The Shattering: Prelude to Cataclysm

World of Warcraft #8

by Christie Golden

His eyes were open now, watching the path of the tiny flame. If you continue your path, little spark, you will cause great harm.I must burn! I must live!There are places where your glow and heat are welcome. Find them, do not destroy the dwellings or take the lives of my people!For a second, he seemed to wink out of existence but then blazed back with renewed vigor.Thrall knew what he had to do. He lifted his hand. Forgive me, Brother Flame. But I must protect my people from the harm you would cause them. I have requested, I have begged, now I warn.The spark seemed to spasm, and yet he continued on his lethal course.Thrall, grim-faced, clenched his hand hard. The spark flared defiantly, then dwindled, finally settling down to nothing more than the faintest of glowing embers. For now, he would no longer do anyone harm.The threat had ended, but Thrall was reeling. This was not the way of the shaman with the elements. It was a relationship of mutual respect, not of threats and control and, in the end, destruction. Oh, the Spirit of Fire could never be extinguished. It was far greater than anything any shaman, or even group of shaman, could ever attempt to do to him. He was eternal, as all the spirits of the elements were. But this part of him, this elemental manifestation, had been defiant, uncooperative. And he had not been alone. He was part of a disturbing trend of elements that were sullen and rebellious rather than cooperative. And in the end, Thrall had had to completely dominate him. Other shaman were now calling rain to soak the city in case there was another aberrant spark that persisted in its course of devastation.Thrall stood in the rain, letting it soak him, pour off his massive green shoulders, and drip down his arms. What in the name of the ancestors was happening?New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Christie Golden has written thirty-five novels and several short stories in the fields of science fiction, fantasy and horror. Among her many projects are over a dozen Star Trek novels and several original fantasy novels. An avid player of World of Warcraft, she has written two manga short stories and several novels in that world (Lord of the Clans, Rise of the Horde, Rise of the Lich King, and The Prelude to Cataclysm) with more in the works. She has also written the StarCraft Dark Templar Trilogy, Firstborn, Shadow Hunters, and Twilight. Forthcoming is Devils’ Due, a StarCraft II novel focusing on the unlikely friendship between Jim Raynor and Tychus Findlay. Golden is also currently writing three books in the major nine-book Star Wars series Fate of the Jedi, in collaboration with Aaron Allston and Troy Denning. Her first two books in that series, Omen and Allies, are on shelves now. Golden currently lives in Colorado.***Thrall, wise shaman and the warchief of the Horde, has sensed a disturbing change . . . Long ago, Azeroth’s destructive native elementals raged across the world until the benevolent titans imprisoned them within the Elemental Plane. Despite the titans’ intervention, many elementals have ended up back on Azeroth. Over the ages, shaman like Thrall have communed with these spirits and, through patience and dedication, learned to soothe roaring infernos, bring rain to sun-scorched lands, and otherwise temper the elementals’ ruinous influence on the world of Azeroth.Now Thrall has discovered that the elementals no longer heed the shaman’s call. The link shared with these spirits has grown thin and frayed, as if Azeroth itself were under great duress.

Genres: Fantasy, Warcraft, World Of Warcraft, Fiction, Games, Gaming, Video Games

357 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 19, 2010

About the author

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.

Reviews

[Ivana - Diary of Difference · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wishlist | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

#8 The Shattering: Prelude to Cataclysm - ★★★★★



The The Shattering: Prelude to Cataclysm by Christie Golden is the eighth book in the World of Warcraft series. The series covers the lore of the characters that are featured in the popular video game World of Warcraft. This is the first book of the series I have read, as they can be read as standalones too. After reading it, I definitely want to read the rest of the series as well!

I received this book as a Christmas gift from my boyfriend, as we both enjoy the World of Warcraft video game. We played together for a while, but then stopped playing retail and started to play again when the Classic WoW came out. I am familiar with most of the lore in the game, but reading a full book about something that happens during this game (in this case - Cataclysm) is a whole new level of epic!

