Book of Cain is the foundational text of the Diablo companion series, tracing Sanctuary's mythology from the war between Anu and Tathamet through the creation of angels and demons, all through Deckard Cain's voice. Beautifully illustrated and genuinely useful as a standalone introduction to the lore, even without playing the games
This is the first book in a series of companion books written for the Diablo franchise by Blizzard Entertainment. This one is written from the point of view of Deckard Cain, basically the most well-versed historian of Sanctuary, the character who spent two full games dropping cryptic hints about a much bigger story he never had time to fully explain.
This book is basically a journey through time, starting from the very beginning of the Diablo universe, how Sanctuary came to be, its folklore and mythology, the creation of angels and demons, and the fundamentals of the Eternal Conflict. Each of the demons and angels is written about extensively and illustrated brilliantly, in familiar Blizzard fashion. Say what you want about Blizzard, but when it comes to things like this, they're absolutely top notch. The care put into these entries makes it clear this wasn't some rushed marketing tie-in, it feels like an actual reference text that happens to live inside a fantasy universe.
What struck me most is how foundational this book is compared to the other companion volumes that came after it. Book of Tyrael and Book of Adria build on assumptions this one lays out first, so reading it in order genuinely pays off, you get a much clearer sense of how the entire mythology fits together, from the war between Anu and Tathamet all the way up through the formation of the Horadrim.
For fans of the games and franchise, it provides a great foundation of lore and a deeper understanding for anyone interested in it. If you've never played any of the Diablo games and want to get into the lore without actually playing them, this is a great introduction to the franchise and the wider universe. It reads less like a spoiler-heavy plot summary and more like an actual mythology text, which makes it approachable even if you have zero attachment to the games themselves. And as always, art books and lore-driven companion books like this are a great source of inspiration for worldbuilders out there, there's a lot to learn here just from how Blizzard structures and paces out a creation myth.
4 out of 5 stars for me.