Critical Role (Mike Chen) Books in Order

On this page, Critical Role is less one straight series than a set of different doors into Exandria. The books gathered here range from lore guide to cookbook to character prequel to anthology, which means the best way in depends on whether you want background, adventure, side stories, or just more time in the world.

Exandria can hold all of that.

If you want the broadest view, The World of Critical Role is the obvious foundation. It steps back from any single party and explains how a home game between voice actors grew into a huge fantasy universe with campaigns, characters, art, and fan culture around it. It is part history, part companion book, and part orientation guide for anyone who wants context before diving into specific characters.

From there, the line branches. Kith & Kin, The Nine Eyes of Lucien, and Bells Hells - What Doesn't Break are character-centered novels tied to Vox Machina, the Mighty Nein, and Bells Hells. They work like side routes through the same setting: smaller than a whole campaign, but still full of the emotional baggage, danger, and world lore that make Critical Role feel lived in. They are useful if you would rather follow one character or one relationship than start with hundreds of hours of streamed play.

Then the shelf gets more playful. Exquisite Exandria turns the world into food and travel, which sounds light, and is, but it also sneaks in setting details and little bits of personality. Tusk Love takes an in-world joke and gives it an actual romantic adventure. And the Stories Untold anthologies zoom sideways, letting friends, enemies, shopkeepers, and bystanders hold the camera for a while instead of the famous adventuring parties.

That sideways view matters. In The Mighty Nein--Stories Untold, Mike Chen's own contribution follows Pumat Sol after his run-in with Obann and the Mighty Nein, which is a perfect example of what these anthologies do well. They make Exandria feel bigger than the main cast. The heroes still matter, but so do the people who have to clean up after them, miss them, fear them, or sell them supplies.

So if you are looking at Mike Chen's Critical Role corner, expect variety more than a single arc. Some books give you lore. Some deepen one character. Some just let you hang around in the world a little longer. Across all of them, the draw is the same: big fantasy stakes, strong relationships, and a setting roomy enough for tragedy, jokes, monsters, recipes, and heartbreak to coexist.