What do you think?
Rate this book
World of Warcraft #7
Stormrage
When the world of Azeroth was young, the god-like titans brought order to it by reshaping its lands and seas. Throughout their great work, they followed a magnificent design for what they envisioned Azeroth would become. Although the titans departed Azeroth long ago, that design endures to this day. It is known as the Emerald Dream, a lush and savagely primal version of the...
WORLD OF WARCRAFT
Many are the mysteries surrounding the Emerald Dream and its reclusive guardians, the green dragonflight. In times past, druids have entered the Dream to monitor the ebb and flow of life on Azeroth in their never-ending quest to maintain the delicate balance of nature.
However, not all dreams are pleasant ones. Recently the Emerald Nightmare, an area of corruption within the Emerald Dream, began growing in size, transforming the Dream into a realm of unimaginable horror. Green dragons have been unexpectedly caught up in the Nightmare, emerging from it with shattered minds and twisted bodies. Druids who have entered the darkening Dream lately have found it difficult -- sometimes even impossible -- to escape.
Nor are these the Nightmare's only victims: more and more people are being affected. Even Malfurion Stormrage, first and foremost of the druids on Azeroth, may have fallen victim to this growing threat. As uncontrollable nightmares spread across the world, a desperate quest begins to find and free the archdruid.
Soon nature's enemies will learn the true meaning of the name STORMRAGE
WORLD OF WARCRAFT
Many are the mysteries surrounding the Emerald Dream and its reclusive guardians, the green dragonflight. In times past, druids have entered the Dream to monitor the ebb and flow of life on Azeroth in their never-ending quest to maintain the delicate balance of nature.
However, not all dreams are pleasant ones. Recently the Emerald Nightmare, an area of corruption within the Emerald Dream, began growing in size, transforming the Dream into a realm of unimaginable horror. Green dragons have been unexpectedly caught up in the Nightmare, emerging from it with shattered minds and twisted bodies. Druids who have entered the darkening Dream lately have found it difficult -- sometimes even impossible -- to escape.
Nor are these the Nightmare's only victims: more and more people are being affected. Even Malfurion Stormrage, first and foremost of the druids on Azeroth, may have fallen victim to this growing threat. As uncontrollable nightmares spread across the world, a desperate quest begins to find and free the archdruid.
Soon nature's enemies will learn the true meaning of the name STORMRAGE
432 pages, Hardcover
First published February 23, 2010
193 people are currently reading
3848 people want to read
About the author
Richard A. Knaak
283 books1,478 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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 184 reviews
February 8, 2013
This was my least favorite book set in the World of Warcraft universe, even worse than Arthas by Christie Golden. The reasons are many, these are the three I had the most issues with:
- The characters are boring and uninspiring.
- The story doesn't radiate "WoW" as other books do.
- The suspense goes up and down. One minute everything is lost, then everything is won. Over and over.
It's sad because I really enjoyed the Well of Eternity trilogy by Knaak and I was looking forward to the return of Malfurion. All in all, a bland story which I've already started to forget about.
- The characters are boring and uninspiring.
- The story doesn't radiate "WoW" as other books do.
- The suspense goes up and down. One minute everything is lost, then everything is won. Over and over.
It's sad because I really enjoyed the Well of Eternity trilogy by Knaak and I was looking forward to the return of Malfurion. All in all, a bland story which I've already started to forget about.
July 16, 2011
This was a terrible book. I expected this. I read it anyway. I'm not sure why.
From the most generous possible perspective (meaning, let us assume that I care deeply about the subject matter, which is not particularly true) it's still a terrible book. The writing is godawful - stilted dialog, weird, artificial plot developments, confusing action and terrible pacing. Knaak spends far, far too many paragraphs describing in detail the clothing and/or armor of the characters in what appears to be an attempt to tie the story more closely to the game.
The actual plot of the story does nothing and goes nowhere, except in that it killed off one of the more annoying game characters in order that the developers could replace him with a less-annoying one. Seriously, that's... about it. If Knaak was a brilliant author, this might have been a delightful romp through a familiar setting. Sadly, however, he's awful, and it's a piece of dreck.
