Hyrule Historia

I'll keep it short and sweet:


I hate reviewing a book as a product. I love stories, which often come in books, so I write a lot of book reviews. Unfortunately for me, this is a product review. Fortunately, the video game franchise for which this gorgeous reference is made has continued to churn out enjoyable (if simplistic) stories for over twenty-five years.


I also hate writing tiny reviews, but this is what it is.

Hyrule Historia is a decades-awaited reference, history, timeline, bestiary and cultural cross-section of the numerous games in the Legend of Zelda franchise. Created by Shigeru Miyamoto in 1986, the series has had loyal fans since its inception. The reasons are obvious. There's a depth and a mystery to the world of Hyrule, combined with an old-souled, nostalgic whimsy and soaring spirit of adventure, that makes each game an immersive and powerful experience.


Well. Most of them. We won't talk about Zelda II.


The richness of Hyrule is a blissfully overwhelming and beautiful thing. Hyrule Historia, inasmuch as any book is able, captures, labels, and organizes it. It's a coffee-table volume of dignified thickness, satisfying content, and distinguished appearance. The art is, of course, as colorful and tantalizing as the atmosphere of the games. The interior is packed with concept art, brimming with background information, crammed full of never-before-seen nuggets of continuity and history, and awash with glorious nostalgia for the longtime fan.


There's my product review. Hyrule Historia is a fantastical and worthy addition to the Zelda fan's home library. I highly recommend it.