The Well of Eternity (WarCraft: War of the Ancients, #1)

The Well of Eternity (War of the Ancients Trilogy #1)

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3.89 of 5 stars 3.89  ·  rating details  ·  1,902 ratings  ·  76 reviews
Many months have passed since the cataclysmic Battle of Mount Hyjal, where the demonic Burning Legion was banished from Azeroth forever. But now, a mysterious energy rift within the mountains of Kalimdor propels three former warriors into the distant past -- a time long before orcs, humans or even high elves roamed the land. A time when the Dark Titan Sargeras, and his dem...more
Mass Market Paperback, 384 pages
Published March 30th 2004 by Pocket Star (first published 2004)
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Arthas by Christie GoldenJaina Proudmoore by Christie GoldenThe Shattering by Christie GoldenRise of the Horde by Christie GoldenDay of the Dragon by Richard A. Knaak
Warcraft
15th out of 43 books — 16 voters


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Leeanna
Warcraft, War of the Ancients #1: The Well of Eternity, by Richard A. Knaak

"The Well of Eternity" is the first in a trilogy of books based on the bestselling game series World of Warcraft. It's a fun and informative read for fans of the game - you see plenty of game characters fleshed out, and by the end of the first book you'll know them better.

The book starts a little slow, setting up the main characters and settings, but quickly picks up pace. Krasus, a dragon who spends much of his time in...more
Michael Hall
Michael Hall War Craft 2-4-13
Well Of Eternity
This book revolves around the popular video game World of Warcraft. In the game much of the history is told but not in details. The player either ignores the lore or goes and research about it some other way. The book introduces the reader to Krasus and Rhonin who were summoned to investigate a strange phenomenon. When they get there they are transported back in time to the time when humans weren’t even around yet. To a time where night elves ruled an...more
Dylan Woods
Sep 20, 2012 Dylan Woods rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: All fans of World of Warcraft and Warcraft III
This book was great for me because I love the lore, and I'm not picky whatsoever. While I may be generous on the rating, I thought it was only fair, yet I still have mixed feelings about this book. First off, I have nothing against this author at all. I thought his writing style was well suited. Yes there may have been a few times where he over embellished a sentence, but it never stopped me from reading on. The book takes place way before the wars between Orcs and Humans. Our story takes place...more
Jack
I didn't expect amazing writing from a Warcraft novel, but no one could really predict just how terrible this is. The first thing you'll notice is that the writing style is atrocious. Most sentences are structured awkwardly for the sake of pseudo-sophistication - the most pretentious hack move out there. The prose is as purple as it gets. Don't expect a single noun without a minimum of two repetitive adjectives; don't expect a verb not to be padded with unnecessary description.

The style of 'tell...more
Marco
Rhonin and Krassus (previously featured in "day of the dragon") and Broxigar (an orc working under Thrall, previously featured in "the lord of the clans") separately start investigating a strange and potentially dangerous magic anomaly. The three heroes end up being thrown back in time (just in time to catch the first attempt of Sargas to destroy the world with his burning legions). The book brings together familiar characters from some of the previous Warcraft books. While it is not necessary t...more
Dane
The Well of Eternity is difficult to rate fairly for two reasons. First, I loved the game for such a long time that I was probably a bit of a fanboy reading about the familiar characters and events. Secondly, I already knew the whole story, having played through the game content.

For a fan of fantasy novels who doesn't already know the story from having played the games, this is probably a pretty good read. For a gamer who has played through all of the expansions, there aren't a lot of surprises...more
Hollins
This book is absolutely terrible. I picked it up off my ex bf's floor when I had nothing else to read; it came for free with his Special Edition World of Warcraft: The Burning Legion. The writing is abysmal, but it does tell the lore of WoW, which I found interesting enough to go out and buy the other two books in the trilogy. I know that I'm going to hate them, but I do want to know all of tne lore, and as of now, that's really my only viable option, as even the game excludes some of it.