[begin geek rant]The nonsensical use of the "hearthstone" at the end about killed me, too. Seriously. that is a game mechanic. It's DESIGNED to be a deus ex machina, for god's sake. Introducing some heretofore unrevealed backstory that implies it's a rare and powerful artifact makes no bloody sense to anyone who is familiar with the game, and to anyone unfamiliar it's... a deus ex machina. Come on, man. My RP guild had more consistent rules than that.[/end geek rant]
From the most generous possible perspective (meaning, let us assume that I care deeply about the subject matter, which is not particularly true) it's still a terrible book. The writing is godawful - stilted dialog, weird, artificial plot developments, confusing action and terrible pacing. Knaak spends far, far too many paragraphs describing in detail the clothing and/or armor of the characters in what appears to be an attempt to tie the story more closely to the game.
The actual plot of the story does nothing and goes nowhere, except in that it killed off one of the more annoying game characters in order that the developers could replace him with a less-annoying one. Seriously, that's... about it. If Knaak was a brilliant author, this might have been a delightful romp through a familiar setting. Sadly, however, he's awful, and it's a piece of dreck.
[begin geek rant]The nonsensical use of the "hearthstone" at the end about killed me, too. Seriously. that is a game mechanic. It's DESIGNED to be a deus ex machina, for god's sake. Introducing some heretofore unrevealed backstory that implies it's a rare and powerful artifact makes no bloody sense to anyone who is familiar with the game, and to anyone unfamiliar it's... a deus ex machina. Come on, man. My RP guild had more consistent rules than that.[/end geek rant]
October 15, 2015
Loved it. I have always been a fan of the author although so many readers seem to look down on him for what characters he has chosen from the Warcraft universe to write a history for - something I have never understood as an author has to pick characaters, they can't not have characters nor can they choose all.
Anyway. I have read his previous Warcraft books, and especially loved this one for being up to date and set in the WoW universe that players are currently actually experiencing in game. So it's set after the fall of Arthas and relates to that in some ways. What I am interested in seeing is whether the events of this will be a part of the pre-Cataclysm events in game as Blizzard have mentioned there will be several different ones. Not to mention this would explain how Malfurion Stormrage was rescued from the Emerald Dream and is back in the game in Cataclysm.
One of the things I especially love about this author, and this book, is that he captures the beauty, power and intensity of the actual spells used by druids and priests, and transforms them into words. I especially thought the end was well written, beautiful and a long time coming. You'll have to read the book to understand what I mean by that ;)
Anyway. I have read his previous Warcraft books, and especially loved this one for being up to date and set in the WoW universe that players are currently actually experiencing in game. So it's set after the fall of Arthas and relates to that in some ways. What I am interested in seeing is whether the events of this will be a part of the pre-Cataclysm events in game as Blizzard have mentioned there will be several different ones. Not to mention this would explain how Malfurion Stormrage was rescued from the Emerald Dream and is back in the game in Cataclysm.
One of the things I especially love about this author, and this book, is that he captures the beauty, power and intensity of the actual spells used by druids and priests, and transforms them into words. I especially thought the end was well written, beautiful and a long time coming. You'll have to read the book to understand what I mean by that ;)
January 2, 2011
Pretty good book. This book would make an awesome movie!
September 4, 2024
Oh so long and everything bad I feared Wow books would be: filled with silliness, verbosity, and a never ending grind from one situation to another without the merest characterizations or sense..
June 25, 2013
I have to say, Mr. Knaak has done his homework! He knows things that I had no clue about. Stormrage is about the Emerald Dream and its guardians, the dragon flight.
The druids enter the dreams to monitor life on Azeroth because life and nature must have a balance. But recently, those dreams have turned into nightmares and the druids find themselves trapped in the dream world. Even the renowned druid, night elf arch druid Malfurion Stormrage may be a victim of these horrifying nightmares. Thus, begins a quest to free the arch druid.
To be honest, I found Stormrage to be a bit dry. I didn't care about the characters, although the premise was certainly intriguing. Maybe if I still played WOW, I would have found more to enjoy. My son, who is a big WOW player, is looking forward to delving into this beautifully illustrated covered book. WoW players will enjoy reading more about the legends. A lot of action, some romance, and suspense blend together for this magnificent story set in the world of Azeroth.
