The Skyrim Library - Volumes I, II & III (Box Set) Hardcover – Box set, September 12, 2017

It's hard to overstate how fantastic the production values on this set are. Bringing together the three previously published "Skyrim Library" volumes into a single box set, this is more than a collection of printed Elder Scrolls lore: it's a genuine collector's piece.As noted, this set is made up of three hardcover volumes, each of them previously published as individual books. They are collected here in a beautifully designed box. The box is a clamshell design that completely encloses the books so you can't see their spines while on the shelf. The carving on Alduin's wall from the game Skyrim is depicted on the outside, along with display text for your bookshelf, and the interior has an illustration of Alduin himself.Inside are the three hardcover books, and WOW are they gorgeous. Each is roughly 230 pages or so, give or take. The covers are a textured faux leather emblazoned with the Skyrim symbol. They feel hefty and weighty and are VERY well made. Truly impressive stuff.Also impressive are the interiors. Each book is jam-packed with in-game texts, lore, and more from the Elder Scrolls series (though branded as "The Skyrim Library," much of the material here can be found in games like Oblivion and Morrowind, too). The pages are a thick, study paper stock and almost every page is lavishly illustrated.As for the contents, they are terrific for any lover of the Elder Scrolls, Tamriel, and fantasy lore. Newbies will find this interesting and easy to get into, and old vets will delight in having this stuff in a nicely printed form.Vol. 1 is The Histories. The four sections within -- History, Skyrim, Morrowind, and Dragons -- offer a pretty comprehensive reading of Tamriel history from the perspective of mankind, from the early days of man to current, along with loads of Skyrim-specific lore, a quick overview of Morrowind (too quick; I hope they one day publish something similar on that setting), and stuff on dragons.Vol. 2 is Man, Mer, & Beast, covering the people and creatures of the world. In four sections -- Races, Creatures and Beasts, Warfare, and Factions -- you get extensive texts on the dwemer/dwarves, good material on other elves, texts on various factions operating in Skyrim, and more.Finally, Vol. 3 is The Arcane, dealing in magic and the gods. The four sections here -- Magicka, Religion, 2910: The Last Year of the First Era, and Aedra and Daedra -- delve more into the arcane and obscure, getting into the metaphysical aspects of Tamriel lore, accounts of the world's early days, material on the minor gods, and more.The material here is extensive, encompassing over 400 and maybe approaching 500 in-game books and texts. There is a LOT to sift through and read.If you've read some of the series' many in-game books, you know what to expect. If not, you'll be getting dozens of well-written tales, essays and pieces about Tamriel (NOT just Skyrim) and the overall world of Nirn, presented as if they were written by people who live in the game world. They vary in quality and tone, from serious to whimsical.That's a good thing, too. If one of the pieces doesn't catch your interest, just skip it. Each story is brief, usually only a page or two, making this a book you can just pick up and read for a few moments at a time without having to invest yourself. Things are arranged so if you want to read the books straight through you'll get clear thematic narratives, but it's not necessary to read them that way. You can skip around to the things that interest you.All in all, this set is GORGEOUS and is PACKED with stuff that will delight fans of the Elder Scrolls series, even those who prefer Morrowind, Daggerfall, or Oblivion to Skyrim. (No one actually prefers Arena to Skyrim, right?) The retail price seems a bit steep at $100, but the production quality makes it a decent purchase. Amazon's price is far batter than that, making this a no-brainer for lovers of Tamtriel lore.About my only complaint is the box's clamshell design, which makes accessing the books inside a bit of a pain and which does not match the equally gorgeous The Elder Scrolls Online - Volumes I & II: The Land & The Lore (Box Set) . They SHOULD look like a matching set when on the shelf -- the five individual books of the these two sets certainly do when removed from their respective boxes -- but the box designs are too different for that. My best guess is that maybe the clamshell design was used because it's sturdier and these are heavy books? Just a guess.But that's a nitpick from someone who likes his shelves to have a nice, matching look.Overall, great stuff. Huge thumbs up for fans of the series. Whether you are new to Elder Scrolls lore or are an old fan of it, either way you'll find a lot to like here.

Absolutely amazing, all three books are hefty and a pretty good size (Bonus if you have the Tales of Tamriel books, these are the exact same size and fit together nicelyon the shelf) and feel like a premium product, well worth the money. Three books covering The Histories, The Arcane, and Man, Mer, & Beast, are lavishly covered with the crest of Akatosh, and each book has a slightly diffrent colored hue to them, to assist in deferentiation. The slipcase is pretty stiff, although one corner was slightly dented, I'd contribute this to being a shipping or processing damage, outside of that no issues or defects, and it even has a magnetic clasp.The Histories. Starting off with book one, we establish the stories and books that cover the history and events leading up to Skyrim, the contents lists the various books in sub categories for easier navigation and grouping, beginning with History, Skyrim, Morrowind (three books cover a small portion of this), and Dragons, although some discuss things like Cyrodiil, the Third Era, etc, these all being derived from the in game source books are mostly relevant and scoped for Skyrim, and not the wider Elder Scrolls universe, for that I recommend the Elder Scrolls Online books, The Land and The Lore. Paired with the stories and texts are outstanding art renditions of characters, cities, weapons, and even concept art for Whiterun, armor, and so much more. Having a complete collection of books pertaining to world events and other major conflicts and political markers is a welcomed addition to this collection. With 229 pages, there's alot packaged in this book that will keep ypu interested and reading.Man, Mer, and Beast. Book two hosts 227 pages dedicated to various races, major figureheads like Ulfric Stormcloak, the Fauna of Skyrim, and even on things like The Blades and House Redoran. An assorted collection of books from Skyrim, once more paired with stunning artwork on nearly every page, it's a nice smorgasboard of topics, with the contents listing the sub sections as Races, Creatures and Beasts, Warfare, and Factions, I find it a great source for learning more about the Nords, Reachfolk, Dwemer, a surprising amount on Dunmer, and so much more. There's even a giant art piece of a Chaorus with a Falmer riding it! (Super cool right?)The Arcane. Book three will excite those studying the works of Shalidore, or anyone learning one of the many schools of magic. 218 pages cover the wide topic of magic and mysteria, with books discussing Deadra, The House of Troubles (Micheal Kirkbride fans will get a kick out of these), The Monomyth, the Divines, St. Alessia, and so so so much more. Elder Scrolls Lorebeards will appreciate this book the most, as it deals with all things, well, Arcane. I mean the stiff they decided to put in here is simply amazing, and blows my mind more with the artwork they include, again also featuring concept art for the game. Even better, there are a fair amount of books on the Deadric Prince of Madness himself, S H E O G O R A T H! This is probably, in my personal opinion, the best out if the three books.I'd say that for the sale price it's at for the time being, this is a must for any Elder Scrolls or Skyrim fan, and pairs nicely with the TES books mentioned at the start.