This is the chronological order of all the Diablo novels.
What is important to note is that they do not have to be read in this order. The only books that depend on previous books are the Sin War trilogy (which should be read in order) and the Kingdom of Shadow and Moon of the Spider, of which KoS should be read first and MotS should be read second. All other books can be read in any order without having any detriemental effect on the plot or story or spoiling anything.
The Sin War: Birthright
The Sin War: Scales of the Serpent
The Sin War: The Veiled Prophet
Demonsbane
The Black Road / Diablo I
Legacy of Blood / Diablo II
The Kingdom of Shadow / Diablo II
Moon of the Spider
The Sin War happens 3000 years before the darkening of Tristram (Diablo I). Each book is in direct relation to each other.
Demonsbane happens 600 years before the Horadrim capture the Prime Evils and therefore before the Dark Exile. (The Horadrim capture the Prime Evils a long time before the darkening of Tristram in Diablo I).
The Black Road story expands over a year. Kabraxis is unleashed at some point at the beginning of the book, and over a year later (at the end of the book) is defeated. Towards the end of that year's gap it is stated that Tristram was recently destroyed by Diablo. It is also stated by Deckard Cain that Tristram was corrupted for nearly four years. So Tristram fell before Kabraxis was released, but the actual Diablo I game where Tristram is 'saved' happens in the middle of this novel, before Kabraxis is defeated.
Legacy of Blood is parallel with or slightly before Diablo II and involves the , ends with Diablo (the Wanderer) entering AranochArcane Sanctuary. Which means it happens just before the Diablo II hero enters Lut Gholein or while the hero is still at the Rogue Encampment, depending on the time gap following the Wanderer.
The Kingdom of Shadow happens before the Moon of the Spider but no mention of the Worldstone, so it is assumed that this book also takes place before it is destroyed (whereas MotS specifically mentions the destruction of the Worldstone). Zayl traveled from Ureh to Westmarch and would have likely to have had to pass through the Rogue Monastary (apparently the only path to Westmarch if traveling through the twin seas, which Zayl likely would have done). With Andariel and many other demons out and about during DII, and no mention of a hazardous journey to Westmarch, it is unlikely that he was traveling during the events of Diablo II, but was actually in Ureh at the time. Its more likely that Zayl left Ureh to travel to Westmarch after Diablo II, which means that The Kingdom of Shadow must have happened parallel to Diablo II and the destruction of the Worldstone.
Moon of the Spider takes place after the Worldstone is destroyed in Diablo II. It also talks about Zayl's past in the city of Ureh, placing this book as a direct sequel to The Kingdom of Shadow (no time gap is given, however).
If Knaak rewrote large portions of the ending of The Sin War Trilogy as Elfen Lied says in the "should demons have genitals" thread, then what was the copyright year, and who was the publisher of the original publications? In my collection, Birthright shows its copyright as 2006, where Scales of the Serpent and The Vieled Prophet show 2007 copyrights. None of the books list any prior copyrights or publications, which is unusual if there were.
Quote from "AcidReign" »
Zayl will be in Diablo III as an NPC. Any bets against that?
It is no doubt that I would love to see him there - maintaining the Balance as ever he does! I would also hope he has Humbart with him. What a pair!
In The Sin War Trilogy, I found myself wholly drawn in by the character Mendeln, later renamed Kalan by Trag'Oul.
If Knaak rewrote large portions of the ending of The Sin War Trilogy as Elfen Lied says in the "should demons have genitals" thread, then what was the copyright year, and who was the publisher of the original publications? In my collection, Birthright shows its copyright as 2006, where Scales of the Serpent and The Vieled Prophet show 2007 copyrights. None of the books list any prior copyrights or publications, which is unusual if there were.
No No No. His Sin War Trilogy rewtire huge parts of canonical lore from the games. BLizzard have stated that what he wrote is now the offical ore. Even more so than the games.
He didn't rewrite any of the Sin War Trilogy after it was published.
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-Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is alchemy's First Law of Equivalent Exchange. In those days, we really believed that to be the world's one, and only, truth.
No No No. His Sin War Trilogy rewtire huge parts of canonical lore from the games. BLizzard have stated that what he wrote is now the offical ore. Even more so than the games.
He didn't rewrite any of the Sin War Trilogy after it was published.
Okay, thanks for answering. I appreciate that. I read after I posted this that this lore is in the game manuals. I am one of those people who throw game manuals in the "read me if need be" pile and use them for reference only. I see that by doing this I missed some interesting aspects of the game. I can't find the D1 or D2 manuals now and I believe they may have been left at my last house. I guess I'll just order the battle chest in order to reclaim them. All the manuals are in there, aren't they?