The druids enter the dreams to monitor life on Azeroth because life and nature must have a balance. But recently, those dreams have turned into nightmares and the druids find themselves trapped in the dream world. Even the renowned druid, night elf arch druid Malfurion Stormrage may be a victim of these horrifying nightmares. Thus, begins a quest to free the arch druid.
To be honest, I found Stormrage to be a bit dry. I didn't care about the characters, although the premise was certainly intriguing. Maybe if I still played WOW, I would have found more to enjoy. My son, who is a big WOW player, is looking forward to delving into this beautifully illustrated covered book. WoW players will enjoy reading more about the legends. A lot of action, some romance, and suspense blend together for this magnificent story set in the world of Azeroth.
July 5, 2010
This is not a prequel to the next Expansion in the World of Warcraft but is a story that bring Malfurion Stormrage back into the current story line. What I love the most about these books is the abilities that are not currently in the game and just thinking about how cool they would be if Blizzard added them. The story is great and consequences seem very real. Malfurion especially has many things he has to work through in his mind and heart as he makes the effort to overcome his foe. Fun read and I imagine I would love the book more if my main was a Druid.
October 25, 2011
The description of this book is false! I know the real tale. This book relates the War of the Nightmare.
February 7, 2014
Great Read : )
Epic Battles
Epic Battles
February 1, 2019
*Somewhat of a spoiler I guess?*
Beautiful book! I am relieved to be finished with it though, I felt it just dragging a bit. But the wonderful ending made up for it. Absolutely magical wedding for the two love birds.
Beautiful book! I am relieved to be finished with it though, I felt it just dragging a bit. But the wonderful ending made up for it. Absolutely magical wedding for the two love birds.
February 6, 2015
I would like to start this review by stating that I am an avid World of Warcraft player, so I was very excited to read about the legendary Malfurion Stormrage, but this book is so poorly written that it was tedious to finish. In fact, the only reason that I finished this book is that I am currently deployed in Afghanistan. First, the book is filled with iconic characters from World of Warcraft, they are EPIC heroes, yet the author portrays them as mundane adventurers, who are so poorly developed. We learn very little about any of the main characters except for their petty emotions like constantly being reminded throughout the book that Malfurion has neglected Tyrande because he always prioritizes his duties to Azeroth over her. It gets old fast and very cliché. Once again these are battles involving epic heroes, immortal godlike dragons and other supernatural entities with unfathomable powers, but they are so unimaginatively described that the battles are anticlimactic. And the end killed me. Malfurion has an “understanding” during the final battle that enables his to defeat the Nightmare Lord. ……and that epiphany is……if all of the druids of the centurion circle work together, we can defeat the Nightmare Lord! Seriously? With that, I cannot recommend this book for even the Hardcore World of Warcraft fans.
May 2, 2010
Reading this I was not surprised to find afterwords that it is the same writer from their manga. Which had gorgeous pictures and horrible writing. This book had me torn through the whole thing and was pretty frustrating. For those that love the warcraft lore and are wanting to know what is going on in the emerald dream I recommend it because it does let you know what happens. It just turns one of your favorite warcraft heroes into a sniveling whiner, is often confusing switching between characters constantly. I think by now this writer should know the warcraft characters a little better. Maybe he needs to play the games or something. Unfortunately blizzard has had him write a bunch of their lore books so I'm stuck with him. BLIZZ if you ever read this please pass over Knaak and give the stuff to Christie Golden. thank you
June 15, 2010
The book was interesting for any Warcraft fan. But I agree with the other reviews, parts of the plot seemed to drone on or repeat themselves during the second half of the book. I don't want to say that it is the writer's style to be that way, because the war of the ancients trilogy was fantastic. This one seemed to lack in plotline and story.
Seeing as I have read the previous ones (The War of the Ancients) this book should have been exciting for me to revisit the fantastic characters. It was a bit of a disappointment, but not hugely.
This book also I believe contains hints to other things in Warcraft so I reccommend it still to any fan of the game and lore.
Seeing as I have read the previous ones (The War of the Ancients) this book should have been exciting for me to revisit the fantastic characters. It was a bit of a disappointment, but not hugely.
This book also I believe contains hints to other things in Warcraft so I reccommend it still to any fan of the game and lore.
February 19, 2013
For all Knaak's faults I love the tie in's to the game story. Preceding this Malfurion finally appears within the game and of the brother's he was one of my favourites.
