World of Warcraft: Jaina Proudmoore: Tides of War

*Warning, review may contain spoilers (though I'll try to keep them as low key as possible)*

Once again Christie Golden delivers another fantastic entry in the Warcraft Lore. Whether you're Horde, Alliance, or both; Jaina Proudmoore: Tides of War offers new insights for how the story is to progress upon the release of Mists of Pandaria. Such brilliant insights include showing how Garrosh Hellscream has chosen to walk a much darker path than Thrall had hoped he would when he left him the mantle of Warchief of the Horde; though the specific reasons are kept vague (my understanding is that Christie had to write this story without knowing for herself) it is made abundantly clear that Garrosh has crossed the threshold. From his unceasing thirst for war and bloodshed, to his tyrannical approach to dealing with opposition to his decisions, and particularly the company he has began to keep. Particularly worthy of note is how Garrosh's actions have started to create a divide within the Horde, a schism I suspect will be very integral in the future of this faction's story line.

But of course the main feature of this novel is Jaina Proudmoore. For the better part of a decade (in lore) Jaina has been one of the precious few voices within the Alliance advocating for peace and harmony with the Horde, in fact her relationship with the previous warchief was likely one of the main reasons that fourth war hadn't erupted between the Alliance and Horde. But with the coming dark events even Jaina finds she can no longer remain friendly or even neutral towards "Garrosh's Horde." The dark events that surround Jaina change her ways far deeper than her new white head of hair as her beliefs, motives, and her relationships with many characters are put to the absolute test.

Also worthy of note for Alliance players in particular is the degree of character development for Varian and Anduin Wrynn. Though not getting nearly as much screen time as Jaina herself for obvious reasons it was very nice to Varian being in far greater control of his passions showing the results of his growth from Wolfheart by Richard Knaxx and Blood of our Fathers by E Daniel Arey; the growth he's displayed helps to highlight that though there are similarities between him and Garrosh Hellscream, there are some very major differences to, and it is these differences that lead these two warriors and their factions down two very different paths. Also worthy of praise is his son Anduin Wrynn who though he wishes for peace whenever possible, has come to the grim realization that peace is not possible so long as Garrosh maintains the mantle of Warchief and that his actions and plans of conquest are simply unacceptable.

But the best part of this book in my opinion is how Christie portrayed Jaina's reaction to the aftermath of Garrosh's attack on Theramoore. From the sheer shock of seeing a kingdom she had built from scratch as a young woman destroyed by Garrosh's lust for conquest, the sadness from suffering so much loss so suddenly, to the guilt of surviving when so good men and women died, and of course the white hot fury towards Garrosh and his followers for the atrocity they had committed against her people. As a result of the conflict between these dark emotions and her earlier idealism, Jaina finds herself forced to make the ultimate choice as she holds the power to wipe Orgrimmar and the orcs off of the face of Azeroth. One option is a path of destruction and revenge, while the other is the path of justice and the hope for peace.

The one thing which keeps me from rating this novel as a five is the romance contained within the story. Just to be clear though, my problem is NOT with the romance itself or the chosen love interest for Jaina. My problem lies more with how it was portrayed in this novel; with so much high stakes and other drama going on simultaneously, the romance seemed to get in the way of the plot way too much. People who complained about the relationship with Aggra getting in the way back in the Shattering really haven't seen anything until they've read this book.

Ultimately Jaina Proudmoore: Tides of War is a solid entry in the Warcraft lore. Christie Golden shows her skill for writing suspenseful and dramatic story telling, though she may want to work on how she ties in romance elements in the future so they don't interfere too much. 4/5

It was a pretty good read if you're a wow fan, if not I don't really think there would be a lot of point reading this, as it's not particularly unique or creative, it's just a novelization of events that have already happened in the game.

Valuable read for all WOW players. The information in the story sets up the mood for the new expansion, that starts on September 25th. I am a Horde player and the book actually has me wanting to change factions on the game. All non players of WOW may want to start with Golden's previous works and read it like a series.

