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War of the Ancients Trilogy #3
WarCraft: War of The Ancients # 3: The Sundering
The hour of wrath draws near...
The valiant night elves have been shattered by the loss of their beloved general. The black dragon, Neltharion, has claimed the Demon Soul and scattered the mighty dragonflights to the winds. Above all, the demonlord, Archimonde, has led the Burning Legion to the very brink of victory over Kalimdor. As the land and its denizens reel from this unstoppable evil, a terror beyond all reckoning draws ever nearer from the Well of Eternity's depths...
WARCRAFT
In the final, apocalyptic chapter of this epic trilogy, the dragon-mage Krasus and the young druid Malfurion must risk everything to save Azeroth from utter destruction. Banding together the dwarves, tauren and furbolg races, the heroes hope to spark an alliance to stand against the might of the Burning Legion. For if the Demon Soul should fall into the Legion's hands, all hope for the world will be lost. This then, is the hour...where past and future collide!
THE SUNDERING
An original trilogy of magic, warfare, and heroism based on the bestselling, award-winning electronic game series from Blizzard Entertainment.
The valiant night elves have been shattered by the loss of their beloved general. The black dragon, Neltharion, has claimed the Demon Soul and scattered the mighty dragonflights to the winds. Above all, the demonlord, Archimonde, has led the Burning Legion to the very brink of victory over Kalimdor. As the land and its denizens reel from this unstoppable evil, a terror beyond all reckoning draws ever nearer from the Well of Eternity's depths...
WARCRAFT
In the final, apocalyptic chapter of this epic trilogy, the dragon-mage Krasus and the young druid Malfurion must risk everything to save Azeroth from utter destruction. Banding together the dwarves, tauren and furbolg races, the heroes hope to spark an alliance to stand against the might of the Burning Legion. For if the Demon Soul should fall into the Legion's hands, all hope for the world will be lost. This then, is the hour...where past and future collide!
THE SUNDERING
An original trilogy of magic, warfare, and heroism based on the bestselling, award-winning electronic game series from Blizzard Entertainment.
384 pages, Paperback
First published July 26, 2005
101 people are currently reading
2687 people want to read
About the author
Richard A. Knaak
283 books1,480 followersRichard A. Knaak is the bestselling author of Dragonlance novels, the Dragonrealm and Black City Saint series (his own creations), six novels for Blizzard Entertainment's Diablo series, and six works in the Warcraft universe. He has also written several non-series fantasy books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 153 reviews
February 1, 2016
The best book in the trilogy, though that doesn't tell much. But I'll add a few points for having my favourite Warcraft character on the cover!
Series review to come here!
Series review to come here!
June 19, 2012
Surprisingly awesome story. I could not put it down! I even cried during some parts, I was so emotionally invested. I did not expect such an experience from novels based on video game lore. Very glad that my son insisted I get around to reading it =)
April 13, 2021
Gripes with this series:
1. THE STYLE
It was bad. Everyone kept saying this but I figured this is convoluted game lore, not Tolkien, so I didn’t expect much. Two books in, however, and the style issues finally got to me. They felt tolerable before, but in the end Knaak decided to throw in every literary faux pas he could think of.
For instance, it was very tiresome to have everyone addressed not by name, but via their relationships, even when it made no sense to do so: Illidan was "Malfurion's brother", Rhonin was "Krasus' former protégé", Krasus was "Alexstrasza's consort" etc. Sometimes I had to take a second just to figure out who the hell was performing the action - and the excessive use of constructions such as "the latter" or "the erstwhile" didn't help.
The amount of telling-instead-of-showing was also overwhelming and came off as cheap and unrealistic, especially when it was used to glorify some character or denigrate another. It was especially irritating when Knaak kept telling me, insistently, what to think of someone, while my opinion was entirely different. I feel like none of the characters ever had a chance with him - to define themselves, to be judged by their actions instead of the definitive labels he slapped on them from the start.
Speaking of which:
2. THE CHARACTERS
Man, I've spent countless hours in game just staring at these guys, starstruck, almost forgetting they’re not real, and I've spent even more hours learning of their deeds and journeys. Cruel Azshara, fierce Tyrande, wise Malfurion, the romantically tragic Illidan. They were larger than life to me. Theirs was my absolute favorite story in all of WoW lore and I wanted to experience it from beginning to end - after all, what can go wrong when you have such a great recipe to go on? Well, a lot can go wrong.
Take Azshara. How did this woman win the hearts of her people, again? It just doesn't seem likely. She was supposed to be this cunning, seductive super-sorceress but all we see of her is a pretty face and a personality so vapid that it borders on idiocy. Bitching about the racket outside? "What will Sargeras think?" Her persistent belief that Sargeras will turn the world into a paradise (for her!) even after literally everyone else realized it was a massive lie? That hardly spells cunning to me, just stupid. And, while I can accept that she enthralled her Highborne, I can't for a second believe that her bullshitting superpowers could have extended to a whole race.
The one time she's hinted at having extreme power (except for a fel hound scene in the previous book) is during her confrontation with Mannoroth and, by then, it just seems contrived. Knaak also goes out of his way to tell us how we’ve greatly underestimated her but that just makes it more frustrating because I’ve seen nothing from this woman except detailed descriptions of her scantily clad body.
Btw, if her power, by Mannoroth's account, was on par with that of Archimonde or Sargeras (whaaat), couldn't she have teleported from the palace instead of turning into an ugly mermaid? Even Krasus could teleport, and he was half the man he used to be. Haha, get it? Half the man! Anyway.
Then there's Tyrande. I used to love her but wow. I can't for the life of me figure out what's so special about damsel-in-distress Tyrande. Why was she Elune's chosen? Why did they name her High Priestess over other more obvious choices? Why was even Maiev in awe of her? How did she make the twins forget their blood bond entirely? Knaak keeps telling me things but gives me no reason to believe them.
I tried to like Tyrande but couldn't. She was so Mary Suey, so vanilla, so bland, so unimpressive that I just got peeved. Even when she fights, she continually surprises everyone around her, including herself! But it's ok, she instantly goes back to praying, worrying, being selfless or simply being magically shiny, so we quickly forget her short bursts of badassery. Yet she ends up a respected voice in the new night-elf society and I just don’t. Get. Why.
She's also a horrible friend to Illidan, but I'll get to that. Everyone is horrible to Illidan.
Next up, Malfurion. Another character I loved but grew to slowly despise during this series, and not just because he was infected with the same strain of blandness as Tyrande. They also shared the same self-righteousness, hypocrisy and implausible specialness. But mostly it was his juxtaposition to Illidan that made me truly hate Malfurion as the shitty brother that he is.
