World of Warcraft 1: World of Warcraft: Traveler #1

Traveler #1

by Greg Weisman

It's been years since Aramar, a clever boy who is never without his sketch book, has seen his father. So when Captain Thorne comes ashore and asks his son to join him, aboard the Wavestider, it feels as if someone has redrawn Aram's entire world. As a band of pirates attack, Greydon's compass appears to be leading them further away from safety.

Genres: Fantasy, Warcraft, World Of Warcraft, Young Adult, Fiction, Middle Grade, Adventure

336 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 25, 2016

About the author

Greg Weisman (BA Stanford, MPW U.S.C.) has been a storyteller all his life. His first professional work was as an Editor for DC Comics, where he also wrote Captain Atom.

Greg worked at Walt Disney Television Animation from 1989 through 1996. In 1991, Greg created and developed a new series for Disney: GARGOYLES, becoming Supervising Producer and Supervising Story Editor of that series.

In 1998, Greg became a full-time Freelancer. He wrote the new Gargoyles and Gargoyles: Bad Guys comic books for SLG Publishing, while producing, writing, story editing and voice acting for Sony’s The Spectacular Spider-Man. He then moved over to Warner Bros., where he produced, story edited, wrote and voice acted on the new series, Young Justice, as well as writing the companion Young Justice monthly comic book for DC.

Greg was a writer and Executive Producer on the first season of Star Wars Rebels for Lucasfilm and Disney, and he’s also writing the spin-off comic Star Wars Kanan: The Last Padawan. His first novel, Rain of the Ghosts, was published in 2013; its sequel, Spirits of Ash and Foam, arrived in bookstores in 2014.

Reviews

[P42 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Trzy i pół gwiazdki albo raczej trzy z dużym serduszkiem - za co to serce? Dowiecie się na kanale! http://bit.ly/p42wedr

+ MĘCIK!
+ książka o rysowniku urozmaicona jego ilustracjami, mocno na plus
+ ukryte wartości tolerancji i otwartości na inne kultury
+ motyw rodziny jako czegoś innego niż więzy krwi… o tym w recenzji na YT!
- niezgrabny narrator który totalnie traci sens kiedy przeskakuje między perspektywami bohaterów (w filmie więcej)
- liniowość fabuły typowa dla literatury tego typu (tego typu, czyli takiej, w jakiej zaczytywałem się w gimnazjum)

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was kind of shocked how meaty this was. It did a great job of capturing the slice of the world we saw here and I think even for kids or adults who don't play WoW this would be a very fun diversion. It avoids mention of any game terms fully describing races and creatures as any good fantasy novel should.
There were also a few good lore related morsels for the fans like myself. Some things I'm certain my fellow players who don't pay attention to lore wouldn't even know.

[Jay Kennedy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Video Review: https://youtu.be/2CWZpIGQ31U
I was sent this book by Scholastic Canada for an honest review.

