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WarCraft #1
Der Tag des Drachen
Hinter den nebulösen Schleiern der Vergangenheit verbirgt sich die Welt Azeroth mit all ihren wundersamen Wesen.
Mysteriöse Elfen und kräftige Zwerge lebten mit den Stämmen der Menschheit in relativem Frieden und Harmonie - bis eine dämonische Armee, die sich Brennende Legion nannte, die Ruhe dieser Welt auf ewig vernichtete. Jetzt kämpfen Orks, Drachen, Goblins und Trolle um die Macht über die zersplitterten, kriegführenden Königreiche, doch dies ist nur Teil eines großen, bösartigen Plans, der über das Schicksal der WARCRAFT-Welt entscheiden wird.
Furchteinflößende Ereignisse in den höchsten Zaubererkreisen der Welt zwingen den jungen Magier Rhonin zu einer gefährlichen Reise in das von Orks kontrollierte Land Khaz Modan. Dort entdeckt Rhonin eine gewaltige, weitreichende Verschwörung, die dunkler ist als alles, was er sich je vorstellen konnte. Diese Bedrohung zwingt ihn zu einer gewagten Allianz mit uralten Kreaturen der Luft und des Feuers. Mit ihrer Hilfe wird es für die W elt Azeroth vielleicht ein Morgen geben.
Mysteriöse Elfen und kräftige Zwerge lebten mit den Stämmen der Menschheit in relativem Frieden und Harmonie - bis eine dämonische Armee, die sich Brennende Legion nannte, die Ruhe dieser Welt auf ewig vernichtete. Jetzt kämpfen Orks, Drachen, Goblins und Trolle um die Macht über die zersplitterten, kriegführenden Königreiche, doch dies ist nur Teil eines großen, bösartigen Plans, der über das Schicksal der WARCRAFT-Welt entscheiden wird.
Furchteinflößende Ereignisse in den höchsten Zaubererkreisen der Welt zwingen den jungen Magier Rhonin zu einer gefährlichen Reise in das von Orks kontrollierte Land Khaz Modan. Dort entdeckt Rhonin eine gewaltige, weitreichende Verschwörung, die dunkler ist als alles, was er sich je vorstellen konnte. Diese Bedrohung zwingt ihn zu einer gewagten Allianz mit uralten Kreaturen der Luft und des Feuers. Mit ihrer Hilfe wird es für die W elt Azeroth vielleicht ein Morgen geben.
413 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2001
245 people are currently reading
3701 people want to read
About the author
Richard A. Knaak
281 books1,465 followersRichard A. Knaak is the bestselling author of Dragonlance novels, the Dragonrealm and Black City Saint series (his own creations), six novels for Blizzard Entertainment's Diablo series, and six works in the Warcraft universe. He has also written several non-series fantasy books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 291 reviews
April 19, 2015
The Second War has ended with a crushing defeat for the Horde, but Zuluhed and Nekros Skullcrusher keep the fight going by imprisoning Alexstrasza the Dragonqueen and forcing her to breed dragonlings to serve the Orc armies. Meanwhile the Eastern Kingdoms are shaken by the scheming of its kings and nobles, further developing the crisis...
Back when this year began, I had no idea that I would start playing World of Warcraft, not to mention getting so immersed in this world that I would actually start reading the books. And yet here I am, reading them one by one.
Day of the Dragon is a typical tie-in novel. Poorly written, but fairly entertaining. None of my favourite characters appeared and the story was not particularly fascinating, but I read this book to learn more about the lore of the world of Warcraft, and it helped with that.
To close off, here’s a picture of Deathwing and Alexstrasza:
Back when this year began, I had no idea that I would start playing World of Warcraft, not to mention getting so immersed in this world that I would actually start reading the books. And yet here I am, reading them one by one.
Day of the Dragon is a typical tie-in novel. Poorly written, but fairly entertaining. None of my favourite characters appeared and the story was not particularly fascinating, but I read this book to learn more about the lore of the world of Warcraft, and it helped with that.
To close off, here’s a picture of Deathwing and Alexstrasza:
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November 30, 2009World of Warcraft: Day of the Dragon, by Richard A. Knaak
"Day of the Dragon" was the first book to be written in the Warcraft game universe. But while it is based on a game series, the book is practically a work of original fiction with hints of the story coming from the game. Knaak took the setting, characters, and events from the Warcraft universe and constructed them into an enjoyable, readable novel.