The Shattering has a focus on the events that happen before the Cataclysm, and the events that actually lead to it, from various character's perspectives, from both the Horde and the Alliance. We get to see the character's perspectives, choices and how even small things have a big impact on what's about to happen.

Get ready to meet some legendary characters: 

Thrall, the Shaman

When Thrall discovers the elements no longer heed the Shaman's call, he has to travel back to his birth place to seek answers, while leaving the leadership of the Horde with the orcs. 

"Nature has its own rhythms and reasons. It does not adapt to suit us - we must change to accommodate it."

Garrosh, the Orc

Great warrior with a fiery attitude, Garrosh is now in charge of the Horde while Thrall is away. Then the hostility with the Alliance starts to grow. Garrosh's approach is different that what Thrall would have done, and things are about to get more heated. 

"But it is a work of a leader to hold all possibilities, even the unpleasant - even the unthinkable."

Prince Anduin

Anduin finds himself conflicted about who he is and what his purpose is, when a new adventure starts for him. With the help of Jaina and other amazing characters, he slowly begins to realise where he truly belongs.

The story was amazingly written and very powerful! From the very first chapter, I was invested in the characters and the plot. I kept turning page after page until I finished the book. The characters are very much alive and real. They were all different in their own way which is quite hard to accomplish with so many characters involved. I think what I loved the most was how each character had their own purpose, choices to make and a lesson to learn. Even when wrong choices were made, the characters had their own valid reasoning behind their choices. 

I highly recommend The Shattering if you are a fan of World of Warcraft, but also if you love adventure books and stories that tackle the battle between good and evil.

[Markus · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Shattering does a great job of leading the reader into the Cataclysm, and it’s definitely one of the best Warcraft books so far. Mostly because it actually made me feel something.

First of all, I have a new addition to my ever longer list of favourite characters. He’s a bull. And for the first time, I actually want to start playing as a bull because of the awesomeness of this particular bull. All hail Cairne Bloodhoof, ladies and gentlemen.

Second, I want to go back in time to pre-invasion Draenor and castrate Grom Hellscream, even though he’s another of my favourite characters…

[Ernie Jr. · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 story. It was paced well, the characters were real to me, and there were enough twists that I read through the entire book in one sitting. I especially like the transitions in the world from the old guard to the next generation. Without giving specifics, Christie does a wonderful job of moving the time-line forward. For a gamer,a designer, and fellow author whose number one concern is always a great story line, my hat is off to you once more, Ms. Golden.

I look forward to one day reactivating my account (when I have the time to play again) and see where this story leads...

[John Devlin · Rating 2 out of 5]

So slowly reading the lore here bc I’ve played the game off and on for so long…this is a prelude to cataclysm and it’s strongly character driven….

My beef isn’t with the story but simply why this story was written?

Just a tease to get folks to buy the next expansion…shrug(2.5)

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

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-Cataclysm coverage, the story is fun and easy to read. But, not anything you haven't heard before. More romancey and familial than presented elsewhere. But, not much new solid ground broken.

I found it fun to match the locations and descriptions to places I know and experience in the game. To project my memory of people and things beyond the descriptions in the book.

Honestly, if I didn't have the Warcraft background that I have, I'm not sure how interesting or compelling the story would be. It's not BAD by any stretch. But, as a stand alone book, its not nearly as layered or complex a story as the typical fantasy novel.

I don't see this as a particularly bad thing. The Shattering is written as support material for an established prebuild world. It's also written for a pretty vast age range. And, considering the time constraints of its primary audience, habitual Warcraft players, its written to be a quick and easy read.

And in those terms it succeeds. It fleshes out characters and storylines. It paints the picture leading to the Cataclysm game expansion. And, its a quick, fun read.

[Adrian Faulkner · Rating 2 out of 5]

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.

[Brian Cole · Rating 1 out of 5]

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.

[super Quappoflo · Rating 4 out of 5]

More like 3.5. Fun to read, but it suffers a bit from juggling too many different plot points while being rather short

[Mogsy · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[John Carter McKnight · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 Precocious Kid.

Really a must-read for WoW fans and fans of epic fantasy alike. An impressive book.