Worth t...more
Sean
Alike of Lord of the Rings, this book makes clear that it really is one long book separated into three. As such, it probably is best to grab all three (or the combined version) and read them back-to-back.
Alas, a review has to evaluate only this book. And it isn't pretty.
This book is mostly just one long first act. There isn't much story to it. Running with six main characters, it doesn't give good service to any one of them. Both Rhonan and Krasus mostly mull and do very little. Actually, this b...more
Sarah
This is for the whole trilogy...
The story was of course awesome because the developers at Blizzard do a great job of creating the lore behind the game. It helped me to understand and enjoy the game a lot more. I get to talk to, do quests for, or kill some of the characters while playing. However, not too impressed with the writing itself. Lots of repeated words and waaay too many editing errors. I am excited to continue the series because I am wrapped up in the story and I like to find out why...more
Michelle
I've been a casual player of World of Warcraft since 2008, and have spent my fair share of time in that "world" questing, flying around, farming, running dungeons, battling pets, etc.

Over time, though, it just wasn't enough to just roam around the world doing stuff. I really wanted to know the lore - the history of everything, the backgrounds of the characters I was playing. So I started picking up the novels...and boy, are they ever fun.

And fun is all I think they are really meant to be. I gue...more
Levi
Now that I have finished the book I can say it is one of the best books I have read in recent memory. The author's writing style is superb and the way he is able to tell three different stories but weave them together towards the end of the story is fantastic. The overall plot of the story tells the tale of some of the most dominant lore characters in the Warcraft universe including Illidan and Malfurion Stormrage. It starts simply with the story of Rhonin, a mage that fought in the war against...more
FREEBIRD
I love World of Warcraft. I am a huge fan of the video game and started playing during Cata in Sept. 2011. That being said, this book meant a lot more to me and resonated with me because I could relate the characters to their in-game selves. This review may in turn be a bit biased because of that recognition with the characters and eagerness to learn more about the lore. If you don't play the game and have never heard of any of the characters mentioned in this book, I am not sure what experience...more
April
The Well of Eternity is my fourth warcraft book. It was very interesting, especially because I played World of Warcraft for 3 or 4 years on and off. Currently off, but who can stay away from WOW when the new expansions come out? :) So I'll be going back on again. My brother also greatly encourages me to read them. He thinks it's the only worthwhile books to read. That all the other books I've read can't be better than the warcraft books. :D Well don't believe that, though being able to read a bo...more
Dan
Only read the first few chapters, but I agree with most of the other negative reviews on here. I've never read a Warcraft book, I didn't expect it to be "good", but I expected it to be entertaining enough. It's not. I felt like I was reading one long, badly written quest log. I agree with the reviewer that pointed out how sexist each description of a female character is. I feel like I can review this book because the beginning sucks, so I can only assume the rest of the book sucks.
Nichole
I give this book 4 stars because I really am a huge fan of WoW lore. That being said, I can understand how someone who doesn't know anything about the games would dislike this book. Like many other people have said, there are mistakes in the writing, and yes, it tends to be choppy at times. However, I didn't feel like the writing was atrocious, it definitely did not keep me from reading this book. If you're a WoW lore fan, this book will definitely be of your liking.
Boyya
This is a good starting point to get into the Warcraft books, it is always good to learn about the lore. I enjoy reading about the history of the Warcraft world. It amazes me how much thought has gone into creating this world. Seeing Rhonin before he was in Dalaran, learning the honor of Broxigar, and especially seeing the corruption of Illidan, and the beginning story of Malfurion and Tyrande was cool. Really looking forward to the next book in the series.
Daley
Why is this so bad? The author wrote my favorite Warcraft book and now he has written the worst. This saddened me since I adore the Warcraft world and books.

