There are three things Dragon Age fans know about Varric Tethras: he has some burly chest hair, he loves Bianca, and he’s a storyteller that loves to exaggerate. Now, one of his most famous in-game dramas is getting seriously published; Dragon Age: Hard in Hightown officially releases in July and can be pre-ordered now. Dragon Age fans may relish the fact that the book is written by Varric Tethras with Mary Kirby (and listed as such.)

With Bioware preparing for the next Dragon Age game, this publication may be the first step in the continuation of the series. For the book’s description page, Barnes and Noble details it as follows:

"Prolific dwarven author and heroic companion of the Dragon Age games, Varric Tethras brings us the collected edition of his breakthrough crime-noir drama, Hard in Hightown (with help from his trusted human confidante, Mary Kirby)! This volume is beautifully illustrated by Stefano Martino, Álvaro Sarraseca, Andres Ponce, and Ricardo German Ponce Torres, with a painted cover by E.M. Gist!

Twenty years of patrols have chiseled each and every stone of the Kirkwall streets into city guardsmen Donnen Brennokovic. Weary and weathered, Donnen is paired with a recruit so green he might as well have leaves growing out of his armor. When the mismatched pair discover a dead magistrate bleeding out on the flagstones, they're caught up in a clash between a shadowy organization known only as the Executors and a secretive group of Chantry agents—all over some ancient artifact."

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The book is set to release on July 31, 2018, and not long after, Anthem is scheduled to release in Q4 2018. This year may prove vital for EA and Bioware, as the companies work toward the next Dragon Age game and establish Anthem as its own franchise.

However, it may take more than a book, a new game, and a new franchise to placate fans upset by Mass Effect: Andromeda. It may have been one of the most disappointing games of 2017 for many gamers, but hopefully, 2018 will prove to be a better year. If Anthem receives a solid launch and enough hype is built for the next Dragon Age game, then it seems like a possibility to which this book contributes.

Aveline may have complained about this book in Dragon Age II, but hopefully, that will not be fan reception of the book. With Hawke gracing the front of the novel and a comment from Merill, Dragon Age: Hard in Hightown may be a good way to pass the time until the next Dragon Age game is announced.