Quite a good read. Will give you a greater appreciation of the world. If you love the lore of the warcraft series you will love memorable moments that are reflected on. If you know of anyone whose life has changed greatly in recent months this would be a fantastic book for them.

If you want to know, what leads to the total war between Horde and Alliance after the Cataclysm ends, you want to read this book. It draws the basic conflicts between the leaders of the Horde which will be explained in the game and leads to the Siege of Orgrimmar.

I enjoyed this one for what it was. You have a general idea of what to expect in the World of Warcraft books and this one fulfilled my expectations. A fairly well spun tale for fans of the game/lore that details pivotal moments for several prominent characters and sets the stage for even more interesting events to come. Not a literary masterpiece but an exciting lead up to MoP.

I enjoyed this book greatly. Covers the events surrounding the destruction of Theramore, the fate of Kalecgos and the Blue Dragonflight, and the escalating war between the Horde and the Alliance. Good filler between the end of the Cataclysm and the discovery of Pandaria. Definitely worth checking out if you're a fan of the lore of WoW.

This is the 3rd novel I have purchased by her, but read all the Warcraft titles and ill be honest, even reading them out of order there are references that can keep you on some sort of timeline. As an avid player of the game I wish they would keep with that. As with each expansion I hope to see Mrs. Golden continue with her works with the story of Pandaria. Absolutely enjoyed the book.

Jaina Proudmoore: Tides of war is a great book where you really get inside of Jaina's mindset about her struggles with her own father, about her dealings with Thrall the former war chief of the Horde, and finally get to terms with the madness of Garrosh Hellscream.

If you wanna get deeper into the background story of different characters of the MMORPG World of Warcraft. I enjoyed the book very much. People who don't play the game might be a bit lost on some parts since there is a lot of content of the other wow books and the game but I think it's still enjoyable for them. Very well written. I like Christie Golden's writing style a lot

Christie Golden does an excellent job of weaving words together and keeping true to a character's personality during unique situations. As a huge fan of the game and it's lore, she does not disappoint in making it a little more real and easier to get drawn into. I can't wait for her next novel!!!

This book should earn more accolades! It is awesome! Any WoW player will love it! Most of my Horde toons have turned against Garrosh and HIS Horde after I read this book.

Christine Golden is a spectacular author!

I have read several of the Warcraft books and this one is by far the best one that I have read to date. I also love Christie Golden's writing style and it makes you feel like you are right in the story and you are connecting with the characters. I could feel Jaina's hurt and suffering and how she really felt during the whole story. Best book I have ever read.

I haven't read much World of Warcraft (WoW) extended universe fiction since the War of the Ancients trilogy but was interested in Tides of War and I am glad i gave it a try. It's a fun, well written book that does a great job of fleshing out the details of the lore of WoW. I read the book in about a day which is a testament to the fact that i couldn't put it down and would recommend it to anyone who is a fan of the source material. I do knock one star off in the review simply because the book is best enjoyed by those that have a familiarity to the game; characters like Garrosh come off as one dimensional otherwise. If you are a fan of wow, either past and present its worth a read.

This book was excellently written and one of Golden's better novels for World of Warcraft. I laughed, cried, and it made me want more when it was over. It also made me seriously consider playing WoW again, but I don't have the time. If you are into WoW lore, I highly recommend giving this a read.

I cannot think of anything lacking in this book. It was amazing beyond words and it truly captures the mind of Jaina Proudmoore and her role as peacekeeper turned leader in a world engulfed by war. I highly recommend this book to any lore lover.

What can I say? Christie Golden has written yet another outstanding novel in the Warcraft Universe, this time delving deep into the loveable character that is Jaina Proudmoore and she has done so masterfully! Highly recommended!

I should be sleeping, but I've been reading non stop for the past 5 hours. The story was written very well and kept me captivated throughout the entire run. Honestly I can't think of a slow point of the book. I can't wait to read what happens next!

I'll confess that I don't much care for Jaina Proudmoore or Varian Wrynn -- but Christie Golden handles them well and presents both their positive and negative traits in a very sympathetic way. It's a tribute to her skills that she can take the elements about them that I really dislike and balance these elements with personality traits I do like to blend a fairly well-rounded character.