[Laura.has.too.many.books · Rating 4 out of 5]

* You will get more out of this book if you play the videogame World of Warcraft, as almost none of the characters are introduced and you're supposed to know them.

The war with the Lich King in Northrend has left both the Horde and the Alliance in a very unstable peace, as they have won their victory with a lot of losses on both sides of the line. But then the elementals are starting to become unstable, reacting in anger and fear in which they create a slew of natural disasters. At the same time, both the Alliance and the Horde experience major shifts in the politics regarding their factions, making a very unstable and emotional stage for this entry into the Cataclysm expansion of the videogame.

Pro's:
+ Both the Alliance and the Horde get some major love from the author in this book and this might be the first book I've read from WoW that gives us an equal look into both factions. Yes, we focus on the same characters as always, but we see most of then in this book.
+ For a book about a really massive videogame, this book does it major justice and the author makes it really easy to read, even when we flip between factions. It all makes sense and we get good insight into the motives from multiple characters.
+ I want to mention the art in the middle of this book, as it is gorgeous and really captures some important moments of the book in great detail. I really like little details like that.

Con's:
- You will find this book hard to read if you don't play the game, as almost nothing of the world, characters or previous events gets explained in the beginning, you just dive straight into the story. This as another heads up if you want to read this book.
- There are some massive, literally game-changing events in this book and I'm very unsure if this book, where a big part of the community will miss it, is the place to tell them. I think the impact would have been better in the game, but the author does brings a lot of depth and emotion into it, so that is nice.

Christie Golden is my absolute favorite author when it comes to the Warcraft novels and this book is no exception to that rule. The flow of this book is great and it doesn't feel like she is just stuffing as much information as possible into a limited amount of pages. Yes, a lot of big stuff happens, but she does it really well and this book was really enjoyable to read. However, this big stuff also makes me question if this book is the right place for that info and if it could have been somehow been captured more in the game. As a fan of the franchise and it's characters, this book is awesome and I would recommend this in a heartbeat if you're a fan of it too.

[Joshua Gross · Rating 4 out of 5]

I decided to read this because I wanted to learn a little more of what lead up to cataclysm and learn a little more of the lore. It is the first Warcraft novel I've read, and I really enjoyed it. It put together several small snippets of knowledge I'd had of the game into a much deeper knowledge, the narrative helping to really care about the characters, what is happening with them, and how that affects Azeroth.

One issue with the story I had was: While Cairne Bloodhoof is depicted as a wise and calm leader who was betrayed and killed, he was the catalyst of his own doom. He is the one who escalated the situation, giving Magatha her opportunity. I was surprised that he did not even consider that Garrosh was not responsible for the attacks in Ashenvale, and quickly made a bad situation ten times worse.

I am glad that Anduins cool and compassionate mind allowed for more understanding and a better resolution for Moira Bronzebeard and the dwarves. I was also glad to learn more about him, as I always liked him more than Varian, and I was really glad to learn more about Jaina Proudmoore, my favorite character.

While this book was informative, engaging, and very entertaining, it does have a few issues. It first has to deal with it's story constrained to the lore of World of Warcraft, and while Christie Golden is wonderful, she could be repetitive and didn't always trust her audience. She had a lot of lore to deal with, tho, and did very well turning it into a novel.

However, I didn't really care about the repetition or heavy handedness I came across because I was so fully transported by the narrative.

[Lolla · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best book that I have read in September, no doubts (for now lol). I really enjoyed the way Mrs. Goldie writes, how poetic it is - mostly in Thrall parts - , sometimes, I'd say.

Once again I'm admitting that I'm a fool, fool for not reading this before, when I started play World of Warcraft. I'm so regretful that I didn't enjoy to know the story while I played the game :( But, I think It isn't late, so here I am.

I'm absolutely in love with Thrall and Aggra love, the way he leads the Horde and how wonderful is his relationship with the elements, once he's a shaman. Alliance parts are great too, like Anduin discovering himself as a priest AND a proud Alliance heir. Jaina taking care of him, so lovely <3 I miss Caerne and Aerin so much :(

And the same happens again: I'm so excited to create a new character in WoW, now I want to play as shammy ;}

For the Horde!

