Shadows Rising: World of Warcraft: Shadowlands

I’ve been playing WoW on-and-off since 2009 and have read most of the novels to this point. I’d say this is one that I definitely recommend; it’s up there for my favorites with Paragons and War Crimes. It’s a dense novel, covering (really) several storylines that are all related but different characters are tackling different issues within the plot. The writing style is very good, definitely immerses you into the reasonings and thought-processes of the characters, and shows how one event can be read so very differently by different characters- even if they were right there.In more detail...———-PHYSICAL BOOK: I purchased the hard-cover edition after staring longingly at the cover art for long enough. Book arrived in a rather too-large box with no other wrapping so I am lucky I didn’t get scuffs or dented corners. That’s an Amazon issue. The cover art is really nice colors that remind me of Before the Storm, but a little more intense. The art wraps all the way around the jacket. The book itself under the jacket is dark indigo, and is quite nice. Paper is soft, not super thick, but a more ‘textile’ feel with some tooth & high quality. That was a very nice touch I wasn’t expecting. I have only gotten used paperback for wow novels before so I wasn’t sure what to expect from this one.GRAMMAR & WRITING: Writer uses a limited 3rd person narrator- meaning that the narrator only knows what the character is being focused on knows. This is super important since the book switches between Alliance & Horde, and you definitely get that feel of different perspective despite the fact that many characters are talking about the same event that happened in BFA. This is a common theme in WoW gameplay and Roux did a great job highlighting it in this novel. Setting description is a little sparse but I think that’s pretty par-the-course for a novel that assumes you played the game. They do go over some things that happened in game, so if it’s been awhile since you’ve played it was a nice refresher. I’ve only done 1 read through, but did not spot any obvious typos or grammatical errors that impeded my reading. Maybe my second pass will dig up some of these things, but they don’t seem to be present in the printed novel.CHARACTERIZATION: Listen, this is a big issue in WoW, let’s face it. Sometimes things in the novels don’t get characters... quite right. Sometimes gameplay does novel scenes a massive disservice. In my opinion Roux did spot on characterizations- if you’re still not stuck in Cataclysm and have been paying attention to story beats that have been developing since then. We get to see a little more about Talanji’s state of mind after her father died, and the state of Zandalar following the destruction of its navy. We get to see how far the mistrust between the Alliance and the Horde runs, and how much both sides are struggling to come to terms with, well, everything. I know not everyone will agree, but I found Roux did one of the best in-novel writings of Tyrande that we’ve gotten. The scene where she lashes out is in no way framed as her being crazy or unstable- it’s actually rather somberly written and is a pretty poignant commentary on complicitness. Just keep in mind that the narrative at that moment is not from *her*, it is from a character who is going to struggle with accepting her points. Talanji is young & inexperienced, but capable of listening as we see her in game. Zekhan is as wholesome as you expect. Jaina is bitter, but her anger has had years, guilt and resolution to cool it. Anduin continues to struggle a lot with stepping out of his father’s shadow. Alleria & Turalyon continue to embody the problems with going to the extreme spectrums of the Light or the Void. Nathanos... continues to be himself. All-in-all it was a refreshing return to the characters we know and love (or love to hate).PLOT & TAKEAWAY: This novel is extremely character driven so the plot itself was somewhat simple, but that was fine. We don’t get these deep dives into character psyches in game that much, so I expect the novel to spend some time doing that and that’s exactly what we get. Nathanos is trying to kill the loa of death with the help of some cultists. The Alliance is trying to find Sylvanas, and discovers Dark Rangers in Zandalar. The Horde is trying to curtail whatever is going on in Zandalar without looking weak and without making it look like they’re allowing Sylvanas to run amok. Talanji is trying to figure out where (and if) Zandalar fits within the Horde post-BFA. Each character has their own agenda based on where we left them in BFA, and deliciously these agendas mean that the characters don’t always play will with each other and that these characters /make mistakes/. Therein is where the meat And meaning of the plot is formed, the underlying questions of: when you do something wrong or make a mistake... how do you fix it? Can you? How do you exist with imperfect people in an imperfect system? Not exactly a question people are expecting to face when playing a big-box MMO, but here we are. The novel handles it a lot better than the game does.WOULD YOU RECOMMEND IT? To a longtime player of WoW, or someone with questions about what story beats to take away from BFA? Absolutely. Roux builds great glimpses of bigger things coming in Shadowlands and sets us up for some massive character conflicts in the future. If you’re not familiar with Warcraft lore, I would recommend starting somewhere earlier in the franchise; while this novel does recap recent events, in order to unpack all the things that need to be set up for Shadowlands, this book DEFINITELY assumes you have some prior knowledge of what is going on.DID YOU ENJOY IT? Yes. I powered through it in one sitting when I had intended to read a few chapters at a time and pause between them. When there was a little breathing room in the book I paused to discover i was about 60 pages in. Whoops! All-in-all it’s a fantastic read. It throws you into an awesome adventure (and a lot of feels!) right out of the gate and was difficult to put down once I started.