It was easy to guess the overall direction of the plot from Blizzard's content, but the story really does throw in a lot of unusual plot twists that kept me guessing (and turning the pages.) Garrosh is magnificently annoying and his tactics are effective and brutal and Baine and Vol'jin are increasingly trapped in situations where they are expected to approve of things they feel are very wrong. I would have liked a tad more detail about the capture of the Iris and how it was being transported but that lack didn't keep me from enjoying the story. The ending is deftly done and satisfying, wrapping up the plot pieces while not revealing any of the content that will be put into the game in the next month or so.

I've got to admit that Kalecgos really stole my heart! The Blue Dragon Aspect always was a favorite of mine when he appeared in other stories -- and I suspect he might be a favorite of hers, too.

This book was again very well written by Christie Golden. I'm so excited that I got to read it prior to the new expansion coming out (I foolishly read The Shattering AFTER Cataclysm). Thrilled with what happened with Jaina and Kalec not so ok with Rhonin but whaddya gonna do?

It's an OK book, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who isn't into the game or the broader storyline already. It made a very nice supplement to the poorly-explained scenario Blizzard released on the eve of Mists of Pandaria.

I havent read a book in atleast 5 years. This one had me glued to its pages the moment i bought it. As a player, i implore blizzard to enact every change in this book. Beautifully written, fall in love characters, and an ending i just didnt see coming. A must buy for any warcraft loreist or fan.

I really liked this novel. The writing style the author used was so great that i couldn't put the book down until i was done. The story itself is a great tie in between World of Warcraft current expansion Cataclysm and their upcoming one Mist of Pandaria. Thus gives anyone some closure on what has happened in the time between the two expansions. Plus thanks to this book, the characters within World of Warcraft are more realistic to me now. And most important i was able to feel myself part of the story.

Read it you won't be disappointed. :)

It's about time that a female in WOW gets some stand alone lore. It is a very good read. Christie Golden is the perfect author for WOW and Chris Metzen's vision on how the world of Azeroth is coming apart at the seams. One more thing, REMEMBER THERAMORE!!!! FOR THE ALLIANCE....

Being an avid World of Warcraft fan with the game as well as the lore, I have read every book from the Warcraft universe and WoW. Jaina Proudmoore: Tides of War exceeded all my expectations. This is a great book and a must read for any fan.

What a great book that helps lay the foundation for the next expansion of the World of Warcraft universe! Christie Golden once again does an incredible job of telling a gripping tale! Love reading her work!

This story is a great close to the Cataclysm storyline and start into MoP. We finally get to see some change with some of the main characters of the game as well as a great move forward. If you're a lore fan this is a must read.

I've been a big fan of the lore behind World of Warcraft since I actually took the time to dive into it (around the time that they released the Gates of Ahn'Qiraj content patch). I started with the "War of the Ancients" trilogy and couldn't get myself to stop.

Since then, I've been unable to put down either of the books by Richard A. Knaak or Christie Golden. The degree to which they seem to be working with the lore writers at Blizzard is just incredible, and "Tides of War" is no exception.

It's an incredibly quick read that bridges the gap between the conclusion of Cataclysm and gets us prepared for what's to come in Pandaria. It fleshes out the characters of Jaina and Kalecgos in such a way that I'm finding myself substantially more interested in their lore than I had been in the past (even including our experiences with Kalecgos from "Twilight of the Aspects" and the associated in-game lore.

All in all, an awesome read, definitely worth it if you're an avid WoW lore nerd.

If you are a fan of the book and/or the game of world of warcraft, you will love the newest book and preview to Mists of Panderira. The book is well written and gives you a lot of lore with what is going on in WoW.

Christie Golden does an excellent job at finally making Jaina likable. The narrative is tight, some characters that have been terribly static for 8 years finally get some development, and I finally quit hating Jaina, which is a feat in itself. It's not a short read, but I plowed through it in about 8 hours because I couldn't put it down.