Although it is helpful to have some familiarity with Warcraft, such knowledge is not needed to understand the background of the book. Knaak spends some time in the beginning setting up the scene for unfamiliar readers, and refreshing it for those who have played the real time strategy game. I believe that he is the one who took the dragons in Warcraft and really fleshed them out; he has a very good touch with the behemoths. Their splashes of egotism combined with unique personalities make them seem more powerful than the "regular" inhabitants of Azeroth; you can easily see them meddling in mundane affairs, thinking they are doing the right thing.
The main story of "Day of the Dragon" consists of Rhonin, a mage, being sent on an observation mission into orc-held territory. He believes it is a chance to redeem himself for his previous adventure, one that went disastrously wrong. But his chance quickly turns into much more, as he is actually the pawn of two dragons who are each attempting to guide him into fulfilling their own devious plans.
Novels based on games can be very, very weak - usually only enjoyed by hardcore fans. But "Day of the Dragon," while set in the Warcraft universe, is much more than simple tie-in fiction. Knaak pens a memorable book, one that kept me reading long past my bedtime, as I kept reading "just one more page" to see what would happen next. The plot is ace, the characters are people you want to know more about and you want to see them succeed, and the writing is solid.
If you liked this book, check his "War of the Ancients" trilogy, which continues the story of Rhonin and the dragons.
4/5.
"Day of the Dragon" was the first book to be written in the Warcraft game universe. But while it is based on a game series, the book is practically a work of original fiction with hints of the story coming from the game. Knaak took the setting, characters, and events from the Warcraft universe and constructed them into an enjoyable, readable novel.
Although it is helpful to have some familiarity with Warcraft, such knowledge is not needed to understand the background of the book. Knaak spends some time in the beginning setting up the scene for unfamiliar readers, and refreshing it for those who have played the real time strategy game. I believe that he is the one who took the dragons in Warcraft and really fleshed them out; he has a very good touch with the behemoths. Their splashes of egotism combined with unique personalities make them seem more powerful than the "regular" inhabitants of Azeroth; you can easily see them meddling in mundane affairs, thinking they are doing the right thing.
The main story of "Day of the Dragon" consists of Rhonin, a mage, being sent on an observation mission into orc-held territory. He believes it is a chance to redeem himself for his previous adventure, one that went disastrously wrong. But his chance quickly turns into much more, as he is actually the pawn of two dragons who are each attempting to guide him into fulfilling their own devious plans.
Novels based on games can be very, very weak - usually only enjoyed by hardcore fans. But "Day of the Dragon," while set in the Warcraft universe, is much more than simple tie-in fiction. Knaak pens a memorable book, one that kept me reading long past my bedtime, as I kept reading "just one more page" to see what would happen next. The plot is ace, the characters are people you want to know more about and you want to see them succeed, and the writing is solid.
If you liked this book, check his "War of the Ancients" trilogy, which continues the story of Rhonin and the dragons.
4/5.
October 25, 2023
Less clunky than some of the other Warcraft offerings with a bit of a mystery plot that also sets it a bit above the mundane…
May 23, 2010
I read this one because my stepbrother loaned it to me with his recommendation (albeit a mild one). I read the whole thing, just because, and remembered what it was like to read books aimed at teenage male gamers. I used to read plenty of those, back in the day. I didn't like all that many of them then, either, but I read them anyway, because I wanted to know the lore.
"Day of the Dragon" was good enough to not just stop reading part way through. That said, if the book is at all a commentary on the target audience, it's not a very flattering one.
For one, the characters were fairly flat. They spoke with some differences, but the way they thought didn't appear to be very deep. In fact, with some exception to the male lead, most of the male characters bent over backwards just to do whatever they could to be with/appease the very attractive elven female. Fortunately, Knaak doesn't quite rub the readers' faces in just how beautiful she is, the way I've seen some authors, so I appreciated that.
The prose was good enough, but I had to blush to realise that I'VE used so many of the little "tension-building gimmicks" that Knaak uses, namely trying to insert dramatic pauses into the narration. Stuff like, "The sword came rushing at him--
--only to be deflected at the last moment by a spell."
That's not a direct quote (I'm not trying to insert spoilers), but I think it's a good enough illustration. Either way, I suppose it works well enough for the target audience. My problem was that gimmicks like that appear rather frequently through the entire book.
