Upcoming books for Warcraft and Diablo, including a World of Warcraft Tarot Deck

2024 is shaping up to be a solid year for the literature-inclined fans of Blizzard games, with World of Warcraft and Diablo 4 both getting new books. Lore students will be particularly excited to see WoW’s history-based series reach the timeframe of the modern game with the latest volumes of Chronicle and Exploring Azeroth, although in doing so they’ll likely both go on hiatus — at least until after The Worldsoul Saga comes to a completion (and is thus ready for documentation). Books aren’t the only publication Warcraft fans will get to experience this year as a Tarot Deck featuring major lore figures in place of the Arcana should provide delightful art.

Here are the books coming out from Blizzard this year.

July 16, 2024: World of Warcraft Chronicle Volume 4

It’s been six years since Volume 3 of World of Warcraft Chronicle released, bringing the history up through the Cataclysm expansion. At the time we weren’t even sure if there would be future volumes, a situation further muddied when it was suggested that the Titans were unreliable narrators and therefore Chronicle shouldn’t be considered the final word on Azeroth’s history — an announcement that met with some criticism from those who took exception since the original marketing and introduction to Volume 1 suggested otherwise. That said, as Volume 4 covers from Mists of Pandaria through Shadowlands there shouldn’t be as much concern about potential retcons and rewrites of the game (although minor ones are certainly possible) as players experienced these events quite recently.

October 1, 2024: World of Warcraft: Exploring Azeroth: Islands and Isles

While Chronicle took a long break between Volumes 3 and 4, Exploringhas been regularly releasing new volumes in the series, the most recent volume centered on Pandaria came last autumn. Islands and Isles will be the first to take a multi-expansion approach to updating the current lore situation on Azeroth, covering the Broken Isles of Legion, Kul Tiras and Zandalar from Battle for Azeroth, and the Dragon Isles from Dragonflight. The narration will be from Lor’themar Theron and High Arcanist Thalyssra’s perspective as they finally take a honeymoon. As their wedding also took place outside of the game fans of the pair will likely be miffed that their honeymoon like their nuptials are an event only to be read about, not experienced in-game.
This may not be the final Exploring Azeroth volume, but with Shadowlands largely covered by the Grimoire of the Shadowlands it seems likely that we won’t get another entry until after The Worldsoul Saga completes. Perhaps instead we’ll get an Exploring Draenor to cover Burning Crusade and Warlords of Draenor, especially with the alternate Draenor of Warlords ending on such an interesting note.

For those who haven’t collected any of the Exploring Azeroth volumes, there appears to be a Complete Collection currently scheduled for release on November 5, 2024, although details on this collection are still scarce.

November 5, 2024: World of Warcraft: The Voices Within (short story collection)

Azeroth’s past isn’t the only aspect of its history getting the publication treatment this year, as the short story collection The Voices Within will be serving as a bridge to the upcoming expansion (even though it’s likely to be published after The War Within releases). Consisting of at least six stories, the major expansion characters will each get their turn in print as Anduin, Alleria, and Thrall all feature in their own story. Interestingly enough the Goblin faction leader Gazlowe will also get a story (perhaps to rewrite his unlikely characterization in Exploring Azeroth: Kalimdor?), and there are additional stories by Courtney Alameda — author of War of the Scaleborn — and the Hugo award-winning Catherynne M. Valente making her first foray into Azeroth.

November 5, 2024: World of Warcraft: The Official Tarot Deck and Guidebook

Also releasing in November of this year is an official Tarot Deck with guidebook for World of Warcraft. The deck will include the full 78 cards of a standard Tarot Deck including both Major and Minor Arcana. The guidebook will include descriptions of each card as well as basic instructions for doing a reading using these cards. While it is unlikely there will be any new information included with this set, expect the artwork of the Major Arcana to be of significant lore figures and locations to fit the Warcraft theme.

October 1, 2024: Diablo: Book of Prava

Sanctuary is also receiving new information in print, as Diablo: Book of Prava has been listed with an October 1, 2024 release date. Unfortunately not much else is known of this volume, although there is a possibility it’ll tie into Diablo 4‘s first expansion Vessel of Hatred also releasing this year. Conversely it could serve as a bridge to future expansions similar to how the Book of Lorath discussed Neyrelle’s journey post-game by focusing on Prava’s story in a similar fashion. It may also simply be a biography of the pivotal character, filling in the blanks of her life before Lilith returned. Hopefully we won’t have to wait too long to find out what’s in store with this book.