Grace Given: The Mythology of Elden Ring • Geoff “SmoughTown” Truscott

In this article, I would like to introduce a book that is not easy to come across. It is highly specialized, rather nerdy, and at the same time absolutely beautiful. Grace Given is a fascinating work with a remarkable background. Once again, this is an English-language book, yet I still want to feature it here because it is not only deeply bibliophilic but also far removed from anything mainstream. So read on and let yourself be surprised by yet another curious treasure I have unearthed from my home library.

Recently, Elden Ring was released for the Nintendo Switch 2. The game is widely regarded as a masterpiece, and because it is wonderfully relaxing to lose oneself on the sofa in unfamiliar worlds, I decided to pick it up. The foundational worldbuilding for the world of Elden Ring is said to come from George R. R. Martin. However, he apparently only created the framework of the setting, the mythological foundation of the Lands Between: how the world came into existence and how it reached the state in which the game begins. The actual story, the dialogue and texts, and the characters were not written by him. Yet the underlying foundation comes, so to speak, from the pen of a renowned author, which makes the game even more intriguing.

The game itself presents a vast open world and deliberately avoids telling a straightforward and clearly structured story. Players must first orient themselves and discover how these atmospheric, dark, and mystically inhabited Lands Between actually function. The game is also notoriously difficult, which means that death is a constant companion and demands patience, caution, and attention. What makes this especially fascinating is that this enormous and initially inaccessible world is built upon a complete mythical system. Yet this mythology is never forced upon the player. Instead, it is scattered throughout the game. Clues can be found in item descriptions, conversations with characters, the environment and architecture, and of course in cutscenes, but especially in countless small details such as names, titles, and locations.

This hidden lore inspired some players to start searching for it. Like historians, they set out to collect all these fragments and gradually reconstruct the mythology of Elden Ring. Insights are derived from countless clues and interpretations, discussed within a small but knowledgeable community, and over the years a more comprehensive picture of the game’s mythology has emerged. The author of this book, Geoff Truscott, known on YouTube as SmoughTown, has been exploring the worlds of FromSoftware games for years and presents his findings on YouTube.

It is all rather crazy, and one might reasonably ask what the point of it is. Yet there is clearly a desire to learn more about this world, and Truscott provides a source for exactly that. His YouTube video about the complete lore of Elden Ring has amassed more than 2.3 million views. The truly astonishing part is that Truscott spends over 13 hours discussing the lore and still calls the video “Part 1.” The story and mythology of Elden Ring are evidently so rich that even after 13 hours of explanation, he has not yet reached the end.

This Geoff “SmoughTown” Truscott, who together with countless other players painstakingly reconstructed the mythology of Elden Ring, is the author of the book shown here. He assembled all the tiny fragments, organized them, arranged them chronologically, and compiled them into Grace Given. The book runs to nearly 500 pages and is packed with content. Browsing through it, one quickly realizes just how much depth this world possesses and that it is not merely something to be played, but also a work of art, as is the case with many video games.

I also find it fascinating that this book is not official companion material for the game. None of it comes from the developer FromSoftware. Instead, it was written entirely by the community, or rather by Truscott himself. I find it exciting that something like this can emerge within popular culture. It reminds me somewhat of fan fiction, where people continue to engage with a work of art after a book, film, or game has ended. It demonstrates just how elaborate the entertainment industry has become, and anyone who looks at the budgets of modern video games, with GTA 6 reportedly costing billions, will not be surprised by that.

The book is divided into several parts. Part 1 explores the gods and the peoples across multiple chapters. Part 2 is devoted to history and ideology. Part 3 traces the collapse of the world and the events that ultimately led to the situation encountered by players at the beginning of Elden Ring. Part 4 takes a closer look at the demigods. The final section is dedicated to the Tarnished, the players who return to this world.

I enjoy dipping into the book and reading about the characters one repeatedly encounters throughout the game. The writing style strongly resembles that of a historian attempting to support arguments with evidence and textual fragments. At times, however, one cannot help but feel that certain conclusions are overinterpreted and that the game’s creators probably did not always intend as much meaning as is later extracted from these snippets of text. For me, this is certainly not a book I will read cover to cover. I am also not a particularly skilled player, which means it will be quite some time before I defeat the truly formidable bosses. If I ever manage to do so after a thousand deaths, I will gladly read up on each of them. Overall, this is a book that I expect to enjoy gradually over time.

The book itself is gorgeous and lavishly produced. The binding resembles an old folio and has been designed with great care. It is filled with illustrations by numerous artists. The front board features the death masks of the demigods embossed in ivory foil. The spine is stamped in gold, and the slipcase is equally attractive with its gold foil decoration. It is printed on high-quality 120 g/m² Munken Pure paper, and the print quality is truly excellent and crisp throughout. The illustrations are wonderfully executed, and the many small vignettes add a great deal of charm. The elaborately designed chapter openings, the carefully chosen typography, and the color palette all contribute to a delightful reading experience. The book also features a sturdy sewn binding. My bibliophile heart truly beats faster when holding it. Unfortunately, the book does not have a cloth binding or a ribbon marker. I have been considering whether I should add two or three ribbon markers myself.

The book is also available in a limited edition housed in a wooden slipcase, though at around €700 it is remarkably expensive. I opted for the Deluxe Edition, which costs €145 including shipping and is by no means cheap. From a production standpoint, however, the book is absolutely worth it, and it is a genuine pleasure to hold in one’s hands. The publisher Tune & Fairweather is based in Ireland and specializes primarily in high-quality books related to video games. As a result, their catalog is relatively small. Nevertheless, I will definitely keep an eye on them because all of their books appear beautifully designed.

Conclusion: Grace Given is certainly not a book for everyone. Its subject matter is highly specialized. However, anyone who immerses themselves in Elden Ring and becomes captivated by it will discover a treasure trove of information and a wonderfully atmospheric companion volume. The book itself is beautiful, radiating the bibliophilic charm of an old folio and standing as a magnificent addition to any personal library. I love unusual and beautiful books like this, books that are not merely books but cultural phenomena in their own right. Over the coming months I will continue to browse through it, and whenever one of the demigods defeats me for the hundredth time, I now know exactly where to find more information about my executioners.

Book Information: Grace Given: The Mythology of Elden Ring • Geoff “SmoughTown” Truscott • Tune & Fairweather • 479 pages • ISBN 9781916740099