Not bad for a book based on an MMORPG. Not for mundanes who don't play WoW, or even fir just casual players, you need to be hardcore, to care enough. But if you do, than this is a nice examination of Jaina, and the ever escalating motioned and cost of war. Garosh Hellscream is a D-Bag (duh), and the Horde in general, comes out a little more of the "bad guy" in this book.

Jaina Proudmoore was a girl who only ever wanted to study. Constantly throughout her life however circumstances forced her into events that required her to step up as a leader and a fighter. First she watched as her adoptive homeland Lordaeron, capitol of the Alliance, was ripped apart by her beloved. Arthas, a man so obsessed with saving Lordaeron that he allowed himself to become everything he fought against and ultimately, the harbinger of its doom. Then she was forced to accept the help of a hated enemy of her people, the Orcish Horde, in order to stop an even greater threat from annihilating them both. It was this latter event that caused her to see the Horde not as the mindless savages that the Alliance had come to see them as. Instead she saw a people fighting desperately for their very survival in a world that rejected them utterly. She held this view so fiercely that she defied and killed her own father, Daelin Proudmoore, when he sought to destroy the Horde utterly and erase every trace of its existence. Jaina from that point on was ever a voice of reason and peace amidst a world ever torn apart by conflict.

Once again however the flow of events forces Jaina out of her comfort zone to put it mildly. Garrosh Hellscream, the newly appointed Warchief of the Horde, envisions a continent utterly under the control of the Horde and no one else. Instead of bearing the the trials and tribulations his people face Garrosh opts in stead to defy them with strength to match. His drive to make a place for his people leads him to go to ever greater lengths in the name of success. No tactic nor strategy is too despicable for Garrosh so long as he emerges victorious in the end. This brings in another facet of the story with the characters Vol'jin and Baine Bloodhoof, leaders of their respective peoples within the Horde. What can one do when you see that everything that you once stood for is thrown out the window, only to be replaced by something despicable and abhorrent to you? For Vol'jin and Baine there is no answer. They want to act desperately but know that they cannot. To defy Garrosh is tantamount to condemning their own people to death. In this a pointed question is asked; is it better to bow one's head and obey or to stand true to your principles even if it means your end?

As for the unfortunate Alliance in Garrosh's way; they need to be stamped out utterly and without mercy in an eery echo of Daelin's views that Jaina fought so hard against. Jaina finds herself directly in Garrosh's warpath, once again facing down the unwillingness of those around her to believe even for one moment that coexistence is possible. Despite this fact Jaina maintains her faith that there can be a lasting peace between the Alliance and the Horde, even if at this point it appears that all of her efforts were pointless. This all comes to an end when Jaina's world comes crashing down around her, both figuratively and literally.

Golden spends some time building up to this climactic event. Even when I knew exactly what was going to happen (Thank you very much WoW forum spoiler threads. >_>) it was nevertheless a heart wrenching moment. I often judge books by how strongly they can make me feel, and this one did a fantastic job. In Jaina's despondent stupor and subsequent anger you truly feel the overwhelming sense of loss. Jaina's beliefs are stricken to the core, and she almost becomes everything she decried, both in her father and in Garrosh.

This book to me very ably tells a story of a woman who must grapple with her own doubts and fears, trying desperately to hold true to herself in the face of overwhelming opposition that mockingly laughs at her every effort. In the face of such adversity, who can truly stand by their principles when all that you hold dear is turned to dust? When all is said and done, Jaina emerges changed irrevocably. She is forced to admit the shortcomings of her ideals and must reconcile with them.

I skipped over the specific details of the story in order to give anyone who is reading this an honest opinion without giving much away. Too often I see reviews that pretty much summarize entire events or facets of the book which sort of ruins the experience of learning about it yourself. While the writing style of this book is a simplistic one, at no point did I feel like my intelligence was being insulted while reading it. It is apparent in the beginning of the book, but after awhile I stopped noticing, so engrossed was I in the story. For any WarCraft fan I would say this is a must read.

