Varric From Dragon Age Gets His Novel Published For Real

Varric Tethras, a chest-haired dwarf with a dry sense of humor, is a beloved character in the Dragon Age series. In the world of Thedas, he's also a successful author, due to his novel Hard in Hightown. Now, his work of fiction is getting a real-life release.

Thanks to publishers Dark Horse Books and Penguin Random House, Hard in Hightown will soon be readable in its entirety for $20. The illustrated novel is just under a hundred pages, telling a crime thriller tale about rival cult factions in Kirkwall, a city most Dragon Age 2 fans are familiar with. You can read a description of the book below:

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.

The novel lists Varric as the author, and says that it was "co-written" by BioWare's Mary Kirby, the real wordsmith behind Varric's stories. The book's illustrations are by Stefano Martino, Álvaro Sarraseca, Andres Ponce, and Ricardo German Ponce Torres, along with a painted cover by artist E.M. Gist. You can take a peek at the cover below.

Hard in Hightown releases in hardcover on July 31. You can pre-order it now by heading here. BioWare unveiled its next game, Anthem, at last year's E3. Check out a trailer here.