The Shattering: Prelude to Cataclysm (World of Warcraft, #8)

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The Shattering: Prelude to Cataclysm (World of WarCraft #8)

3.91 of 5 stars 3.91 · rating details · 1,509 ratings · 116 reviews

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 spi...more

Kindle Edition, 328 pages

Published (first published 2010)

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Nov 11, 2012 Brian rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: rare-worst-book-list-distinction, irritating-waste-of-potential

I really don't understand how this has so many positive reviews. I mean, there's not too much that is good in this book. I'd say maybe people who read Blizzard books have very low standards, but I ready "Heaven's Devils" and that was pretty good. This isn't. Some of the parts with Thrall are interesting, and that's about it. The biggest problem with this book in my opinion is Anduin. The book spends WAY too much time on him and he is the least interesting character in the story! It's been severa...more I really don't understand how this has so many positive reviews. I mean, there's not too much that is good in this book. I'd say maybe people who read Blizzard books have very low standards, but I ready "Heaven's Devils" and that was pretty good. This isn't. Some of the parts with Thrall are interesting, and that's about it. The biggest problem with this book in my opinion is Anduin. The book spends WAY too much time on him and he is the least interesting character in the story! It's been several months since I read it, so let me see if I can articulate different parts that were wrong.

First off, there is some seriously bad characterization. This author did not know how to write Varian, Cairne, or Garrosh specifically. Each of these characters act totally out of character, OR they act like simplistic, one-dimensional versions of themselves. I do feel like she could have gotten more characters wrong, but honestly, very few important characters are in this book. She did write Thrall alright. And she wrote the dwarves like, well, dwarves.

Second, when you think of a story bridging the events of WotLK and Cata, what do you think of? In which locations do you think that story would take place? If you thought Ironforge, Nagrand, and Theramore, you'd be right! I certainly would not have, though. The lion's share of the book takes place in these three places. Most of the time spent is just dialog, characters talking about things that are going on. Yes, there are parts in Orgrimmar that are important, but that's where some of the most horrid characterization takes place, so no, I won't count that. I spent most of the time reading Orgrimmar parts feeling frustrated, saying in my head "Thrall wouldn't respond like that! Garrosh wouldn't have done that and everyone knows it! Cairne wouldn't have come to that conclusion based on so little!". I know Ironforge is a cool place, so yes, part did need to take place there, but they spend so much time there! It's a giant cave! That's the Warcraft equivalent of being stuck in the sewer level for 1/3 of the game!

Coming back to it, the main problem with the story was Anduin. He was the main focus of most of the story and was the absolute least interesting character being discussed. This needed to be about one of the heroes, or many of the heroes. The story felt rushed. It felt like it might have been better had more time been taken to edit and reedit some of the bad out, and to rethink the overall direction of the story. I wish I had written this shortly after I finished reading it because I would have been able to remember more and nitpick some of the bad writing choices. One I can remember is at one point a character is asked to recap events that we the reader just finished reading not long ago. Normally the author would cut to the end and we would read the reactions of the other characters and not read the recap because, well, we just read it. Instead, the character actually goes into detail and recaps the story! That's such an obvious attempt to pad the book out!

So no, I wouldn't recommend anyone buy this book. Just go to wowwiki and read what happens there. You'll waste less time and it'll be more interesting.

I purchased this through amazon for my kindle, and I deleted it from my library! Awful book.(less)

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Nov 06, 2012 Josh rated it 5 of 5 stars

I was not prepared for how much I enjoyed this, especially considering it was a gift and not something I would immediately pick up myself.

I was immediately drawn into the story because I was instantly familiar with all the characters and settings; Jaine Proudmoore in Theramore, Thrall in Orgrimmar, Anduin and Varian Wrynn in Stormwind ... these are all places and people that I have interacted with while playing World of Warcraft. Having forged my own journey in this incredibly complex world thro...more I was not prepared for how much I enjoyed this, especially considering it was a gift and not something I would immediately pick up myself.