All in all, it was just standard, male teen gamer fare. Simplistic plot, contrived action thrown in seemingly for the sake of it, a mild romance (thankfully, Knaak kept it very clean), complete with the obligatory "hot chick," and everything works out for the good guys (usually at the last, possible moment) no matter how bad things get.
There's really not much else to say, so I'll stop there.
"Day of the Dragon" was good enough to not just stop reading part way through. That said, if the book is at all a commentary on the target audience, it's not a very flattering one.
For one, the characters were fairly flat. They spoke with some differences, but the way they thought didn't appear to be very deep. In fact, with some exception to the male lead, most of the male characters bent over backwards just to do whatever they could to be with/appease the very attractive elven female. Fortunately, Knaak doesn't quite rub the readers' faces in just how beautiful she is, the way I've seen some authors, so I appreciated that.
The prose was good enough, but I had to blush to realise that I'VE used so many of the little "tension-building gimmicks" that Knaak uses, namely trying to insert dramatic pauses into the narration. Stuff like, "The sword came rushing at him--
--only to be deflected at the last moment by a spell."
That's not a direct quote (I'm not trying to insert spoilers), but I think it's a good enough illustration. Either way, I suppose it works well enough for the target audience. My problem was that gimmicks like that appear rather frequently through the entire book.
All in all, it was just standard, male teen gamer fare. Simplistic plot, contrived action thrown in seemingly for the sake of it, a mild romance (thankfully, Knaak kept it very clean), complete with the obligatory "hot chick," and everything works out for the good guys (usually at the last, possible moment) no matter how bad things get.
There's really not much else to say, so I'll stop there.
May 5, 2022
It's a great book, first of the Warcraft Books, or fantasy book for that mater, that I've ever read. Tells a story of a Mage who basically messed up on his last major quest, where everyone who went with him were distroyed in battle. Then he was then sent with another on a new quest. This new journey he is one will clear his name, if he is victorious. That is to say even if he lives through the journey to even get to where he needs to go to complete his quest.
April 17, 2021
Obviously it's kind of hard to suprise me with a story I basically know the outcome of thanks to playing World of Warcraft. That being said, reading how the whole story unfolds with it's twists and turns along a given path to the outcome I expected, was really enthralling and I enjoyed it very much. Rhonins part in the story takes a little while to get going, but Krasus' search for Lord Prestors background and Vereesa and Falstad following our main character made up for it until the wizards story picked up pace. A few clichés made me roll my eyes a bit, but it's nothing too bad and sometimes kind of funny too. In the end, the first Warcraft novel makes up for quite a nice fantasy story that's a good introduction into the world of Azeroth and their inhabitants.
September 13, 2015
Wow, shocker, a Warcraft book by Richard A. Knaak that got more than a one star rating from me. Seriously, I'm floored. Like, really. After suffering through his last couple WoW novels Wolfheart and Stormrage, I was starting to think I might just be a glutton for punishment when I picked up Day of the Dragon, but to my surprise, it wasn't that bad at all.
Granted, that might not mean much since I'm using my special video game tie-in novel scale to rate and review this book, so take my praise with a grain of salt. Still, speaking as someone who'd pretty much given up on Knaak, I couldn't believe how much I actually enjoyed this! And that's despite his extremely annoying obsession with always referring to his characters by their hair color/profession/relationship to another character/anything else other than using that character's damn name like a normal person. Honestly, if I had to read something along the lines of "flame-tressed wizard" one more time, I was going to /facedesk myself into a coma.
Krasus and Rhonin are far from being my favorite characters, but it was nice to finally read the book that introduced them. I was also hoping to see more of how the romance first blossomed between Rhonin and his beloved wife Vereesa Windrunner, but apart from touching upon the attraction they felt for each other, they didn't really "get close" until the very end and it was practically a footnote. I think that was my biggest disappointment, whereas everything else in the story was pretty much par for the course because I was already familiar with that part of Warcraft history.
Anyway, I think I read somewhere that this was the first ever Warcraft novel, though somehow the writing in it seemed far better than some of Knaak's newer stuff. Its publication date as well as its place in the lore of the game world is what mostly drove me to pick this one up, and even now I'm still slightly amazed that I don't regret it.
Granted, that might not mean much since I'm using my special video game tie-in novel scale to rate and review this book, so take my praise with a grain of salt. Still, speaking as someone who'd pretty much given up on Knaak, I couldn't believe how much I actually enjoyed this! And that's despite his extremely annoying obsession with always referring to his characters by their hair color/profession/relationship to another character/anything else other than using that character's damn name like a normal person. Honestly, if I had to read something along the lines of "flame-tressed wizard" one more time, I was going to /facedesk myself into a coma.
