Bookworm Speaks!- World of Warcraft: Wolfheart

Bookworm Speaks: 

World of Warcraft: Wolfheart 

by Richard A. Knaak

---

World of Warcraft...what can anyone say about it? Almost anything. It is fun. It is dull. It is a timeless icon of fantasy. Its is merely an onslaught of cliches and contradictions. In any case, World of Warcraft is impossible to overlook in literature. 

War has come to Azeroth. The tension between the Alliance and the Horde has once again hit a breaking point. The Orc and Goblins advance in the forests of Ashenvale and the Forsaken move south into the human kingdom of Gilneas. 

Malfurion Stormrage and Tyrande Whisperwind try to desperately hold the Alliance together in the wake of the Cataclysm and the unstable King of Stormwind Varian Wrynn may be the one to undo it all. 

One of my favorite races in the Warcraft universe are the Worgen, a race of humans with the ability to shift into lupine beasts. Like werewolves, only different (and better!). This is the first time we see the Worgen in the Warcraft Novels. 

At face value, the Horde’s aggression has some veils of sensibility. The reason they are invading Ashenvale are reasonable. Now, Bookworm is against deforestation almost as much as the night elves, but the fact remains is that people need lumber and trees are where lumber comes from. The root of many a war is the thirst for resources. 

On the other hand, when we witness the actions of the Warchief Garrosh Hellscream, there are sinister motivations behind the conflict than lumber. It is no secret that in both canon and fanon that Garrosh Hellscream was an unpopular choice as Thrall’s successor and the consequences are being felt in Azeroth. The tension feels very real as does the feelings experienced during battle...especially on the losing side. 

On the topic of villians, while there are no spoilers about the who, where, and why, something worth mentioning is that like many fantasy franchises, the elves, in Warcraft’s case, the Night Elves, are usually portrayed as being perfect. In Wolfheart this is starting to change and it seems that the stoic Night Elves are feeling the ripples of a change in leadership along with the Horde, with the return of Malfurion Stormrage. 

A strength of this story is the character of Anduin. At this point (the book’s) in the story Anduin does not have a great host of flaws to add to his character. He is a bit of a young Gary Stu. This may be due to the fact that he has not been a large presence in the Warcraft novelizations and the intent being to really drive home how different Anduin is compared to his father Varian. That is one of .his strengths. The prince rebelling against the father king is nothing new, but Warcraft gives it its own twist, in how Anduin wants to be priest of the Holy Light, one of the religions of the Warcraft Universe. This is a career choice that is not often encountered in stories about royalty, and it greatly adds to the creativity of the text. 

The real story though, if the cover art is any indication is the story of Varian Wrynn and it is done very well. 

Possible Minor Spoilers. 

Varian Wrynn has been missing for a long time. Before, he had lost his memory and was a gladiator. He has regained his memory but he still struggles to control his temper and feels conflicted between the warrior and king. 

The people of Gilneas feel the same way as they are conflicted between their human sides and those of the Worgen. Many have succumbed to the beast and those left continues to seek balance over the bitterness of losing their home. 

In Azeroth, there is a history of tension between the Kingdoms of Stormwind and Gilneas, a lot of bitterness over past events and Varian does not forgive easily. 

Both are struggling with this but when they work together...things happen

While it does feel rushed in a few places and perhaps forced, the reconciliation between  Genn and Varian is rather poignant and there is a delicious bit of poetic irony. 

Where the text falls short is in its narration. The story is told throughout multiple characters and locations, all decidedly third person. There is nothing inherently wrong with third person but the way it is done in Wolfheart can make things a little confusing and a reader may find themselves turning back a few chapters thinking: “Now who was that character again?” 

Final Rating

4 out of 5 stars