I bought this book because it featured Jaina, but as I was reading the early chapters, I found myself wanting to read about the other characters except Jaina. I haven't gotten to the halfway point of the book before I started mutterring about how much I do not care about Jaina's persoanl life. The character felt more 'whinney' than strong. I understand that the character had to be made more human for the trials ahead of the story, but as I was reading, I could not find it in me to care. My fealings got worse once Kaleco was added and the author started given hints of a budding relationship. To me, Jaina had more life to her when she was seeking revenge - which I felt she gave up on it a little too easy. Vo'jin, Baine, Hellscream, Sylvanas - that side of the story was more interesting than the main character.

This is a great book, by any standard. The characters are well developed and you genuinely care about what happens to them. As someone who devours every bit of Warcraft lore that I can find, I thought this book did a great job of connecting Cataclysm and Mists of Pandaria. We get to see how truly evil Garrosh has become, even as a Horde player I now look forward to seeing that guy die. Kalecgos and Jaina are both very interesting characters and both of their stories are great.

I don't want to give away any actual details, I'll just say that as a WoW player, getting more insight into how characters think and behave by reading about them is always a pleasure, and this book delivered. If you enjoy the WoW lore this book is definitely worth picking up.

I'll start by saying that I don't often read fiction but I do like playing WoW. I have tried to read fiction in the past, but I lose interest and never finish. This book surprised me in that I read it to cover to cover, and that happens rarely with me and fiction.

Slight spoilers ahead that anyone who has played the game or learned anything about this book already knows. I won't go into any sort of specific details, just referencing the event itself.

As you all know, a weapon of mass destruction is used in this book and the author then just uses every vile term she can to describe it and the leader who made the choice to use it. About half the book felt like somebody's opinion on America nuking Japan. It was militarily sound to nuke Japan at the time, and the choice of using a similar weapon in the book was also militarily sound and very strategic since it involved killing off several very big threats and removing an enemy city without much loss of life on his side.

If you could simply remove the second and third quarters of the book, you'd have a very short, but much better book. The second and third quarters were nothing except "OMG he's the devil for using that! We totally never ever would have done that in a million years because we are inherintly more good than they are!"

(NO SPOILERS)

First and foremost: I like some of Christie Golden's books, like Arthas and Rise of the Horde. But I'm sorry, this one isn't like the others.
Lose ends; a bad end; more dragons (we had enough of this in my opinion); the fact that you have to conclude that the horde is ruled only by the orcs. What they and their Warchief wants, the other races will have to agree, even if they disagree; time and distance being irrelevant to the story goes ahead; one more too powerfull artifac, etc. It was a disappointment.

(SPOILERS BELOW)

Where the hell is Blizzard's speech about Jaina becoming a warmonger?! In the end she refrains herself from doing to the horde exactly the same they did to her. Ok. This is not the problem. The problem is 1) She now is a member of the Kirin Tor, which is neutral; 2) The writer softens her attitude in the midle of the book by insinuating that we can blame the magical efects from the explosion. And 3) She starts to say that war is the way at least while Garrosh is in charge. Which means that, when people dethrone him, she wont ask for war again.

How Garrosh fought and killed 5 dragons at the beginning of the book?

How Garrosh, like a magician pulling a rabbit out of the hat, could control several krakens?

Thrall dont even try to go to Orgrimar talk to his people and to Garrosh to stop what they are doing. Jaina wont destroy Ogrimar anymore? Ok. Problem solved. Let me go back to Agra.

And the romance between her and Kalec. I knew you yesterday and you are handsome and charming. Opps! Theramore destroyed. I'M SUPER ANGRY!!! And YOUR imcompetence in keeping the artifact safe is part of the cause. Hmmm... thinking well, I dont want to be like Arthas. Ok. I'm not upset anymore. So, I can be in love with you again.