I have all the Diablo books and I've read them all. I thought they were great. I've been thinking of reading the Sin War books again.
I love reading the manuals just as much as the books. I like to read the whole manual first before actually playing the game. It builds up the excitement incredibly so.
Something that I don't know if anyone knows The kingdom of shadows is set in the time of Diablo 2, and the moon of the spider is after the LOD exp, the time gap between the two games is never said, but Marius is 20 years older when Baal reclames his soulstone, that is why the Worldstone is never talked about.
We don't know that Marius is 20 years older, unless you have a source? According to Cain's journal, the gap between Diablo II and LoD is only one year. The soulstone must have aged him incredibly.
Or his aged look is because he is in an asylum. Withering away with the meager amounts of food his is given plus any abuse he suffers as being an inmate.
His line look what this stone has done to me always struck me has having to meanings depending how how you viewed the situation he is in.
He has clearly aged a lot, so the stone has definitely had some affect on him. I can't deny that. Not the least because I wouldn't even know where to begin even if I wanted to. But you also get the statement, or variations there of, "Look what you have done to me, you drove me to this..." Marius is haunted by the memories of what he saw, many of which would drive a sane man, well insane. Where do you find an insane person. In an asylum, presumably under lock and key. Where is Marius? in a cell under lock and key.
No really connectation it's an asylum, but I doubt to many people would believe someone when the told them that some guy they wandered through the desert with for weeks after a building burned down because lots of monsters jumped out of fire pots and wrecked up the place turned in the Lord of Terror before his eyes and with the help of Baal in the body of Tal Rasha and the Lord of Hatred opened a portal to Hell, and that he is holding part of Baal's soulstone, and that Tyrael the Arch Angel told him to go to the Hellforge and destroy it.
Most original crasy story I have ever heard, but seriously who is going to believe that in a world where you have a halucigen like Narlet weed, which if you smoke copious quantities of, causes all earthly sensation to leave your body. Plus the is far from a dry (no alcohol) world.
Oh look Farnham is telling that story about the monster with the big axe again, don't listen to him.
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-Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is alchemy's First Law of Equivalent Exchange. In those days, we really believed that to be the world's one, and only, truth.
Hmm, I didn't really think of that. I'll have a look into it, but it wasn't a very successful comic and it doesn't seem to count to anything very much. Still, I'll have a look.
I have never read the Comic myself, So I don't know much about it, but I heard that it was split into three stories? maybe it would be to hard to date it since maybe those three stories could be too far apart. Tehn it also leards to the question, is it apart of Diablo lore, or is it only A comic just for fun stories...?
So are any of the Diablo books any good? I have read the first 2 books of the Sin War trilogy and they are very very bad. The language and story of those books are comparable to internet fanfiction, which is a shame since the setting from the games is very interesting.
VARY BAD!!!! YOUR INSANE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THE SIN WAR IS AWSOME!!!!
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www.myspace.com/mpotatoes for all your Trans Siberian Orchestra listening pleasure
If you want to arrange it
This world you can change it
If we could somehow make this
Christmas thing last
By helping a neighbor
Or even a stranger
And to know who needs help
You need only just ask
So are any of the Diablo books any good? I have read the first 2 books of the Sin War trilogy and they are very very bad. The language and story of those books are comparable to internet fanfiction, which is a shame since the setting from the games is very interesting.
If you don't like reading The Sin War, you likely won't like the other books either. I admit that its the 'cool' factor that really sells it for me. Though yeah, it would be even cooler if it was a little more complex and... sophistacated? But I still love it as it is. It definitely satisfies my fantasy-needs.
Offtopic? Eh, there isn't much else to talk about in this thread.
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Quote from "Jetrall" »
WoW fans are nerds. Diablo fans are freaks.
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What is important to note is that they do not have to be read in this order. The only books that depend on previous books are the Sin War trilogy (which should be read in order) and the Kingdom of Shadow and Moon of the Spider, of which KoS should be read first and MotS should be read second. All other books can be read in any order without having any detriemental effect on the plot or story or spoiling anything.
- The Sin War: Birthright
- The Sin War: Scales of the Serpent
- The Sin War: The Veiled Prophet
- Demonsbane
- The Black Road / Diablo I
- Legacy of Blood / Diablo II
- The Kingdom of Shadow / Diablo II
- Moon of the Spider
The Sin War happens 3000 years before the darkening of Tristram (Diablo I). Each book is in direct relation to each other.Demonsbane happens 600 years before the Horadrim capture the Prime Evils and therefore before the Dark Exile. (The Horadrim capture the Prime Evils a long time before the darkening of Tristram in Diablo I).