I was immediately drawn into the story because I was instantly familiar with all the characters and settings; Jaine Proudmoore in Theramore, Thrall in Orgrimmar, Anduin and Varian Wrynn in Stormwind ... these are all places and people that I have interacted with while playing World of Warcraft. Having forged my own journey in this incredibly complex world through the game allowed me to be a part of it and invest in the story much more quickly and with greater depth. I could see so vividly the forests of Ashenvale and the fields of Mulgore, and even elements of politics and warfare gave me feelings of nostaliga from my time gaming.

On a more logistical level, it also eliminated the need for lengthy descriptions and backstories, which meant the novel could move at quite a brisk pace. However what I really enjoyed was the greater level of detail that The Shattering gave me, including personal histories and relationships that aren't so prominent in the game.

There was a great amount of action and plot development in such a relatively short novel, which Golden handled with expertise. When considering the scope of the Warcraft Universe this really felt like a short story, even though it stands at 328 pages, but it left me satisfied yet also wanting more - the best place to be!

As a bridging novel between the events of Wrath of the Lich King and the Cataclysm this works excellently. It references key events and characters and also foreshadows what we (now that the Cataclysm has happened in game) know is coming. However, what I loved was that it highlighted some great plot elements that went under the radar in the game, such as changes to key ruling positions within the various races.

While the incredible range and power of magic systems introduced by the game could potentially be overwhelming for any one story, Golden handles it well, introducing small snippets of shaman, mage, druid and priest magic without letting it get over the top. Sometimes the altruism of the shamans and tauren can get a little tiring, but hey, at least they are staying true to character.

Characterisation was great, and I particularly loved reading from the perspective of Anduin Wrynn, who has quite a complex history and relationship with his father the King, even though he is only 13 years old.

I would really like to hear from someone who has read this but not played WoW at all (although I think that would be exceedingly rare, for obvious reasons) so see how the book stands on its own.

Really looking forward now to reading more from the Warcraft Universe!(less)

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Sep 08, 2012 Luxorien rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Better than Lord of the Clans, which I also enjoyed. I read Christie Golden before she was cool (Vampire of the Mists BAM) and I knew when she turned her hand to a media tie-in it would be a real novel. I've read some of the other authors who have done work for Warcraft. They aren't novelists. Christie Golden is. It's a shame she's such a traitorous HORDE LOVER, but what can you do?

I already liked Anduin and she made me like him more. I've always hated Garrosh and I still do, but he's a bit more...more

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Aug 20, 2012 Gavin rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Shattering is a prequel novel for the new World of Warcraft expansion Cataclysm and explains many of the lore changes that happened in game. It follows many well-known lore characters from the games which most players will know and follows Thrall and Cairne Bloodhoof from the Horde side and Anduin Wrynn for the Alliance, though many more well-known characters from both factions appear along the story.

Christie dose a wonderful job in immersing you in to the characters of Azeroth and the pligh...more

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May 25, 2011 Adrian Faulkner rated it 2 of 5 stars