I think it goes without saying that the majority of people have heard of World of Warcraft, if not played it themselves. For those of you who have never played, fear not because you don't need to know any of the back story to the world's most famous MMORPG. This book is completely original, with all new characters.
The story follows a boy named Aramar Thorne who, well, has daddy issues. His dad, Greydon Thorne, left his wife and young son to travel the seas of Azeroth, never even to visit until recently. Greydon returns after a long period of time to take his son travelling with him on his sail boat, much to Aramars dismay. He of course has some trust issues after not knowing his father for so many years, so many years in fact, he began to believe that his father had died. But now here he is, out of nowhere.
So Aramar is taken aboard the Wavestider and meets the crew. One of these members is Makasa Flintwill, second mate to Captain Greydon Thorne, and the person in charge of rudely interrupting Aram's sleep each morning. After a series of events that leaves Aram stranded in the wild struggling to survive, he and Makasa have to find a way to work together and discover the mystery behind an odd compass left in his possession by Greydon.
This is a completely decent Middle-Grade book, better then a lot I have read actually. However it never truly exceeds over that "decent" mark. Weisman does a fantastic job at world-building, introducing the reader to the setting at a good pace that is not overwhelming (quite the feat since Azeroth is such a huge world). The only thing is that in this first book we hardly see ANY of the world at all. This is somewhat disappointing to a WoW player that knows what fantastical things Azeroth contains. I am hoping the second book will pick up and lead the reader on an even bigger journey.
The artwork within this book is fantastic. Each illustration is described as Aramar himself drawing them and this adds a very nice touch to the novel.
What really makes (and breaks) this book is the wide variety of characters and races, for the most part each of them having a humorous side. Many of the World of Warcraft races make an appearance, such as the dense ogres, creepy undead, honorable Tauren, jolly Dwarf, Jamaican sounding Trolls, Vegan Night elfs, and many more. One of the main characters is a murloc, and that's just awesome. Valdread, one of the main antagonists who fills the shoes of "creepy undead" actually ends up being one of the most fun characters in the book to read about; him re-attaching his limbs and holding his weapons in his ribs and what not. The cast of characters and creatures is enough to keep any young reader interested.
The reason I say that the characters also break the book is the fact that any average reader can see how cliché they are. Usually cliché characters don't bother me a whole lot, especially when reading middle-grade (a genre with many clichés) but for some reason a few of them bugged me here. I think the main one that annoyed me was the one and only main female lead, Makasa Flintwill. The fact that she was a lead female character, I was expecting her to have a lot of character growth and be a very interesting character. However, she fills the role of a strong and silent character that slowly warms up near the end. Hoping she will become more rounded in the next book.
While I did have a lot of fun reading this, I noticed something subconsciously nagging at the back of my mind. I really wasn't able to put it into words until just now, when writing this review. What was bugging me, is that this book could have been MUCH more whimsical. This is the high fantasy World of Warcraft, not some low fantasy playground. I feel like there could have been a much more magical narrative and events taking place. I mean, it's not like there isn't much to work with. Has anyone been able to keep up with all the lore of WoW? I know this book is a brand new start and doesn't have any of the previous lore or anything, but this is just more of a reason as to why it should be more fantastical! In WoW we are use to large epic-scale battles and tales of heroism, and tales of woe. Since this is a middle-grade, the epic warfare could have been replaced with a more whimsical tale. But instead we have an average run-of-the-mill low-grade children's fantasy novel. I'm not trying to sound harsh, because really I did enjoy this book and recommend it to both of those new to WoW and to the veteran players. It's just that this book has so much to work with and could have been so much better.
I eagerly await the second book in hopes that it pounces over the "decent" mark.

[Nadienne Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not typically a Young Adult genre reader; however, I am a sucker for pretty much all things World of WarCraft (and Dungeons and Dragons, Star Trek, Star Wars, etc.), so when I inadvertently stumbled across this book at my son's school's book fair last year I, of course, had to snatch it up. I wasn't even aware of this book's existence, at the time, let alone that it was part of a series (which I discovered, again inadvertently at the school's book fair this year.) :)

I thoroughly enjoyed the story. I don't know if I'm necessarily "sold" on the main character, yet...I think I would like to follow his father more (but, for reasons mentioned in the book, that is not possible); however, that's probably because his father and I are more contemporaries, and I have little interest in the inner mind of an early teenaged protagonist. Having said that, I really like how Aram makes friends with everyone he can, no matter their race or predicament, through his drawing of them in his sketchbook. He begins to understand those he comes across by taking the time to get to know their features. And I absolutely love that message and am happy to see it communicated to this book's intended audience. There is far too much conflict these days and not enough understanding. Much like the end of Babylon 5, we must understand our way out of our present troubles.

It's always fun to travel with characters, too, as they travel through areas of the game world which I know and love. I can truly envision their quest through Feralas, Dire Maul, and the Thousand Needles.

If I have a critique with this book, it's that I'm not really sold on how the Forsaken are portrayed. It's comical and I'm sure that the intended audience would probably get a kick out of it. But, being able to be consistently torn apart and reassembled doesn't match what the Forsaken are...