[Abhinav · Rating 5 out of 5]

You can read the full review over at my blog:

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

As far back as I can remember, the first video game that I owned, good and proper, was the Game of The Year edition of WarCraft II: Tides of Darkness. An elder cousin, on holiday from college in US, got me the game and I was hooked on it immediately. It was my first real taste of a fantasy game like this. I finished both campaigns, Human and Orc, in short order (a few weeks or something), and spent several weeks playing the various maps and stuff. It was awesome. Eventually I played the other games too, and then came World of WarCraft in my senior year of college. And it was magnificent. I was exposed to a type of game I hadn’t imagined before, and it was glorious. And I played a paladin as my main, first as a healer, then as dps, then tank, and then whatever I wanted.

In all of this though, I didn’t read a WarCraft novel until quite late. A friend in college loaned me The Last Guardian by Jeff Grubb. Knowing what I did from the days playing the original WarCraft and then WarCraft II, it was an enthralling book and I loved it. Soon after, I read Christie Golden’s The Rise of The Horde, which stands as one of my favourite fantasy novels to date. Others have followed so far and recently I got the chance to read Christie’s The Shattering, which serves as a prelude to the events of the World of WarCraft expansion Cataclysm. And I think Christie has another hit on her hands with this. I loved this almost as much as I loved The Rise of The Horde and The Last Guardian.

I haven’t played Cataclysm, but I know the broad strokes of the narrative changes that happened with it, in-world. How certain characters were killed and so and so forth. In The Shattering, Christie explores these losses and she tells a grand sweeping tale that really covers the length and breadth of the World of WarCraft experience. Her attention to detail and her characterisation is as good as ever, even though the novel is a bit rushed, given all the different events and characters that she covers, or all the… changes that she sets in motion that are reflected in the game itself with regard to some of the race/class combos.

I knew going in that this would be a painful novel to read because of what happens to two of my favourite characters from the game lore. I wasn’t sure if those events would be covered, but I was anticipating that. And let me tell you, it wasn’t a positive anticipation. Because I love these two characters and what happens to both of them is quite horrific. But at the same time, it also shows that in the world of WarCraft, no one is safe, and that evil and bad juju must indeed triumph before the forces of good can make a comeback. WarCraft is a setting with a somewhat cyclical nature as far as the balance between the good and the bad is concerned. First we had the invasion of the Orcs into Azeroth, and they won ruthlessly, but it was countered by the rise of the Alliance and the destruction of the Portal. Then we had the rise of the Lich King, but new heroes also emerged at the same time. And then followed the events of World of WarCraft and its expansions.

What I’m trying to say here is that Christie captures one of the core concepts of the setting really well in this novel. And it is almost perfect. It is painful and depressing to read as someone who loves these characters, but she does provide a ray of hope in each case, and sets up the seeds for something bigger, something grander, something that will end up validating these unlooked-for sacrifices. Which is pretty fantastic when you think about it.

And even just generally, Christie’s portrayal of the marquee characters like Jaina Proudmoore, Cairne Bloodhoof and his son Baine, Garrosh Hellscream, Varian Wrynn and his son Anduin, Magatha Grimtotem, Moira Thaurissan, Thrall, Greatmother Geyah, Aggra and the others was always spot on too. She captured the core of each of these characters, and gave it narrative life. My… dislike for Garrosh was reinforced by the novel, but I also got to see a very different side of this hothead, something I hadn’t really expected. Cairne’s nobility was always forefront, but he also had a darker side to him that I had never seen before. Varian’s struggle with being who he is, a man of two personalities (one Human, one Orcish) was endlessly fascinating. I’ve only read about his history in passing from a friend and what little I bothered to find through a wiki ages ago, and the way that Christie brings that history out was excellent. Thrall’s inner pain at the conflict of the elements in the world of Azeroth, and his journey to find a solution was also something that appealed to me.