Spoilers!I admit, I'm not a huge fan of trolls, and it takes a lot to get me to want to read about them. This book is primarily about Queen Talanji and the current plight of the Zandalari, so you can imagine I had somewhat low expectations of the overall story really keeping my attention. But that wasn't so. I found each POV character's story engaging, and I was pleased to get a more personal look into their motivations and their lives. So often the game can't really give you that, and it's up to the tie-in material to take up the slack. Madeleine Roux has definitely done that here.I suppose my only complaint would be that I wish the book had been longer, and given us more time to sit with each character and really chew on their situation. We got that with Talanji and to a slightly lesser extent Zekhan, but I would have liked to see a bit more with Anduin, since he has been such a major focus of the lore recently and it's odd to have him drop out of the spotlight so suddenly. However, I don't feel the book suffers for it, and I don't think it is a matter of poor storytelling. Rather, it's merely a result of having such a large cast of characters, who are all in their own way main characters, and weighing the importance of telling their specific story within the space of the narrative. As much as it would be nice to see everything, there simply isn't time, and the book would likely suffer for it if the author tried. It would become a confusing, never-ending march to the finish, likely leaving no one but the most archivist, gate-keeping fans satisfied. And it's good to leave the readers wanting a little more, especially in this case. This is, after all, a tie-in novel. It's not the whole story. And given that in recent expansions a great deal of material has been "hidden" in the books, where many players simply won't see it, I think keeping things more limited in scope can only help entice the players to seek out more in the game. That way, no one is missing out on key moments in the lore, but we get this extra bit of flavor that adds a little more depth, and makes the story a little more personal.And on the subject of personal, I was so pleased to see that Madeleine Roux took time to address some of those aspects of character lore that are too often overlooked, like the name of Varok Saurfang's mate, or Flynn Fairwind's mother. These personal touches that make the characters feel so much more like people, and show respect to a lore that has been built up over decades. It would be easy to say that we only want the bare facts, we already know who these people are, but there is always more to learn. In that respect, I found the scenes between Mathias Shaw and Flynn Fairwind particularly rewarding. Flynn is a newcomer to the lore, but one that many players instantly took a liking to. Shaw, on the other hand, has been around for a while but primarily limited in his presence. Not only did we get an opportunity to learn more about both men, their similarities and their differences, but we got to witness the opening act of their relationship. Something I personally never expected would happen in World of Warcraft. At least, not with such prominent characters. Here is where I would have liked to have seen some padding in the story, as I think they both could carry an entire novel on their own, but I am optimistic about the implications of their presence in this novel, and what it might mean for their future role in the developing lore.It was also very rewarding to see that Zekhan, another fan favorite, was given so much room to develop his story. He isn't your typical hero; he's not a seasoned, grizzled warrior, or someone with a clear and grand destiny or noble beginnings. He's really the next best thing to the player character, and he gets to grow here in a very interesting and heartwarming way. He doesn't forget how he got where he is (the references to his surrogate father-son relationship with Saurfang were particularly great to read), but he isn't kept static, either. He takes on responsibilities, he makes decisions, he acts. He becomes a hero all on his own, and it's wonderful to read. We don't often get to see humble beginnings, mostly we're just informed of them, so Zekhan's journey from game to novel (and presumably back to game) has been a real treat. And the nod to the fans' nickname for him was just great! It's always nice to know that the community that plays this game and spends time immersed in its world is acknowledged and appreciated.Returning to the subject of the trolls, I felt descriptions of Zandalar were just rich enough, but not overly flowery, and for that I am appreciative. Blizzard's team really outdid themselves with the beauty of Dazar'alor (even if I do still get lost sometimes, even from the air), and it's clear Madeleine Roux kept that in mind. There is no attempt to batter the reader with how gorgeous the city is, but instead we're treated to the experience of being there. The same goes for the rest of Azeroth as we see it, especially Orgrimmar. Every setting felt just real enough to add to the events of the story without really overdoing it, and for that I am grateful. It was also nice to get to see a bit more of the culture within the Horde, and particularly in Zandalar. Madeleine Roux's use of color and texture in her descriptions breathed a lot of life into the Zandalari chapters, adding that extra bit of flavor that really brings the reader into the scene with the characters.My final note, because I could really sit here all day addressing what I enjoyed about this book, is on the author's writing style. She lets the characters drive the events, and I appreciate that. It's great to be able to feel things along with the characters in the way they respond, or their take on what someone else is saying. The book pulls you along, making you anxious for more. I read the whole thing in about 7 hours, primarily because I couldn't put it down. I am a sucker for stories where the characters aren't paragons, but people. They have lives inside of these world-shattering events. They have feelings. The things that happen in Azeroth affect them, sometimes profoundly and permanently. Madeleine Roux gave us a taste of that, and it's left me even more excited for Shadowlands than I was before.Additional note: If you find there are a strange number of 1 star reviews, I would look to the fact that most of those are unverified purchases, and more than one mentions the dislike of LGBT characters in the novel. You don't need to make a great leap of logic to put things together after that.

