Blizzard has spent 28 years building up the lore of theWarcraftuniverse. While most of that time was spent inWorld of Warcraft,the story began all the way back in 1994 withWarcraft: Orcs & Humans. The story ofWarcraftis an expansive one that has been told through video games, books, comics, and even a movie. There is a lot for players to keep up with if they want thecomplete story of Azeroth.
Over the past 22 years Blizzard has been consistently publishing novels set in theWarcraftuniverse. The majority of them cover events inWorld of Warcraft, but there are also many that fill in gaps left by Blizzard. Currently, there are 22 different novels covering different aspects of the lore, not including the big lore books or comics. It can prove to be very daunting for those who want to delve further into Azeroth, but only some of those 22 are truly worth the read for every player.
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Arthas: Rise of the Lich King
Arthas Menethil’s rise and fallis often said to be the best storyline thatWarcrafthas, and Arthas is considered by many to be the most interesting antagonist in Azeroth. His story began inWarcraft 3: Reign of Chaoswhere players got to witness his descent into madness, it was then followed up byWarcraft 3: The Frozen Throneand came to a climatic finale inWorld of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King.Arthas: Rise of the Lich Kingchronicles this entire storyline in one exciting novel written by Christie Golden. If players have ever been interested in learning more about Arthas, thenArthas: Rise of the Lich Kingis the book for them.
Illidan
The other character that fans ofWorld of Wacraftlove is Illidan Stormage, the Night Elf who became a demon hunter. William King’sIllidantells the story of the eventsleading up toTheBurning Crusadewhere players beat Illidan in the Black Temple. The story follows him as he gathers an army to fight back against the Burning Legion in Outland. The book gives players an insight into the mind of Illidan, and they get to learn about events that occurred off-screen. It also provides more context for why he was an antagonist inThe Burning Crusade.Illidanis a great way to learn more about the titular character, and serves as a great companion novel toArthas: Rise of the Lich King.
The Shattering: Prelude to Cataclysm
In 2010, Blizzard chose to revampWorld of Warcraftwith its third expansion,Cataclysm.The world of Azeroth was ripped apartby the dragon aspect Deathwingand the game was never the same. In that same year, Blizzard releasedThe Shattering: Prelude to Cataclysm, a novel that serves as a prequel to the events of the expansion. The novel follows Thrall and Varian as they deal with the impending crisis. It provides players a look at events that were not covered in-game and lets them learn more about some of Azeroth’s iconic leaders. It feels very much like an unfinished story, which it is since the story concludes inCataclysm, but it is a good read for those who want to learn more about the gap betweenWrath of the Lich KingandCataclysm
Vol’Jin: Shadows of the Horde
Vol’jin: Shadows of the Hordefollows the events of thefirst major patch ofMists of Pandaria, filling the player in on background information. The story focuses on Vol’jin and Chen Stormstout as they deal with Garrosh Hellscream’s assassination attempts on Vol’jin. Vol’jin must grapple with the deep-rooted hatred between Alliance and Horde while defending Pandaria from a Zandalari troll invasion. This book delivers a very troll-heavy lore dump as Vol’jin recaps the history of his race and deals with the Zandalari. For those who are interested in learning more about the ill-fated Warchief or the history of the trolls, this one is for them.
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War of the Ancients Trilogy
The War of the Ancientstrilogy is a set of three books that recount events set 10 thousand years before the first war.The Well of Eternitystarts off the trilogy,The Demon Soulcontinues the tale, andThe Sunderingserves as the climatic finale. The series is set during the war between the Highborne and Burning Legion. It chronicles Illidan Stormrage’s fall and Malfurion Stormrage’s rise as well as thecreation of the continents of Azeroth. It is one of the fewWarcraftseries disconnected fromWorld of Warcraft, besides a few characters that play pivotal roles in-game.The series is great for those who really want to learn about the history of Azeroth and the Elves. It will surely enhance parts ofWorld of Warcraftfor those who are interested.
The Warcraft Archive
Tracking down oldWarcraftnovels can be tough, as many are out of print.The Warcraft Archivemakes it easier as it compiles the first fourWarcraftnovels into one large book.Each of the four novels tells stories set duringWarcraft: Orcs & HumansandWarcraft 2: Tides of Darkness.Day of the Dragontells the story of the mage Rhonin as he makes a perilous journey into Orc land,Lord of the Clansdetails the origins of Thrall,The Last Guardianfollows Medivh as he descends into madness, andOf Blood and Honorchallenges Tirion Fordring’s idea of Orcs, Each of the novels provides a look into some of the most iconic characters inWarcraftand also gives readers a snapshot of the early days of theHorde Alliance conflict that drivesWorld of Warcraft.
World of Warcraft Chronicles
The three volumes ofWorld of Warcraft Chroniclesare very different from the others out there, as they are large books that read more like history books than novels. Each one chronicles events through theWarcraftseries in a cohesive presentation of theWarcraftlore from the Titan’s perspective. The first volume covers primordial Azeroth, creation, and the War of the Ancients. The second volume covers primordial Draenor and the events ofWarcraft: Orcs & HumansandWarcraft 2: Tides of Darkness.The third volume covers the events ofWorld of Warcraftleading up toCataclysm. Chronicles serves as the best way to get all theWarcraftlore, even if some of ithas been altered inShadowlands.
There are many books set in theWarcraftuniverse, and almostevery year Blizzard releases another. They serve as a quick way to learn the history of Azeroth and fill in gaps that feel left behind by Blizzard.
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