It really is mind-boggling how Christie can juggle so many different characters and yet remain true to them all. The Jaina in this novel is how Jaina has been in the games, especially WarCraft III. Anduin in this novel is the big surprise though because I haven’t seen him in narrative form like this before, only as an NPC in World of WarCraft so it was great to see that different side to his character. And he becomes one of the most central agents of change in the novel, so his part in the overall story was doubly welcome. How could I really resist a novel like this?

[Anurag Sahay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third Warcraft book I've read, and all three happen to be by Golden herself. This one was *much* more enjoyable than Arthas, which just rehashed a story that was done better in the video game itself.

Overall, I quite enjoyed the book. One of the bigger surprises was how well the book was able to make me empathise with Anduin. The large number of viewpoints and the flat characterisation of some people (hint, hint: Varian) does make the book not as enjoyable, but this book achieves it's primary purpose: it makes me want to play the game again.

[اینتاریوش · Rating 4 out of 5]

پایان غم انگیزی برام داشت... دقیقا مثل وقایع... مثل کاری رو باید بکنی که درسته ولی رغبتی به انجامش نداری... وچه قدر این روزها خودم مجبور به انجام اینجور کارها شدم.

به نظر کل کتاب برای دو واقعه مقدمه چینی کرده یکی بازگشت مرگبال و یکی به قدرت رسیدن پسر هل اسکریم. روابط هورد و اتحاد با وجود واریان و گاروش مثل انبار باروت آماده انفجاره... سرفرصت ادامه میدم این داستان قدیمی رو...

[EchoedWinds · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's really cool seeing the lore in action. Magni's 'death'! Cairne's death! Ironforge's rulership system change! Thrall changing hands of the Horde with Garrosh! Anduin's call to the Light! Thrall falling in love! I loved reading this book and there were rarely any dragging moments to skip!

[Chantal Guay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS BOOK ! ESPECIALLY ONCE THE STORY LINES UP INTO CATACLYSM WHITCH IS WHAT I AM CURRENTLY PLAYING RIGHT NOW ON WORLD OF WARCRAFT CLASSIC (CATACLYSM) THIS BOOK WAS SO WELL WRITTEN ! 😍 I LOVED THIS ONE

[Will Lenington · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a shame that this story had to be told outside of the game, but Christie told masterfully. It's no wonder she was hired on as an official writer for WoW.

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

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!

[Navi · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 (his son died during the Wrathgate event, and then his father had to watch him die again during the Icecrown raid. I think he's allowed to mourn, Garrosh. Seriously.).

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.

[Tyler James · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading The Shattering. I'm an avid fan of the Warcraft universe and the lore of it. The Shattering was a great prelude of the Cataclysm because it explains many of the events which occurred in the game, World of Warcraft : Cataclysm, in depth and had a lot of interesting lore included within it that really enticed me such as the death of Magni Bronzebeard. Without reading this book you would not have as much information about how he died and even why he died when playing the game. The characters seemed interesting and for the most part fun to read and gave me insight into the characters within the game. The plot, being a prelude, was enjoyable to read as to how you could see the causes within the book to the effects in the game. The plot kept me reading and made me want to know more about why events unfolded the way that they did within the Cataclysm. There was an obvious conflict taking place within the book in that the people of Azeroth were attempting to calm the elements while several other side stories, such as the one with the Tauren's internal conflict, Garrosh's attempt to govern the Horde, and several others that many fans of the series will be enticed by. That said, as with several of the other books based within the Warcraft universe it may not be as enjoyable to read without prior knowledge or interest of this series, but would still be a good read. This book was an amazing addition to the collection of Warcraft lore because it explained many of the events which took place during the Cataclysm and to a fan of the series would prove to be very enjoyable to read. (In addition, too much Anduin Wrynn within the book. Seemed kind of dull at times but had moments where there was nice character development.)

[Laini · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 know much about the history of the Alliance, and it was very interesting to find out.

Thrall realises that something is very wrong with the elements of Azeroth after a fire takes hold in Orgrimmar and as a Shaman, he finds he cannot control the flames, a dangerous runaway flame threatens to restart the extinguished fire and Thrall has no choice but to destroy it, after talking does no good. He decides to travel to Nagrand in Outland, where they have had to battle rogue elementals for a long time, and he trains to become a better Shaman.

