Dark Souls is arguably FromSoftware’s most prominent game series. A spiritual successor to Demon Souls, the three-game series is hailed by millions for its brutal and unforgiving nature.
Dark Souls has already received a comic adaptation. Now, the popular role-playing franchise is getting an official novel and it is being written by the man behind the Star Wars X-Wing novels, Michael A. Stackpole.
Stackpole has been working on the novel, Dark Souls: Masque of Vindication, for several years. There will be an English and a Japanese version of the book, with Yen Press publishing the English version and Kadokawa releasing the Japanese version. Both versions of Dark Souls: Masque of Vindication will release on October 25 of this year.
The novel promises to expand upon the lore of Dark Souls, offering fans a new way to connect with the game’s universe. Recently, Stackpole shared the cover of the upcoming title in a tweet where he stated, “I really do like the cover. It has the right feel.”
Plot details
Yen Press recently shared the following description of Dark Souls: Masque of Vindication on its website:
“In an underground tomb, a man who should have been dead awakens in the dark, gradually regaining his senses—
He has forgotten his past, including his name. Given the great pains taken to ensure his confinement, his revival may have been anticipated, but the remains of the grave robber that is his sole companion may give a clue as to his reawakening. When the corpse of the thief rises against him, a sorcerer’s instincts emerge, and he puts it down with a flash of light from his palm. With this gesture, the memories of the cadaver flicker through him, rekindling a sense of himself…
The desert night stretches out beyond the graveyard, and the starry sky tells the sorcerer that a long time has passed since his death. Naming himself Ferranos after the meaningless word graven outside his tomb and armed with a dagger of a failed grave robber, he embarks on an epic adventure guided by fate.”
Film Adaptations
While Dark Souls is receiving its first novel adaptation, quite a few video game franchises are in the process of being adapted for television. HBO Max plans to release a The Last of Us series in 2023. Currently, Netflix is working on a Bioshock movie, while Prime Video is eyeing a live-action God of War series. And it doesn’t stop there. Duke Nukem, Silent Hill, and It Takes Two are being adapted for film, while American McGee’s Alice and Horizon Zero Dawn are getting series adaptations.
Jack Brassell is a freelance journalist and aspiring novelist. Jack is a self-proclaimed nerd with a lifelong passion for storytelling. As an author, Jack writes mostly horror and young adult fantasy. Also an avid gamer, she works as the lead news editor at Hardcore Droid. When she isn't writing or playing games, she can often be found binge-watching Parks & Rec or The Office, proudly considering herself to be a cross between Leslie Knope and Pam Beasley.
