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Jaina Proudmoore: Tides of War

(World of Warcraft #11)

Christie Golden,

afshin ardashiri (-Translator)

4.07 · Rating details · 4,068 ratings · 230 reviews

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 stabil ...more

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Hardcover, 352 pages

Published August 28th 2012 by Gallery Books (first published August 28th 2008)

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Jan 19, 2016 Ahmad Sharabiani rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: warcraft, 21th-century, fiction, fantasy, games

Jaina Proudmoore: Tides of War (World of Warcraft #11), Christie Golden

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 . . .

تاریخ نخستین خوانش: روز هفتم Jaina Proudmoore: Tides of War (World of Warcraft #11), Christie Golden

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 . . .

تاریخ نخستین خوانش: روز هفتم ماه مارس سال 2017 میلادی

عنوان: جاینا پرادمور: اموج جنگ (وارکرافت)؛ نویسنده: کریستی گولدن؛ مترجم: افشین اردشیری؛ ویراستار: آهو مدیحی؛ تهران، ویدا، 1396؛ در 480 ص؛ شابک: 9789646807365؛ موضوع: داستانهای نویسندگان امریکایی - سده 21 م

شیئی جادویی؛ از: «اژدهایان آبی»، دزدیده شده، و اگر نابابان آنرا به کار گیرند، خطری بزرگوار جهانیان را تهدید خواهد کرد. جهانی که هنوز زخم‌های ژرف، از «کاتاکلیسم» بر پیکر خویش دارد، و «ساعت گرگ و میش» را نیز، تنها با فداکاری اژدها سیمایان بزرگ، پشت سر بگذاشته است؛ جهان آبستن رخدادهای تلخ است، و بلایی بزرگ در شرف رخ دادن است، و «جاینا پرادمور» در دل همین رخدادها است. داستان به نام «جاینا» است، ولی چیزی بیشتر و پیشتر از او و سرنوشتش را، در خود دارد. در این داستان: عشق و مرگ، در رقابت‌ هستند. دوستی، وفاداری، انسانیت و بردباری، به چالش کشیده خواهد شد. اندوه، و درد، استوارترین گام‌ها را، لرزان کرده، و نیرومندترین دلها را، در هم می‌شکند، و هیچکس را یارای گریختن از امواج نبرد نیست!؛ ا. شربیانی ...more

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Sep 01, 2012 Naomi rated it it was amazing

Shelves: warcraft

Shattered. That's my only reaction at the end of this book. I am a huge Jaina Proudmoore fan and wanted to see where this adventure would take her.

I have read several Warcraft books: Rise of the Horde, Of Blood and Honor, Arthas, Lord of the Clans, Stormrage, The Shattering and The War of the Ancients series, but this has by far been the most memorable

Jaina Proudmoore is a cool headed alliance diplomat. Her choices again and again have made her a friend to many of the horde and to the alliance. ...more

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Sep 14, 2012 Jack rated it did not like it

Hey readers. Female Protagonist: Tides of War is a novel written by Richard A. Knaak, under his lesser-known pen name to avoid publication scrutiny.

This book is about the Alliance! Well, okay, almost 50% of it is not, but the Horde are so cool!

More importantly, however, here it is folks, it's the one we've all been waiting for, it's about Jaina! "How can we appease those stupid feminists, complaining about our sexist portrayal of female characters?" Metzen asks Golden, taking a massive toke of Hey readers. Female Protagonist: Tides of War is a novel written by Richard A. Knaak, under his lesser-known pen name to avoid publication scrutiny.

This book is about the Alliance! Well, okay, almost 50% of it is not, but the Horde are so cool!

More importantly, however, here it is folks, it's the one we've all been waiting for, it's about Jaina! "How can we appease those stupid feminists, complaining about our sexist portrayal of female characters?" Metzen asks Golden, taking a massive toke of dudebro weed. "Or as they like to call them, 'characters'?"

