Warcraft Books and Novels

It's happy hour, the alcohol is flowing. It's time to pull up a tankard of ale, bottle of wine for the ladies and regail tales of heroism and grandeur.

Topic/Postby Shevron » 20 Feb 2010, 20:02

Warcraft Books and Novels

Many seem interested in what Warcraft novels and books that are around covering a very rich part of the lore, but have no idea where to start.

Since they are written by a number of different authors, they obviously don't cover the lore in sequence, so it's really up to the individual what to pick up and where, according the the part of his of her liking from the Warcraft universe.

I will here list the ones that I own and have read / am reading / have pre-ordered. I'm not sure if I have all of them, but I own the major good part of them, so if anyone knows / has read any others, please feel free to add to the list so everyone knows about them!

I will list them in no particular order, although I'll try to get the best chronology of lore according to my knowledge.

War of the Ancients Archive

Author: Richard A. Knaak
ISBN 10: ISBN 1-4165-5203-1
ISBN 13: ISBN 978-1-4165-5203-1


This is 3 Volumes in one, which you can find in 3 separate books if you're on a tight budget:
  • The Well of Eternity
  • The Demon Soul
  • The Sundering
Months have passed since the cataclysmic Battle of Mount Hyjal, which put an end to the Burning Legion's invasion. Most Legion forces on Azeroth have been slain or driven into hiding. Yet now a mysterious energy rift in the mountains of Kalimdor propels three heroes to the distant past: the dragon mage Krasus, the human wizard Rhonin, and the weathered orc veteran Broxigar. It is a time long before orcs, humans, or even high elves roamed the world. A time that marks the Legion's first invasion of Azeroth, brought about by Queen Azshara and other night elf nobles. A time when the Dragon Aspects are at the height of their power -- unaware that one of their own will soon turn on the world he was charged to protect.


==============================

Rise of the Horde

Author: Christie Golden
ISBN 10: ISBN 0-7434-7138-1
ISBN 13: ISBN 978-0-7434-7138-1


Chris Metzen himself commented on the book, which features the draenei's flight from Argus and, as the title implies, the corruption of the orcs.

"The book DOMINATES, and you're going to really dig it. Durotan, Ner'zhul, Gul'dan, Doomhammer, Hellscream, Kil'jaeden, Velen; this story is the one you've been waiting for. I'm getting geeked up just thinking about it."

The book is written from the 3rd-person perspective, except for a note every chapter narrated by Thrall in the first person. Most of the story is told from the perspective of Durotan and Velen.
The book finally answers questions relating to Ner'zhul, the massacre of the draenei, the true color of orcish skin, and daemons. It is notable for painting a much more sympathetic picture of Ner'zhul than previous lore, showing him as a generally good-hearted but deceived and somewhat ineffectual leader.


==============================

Tides of Darkness

Author: Aaron Rosenberg
ISBN 10: ISBN 1-4165-3990-5
ISBN 13: ISBN 978-1-4165-3990-2


After killing the corrupt Warchief Blackhand, Orgrim Doomhammer was quick to seize control over the Orcish Horde. Now he is determined to conquer the rest of Azeroth so that his people will once again have a home of their own in the World of Warcraft.
Anduin Lothar, former Champion of Stormwind, has left his shattered homeland behind and led his people across the Great Sea to the shores of Lordaeron. There, with the aid of the noble King Terenas, he forges a mighty Alliance with the other human nations. But even that may not be enough to stop the Horde's merciless onslaught.
Elves, dwarves, and trolls enter the fray as the two emerging factions vie for dominance. Will the valiant Alliance prevail, or will the Horde's tide of darkness consume the last vestiges


==============================

Warcraft Archive

Author: Richard A. Knaak, Christie Golden, Jeff Grubb, Chris Metzen.
ISBN 10: ISBN 1-4165-2582-3
ISBN 13: ISBN 978-1-4165-2582-0


This is 4 Volumes in one, which you can find in 4 separate books if you're on a tight budget:

Day of the Dragon (Author: Richard A. Knaak):

A terrifying upheaval among the highest ranks of the world's Wizards sends the maverick Mage, Rhonin, on a perilous journey into the Orc-controlled lands of Khaz Modan. What Rhonin uncovers is a vast, far-reaching conspiracy, darker than anything he ever imagined—a threat that will force him into a dangerous alliance with ancient creatures of air and fire if the world of Azeroth is to see another dawn.