Krasus and Rhonin are far from being my favorite characters, but it was nice to finally read the book that introduced them. I was also hoping to see more of how the romance first blossomed between Rhonin and his beloved wife Vereesa Windrunner, but apart from touching upon the attraction they felt for each other, they didn't really "get close" until the very end and it was practically a footnote. I think that was my biggest disappointment, whereas everything else in the story was pretty much par for the course because I was already familiar with that part of Warcraft history.
Anyway, I think I read somewhere that this was the first ever Warcraft novel, though somehow the writing in it seemed far better than some of Knaak's newer stuff. Its publication date as well as its place in the lore of the game world is what mostly drove me to pick this one up, and even now I'm still slightly amazed that I don't regret it.
July 30, 2019
2.5 stars. I'm not that big on fantasy. I started this book in 2012 because I had been playing World of Warcraft. While there were some cool moments in the book, most of them, I feel, were stolen from Tolkien. I finally finished this book in 2019. I'm not the right person to ask whether this is a good book or not, but it's heavy on lore and politics which is always a struggle for me to get through. Hence the 7-year trudge.
January 4, 2022
This was a reread and honestly I think the nostalgia was the biggest part of me for this.
I am ever fascinated and intrigued by Korialstrasz the dragon / Krasus the mage and this is once again another Warcraft lore book in which he takes the center stage. Knowing his end in the prepatch before Cataclysm exactly got launched, was absolutely heartbreaking and I honestly still feel like I am in denial. One might find me at the Wrathgate still lol.
But this book was just great at adding more to Rhonin and Krasus' relationship and also explaining the horrors of Grim Batol. It added more to the lore of the First Horde and their conflict with humans, and also, most interestingly, offered a deeper look into the politics of the Kirin Tor.
It felt old. Because it is an old book, set a long time before we enter as heroes in Classic WoW, and then goes into the Burning Crusade, Wrath of the Lich King, Cataclysm, Mists of Pandaria, Warlords of Draenor, Legion, Battle for Azeroth and now Shadowlands. But these lore stories always add something beautiful, and anything involving the dragon aspects make me love it.
I shall continue my WoW book rereading journey, onto Night of the Dragon next! Or War Crimes... or Shadows of the Horde... or possibly Tides of War. Stormrage too. We shall see!
I am ever fascinated and intrigued by Korialstrasz the dragon / Krasus the mage and this is once again another Warcraft lore book in which he takes the center stage. Knowing his end in the prepatch before Cataclysm exactly got launched, was absolutely heartbreaking and I honestly still feel like I am in denial. One might find me at the Wrathgate still lol.
But this book was just great at adding more to Rhonin and Krasus' relationship and also explaining the horrors of Grim Batol. It added more to the lore of the First Horde and their conflict with humans, and also, most interestingly, offered a deeper look into the politics of the Kirin Tor.
It felt old. Because it is an old book, set a long time before we enter as heroes in Classic WoW, and then goes into the Burning Crusade, Wrath of the Lich King, Cataclysm, Mists of Pandaria, Warlords of Draenor, Legion, Battle for Azeroth and now Shadowlands. But these lore stories always add something beautiful, and anything involving the dragon aspects make me love it.
I shall continue my WoW book rereading journey, onto Night of the Dragon next! Or War Crimes... or Shadows of the Horde... or possibly Tides of War. Stormrage too. We shall see!
March 6, 2012
This is the first Warcraft book I've read. I was completely skeptical about how these books were going to read. I figured they were going to be dull or cliched at best. I was horribly wrong. After I read this book, i was hooked. I NEEDED to know more about Warcraft lore. I played the game for 3 years without having any background intelligence (I don't pay attention to in-game stories. I'm too impatient). These books actually make the gameplay way more interesting. I had actually cancelled my sub to World of Warcraft last year after getting bored, and upon starting this book, i resubbed as soon as possible. I should've started the series a long time ago.
July 17, 2017
There are two ways to look at this book. Just as a book, with their own characters and plot. If you do it like that, you are probably looking at 2 or 3 stars book. Characters are not very deep, the plot is not that good...
But, if you look at this as part of WarCraft series, then you have bit more. You already know characters, you know some back story. And you can imagine the world. And you have a bit better book. I would say 3 to 4 star, I'll go with 4 as it was fun to read about dragons.