Golden muses on her response. "How about... a female protagonist who spends half the book pining after a husband (because Thrall tells her she needs one [insert your postcolonial critical comment about Thrall, the savage who only thinks in terms of ownership of women, here])? An archmage who needs to have magic explained to her by a dragon? A woman so incapable of dealing with her grief, she turns into a hysterical she-witch? Oh! Even better, what if she needs to be saved from her rampage by the male dragon?! What if her ultimate reward is a harlequin romance with the desirable male, the kind an 18th century housewife could only close her eyes and dream about?"

Metzen nods, stunned by Knaak's latest genius. "Welp," he says. And the book flies off the shelves. At last, readers, the ultimate Warcraft feminist victory.

Another thing Golden has responded really well to is the backlash against perfect mary-sue characters such as Rhonin, and has instead written some really convincingly fallible characters. Kalecgos is the best example of a character with many deep, meaningful flaws, primarily such as being irredeemably stupid and monumentally fucking up the one single duty he has. No one calls him out on it though because no one wants to talk to him, ever. You can't blame them.

One character I didn't like, was some dumb gnome kid getting all up in Jaina's face and giving Kalecgos a hard time! I really didn't understand what was supposed to be the point of this character, but it turned out, the whole point of her was to die. The readers (us, bros), we wouldn't really be able to work out that Jaina is a little bit sad about her entire city blowing up until she cries purple tears over the corpse of a child. The arbitrary death of a new character introduced for this novel was critical to convey the fact that some people got killed in the biggest explosion ever, instead of the bunch of generals who I forget their names I don't care about.

Let's move onto the hardcores rating. Tides of Snore has a lot of hardcore points, and for good reason! Randomly summed molten giants, armies of towering tidal wave elementals, mana atom bombs, and even the kraken! This book has it all. The hardcores were basically exploding off the page every time there was a fight. The only dampener on Garrosh's hardcores was Baine, getting on the poor dude's case, crying and stuff. Don't be such a square, Baine. What's a war crime? You some kind of hippy? Get lost, nerd.

Varian really brought the hardcores into town at the end as well, owning Garrosh real hard once again, and leading everyone to a conclusive victory. What's that, you want Jaina to do a bit of leadership in battle if she's the title character? Haha, shut up idiot! Varian's busy cutting shit up.

My favourite part of this book is how it tells me everything instead of showing me it. Description, subtlety, that's all boring as hell, just tell me Rhonin's a hero and Malkorok's a bit of an asshole, and I'll believe it. Why waste time on meaningful dialogue when we have important plot events to get through, like a suicide bomb explosion the Alliance pull on Garrosh, from which his survival is never explained, resolved, or mentioned again? Hehehe, such a badass.

Yeah, this book sucks. I'll give it one star and 4 coolbro caps. Play it loud, readers, and chalk another win up for the patriarchy. Get crushed wartards!! ...more

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Sep 16, 2012 [Name Redacted] rated it did not like it

Shelves: fantasy, tripe, war, philosophy

This book is awful. Just. Plain. Awful. It's named after Jaina Proudmoore, but she's only in ~1/3 of it, and barely does anything at all -- and when she does act, even though her actions are fully justified and reasonable, everyone (eg: the countless male characters who occupy the other ~2/3 of the book) rushes to stop and condemn her (which they should have done to her attackers BEFORE her friends and kingdom were slaughtered by male sociopaths).

It's misogynistic, it's horribly paced, and the This book is awful. Just. Plain. Awful. It's named after Jaina Proudmoore, but she's only in ~1/3 of it, and barely does anything at all -- and when she does act, even though her actions are fully justified and reasonable, everyone (eg: the countless male characters who occupy the other ~2/3 of the book) rushes to stop and condemn her (which they should have done to her attackers BEFORE her friends and kingdom were slaughtered by male sociopaths).