Even if his in game appearance is a bit unsettling.
Guiltily I am a fan of Knaak's story telling however, and how this one was told. Especially that it meant finally we would see Malfurion's return.
Even if his in game appearance is a bit unsettling.
Guiltily I am a fan of Knaak's story telling however, and how this one was told. Especially that it meant finally we would see Malfurion's return.
February 15, 2012
The beginning started off slow but I grew to like it.
May 14, 2012
this book was so good that once i started it i found it hard to put down.
May 6, 2022
Many mysteries surround the Emerald Dream and it's mysterious protectors, the green dragonflight. So when citizens of Azeroth suddenly start falling in a nightmare enduced sleep of which they cannot be woken and the archdruid Malfurion Stormrage suddenly disappeared, the people still awake know trouble is brewing. So when a band of heroes discover that the Dream actually transformed into a horrible Emerald Nightmare that starts to bleed into the real world, they will try everything to save Malfurion and destroy the nightmare before all of Azeroth is destroyed.
Pro's:
+ If you love the incredibly complex world of World of Warcraft, this book is right up your alley. It has a ton of the beloved characters and even multiple dragons grace us with their presence in this book. It is one big feast of recognition and that was just really great.
+ I really liked the look into Malfurion and Tyrande's relationship and the little romantic bits that popped up during all of it. This book does give a better look than the game and the ending of this book was the ultimate reward of that, so cute.
Con's:
- I had a bit of difficulty getting through this story due to the writing. It is very slow and boring at times and there are so many characters that the story is quite chaotic for it's entirety.
This book is one big recognition party and as someone who plays a druid in World of Warcraft, I really enjoyed this book as druids are a very big part of it. If you're not someone who is familiar with World of Warcraft, I would not recommend reading this as there is a lot of established knowledge required. But is was enjoyable, even though it was boring at times and the writing style doesn't do it any favors. The ending of this book was the best thing though and I'm glad it got featured, it was the perfect light touch to end this heavy story upon. Recommend if you're a fan, otherwise this might not be it for you.
Pro's:
+ If you love the incredibly complex world of World of Warcraft, this book is right up your alley. It has a ton of the beloved characters and even multiple dragons grace us with their presence in this book. It is one big feast of recognition and that was just really great.
+ I really liked the look into Malfurion and Tyrande's relationship and the little romantic bits that popped up during all of it. This book does give a better look than the game and the ending of this book was the ultimate reward of that, so cute.
Con's:
- I had a bit of difficulty getting through this story due to the writing. It is very slow and boring at times and there are so many characters that the story is quite chaotic for it's entirety.
This book is one big recognition party and as someone who plays a druid in World of Warcraft, I really enjoyed this book as druids are a very big part of it. If you're not someone who is familiar with World of Warcraft, I would not recommend reading this as there is a lot of established knowledge required. But is was enjoyable, even though it was boring at times and the writing style doesn't do it any favors. The ending of this book was the best thing though and I'm glad it got featured, it was the perfect light touch to end this heavy story upon. Recommend if you're a fan, otherwise this might not be it for you.
February 28, 2016
Más reviews en: https://entrehojasycapitulos.wordpres...
Tempestira, es una novela basada en el juego de computadora World of Warcraft (abreviado WOW) y para entender bien la historia es necesario tener algún concepto de la historia más reciente de los juegos (por lo menos de Warcraft III y de las primeras 2 expansiones del WOW) porque sino van a terminar perdiéndose entre los detalles del libro.
Para ubicarlo temporalmente, Tempestira pasa entre la segunda y tercera expansión del wow (Wrath of the Lich King y Cataclysm). De todas formas el libro habla de temas anteriores, como Warcraft III y la Guerra de los Ancestros (que se puede leer en una trilogía del mismo autor).
Ahora empecemos con la historia. Tempestira nos presenta un personaje nuevo, Thura una orca que es descendiente directa de Broxxigar el Rojo, un orco que no solo viajó al pasado, sino que también luchó codo a codo con los elfos en la guerra de los ancestros y logró lastimar al titan Sargeras (algo que nadie más pudo hacer en la historia de Warcraft).