As a rule, I don’t have a problem with Tie-In Fiction. I’m very much in the “you like what you like” camp and don’t think you should ever be ashamed of your reads.
The argument against tie-in fiction is often that it is of a lesser quality, that because it is work for hire, authors don’t give it the same attention they would their own creation. I don’t think that’s necessarily true any more.
However, I have encountered more than a couple of tie-ins which fail to capture the spirit of the property...more As a rule, I don’t have a problem with Tie-In Fiction. I’m very much in the “you like what you like” camp and don’t think you should ever be ashamed of your reads.
The argument against tie-in fiction is often that it is of a lesser quality, that because it is work for hire, authors don’t give it the same attention they would their own creation. I don’t think that’s necessarily true any more.
However, I have encountered more than a couple of tie-ins which fail to capture the spirit of the property on which they are based, and just come across as “My book with characters from X in it”. I’m specifically thinking of a few Star Wars novels but (though I’ve not read it), I’ve heard a few people say this accusation could be levelled at the new Michael Moorcock Doctor Who novel.
The Shattering is a World of Warcraft novel, and specifically it’s the story of events leading up to the latest expansion, Cataclysm. There’s been a surprising amount that hasn’t been explained in-game, and this book serves as an explanation why certain racial leaders have changed, some zones have changed hands and there’s strife within the factions themselves.
Surprisingly, the amount of content the book needs to cover actually works against it in many ways. With two factions, the book has to walk a tightrope of ensuring both are equally catered for. The characters have been well established in Warcraft lore so as a result, character development is done via a quick bit of exposition. It’s difficult when working in another universe to show character development, and I will give credit that some was attempted here, but even Thrall stepping down as Warchief felt more about moving chess pieces around on a board than some form of natural character growth.
Golden tries to tie all the threads together through the use of Anduin Wrynn, a secondary character, and here is where there is the most character development. But ironically, the inclusion of the hearthstone (a feature in-game to return you back to your home inn to save you running all the way back) meant whenever Anduin was in trouble, you just felt he could hearth out of there. As a result, I never really felt the character was in threat, and therefore I didn’t find myself caring about him as much as I would have otherwise.
In the end, Golden just has too much to do here. There’s too much careful balancing and moving characters into position to really spend much time developing characters. As a result it feels like a very constrained novel. It’s plot gymnastics over actual story.
There’s also an awful lot of exposition, telling us what a character is like rather than showing us. I cannot read the passage below without each instance of the word ‘had’ ringing like a church bell in my ear.
“Drek’Thar had always had prophetic dreams and visions. It was a gift – a spiritual sight, as he no longer had physical sight. But since the War Against the Nightmare, the gift had grown teeth. His dreams had worsened during the dreadful time, and sleep promised not rest and refreshment, but terror. They had aged him and turned him from one who had been old but strong into a frail, sometimes querulous elder. He had hoped that with the defeat of the Nightmare, his dreams would return to normal. But while the intensity had lessened, his dreams still were very, very dark.”
I guess the important thing is that Golden has written a Warcraft novel rather than a novel with Warcraft characters in it. There’s a sense she really understands this game and its world, and that can’t be said for a lot of tie-in fiction. This is a book that is primarily for Warcraft fans, as I think general readers will just see some of the flaws I mention above. Which is a shame, I think had Golden had been able to tone down the exposition, give time for characters to develop naturally and worry less about giving both factions equal page space, she’d have turned out a much better novel.
As it is, I think fans of the game will find it a good Warcraft novel (which is the aim here). Sadly, it’s not a book to convince the general populace that tie-in fiction can be of an equal quality to original fiction though.(less)

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Jan 22, 2011 Ernie Jr. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

I was fortunate in a way in reading this novel by Christie Golden. My wife became pregnant with twins in March of 2009 and I shut down my WoW account just before making it to Icecrown in the game. This means I have not played Cataclysm yet. As a high school teacher and a parent of twins, I really don't even see much of the gaming world these days except for the occasional Hearts or Minesweeper game during my off period.

The Shattering took me back into that world, advancing an already terrific st...more

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Dec 23, 2010 Aurora Celeste rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own

This book reminded me of why I don't really like media tie-in books. It was very, very good, but with media tie-ins (the Star Wars and Star Trek books are the biggest, best example) there is always more of the universe than you can fit in your book. There's tons of history, lore, previous movies and books, etc that all have to fit in to the universe, and it's really hard for an author, even a skilled one, to utilize it in a way that pleases the fans who know all the history and yet still appeal...more

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Nov 02, 2010 Chris rated it 4 of 5 stars

Any review of The Shattering, like a review for any franchise novel, has to be written with a big caveat: Do you have any interest in the franchise?

I am a Warcraft guy. I play regularly. I've read several of the books. I am fairly, though not 'religiously' well versed in the lore.

As Warcraft books go, The Shattering is excellent. Well written, nicely paced, and there are some compelling details and insights for those of the lore nerd persuasion.

If you have followed the widely available pre-Catac...more

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Aug 03, 2012 Aik Koh rated it 5 of 5 stars

One of the last few books I have read for this series. It continues where the game, World of Warcraft(WoW) left off. It is much more like a ramp or platform to further explain the events during the game's new expansion.