But, if you look at this as part of WarCraft series, then you have bit more. You already know characters, you know some back story. And you can imagine the world. And you have a bit better book. I would say 3 to 4 star, I'll go with 4 as it was fun to read about dragons.
April 23, 2021
3.5*
Deutsches Buch, deutsche Rezension!
Zu Beginn des Buches war ich ehrlich gesagt nicht allzu begeistert, da die Charaktere einfach aus typischen Fantasyklischees bestanden: eine heiße Elfendame, ein ruppiger, primitiver Zwerg und einem gutaussehenden, unglaublich begabtem Hauptcharakter. *seufz*
Zum Glück hat sich dies aber nach dem Anfang gebessert und die Charaktere haben zwar ihre klischeehaften Grundzüge beibehalten, sind jedoch um einiges liebenswürdiger und ausgereifter geworden.
Die eigentliche Geschichte war aber erstaunlich interessant und war nicht unbedingt vorhersehbar, was mir sehr gefallen hat.
Einzig eine Karte hätte ich mir gewünscht (welche ja durch das Spiel eigentlich schon gegeben wäre... ) , da man ansonsten sehr schnell den Überblick der verschiedenen Städte/Länder/Kontinente verliert.
Deutsches Buch, deutsche Rezension!
Zu Beginn des Buches war ich ehrlich gesagt nicht allzu begeistert, da die Charaktere einfach aus typischen Fantasyklischees bestanden: eine heiße Elfendame, ein ruppiger, primitiver Zwerg und einem gutaussehenden, unglaublich begabtem Hauptcharakter. *seufz*
Zum Glück hat sich dies aber nach dem Anfang gebessert und die Charaktere haben zwar ihre klischeehaften Grundzüge beibehalten, sind jedoch um einiges liebenswürdiger und ausgereifter geworden.
Die eigentliche Geschichte war aber erstaunlich interessant und war nicht unbedingt vorhersehbar, was mir sehr gefallen hat.
Einzig eine Karte hätte ich mir gewünscht (welche ja durch das Spiel eigentlich schon gegeben wäre... ) , da man ansonsten sehr schnell den Überblick der verschiedenen Städte/Länder/Kontinente verliert.
July 4, 2022
3.5 ⭐ overall. Just couldn't bring myself to bump it to 4 though.
This is just some good classic fun.
I have always wanted to dive into the lore and the world building of Warcraft. I never did play World of Warcraft as I am not big on MMO's. They just aren't my jam. I'm a single player video game nerd through and through. But I have always been fascinated by Warcraft and its deep lore. I've been wanting to jump into the books for a while now and I'm glad I finally did.
While this book isn't going to win any awards for originality. Or for having some grand prose. It still serves it's purpose well and I don't always want some monstrosity of an epic. Sometimes want want my comfortable popcorn fantasy and that is exactly what we have here.
All the characters were fun. Nobody stuck out as overly amazing, but everyone was enjoyable to read about. The story was the same. I enjoyed it from beginning to end and to be honest I'm really excited to see where it goes in book 2. Although book 2 of this series will be a bit before I get to as I am following a reading order that doesn't have book 2 next.
I find it hard to write a review on this book. Or give it stars even. It's one of those things wehre I have to be honest with my feelings about it, but I want to give it a higher score and I liked it a lot more than what this review says in words. But I also know that it isn't in some upper echelon. I love classic fantasy, and this really feels like classic fantasy. I love orcs, and this book has cool orcs. I truly am excited to continue to read Warcraft books and if it continues in this way then that will be fine with me. Although I do hope there are some that blow me out of the water and surprise me by the quality.
This is just some good classic fun.
I have always wanted to dive into the lore and the world building of Warcraft. I never did play World of Warcraft as I am not big on MMO's. They just aren't my jam. I'm a single player video game nerd through and through. But I have always been fascinated by Warcraft and its deep lore. I've been wanting to jump into the books for a while now and I'm glad I finally did.
While this book isn't going to win any awards for originality. Or for having some grand prose. It still serves it's purpose well and I don't always want some monstrosity of an epic. Sometimes want want my comfortable popcorn fantasy and that is exactly what we have here.
All the characters were fun. Nobody stuck out as overly amazing, but everyone was enjoyable to read about. The story was the same. I enjoyed it from beginning to end and to be honest I'm really excited to see where it goes in book 2. Although book 2 of this series will be a bit before I get to as I am following a reading order that doesn't have book 2 next.