It's misogynistic, it's horribly paced, and the author apparently never went to Elementary school because Golden is completely ignorant of the old "show-not-tell" dictum. It perpetuates the new "Hush, Tyrande!" brand of WoW misgoyny, where strong female characters' actions are always irrational and they must be cowed, "put in their place" and "shown reason" by the men in their lives. Likewise, it perpetuates the old "Death to the Alliance! Thrall can do no wrong, even when he is clearly doing wrong, and the Horde should never face consequences for their actions!" approach Blizzard has been working to make the status quo of their little imaginary world. Despite the fact that Thrall appointed Garrosh, rejected all counsel against doing so, consciously turned a blind eye to Garrosh's war-crimes, and abandoned the Horde to Garrosh's whims -- despite all that, the supposedly neutral Go'el "Green Jesus" Thrall (incidentally, "Go'el" is Hebrew for "Redeemer" -- the "Green Jesus" accusations are NOT exaggerations) is written as somehow being free from blame and then turning around and SCOLDING JAINA for trying to avenge what his chosen successor did to her. Male after male does likewise, all scolding Jaina and telling her that while they chose not to intervene to save her people and her kingdom, they "must!" stop her. And how is Jaina finally stopped? Why, this vengeance-bound, ultra-powerful archmagus is soothed by the love of a man. That's right, after all this, the lesson is that irrational women can be saved by a few condescending platitudes from a handsome face. The Shattering: Prelude to Cataclysm wasn't great, riddled as it was by flaws, but it was better than this.

I am stupider for having read Jaina Proudmoore: Tides of War. It is an offense against feminism, masculinism, literature and World of Warcraft itself. ...more

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Sep 04, 2012 Kimberly rated it it was ok

Shelves: fiction

Let me be completely honest: I'm not a reader of fantasy books. I've played World of Warcraft for 8 years (paladin!) and I think it's skeezy to ask us to buy books to give us additional story to a game we already pay monthly for. I've read bits and pieces of the other Warcraft books that my husband (warlock!) bought and left on the toilet tank. And I aways chuckled at the overt word count padding.

But I actually spent $12.99 cash on the ebook version of Tides of War. Why? Because I'm one of thos ...more

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Oct 07, 2012 Heart1lly rated it did not like it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This review is going to have massive spoilers for World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria. You have been warned.

This is hands down the worst book I've read in the past ten years. This actually has nothing to do with Miss Golden, who I believe tried to do the best she did with the material she was given. In the past, she's actually done some great things for the Warcraft lore, such as fleshing out Anduin Wrynn's character. Bravo for that, Miss Golden. I appreciate her enthusiasm in bringing characte ...more

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Mar 17, 2012 Mitch rated it liked it · review of another edition

Christie Golden promised in her dedication in Arthas: Rise of the Lich King to write the best books possible for World of Warcraft fans and she hasn't failed to deliver yet. Tides of War is probably her best written Warcraft novel since Lord of the Clans, if not ever, but I think I still prefer The Shattering overall. The nature of the tie-in novel really hits this book hard, unfortunately.

Strangely enough, this is an ensemble book. I don’t know why, Rise of the Lich King and Twilight of the Asp ...more

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Jun 26, 2012 Mogsy (MMOGC) rated it liked it

Shelves: fantasy, media-tie-in, gaming, world-of-warcraft

While I may play World of Warcraft off and on, one constant is my interest in the lore behind the game, an interest that extends to pretty much all MMOs I play, in fact. I’m always devouring every piece of lore and background information I can find, even if that means putting up with some not-so-well-written novels every once in a while. I’ve long discovered that looking for quality writing in most video game tie-in books is a lost cause.

Admittedly, I didn’t think Jaina Proudmoore: Tides of War While I may play World of Warcraft off and on, one constant is my interest in the lore behind the game, an interest that extends to pretty much all MMOs I play, in fact. I’m always devouring every piece of lore and background information I can find, even if that means putting up with some not-so-well-written novels every once in a while. I’ve long discovered that looking for quality writing in most video game tie-in books is a lost cause.

Admittedly, I didn’t think Jaina Proudmoore: Tides of War was going to pose much of problem on that front, because I’m generally well-disposed towards author Christie Golden’s works. The book’s eponymous heroine is also a major WoW character that I’ve always liked and followed with interest.