As with Tyrande’s special-snowflakiness, I didn't get why Malfurion was the first druid ever and why no one had managed to rise up to Cenarius's expectations before. There was literally nothing about him that made him stand out to me. I was highly unimpressed with his "communing with nature" bullshit, his conversations with roots and rocks and wind, his bottomless pouches of seeds and his modest, unassuming personality. His love for Tyrande was grating, since it always trumped his love for his brother. His heroic deeds were shadowed by the fact that they were just as Machiavellian as Illidan's, except he always got a free pass because he was far whinier. When his emo outburst nearly drowned half the night-elf host in a magical tempest, they gave him a pep talk and simply shrugged it off, whereas Illidan's reckless spells foreshadowed his horrible downfall whenever they accidentally backfired.
The list can go on, but the point is Malfurion is built up as an insufferable dickwad that I simply can't root for.
Finally, let's talk about Illidan. And I'll start by saying that I hate the trope of ambition being evil, and the notion that any character who makes the mistake of wanting things or aspires to be above average is automatically a villain.
We dislike Illidan because he's ambitious. We dislike Maiev because she's also ambitious - until she defers, inexplicably, to unambitious Tyrande. We do like Jarod because he's endearingly insecure and we also like Malfurion because he doesn't even know Tyrande loves him - how could he? He's so unambitious.
So we know upfront that Illidan will turn evil. Why? Because, out of the whole bunch, he's actually special. Illidan has power and talent and - here comes his downfall - he knows it! Not only that, but he aspires to do something with it. He has a healthy amount of self-esteem, that's immediately labeled as fatal arrogance, and he has hopes and dreams and aspirations, which means he's disappointed by his lack of status and recognition. As would any normal person with a tangible personality. I'm just sayin'.
When, for understandable reasons, Illidan didn't find druidism all that exciting and opted for the much more interesting Well magics instead, everyone was disappointed - especially Tyrande, cause she's a judgy little bitch. We've already established that nature is good (cause nature is always good) so anything else is inherently evil. You either converse with trees or you're tainted. Seems legit.
But that's not even the thing! It's the fact that he's been cast as the evil character long before he even had a chance to prove otherwise and then, along the way, he's been constantly shoved back into that pattern every time he tried to escape it. As a matter of fact, a lot of his "unforgivable" deeds felt forced and unfairly tossed in his lot. Compare him to some of the others - Dath'Remar, especially, as an equally arrogant magic-wielder - and you'll notice how similar they are and yet how differently they're being treated.
And herein lies the issue – Illidan is treated like crap all throughout the series! He has merit. He has potential. He did some pretty amazing things that he didn't even get acknowledged for! Is he misguided? Obviously! These people seem to have zero parents and, as opposed to Malfurion and Tyrande whose vocations also provided them with mentors, Illidan had no one to reign him in. The Moon Guard turned him away because of his lowborn status and the only mentor he ever got was self-righteous Rhonin. Rhonin who, like everyone else, clutched his pearls in horror and distaste every time Illidan did something unexpected. No one gave a damn about this boy and the second he proved himself to be volatile and slightly troublesome they instantly cast him out as hopeless and forgot all about him. Here, have a heartbreaking example: for two brothers who were supposedly "as one" during their childhood, it's shocking how often Saint Malfurion worries about Tyrande and explicitly doesn't worry about Illidan. The ease with which Malfurion renounces his brother is truly startling.
So all Illidan ever got was disapproval and scowls and reprimands. No one believed in him. No one supported him. That's all he ever wanted and never ever got. (His mistake being, of course, that he thought it. You're not supposed to think these things if you wanna be the hero of the story.) His good deeds are completely erased by his questionable deeds. Whenever Illidan scores a kill, or utters a line - or even looks at someone, for fucks sake - they all shudder and gasp because he's so reckless and so vile and so obsessed and so damn ambitious. I don't see him that way through his actions so I'm constantly told that I should see him that way, because he really looks that way, pinky swear, and every other character sees him that way so, honest to goodness, that's just how he is. Nevermind that everyone else's kills are just as gruesome - at least theirs are laced with guilt and self-loathing so that makes it totally better.
He's not even allowed to pursue a woman and feel heartbroken, hurt, or jealous when said woman rejects him. That just makes him more evil, more arrogant and more obsessed. Whenever he tries to court Tyrande he's depicted as a nuisance and whenever he gets his hopes up we all laugh at him in our hearts and then, of course, we despise him when he ends up feeling like a fool and being bitter about it. Can't he realize he's not as good as passive, prissy, perpetually blushing Malfurion? My god, Illidan! Get a grip, mate!
When he's secretly dreaming of killing his brother, it doesn't even matter that it's Xavius toying with his mind – it’s Illidan, so we assume he'd have developed these thoughts on his own anyway. When the Old Gods try to corrupt the twins while wielding the Demon Soul, of course Malfurion would resist while Illidan would fall, because Malfurion will always be better than Illidan and Illidan is just evil and chaotic. When Krasus decides that the Demon Soul would be useful in the hands of the Legion we agree with Krasus, but when Illidan actually has the balls to infiltrate the Legion and fight fel fire with fel fire, we're shocked to the core because he, quite intelligently, tried to think like his enemy. Who cares that the world is ending? Our obsession with labeling everything as pure or tainted and our empty useless principles are more important than survival - and have you seen his eyes? They're so creepy! Furthermore, who cares that Illidan literally sucks the power out of fel hounds instead of the other way around and oh my fucking god that's so mindblowingly badass just build this guy a shrine already I wanna worship at it! Ahem. And, lastly, when Illidan helps with saving the world right alongside Malfurion and then gets zero acknowledgement and then gets pissed off over it, we're disgusted with his sick ambition. Why would he even want acknowledgement for his heroic deeds? That's not natural at all and he's obviously evil. He couldn't possibly have a point.
And in the end he gets tossed away for thousands of years, so he wouldn't inconvenience anyone anymore. Because, wow, that guy was such a pain, helping us save the world and shit. And Tyrande kindly urges Malfurion not to let this minor inconvenience ruin their perfect post-war honeymoon, to which he eagerly agrees because, seriously, Illidan who?
I have this pain behind my left eye.
I won’t insist on the time-travelers because there's not much to say. Brox was ok and I was sad when he bit it, Rhonin was plain as paper - except when he broke character to act as the worst mentor ever - and Krasus was just awesome. I love Krasus. I can't explain why, it's mostly irrational. I just really wish WoW dragons weren't poly because I can't deal with him being "one of many consorts" even if he does end up as "prime".
3. THE ENDING
It was sad and obviously so - they went through a massive war that literally tore their continent asunder. We also got to see the Aspects together one last time before everything went to shit and that just made things even more painful (poor Malygos). But it was also pretty bad, unsatisfying and anticlimactic.