The Black Road story expands over a year. Kabraxis is unleashed at some point at the beginning of the book, and over a year later (at the end of the book) is defeated. Towards the end of that year's gap it is stated that Tristram was recently destroyed by Diablo. It is also stated by Deckard Cain that Tristram was corrupted for nearly four years. So Tristram fell before Kabraxis was released, but the actual Diablo I game where Tristram is 'saved' happens in the middle of this novel, before Kabraxis is defeated.
Legacy of Blood is parallel with or slightly before Diablo II and involves the , ends with Diablo (the Wanderer) entering AranochArcane Sanctuary. Which means it happens just before the Diablo II hero enters Lut Gholein or while the hero is still at the Rogue Encampment, depending on the time gap following the Wanderer.
The Kingdom of Shadow happens before the Moon of the Spider but no mention of the Worldstone, so it is assumed that this book also takes place before it is destroyed (whereas MotS specifically mentions the destruction of the Worldstone). Zayl traveled from Ureh to Westmarch and would have likely to have had to pass through the Rogue Monastary (apparently the only path to Westmarch if traveling through the twin seas, which Zayl likely would have done). With Andariel and many other demons out and about during DII, and no mention of a hazardous journey to Westmarch, it is unlikely that he was traveling during the events of Diablo II, but was actually in Ureh at the time. Its more likely that Zayl left Ureh to travel to Westmarch after Diablo II, which means that The Kingdom of Shadow must have happened parallel to Diablo II and the destruction of the Worldstone.
Moon of the Spider takes place after the Worldstone is destroyed in Diablo II. It also talks about Zayl's past in the city of Ureh, placing this book as a direct sequel to The Kingdom of Shadow (no time gap is given, however).
It is no doubt that I would love to see him there - maintaining the Balance as ever he does! I would also hope he has Humbart with him. What a pair!
In The Sin War Trilogy, I found myself wholly drawn in by the character Mendeln, later renamed Kalan by Trag'Oul.
No No No. His Sin War Trilogy rewtire huge parts of canonical lore from the games. BLizzard have stated that what he wrote is now the offical ore. Even more so than the games.
He didn't rewrite any of the Sin War Trilogy after it was published.
Okay, thanks for answering. I appreciate that. I read after I posted this that this lore is in the game manuals. I am one of those people who throw game manuals in the "read me if need be" pile and use them for reference only. I see that by doing this I missed some interesting aspects of the game. I can't find the D1 or D2 manuals now and I believe they may have been left at my last house. I guess I'll just order the battle chest in order to reclaim them. All the manuals are in there, aren't they?
I have all the Diablo books and I've read them all. I thought they were great. I've been thinking of reading the Sin War books again.
His line look what this stone has done to me always struck me has having to meanings depending how how you viewed the situation he is in.
He has clearly aged a lot, so the stone has definitely had some affect on him. I can't deny that. Not the least because I wouldn't even know where to begin even if I wanted to. But you also get the statement, or variations there of, "Look what you have done to me, you drove me to this..." Marius is haunted by the memories of what he saw, many of which would drive a sane man, well insane. Where do you find an insane person. In an asylum, presumably under lock and key. Where is Marius? in a cell under lock and key.
No really connectation it's an asylum, but I doubt to many people would believe someone when the told them that some guy they wandered through the desert with for weeks after a building burned down because lots of monsters jumped out of fire pots and wrecked up the place turned in the Lord of Terror before his eyes and with the help of Baal in the body of Tal Rasha and the Lord of Hatred opened a portal to Hell, and that he is holding part of Baal's soulstone, and that Tyrael the Arch Angel told him to go to the Hellforge and destroy it.
Most original crasy story I have ever heard, but seriously who is going to believe that in a world where you have a halucigen like Narlet weed, which if you smoke copious quantities of, causes all earthly sensation to leave your body. Plus the is far from a dry (no alcohol) world.
Oh look Farnham is telling that story about the monster with the big axe again, don't listen to him.
i really hope so, i would love to see Humbart lol.
VARY BAD!!!! YOUR INSANE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THE SIN WAR IS AWSOME!!!!
If you want to arrange it
This world you can change it
If we could somehow make this
Christmas thing last
By helping a neighbor
Or even a stranger
And to know who needs help
You need only just ask
If you don't like reading The Sin War, you likely won't like the other books either. I admit that its the 'cool' factor that really sells it for me. Though yeah, it would be even cooler if it was a little more complex and... sophistacated? But I still love it as it is. It definitely satisfies my fantasy-needs.
Offtopic? Eh, there isn't much else to talk about in this thread.