The novel starts off by having weird and erratic weathers troubling the lands of Kalimdor and Azeroth. Thrall, who is now Warchief of the Orcs and leader of the Alliance, finds that he cannot control the elements or seek their cooperation like before. He gives his command to a you...more

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Aug 29, 2011 Angelya (The Oaken Bookcase) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

If you're a World of Warcraft player you'll know what this book is about before you start, although perhaps not predict which of the actual events leading up to the Cataclysm are in it.

One of the things that most annoyed me with the way the Shattering was handled in the World of Warcraft game is that, overnight (with a content patch), the story jumped forwards an undisclosed amount of time. The events described in The Shattering happened, only explained by a few quest lines here and there. Sudde...more

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Mar 27, 2012 Belinda rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, kindle, marshmallowfluff, meh

Just no. No more of these for me. They are just too horrible. This time I was spurred because I was antsy for Cataclysm and wanted to know what the heck was going on (they do a pretty terrible job of explaining it in the game, especially if you only play one faction or the other) politically in Azeroth. I'll give it this: it accomplished that. Worth it to me, I supposed, just for the explanation of HOW, exactly, Garrosh came to kill Cairne, who was behind it, and how it was possible, because THA...more

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Nov 17, 2010 MMOGC rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, video-games, world-of-warcraft

With the World of Warcraft expansion looming on the horizon, I thought it prudent to give this one a read before the cataclysm descends upon us all. As it turns out, my timing couldn’t have been better. Elemental invasions and other pre-Cataclysm events are unfolding on the live servers even as we speak. Since the novel deals with important WoW characters and their struggle to understand the increasingly unruly behavior of Azeroth’s elements, I felt it complemented my in-game experience nicely.

T...more With the World of Warcraft expansion looming on the horizon, I thought it prudent to give this one a read before the cataclysm descends upon us all. As it turns out, my timing couldn’t have been better. Elemental invasions and other pre-Cataclysm events are unfolding on the live servers even as we speak. Since the novel deals with important WoW characters and their struggle to understand the increasingly unruly behavior of Azeroth’s elements, I felt it complemented my in-game experience nicely.

That said, if you’ve been following the pre-expansion coverage closely, nothing in this book should surprise you. Still, it’s worth the read especially if you’re a lore buff and wouldn’t mind further insight into the events of the game. For instance — Thrall in Nagrand. The quest line that went active recently will send you to see him and give you a general idea of what’s going on, but for more details and a deeper understanding of his role in Cataclysm, you absolutely have to read The Shattering. As for me, I don’t follow WoW news or play the game as much as I used to, so I only have a vague sense of why things are happening the way they are. Well, this novel was able to answer a lot of my questions.

The writing isn’t bad either…surprisingly. I say this because when it comes video game tie-ins, 4 out of 5 books are likely to give me a headache. These kinds of novels are often written for a wide age range, and are meant to be quick and easy reads — and I accept that. Still, generally when I pick up any gaming franchise novel, it’s for the story and not much else. I was also a little wary of Christie Golden’s writing after reading her last WoW book Arthas: Rise of the Lich King, because I found it too rushed and unconvincing.

But I have to say, as Warcraft books go, The Shattering was excellent. Some sections still felt rushed, but for the most part the book was well-paced. The quality of the writing wasn’t as consistent as I’d hoped, but there were a few parts that completely blew me away. I don’t want to give away any spoilers, so let me just say towards the end of the novel is a chapter where Thrall goes on a vision quest, and I felt that it was one of the best characterizations of a video game protagonist I have ever read. Christie Golden has succeeded tremendously in fleshing out his character and story.

In the end, ultra-casual WoW players or folks who don’t have a Warcraft background probably won’t find The Shattering too compelling. It’s not a bad book, but it was clearly written for existing fans of the game with prior knowledge of its lore and characters. Without that background, I’m afraid the book may seem shallow and confusing. On the other hand, this book will serve as decent support material to anyone curious about what the Horde and Alliance are up to in the events leading up to Deathwing’s return. I would not hesitate to recommend The Shattering to anyone who has an interest in Cataclysm, or Warcraft lore in general.(less)

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Aug 14, 2012 Harry rated it 5 of 5 stars

I thought this book brought so many strong elements to the table. What I mean by that is, while reading this I felt excited because there was alot of action. I also felt in a few parts (dont wanna give away any spoilers) a sense of sadness. I also believe that the way Christie Golden can make a video game such a good story also really shows she is a strong author. That is why I found this to be a great read, Blizzard already established a great story line, then once you add a great author into t...more

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Jul 08, 2011 Emily rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: World of Warcraft fans.