Meanwhile in Ironforge, a new leader takes over, Moira Bronzebeard, the estranged daughter of the previous leader. Unfortunately she has different idea's of ruling than her father had and shuts down Ironforge trapping everyone inside.

These 2 stories take place separatly and don't really collide at all.

I had taken a bit of a break from WOW due to lack of time with work etc, but as soon as I finished this book, I longed to play again.

Excellently written and I look forward to reading more or Christie Golden's works.

[Anika Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

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. Suddenly the world was completely different and players were left mostly on their own to work out what had happened - pretty much forcing us to read this book if we wanted to find out the details. At the time I felt we had missed out on what could have potentially been an awesome in-game storytelling event. Now I wish I'd read it a lot sooner as it would have made the changes to Orgrimmar and the rest of Azeroth make a little more sense. I'm still not impressed with having to read the book to fill in the gaps though, Blizzard!

The story itself is quite exciting, sometimes sad but altogether well-written, although I found a few of the interactions between characters a little cringe-worthy at times (I'm looking at you, Varian and Anduin). I do heartily recommend it if you're interested in the Lore of Warcraft.

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Its so hard to read Warcraft books. I wish I didn't get so enormously attached to the characters. I mourn so deeply when any of them die that I don't want to continue reading the story.

This book encompasses three huge arcs that that tie together.

1. Thrall going back to his homeland because of Azeroth's elements being in turmoil.
2. Magatha trying to take over the Tauren.
3. Moira coming back to take over the Dwarves. And subsequently her holding Anduin prisoner.

I absolutely hated reading about Cairne dying, but like I said it is Warcraft so I have to expect some deaths. Baine is an amazing Tauren and the story has Hamuul so that's a major bonus.

I knew when Jaina told Anduin that he might find a way to help that he would figure significantly into the whole story and that was right. He helped with two of the three arcs. It was great to watch that unfold.

I loved the comeuppance of both of the evil women. Though I think Moira sees the error of her ways eventually.

Any story that has Thrall has to be one that I'm going to love, and the story of how he met Aggra and they fell in love did not disappoint.

[Luxorien · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 complicated now. The Deathwing cinematic makes a LOT more sense in light of this novel and the relationship between Aggra and Thrall. Taurens are still the only Horde I can stand (though I don't get why they hang out with those losers), but this novel really gives them a depth that the game obviously cannot reach.

There's very little in here about undead and blood elves. Night elves make only a brief appearance. The majority of the action concerns Garrosh vs. Cairne and Anduin's adventures with Magni Bronzebeard. There's some Jaina, but not a lot.

[Jeremy · Rating 3 out of 5]

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 vignettes between the characters were all smooth and colorful, and true to the personalities you know and love. The book is a fine tale, problems aside, and comes recommended to fans of all stripes.

[Stephen Roode · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 real slog not painful but a warning to readers because it was somewhat difficult as nothing essentially happens unfortunately

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

So I play World of Warcraft, and recently I've begun reading the novels because I'm interested in the background and lore of Azeroth. I have to say that this installment is quite a bit better than the previous one, Stormrage. As a hardcore WoW fan, I enjoyed learning more about King Magni and the dwarves, Jaina Proudmoore's role as diplomat, how Hellscream came to lead the Horde, and how Aggra came into the picture. That said, I'm not at all convinced this would be a compelling story for anyone not into the game, or for anyone other than fantasy fans.

[Nick (LackingZones) · Rating 4 out of 5]

After the snooze-fest that was Stormrage, I was pleasantly surprised that this book was kind of interesting. I certainly wasn't expecting Anduin Wrynn to be as enjoyable of a character as he was. On the other hand, what seemed like the central conflict of the novel--the elemental forces of Azeroth going nuts--was never reresolved. In fact, a resolution to that issue was barely even hinted at. I guess you have to read the next novel for that. Or...you know, actually play WoW.