Minecraft Dungeons:The Rise of the Arch-Illager

The book, The Rise of the Arch-Illager, is a Minecraft Dungeons prequel novel. It is authored by Matt Forbeck and was published by Del Rey Books on July 7, 2020 in and July 9, 2020 in the. An audiobook was also released on July 7, 2020, with narration provided by Dan Bittner.

The novel expands upon the opening cinematic in the game, acting as a prequel.

Synopsis
Brave heroes have banded together to take a perilous journey through the war-riven overworld to defeat the Arch-Illager and his formidable army. But how did that army come to be? And just where did the Arch-Illager come from?

The terrible truth behind the Arch-Illager is that he never asked for ultimate power. Known as Archie, this little Illager is bullied by his fellow Illagers and mistrusted by fearful Villagers. Archie only ever wanted a place to call home but he finds himself shunned by all. As he wanders through deep forests and up craggy mountains, he stumbles upon a dark cavern—with a sinister secret waiting inside. Archie discovers an object which whispers to him promises of power: the Orb of Dominance. With it, Archie realizes he can wield incredible magic and reshape a world that turned its back on him. All he needs to do is exactly what it tells him. After all, it’s called the Orb of Dominance for a reason, right? But is it named for the way Archie uses it—or is it using him?