[Glacyneyla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ein wirklich sehr gutes Jugendbuch (ab 11), das wichtige Werte wie Freundschaft, Vertrauen, Hilfsbereitschaft, Vergebung und Anti-Rassismus vermittelt. Die Charaktere machen eine wirklich tolle Entwicklung durch und sind vielschichtig, wie man es sich wünscht. Man braucht Dank der Beschreibungen, Karten und Zeichnungen keine Vorkenntnisse von World of Warcraft, was es auch für Einsteiger sehr leicht macht. Einen kleinen Abzug gibt es für die etwas zu lang gezogenen Survival Elemente im Dschungel, die mich persönlich jetzt nicht so angesprochen haben, die für Jugendliche aber bestimmt auch spannend sein können. Es ist einfach eine waschechtes Abenteuer - ganz WoW like! ;D

[♔Insomnia here_for_the_catnip · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, there's no secret that I'm a big fan of Warcraft universe and since this book offered a new story with all new characters I bought it without a second thought. I should have read at least a few reviews beforehand, I guess. The book or story itself wasn't that bad. Plus, it's clear to see that the author is very adept at story telling, his sentences are smooth, prose is witty and the story itself is easy to follow (no surprise here, the book IS aimed at younger readers). It's just, story he tries to tell is so very BORING. All the main excitement happens in the end, but before that, it was pages and pages of building up to that point, frustation and same questions revisited for millionth time. Resolution came, but it was not satisfying either. It almost seemed as if the whole journey was for nothing. And I hate that feeling in my books.
The biggest plus of it was, however, the illustrations. And I simply LOVE Samwise Didier's drawing style, so I'll give a star just for that. Look at them:

[casserole (matching with lyds) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was super good! I really enjoyed the plot, and I am DEFINITELY reading the next book. There were a couple things that I didn’t like. 1) there was at least two swear words, which was disappointing because I can’t read them to my little sisters now. 2) I didn’t like one song they sang on the boat about ale, it made me sort of uncomfortable. And finally, 3) Aram doesn’t believe there is one God. Of course, I haven’t finished the series, so maybe that changes, but really that’s all that disappointed me in this book. Yes, there was occasional violence, and I wouldn’t recommend this to kids 11 and younger. Makasa wasn’t the nicest, but that changed in the end. I loved the design of the characters, and like I said, I will definitely continue this series!
Final rating, 4.5 stars

[Matthew Harwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although it is listed as a young adult novel this is still a fantastic read and one that fans of the World of Warcraft game series will thoroughly enjoy. Not connected to the main storyline this is an enjoyable side series to read.

[Gio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely story, I can't wait to continue reading the series

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book it is the third time I have read it and is still very good.

[Yub Yub Commander · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you don’t know me, I’m a HUGE World of Warcraft nut. I have spent hours researching the lore online, I read every book I can find, and I’m an avid player of the game. Traveler is Blizzard’s new Middle Grade novel. I was expecting this to be bland and kiddy, but was pleasantly surprised.

If the publishing company for this had put a more detailed, “adult” fantasy novel cover on it, it could pass for that. There’s nothing particular that says this book is for kids. The main character happens to be twelve, his friend is seventeen, and the age range continues. There is nothing about this book that screams “this is for little kids!” My dad’s reading it right now and likes it a lot, and he reads Andre Norton, Anne McCafrey, and Tom Clancy on a regular basis.

The story was good. I personally couldn’t set the book down. The plot went by super fast, and the characters went from one insane situation to the next. The main character, Aramar, was well developed and evolved throughout the book so much. Makasa, his friend, did as well, and I really liked her. I thought I wouldn’t at first.

I really wasn’t a huge fan of Aram’s dad, Greydon. I could completely understand why he doesn’t like the guy at all and has a hard time respecting him. His dad abandoned his family. I thought it was a bit far-fetched that Aram would have been able to let go of that so easily, but maybe some people can. I don’t know. I can’t hold grudges for more than a few minutes, so maybe he’s the same way.

I love the inclusion of murlocs. It’s not World of Warcraft without those guys, and it wasn’t just any murloc but Murky himself! I had just finished some of the Murky quests in the Legion expansion, so it was a lot of fun to go from those scenarios to have him as a main character in a WoW novel.