Nada más empezar el libro, Thura sueña que el archidruida Malfurion Stormrage (Tempestira) asesina a traición a su antepasado Broxxigar y eso la empuja a un viaje en el que cada vez más entrará en el territorio de los elfos nocturnos guiada hacia el archidruida que supuestamente asesinó a Broxx.
Por el otro lado nos muestra a los druidas del Circulo de Cenarion que empiezan a notar dos cosas. Primero que el árbol del mundo (Teldrassil) se está muriendo y que si el árbol llegara a morir todo el mundo de Azeroth seguiría ese camino. Por el otro lado notan que hay una enfermedad azolando el Sueño Esmeralda, un mundo paralelo donde los druidas entran en contacto con la esencia misma de Azeroth. Es aquí donde entró el archidruida Stormrage hace muchos años para luego desaparecer sin previo aviso.
Esa desaparición hace que Broll Bearmane y Tyrande Wisperwind se unan en una misión para encontrar y rescatar a Malfurion de lo que sea que esté causando esa enfermedad.
Por último la pesadilla empieza a invadir al mundo de los mortales y hace que varios personajes famosos entren en un sueño mortal, mientras las sombras de la pesadilla atacan las ciudades de Orgrimmar y Ventormenta.
Si les gusta la historia de Warcraft y en especial la historia de Malfurion y todo lo que tiene que ver con el druidismo en Azeroth deben leer este libro. Es de una lectura muy rápida y sencilla así que con eso no tendrán muchos problemas. Además si tuvieron la suerte de jugar al WOW Vainilla cuando se lanzó seguramente este libro les traiga muchos recuerdos.
Tempestira, es una novela basada en el juego de computadora World of Warcraft (abreviado WOW) y para entender bien la historia es necesario tener algún concepto de la historia más reciente de los juegos (por lo menos de Warcraft III y de las primeras 2 expansiones del WOW) porque sino van a terminar perdiéndose entre los detalles del libro.
Para ubicarlo temporalmente, Tempestira pasa entre la segunda y tercera expansión del wow (Wrath of the Lich King y Cataclysm). De todas formas el libro habla de temas anteriores, como Warcraft III y la Guerra de los Ancestros (que se puede leer en una trilogía del mismo autor).
Ahora empecemos con la historia. Tempestira nos presenta un personaje nuevo, Thura una orca que es descendiente directa de Broxxigar el Rojo, un orco que no solo viajó al pasado, sino que también luchó codo a codo con los elfos en la guerra de los ancestros y logró lastimar al titan Sargeras (algo que nadie más pudo hacer en la historia de Warcraft).
Nada más empezar el libro, Thura sueña que el archidruida Malfurion Stormrage (Tempestira) asesina a traición a su antepasado Broxxigar y eso la empuja a un viaje en el que cada vez más entrará en el territorio de los elfos nocturnos guiada hacia el archidruida que supuestamente asesinó a Broxx.
Por el otro lado nos muestra a los druidas del Circulo de Cenarion que empiezan a notar dos cosas. Primero que el árbol del mundo (Teldrassil) se está muriendo y que si el árbol llegara a morir todo el mundo de Azeroth seguiría ese camino. Por el otro lado notan que hay una enfermedad azolando el Sueño Esmeralda, un mundo paralelo donde los druidas entran en contacto con la esencia misma de Azeroth. Es aquí donde entró el archidruida Stormrage hace muchos años para luego desaparecer sin previo aviso.
Esa desaparición hace que Broll Bearmane y Tyrande Wisperwind se unan en una misión para encontrar y rescatar a Malfurion de lo que sea que esté causando esa enfermedad.
Por último la pesadilla empieza a invadir al mundo de los mortales y hace que varios personajes famosos entren en un sueño mortal, mientras las sombras de la pesadilla atacan las ciudades de Orgrimmar y Ventormenta.
Si les gusta la historia de Warcraft y en especial la historia de Malfurion y todo lo que tiene que ver con el druidismo en Azeroth deben leer este libro. Es de una lectura muy rápida y sencilla así que con eso no tendrán muchos problemas. Además si tuvieron la suerte de jugar al WOW Vainilla cuando se lanzó seguramente este libro les traiga muchos recuerdos.