Indeed, if you’ve kept track with WoW lore and characters as closely as I have in recent years, I think some of the events in ToW will impact you in more profound ways than if you hadn’t. The story reaches back in time to touch upon several important points in Jaina Proudmoore’s history, just as it looks to the future and hints at upcoming changes in the expansion Mists of Pandaria. It lays the groundwork in explaining how the Alliance and Horde will end up discovering the new continent, and why the two factions will be battling when they do.

As we all know, Garrosh Hellscream is now the leader of the Orcs and the Warchief of the Horde, and he has decidedly chosen to walk a much darker path than his predecessor Thrall. The much talked-about complete and utter destruction of Theramore is his responsibility, as are many other terrible actions in this novel, so you’ll probably despise him. Still, not everyone in the Horde shares his views, and this has resulted in a clear split within the faction. Somehow, I have a feeling that this dissension in the ranks will play an important part in a future story line.

In any case, I’m aware that Blizzard has a history of altering their characters with every new expansion, but that’s not always a good thing. Female characters (e.g. Tyrande Whisperwind, Sylvanas Windrunner) especially always seem to receive the short end of the stick in this regard, so I was initially worried that they were going to change Jaina in the same way.

My concerns were unfounded. Yes, Jaina is changed, but in my opinion, for the better! She did witness her entire city being destroyed and all of her closest friends brutally murdered; I would have been angrier and more frustrated if she’d remained the vapid and naive pacifist sitting up in her little tower sipping tea and twiddling her thumbs while waiting for the day Alliance and Horde will lay down their arms and sing Kumbaya around a campfire. Instead, she has finally taken a stand. She’s still the strong and independent woman she was before, but now with an edge.

In truth, it was actually Jaina’s reaction to the aftermath that saved this book for me. As much as I like Christie Golden, I admit her writing style can be hit or miss; sometimes she’s so over the top with her WoW novels that the prose can be so contrived to the point of being borderline insulting. ToW was like this. In my heart, I’d almost given up on the book until I reached the story’s climax. After that, I just couldn’t stop reading.

Like I said, it wasn’t the writing, nor was it really the story’s events because much of it was already public knowledge. In fact, the best part of the book was the description of Jaina’s emotions — the grief, the suffering, the guilt and the rage — all of which were very raw and believable. Though her desire for revenge was frightening and terrible, I couldn’t help but sympathize and a part of me actually rooted for her to go through with her desperate need for vengeance. I even found myself liking Jaina more when she was ruthless and cold, because that’s when I felt a real personality starting to come through. It made her more real, which also makes her more likeable at least in my eyes.

Jaina also seems to have finally gotten over pining for Arthas. Speaking of which, there is a small aspect of romance in ToW, though I felt it sometimes got in the way of the story (like standing in the middle of the ruins of Theramore is where you choose to share your first kiss? Come on!) Regardless, I’m hoping that she’s finally found someone worthy of her, because we all know poor Jaina’s had pretty bad luck in the past when it comes to boyfriends.

In sum, writing-wise Christie Golden has delivered much better, but if you can put up with the mediocre writing that’s almost “fan-fic-y” in its hokeyness, I recommend this for fans of WoW especially if you plan on heading into MoP. I’m sure you can always get the whole story by looking up some two-line summary on some wiki page, but the canvas of emotions and feelings that you get from this novel is what makes it worth reading.

(view spoiler) ...more

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Aug 28, 2012 Michael Pate rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: world-of-warcraft

It is really amazing how much better the last few novels have been. It feels like since Stormrage Blizzard has really wanted to actually do novels that move the story forward and this one is no exception.

Jaina is a character who plays a prominent role in the game at times but really comes alive in the novels. She has always been kind of a tragic figure because of the whole Kael'thas/Arthas love triangle - it is hard to reconcile that the two men who once loved you became consumed by evil. And he ...more

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Aug 30, 2012 Anafielle rated it did not like it · review of another edition

It honestly floors me that with 11 million active players, Blizzard can't find better authors for its series.

I don't really have a problem with the plot. I love cheesy books and cheesy games, and WOW is nothing if not cheesy. I like fanfiction and I like series fiction. But here is my problem-- Golden is a really mediocre writer. Someone handed her an outline of "what happens" and she just told the reader everything. That's all. This book is all tell.