I have waiting impatiently to read this book. Ever since I was introduced to Jaina Proudmoore in "Wrath of the Lich King", I have been wanting to read her story. She has played a key role in many of the other books since then, but she has not really been a focus of anything. They were more like to teasers for what's to come. I like how it only briefly goes over events that had happened in the past (but in her perspective) in the form of flash backs and also when she tells discusses those events with other characters. It keeps it from feeling like it is just droning on and on about but helps refresh the memory as the plot continues to progress. I enjoyed the relationship development between her and Kalec. I thought it progressed a little faster than I had expected, especially seeing as how he is a dragon and she is human. However, since everyone had more pressing matters to deal with, what with the missing artifact and the war brewing up I suppose it's understandable.
I have always been a huge fan of Thrall. I cheered when he found his life mate. However, I have been rather disappointed with the changes that he has undergone. I no longer feel like it is the same character that I first fell for. I was also rather perturbed that he was pretty much out of the story until the end where he drops in, Super Man style, and helps to save the day. Although I understand his need to help repair the elements of Azeroth, I feel that he has really neglected the races of that world. What's the point of saving the world if everyone slaughters each other in the meantime. There really should be some way to balance the two needs.
Just a heads up to anyone that may be a softy like me, there were numerous emotional parts that caused me to cry. I think this will be a hard one to top.

Playing on themes that sure to be explored in the upcoming World of Warcraft expansion game World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria, in this novel Christie Golden has done a very good job illustrating the events that precede the return to all out war between the Horde and Alliance.

***Minor Spoilers Throughout***

Good stuff...

It should be no surprise that the Jaina Proudmoore that we've come to know is forever changed due to the events that transpire in this book. Golden does an outstanding job in transforming Jaina from determined peace-broker to deeply wounded soldier, and back to a more stable, but emotionally scarred leader.

The emotional roller-coaster that Jaina takes in the last hundred or so pages of the book feels authentic and is genuinely moving at times. The suffering is well conveyed and Jaina has never felt more 'real' than in this book. Where she finds herself at the end of the novel is entirely believable and satisfying.

Thrall is incredibly frustrating, in a good way. Like Jaina, I often wanted to smack him and force him to confront how his decisions and inaction are allowing events to unfold as they do. As it is though, Thrall feels he has a higher calling to attend to before he can come back down into the messiness with the rest of Azeroth's mortal races.

Garrosh comes off as a master tactician and brilliant strategist. It might seem a like he's getting a little too much help from the author at times, but it's still 'fun' to watch his plan unfold. By the end of the novel it's quite clear that he is in a league all his own when it comes to making war and it will take quite a bit of skill and luck to stop him.

I enjoyed the melancholy resolution to the story of the Blue Dragon Flight after the events that happened in World of Warcraft: Cataclysm. It's a fitting end to that chapter in the race's history.

Garrosh rules by equal parts inspiration and fear. It's understandable that even those members of the Horde who plot against him are afraid to jeopardize themselves or their people by openly opposing him. Though how long that fear will keep them in check is a question to be answered I'm sure.

So-so stuff...

Making new romances feel authentic in novels, especially novels as short as this one, is not always easy. The relationship between Kalcegos and Jaina goes from budding to blossoming a bit too quickly. I'll grant that it's believable that each would find the other attractive, however the romance is too telegraphed and it's not in any way surprising that this relationship will prove vital to events at the end of the book. The Jaina and Kalcegos' romance ends up feeling like a means to an end.

In World of Warcraft: The Shattering: Book One of Cataclysm, Golden did a good job elevating Garrosh Hellscream from an easy to dislike bad guy, to a difficult to like but more textured person. Unfortunately in this novel Garrosh once again becomes a one-dimensional, mustachioed twirling villain. Which is too bad because as a reader it would have been more interesting to detest what Garrosh does while at the same time having perhaps some sympathy for him and the underlying reasons for his decisions. As it is, he seems motivated entirely by vanity, power, and desire for conquest. It's just too easy to hate him.

Thoughts, etc...

Baine Bloodhoof is becoming one of the more interesting character in the WoW universe.

Can we please get Golden to do a full-length novel dedicated to Vol'jin?

The Horde are just so much more interesting to read about than the Alliance. If I were new player coming to WoW from the novels, there's no doubt which faction I'd choose.

In case it isn't already obvious, I thought this was a great read and an easy recommendation for any WoW fan.