Used "and the latter" phrase at least three or four times per chapter and sometimes even more. Lovely characters, but he constantly repeated himself and dragged the story out as long as possible while ending abruptly leaving main plot points completely unresolved. Disappointing.
Aik Koh
Another great book by the author, the start of the trilogy explains a story that happens thousands of years before what most gamers know about the story of Warcraft lore. Explains more about the Night Elf race and their internal struggle with power hungry members of their race. Also connected with the author's earlier work where he brought some old characters in to make it even more exciting.
Sian
I am sure I was very generous on my stars but I did enjoy this book mostly because I enjoy learning more about WoW lore. It was a quick read and I was interested in finding out what was going to happen next. The transitions could have been smoother and the overall story was a little repetitive in spots but I will read the rest of the series.
Ahmad
هیجان خواندن اندیشه های و رویاهای ساخته شده، خود لذت بخش است، هرچند برای سن من شاید کمی خنده دار باشد ولی من عاشق داستانهای علمی تخیلی هستم و البته فیلم ها نیز. این جلد را من دوبار خواندم تا حوادث را بهتر درک کنم میخواستم میتولوژی انتخابی نویسنده را مقایسه کنم با اونهائی که میدانستم، ترکیب خوبی را انتخاب کرده، البته بازی پسرم در کامپیوتر مرا با این اسم آشنا کرد تا ترجمه ی فارسی کتاب را تهیه کنم برای نویسنده های توانای این داستان های فانتزی آرزوی موفقیت دارم
Filip
This book could have been awesome, it opened up numerous possibilities for expansion of Warcraft universe. But it didn't do well. From the leading characters who were complete mistake and unneccesary up to time-travel theme, this whole story was titled with one big, flashy 'WRONG'. Knaak's weaker sides experienced in 'Day of the Dragon' also showed up here, such as gaming-experience-feeling or need to focus on action, rather on characters.
Matt
This was an overall good book. I read it twice to get a better understanding of it, because it constantly switches back and forth between characters and situations. The only that bothered me about this book, was that the phrase "of the latter" , and "__ was all but ___ ". In short, a good read if you play the game.
Nyssa
If you played World of Warcraft and enjoyed it, you'd probably be interested in the lore behind the game. These books do more than what a wiki could offer you in painting a pretty vivid picture. Front row seats to original characters like Cenarius, Illidian, Malfurian, Tyrande is pretty awesome.
Carol
Knaak has a, well, knack for using unnecessary florid language at times, but overall his books are an enjoyable read. I also do enjoy his characterization of Krasus, but Deathwing/Neltharian seemed somewhat flat during this entire trilogy. He was much better in Day of the Dragon.
Khayra Bundakji
I just read a well-written book and changed the rating to a 2.
*****
I really really wish I could love this more than I do. It opened up the whole world of WoW to me, and I'm emotionally invested in all the characters, but the writing wasn't what I needed. Knaak is a big shot fantasy writer, but it isn't a work of art. I would've easily given him 3 stars if it was his concept because I liked the story. However, I'm disappointed in WoW. If I had a huge franchise with a story & needed to commis...more
Hannah Pauls
I never thought I'd read game-based books, even though I read sci-fi and fantasty regularly. I was surprised at how much I liked this-you don't have to know anything about the game to be able to follow and enjoy the story. Planning to read the rest of the series.
Peter Dolezal
Regular boook, not much story in there, kinda boring. I started reading this serie from the second volume but I needn't to read this because everything but the story at the end, how malfurion destroyed the portal was in the second book in the opening.
flickr
As an on/off WOW-player I was somewhat interested in the lore of Azeroth, and thought to give this trilogy a try (after all, my first ever toon was a night-elf and I loved hopping around the beautiful woods of the starting zone, questing and listening to the great background music).

The trilogy is an ok read, but not that captivating or fantastic, like it could have been (the lore is good and interesting) and wasn't as good as I expected. You want to know how the story ends, so you'll read it thr...more
Scraggy
While this wasn't the best written book ever - It managed to suck me in. I found certain parts horribly slow, mainly when it was focusing on Rhonin.

I would recommend it for any Warcraft Lore buff out there.
Tyler
This book had a slow start, but picked up considerably after introducing Malfurion, Tyrande, and Cenarius as characters. I enjoyed it, and I think the War of the Ancients is an awesome warcraft setting to have a book series in because prior to this story the history was only so vaguely outlined.

The final battle was decent, but after reading so much Bernard Cornwell lately I feel like it wasn't done as well as it could have been.

6/10
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The Well of Eternity (WarCraft: War of the Ancients, #1)
The Well of Eternity (WarCraft: War of the Ancients, #1)

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Richard A. Knaak is the bestselling author of Dragonlance novels, Dragonrealm (his own creation), six novels for Blizzard Entertainment's Diablo series, and six works in the Warcraft universe. He has also written five non-series fantasy books.

More about Richard A. Knaak...
The Legend of Huma (Dragonlance: Heroes, #1) Kaz the Minotaur (Dragonlance: Heroes, #4; Heroes II, #1) Day of the Dragon The Demon Soul (WarCraft: War of the Ancients, #2) The Sundering (WarCraft: War of the Ancients, #3)

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