For one thing, I was hoping to find out whether the travelers had changed the past or if they'd been a part of it all along. I always suspected that they were only completing an eternal cycle, not altering history. And yet they acted as if the outcome of the war was the only thing that had any bearing on the future, when we've all seen enough time-travel movies to understand that this is false. There were so many small changes that could have made all the difference. Like, what if the war had been won but Vereesa's ancestors had perished this time around? Rhonin would have had no Vereesa or babies to return to (and no shits would have been given because who even cares, but anyway). I wanted my hunch to be confirmed, denied, or simply addressed.
Next, it may seem unimportant but did the night elves eventually acknowledge that their queen betrayed them? Did Jarod end up leader of the night elves? What happened to Cenarius? How did Deathwing just disappear? Is Malorne really dead? How did Alexstrasza come to have the magical acorn and when did she even find out that Aviana's tree was dead? Did Korialstrasz ever remember meeting Krasus - and, more specifically, what memories of Korial was Krasus referring to when he said that they're lost forever? (If he meant all memories of Krasus then that's just irritating.) Did Krasus, Rhonin and the night elf power couple ever meet again? And how the hell did they not know of Tyrande and Malfurion before? I don't know how the grapevine functions in Azeroth but you'd think the ten-thousand-year-old leaders of the night elves would be some sort of celebrities - not to mention Illidan!
I know some of these questions are answered in future books but most are just loose ends that will never be solved.
Lastly:
So yeah I’ll choose to ignore most of this trilogy and, in my head, I’ll replace all of its shortcomings with images of Chuck Norris riding a T-Rex.
1. THE STYLE
It was bad. Everyone kept saying this but I figured this is convoluted game lore, not Tolkien, so I didn’t expect much. Two books in, however, and the style issues finally got to me. They felt tolerable before, but in the end Knaak decided to throw in every literary faux pas he could think of.
For instance, it was very tiresome to have everyone addressed not by name, but via their relationships, even when it made no sense to do so: Illidan was "Malfurion's brother", Rhonin was "Krasus' former protégé", Krasus was "Alexstrasza's consort" etc. Sometimes I had to take a second just to figure out who the hell was performing the action - and the excessive use of constructions such as "the latter" or "the erstwhile" didn't help.
The amount of telling-instead-of-showing was also overwhelming and came off as cheap and unrealistic, especially when it was used to glorify some character or denigrate another. It was especially irritating when Knaak kept telling me, insistently, what to think of someone, while my opinion was entirely different. I feel like none of the characters ever had a chance with him - to define themselves, to be judged by their actions instead of the definitive labels he slapped on them from the start.
Speaking of which:
2. THE CHARACTERS
Man, I've spent countless hours in game just staring at these guys, starstruck, almost forgetting they’re not real, and I've spent even more hours learning of their deeds and journeys. Cruel Azshara, fierce Tyrande, wise Malfurion, the romantically tragic Illidan. They were larger than life to me. Theirs was my absolute favorite story in all of WoW lore and I wanted to experience it from beginning to end - after all, what can go wrong when you have such a great recipe to go on? Well, a lot can go wrong.
Take Azshara. How did this woman win the hearts of her people, again? It just doesn't seem likely. She was supposed to be this cunning, seductive super-sorceress but all we see of her is a pretty face and a personality so vapid that it borders on idiocy. Bitching about the racket outside? "What will Sargeras think?" Her persistent belief that Sargeras will turn the world into a paradise (for her!) even after literally everyone else realized it was a massive lie? That hardly spells cunning to me, just stupid. And, while I can accept that she enthralled her Highborne, I can't for a second believe that her bullshitting superpowers could have extended to a whole race.
The one time she's hinted at having extreme power (except for a fel hound scene in the previous book) is during her confrontation with Mannoroth and, by then, it just seems contrived. Knaak also goes out of his way to tell us how we’ve greatly underestimated her but that just makes it more frustrating because I’ve seen nothing from this woman except detailed descriptions of her scantily clad body.
Btw, if her power, by Mannoroth's account, was on par with that of Archimonde or Sargeras (whaaat), couldn't she have teleported from the palace instead of turning into an ugly mermaid? Even Krasus could teleport, and he was half the man he used to be. Haha, get it? Half the man! Anyway.
Then there's Tyrande. I used to love her but wow. I can't for the life of me figure out what's so special about damsel-in-distress Tyrande. Why was she Elune's chosen? Why did they name her High Priestess over other more obvious choices? Why was even Maiev in awe of her? How did she make the twins forget their blood bond entirely? Knaak keeps telling me things but gives me no reason to believe them.
I tried to like Tyrande but couldn't. She was so Mary Suey, so vanilla, so bland, so unimpressive that I just got peeved. Even when she fights, she continually surprises everyone around her, including herself! But it's ok, she instantly goes back to praying, worrying, being selfless or simply being magically shiny, so we quickly forget her short bursts of badassery. Yet she ends up a respected voice in the new night-elf society and I just don’t. Get. Why.
She's also a horrible friend to Illidan, but I'll get to that. Everyone is horrible to Illidan.
Next up, Malfurion. Another character I loved but grew to slowly despise during this series, and not just because he was infected with the same strain of blandness as Tyrande. They also shared the same self-righteousness, hypocrisy and implausible specialness. But mostly it was his juxtaposition to Illidan that made me truly hate Malfurion as the shitty brother that he is.
As with Tyrande’s special-snowflakiness, I didn't get why Malfurion was the first druid ever and why no one had managed to rise up to Cenarius's expectations before. There was literally nothing about him that made him stand out to me. I was highly unimpressed with his "communing with nature" bullshit, his conversations with roots and rocks and wind, his bottomless pouches of seeds and his modest, unassuming personality. His love for Tyrande was grating, since it always trumped his love for his brother. His heroic deeds were shadowed by the fact that they were just as Machiavellian as Illidan's, except he always got a free pass because he was far whinier. When his emo outburst nearly drowned half the night-elf host in a magical tempest, they gave him a pep talk and simply shrugged it off, whereas Illidan's reckless spells foreshadowed his horrible downfall whenever they accidentally backfired.
The list can go on, but the point is Malfurion is built up as an insufferable dickwad that I simply can't root for.
Finally, let's talk about Illidan. And I'll start by saying that I hate the trope of ambition being evil, and the notion that any character who makes the mistake of wanting things or aspires to be above average is automatically a villain.
We dislike Illidan because he's ambitious. We dislike Maiev because she's also ambitious - until she defers, inexplicably, to unambitious Tyrande. We do like Jarod because he's endearingly insecure and we also like Malfurion because he doesn't even know Tyrande loves him - how could he? He's so unambitious.
