Critical Role continues to bring Exandria to life in unique and exciting ways. Their newest release, “Critical Role: Der Katzenprinz & Other Zemnian Tales,” is the first piece of literature pulled from the world of Exandria and dropped into ours. “Critical Role: Der Katzenprinz & Other Zemnian Tales” is a collection of three Zemnian fairy tales first introduced in the second campaign. Caleb Widogast grew up being told these stories, and now fans can experience them.

“Critical Role: Der Katzenprinz & Other Zemnian Tales” is written by Liam O’Brien, who played Caleb Widogast. The illustrations are by Charlie “Newt” Borovsky. The three stories are “Der Katzenprinz,” aka “The Cat Prince,” “Die Waldhexe,” aka “The Forest Witch,” and “Himmelsschloss,” aka “The Castle In The Sky.”

Three Zemnian Tales

“The Cat Prince” is a charming tale about a young boy who is led into the forest by a magical cat. The pair go on a short but magical adventure, with the young boy dancing and celebrating with countless feline friends. The story is whimsical in a way that is reminiscent of stories like “My Neighbor Totoro.”

“The Forest Witch” is a much darker tale about three young children who go into the woods. They meet a powerful witch who is hungry and demands to eat. The children have nothing to offer and refuse to sacrifice their friends. This manifests in a sacrifice from each that forever changes them and impacts their village for future generations. This is a much darker Brothers Grimm-style fairy tale.

“The Castle In The Sky” is the longest of the three tales. This fantastical original fairy tale follows a young Aarakocra, or Eisfuura, as she travels the skies with her family. However, when a storm takes her from her parents, she soon discovers a magical kingdom in the sky. While enraptured by the kingdom, distrust of her as an outsider prevails. A fight between darkness and light begins, and she narrowly escapes with a piece of the magical kingdom that she must protect.

Liam O’Brien Captures The Timelessness Of Exandrian Fairy Tales

Each of these stories is unique and masterfully crafted. O’Brien captures the timelessness and fantasy of fairy tales. This is in part due to his decision to tell these stories through the lens of children, as many fairy tales do. This perspective infuses wonder into how they see this world, which is inherently full of magic.

While the stories themselves are important, illustrations are often key to capturing young imaginations for generations with fairy tales. Borovsky’s illustrations capture this in “Critical Role: Der Katzenprinz & Other Zemnian Tales.” The illustrations are gorgeous and truly bring these tales to life. They work perfectly in tandem with O’Brien’s prose. Each tale captures a different tone both in the story being told and in the art.

“Critical Role: Der Katzenprinz & Other Zemnian Tales” brings readers into the world of Exandria like never before. This is a book pulled from that world, offering insight into the tales that shaped generations of Zemnian children, including Caleb Widogast. However, perhaps the most captivating aspect of this is the heart of “The Castle in the Sky.”

The Fall Of Avalir Gets A Critical Role Fairytale Retelling

While the fairy tale is original, it may remind Critters of a story they already experienced. “The Castle In The Sky” is all that remains of the Fall of Avalir. “EXU: Calamity” was a peek into the horrors of the early days of the Calamity in the floating city of Avalir as a group inadvertently plays a part in setting these events into motion.

With “The Castle In The Sky,” O’Brien explores what story could have survived from that event. Through generations of retellings, this is the result. Borovky’s illustrations harken to many of the Easter eggs that will undoubtedly stand out to fans throughout the tale.

Fairytales are a key piece of understanding any culture. Different countries and generations retell these stories as they evolve and change over time. “Critical Role: Der Katzenprinz & Other Zemnian Tales” does this for Exandria. The stories are masterfully crafted, capturing the feeling of fairy tales that is inextricably magical. The illustrations are beautifully crafted and elevate the tales, working together with the words to bring the experience to life. “Critical Role: Der Katzenprinz & Other Zemnian Tales” is not only a phenomenal collection of three original fairy tales. It is a slice of Exandria brought into our world.

“Critical Role: Der Katzenprinz & Other Zemnian Tales” is available for purchase now.