She's about as dry as a rock. Cookie cutter ...more

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Jul 21, 2017 Terry Barber rated it it was amazing

Shelves: audiobook

I always thought Jaina Proudmore was a badass, but this just goes to prove that even more. This book answer so many questions I had about the fate of Theramore Isle; and gave me such a strong craving to play.

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Sep 21, 2020 David Octavian rated it it was amazing

I will never be able to understand how this book has a much lower rating than it deserves.
I have no words. Rarely do I really slow down my reading for a Warcraft book after having read like 20 of them, but this one simply surpassed any of my expectations. The intense emotions and Jaina's character arc in this book are just overwhelming to read. A book and an ending that leave you heavy with thoughts...

6/5 stars

Also, this book is another proof of how angry and dumb orcs are. ...more

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Oct 14, 2012 Tim Bergmann rated it it was ok

I wanted to like this book. I like Christie Golden as an author. She's typically easy to read and the story flows well. And those things are essentially true. The problem, for me, is everything else.

I think the main flaw in the book is that it seems like she is essentially being told exactly what to write and can't deviate from the outline. Things that I think that would've added some backstory is why Garrosh is starting to go batshit crazy. Who is Malkorok? And while WoW as a game might explain ...more

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Mar 08, 2016 Stev Paulson rated it really liked it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I've played World of Warcraft for over a decade, and first played Warcraft 3 nearly 12 years ago. In that time, I've read a few Warcraft novels (one of which so enamoured me with the Shaman that I created and played one for the next year!) In my opinion, the lore of Warcraft is the greatest fantasy story ever created. Yes, there is much inspiration from other fantasy stories, but what sets the Warcraft story apart is the fact that the game allows you to visit the places, meet the characters, and ...more

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Oct 04, 2012 LyD rated it really liked it

Shelves: wow

"A really good, fast read. Christie Golden knows her Warcraft and knows it well. She has an amazing grasp on the woman and what exactly is going on inside her head. Tides of War is at its core a story of transformation, of accepting that all things, be it beliefs, standards, or friendships, will inevitably be tested. It's a story of uncertainly trying to find a place in a world that seems to have no place for you, be it as a diplomat inexplicably standing for peace in a time of war or a flight o ...more

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Sep 22, 2012 Gleth rated it it was amazing

Jaina Proudmoore: Tides of War is the story of the events leading up to one of the big story arcs for the up-coming World of Warcraft expansion Mists of Pandaria. Rather than looking at the Pandaran arc, this looks at the growing tension between the Horde and the Alliance, and covers a pivotal moment in WoW's history set around the Isle of Theramore.

This book drew me in and played my emotional strings with a rare mastery. I found all the characterisations fit what I knew from the game, but with ...more

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Jul 13, 2018 ⚜️Trea rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: series-challenge-2018, challenges-2018, 2018-beat-the-backlist

I read this book, hoping to get a bit of inspiration for the upcoming Kul'Tiran Allied Race coming to the game in the next expansion, Battle for Azeroth. While it didn't give me what I was looking for, it did give me a good bit of insight into one of the pivotal characters of that upcoming expansion.

I remember playing through some of the events in this book, but what really brought it alive for me was the characterization. It gives us an in depth look at the "slice of life" surrounding Theramore ...more

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Sep 02, 2012 Nicole Trainor rated it really liked it

Shelves: surprised-me-being-so-good, liked-female-lead-fantasy, liked-male-lead, world-of-warcraft

Christie Golden is a great World of Warcraft author. She gets and understands the setting and really develops the characters within it to a believable extent. I love her Jaina Proudmore. I also love her development of Kalecgos, who I started liking with the Sunwell trilogy manga. This book did a great job setting up the Fall of Theramore scenario and has me anxious for Mists of Pandaria.