I find it hard to write a review on this book. Or give it stars even. It's one of those things wehre I have to be honest with my feelings about it, but I want to give it a higher score and I liked it a lot more than what this review says in words. But I also know that it isn't in some upper echelon. I love classic fantasy, and this really feels like classic fantasy. I love orcs, and this book has cool orcs. I truly am excited to continue to read Warcraft books and if it continues in this way then that will be fine with me. Although I do hope there are some that blow me out of the water and surprise me by the quality.
May 25, 2023
i started this because im obsessed with world of warcrafts lore but this was so so boring, the characters start out good enough but then they all fall extremely flat, the plot is whatever, nothing has any depth whatsoever, rhonin falls in love with vereesa out of nowhere since they never have a conversation longer than three sentences, and vereesa is literally just there to look pretty and say the most stupidly obvious things ever and i cannot say this enough times, this was just boring (i quite literally just pushed thru because i want to get to sylvanas’s story)
March 14, 2018
nesitikėjau, kad komiksai patiks, nes kad ir kiek bandyčiau juos „skaityti” nelipdavo. bet bravo. šis įtraukė
January 29, 2025
مرگبال نقشه های شومی میکشد تا بر دیگر نژاد های اژدها که هزاران سال در سرزمین انسانها زندگی میکردند و مخفی بودند غلبه کرده و کل سرزمین را تصاحب خودش کند ولی...
March 17, 2020
This is a must read for every single fan of the Warcraft videogame series.
I think Day of the Dragon is a great introduction to the Warcraft books. Not too heavy, can be understood without having played the videogames and with a nice setting of characters: a wizard, an elf and a dwarf. Classic. And if that was not enough this story has dragons.
If you take this book as a part of the story you already know because of the videogames then it is really enjoyable, you will find yourself saying "ooh, look who's here!" more than once. I guess that this nostalgy is the reason it made me rate it with 4stars, leaving this feeling aside, then it's a 3.5 stars story.
Not the best book in this series, still, do not skip this book if you enjoy the Warcraft lore.
Oh, I almost forgot: FOR THE HOOOOOOOORDE!
I think Day of the Dragon is a great introduction to the Warcraft books. Not too heavy, can be understood without having played the videogames and with a nice setting of characters: a wizard, an elf and a dwarf. Classic. And if that was not enough this story has dragons.
If you take this book as a part of the story you already know because of the videogames then it is really enjoyable, you will find yourself saying "ooh, look who's here!" more than once. I guess that this nostalgy is the reason it made me rate it with 4stars, leaving this feeling aside, then it's a 3.5 stars story.
Not the best book in this series, still, do not skip this book if you enjoy the Warcraft lore.
Oh, I almost forgot: FOR THE HOOOOOOOORDE!
July 13, 2022
3,5
I have never played warcraft and know close to nothing about the lore, so this one was really confusing to begin with, with all the names and places being mentioned. Especially the first chapter was really hard to follow. After that the story was quite fun!
Easy, simple, fun fantasy, with dragons, magic, action and a sprinkle of humor.
I enjoyed. Especially the last half of the book.
I have never played warcraft and know close to nothing about the lore, so this one was really confusing to begin with, with all the names and places being mentioned. Especially the first chapter was really hard to follow. After that the story was quite fun!
Easy, simple, fun fantasy, with dragons, magic, action and a sprinkle of humor.
I enjoyed. Especially the last half of the book.
June 18, 2013
I loved this book with all its rich descriptions and characters that had such an authentic feeling to them. Its true that I love the games upon which the book is based, and I am still a World of Warcraft player, but even if I weren't, upon reading this novel, I would have become one.
August 10, 2018
Holy misogyny, Batman! The only major female character is used as sexual encouragement for the male characters about once per chapter.
Mr. Knaack has demonstrated his lack of two very important things: skill and talent.
Mr. Knaack has demonstrated his lack of two very important things: skill and talent.
August 9, 2014
Not bad. Steeped in World of Warcraft lore....Deathwing, the Aspects, the Kirin Tor, Lordaeron
December 25, 2024
Only after reading the book I realised that it was the very first novel set in Warcraft universe. With this in mind, I have to voice my respect for Richard Knaak for laying the foundations of the universe that later gave birth to many of my favourite fantasy stories and characters.