Lord of the Clans (Author: Christie Golden):

Slave and Gladiator. Shaman and Warchief. The enigmatic Orc known as Thrall has been all of these. Raised from infancy by cruel human masters who sought to mold him into their perfect pawn, Thrall was driven by both the savagery in his heart and the cunning of his upbringing to pursue a destiny he was only beginning to understand—to break his bondage and rediscover the ancient traditions of his people. Now the tumultuous tale of his life's journey—a saga of honor, hatred, and hope—can at last be told.


The Last Guardian (Author: Jeff Grubb):

The Guardians of Tirisfal were a line of champions imbued with godlike powers, each one through the ages charged with fighting a lonely secret war against the Burning Legion. Medivh was fated from birth to become the greatest and most powerful of this noble order. But from the beginning a darkness tainted him, corrupting his soul and turning to evil the powers that should have fought for good. Medivh's struggle against the malice within him became one with the fate of Azeroth itself...and changed the world forever.


Of Blood and Honor (Author: Chris Metzen *HIMSELF*):

The paladin Tirion Fordring had always believed the Orcs were vile and corrupt, but an unexpected act of honor and compassion sets in motion a chain of events that will challenge his most fundamental beliefs and force him to decide, once and for all, who are the men...and who are the monsters.


==============================

Night of the Dragon

Author: Richard A. Knaak
ISBN 10: ISBN 0-7434-7137-7
ISBN 13: ISBN 978-0-7434-7137-4


Grim Batol: its dark legacy stretches back into the mists of Azeroth's past. But most know it as the site of a terrible tragedy -- where the vile orcs corrupted the hatchlings of the noble Dragonqueen, Alexstrasza, and used them as weapons of war. Though a band of heroes, led by the enigmatic mage, Krasus, defeated the orcs and freed the captive dragons, the cursed mountain stands as another ravaged landmark within the World of Warcraft.
But now Krasus -- known to some as the red dragon Korialstrasz -- senses the malice of Grim Batol rising once more to threaten those he holds dear. Determined this time to confront this evil by himself, he is unaware of the quests that will draw others to Grim Batol and reveal the monstrous truth that could not only herald their deaths, but usher in a terrible new age of darkness and destruction.


==============================

Beyond the Dark Portal

Author: Aaron Rosenberg & Christie Golden
ISBN 10: ISBN 1-4165-5085-0
ISBN 13: ISBN 978-1-4165-5086-0


The aging orc shaman Ner'zhul has seized control of the Horde and reopened the Dark Portal. His brutal warriors once again encroach upon Azeroth, laying siege to the newly constructed stronghold of Nethergarde Keep. There, the archmage Khadgar and the Alliance commander, Turalyon, lead humanity and its elven and dwarven allies in fighting this new invasion.
Even so, disturbing questions arise. Khadgar learns of orcish incursions farther abroad: small groups of orcs who seem to pursue a goal other than simple conquest. Worse yet, black dragons have been sighted as well, and they appear to be aiding the orcs. To counter Ner'zhul's dark schemes, the Alliance must now invade the orcs' ruined homeworld of Draenor. Can Khadgar and his companions stop the nefarious shaman in time to stave off the destruction of two worlds?