September 13, 2015
World of Warcraft: Stormrage by Richard A. Knaak is the latest game-related novel I finished. I’ll admit I picked this one up solely due to my fascination with its eponymous protagonist because in fact, I am not a big fan of Knaak’s writing at all. The War of the Ancients trilogy, for example, is the last thing I read by him and it was a torturous ordeal just to try and force myself to get through all three books. I find his style overly simplistic and at times vapid and flavorless, though to be fair, I’ve only ever read his WoW-related books even though he’s known for being quite a gifted author for his works in many other titles in the fantasy genre.
I decided to give this book a chance in the end, because if anything, my love for the Druid class made reading this a requirement. Malfurion Stormrage is also one of my favorite characters in WoW lore, and I figured maybe I’ll have a better time getting through Knaak’s writing when it’s not about Rhonin or Krasus/Korialstrasz.
Anyway, my final verdict for Stormrage is that it’s readable, but I think avid fans and readers of more established fantasy authors will be very disappointed. I realize it’s a game novel and that it’s a challenge to write for a series intended for a wide audience which may include younger readers, but there were times where the simplistic writing style made me feel like I was reading a comic book, or a very bad fanfic piece.
To Knaak’s credit, it’s clear he’s done a lot of research into the characters and locations of the WoW universe. In many ways, the book is also a nice follow-up to the War of the Ancients trilogy and ties in well with the WoW comics, though one doesn’t have to have read either to follow the story. I would still recommend Stormrage to any fans of Warcraft lore, since it provides answers to a lot of questions regarding Malfurion Stormrage and the encroaching Emerald Nightmare. WoW players will also be treated to a whole slew of appearances by well-known NPCs including Tyrande Whisperwind, Hamuul Runetotem, and the duplicitous Fandral Staghelm who may or may not have some crafty tricks up his sleeve, plus many, many more.
Oh, and that last part isn’t really a spoiler, since everyone knows Fandral Staghelm is batshit crazy anyway.
I decided to give this book a chance in the end, because if anything, my love for the Druid class made reading this a requirement. Malfurion Stormrage is also one of my favorite characters in WoW lore, and I figured maybe I’ll have a better time getting through Knaak’s writing when it’s not about Rhonin or Krasus/Korialstrasz.
Anyway, my final verdict for Stormrage is that it’s readable, but I think avid fans and readers of more established fantasy authors will be very disappointed. I realize it’s a game novel and that it’s a challenge to write for a series intended for a wide audience which may include younger readers, but there were times where the simplistic writing style made me feel like I was reading a comic book, or a very bad fanfic piece.
To Knaak’s credit, it’s clear he’s done a lot of research into the characters and locations of the WoW universe. In many ways, the book is also a nice follow-up to the War of the Ancients trilogy and ties in well with the WoW comics, though one doesn’t have to have read either to follow the story. I would still recommend Stormrage to any fans of Warcraft lore, since it provides answers to a lot of questions regarding Malfurion Stormrage and the encroaching Emerald Nightmare. WoW players will also be treated to a whole slew of appearances by well-known NPCs including Tyrande Whisperwind, Hamuul Runetotem, and the duplicitous Fandral Staghelm who may or may not have some crafty tricks up his sleeve, plus many, many more.
Oh, and that last part isn’t really a spoiler, since everyone knows Fandral Staghelm is batshit crazy anyway.
August 1, 2011
Stormrage by Richard A. Knaak
This book will no doubt be a major hit with World of Warcraft fans. It details Malfurion Stormrage’s part in the Emerald Dream.
I am normally a major fan of fantasy. I guess I am just not a fan of Knaak. I wasn���t a fan of Beastmaster Myth either, the only other book of his I read. I can’t even point my finger at what I don’t like so my supposition is there is just something about his style that doesn’t resonate with me. I mean, how can you not like a book whose main character is named Malfurion Stormrage. That just shouts out excitement and action.
Analyzing the book, it seems to have all the right pieces. Colorful, exotic characters with definitive personalities that are conflicting in a mysterious manner. I suspect that those who are familiar with the entire scenario of the Emerald Dream will be intoxicated with the book. I have no doubt that it will be a success and suggest that you look at my other recommendations to determine if my thoughts run parallel or perpendicular to yours.
I recommend the book.