As a side effect, however, I no longer want to play my Horde characters. Besides now having a deep and abidin ...more

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Aug 27, 2012 Tom rated it it was amazing

If you are a Warcraft Lore hound such as myself. No, wait. If you like fiction. READ THIS BOOK. By far one of the most well written Novels i've read in quite a while (Next to Exile) I was hooked from beginning to end. I wanted more after it was over! Needless to say, Mists of Pandaria cannot come soon enough, so I can take in the Brilliantly told story from a better prospective. Blizzard and Christie Golden Deliver yet again with this book!
...more

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Sep 09, 2012 Cynthia rated it it was amazing

Loved this book! Action packed, equally distributes point of view between the alliance, the horde and the dragon flights. Great lore!

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Jan 21, 2019 Jovan Majstorović rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

4.5/5

Even though majority of the book was spoiled to me by the internet, I enjoyed it quite a lot. A great story set between Cataclysm and Mists about one of the greatest characters in Warcraft. The ending of the book was a little cliffhangery (I know, that's not a word), for obvious reasons, hence the ".5" in my rating. Overall, a great read I would recommend every Warcraft fan read. ...more

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Apr 04, 2020 Merryn Turner rated it liked it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Oct 04, 2019 Jenna rated it it was amazing

Shelves: absolute-favorites

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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May 21, 2014 Abhinav rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2014-read

You can read the full review over at my blog:

http://sonsofcorax.wordpress.com/2014...

Quite unintentionally, I’ve started on a sort of WarCraft kick this year as far as my reading is concerned. First it was The Shattering: Prelude to the Cataclysm and then it was Thrall: Twilight of the Aspects, novels that were set in the World of WarCraft: Cataclysm expansion, and they both proved to be really good reads all the way through. They also helped me reconnect with a game that I’d long stopped playin You can read the full review over at my blog:

http://sonsofcorax.wordpress.com/2014...

Quite unintentionally, I’ve started on a sort of WarCraft kick this year as far as my reading is concerned. First it was The Shattering: Prelude to the Cataclysm and then it was Thrall: Twilight of the Aspects, novels that were set in the World of WarCraft: Cataclysm expansion, and they both proved to be really good reads all the way through. They also helped me reconnect with a game that I’d long stopped playing, and the hit of nostalgia was pretty strong. and also very enjoyable. And since Christie Golden is such a good writer, the experience was better than I’d expected.

Jaina Proudmoore: Tides of War is both the epilogue to World of WarCraft: Cataclysm and the prologue to the next expansion, Mists of Pandaria. In this novel, we see how the calculated brutality and savagery of Garrosh Hellscream turns Jaina Proudmoore from a pacifist to one intent on the path of vengeance. It is one of the most stunning character reversals I’ve seen in fiction for a long while, Christie handles it with aplomb. Some of the usual deficiencies of Christie’s writing are evident here, but by and large this novel was a damn good read and very emotional too.

This was my first WarCraft audiobook as well, so that’s one of the things that I’ll be talking about here, and the thing is that while I liked Justine Eyre as the reader, a lot of the times her voice-acting didn’t work for me because her female voices were a bit too grating, while her male voices were fine. And I say in the context that for many of Jaina’s scenes, her voice came across as… needy and girlish and petulant, which is not Jaina at all, and never has been. Still, she often got the solemnity of the dialogue right, so that’s something. And Justine’s cries of “For the Horde!” are also somewhat hilarious. There are very, very few people who can do that battlecry justice.

For the story itself, it all starts when the Blue Dragonflight meets in the Nexus to discuss its future. At the end of Cataclysm, all the remaining four Dragon Aspects battled the former Earth Aspect Deathwing and defeated him, but sacrificed their power and their status in the bargain. Now they are just members of their Dragonflights, though they have their millennia of experience and their status as leaders of their people to keep them buoyed. However, given the events of Thrall: Twilight of the Aspects in which Kalecgos became as the Magic Aspect by a consensus among the Blue Dragons, we see that the new leader of the Blues still has many self-doubts and self-recriminations. He struggles with his choices as a leader and as a former Aspect, and in the midst of all this, the Blues’ most sacred artifact, the Focusing Iris, is stolen and whisked away by persons unknown, throwing them all in disarray and making Kalecgos’ arc in this novel that much more intense.