I got this book because it was supposed to "fill-in" a lot of the stuff between then end of Wrath of the Lich King and the beginning of the Cataclysm expansion. I'm glad I did because there is a LOT of stuff in-game that I would be totally baffled about if I hadn't, the biggest one being Aggra, this character we've never come across before and yet is now a relatively major NPC.

Well-developed interesting story, keeping true to the feel of the game, but didn't quite hold my attention as I had hope...more

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Jan 04, 2011 Jeff rated it 3 of 5 stars

You will only want to read this if you play World of Warcraft. It's basically an intro to the latest WoW expansion pack that was released in early December. The first adjective that comes to mind is "serviceable" which is not terribly flattering. Still, it was entertaining. It was especially fun watching characters interact in locations i've (virtually) been to and thinking "I killed an Ogre there!" I was going to give it 2 stars, but then i remembered that I nearly got teary-eyed and lumpy-thro...more

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Jan 23, 2011 Casey rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi-fantasy

I was pretty sure I couldn't like a Warcraft book as much as I liked Golden's previous Arthas: Rise of the Lich King novel. Especially a Warcraft book that I assumed would be about some flipping metal dragon setting the world on fire. However, The Shattering exceeded my expectations in every area - I may even like it a little bit MORE than RotLK. Golden's characterizations and dialog are all spot-on here, and the political intrigue going on makes it feel kind of like an episode of Law and Order:...more

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Nov 16, 2010 Jeremy rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of the Warcraft Universe

I found "The Shattering" to be pretty entertaining, but I definitely felt as if the book was not a standalone offering. Unless you are a fan, and more importantly pretty knowledgeable of the Warcraft universe, this book would be both muddled and confusing to you. Some issues kept it from garnering a higher rating in my appraisal... the primary issue was the feeling of moving from scene to scene in a disconnected fashion, a push and pull that detracted from the smoothness of the piece. But the vi...more

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May 01, 2011 Abby rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-goal, fantasy

I quit playing WoW several months before Cataclysm released. Before quitting the game, I never read into the lore very much, and dodged around the story line a bunch in-game. Now, I am sorry I have done so, because the story line is so rich and compelling. After reading Arthas: Rise of the Lich King, I decided that I wanted to continue with the lore, even though I was no longer interested in playing a game that consumed my life.

The Shattering is the prelude to Cataclysm, and though I heard brie...more

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Sep 16, 2012 Zebulon rated it 4 of 5 stars

Good solid entry into the Warcraft universe, and cements Christie Golden as its best contributor. There is a lot packed in here, and while the dialogue is cardboard all the way, the characters themselves come across as effective emotional beings. The duel between Cairn Bloodhoof and Garrosh Hellscream is one to behold, especially knowing what happens. Of all the characters, Varian Wrynn gets the shaft as far as character depth, but the story arc of his son Anduin makes up for it a little.

Overall...more

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Jul 31, 2011 Stephen Roode rated it 4 of 5 stars

I am a huge warcraft nerd and I adore the lore HOWEVER the tie in books are frankly terrible however Golden really has a passion for the property she writes in her Fae of the jedi series is fantastic. I do not believe in giving tie ins 5 stars because they are not original they have a backdrop already However while nowhere near as beautifully written as Arthas it is probably the best since Rise of the Horde.

Pros; well described, vivid and a real sense for the world

Negative; pages 100-200 are a...more

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Mar 02, 2012 Bryan Woodard rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: other-world-fantasy, favorites, fantasy, world-of-warcraft

Christie Golden just has a way of capturing the main players in the World of Warcraft story lines and fleshing them out in a very powerful way. I play Alliance on WoW and since reading this book Thrall easily became one of my favorite characters of all time, he is just such an honorable man and it is hard to not respect him. It was really cool to read this book and get an idea of what was coming in the expansion, The Cataclysm, where Blizzard took everything in the old world and turned it on its...more

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Oct 26, 2010 John Carter McKnight rated it 5 of 5 stars

A gripping, superlatively well-told fantasy - set in the Warcraft universe. This could easily stand alone as an excellent story, but WoW players and lore geeks will adore it. The political upheavals of Cataclysm are set in an entirely sensible context, with every character rendered as complex and fully-nuanced, even fan fave-hates Garrosh and Varian.