So we know upfront that Illidan will turn evil. Why? Because, out of the whole bunch, he's actually special. Illidan has power and talent and - here comes his downfall - he knows it! Not only that, but he aspires to do something with it. He has a healthy amount of self-esteem, that's immediately labeled as fatal arrogance, and he has hopes and dreams and aspirations, which means he's disappointed by his lack of status and recognition. As would any normal person with a tangible personality. I'm just sayin'.
When, for understandable reasons, Illidan didn't find druidism all that exciting and opted for the much more interesting Well magics instead, everyone was disappointed - especially Tyrande, cause she's a judgy little bitch. We've already established that nature is good (cause nature is always good) so anything else is inherently evil. You either converse with trees or you're tainted. Seems legit.
But that's not even the thing! It's the fact that he's been cast as the evil character long before he even had a chance to prove otherwise and then, along the way, he's been constantly shoved back into that pattern every time he tried to escape it. As a matter of fact, a lot of his "unforgivable" deeds felt forced and unfairly tossed in his lot. Compare him to some of the others - Dath'Remar, especially, as an equally arrogant magic-wielder - and you'll notice how similar they are and yet how differently they're being treated.
And herein lies the issue – Illidan is treated like crap all throughout the series! He has merit. He has potential. He did some pretty amazing things that he didn't even get acknowledged for! Is he misguided? Obviously! These people seem to have zero parents and, as opposed to Malfurion and Tyrande whose vocations also provided them with mentors, Illidan had no one to reign him in. The Moon Guard turned him away because of his lowborn status and the only mentor he ever got was self-righteous Rhonin. Rhonin who, like everyone else, clutched his pearls in horror and distaste every time Illidan did something unexpected. No one gave a damn about this boy and the second he proved himself to be volatile and slightly troublesome they instantly cast him out as hopeless and forgot all about him. Here, have a heartbreaking example: for two brothers who were supposedly "as one" during their childhood, it's shocking how often Saint Malfurion worries about Tyrande and explicitly doesn't worry about Illidan. The ease with which Malfurion renounces his brother is truly startling.
So all Illidan ever got was disapproval and scowls and reprimands. No one believed in him. No one supported him. That's all he ever wanted and never ever got. (His mistake being, of course, that he thought it. You're not supposed to think these things if you wanna be the hero of the story.) His good deeds are completely erased by his questionable deeds. Whenever Illidan scores a kill, or utters a line - or even looks at someone, for fucks sake - they all shudder and gasp because he's so reckless and so vile and so obsessed and so damn ambitious. I don't see him that way through his actions so I'm constantly told that I should see him that way, because he really looks that way, pinky swear, and every other character sees him that way so, honest to goodness, that's just how he is. Nevermind that everyone else's kills are just as gruesome - at least theirs are laced with guilt and self-loathing so that makes it totally better.
He's not even allowed to pursue a woman and feel heartbroken, hurt, or jealous when said woman rejects him. That just makes him more evil, more arrogant and more obsessed. Whenever he tries to court Tyrande he's depicted as a nuisance and whenever he gets his hopes up we all laugh at him in our hearts and then, of course, we despise him when he ends up feeling like a fool and being bitter about it. Can't he realize he's not as good as passive, prissy, perpetually blushing Malfurion? My god, Illidan! Get a grip, mate!
When he's secretly dreaming of killing his brother, it doesn't even matter that it's Xavius toying with his mind – it’s Illidan, so we assume he'd have developed these thoughts on his own anyway. When the Old Gods try to corrupt the twins while wielding the Demon Soul, of course Malfurion would resist while Illidan would fall, because Malfurion will always be better than Illidan and Illidan is just evil and chaotic. When Krasus decides that the Demon Soul would be useful in the hands of the Legion we agree with Krasus, but when Illidan actually has the balls to infiltrate the Legion and fight fel fire with fel fire, we're shocked to the core because he, quite intelligently, tried to think like his enemy. Who cares that the world is ending? Our obsession with labeling everything as pure or tainted and our empty useless principles are more important than survival - and have you seen his eyes? They're so creepy! Furthermore, who cares that Illidan literally sucks the power out of fel hounds instead of the other way around and oh my fucking god that's so mindblowingly badass just build this guy a shrine already I wanna worship at it! Ahem. And, lastly, when Illidan helps with saving the world right alongside Malfurion and then gets zero acknowledgement and then gets pissed off over it, we're disgusted with his sick ambition. Why would he even want acknowledgement for his heroic deeds? That's not natural at all and he's obviously evil. He couldn't possibly have a point.
And in the end he gets tossed away for thousands of years, so he wouldn't inconvenience anyone anymore. Because, wow, that guy was such a pain, helping us save the world and shit. And Tyrande kindly urges Malfurion not to let this minor inconvenience ruin their perfect post-war honeymoon, to which he eagerly agrees because, seriously, Illidan who?
I have this pain behind my left eye.
I won’t insist on the time-travelers because there's not much to say. Brox was ok and I was sad when he bit it, Rhonin was plain as paper - except when he broke character to act as the worst mentor ever - and Krasus was just awesome. I love Krasus. I can't explain why, it's mostly irrational. I just really wish WoW dragons weren't poly because I can't deal with him being "one of many consorts" even if he does end up as "prime".
3. THE ENDING
It was sad and obviously so - they went through a massive war that literally tore their continent asunder. We also got to see the Aspects together one last time before everything went to shit and that just made things even more painful (poor Malygos). But it was also pretty bad, unsatisfying and anticlimactic.
For one thing, I was hoping to find out whether the travelers had changed the past or if they'd been a part of it all along. I always suspected that they were only completing an eternal cycle, not altering history. And yet they acted as if the outcome of the war was the only thing that had any bearing on the future, when we've all seen enough time-travel movies to understand that this is false. There were so many small changes that could have made all the difference. Like, what if the war had been won but Vereesa's ancestors had perished this time around? Rhonin would have had no Vereesa or babies to return to (and no shits would have been given because who even cares, but anyway). I wanted my hunch to be confirmed, denied, or simply addressed.
Next, it may seem unimportant but did the night elves eventually acknowledge that their queen betrayed them? Did Jarod end up leader of the night elves? What happened to Cenarius? How did Deathwing just disappear? Is Malorne really dead? How did Alexstrasza come to have the magical acorn and when did she even find out that Aviana's tree was dead? Did Korialstrasz ever remember meeting Krasus - and, more specifically, what memories of Korial was Krasus referring to when he said that they're lost forever? (If he meant all memories of Krasus then that's just irritating.) Did Krasus, Rhonin and the night elf power couple ever meet again? And how the hell did they not know of Tyrande and Malfurion before? I don't know how the grapevine functions in Azeroth but you'd think the ten-thousand-year-old leaders of the night elves would be some sort of celebrities - not to mention Illidan!