At the same time, Jaina Proudmoore is struggling with Thrall’s decision to leave Garrosh Hellscream as the Warchief of the Horde in his place from The Shattering: Prelude to the Cataclysm, and she even meets with him to make him see reason, to realise that under the volatile Garrosh, there will be war soon. Thrall however is wholly given over to his duties with the Earthen Ring and he makes it plain that his path is different and that he will not go back to the Horde or bring Garrosh to heel.

And so starts one of the most torturous stories of WarCraft as war indeed comes to the world, for Garrosh has plans to conquer all of Kalimdor and he will do whatever is necessary to make that happen, even if it means destablising the world further, even though it is still barely recovered from the onslaught of Deathwing’s Cataclysm.

Oftentimes in this novel, Christie Golden’s characerisation of Jaina was spot-on. I expected that since the novel is named after all of course, but even, she often went beyond the call of duty to make sure that Jaina felt as she was the Jaina who was first introduced in WarCraft III: Reign of Chaos and who she has developed into since those days. This is actually a very important element since by nature this novel is a tie-in to a very popular game that is played the world over and Jaina has been a central character for almost a decade now. Jaina’s reminiscences about Arthas struck me especially close since that is a plotline that played out in Reign of Chaos and I was there for every single moment of it, watching as they drew apart and then came to be enemies instead of lovers and friends. So, in those respects, and in relation to Jaina being the ruler of her kingdom (of Theramore), Christie managed to hit all the right notes. In the character’s interactions with Baine Bloodhoof’s emissary, with Anduin and Varian both, with the other members of the Alliance, you can see the “classic” Jaina and chart her progress as well. ...more

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Aug 25, 2018 Alexandria rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Exhilarating

Exhilarating from start to finish. Tides of War will have your emotions going on a rollercoaster! Jaina Proudmoore is a badass.

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Jun 23, 2017 Esmée rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

“All things change, whether from inside out or the outside in. That is what magic is. And we are magic too.”

★★★★★

I have to be honest, I have disliked Jaina's character ever since I started playing World of Warcraft. But, I never learned the details of the event that made her so bitter and unlikeable: Theramore's Fall. I knew her city was destroyed by the Horde, but I didn't know any of the details, so as a big lore fanatic I decided to pick up this book. And oh, was I wrong about Jaina.

I enjoyed reading this book so much, despite being in a reading slump. Christie Golden's writing is my favourite in Warcraft novels and it kept me from DNF'ing it or leaving it for later. I also liked the division in chapters: It was either a Horde or Alliance POV, varying between several different POV's each. In a war, there are always two sides of the story and it was told perfectly like this. Each side of the story even had multiple standpoints and conflicts and it was fantastic. I am not going into too much detail about the actual story as the beauty of this book is the story, so I am just going to tell you it was such a fantastic read with characters developing along the way and true to their nature. This book is canon to the game and it is incredible how well the canon-writing was done. I am all about details and everything just checked out perfectly. Really, I absolutely loved this and I really want to read more about Jaina Proudmoore as a person.

I actually read this book about a year ago. Yes, this review is very late, I am aware. But, finishing this book was an accomplishment on its own as I was in the worst reading slump I have ever been. It took me nearly two months to finish it, though I was also reading another book at the same time. My reading slump was so bad, I couldn't keep my attention on just one book. I wish to someday re-read this book while not in a reading slump so I can enjoy it even better.

This book is perfect for every lover of Warcraft lore or people who want to learn more about Theramore's Fall or Jaina in general. Besides that, it is written by the best Warcraft novel author out there and it won't disappoint you!

Reading this book definitely helped me understand Jaina Proudmoore's character a whole lot better and I actually started to like her a bit (Even as a Horde player while she is an Alliance character.) Though I am still mad for her just disappearing at the start of the Legion expansion while she, one of the most powerful mages alive, could have helped us with the demon invasion across the world big time. But that aside, this is a great book for lore fanatics as this is about a very big event in the Warcraft storyline. A well deserved five star read!