==============================

Cycle of Hatred

Author: Keith R.A. DeCandido
ISBN 10: ISBN 0-7434-7196-9
ISBN 13: ISBN 978-0-7434-7136-7


"At the end of Warcraft 3 and Warcraft 3X, humans and orcs were allies on the continent of Kalimdor. But in World of Warcraft, the two sides are enemies again. My task with the novel Cycle of Hatred, was to help explain that change. It takes place during the four-year gap between the two games, and involves the humans on Kalimdor lead by Lady Jaina Proudmoore and the orcs on the same continent lead by Thrall. Of all the characters in the Warcraft universe, I found Jaina and Thrall to be two of the three most compelling characters. Jaina is a powerful female wizard, who is put in a position of leading a small group of humans in a hostile land in the wake of a brutal war against a demon horde. Thrall is an orc raised by humans as a slave, who leads a rebellion of orcs against human bondage, and inspires the orcs to return to their old ways before they were cursed by demons. Both leaders are trying to forge a new future, moving past the old hatreds. Unfortunately, the old hatreds don't die easily. If you're wondering who the third character is, you'll have to read the book to find out -- the character is also in the book, but who it is is a surprise."


==============================

Arthas: Rise of the Lich King

Author: Christie Golden
ISBN 10: ISBN 1-4165-5077-1
ISBN 13: ISBN 978-1416-5507-78


The detailed story of Arthas, from the day he was a 10 year old boy, when he experienced the fall of Stormwind, his romance with Jaine Proudmoore, all the way to his search for Frostmourne and his corruption by it, up to the moment he shattered the Frozen Throne and put the cursed helmet on his head.

This story shows the very personal side of Arthas. His feelings, his desperation, love and the fight with his own personal demons.


NOTE: This book is available in a limited edition version which is numbered, and signed by the author in pen. It comes in its very stylish leather case together with a certificate of authenticity. This is the version that I own, and I assure you that it's a quality gem to have, albeit a little more expensive than the normal one.

==============================

Stormrage

Author: Richard A. Knaak
ISBN 10: ISBN 1-4165-5087-9
ISBN 13: ISBN 978-1416-5508-77

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


NOTE: This book is available FOR PRE-ORDER in a limited edition version which is numbered, and signed by the author in pen. It comes in its very stylish leather case together with a certificate of authenticity.

==============================

The Shattering: Prelude to Cataclysm (Hardback)

Author: Christie Golden
ISBN 10: ISBN 1-4165-5074-7
ISBN 13: ISBN 9781416550747

Thrall, wise shaman and the warchief of the Horde, has sensed a disturbing change ...

Long ago, Azeroth’s destructive native elementals raged across the world until the benevolent titans imprisoned them within the Elemental Plane. Despite the titans’ intervention, many elementals have ended up back on Azeroth. Over the ages, shaman like Thrall have communed with these spirits and, through patience and dedication, learned to soothe roaring infernos, bring rain to sun-scorched lands, and otherwise temper the elementals’ ruinous influence on the world of Azeroth.

Now Thrall has discovered that the elementals no longer heed the shaman’s call. The link shared with these spirits has grown thin and frayed, as if Azeroth itself were under great duress. While Thrall seeks answers to what ails the confused elements, he also wrestles with the orcs’ precarious future as his people face dwindling supplies and growing hostility with their night elf neighbors.

Meanwhile, King Varian Wrynn of Stormwind is considering violent action in response to mounting tensions between the Alliance and the Horde, a hard-line approach that threatens to alienate those closest to him, including his son, Anduin. The conflicted young prince has set out to find his own path, but in doing so, he risks becoming entangled in political instability that is setting the world on edge.

The fate of Azeroth’s great races is shrouded in a fog of uncertainty, and the erratic behavior of the elemental spirits, troubling though it is, may only be the first ominous warning sign of the cataclysm to come.


==============================

Wolfheart (Hardback)

Author: Richard A. Knaak
ISBN 10: ISBN 1-45160575-7
ISBN 13: ISBN 9781451605754

In the wake of the Cataclysm, conflict has engulfed every corner of Azeroth. Hungering for more resources amid the turmoil, the Horde has pressed into Ashenvale to feed its burgeoning war machine. There, acting warchief Garrosh Hellscream has employed a brutal new tactic to conquer the region and crush its night elf defenders, a move that will cripple the Alliance's power throughout the World of Warcraft.Unaware of the disaster brewing in Ashenvale, the night elves' legendary leaders, High Priestess Tyrande Whisperwind and Archdruid Malfurion Stormrage, conduct a summit near Darnassus in order to vote the proud worgen of Gilneas into the Alliance. However, resentment of Gilneas and its ruler, Genn Greymane, runs deep in Stormwind's King Varian Wrynn. His refusal to forgive Genn for closing his nation off from the rest of the world years ago endangers more than just the summit: it threatens to unravel the Alliance itself.Varian's animosity is only one of many unsettling developments in Darnassus. An uneasiness creeps over the once-immortal night elves as the first of them fall victim to the infirmities of age. While they cope with their mortality, tensions flare over the reintroduction of the Highborne, formerly the highest caste of night elf nobility, into their society. Many night elves are unable to pardon the Highborne for the destruction unleashed on Azeroth millennia ago by their reckless use of magic.When a murdered Highborne is discovered on the outskirts of Darnassus, Malfurion and Tyrande move to stop further bloodshed and unrest by appointing one of the night elves' most cunning and skilled agents to find the killer: the renowned warden Maiev Shadowsong. Yet with all that is transpiring in Darnassus, the Alliance might be powerless to stop the relentless new warchief Garrosh from seizing the whole of Ashenvale.


==============================

Thrall: Twilight of the Aspects (Paperback)

Author: Christie Golden
ISBN 10: ISBN 1-43919663-X
ISBN 13: ISBN 9781439196632

When Azeroth was young, the noble titans appointed the five great dragonflights to safeguard the budding world. Each of the flights' leaders was imbued with a portion of the titans' vast cosmic powers. Together, these majestic Dragon Aspects committed themselves to thwarting any force that threatened the safety of the . . . Over ten thousand years ago, a betrayal by the maddened black Dragon Aspect, Deathwing, shattered the strength and unity of the dragonflights. His most recent assault on Azeroth--the Cataclysm--has left the world in turmoil. At the Maelstrom, the center of Azeroth's instability, former Horde warchief Thrall and other accomplished shaman struggle to keep the world from tearing apart in the wake of Deathwing's attack. Yet a battle also rages within Thrall regarding his new life in the shamanic Earthen Ring, hampering his normally unparalleled abilities. Unable to focus on his duties, Thrall undertakes a seemingly menial task from an unexpected source: the mysterious green Dragon Aspect, Ysera. This humble endeavor soon becomes a journey spanning the lands of Azeroth and the timeways of history itself, bringing Thrall into contact with ancientdragonflights. Divided by conflict and mistrust, these dragons have become easy prey to a horrific new weapon unleashed by Deathwing's servants . . . a living nightmare engineered to exterminate Azeroth's winged guardians. Of even greater concern is a bleak and terrifying possible future glimpsed by Ysera: the Hour of Twilight. Before this apocalyptic vision comes to pass, Thrall must purge his own doubts in order to discover his purpose in the world and aid Azeroth's dragonflights as they face the . . . TWILIGHT OF THE ASPECTS.


==============================

Jaina Proudmoore: Tides of War (Hardback)

Author: Christie Golden
ISBN 10: ISBN 1-41655076-3
ISBN 13: ISBN 9781416550761

The ashes of the Cataclysm have settled across Azeroth's disparate kingdoms. As the broken world recovers from the disaster, the renowned sorceress Lady Jaina Proudmoore continues her long struggle to mend relations between the Horde and the Alliance. Yet of late, escalating tensions have pushed the two factions closer to open war, threatening to destroy what little stability remains in the . . . Dark news arrives in Jaina's beloved city, Theramore. One of the blue dragonflight's most powerful artifacts--the Focusing Iris--has been stolen. To unravel the item's mysterious whereabouts, Jaina works with the former blue Dragon Aspect Kalecgos. The two brilliant heroes forge an unlikely bond during their investigation, but another disastrous turn of events looms on the horizon. . . . Garrosh Hellscream is mustering the Horde's armies for an all-out invasion of Theramore. Despite mounting dissent within his faction, the brazen warchief aims to usher in a new era of Horde domination. His thirst for conquest leads him to take brutal measures against anyone who dares question his leadership. Alliance forces converge on Theramore to repel the Horde onslaught, but the brave defenders are unprepared for the true scope of Garrosh's cunning and deceptive strategy. His attack will irrevocably transform Jaina, engulfing the ardent peacekeeper in the chaotic and all-consuming . . . TIDES OF WAR
"Whomsoever takes up this blade shall wield power eternal. Just as the blade rends flesh, so must power scar the spirit."
User avatar
Shevron
Resident Grump
 
Posts: 8709
Location: A cave in Northrend

Topic/Postby Cherwina » 20 Feb 2010, 20:54

Semi-official Chronology for the books:

Pre First War
The Last Guardian
Rise of the Horde

Pre Second War
Tides of Darkness (Actually the story of WC2, hence the title)
Beyond the Dark Portal (Actually the story of WC2's expansion, hence the title)

Pre Third War
Lord of the Clans
Day of the Dragon
War of the Ancients Trilogy (Although this covers the war of the ancients it is an alternate timeline of those events that are set at this point in the Rhonin stories)
Night of the Dragon

Pre World of Warcraft
Cycle of Hatred
Stormrage

Other
The Arthas book covers events from WC3 to World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King.
Image
Image
User avatar
Cherwina
Druidess of Eldre'thalas
 
Posts: 1727
WWW

Topic/Postby Finna » 21 Feb 2010, 00:02

Great this, thanks! I now own Day of the Dragon, Lord of the Clans, The Last Guardian and the first two books of War of the Ancients.
Image

[Liandrix] says: On a scale from one to ten... what is your favourite colour from the alphabet?

All Druid forms have been converted to .PDF.
User avatar
Finna
Rhymer
 
Posts: 2464
Location: Leeuwarden, Holland
WWW

Topic/Postby Tiermaya » 21 Feb 2010, 00:53

Thanks for this. I keep finding myself in Waterstones looking at the warcraft novels thinking I should pick one up. Never really decide though. Hopefully next time I'm there I can remember this.
Serendipity wrote:****ing Royal Mail! They're about as much use as a condom made of tissue paper.
User avatar
Tiermaya
WOAH-OH-OH-AH-AAHH!
 
Posts: 1997
Location: Deeside, Wales

Topic/Postby Cherwina » 21 Feb 2010, 01:34

I've just noticed, Of Blood and Honour is missing from my list (haven't read it as it's not available separate from the Archive). Haven't read Arthas yet, keep meaning to pick it up but I'm being moaned at for taking 3 years to read Horus Rising.
Image
Image
User avatar
Cherwina
Druidess of Eldre'thalas
 
Posts: 1727
WWW

Topic/Postby Alwynn » 21 Feb 2010, 01:51

Gonna order the Well of Eternity :)
User avatar
Alwynn
Grrrroooaaarrrwwwllll
 
Posts: 1435
Location: Portugal

Topic/Postby Serendipity » 21 Feb 2010, 02:21

I'll probably order Arthas once I've read my current book. Once that's arrived from Amazon.... FFFFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU....
User avatar
Serendipity
Blorgh.
 
Posts: 6472
Location: At work, usually.

Topic/Postby Shevron » 20 Oct 2010, 09:14

New book added: The Shattering - by Christie Golden.
"Whomsoever takes up this blade shall wield power eternal. Just as the blade rends flesh, so must power scar the spirit."
User avatar
Shevron
Resident Grump
 
Posts: 8709
Location: A cave in Northrend

Topic/Postby Gailia » 20 Oct 2010, 09:35

thanks! might give the shattering a look!
You are the Chosen One! Now go and kill for me six dire Wolves!
User avatar
Gailia
Rhymer
 
Posts: 163
Location: North West, UK
WWW

Topic/Postby Alwynn » 20 Oct 2010, 13:52

I still need to finish off The Sundering! And then there's Cycle of Hatred on standby! Gaaaaah! I needz mo' time to read!
User avatar
Alwynn
Grrrroooaaarrrwwwllll
 
Posts: 1435
Location: Portugal

Next

Return to The Shady Rest Inn



Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users