I know some of these questions are answered in future books but most are just loose ends that will never be solved.
Lastly:
So yeah I’ll choose to ignore most of this trilogy and, in my head, I’ll replace all of its shortcomings with images of Chuck Norris riding a T-Rex.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 20, 2013
By the time you come to the third book of "War of the Ancients" trilogy, it becomes obvious that Knaak was the wrost of all Warcraft authors. Cataclismic events such as the Sundering are pictured clumsily and without any real sense that something major and epic is happening. When finished reading I wondered wether Knaak took a bite at something too big for him or was simply lost in the magnitude of the events in the Warcraft universe he was writing about. Both this book and complete trilogy left a bad taste.
October 11, 2008
its friggen AWESOME!!!
March 14, 2018
Good trilogy.
Doesn't leave too many loose ends and questions.
I liked it as a whole.
Doesn't leave too many loose ends and questions.
I liked it as a whole.
March 25, 2013
Michael Hall Warcraft: The Sundering 3-25-13
There is a fine line between being suspenseful and just prolonging something. In the book Warcraft: The Sundering Richard A. Knaak does an interesting job at giving just enough to the reader to still want to continue the book. It is also mixed with his imagery that also gives the reader the satisfaction of getting to here they wanted to be. This isn’t just used in this book but also in many of his other titles. While I was reading the book I myself found it very pleasing to hear about a character for so long and then be gifted with a description that made it clear to me who this character was and how they will affect the book. This may only work for this genre because hearing about a being a infinite power and then just introducing them in any other book would ruin just how characters effect the plot. In the book we hear a lot about the demon lord Sargeras and how his power is so great nothing can stop him when he arrives on the land but before this a portal must be opened in order for him to come. Before the portal is ready I heard a lot about him but never had a clear description of his appearance. So many characters in the book regarded him that it made me feel as though if I didn’t keep reading I would have miss something epic.
For example in the book on page 632, Archimonde is one the demon generals and his very powerful. Many characters never wish to face him but in the part he is trying to have his master come through the portal. It says “And with the entrance of Sargeras surely imminent, Archimonde threw everything into the battle”. In the book failing Sargeras meant death so the fact that Archimonde spared no effort to fail told me this when I read it. It told me that since one of the most calm and collective characters just went all out, told me that the “great” Sargeras that I had been hearing about was coming soon. Hearing that made me read faster to get to the part. The drawback was that I didn’t pay as close attention to details because I was rush reading to get tot hat part. I guess thought it worked because it did keep me reading the book.
Also on page 679, Mannroth is another demon lord who is trying to keep the portal open for his master Sargeras. During that he queen of the night elf race comes to see his progress. She says, “I find myself disappointed with the lack of order taking place before the arrival of Sargeras”. She is another figure who’s presence is highly regarded so I took this as a way of saying there are some who even want Sargeras to come through. With all this, it again made me rush to just finally just get a glimpse of Sargeras. In the end the book did make you want to read it so it did accomplished a book primary goal but as for that I believe that’s all. If you didn’t read the previous installments in the series then reading this book wouldn’t much fun or in the least bit as good to read.
There is a fine line between being suspenseful and just prolonging something. In the book Warcraft: The Sundering Richard A. Knaak does an interesting job at giving just enough to the reader to still want to continue the book. It is also mixed with his imagery that also gives the reader the satisfaction of getting to here they wanted to be. This isn’t just used in this book but also in many of his other titles. While I was reading the book I myself found it very pleasing to hear about a character for so long and then be gifted with a description that made it clear to me who this character was and how they will affect the book. This may only work for this genre because hearing about a being a infinite power and then just introducing them in any other book would ruin just how characters effect the plot. In the book we hear a lot about the demon lord Sargeras and how his power is so great nothing can stop him when he arrives on the land but before this a portal must be opened in order for him to come. Before the portal is ready I heard a lot about him but never had a clear description of his appearance. So many characters in the book regarded him that it made me feel as though if I didn’t keep reading I would have miss something epic.
For example in the book on page 632, Archimonde is one the demon generals and his very powerful. Many characters never wish to face him but in the part he is trying to have his master come through the portal. It says “And with the entrance of Sargeras surely imminent, Archimonde threw everything into the battle”. In the book failing Sargeras meant death so the fact that Archimonde spared no effort to fail told me this when I read it. It told me that since one of the most calm and collective characters just went all out, told me that the “great” Sargeras that I had been hearing about was coming soon. Hearing that made me read faster to get to the part. The drawback was that I didn’t pay as close attention to details because I was rush reading to get tot hat part. I guess thought it worked because it did keep me reading the book.
Also on page 679, Mannroth is another demon lord who is trying to keep the portal open for his master Sargeras. During that he queen of the night elf race comes to see his progress. She says, “I find myself disappointed with the lack of order taking place before the arrival of Sargeras”. She is another figure who’s presence is highly regarded so I took this as a way of saying there are some who even want Sargeras to come through. With all this, it again made me rush to just finally just get a glimpse of Sargeras. In the end the book did make you want to read it so it did accomplished a book primary goal but as for that I believe that’s all. If you didn’t read the previous installments in the series then reading this book wouldn’t much fun or in the least bit as good to read.
November 19, 2009
Warcraft, War of the Ancients 3: The Sundering, by Richard A. Knaak
"The Sundering" is the final installment in the War of the Ancients trilogy, a series set in the universe of World of Warcraft. The night elves and other races of Azeroth are perched on the edge of losing their lives and their world to the Burning Legion...
Knaak created a truly epic story in this trilogy, taking the story and universe of Blizzard's award winning game series and creating memorable characters, an intriguing plot, and fantastic battles. He had to play in a world where many readers will already know most of the storyline, but didn't let that stop him from delivering a very enjoyable series. "The Sundering" has to wrap up all the loose ends of the previous two books, and it does that in a very nice manner. I read most of this book in 2 sittings, as I was eager to know how everything would finish up. And normally I'm not a real fan of too many battle scenes, but the final battle in "The Sundering" is very enjoyable; Knaak has a knack for writing good battles. I would say it isn't a fight that should be missed.
As I've said about the other books in the trilogy, "The Sundering" is full of lore that will make any Warcraft fan happy. I loved knowing what happened to Illidan...how he went evil. How Malfurion became the first of the druids. Why Mount Hyjal is an important part of the landscape. Little things will likely click into place in your mind as you read the book; I know I have some new questions and theories about why things are the way they are in the Warcraft universe.
