Critical Role is a franchise that began life as a bunch of friends (who all happened to be voice actors) playing a fun fantasy tabletop game and letting off a little bit of steam through the medium of gaming. It is now a brand almost as unique and beloved as the thing it spawned from, Dungeons & Dragons. And this means there is an absolute pile of merchandise now exists, from soft toys to actual action figures.
The Chronicles of Exandria Volume Two is the inevitable big art book that looks nice on a coffee table and is intended to be something that you browse, taking in the extensive artwork. This isn’t a behind-the-scenes book, rather it’s the second part of Critical Role’s first campaign, Vox Machina, told in art form. We get a small amount of in-universe writing to set the scene and put context to all the very pretty pictures, but ultimately, this is a very pretty, very well-put-together book full of art.
Vox Machina was a campaign that would go on to become its own animated show and pretty much launched the franchise that Critical Role is today. One of the reasons for this success is the world-building, and the art here puts all of that in context. The emotional strengths of the characters and the power of the various places they visit are told visually.
There are a lot of different art styles throughout, and this is a showcase of sorts of modern fantasy art; the book glides from near-photo realistic portraits to very cartoonish styles, but this is all presented in a way that feels natural and fun.
The Chronicles of Exandria Vol II: The Legend of Vox Machina is a big, heavy book that fits awkwardly on a shelf but looks fantastic when it’s left on a table to peruse. It’s a great inspiration for your own Exandria campaign and, to be blunt, simply gorgeous to look at. One for the collection.