Impressively for a fantasy novel, teenage prince Anduin Wrynn is presented as a genuine, complex young man, not a Hero of Destiny or a Cute Precoci...more

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Sep 03, 2011 Navi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, for-the-fans

Protip: You are not going to understand half of what this book is talking about if you don't play World of Warcraft. Cause, well, most of the stuff that is referenced in here is in the game. And it doesn't really explain itself because they expect that you play the game or at least have a decent amount of knowledge about it.

Seriously, though, if you're willing to look past that or you play World of Warcraft, The Shattering is actually really, really good. I do wish that they had taken some time...more Protip: You are not going to understand half of what this book is talking about if you don't play World of Warcraft. Cause, well, most of the stuff that is referenced in here is in the game. And it doesn't really explain itself because they expect that you play the game or at least have a decent amount of knowledge about it.

Seriously, though, if you're willing to look past that or you play World of Warcraft, The Shattering is actually really, really good. I do wish that they had taken some time out to flesh out the characters and locations that are already in game instead of assuming that you know their personalities already. As an Alliance player, I wasn't exactly sure why Garrosh was such a jerk, or why he was so hostile to the older Saurfang (view spoiler).

The Alliance side fared a bit better on the relations side, though maybe that's because those are the quests and characters I've played around for the past six years. Moira and Anduin were easily the most interesting characters in the book, mostly because of their strained relationships with their fathers. Unfortunately, Moira never really got a true chance to redeem herself from being rather unlikeable to at least tolerable. Then again, neither did Garrosh.

Character development is usually what makes books move forward. Unfortunately, The Shattering runs into the problem that it is based off of an MMO - one where character development is slower than molasses and usually takes at least a few years to get a plot moving. While we see Thrall sort of gain development, the other characters (except for perhaps Aggra and Anduin) don't grow at all. Garrosh is still an arrogant jerk at the end of the book and in game (he even kicks the trolls, elves, and Forsaken out of the center of Orgrimmar), and Varian's still a hothead. Though it was nice seeing a less hostile part of him and seeing how close he wanted to be with Anduin. So that was pretty touching, I guess.

Overall, though, if you're a fan of Warcraft, read this book. It won't hurt you, and it's very well written. I would smile every time I recognized a reference or location, and it gives you a good sense that something other than queuing for dungeons is going on in the world.

Four out of five stars.(less)

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Jan 05, 2011 Theweejenny rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoy Golden's style and take on Azeroth. I practically devoured it in just a few sittings. It was also the first ebook I ever purchased (to be read on the kindle app for android) and later I re-purchased it when I received a sony reader for Christmas so I could read it again at a more comfortable screen size later.

It really filled in the lore gaps that weren't overtly explained when Cataclysm launched. It also nicely fleshed out a few characters I wasn't terribly familiar with. I look...more

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Feb 20, 2012 Rachel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Ok, I'll admit I only read this book because of the infamous Red Shirt guy incident at Blizzcon 2010. I'm glad I did. I wasn't really into the World of Warcraft lore before, and The Shattering got me interested.

To be honest, I thought The Shattering would be boring, but it was actually an enjoyable, easy read. When The Shattering WoW patch 4.0.3a hit, I felt more involved in the game from incorporating the lore. I even purchased more of Golden's books.

+4 stars if you already like WoW
I'm not sure...more

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Feb 16, 2013 Karl Thompson rated it 3 of 5 stars

When it comes to warcraft, I far to deep in the lore of it, to rightly give an objective review on the book itself.

But I can say it sets up the Warcraft Expansion well enough. A list of top name are removed though the course of the story, explaining their absence while having new(old) faces take their place.