I honestly enjoyed this story quite a bit. Definitely can tell the author is an avid player with all the details she includes in the story from the world of Warcraft itself. There was great character building with intrigue, drama, and action to go around. The only reason I didn’t do 5 stars was some of the romantic parts felt a bit pressured into the story and didn’t personally seem to fit in with me but overall, this was written very well and I highly recommend to any Warcraft fans out there!

A qualidade do livro segue o padrão americado de capa dura e luva, com um bom acabamento. Para quem gosta de acompanhar a história, vale a pena pois só o conteúdo do jogo não é o suficiente para realmente entender o que está acontecendo. O personagem mais carismático do livro é o Bwasamdi e só pelos diálogos com ele a leitura vale a pena.

Nothing outstanding but a good read. I wouldn't reccomend it to someone who was new to the WoW stories as there's very little background info BUT it's a tidy, enjoyable little book.

I rarely finish books, but I finished this in a few hours. Madeleine Roux's writing style is perfectly captivating and not overly complex that it makes getting through the chapters a chore. You get right into the meat and potatoes without much hesitation, while still leaving moments to share the thoughts of the different main perspectives that litter the overarching story; Queen Talanji, Zappy Boy, Thrall, Anduin, Apari (the physical villain), and of course, Nathanos and Shaw.Usually, it would be challenging to manage all those perspectives, and a few more without making it seem choppy, but Roux does it smoothly. It keeps things from feeling frustrating in my opinion.Lots of interesting bits of information were revealed about the Maw and Bwonsamdi, along with some pairing confirmations that I won't spoil since the book only just came out yesterday. Nothing was problematic or odd, and the happy moments were easily balanced with the sorrowful moments while maintaining the themes revolving around forgivness, revenge, and mercy.Feel free to pick it up. Even if you aren't a reader I think you'll find it easy to get through, and it isn't all that long either, only around 284 pages.

Libro molto bello e ricco di avventure relative al fantastico mondo di Warcraft.

Maravilloso libro y maravillosa la manera de narrar de la escritora. Muy muy interesante.