The War of the Ancients is a trilogy I'm apt to read when I'm a little sick of playing World of Warcraft, and it almost always generates interest in playing again.
5/5.
"The Sundering" is the final installment in the War of the Ancients trilogy, a series set in the universe of World of Warcraft. The night elves and other races of Azeroth are perched on the edge of losing their lives and their world to the Burning Legion...
Knaak created a truly epic story in this trilogy, taking the story and universe of Blizzard's award winning game series and creating memorable characters, an intriguing plot, and fantastic battles. He had to play in a world where many readers will already know most of the storyline, but didn't let that stop him from delivering a very enjoyable series. "The Sundering" has to wrap up all the loose ends of the previous two books, and it does that in a very nice manner. I read most of this book in 2 sittings, as I was eager to know how everything would finish up. And normally I'm not a real fan of too many battle scenes, but the final battle in "The Sundering" is very enjoyable; Knaak has a knack for writing good battles. I would say it isn't a fight that should be missed.
As I've said about the other books in the trilogy, "The Sundering" is full of lore that will make any Warcraft fan happy. I loved knowing what happened to Illidan...how he went evil. How Malfurion became the first of the druids. Why Mount Hyjal is an important part of the landscape. Little things will likely click into place in your mind as you read the book; I know I have some new questions and theories about why things are the way they are in the Warcraft universe.
The War of the Ancients is a trilogy I'm apt to read when I'm a little sick of playing World of Warcraft, and it almost always generates interest in playing again.
5/5.
October 2, 2024
Spuneam pe instagram că anul ăsta îmi doresc să termin cât mai multe serii începute, așa că am apelat la lista mea de TBR și m-am uitat ce volume am la dispoziție. The Sundering de Richard A. Knaak este a treia carte din trilogia War of the Ancients, povestea având o strânsă legătură cu universul jocului World of Warcraft. Fiind a treia și ultima carte, nu pot spune prea multe, pentru că ar fi spoiler peste spoiler, cert e că a fost o lectură alertă, cu evenimente sumbre și cu o explorare minuțioasă a firii umane - și nu numai - în ceea ce privește atitudinea unui muritor față de o putere incomensurabilă. Trilogia în sine e un high fantasy pe cinste, pentru că are de toate: un conflict armat unde absolut toți au ceva de pierdut, conflicte mai mici, menite să dezbine popoare, evoluție și dezvoltare complexă a personajelor, care sunt multe și variate, dar absolut admirabil construite. Autorul transmite cu fidelitate tot felul de stări și emoții și, chiar dacă multe dintre personajele implicate nu sunt oameni, ci creaturi precum elfi, orci sau dragoni, le oferă trăsături umane, fără a fi zgârcit cu acestea - personajele sunt pline de calități și defecte, dar Richard A. Knaak le îmbină într-un mod atractiv. Trilogia în sine e foarte bine scrisă, cu o lume complexă, un sistem magic bine pus la punct și o multitudine de mistere pe care cititorul, alături de personaje, le explorează și le descoperă. Cu toate acestea, nu știu în ce măsură trilogia i-ar plăcea unui cititor ce nu e interesat de jocul WoW - pentru că oricât de bine ar fi scrisă, sunt suficiente elemente ce se subînțeleg sau informații pe care un cititor ce a jucat/joacă WoW le știe, dar un cititor neavizat - nu.
April 1, 2011
It took me a while to finish this, because I put it down a lot to read other books but I'm glad that I've finally finished it. In the last book of this story arc, you can understand how Illidan was driven mad by not just the powers of the Burning Legion with their seductive ways of ultimate power but also by his intention to do good. All he ever really wanted was Tyrande, and it tipped him over the edge to find out that she had chosen Malfurion.
Rhonin, Krasus, Brox and the dragonflights are all at work too in the concluding book and it's a precursor really to The Shattering, because a little is mentioned about how Nelfarion is driven mad by power.
Don't read this book if you've not read the two beforehand, because it won't make any sense. But read the whole story arc, as you won't regret it :)
Rhonin, Krasus, Brox and the dragonflights are all at work too in the concluding book and it's a precursor really to The Shattering, because a little is mentioned about how Nelfarion is driven mad by power.
Don't read this book if you've not read the two beforehand, because it won't make any sense. But read the whole story arc, as you won't regret it :)
February 28, 2018
راستش توقعاتم و برآورده نکرد . البته ممکن هست که توقعات من زیادی بالا بوده باشه . من خیلی از وارکرفت تعریف شنیده بودم و انتظار داشتم با ارباب حلقه ها و هری پاتر حالا برابری نکرد هم در همون حدود باشه . اما قاطعانه میگم فانتزی های خیلی بهتر از این زیاد خوندم . به عنوان یه طرفدار و خواننده پروپا قرص فانتزی هرچی از این مجموعه ترجمه شده و می خونم ولی اونطور که من گفته بودن هم خفن نیست . دنیای بزرگ و کاراکترهای زیادی داره تا الآن سه تاش و خوندم و به این خوندم در آینده نزدیک ادامه می دم . نکته آخر اینکه من قبلا بازی ها رو هم بازی کرده بودم و علی القاعده باید برام جذاب تر بوده باشه . حالا نمی دونم شاید با خوندن جلد های بعدی نظرم نسبت به مجموعه عوض بشه.
September 25, 2015
Мислех си да дам три или четири звезди, само и само да се заям с Ричард Кнаак, ама сърце не ми даваше :) Тази книга разкрива съдбата на един от най-най-любимите ми литературни герои - Броксигар, който се жертва, за да спаси света!
Знам, че литературата изобилства от герои, които се жертват, за да спасят света, но Броксигар е толкова уникален и неговата история е толкова докосваща, че сърце не ми дава да дам по-малко от пет звезди.
Знам, че литературата изобилства от герои, които се жертват, за да спасят света, но Броксигар е толкова уникален и неговата история е толкова докосваща, че сърце не ми дава да дам по-малко от пет звезди.
September 6, 2013
Out of the trilogy, this has been the best of the 3 books. Better written and full of action, to match the feats of strength displayed by the characters. Once more, this book offers tremendous insight into lore and allows any Warcraft or WoW player the chance to learn and understand the great imagination and artistry of those that came up with this incredible Universe.
March 25, 2021
I spent all day in bed, unable to put it down. The ending was a little anticlimactic, but Broxigar remains my favorite character. There is such a depth to the characters and to the world. The author does such a great job of staying true to who the characters are and yet gently nudges them to evolve. It is now one of my favourite series and is on my reread shelf.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 9, 2008
i just think its pathetic that they make a novel about a video game and i know it sucks even though i havent even read it
March 22, 2009
added insight into the game
August 7, 2012
A perfect finale to a great story. The sheer ecstatic joy I got when I finished the last lines of it made me happy for many weeks. One of the best moments and feeling in my life.