My only complaint was that some of the things were described in such a way that people going into WoW probably wouldn’t know who they are. Worgen’s are mentioned in the beginning of the book, and a description of what a worgen actually is (basically a werewolf) isn’t given until many chapters later. The first chapter opens with the Light. The ambiguity of the Light throughout the novel could confuse people–some description should have been given for that; Aram is from the Alliance, and the Light is a predominately human religion, so he would know about some of that stuff, right?

There was a lot of pointing, somewhat randomly, at the beginning of the book about the odd-looking thing Greydon has attached to the front of his ship. I thought it was kind of odd to point out the fact that he has a wooden carving of a Naaru attached and nothing is ever spoken about that. Naaru are, essentially, made of Light and are other-dimensional beings that can move through space. Might have been important to explain that other than to just leave it there. People who are not WoW fans wouldn’t get it. Even some players may not know what it is.

But in all, as a WoW fan, I loved the book and cannot wait for the second one. If you’re interested in World of Warcraft, this is a good starting book because it doesn’t throw you neck deep into lore, but you still get a bit of it that may confuse non-WoW players.

[Beau · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid YA adventure

Traveler is a solid, kid-friendly Warcraft novel, featuring sights and themes familiar to fans of World of Warcraft. There's peril -- and death -- but nothing too extreme for older elementary school students.

And the book takes its young audience seriously, putting a father and son conflict at the heart of the novel, along with the resentment between a de facto set of step-siblings.

I read this novel with my reluctant reader fifth grader, and it engaged his interest. He didn't even mind that the story ends before the quest is over.

Worth a read for younger fans of Warcraft.

[Jordan Brantley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bookworm Speaks!

World of Warcraft: Traveler

by Greg Weisman and Samwise Didier

****
Acquired: Half-Price Books
Series: World of Warcraft (Book 1)
Hardcover: 384 pages
Publisher: Scholastic Inc. (October 25, 2016)
Language: English
Subject: Fantasy

****

The Story: It's been years since twelve-year-old Aramar Thorne, a clever boy who is never without his precious sketchbook, has seen his father. So when Captain Greydon Thorne comes ashore and asks his son to join him at sea, it feels as if someone has redrawn Aram's entire world. At sea, Aram struggles to get along with the Wavestider's crew--especially second mate Makasa, a tough teenaged girl. Just as Aram starts to get his head above water, a band of vicious pirates attack the Wavestrider, turning his world upside down once again. As Aram and Makasa try to find their way home, they encounter creatures both terrible and wondrous, and Aram will seek to understand Azeroth's denizens as he draws them in his sketchbook. But the journey is hindered by Greydon's compass, which never points north. If the compass isn't leading Aram and Makasa home--to safety--to what destiny is it leading? Includes twenty illustrations from the acclaimed Blizzard artist, Samwise Didier.

The Review: World of Warcraft has been described as the ‘Lord of the Rings’ of video gaming in that the franchise possess such a deep, complex, far-reaching lore that one could fill an encyclopedia set trying to compile it all. To approach such a vast topic can be very intimidating for both gamer or a lore enthusiast like Bookworm. This book serves as a perfect form of introduction to the world of Azeroth.

It is also a sign of inclusivity to include the fact the Aram has a mother and stepfather and his Dad is still alive. That is a common familial situation in today’s world, and too see a mainstream video game property acknowledge this is a step in right direction in the name of inclusivity. Another inclusive is step is that the deuteragonist is not only a girl but a dark-skinned one at that. It is uncertain whether “African descent” is really appropriate, if only for the fact that there is no “Africa” in Azeroth. The protagonist is still a white male, but to be honest, his personality is just uncomplicated enough that anyone could imprint themselves upon him.

Not that Aram is lacking in the personality department. A very nice touch at the beginning of the book is how that Aram does not really trust his father. He has had no real presence is his life for years now and he honestly feels more of a connection to his blacksmith stepfather. This adds a touch a realism to an otherwise fantastical book. Lore is interesting but character makes it even better.

It may seem childish, but it was a very good move on Blizzard’s part to include illustrations in the text. Warcraft, aside from the extensive lore of course, is known for being a bright and colorful place with all kinds of varying character and environment designs. The fact they are in-universe examples of Aram’s sketchbook lends the text a timeless feel that would have been lost had the illustrations been simply official artwork.

Unfortunately, the books greatest strength is also its weakness. This book is firmly in its age group, being children and tweens. The story does not stand out to a significant degree in Bookworm’s mind. In fact, Bookworm can barely remember anything about it. Perhaps it is due to the fact that it was read quite some time ago. Even so, the fact that it did not leave a lasting impression is quite worrisome. Bookworm can remember some books that have not been touched for years, and the fact that this book, which is not even a year old at the time of this writing, can’t be remembered does not lend itself to its staying power.

Perhaps that is the point though. It is a light-hearted adventure that is meant to serve as an introduction to the world of Azeroth and hopefully encourage to them to move on to bigger and better texts.

Final Verdict: For a young reader wishing to explore the world of Azeroth, or an adult who wants a easy-to-digest tale about Warcraft, this is the book for you. Its basic story may not make it very memorable but it remains a light-hearted introduction to one of the most iconic game worlds in modern history.

Rating: Four Alliance Crests out of Five

thecultureworm.blogspot.com

[¤Leila | The Fiction Pixie¤ · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a veteran/long-term player of World of Warcraft, I can confidently claim that this book is fit for everyone. This is a middle grade book written about a 12-year-old boy named Aramar Thorne from Lakeshire, Eastern Kingdoms. It is clear he is a young person in some of the ways that his emotions topple his better judgement and we have the honor of watching actual character growth from him as he evolves and learns from his mistakes. So, while it is decidedly middle-grade bordering young adult, this is well suited for adults. The issues that Aram (short for Aramar) faces throughout the book are real and legitimate struggles of life and they are not handled lightly. Some trigger warnings would include family abandonment, betrayal, murder, grief/loss, etc. Additionally, there were times when I questioned whether the vocabulary was too high level for it to be comprehended by middle-grades.

Additionally, as deeply rooted as this book is in its obvious World of Warcraft universe, the world building is done with such a subtle grace that I feel it can be enjoyed by someone who does not have an interest or background in World of Warcraft but can, in fact, still appreciate a high-fantasy novel. This book has it all. It has magic, basic races, advanced/magical races, magical items, pirates, and a harpoon-weilding support character.

Speaking of said harpoon-weilding murderesses, the secondary support character Makasa Flintwheel is by beautiful design. High fantasy RPG style characters are no strangers to tragic pasts and her pasts unfolds slowly over the course of the book. We catch glimpses of who she is, where she is from, and why she's here. Her actions in the book are some of the most heroic deeds and she proves there is more depth to a "warrior" than the surface brutality.

The characters were one singular piece of the overall masterpiece that I have decided this book is. This book is available for free as a playlist on Spotify which is where I listened to it. Scholastic has made a magnificent production of this audiobook. All of the voices are deeply rich with accents from dwarven and human to murloc and gnoll! The audio tuning is sound mixing perfection. The pacing of the narrator as he reads from relaxing, light-hearted moments to thrilling escapes from certain death are nothing short of flawless.

By the time I read this, this book had been out for nearly a decade and the second book which will hopefully be a thrilling conclusion to our hero's journey is out and available in the same platform and I cannot wait to embark with Aram on this next chapter.

[Rylee · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the fiction novel Traveler by Greg Weisman, Aramar has to take lessons from his dad about the real world when his dad has asked him to travel around the world and trade with creatures on boat with him and his crew. When Aramar accepts, but then they eventually get attacked by pirates led by a ghost man they named the Whisper Man. Aramar likes to draw so he drew everyone except Makasa Flintwill, second mate, because whenever he pulls out his sketchbook and Makasa is nearby she always growls at him and tells him, “You better not be drawing me.”
Aramar’s nickname is Aram only when people are mad at him they call him Aramar. When they first went to trade with the knolls he didn’t know they had to fight so his dad could trade, the knolls only traded with people who are worthy. Aram’s background is that when he was turned six Greydon, his dad, left to go to the sea. When Aram went outside his mom was crying on the wet floor and Aram snuggled up with his mom and they sat there crying for a few hours. Aram thinks he is the reason Whisper Man is coming after his dad’s ship.
The plot is great because it has a lot of the same monsters as in the video games. The plot for the rest of the book is awesome because it follows most of the things that happen in the games. The plot is that Makasa and Aram eventually become friends when they have to try to travel home with just the two of them. Part of the plot is that they have to fight and trade with a lot of monsters on the way.
The author’s craft was really well because he made it seem really suspenseful and surprising. The author also made it so the reader seems like they are in the story with all of the action. The author also included correct punctuation, spelling, and indents. He had also included exclamation point when the story got full of action. The story also was very well thought of and went right along with the games. Overall, the author’s craft was really good.
This book is recommended for people who like fiction books with action. This book is also recommended for people ages nine and up. This story is recommended that you should play the game after or before reading the book because of how much they are alike. This book is recommended if you don’t like to read, but love World of Warcraft. I definitely recommend this book.

[Joseph B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Traveler offers an accessible experience for all-ages for those interested in the World of Warcraft universe with surprisingly fleshed out characters, a cohesive if poorly paced story, and immersive prose that makes one feel as if they're in Azeroth.

Traveler is the story of Aramar Thorne, a recently orphaned lad (admittedly a wildly common YA trope) who begins a quest to return home after being shipwrecked with his ship tradesman father's second-in-command, the fiercely independent Makasa Flintwill. The two quickly get themselves caught up in a wider intrigue that puts them in the sights of the Hidden, a cabal of evil people intent on retrieving the magical compass Aramar's father entrusted to him. They make plenty of friends along the way; notably a murloc named murky and night elf druid Thalyss.

While I did praise Traveler's prose, I do have one complaint in that the pacing up until the final act wasn't very consistent. That aside; as someone who isn't familiar with the Warcraft universe Greg Weisman did a wonderful job making the lore of Azeroth feel accessible without it feeling dull/expository. Weisman additionally crafted some fine characters for a YA entry; particular the motivations of each character feeling genuine and the dynamics between them seeming real. The action in the final act also was a delight, making the long three act build-up feel satisfying.

Traveler is a fine first trilogy entry into a World of Warcraft series that anyone can pick up and enjoy. Additional Notes: the black and white art pieces scattered throughout the novel are a welcome look at characters and places. The audiobook also has a terrific narrator in Ramon Ocampo; although I will say his Murky impression may leave one weary after a few minutes as it consists of chirping and lip noises.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a long time player of the MMORPG World of Warcraft, but one of my only regrets about it is that I don’t know the lore very well. So when I saw the book Traveller by Greg Weisman I was happy to pick it up. It is not part of the traditional lore, however, it was set in the Warcraft verse which was a lot of fun for me.
The story follows Aram, a 12 year old cabin boy sailing with his father, the captain. Aram has a lot of frustration, as his father left their family when he was only 6 and just came back and took Aram with him to the ship. Aram is fighting being angry with his father and respecting and learning from him. Then the Whisperman shows up and Aram’s entire world is thrown upside down. The ship is attacked and Aram and Makasa, the ship’s first mate, are on a life boat and trying to survive. Add in a magical compass and meeting a shape-shifting druid to the mix and you have an adventure worthy of the world of Warcraft.
I really enjoyed seeing all the elements from the game and watching Aram and Makasa fighting their way through the world. The lessons that Aram received from his father was also very fun to follow. The evolution of Aram and Makasa’s relationship, combined with Aram maturing and learning from his experiences makes it a natural conclusion which was very well-written and played out.
My main criticism would be trying to stick with the high fantasy standards. Constantly pronouncing both first and last names and putting in too much description are some examples. Some of that was played off by showing it from Aram’s perspective and he was an artist, however, at times it was just too much.
Still, it was an enjoyable read and I don’t regret taking the time to read it. I’m looking forward to seeing what the second volume holds!

[Thistle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I spent five or six years playing a lot of World of Warcraft. While I've long since moved on to other MMOs, I don't have any hard feelings for that game (nor any overly fond feelings).

Most books set in WoW are bad. They don't need to be well written -- a large portion of the playerbase will buy anything WoW. I heard Traveler was different: Not just good, but also a YA book. So I gave it a try.

While not perfect, it was quiet enjoyable. If you don't know WoW, I think it would work fine as just a generic fantasy book. If you do know WoW, it seems very true to the game (as much as I can remember eight years later).

The main character is brought to sea by the father who abandoned him and his family. The first third of the book is about the boy resenting his father and acting out (realistic for a young teen boy). Lots of battles happen, and the boy ends up shipwrecked with a girl from the ship. The two hated each other on board, and it takes a while for those feelings to change.

The story is one big adventure through the world WoW is set in. I think young readers would like it a lot. It's not the best thing an adult, non-WoW player might read, but it's really not bad at all.

I disliked how now and then the POV would jump into another character's head in the middle of a paragraph, but that wasn't too common. The illustrations in the book were wonderful -- so perfectly WoW's style and really skillfully draw. They added a lot to the story.

This is the first book of a trilogy, and the other two books are out now, but I'm not going to continue with the series -- I have too many other books to read to continue with something I didn't love.

[Hilary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even readers who do not know the back story to World of Warcraft can still enjoy this novel, which is completely original and populated with all new characters.

Twelve-year-old Aramar Thorne, who is never without his sketchbook, is reunited with his long-lost father, Captain Greydon Thorne. Aramar joins his father at sea aboard the Wavestrider, and is put in the charge of a tough teenaged girl, Makasa, who is the second mate. When pirates attack the Wavestrider, it is up to Aram ad Makasa to find their way home, encountering many adventures and strange creatures along the way. Aram records their adventures in his sketchbook, and the illustrations, by Blizzard artist, Samwise Didier, accompany the text.

The journey is hindered by Greydon’s compass, which never points North. Aram and Makasa must discover where the compass is trying to lead them. Is it more important to solve the compass’ mystery or return home?

Fans of World of Warcraft will enjoy this fast-paced adventure through Azeroth. Weisman’s novel is sure to make fans of newcomers to this fantasy world, too.

[Lily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm giving it five stars mainly because I was a huge fan of World of Warcraft when I was younger, and this was hugely nostalgic. It had a large cast representing different races, and even a murloc that was a fairly prominent character. The only thing I found odd was perhaps that the most central characters, including the villain, all happened to be human. I also loved seeing the world and the illustrations included with the book, so if you're bad at visualizing things like I am, they'll help you out. I also appreciated a bit of a found family trope and how firmly Makasa and Aram embraced each other as adopted siblings by the end of the novel. The only thing I didn't like was I thought the relationship between Aram and his father was wrapped up too neatly. In the final pages of the book, Aram's negative feelings toward his father abandoning him just sort of vanish, replaced by greater understanding of him. But perhaps its my own hatred of poor parents that prevents me from thinking this is a satisfactory ending.

[Ayxan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have never played world of Warcraft, nor have I any idea what this game is about. The good thing, when I first picked up the book, I didn’t see the “world of Warcraft” on the top, I was just really amazed by the artwork of a cover. And I’m glad I bought it, even though a bit confused, what’s this supposed to do with WoW!

I still haven’t googled up the game or anything, but I think I could understand the book quite well. I don’t know if this book has much new characters or just basically every character from that game, but the author described everything and everyone so well that I’m guessing you really don’t have to know the game to read this one. And I loved all the creatures — ahhh Murky is so cute!

I was also really amazed by the sketches on a few pages. First off, the art style is really beautiful, and Second, it also gives you more understanding of the creatures (that is, if they’ve been all used in the game and you’ve never played it).

I can’t wait to continue this series!

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

While you don't technically need to know about Azeroth or the World of Warcraft mmorpg to understand this story, I think this would work best for kids who have some exposure to WoW.
Aram's father abandoned he and his mother on his 6th birthday, but 4 years later he has returned to bring Aram along on a year-long ship voyage to distant lands. Aram has the chance to learn about the different peoples and customs of his world, but he has a difficult time forgiving his father, which is understandable, especially given that his father hasn't told him why he did it. After the ship is attacked by a group of pirates looking for a mysterious artifact, Aram and a teen girl named Makasa find themselves lost on a strange continent. Their struggle to get home is complicated by the fact that the pirates are after them now, as well.

[Nerd_Pilgrim · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great deal of fun! Set after World of Warcraft Cataclysm, we get to experience a very low level story with very few names to be aware of other than King Gordok. The story flows well and is easy to read with Greg Weisman doing a masterful job at keeping the reader entertained as well as intrigued with the adventure unfolding. While perhaps a little too simplistic, that's to be expected for a book aimed at teens and young adults, but you never feel as if the subject or tale is being dumbed down for you.

I loved the slow trek through Feralas and meeting with some of the creatures that don't usually have that much time lavished upon them lorewise in game. Meeting with Gnolls, Centaur and Murlocs was really fun for a lover of the universe and all the characters introduced are memorable. I can't wait to sometime return to this series and check out the sequel!

[Kirsty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't sure I wanted to pick this up because it is targeted towards a younger audience and while I do read YA, I tend to be a bit wary of Middle Grade books. After reading some reviews, I changed my mind and decided to give this a try.

And I'm glad I did! I really enjoyed reading Traveler and it wasn't too childish at all. The book is very true to the world we know from the game and those of you familiar with Azeroth, will know that is isn't a safe world. I enjoyed that the world is dangerous in the book, too, and I enjoyed recognizing the places the main characters visit. Reading this book made me feel like creating a new alt and just start leveling but I'll probably wait for Classic.

I think I'll actually pick up the next book in this series!

[Alexandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so amazing. I loved diving into the World Of Warcraft I know and love from the game, loved seeing the world and the creatures, knowing exactely where they are and how it looks and feels there - but for those who have never played there are beautifully drawn pictures and everything is described.
What I liked best though is the message. That everyone deserves to live, everyone has their own beauty and somehow we are all the same, all connected, every being, everywhere. And when we find our inner magic - friendship, loyality, kindness - we can do everything. Family is not what we are born into but what me make. Beautiful!

And of course I directly ordered book 2 and gave this one to my ten years old nephew who plays the game with me. He will love it too!

[Brooke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely not the best WoW book I’ve ever read (and in this case I listened to the Audiobook version, which was fantastically performed), but it was fun and had an interesting cast of characters. The best of which are the villains, The Hidden, who I would read a spinoff series about in a heartbeat purely because they’re so delightful in that Team Rocket sort of way.

Ultimately, I would suggest reading it if you’re addicted to WoW lore like me. If not, I’d still suggest giving it a try to see how much you may enjoy it.

[Alberto Atanacio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entretenido, digerible y muy ameno. Una forma exelente de iniciarse en el mundo de Warcraft para aquellos que no tienen nocion de este basto universo.
Las ilustraciones son un magnifico apoyo para imaginar personajes, criatura y locaciones.
Honestamente me molesta que la segunda parte no este disponible en español, pero seguramente voy a buscarlo aunque sea en ingles para continuar con esta interesante aventura.

[Timothy Pitkin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really good Warcraft story that is aa great way for newcomers to get introduced into warcraft lore. Since it does a pretty good job explaining the lore and you really do not need that much background to understand what is going on. The adventure is fun and does go through an area that is not often used in any novels aside from the comics. The mystery is intriguing and the drawings are well done.

[Necoli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fidèle à l'univers et divertissant, à mon sens il rempli bien son office.
Seul bémol est la traduction qui d'abord décide de ne pas traduire les noms de lieux puis soudain décide que ça pourrait être une bonne idée. De quoi déstabiliser les lecteurs non-habitués de l'univers.
À noter pour ceux qui veulent se lancer dans l'aventure d'Aram : le troisième volume n'a présentement pas été traduit en français.

[Marie-Charlott · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is such a fresh variety from your standard lore worl of warcraft book and holds a great adventure!
It welcomes fans of the wow universe back into their known territory but also offers enough description and introduction to take all readers along the story. Characters are written well, in depth and are wonderfully authentic. I really fell in love with this avendute and will read the other two books!
based on all the wow lore books I read (must have been 20 at least), this is in the top 3!