Read more reviews on my blog:
https://ezziesbookshelf.wordpress.com ...more

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Jun 08, 2015 Nayari rated it really liked it

I have read several reviews saying this book is awful. I don't know why. I thought Christie Golden did a magnificent job...as she tends to do...of showing characters' inner and outer conflict. I thought the new characters that showed up were well-developed for the roles they played. I thought the pacing of the story was done well and Golden's superb descriptive prose made what happened in Theramore hit harder than I probably needed to have it. The deaths in this book broke my heart (though not q I have read several reviews saying this book is awful. I don't know why. I thought Christie Golden did a magnificent job...as she tends to do...of showing characters' inner and outer conflict. I thought the new characters that showed up were well-developed for the roles they played. I thought the pacing of the story was done well and Golden's superb descriptive prose made what happened in Theramore hit harder than I probably needed to have it. The deaths in this book broke my heart (though not quite as much as the one in Thrall: Twilight of the Aspects), and I am genuinely curious as to why the ruined city was taken out of the expansion. (perhaps it is being rebuilt and I haven't figured that out yet.). Golden's depiction of Jaina's rage and heartbreak was painfully hard to read, not because it was poorly written (it wasn't) but because it was visceral. Golden knows how to play the emotions of the reader, and she does so maturely (unlike some authors I can think of).

Now, the reason I rated it only 4 stars is because I did have some trouble with the book. I get Garrosh. I get Baine. But there did seem to be a time when neither of them knew what they were doing...and Golden wasn't sure either. I saw the Kor'kron births and the reign of terror beginning, but again, it felt like everyone was foundering until the real attack started. It almost got boring, and I wanted to skip passages, but Golden has earned my trust and so I give her chances.

I also hesitate with the appointment of Jaina as leader of the Kirin Tor by way of the dragon-ex-machina prophecy. No matter what the apparently-psychic (is this in-game??) Krasus (oh, my heart, the grief!) said, Jaina was in no frame of mind to take on that mantle so soon after her breakdown. It was too "wrapped up in a bow" for me. And it was unrealistic (by fantasy standards).

Also, Jaina and Kalec? I adore Kalecgos, I really do. He is the playful Dragon on your shoulder. He is a sexy cobalt mess of joy and play and seriousness and studiousness and loyalty. I Love him almost more than I Love Khadgar. But man did he feel forced together with Jaina. I suppose I can see it. The ice queen needs to be reminded of joy. But....it felt forced. Maybe I'm just jealous. :-P

Anyway, I loved this book and plan on owning it. My thanks to Christie, and I hope other people find this book enjoyable. ...more

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Aug 22, 2012 Jeremy rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: Fans of the "Warcraft" universe

I was of two minds about this book from the outset, given that the showcase character of Jaina Proudmoore is not one I've ever had great interest in. Personal foibles aside, however, I would say that this book is perhaps the strongest of the World of Warcraft offerings yet released - even managing to compete with and perhaps surpass my previous favorite in the series "Arthas: Rise of the Lich King." Kudos to Mrs. Golden for being able to spin a tale that reinvested me in a character for whom my ...more

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Jan 20, 2013 Dave Kirlin rated it really liked it

This book surprised me. I figured it was going to be the same old hero defeats the bad guys and brings peace book.

It was much more realistic, and none of the characters were safe from dying, just like a fantasy novel should be. The writing was, for the most part, excellent in it's descriptions and the characterizations were amazing. In my opinion it's hard to bring high-fantasy characters to life, but the author managed to do just that.

The only thing I didn't like was the author's repeated use ...more

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Feb 04, 2013 Samantha rated it it was amazing

I have to hand it to Christie Golden, this is probably one of her best Warcraft books yet. I think I've read most of the ones she's written, and I was amazed at her exploration of the characters and their losses and emotions. I understand the segue between Cataclysm and MOP much better, as well as the background of the fall of Theramore. There were several times in this book I was nearly in tears.

Even if you've never played World of Warcraft, most of the books are a good dive into fantasy. The ...more

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About Christie Golden

Christie Golden

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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 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. ...more