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FINAL FANTASY XIV 光の回顧録 Chronicles of Light
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。
263 pages, Tankobon Hardcover
First published March 9, 2019
75 people are currently reading
345 people want to read
About the author
Square Enix
599 books85 followersSquare 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.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
December 2, 2022
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.
Also grrr, they called Warrior of Light a "he" after avoiding genders everywhere else, quite a bad muck-up, that.
August 22, 2019
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.
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.
June 18, 2023
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.
November 16, 2022
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,,,,,,
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,,,,,,
October 28, 2022
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.
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.
September 4, 2025
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.
September 9, 2025
c'était bien, certaines histoires sont meilleures que d'autres, j'aime bien le fait de voir l'univers du jeu par le prisme d'autres personnages que le notre
December 26, 2022
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.
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.
November 9, 2022
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.
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.
May 9, 2025
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.
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.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 13, 2023
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.
December 16, 2023
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.
December 4, 2022
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!
January 6, 2023
I absolutely loved this collection of short stories! They're well written and it's always fun to read more facts about the characters!
September 20, 2023
Unas historias son buenas, otras no tanto. Gran contenido para los fanáticos de FFXIV
June 26, 2024
A very good complement to FFXIV, with beautiful illustrations.
January 20, 2025
A interesting read for a fan of the game. Giving new perspective to many of the characters.
January 29, 2025
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.
July 6, 2025
baby zenos *starts sobbing*
October 20, 2025
great for FFXIV fans. gives extra insight to side characters that are well loved
October 21, 2022
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)
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)
January 10, 2023
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.
November 21, 2022
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+.
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+.
February 3, 2023
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.
September 8, 2023
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.
January 15, 2023
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.
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.
March 1, 2023
The book you need to fill the emptiness left behind after finishing Heavensward.
Make sure to have a cup of hot chocolate with you.
Make sure to have a cup of hot chocolate with you.
June 26, 2023
clunky prose but no worse than i’d expect. i’m just here for 🅱️enos lmao
March 8, 2024
Definitely made for a fan. Due to being short stories, some misses, but the second half, coincidentally just like the game, is considerably leap in quality.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews