lainibop's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
waden34's review
4.0
Christie Golden should be the only author allowed to write books in this series. She is fantastic at making the characters larger than life. You really care about what is happening to them.
I didn't think this story would interest me much, but it was a very fun and quick read.
I didn't think this story would interest me much, but it was a very fun and quick read.
markcdickson's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
postpluvium's review against another edition
2.0
So far, a bit shit. I mean, Warcraft novels aren't exactly high lit, but really, explaining that Alexstrasza and Krasus enjoy their High Elf (Blood Elf) forms because they're more suited for showing affection? Seriously?
When did they start publishing only halfway decent fanfiction?
When did they start publishing only halfway decent fanfiction?
lacifaeria's review against another edition
5.0
I didn't have a chance to review this book when I finished it because my OS had been shot and I was waiting on the discs to repair it. But it was EXCELLENT!!!
A note of disclaimer: I usually don't read a lot of series genre fiction. Call it a personal thing or whatever, I just didn't. I guess I didn't really think they'd be good. Kinda fluffy and whatever. So that's my bias going in. Afterwards, I have to admit a bunch of shame at this original thought. And I'm more open to reading series genre fiction as a result. For example, yesterday, I went to my local library to see what other WoW books they had. I picked up the only other one and put holds on two more. I'm glad I gave this a chance because I now have a new group of books to tear into.
I play WoW, which makes sense since I chose this book. And I'm horde side (Lok'tar Ogar!). So I wanted to read a book about a figure who would be more meaningful to me. I've loved Thrall for years as this wise and gentle shaman who worked with the Alliance as well as to restore order to the Horde. But I didn't know as much about the lore as I'd liked to have. I picked this up and started our adventure.
From the first few paragraphs, the story gripped me. In fact, the whole book was like that, making it really impossible to put down (and barring sleep and basic chores, I didn't until it was finished). Finding Thrall in the midst of a ritual at the Maelstrom really thrust me into the heart of the action. And then, so close to a moment of failure, when Thrall couldn't concentrate and felt the weight of the world on his shoulders, it made me immediately sympathetic. There! I was snared.
Now here's the awesome thing about it being WoW genre fic: I knew all of the characters. Knew and loved or loathed them. I've done quests aiding them and fighting against some of them. Everything was familiar because I've played with these characters, off and on, for the last 10 years. And I think that's the thing I really loved about it. It felt like I was playing a quest chain in the Cavern of Time (even mentioned in the book so that was really cool), where I went back as spectator to a key time in Thrall's life. It effortlessly weaved it's way between gameplay and lore and I really appreciated that. Plus, it made the introduction of new characters that much more engaging because the arrival of a new one always caused me to gasp, saying, "Oh YEAH!!! I remember THAT dragon!!" or something similar.
Speaking of the dragons, getting to empathize with the dragons as having personalities and agency was really wonderful. I ride around on my twilight drake in game, the one you get after beating Malygos, and I never fully appreciated what that meant until this book. The pain you felt between the various Aspects, like when Alexstrazsa (sp?) lost her love and her eggs, felt like legitimate anguish. The despair rising within her, when her mind vascilated between madness and suicidal tendencies, was palpable as she flew through Desolace to her lonely perch. The struggle over ownership within the Blue Dragonflight. The loss and confusion of the bronze dragonflight at the disappearance of Nozdormu. Like, these were all well-detailed and well-written. And now I have a new appreciation for these creatures that I see every day in game without thought to what it meant to be a dragon or an Aspect.
Thrall coming into his own through helping the dragons find their way back to each other was a nice touch. Sometimes, I find it easier to sort through my own life while assisting others with their tasks and that made this really relatable. Plus, I am a softie and a romantic, so the idea that Thrall was able to at least see a glimmer named Aggra who made him pull it together was heartening. The idea that, no matter what his role was to be in uniting the Aspects, that it was his desire to see Aggra again that propelled him further. Sappy but it hit the spot.
Thrall's journey within the Caverns of Time was also amazing. I remember the first time I ran a Caverns of Time dungeon. The one I recall was Thrall's rescue from Durnholde Keep. Getting to not only witness, but take part in, one of the most important parts of Horde lore was enthralling. I felt similarly here, as Thrall traveled the pathways in his past. My heart broke when he realized he was about to witness the death of his parents *but could not interfere*. The helplessness this one-time warchief felt at being broken into inefficacy generated similar feelings in me as I read it. There was a tightening in my chest as I wished I could console him. Which is funny in and of itself considering he's a character in a book. But that's the hallmark of good writing, to be sure. When you forget that you're spectating and are lulled into believing you're interacting. His interaction with Taretha of a different timeline felt similar. His relief at knowing her, seeing her again....his sadness in knowing how different this version had to become to survive her own timeline, and even his eventual need to make peace with knowing his righting the timelines would erase this Taretha completely--all were brilliantly conveyed while maintaining good pace and engaging dialogue.
Meanwhile, Arygos vs the Twilight Father scenes were neat too. Deathwing's treachery knows no bounds. No wonder his head is displayed in Orgrimmar.
All in all, I really liked it. Not too complicated reading. Accessible and engaging. And I feel like I've come to appreciate Thrall in a new way. On a new level. A deeper understanding of what drove this mighty leader, what his motivations were. And deeper insight into the man who was Go'el, son of Draka and Durotan. ^.^
A note of disclaimer: I usually don't read a lot of series genre fiction. Call it a personal thing or whatever, I just didn't. I guess I didn't really think they'd be good. Kinda fluffy and whatever. So that's my bias going in. Afterwards, I have to admit a bunch of shame at this original thought. And I'm more open to reading series genre fiction as a result. For example, yesterday, I went to my local library to see what other WoW books they had. I picked up the only other one and put holds on two more. I'm glad I gave this a chance because I now have a new group of books to tear into.
I play WoW, which makes sense since I chose this book. And I'm horde side (Lok'tar Ogar!). So I wanted to read a book about a figure who would be more meaningful to me. I've loved Thrall for years as this wise and gentle shaman who worked with the Alliance as well as to restore order to the Horde. But I didn't know as much about the lore as I'd liked to have. I picked this up and started our adventure.
From the first few paragraphs, the story gripped me. In fact, the whole book was like that, making it really impossible to put down (and barring sleep and basic chores, I didn't until it was finished). Finding Thrall in the midst of a ritual at the Maelstrom really thrust me into the heart of the action. And then, so close to a moment of failure, when Thrall couldn't concentrate and felt the weight of the world on his shoulders, it made me immediately sympathetic. There! I was snared.
Now here's the awesome thing about it being WoW genre fic: I knew all of the characters. Knew and loved or loathed them. I've done quests aiding them and fighting against some of them. Everything was familiar because I've played with these characters, off and on, for the last 10 years. And I think that's the thing I really loved about it. It felt like I was playing a quest chain in the Cavern of Time (even mentioned in the book so that was really cool), where I went back as spectator to a key time in Thrall's life. It effortlessly weaved it's way between gameplay and lore and I really appreciated that. Plus, it made the introduction of new characters that much more engaging because the arrival of a new one always caused me to gasp, saying, "Oh YEAH!!! I remember THAT dragon!!" or something similar.
Speaking of the dragons, getting to empathize with the dragons as having personalities and agency was really wonderful. I ride around on my twilight drake in game, the one you get after beating Malygos, and I never fully appreciated what that meant until this book. The pain you felt between the various Aspects, like when Alexstrazsa (sp?) lost her love and her eggs, felt like legitimate anguish. The despair rising within her, when her mind vascilated between madness and suicidal tendencies, was palpable as she flew through Desolace to her lonely perch. The struggle over ownership within the Blue Dragonflight. The loss and confusion of the bronze dragonflight at the disappearance of Nozdormu. Like, these were all well-detailed and well-written. And now I have a new appreciation for these creatures that I see every day in game without thought to what it meant to be a dragon or an Aspect.
Thrall coming into his own through helping the dragons find their way back to each other was a nice touch. Sometimes, I find it easier to sort through my own life while assisting others with their tasks and that made this really relatable. Plus, I am a softie and a romantic, so the idea that Thrall was able to at least see a glimmer named Aggra who made him pull it together was heartening. The idea that, no matter what his role was to be in uniting the Aspects, that it was his desire to see Aggra again that propelled him further. Sappy but it hit the spot.
Thrall's journey within the Caverns of Time was also amazing. I remember the first time I ran a Caverns of Time dungeon. The one I recall was Thrall's rescue from Durnholde Keep. Getting to not only witness, but take part in, one of the most important parts of Horde lore was enthralling. I felt similarly here, as Thrall traveled the pathways in his past. My heart broke when he realized he was about to witness the death of his parents *but could not interfere*. The helplessness this one-time warchief felt at being broken into inefficacy generated similar feelings in me as I read it. There was a tightening in my chest as I wished I could console him. Which is funny in and of itself considering he's a character in a book. But that's the hallmark of good writing, to be sure. When you forget that you're spectating and are lulled into believing you're interacting. His interaction with Taretha of a different timeline felt similar. His relief at knowing her, seeing her again....his sadness in knowing how different this version had to become to survive her own timeline, and even his eventual need to make peace with knowing his righting the timelines would erase this Taretha completely--all were brilliantly conveyed while maintaining good pace and engaging dialogue.
Meanwhile, Arygos vs the Twilight Father scenes were neat too. Deathwing's treachery knows no bounds. No wonder his head is displayed in Orgrimmar.
All in all, I really liked it. Not too complicated reading. Accessible and engaging. And I feel like I've come to appreciate Thrall in a new way. On a new level. A deeper understanding of what drove this mighty leader, what his motivations were. And deeper insight into the man who was Go'el, son of Draka and Durotan. ^.^
bibliophilicrichard's review against another edition
3.0
In my opinion, Christie Golden is probably the best of the Warcraft authors. Her writing style is so comprehensible to those who just love to play the game. The other authors are good though I can't always relate to their writing style. Still a good read though. ^_^
librovert's review against another edition
2.0
I've been playing World of Warcraft since shortly after launch and am most definitely a "lore-nerd." It is an vast world with great characters and epic happenings. I read this book because I wanted to read more about the continuing story of Cataclysm that isn't being portrayed in game, however...
Just as I was unimpressed by the writing in [b:The Shattering: Prelude to Cataclysm|9538426|The Shattering Prelude to Cataclysm (World of Warcraft, #8)|Christie Golden|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1308926735s/9538426.jpg|14424644], I continue to find Golden's writing juvenile and, in many places, just plain bad. I fail to understand why so many fans prefer her WarCraft novels over Knaak, and it pains me to know that authors are becoming "New York Times Bestsellers" on the skirt tails of media tie-ins. The characters seemed to lack the depth I know they have, and I felt as though Thrall's dialogue was out of character many times.
I also think that Thrall: Twilight of the Aspects fit awkwardly into the timing already in place within the game. We know it must happen before Patch 4.2 because of the appearance of at Nordrassil with Alexstrasza, Ysera and . But it seems as though some events have happened in both the novel and the patch 4.2 content, more thoughts between the spoiler tags.
When he says that he is Go'el, no longer thrall to the Horde, he is accepting that it was the right thing for him to do to step down from his position as Warchief, why then does his self-doubt about this appear in the Vortex Pinnacle?
Thrall discovered his "heart" and desire for Aggra in the novel and expression that love is, in part, what made him able to bring Alexstrasza back to the flights.
He also comes to terms with the death of his parents, the death of Cairne and releases his rage toward Blackmoore throughout the course of the novel. Why then does his rage burn so hot on the Firelands?
Thrall also asks Aggra to be his lifemate at the end of the novel as well as at the end of the Elemental Bonds quest chain in Patch 4.2.
Bah.
I'm sure Blizzard has some reason why it all works out the way it does in the timeline, but it just didn't seem to add up as well as The Shattering did.
Just as I was unimpressed by the writing in [b:The Shattering: Prelude to Cataclysm|9538426|The Shattering Prelude to Cataclysm (World of Warcraft, #8)|Christie Golden|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1308926735s/9538426.jpg|14424644], I continue to find Golden's writing juvenile and, in many places, just plain bad. I fail to understand why so many fans prefer her WarCraft novels over Knaak, and it pains me to know that authors are becoming "New York Times Bestsellers" on the skirt tails of media tie-ins. The characters seemed to lack the depth I know they have, and I felt as though Thrall's dialogue was out of character many times.
I also think that Thrall: Twilight of the Aspects fit awkwardly into the timing already in place within the game. We know it must happen before Patch 4.2 because of the appearance of
Spoiler
NozdormuSpoiler
Kalecgos, the new Aspect of MagicSpoiler
At the beginning of Thrall, he is struggling to perform his duties as a shaman, he is distracted and unable to concentrate. He is called by Ysera to go on his journey to unite the dragon flights, which he achieves by performing a ritual including himself as a stand in for the Earthwarder. I imagine this is how he got the titles Earthbinder and World Shaman, because of the extra power he has now that he is united with the dragons. How is he so shattered after this journey that he is able to revisit all of those emotions in the Elemental Bonds chain?When he says that he is Go'el, no longer thrall to the Horde, he is accepting that it was the right thing for him to do to step down from his position as Warchief, why then does his self-doubt about this appear in the Vortex Pinnacle?
Thrall discovered his "heart" and desire for Aggra in the novel and expression that love is, in part, what made him able to bring Alexstrasza back to the flights.
He also comes to terms with the death of his parents, the death of Cairne and releases his rage toward Blackmoore throughout the course of the novel. Why then does his rage burn so hot on the Firelands?
Thrall also asks Aggra to be his lifemate at the end of the novel as well as at the end of the Elemental Bonds quest chain in Patch 4.2.
Bah.
I'm sure Blizzard has some reason why it all works out the way it does in the timeline, but it just didn't seem to add up as well as The Shattering did.
yamsy's review against another edition
3.0
Sometimes I wonder how these World of Warcraft books would hold up if I wasn't already so invested in the lore due to playing the game so much. The story is a bit contrived at times, but that's easy to overlook when you enjoy learning more about what is going on in the world where your game character lives.
It's no secret that Chris Metzen is in love with Thrall, and this entire expansion is basically "Thrall's Time to Shine"... so of course he's going to be very prominent in the books dealing with this time period. But I don't know... it feels very forced and out of character for him to suddenly be this hugely powerful and important person. Yes, as leader of the Horde is was powerful and important, but not on this scale. An orc raised so high he can treat with dragon Aspects on even ground is a bit much for me to swallow.
It's no secret that Chris Metzen is in love with Thrall, and this entire expansion is basically "Thrall's Time to Shine"... so of course he's going to be very prominent in the books dealing with this time period. But I don't know... it feels very forced and out of character for him to suddenly be this hugely powerful and important person. Yes, as leader of the Horde is was powerful and important, but not on this scale. An orc raised so high he can treat with dragon Aspects on even ground is a bit much for me to swallow.
More...