May 19, 2021
„Das Erwachen“ ist der dritte Teil der „Krieg der Ahnen“ Trilogie von Richard A. Knaak, angesiedelt ist die Buchreihe im Warcraft Universum.
Der dritte Band widmet sich weiterhin der unerbittlichen Schlacht gegen die Brennende Legion, sowie der Bedrohung durch die Dämonenseele.
Leider fällt bereits im ersten Kapitel auf, dass in der Übersetzung einige Fehler eingeflossen sind (6. Auflage, Dezember 2009). Bsp. Denkt Malfurion an die beiden Nachtelfen Tyrande und Illidan, heißt es auf Seite 15: „[…] die beiden Menschen […]“.
Auch die Rechtschreibfehler in den folgenden Kapiteln sind Buchstabendreher, die zu neuen Wortbedeutungen führen und den Lesefluss stören.
Die einleitende Zusammenfassung erklärt die vergangenen Ereignisse für die Lesenden verständlich und holt sie in das aktuelle Geschehen hinein. In den ersten Kapiteln bleibt die Handlung übersichtlich, nachdem die Gruppe der Protagonisten sich verstreut, verliert sich diese Übersichtlichkeit. Das Springen zu verschiedenen Handlungsorten erschwert es dem Geschehen zu folgen. Weiterhin gibt es Handlungsstränge oder Dialoge deren Bedeutung sich bis zum Ende nicht erschließen.
Beeindruckend sind die von Richard A. Knaak geschriebenen Szenen der Schlacht, die sich mitunter über mehrere Kapitel ziehen. Die Bedrohung durch die Brennende Legion wird hier erlebbar, die Kämpfe sind spannend geschrieben und auch die Wichtigkeit des strategischen Vorgehens wird betont. Besonders lebendig wird es, wenn der Autor das Weben von Zaubern beschreibt oder eine dramatische Wendung der Schlacht durch das Auftreten mystischer Wesen beschreibt.
Im Darstellen tiefgehender Emotionalität fehlt diese Lebendigkeit leider. Obwohl die Beziehungen zwischen den Figuren einen wichtigen Teil des Plots ausmachen, bleiben sie oberflächlich. Das führt mitunter dazu, das romantische Elemente aufgesetzt wirken. Obwohl wenig Raum für das Erforschen der Emotionalität der Figuren gegeben ist, bleiben sie in ihrem Handeln nachvollziehbar.
Tiefgehende Charakteranalysen werden in diesem Roman nicht vorgenommen.
Die Komplexität, die sich beim Erzählen der Romanreihe ergibt, ist ein wiederkehrendes Phänomen in der Fantasy-Literatur (z.B. Kriege, Drachen, göttliche Wesen oder Fantasy-Namen). Wer mit der Welt von Warcraft vertraut ist, wird sich in diese Romanreihe allerdings schnell einfinden können.
Der dritte Band widmet sich weiterhin der unerbittlichen Schlacht gegen die Brennende Legion, sowie der Bedrohung durch die Dämonenseele.
Leider fällt bereits im ersten Kapitel auf, dass in der Übersetzung einige Fehler eingeflossen sind (6. Auflage, Dezember 2009). Bsp. Denkt Malfurion an die beiden Nachtelfen Tyrande und Illidan, heißt es auf Seite 15: „[…] die beiden Menschen […]“.
Auch die Rechtschreibfehler in den folgenden Kapiteln sind Buchstabendreher, die zu neuen Wortbedeutungen führen und den Lesefluss stören.
Die einleitende Zusammenfassung erklärt die vergangenen Ereignisse für die Lesenden verständlich und holt sie in das aktuelle Geschehen hinein. In den ersten Kapiteln bleibt die Handlung übersichtlich, nachdem die Gruppe der Protagonisten sich verstreut, verliert sich diese Übersichtlichkeit. Das Springen zu verschiedenen Handlungsorten erschwert es dem Geschehen zu folgen. Weiterhin gibt es Handlungsstränge oder Dialoge deren Bedeutung sich bis zum Ende nicht erschließen.
Beeindruckend sind die von Richard A. Knaak geschriebenen Szenen der Schlacht, die sich mitunter über mehrere Kapitel ziehen. Die Bedrohung durch die Brennende Legion wird hier erlebbar, die Kämpfe sind spannend geschrieben und auch die Wichtigkeit des strategischen Vorgehens wird betont. Besonders lebendig wird es, wenn der Autor das Weben von Zaubern beschreibt oder eine dramatische Wendung der Schlacht durch das Auftreten mystischer Wesen beschreibt.
Im Darstellen tiefgehender Emotionalität fehlt diese Lebendigkeit leider. Obwohl die Beziehungen zwischen den Figuren einen wichtigen Teil des Plots ausmachen, bleiben sie oberflächlich. Das führt mitunter dazu, das romantische Elemente aufgesetzt wirken. Obwohl wenig Raum für das Erforschen der Emotionalität der Figuren gegeben ist, bleiben sie in ihrem Handeln nachvollziehbar.
Tiefgehende Charakteranalysen werden in diesem Roman nicht vorgenommen.
Die Komplexität, die sich beim Erzählen der Romanreihe ergibt, ist ein wiederkehrendes Phänomen in der Fantasy-Literatur (z.B. Kriege, Drachen, göttliche Wesen oder Fantasy-Namen). Wer mit der Welt von Warcraft vertraut ist, wird sich in diese Romanreihe allerdings schnell einfinden können.
January 29, 2020
This one took me too long to finish and it was not the book but the amount of books I started together but still there was books that had my interest more than this one and eventhough I loved it I'm giving it 4 stars becouse it could have been better and more entertaning, anyway it was well written a good mixture of Physical and magical strength, I loved the orc, broxigar and I enjoyed the story between the twins, all the characters were strongly created and had good story, I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the story eventhough it will be another story...
September 3, 2023
Kind of a hopeless task to make the Warcraft series seem rational, but the writer is game and for anyone who’s played through so much of the lore it’s a job well done..
January 14, 2024
More like 3.5.
I like how often Illidan is referred to as ‘Malfurion’s brother’ instead of as his own name.
I like how often Illidan is referred to as ‘Malfurion’s brother’ instead of as his own name.
August 12, 2018
این سه گانه رو صبح تا شب ، شب تا صبح خوندم ، واقعا زیبا بودن ، مخصوصا که دوران جوونی و شروع سه تا شخصیت ایلیدن ، ملفاریون و تیراندا هست.