Web Site: www.RichardAKnaak.com
This book will no doubt be a major hit with World of Warcraft fans. It details Malfurion Stormrage’s part in the Emerald Dream.
I am normally a major fan of fantasy. I guess I am just not a fan of Knaak. I wasn���t a fan of Beastmaster Myth either, the only other book of his I read. I can’t even point my finger at what I don’t like so my supposition is there is just something about his style that doesn’t resonate with me. I mean, how can you not like a book whose main character is named Malfurion Stormrage. That just shouts out excitement and action.
Analyzing the book, it seems to have all the right pieces. Colorful, exotic characters with definitive personalities that are conflicting in a mysterious manner. I suspect that those who are familiar with the entire scenario of the Emerald Dream will be intoxicated with the book. I have no doubt that it will be a success and suggest that you look at my other recommendations to determine if my thoughts run parallel or perpendicular to yours.
I recommend the book.
Web Site: www.RichardAKnaak.com
July 6, 2014
I've been listening to all the books in the WOW series that are available on audible, though I have a couple lined up that I'll actually have to read. I've found them extremely interesting for all the lore since I play the game. I can relate things in the story to quest lines in the game that really brings so much understanding and cohesiveness to the game I've got to get back to playing.
A lot of the other audible books are narrated by Scott Brick who I like a lot more than Richard Ferrone who narrates this book. Still, in a short time I was past the differences and just enjoyed the story: he's not really bad, it just seems this must have been one of the earlier books put into audio because he also pronounces some of the names differently.
Though there is a best order to read the books in, if you haven't read/listened to any before and play the game, I suggest starting with the last one, War Crimes, because it has a lot of flashbacks and pulls a lot of history together and will bring you up-to-date with the game.
A lot of the other audible books are narrated by Scott Brick who I like a lot more than Richard Ferrone who narrates this book. Still, in a short time I was past the differences and just enjoyed the story: he's not really bad, it just seems this must have been one of the earlier books put into audio because he also pronounces some of the names differently.
Though there is a best order to read the books in, if you haven't read/listened to any before and play the game, I suggest starting with the last one, War Crimes, because it has a lot of flashbacks and pulls a lot of history together and will bring you up-to-date with the game.
August 14, 2019
به نظرم گرچه کتاب شروع بسیار جذابی داشت، در ادامه داستانی قابل پیش بینی و تا حدی حوصله سر برام بود که به سختی تونستم تمومش کنم با این حال اواخر قصه مقداری پرشورتر میشد.
همونطور که از اسمش پیداست، قسمت قابل توجهی از موضوع مربوط میشه به Malfurion Stormrage. موضوع کلی روی پیشروی نیروهای کابوس توی azeroth هست و شروع قصه که به نظرم جالب توجه بود، نحوه بیان ترس و کابوس هر کدوم از شخصیت های کتاب توی دنیای خوابشون یا همون Emerald dream هست. از اونجایی که ترال همچنان warchief هست، اتفاقات از لحاظ زمانی مربوط به بعد از سقوط Lich King و قبل از وقایع کاتاکلیسم هست. شخصیت پردازی ها به قوت کتاب های دیگه ناک نبودن اما کاراکترهایی وجود داشتن که در طول داستان احساسم نسبت بهشون کاملا عوض شد. با وجود این کتاب نسبتا طولانی نوشته شده و به عده زیادی از شخصیت های وارکرفت، هرچند کوتاه اشاره شده بود. شاید یکی از عللی که زیاد خوشم نیومد همین تعداد بالای شخصیت ها بدون شخصیت پردازی های عمیق و قوی تر بود.
«از امروز لذت ببر، ملفارین. این تنها کاریاست که امروز میتوانیم از هم بخواهیم»
همونطور که از اسمش پیداست، قسمت قابل توجهی از موضوع مربوط میشه به Malfurion Stormrage. موضوع کلی روی پیشروی نیروهای کابوس توی azeroth هست و شروع قصه که به نظرم جالب توجه بود، نحوه بیان ترس و کابوس هر کدوم از شخصیت های کتاب توی دنیای خوابشون یا همون Emerald dream هست. از اونجایی که ترال همچنان warchief هست، اتفاقات از لحاظ زمانی مربوط به بعد از سقوط Lich King و قبل از وقایع کاتاکلیسم هست. شخصیت پردازی ها به قوت کتاب های دیگه ناک نبودن اما کاراکترهایی وجود داشتن که در طول داستان احساسم نسبت بهشون کاملا عوض شد. با وجود این کتاب نسبتا طولانی نوشته شده و به عده زیادی از شخصیت های وارکرفت، هرچند کوتاه اشاره شده بود. شاید یکی از عللی که زیاد خوشم نیومد همین تعداد بالای شخصیت ها بدون شخصیت پردازی های عمیق و قوی تر بود.
