Bookworm Speaks!- Rise of the Horde Review
Bookworm Speaks!
World of Warcraft
Rise of the Horde
by Christie Golden
****
Acquired: Barnes and Noble Booksellers
Series: World of Warcraft (Book 2)
Paperback: 355 Pages
Publisher: Blizzard Entertainment; First Edition edition (November 15, 2016)
Language: English
Subject: Genre Video Game Adaptation / Fantasy
****
The Story: Though the young Warchief Thrall ended the demon curse that had plagued his people for generations, the orcs still wrestle with the sins of their bloody past. As the rampaging Horde, they waged a number of devastating wars against their perennial enemy — the Alliance.
Yet the rage and bloodlust that drove the orcs to destroy everything in their path nearly consumed them as well. Long ago, on the idyllic world of Draenor, the noble orc clans lived in relative peace with their enigmatic neighbors, the draenei. But the nefarious agents of the Burning Legion had other plans for both of the unsuspecting races. The demon-lord Kil’jaeden set in motion a dark chain of events that would succeed not only in eradicating the draenei, but forging the orc clans into an single, unstoppable juggernaut of hatred and destruction. An original tale of magic, warfare, and heroism based on the best-selling, award-winning electronic game series from Blizzard.
The Review: This was one of the first Warcraft novels Bookworm had ever read and its influence has never waned. One of the hallmarks of a good book is how well the reader can recall parts and passages long after the completion of the reading. This book has stuck in Bookworm’s memory for a very long time, a testament to the wordsmithing at work here.
On a minor note: the cover of this book is probably the most iconic images of the Warcraft universe that Bookworm can think of.
In a lot of ways, the overall storyline contains threads of the traditional hero’s journey, the foundation of almost all fantasy fiction. It follows the journey of an Orc named Durotan, who is the father of Thrall, a central character in Warcraft. The story describes him growing up and rising to leadership of his clan, the Frostwolves. Unlike most hero’s journey tales though, Durotar does not go on to become the savior of his people. Some may say that he failed in the expected hero’s challenge. That could be seen as one of the flaws with this novel. Durotan could be seen as a passive
When one gets down to it though: Most if not all ‘Hero’s Journey’ tales are power fantasies in disguise. There nothing inherently wrong with that, they are fantasies after all. There are not realistic though, and oddly enough for a story that stars trolls and warlocks, is bit more realistic a path for a ‘hero”. The truth, there are a handful of people who get to shape the course of history and the most that the rest of us can do is just try to live our lives the best we can while we are swept up in the tides. That is exactly what Durotan does and why he is relatable as a protagonist. Perhaps it is a bit too relatable. Like many Warcraft books, the text carries multiple Point of View characters but Durotan is the only character that Bookworm can recall any significant passages from. Him and the narrator. He is the central character after all but perhaps the author should have stuck with him alone. Would have added a little less confusion.
The world building is excellent. The way the Orcs are portrayed is very compelling. The truth is…Bookworm prefers the Orcs of Warcraft compared to the Orcs of Middle-Earth. The world of Draneor is easily visualized in the minds eye, a form of rugged paradise. The orc’s lived in harmony with their world in a primal but beautiful tribal culture.
The way the Draenei are portrayed is not quite as well written or memorable as the orc arc. The best comparison Bookworm can think off, is the elves from Lord of the Rings. (Tolkien’s creation seems to come up frequently in this review!) That is not necessarily a good thing, as both are rather boring and lack depth. The reader only spends a limited amount of time with the Draenei so it is be expected, but their genocide has more gravitas on the side of Orcs rather than them.
The fall of the Orcs is really a tragedy is every respect. They were a proud and noble culture but there was an innocence about them that made their manipulation so heartbreakingly believable. It adds context to the central conflict of Warcraft (Orcs & Humans) and creates a much more nuanced tale. Their being completely played by the Burning Legion can stretch believability a bit but the book does mention that during their time on Draenor, the tribes were essentially like children. What more needs to be said?
One of the more uncomfortable truths that are uncovered is that more worldly readers can detect threads of human history among the history of the Orcs. One of the lines from this book that will probably never lose its relevance is:
“Hate is powerful. Hate can be eternal. Hate can be manipulated. And hate can be created.” Time and again this words have been proven true, both in history as well as events currently unfolding. The tale Orc’s of Draener is mirrored by the Humans of Earth. Story can teach as much fact and reader’s must take heart the lessons they impart.
The Final Verdict: World of Warcraft has been called by some as the Lord of the Rings of gaming, in that they are both fantasy universes with a vast and complex lore, filled to the brim with characters, settings, and conflicts. So much so, that confronting it can very intimidating. Where to begin! Thankfully, a book like this is around to guide the apprentice adventure to the world of Azeroth and beyond.
The Rating
Four Frostwolf Clan Crests out of Five
****
Icon Source: http://wowwiki.wikia.com/wiki/Frostwolf_clan
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