فداکاری شجاعت و احساس توی کتابهای وارکرفت خیلی قشنگ بیان شده و بخش مهمی از زندگی من رو تشکیل میده.
فداکاری شجاعت و احساس توی کتابهای وارکرفت خیلی قشنگ بیان شده و بخش مهمی از زندگی من رو تشکیل میده.
November 21, 2021
Velmi dobré zakončení trilogie, které je dobře čtivé. Dobrodružství Ronina, Broxe a Krasa byla neuvěřitelná a trochu je i škoda, že to bylo tak krátké. Každopádně kniha je velmi dobře čtivá a oddechová.
February 8, 2013
In questa trilogia di Richard Knaak, tre avventurieri appartenenti a razze tanto diverse quanto simili per altri aspetti, vengono inghiottiti da un’anomalia avvertita dall'Aspetto dei draghi di Bronzo Nozdormu e catapultati indietro nel tempo di 10000 anni, al tempo della Guerra degli Antichi, cambiando dunque le sorti della battaglia stessa. Questi tre eroi, l'orco Broxigar, l'umano Rhonin, e il drago Korialstrasz, entrano subito in contatto con la civiltà che a quel tempo dominava la scena, quella degli elfi della notte. Questi stavano in quel tempo servendosi sconsideratamente dell'energia del Pozzo dell'Eternità, tanto da attrarre per la prima volta verso Azeroth il titano oscuro Sargeras e la sua terribile Legione Infuocata. Sargeras da inizio all’invasione indirettamente, corrompendo i capi degli elfi della notte, impersonati dalla regina Azshara e dal capo degli eletti Xavius, fino a farsi venerare come un dio e a convincerli ad aprire dei portali che permettano il passaggio dell'esercito della Legione e dei suoi più importanti e malvagi luogotenenti. Inizia cosi' una lunga battaglia, ricca di colpi di scena, di alleanze inaspettate, di tradimenti impensabili e di misteri inspiegabili. Rhonin, Broxigar e Korialstrasz sono i personaggi che l'autore ha caratterizzato con maggior dovizia di particolari, sottolineando le caratteristiche caratteriali tipiche delle varie razze rappresentate: fierezza e orgoglio per quanto riguarda l'orco, calma e pazienza per quanto riguarda il drago, impulsività e fragilità emotiva per quanto riguarda l'umano; caratteri estremamente diversi, come se l'autore volesse che il lettore si impersonificasse in uno dei tre personaggi durante la lettura. Dato che il 99% della storia si ambienta 10000 anni prima degli eventi di World of Warcraft, si tratta del primo gruppo di romanzi in ordine cronologico della serie, ed è quindi consigliato anche per chi non conosce la saga e vuole cominciare a calarvisi. L'autore ha scritto gran parte dei suoi libri in collaborazione con la Blizzard, non solo riguardo alla saga di Warcraft, ma anche a quelle di Starcraft e Diablo; proprio per questo motivo dimostra di conoscere molto bene la storia e le ambientazioni, descrivendo tutto con dovizia di particolari. La lettura risulta piacevole e coinvolgente, e nonostante l'intera storia superi le mille pagine, i libri vanno letti consecutivamente, essendo un unico libro diviso in tre volumi. In Italia i tre libri in edizione paperback, sono stati pubblicati nel 2007 da Mondadori, mentre in lingua originale troviamo anche un archivio, sempre in paperback, che contiene tutti e tre i volumi.
August 26, 2020
draws on its positives and does better to fix its negatives
you actually start caring about characters in this one. illidian is still meh but at least he gets more interesting motivations.
recommend the series, its a fun ride.
you actually start caring about characters in this one. illidian is still meh but at least he gets more interesting motivations.
recommend the series, its a fun ride.
May 20, 2009
This was my favorite of the trilogy. Night elves, mages, black dragons, orcs..everything a Warcraft Book should be full of. A book about the bond that is broken when brothers choose opposite sides of an epic battle between good and evil, and when they both fall in love with the same woman. Malfurion ( the good boy), and Illidan ( and the not so much good boy)..thier story is by far my favorite in the book, and even though I knew the outcome of Illidan...I still found myself begging for him to be saved...
This book is about loyality, love, the bond of twins, and what happens when it's all betrayed
This book is about loyality, love, the bond of twins, and what happens when it's all betrayed
October 21, 2012
I am quite surprised that a book series based on a popular videogame turned out to be so entertaining and enjoyable. In this action packed, fast paced final chapter the beloved characters from the previous war of the ancients trilogy find themselves facing the burning legion, Deathwing, and the ancient Gods at once. On their side the dragons, including the Aspects, and all the semi-gods. The world of Azeroth will dramatically change, sundered into pieces. A good read for the lovers of fantasy even if they never played the videogame.
January 8, 2013
A strong finish to a very cool story. I loved Malfurion as a character and really enjoyed reading about his youth as the first druid in this pivotal conflict that sets the stage for the entire future of Azeroth.
This book and series was pretty well written, but I think Knaak has a weakness in writing action. I often disagreed with his word choice and wished he would use more concrete nouns when describing action, it was often difficult to clearly imagine what was physically going on in the scene.
Other than that, good book.
7/10
This book and series was pretty well written, but I think Knaak has a weakness in writing action. I often disagreed with his word choice and wished he would use more concrete nouns when describing action, it was often difficult to clearly imagine what was physically going on in the scene.
Other than that, good book.
7/10
January 19, 2009
Another good book in the series for people who are interested in the lore behind the Warcraft universe.
I must say that this trilogy was a little "battle-heavy" which tends to make my mind wander while I'm reading it. It has all the good characters in WoW history though, and it's awesome to know the story. The author does tend to repeat things a lot, like the word "newcomer". All in all an interesting read though.
I must say that this trilogy was a little "battle-heavy" which tends to make my mind wander while I'm reading it. It has all the good characters in WoW history though, and it's awesome to know the story. The author does tend to repeat things a lot, like the word "newcomer". All in all an interesting read though.
April 28, 2011
Amazing.
This book was amazing.
The pace picked up a lot in this book and flowed lore together quite well. What happened to Brox, however, saddens me. I couldn't believe that happened and only wish more respect was paid to him (in World of Warcraft). The book answered a lot of great questions (why are Illidan's eyes as they are, etc.) Now that I've finished the book, I will sleep.
Onto the next novel.
This book was amazing.
The pace picked up a lot in this book and flowed lore together quite well. What happened to Brox, however, saddens me. I couldn't believe that happened and only wish more respect was paid to him (in World of Warcraft). The book answered a lot of great questions (why are Illidan's eyes as they are, etc.) Now that I've finished the book, I will sleep.
Onto the next novel.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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