«از امروز لذت ببر، ملفارین. این تنها کاریاست که امروز میتوانیم از هم بخواهیم»
December 14, 2017
Boring, didn't hook me at all and although it sheds some light on the events in Valsharah, and basically the plot of the Emerald Nightmare raid, it doesn't transpire passion.
Malfurion seems to be constantly hesitating about everything, and every single event looks like is building into a grandiose finale, just to be crammed into a rushed end with a pretty wedding. There is no WoW atmosphere as there is in other books.
Seems like Illidan is the better brother, also in the literary aspect.
Malfurion seems to be constantly hesitating about everything, and every single event looks like is building into a grandiose finale, just to be crammed into a rushed end with a pretty wedding. There is no WoW atmosphere as there is in other books.
Seems like Illidan is the better brother, also in the literary aspect.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 3, 2010
Richard A. Knaak is my least favorite Warcraft author, and I found this book to be the worst of the series. Uninspired descriptions ("great" isn't a great adjective) and cliched themes combined with a whiny Malfurion Stormrage made me question if Mr. Knaak thought he was getting paid by the word, or if he believes that the length of a book solely determines whether it's epic.
January 13, 2023
Sadly, this was not my favourite WoW book. Looking back, this story could have been told as a short story rather than the 400+ pages it was written in. At times the reading was simply tedious, as throughout the book there was no hope, no way of making everything right, until all the way in the final chapter Malfurion *suddenly* fixes everything. I expected more buildup, or more development in the characters, but it simply wasn't there. Also, as a long time WoW player, the holding back on the 'bad guy' throughout the book was so tedious as well, as it is clear to know (even from reading War of the Ancients and not just playing the game) that his identity is obvious. All in all, 3 stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 21, 2022
I want to share my honest feedback on this book, because I see there are many 5* ratings just because it is a wow book, and let me tell you, it is one of the WORST books (wow or not) I've ever read!
So I stopped reading this book right in the middle. Was forcing my way through, but I just couldn't make it! Richard Knaak is such a terrible writer, he made a very essential story into boringness, uninspired book that it is impossible to read.
Thank you Richard, you ruined yet another wow story :/
So I stopped reading this book right in the middle. Was forcing my way through, but I just couldn't make it! Richard Knaak is such a terrible writer, he made a very essential story into boringness, uninspired book that it is impossible to read.
Thank you Richard, you ruined yet another wow story :/
October 9, 2019
Stormrage by Richard A. Knaak is a fantasy book set on the planet Azeroth. Unfortunately, it is a mediocre book at best. The progression through the book is very slow and tedious at times. A lot of the characters are very strong and don't have a ton of personality usually there may be a stutter sometimes but that's about it. The action is pretty good when there is some and I could still find enjoyment out of it even if it was not a lot. One of my favorite parts in the book is when the group was in a large battle and they heard Malfurion's call and it helped them stay strong. "But the one from whom Broll had most hoped to hear. Malfurion's call. It was not in the form of words, yet it summoned those fighting the Nightmare to be vigilant."
If you like books with slow progression or you have played the game this book may be for you, but I found little enjoyment out of this book and took me awhile to read because of how tedious it is.
If you like books with slow progression or you have played the game this book may be for you, but I found little enjoyment out of this book and took me awhile to read because of how tedious it is.
March 30, 2024
Did not feel this book
March 28, 2025
I understand that there’s gonna be some limitations around what the author is able to expand upon when writing for characters that exist as a IP for a large company, and I think that some of the characters were pretty 2 dimensional because of it, but the plot was pretty exciting & involved. I know I have a bias because I love the games but I enjoyed this book and had a lot of fun reading it.
3.75 ⭐️
3.75 ⭐️
Displaying 1 - 30 of 184 reviews