There are two dates worth keeping straight. March 30 is the book’s publication date, which appears on Penguin Random House’s current listing and Barnes & Noble’s Hero’s Edition page. April is the estimated shipping month shown by Dark Horse Direct for orders through its own store. A March release date shouldn’t be read as a promise that a direct preorder will reach your doorstep that day. Dark Horse also notes that its shipping estimates can change.
Secrets of the Zonai looks closely at how Tears of the Kingdom was built. The book includes more than 50 pages of illustrations, character artwork and promotional images, followed by nearly 300 pages of sketches, design notes, concept art and development recollections. For anyone who enjoys seeing the ideas behind a finished Zelda game, that development section is a substantial part of the appeal.
Another section dedicates more than 80 pages to Hyrule’s history, reaching back before the kingdom’s founding and exploring the Zonai’s past through the events of the game. Interviews with producer Eiji Aonuma, director Hidemaro Fujibayashi and art director Satoru Takizawa round out the volume. Between the artwork and those conversations, there should be plenty to pore over after the first flip through its pages.
The standard hardcover is listed at US$59.99. The US$119.99 Hero’s Edition adds a green slipcase, an exclusive cover, a cloth map of the Depths, an art print featuring Link and the Sages, and a replica of the Secret Stone of Time. Both editions contain the 472-page book; the pricier version bundles the display pieces around it.
Penguin Random House and Barnes & Noble now show the March date, but anyone with an existing preorder should check their retailer’s latest order estimate. If you ordered through Dark Horse Direct, April 2027 is the shipping window currently listed.