With this out of the way, I don't think the book stood the test of time. There are some good arcs and the plot is perfectly readable. I enjoyed the ideas for some of the conflicts important for the Warcraft universe, as well as the depiction of Krasus and Alexstrasza, but overall, the characters weren't really fleshed out. Even our main heroes rarely are something more than stereotypes and their conversations mostly serve driving the plot forward. Also, the fact that they almost always addressed each other by their race or profession, not by their names, was driving me crazy.
However, my biggest problem with the book lies with the constant objectifying of Vereesa. Every single one of the characters has to either comment on her appearance, check her out or invite her on a date. Yes, I got that she is pretty, but everyone thirsting for her gets tiring very quickly. The implied romantic relationship between Rhonin and Vereesa is also written very badly. There is no chemistry whatsoever between them and the development of their relationship isn't very believable, especially compared to their later depictions in Warcraft franchise.
To sum up, I still think Warcraft fans will have good time reading this book, considering its influence on series as a whole. Will I ever come back to it or recommend it to a non-Warcraft fan? I don't think so.
With this out of the way, I don't think the book stood the test of time. There are some good arcs and the plot is perfectly readable. I enjoyed the ideas for some of the conflicts important for the Warcraft universe, as well as the depiction of Krasus and Alexstrasza, but overall, the characters weren't really fleshed out. Even our main heroes rarely are something more than stereotypes and their conversations mostly serve driving the plot forward. Also, the fact that they almost always addressed each other by their race or profession, not by their names, was driving me crazy.
However, my biggest problem with the book lies with the constant objectifying of Vereesa. Every single one of the characters has to either comment on her appearance, check her out or invite her on a date. Yes, I got that she is pretty, but everyone thirsting for her gets tiring very quickly. The implied romantic relationship between Rhonin and Vereesa is also written very badly. There is no chemistry whatsoever between them and the development of their relationship isn't very believable, especially compared to their later depictions in Warcraft franchise.
To sum up, I still think Warcraft fans will have good time reading this book, considering its influence on series as a whole. Will I ever come back to it or recommend it to a non-Warcraft fan? I don't think so.
March 28, 2020
بر خلاف دیگر داستان های وارکراف این کتاب از کتاب های دیگر ضعیف تر بود.نقطه قوت داستان واکرافت توصیف شخصیت ها،نبردها و اتفاقات آن است که در این که تا صفحات پایانی این موضوع مشهود نبود.به عنوان یک داستان مستقل داستان خوبی بود اما با توجه به سایر کتاب های پیشین این سری،کاری نه چندان جذاب بود واین کتاب را صرفا جهت امادگی برای سری های بعدی میتوان دانست
در رابطه با ترجمه،ترجمه کتاب مناسب و روان جز یک مورد:
نام شخصیت ها...وقتی شما یک سری مجموعه ای بلند را ترجمه میکنید انتظار میرود که با این سری آشنایی کامل داشته باشید.که نویسنده ظاهرا این آگاهی را دارن اما به شکل عجیبی (عمدی یا غیر عمدی)نام شخصیت ها به شکل عجیبی ترجمه شده است !مانند جن گری من!دلاران!
در رابطه با ترجمه،ترجمه کتاب مناسب و روان جز یک مورد:
نام شخصیت ها...وقتی شما یک سری مجموعه ای بلند را ترجمه میکنید انتظار میرود که با این سری آشنایی کامل داشته باشید.که نویسنده ظاهرا این آگاهی را دارن اما به شکل عجیبی (عمدی یا غیر عمدی)نام شخصیت ها به شکل عجیبی ترجمه شده است !مانند جن گری من!دلاران!
August 19, 2024
This book is peak-Warcraft, and as a long time fan of the “world” of Warcraft, I enjoyed my first foray into a WC novel.
This isn’t one I’d recommend to anyone who isn’t already privy to the Warcraft universe, as I felt most of the character descriptions weren’t done well enough to paint an accurate picture of what the story was offering. But with characters and locations I’m already familiar with, that didn’t bother me much. I was just excited to read something in a setting I’ve been interested in for years.
This isn’t one I’d recommend to anyone who isn’t already privy to the Warcraft universe, as I felt most of the character descriptions weren’t done well enough to paint an accurate picture of what the story was offering. But with characters and locations I’m already familiar with, that didn’t bother me much. I was just excited to read something in a setting I’ve been interested in for years.
May 24, 2018
Moram priznati da je se ne sjećam, ali znam da nisam bio pretjerano oduševljen iako volim warcraft svijet, jednog dana ju ponovo pročitam pa možda promjenim ocijenu.
