Starcraft 2 news » Six Reasons Why StarCraft: Evolution Will Be a Must-Read

It's been about a year since StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void concluded the epic saga of Jim Raynor, Sarah Kerrigan, and the war against Amon. You've devoured the latest missions in Nova Covert Ops, but you want to know more about what’s next for the Koprulu sector. Can Valerian Mengsk lead the Dominion to an enlightened new age? How will the protoss recover from the devastating loss of the Khala? What's Abathur been up to, anyway? All these questions will be answered in Timothy Zahn's new novel, StarCraft: Evolution, which releases on November 8 from Del Rey Books.

For now, here are six reasons why StarCraft: Evolution will be a must-read for anyone interested in StarCraft lore.

The Swarm as you've never seen it before. At the end of Legacy of the Void, the Koprulu sector's three warring factions had entered a cease-fire—but once the zerg started claiming the systems near Char, all bets were off. Zagara has taken over for Kerrigan and made the Swarm her own. No spoilers, but we’ll tell you this: Abathur has been busy working on Zagara's grand new vision for the Swarm, and it will have enormous consequences for the rest of the galaxy.

Valerian Mengsk moves out of Arcturus's shadow. It's been six years since war ravaged the sector, and the Terran Dominion is still struggling with the dark legacy of Arcturus's rule. Emperor Valerian has made stunning reforms to the military—particularly to the ghost program—as part of his pledge to lead with justice and humanity. But can he hold to his enlightened philosophy when the gauss spikes start flying? Or will he find that he has more in common with his father than he thought?

The protoss have a reckoning. The protoss burst onto the scene when they incinerated Chau Sara over a decade ago, killing untold millions of people. (That's quite the first impression!) Since then, protoss and terrans have joined forces against common enemies, but that doesn't mean all is forgiven. These two races have unfinished business, and StarCraft: Evolution brings that tension front and center.

Iconic characters. StarCraft: Evolution follows the major players in the Koprulu sector, such as Valerian Mengsk, Artanis, Matthew Horner, Zagara, and Abathur. The novel digs deep, giving us unique insight into their psyches and motivations—including a revelation about Kerrigan.

Outstanding new characters. From the mind of Timothy Zahn comes a host of exciting new characters, including a pyrokinetic ghost, a protoss researcher with a mysterious past, an idealistic terran scientist, a hard-bitten marine, and a wise-cracking reaper. We find out more about the post-war Koprulu sector as these characters are forced to work together against an existential threat. (Did we mention there's a ghost with fire powers? So. Cool.)

The incomparable Timothy Zahn. New York Times bestselling author and Hugo Award winner Timothy Zahn has crafted a story with something for everyone—StarCraft players, sci-fi fans, and anyone looking to sink their teeth into an epic tale. With battle scenes that’ll keep you on edge and a cast of complex and compelling characters, this novel is exactly what you’d expect from such a giant in the field of science fiction writing. We were excited to work with Tim when he signed on to the project, and we're even more excited to share the result with you.