It also gives a great subtle introduction of the big bad of expansion. Never dropping a name, but merely focusing but only the effect his return is having the world.

"The land will weep, the...more

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May 11, 2012 Jared rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: warcraft

The Shattering Review
By: Jared Epperson
The Shattering written by Christie Golden is possibly one of the most well written novels I have ever read. As Christie Golden is my second favorite author I will try to make this review as unbiased as possible. Ms. Golden has also written Beyond the Dark Portal and Rise of The Horde both of which I would suggest reading before The Shattering. As any fan of the World of Warcraft novels would know, all of these books lead into one another and are based on Bl...more The Shattering Review
By: Jared Epperson
The Shattering written by Christie Golden is possibly one of the most well written novels I have ever read. As Christie Golden is my second favorite author I will try to make this review as unbiased as possible. Ms. Golden has also written Beyond the Dark Portal and Rise of The Horde both of which I would suggest reading before The Shattering. As any fan of the World of Warcraft novels would know, all of these books lead into one another and are based on Blizzard’s bestselling MMORPG. I will discuss mainly what the physical book itself hints that the story is about while avoiding the content of the book as much as possible. In this way I hope to reveal as little of the plot and events as possible.
I’ll start with the cover picture; this in my opinion tells a lot about a book and is what I look at the most before purchasing one. The cover of this book keeps much of the story a mystery. To someone unfamiliar with the World of Warcraft lore it looks like a hammer that has fallen on crisp ground covering lava. However, if you are familiar with the lore you will notice that the hammer is Doomhammer given to the orc warchief Thrall by Orgrim Doomhammer. This implies that Thrall has fallen just as his legendary hammer has fallen. The ground that the hammer has shattered represents Deathwing. Deathwing, for newcomers, is the corrupt aspect of earth and king of the black dragonflight. Deathwing soon became crazed and so full of power that the lava filling his body soon began to tear him apart, forcing him to have steel plates attached to his body to hold him together. So the cover seems to imply that Thrall has fallen while fighting Deathwing, just as his blood brother, Grom Hellscream, fell while defeating the demon pit lord Magnnorath (forgive me if I have gotten the name wrong or spelled it incorrectly).
The title itself can also reveal much of the story. It implies to me that the world of Azeroth, where the story takes place, will be destroyed in this book. It also falls in line with the cover picture because Deathwing is notorious for trying to “cleanse” the world and with the power of earth is at his disposal he may have gone off the deep end and decided to destroy that which he is supposed to protect, Azeroth itself. This would create a motive for Thrall attempting to defeat Deathwing. The story would then be a battle between the strongest shaman, a protector of the elements, and the aspect of earth himself.
On the back of the book you will find a teaser written across the top. I quote this teaser “Thrall, wise shaman and the warchief of the Horde, has sensed a disturbing change….” Just a little clarification, the Horde is a faction of different races fighting the Alliance which is the opposing faction. This teaser also ties into the title and cover picture. One major power of a shaman is their visions given to them by both the elements and their dead ancestors. This implies that Thrall is given a vision, most likely by the elements, revealing Deathwing’s intentions. The teaser also implies that the book will be told by the Horde more so than the Alliance.
However, as in any good book, the author likes to tease her readers and twist and turn the story to bring out that which is completely unexpected. This in my opinion makes Christie Golden a wonderful author and one of my inspirations for my own writing. I apologize if I have revealed too much information about the book as that was not my intention. Thank you for reading my review, I hope you enjoy the book as much as I have.(less)

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Nov 29, 2012 Tyler rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

Like Christie Golden's Star Wars work, this was a strong representation of the world she's writing in, though perhaps not an amazing one.

This books gives a comprehensive image of the shifting and unstable political state of Azeroth prior to the Cataclysm, and in particular of the big changes in the Horde as Garrosh becomes the acting warchief and of the death of Cairne Bloodhoof and the Grimtotem rebellion.