June 24, 2020
After a rough start with too many characters and kingdoms and not enough descriptions, it was a thrilling adventure nonetheless!
September 8, 2019
Koskoca Warcraft dünyasında ufak bir nokta kadar kalacak bir olay örgüsü. Ve bu kadarı bile muhteşem... Artık basılmıyor olması çok ama çok yazık. Tam tersine WoW tarihinin bütün kitaplarının Türkiye'ye gelmesi ve herkesin bu dünyayla tanışması gerekiyor bana kalırsa. Tabii seriyi tam anlayabilmek için bu dünyaya biraz aşina olmak gerekiyor çünkü warcraft tarihi kronolojik olarak düşünüldüğünde bu kitap en fazla ortalarda falan yer alabilir. Geçmişin çook uzun bir zaman dilimi, hatta hepsi birbirinden olaylı geçmiş çağlar var. Bu yüzden keşke bütün Warcraft kitapları gelse de çağların başlangıcından itibaren okuyabilsek...
Yorumum için: Nora'nın Kitaplığı
Yorumum için: Nora'nın Kitaplığı
November 21, 2021
Kniha dobře a poutavě napsaná, postavy zajímavé a propracované. Působivý a rozmanitý svět Azerothu hraje v příběhu nemalou roli. Pro neznalého světa Warcraft tam bude nejspíš až mnoho jmen ale kdo svět Warcraft zná, tomu to doplní informace.
January 13, 2019
Loved it! I wanted to know more though!
July 15, 2012
I read this one because my stepbrother loaned it to me with his recommendation (albeit a mild one). I read the whole thing, just because, and remembered what it was like to read books aimed at teenage male gamers. I used to read plenty of those, back in the day. I didn't like all that many of them then, either, but I read them anyway, because I wanted to know the lore.
"Day of the Dragon" was good enough to not just stop reading part way through. That said, if the book is at all a commentary on the target audience, it's not a very flattering one.
For one, the characters were fairly flat. They spoke with some differences, but the way they thought didn't appear to be very deep. In fact, with some exception to the male lead, most of the male characters bent over backwards just to do whatever they could to be with/appease the very attractive elven female. Fortunately, Knaak doesn't quite rub the readers' faces in just how beautiful she is, the way I've seen some authors, so I appreciated that.
The prose was good enough, but I had to blush to realise that I'VE used so many of the little "tension-building gimmicks" that Knaak uses, namely trying to insert dramatic pauses into the narration. Stuff like, "The sword came rushing at him--
--only to be deflected at the last moment by a spell."
That's not a direct quote (I'm not trying to insert spoilers), but I think it's a good enough illustration. Either way, I suppose it works well enough for the target audience. My problem was that gimmicks like that appear rather frequently through the entire book.
All in all, it was just standard, male teen gamer fare. Simplistic plot, contrived action thrown in seemingly for the sake of it, a mild romance (thankfully, Knaak kept it very clean), complete with the obligatory "hot chick," and everything works out for the good guys (usually at the last, possible moment) no matter how bad things get.
There's really not much else to say, so I'll stop there.
"Day of the Dragon" was good enough to not just stop reading part way through. That said, if the book is at all a commentary on the target audience, it's not a very flattering one.
For one, the characters were fairly flat. They spoke with some differences, but the way they thought didn't appear to be very deep. In fact, with some exception to the male lead, most of the male characters bent over backwards just to do whatever they could to be with/appease the very attractive elven female. Fortunately, Knaak doesn't quite rub the readers' faces in just how beautiful she is, the way I've seen some authors, so I appreciated that.
The prose was good enough, but I had to blush to realise that I'VE used so many of the little "tension-building gimmicks" that Knaak uses, namely trying to insert dramatic pauses into the narration. Stuff like, "The sword came rushing at him--
--only to be deflected at the last moment by a spell."
That's not a direct quote (I'm not trying to insert spoilers), but I think it's a good enough illustration. Either way, I suppose it works well enough for the target audience. My problem was that gimmicks like that appear rather frequently through the entire book.
All in all, it was just standard, male teen gamer fare. Simplistic plot, contrived action thrown in seemingly for the sake of it, a mild romance (thankfully, Knaak kept it very clean), complete with the obligatory "hot chick," and everything works out for the good guys (usually at the last, possible moment) no matter how bad things get.
There's really not much else to say, so I'll stop there.
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