I bet that some of you must be wondering what took me so long to talk about Final Fantasy XV: The Dawn of the Future novel on my blog.

Wasn’t I eager to buy the DLC when Square Enix announced The Dawn of the Future DLC back then before they canceled them?

Yes, I was eager to let Square Enix take my money back then. And I even planned to buy the novel when Square Enix announced that they would be canceling the other three DLCs.

They only spared Episode Ardyn since it was already in development back then.

But true to my own fashion, I completely forgot about the book. It was only when I watched Kingsglaive on Netflix with my niece and nephew that I suddenly remembered about the book.

If only the English version of the book doesn’t take forever to come out.

I find it strange that the English version of the book came out a year after the Japanese version.

And it came out at the worst time when everyone couldn’t think about anything else other than the crazy stuff that was happening in 2020.

It’s no wonder why I would forget about the book when it took this long for the English version of the book to come out.

And no one was talking about the book at all.

Regardless of how late I am to read this book, I’m glad that the book finally comes out even if it comes at the worst timing.

What Final Fantasy XV: The Dawn of the Future is all about

Here’s the book description that I got from Amazon.

To oppose the gods or yield to fate?

That is the question confronting each of the characters in The Dawn of the Future. Ardyn, having saved countless lives from the Starscourge, means to become the Founder King of Lucis and instead is cast into tragic exile. On the day the Empire falls, as the imperial capital collapses around them, Commodore Aranea is entrusted with the life of a singular young girl. The Oracle Lunafreya, upon awakening from the slumber of death, discovers that her body has undergone an extraordinary transformation. And after gazing upon the eternal, Noctis, the True King, finally comes to terms with his destiny. Herein lie the stories of the dawning of a new world in Final Fantasy XV.

What got me to read the novel

Not going to lie that I enjoy reading fans’ theories about the story. While some of them make sense, most of them are nonsense, especially the ending.

Yes, I’m in a camp that doesn’t buy the idea that Noctis and Lunafreya finally reunite in the afterlife.

Thus, the wedding scene in the ending.

The assumption somehow contradicts a few things that you see in the ending.

Of course, that’s fine if you’re someone who prefers a bittersweet ending since I know some people love seeing a dark ending.

But as much as I’d like to believe that they did reunite in the afterlife, I find that the assumption is rather off.

So, the best way to prove whether my assumption is correct or not is to read the book.

We should go straight to the horse’s mouth if we want to prove something, right?

What makes Final Fantasy XV: The Dawn of the Future worth reading

If Square Enix moves forward with releasing the rest of the DLCs instead of stopping at Episode Ardyn, how will the DLC turn out?

Will the DLC answer all the pressing questions we have, especially the ones that lead us to the ending in the main game?

If that’s your concern, then fret not. The story in the DLCs does answer all the things that we’ve been wondering about.

And they did it without making the story feel odd too, even with more new information added to the story.

Things like how did Lunafreya come back to life after that. And what does Aranea have anything to do with all these.

Not to mention, what happened to Noctis after his brief encounter with Bahamut inside the crystal.

And most of all, the introduction of a new character in the story, Solara Antiquum or Sol for short, which is pivotal not just to Aranea but to Lunafreya as well.

Apart from adding more new details to the story, the novel also elaborates on some of the things that you don’t get to see that much in the main game as well.

One of them is the living condition in Niflheim.

Sure, you did get to see a glimpse of Niflheim when Noctis is there to retrieve the crystal. But you’ll get more of it in Episode Aranea where she recalls what it feels like to live in Niflheim before and after the Empire is going on an invasion spree.

With all these changes, does the story in the DLC still tie back to the original game?

It sure is. If Square Enix has more time to flesh out the story in the original game, I bet that the second part of the story will be just like the one we see in the Dawn of the Future DLC.

What I didn’t expect when I read the novel

Remember the concept arts that have been circulating online?

If you interpret the story based on the concept arts alone, you’ll be surprised to find out that the actual story is nothing like the concept arts at all.

The concept arts, for the most part, are meant to provide inspiration and a rough idea of how the story should be.

It doesn’t reflect the finalized version of the story at all.

It’s worth mentioning here since most people tend to think that the actual story is the same as the one in the concept arts.

If you do want to analyze the story, then please read the novel. You have a much better understanding of the story than when you analyze the story using the concept arts alone.

Does it only apply to Final Fantasy XV: The Dawn of the Future alone?

Well, I can’t say for sure. But it’s not surprising that it applies to any game narrative, not just for Final Fantasy XV.

Who should read the novel

If you’re like me who is looking for a proper conclusion to the game, then you should get this novel.

And if you do plan to get the novel, I highly suggest you get the novel in print instead since it’s a lot easier to see the concept arts that come with it if you buy the novel in print.

Never play the game before?

Well, good news for you if you have never played the game before but are interested in the story.

The novel also includes a summary of the story from the main game and character introductions at the beginning section of the novel.

And the pages are all in colors too, in case you’re wondering.

Keep in mind that the summary of the story in the main game covers until Noctis got absorbed into the crystal. It doesn’t include the story that takes place ten years after the event in Zagnatus Keep, though.

Well, you don’t need to know that since the story in the Dawn of the Future takes place ten years after the event in Zagnatus Keep.

You can say that the story in the Dawn of the Future is replacing the event after ten years in the main game.

Where to buy Final Fantasy XV: The Dawn of the Future novel

As always, you can buy Final Fantasy XV: The Dawn of the Future novel in print or digital on Amazon. You can buy the novel in whichever format you prefer right here:

Buy Final Fantasy XV: The Dawn of the Future novel on Amazon

Prefer to read the novel in Japanese? You can get the print version of the book right here at CDJapan:

Buy Final Fantasy XV: The Dawn of the Future novel on CDJapan

Over to you

What do you think about Final Fantasy XV: The Dawn of the Future novel? Are you interested in reading the novel after reading about it on my blog?

Let me know in the comment below.

P.S In the mood for reading a story where the main character’s action will affect the fate that lies ahead just like the one in Final Fantasy XV?

Just to be clear that the main character isn’t fighting God or anything. But the vibe is similar, though.

If that’s you, then you’re going to enjoy reading my light novel, The Diary of Modern Cinderella.

Want to give the light novel a try? You can take a look at the light novel right here on my Payhip store:

The Diary of Modern Cinderella on Payhip

Interested in buying the book? Don’t forget to use the coupon code SEKINAMAYUBLOG during checkout to receive 25% off on your order.

Just to let you know that the book is also available on other retailers such as Amazon, Kobo, Apple Books, and Barnes and Noble. But you can only get a discount if you buy the book directly from me.