It also follows Anduin Wrynn and tells of the changes in the Alliance, particularly of th...more

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Apr 22, 2011 Laini rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: world-of-warcraft, fantasy

So World of Warcraft: The Shattering tells the story of the lead up to "The Shattering", where Azeroth is attacked by Deathwing. I was expecting it to be about the events of the Shattering, ie the world falling apart, however it turned out to be more about the polotics of Azeroth than anything else. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't disappointed by this at all, I relished finding out more about Thrall and even about the Alliance side in Ironforge. As a Horde player myself, I have to admit, I don't kn...more

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Jun 09, 2011 Paul Hamilton rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, novel

A capable, breezy read probably exclusively interesting to those who play or have an existing interest in the game World of Warcraft not because the book reads like a video game but because the sense of place and history implied is probably accessible only to those who have a familiarity with the setting.

Golden weaves a mostly political tale that primarily serves to chronicle the stories behind the changes to the leadership of several factions in the game once the latest expansion is released. T...more

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About Christie Golden

Award-winning author Christie Golden has written over thirty novels and several short stories in the fields of science fiction, fantasy and horror. She has over a million books in print.

2009 will see no fewer than three novels published. First out in late April will be a World of Warcraft novel, Athas: Rise of the Lich King. This is the first Warcraft novel to appear in hardcover. Fans of the youn...more Award-winning author Christie Golden has written over thirty novels and several short stories in the fields of science fiction, fantasy and horror. She has over a million books in print.

2009 will see no fewer than three novels published. First out in late April will be a World of Warcraft novel, Athas: Rise of the Lich King. This is the first Warcraft novel to appear in hardcover. Fans of the young paladin who fell so far from grace will get to read his definitive story.

In June, Golden’s first Star Wars novel, also a hardcover, sees print. Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi—Omen is the second in a nine-book series she is co-authoring with Aaron Allston and Troy Denning. Also in June comes the conclusion of Golden’s StarCraft: The Dark Templar Saga with the release of Twlight, the third book in the series. The first two are Firstborn and Shadow Hunters.

2004 saw the launch of an original fantasy series called The Final Dance, from LUNA Books. The first novel in the series, On Fire's Wings, was published in July of that year. The second, In Stone’s Clasp , came out in September of 2005. With In Stone’s Clasp, Golden won the Colorado Author’s League Top Hand Award for Best Genre Novel for the second time. The third book, Under Sea’s Shadow, is available only as an e-book

Golden is also the author of two original fantasy novels from Ace Books, King's Man and Thief and Instrument of Fate, which made the 1996 Nebula Preliminary Ballot. Under the pen name of Jadrien Bell, she wrote a historical fantasy thriller entitled A.D. 999, which won the Colorado Author's League Top Hand Award for Best Genre Novel of 1999.

Golden launched the TSR Ravenloft line in 1991 with her first novel, the highly successful Vampire of the Mists , which introduced elven vampire Jander Sunstar. Golden followed up Vampire with Dance of the Dead and The Enemy Within . In September of 2006, fifteen years to the month, The Ravenloft Covenant: Vampire of the Mists enabled Jander Sunstar to reach a whole new audience.

Other projects include a slew of Star Trek novels, among them The Murdered Sun , Marooned , and Seven of Nine , and "The Dark Matters Trilogy," Cloak and Dagger , Ghost Dance and Shadow of Heaven .

The Voyager novel relaunch, which includes Homecoming and The Farther Shore , were bestsellers and were the fastest-selling Trek novels of 2003. Golden continued writing VOYAGER novels even though the show went off the air, and enjoyed exploring the creative freedom that gave her in the two-parter called Spirit Walk, which includes Old Wounds and Enemy of my Enemy .

Golden has also written the novelization of Steven Spielberg's Invasion America and an original "prequel," On The Run , both of which received high praise from producer Harve Bennett. On The Run, a combination medical thriller and science fiction adventure, even prompted Bennett to invite Golden to assist in crafting the second season of the show, if it was renewed.

Golden lives in Loveland, Colorado, with her artist husband and their two cats. (less)

More about Christie Golden...

Books by Christie Golden

Arthas: Rise of the Lich King (World of Warcraft #6)

Allies (Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi, #5)

Rise of the Horde (World of WarCraft, #2)

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The Shattering: Prelude to Cataclysm (World of WarCraft #8)

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