and realistic. We’ll just get it out of the way right now…Adol talks. Of course he does. He has to. He’s trapped for months at least on the island of Seiren and there’s just no realistic way to have a mute protagonist outside of a video game. It’s a convention that is almost entirely unique to gaming and it certainly wouldn’t work in the story. Naturally the big fear of fans here is that the dialogue would change the idea we all have of Adol, but be assured that’s not the case.
While Adol does talk, his responses are minimalistic most of the time and very much in line with the things that you’d expect him to say. He’s a man of few words and when he speaks it’s impactful and impassioned with a clear regard for his friends and acquaintances. After reading Lacrimosa of Dana, it’s genuinely hard to think of Adol without Ms. Kashina’s crisp and poignant prose and she has added to the character in a way that positively impacts the franchise.
Other characters are similarly treated. Captain Barbaros, Laxia, Hummel, Ricotta, Sahad and others are all expanded into deeper, more insightful characters as the novel follows the exploits of Adol and Dogi while they travel from the Lombardia to the Isle of Seiren and explore its secrets. If you’ve played Ys VIII, you’ve probably noticed by now that we’re not giving anything away in terms of plot here and that’s intentional. Lacrimosa of Dana is so good that it would honestly be a shame to spoil any of the story for you, which is ironic since the people that are most likely to read the novel are the same ones who have already played through the game. It is definitely a shame that Dogi doesn’t play a bigger part in the story though as his character development is minimal here, mirroring his importance to the key parts of the plot of Ys VIII. Sahad could also have used a hair more development but there’s simply not enough time to cover everyone in detail with the excellent pacing used here.
If you’re wondering how close Lacrimosa of Dana is to the game, don’t worry, it’s masterful Everything gets at least a mention here and while key components of gameplay like raids are alluded to and even used as background, they don’t take up the bulk of the focus. Instead they become background elements while interpersonal relationships between characters are developed and dramatic tension plays out. Little Paro makes a few appearances of course and even Master Kong gets at least a mention but the balance of prose focuses mostly on Adol and company’s explorations and eventual discovery of Dana, the Lacrimosa, and everything surrounding it. Virtually nothing has escaped notice here and Ms. Kashina’s clear love of the characters and game are everpresent throughout the story. Only a true fan of the series could so carefully construct a story like this one.
That praise extends to the integration of Dana’s story into Adol’s and the complexities of the plot and relationships between characters. It’s impossible not to care about how Adol and Dana feel, Laxia’s complex feelings and how they contrast with her station, and even Sahad’s longing for his family. Without converting each concept from the game into the novel, it simply wouldn’t have the same impact and to do so with a game that consists primarily of dungeon-based combat is nothing short of outstanding.
That’s not to say that every single thing is perfect of course. If you have never played Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana, there are a couple of areas that things might be slightly confusing. The biggest of those is the way Dana’s expanded Essence powers are portrayed. In the game, Dana slowly becomes more powerful as you complete specific events and unlock access to more powerful attacks. That is of course mirrored by the book but occasionally, the references to the powers she has gained are obscure and only those that have played the game would really understand them. If you aren’t a gamer and you’re reading this, you might be left scratching your head once or twice at exactly what Dana might be doing in terms of combat. That being said, it’s an incredibly minor quibble that most readers likely wouldn’t notice and even if you haven’t played Ys VIII, you are absolutely in for a treat here!
Looking at the physical book itself, Dragonwell Publishing has printed an excellent volume. We were lucky enough to receive a physical trade paperback copy of Lacrimosa of Dana. The book is available in hardcover, trade paperback, and eBook formats. The trade paperback has some heft to it but isn’t that heavy and the spine is extremely well glued with think cover articulation grooves along the front and back covers. This means that even after reading the whole thing, the spine on our copy didn’t crack or crease at all and it still looks fantastic on the shelf! The finish is a matte instead of a standard glossy cover as well, leaving readers with a conveniently grippable surface while working their way through the story. This is our first experience with Dragonwell’s bindings and it was an absolutely excellent one.
Lacrimosa of Dana is not only one of the best novelizations of a game that’s currently available; it’s also one hell of a good novel in its own right. Anna Kashina has done a spectacular job here and hopefully this novel paves the way for both more Ys novelizations and new adventures into the hundreds of travelogues left behind by Adol Christin, often referred to in various Ys games. It would be a shame not to have more work on the series by Ms. Kashina as well, so don’t even consider hesitating on picking up Lacrimosa of Dana. It’s a stellar novel and one you won’t soon forget!
This review is based on a physical copy of Lacrimosa of Dana by Anna Kashina provided by the publisher. It is available at Barnes & Noble and wherever fine books are sold, and online through Amazon. Lacrimosa of Dana is also available digitally through Kobo and Google.
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.
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