I love this book. Jaina wasn't one of my favorite characters, but this book help me to understand her better. I stop playing wow for a while, so it was very helpful to know what happen between Cata and Mist of Pandaria expansion.

I really enjoy the narrative. Also, if you are a sensible person I really advice you to read it with a box of tissues.

Never before have I listened to a story that stirred my heart and made me so enthralled by the characters. While I play the online MMO as a gamer, Listening to the audiobooks by this author immerse me into the lore and personalities of the characters in such a way that I want to be a part of their world even more.
Christie Golden portrays the characters of this book with such realism and emotion, that I actually found myself choking up during the telling of the story. You feel the pain, the loss, the sadness, but also the hope and desire to fight back against the evil brought by the antagonist of this story. It makes you want to fight alongside these heroes, share their victory and mourn with them at their losses.
I not only recommend this book, but would read it over and over again, as well as many others by this author, just to feel those wonderful feelings and feel a part of the fictional characters of Azeroth.

I usually love Golden's Warcraft novels, and I liked the story in this one, but some things "rubbed me the wrong way" while reading this one, so to speak. First was Jaina. She's annoying and whiny in the first half of the book, and then angry and homicidal in the latter half - neither version quite "fits" with the Jaina character as she has been developed in past books in my opinion. Although, at least when she is homicidal she is finally a little interesting.

More importantly, we have a love story AGAIN. Lately we seem unable to have a book without a love story in this universe. Love stories are great, but do we need one every time? When they are established love stories in the lore, like Jaina and Arthas were, it's one thing. When it's a new story randomly jammed into the plot, its another. Are they unable to come up with an interesting enough plot to sustain a story without one? Honestly, I felt the plot in this book was interesting enough and didn't need the sub plot of a romance to sustain it. At this point it feels like the Warcraft books are falling into a pre-written foil that the author just fills in to complete a new book. Let's see some more originality.

Along the same lines, what is going on with the naive Anduin? He seems more child like and naive in this novel than in the previous novels, and it makes for some discontinuity, not to mention it makes it hard to identify with his character.

Similarly to the love story complaint, why do we beat the same themes to death? I understand we want continuity in the story, and that we want the Horde and Alliance to continue having tension and that there will continue to be new bad guys who will share similarities, but the novels are really starting to run together. Insert love story, insert new bad guy, escalate tensions between the horde and alliance, insert speeches by Jaiana, Thrall, and/or Anduin about peace.

It was a good underlying story, and I enjoyed the book, but I really feel the novels are starting to run together and lose any originality whatsoever. I am not expecting a whole lot from these novels, but I do think it's reasonable to expect some originality.

Another excellent book that expands the Warcraft story beyond the actual game in leaps and bounds. It's an easy read - it took me about a day to get through it - but I enjoyed every moment of it. There were times I found myself screaming at my book (what Gorrash did to Theramore was unspeakable) and there were times were I found myself tearing up (poor Jaina... :-( ). I'm going to have a hard time playing my Horde toons after reading this book - it's difficult to back a leader, even a fiction one, after witnessing that horror.

As I read this book, I couldn't help but find myself drawing correlations between the book and real life, especially when it comes that fine line between revenge and senseless murder. It's always a good sign when a book makes you think beyond the realm of the book and learn a lesson or two in the process.

This is not Christie Golden's finest work. It's not a terrible book, don't get me wrong. The main issue I had with Tides was the pace. It's just an extremely slow moving novel. This is made worse by the fact that there is a war going on that seems to be taking forever. I also felt kind of detached from the characters this go around. I couldn't make a connection with Jaina, Garrosh, or Kalecgos, even though they were central to the story. I did enjoy all of the Baine Bloodhoof segments, however, and I found myself looking forward to those more than any other parts. It's worth checking out if you want to keep up with what's going on in World of Warcraft, but as a stand-alone work, it's kind of flat.

The books take the story from the game to another level with the in depth detail and dialouge between characters you would think nothing of while playing WoW. If you're a fan of the game, you'll enjoy this book and might just enjoy the game more.

Well written with something for everyone. (unless you are a fan of Garrosh because he is really an ass in this story.) It helps to clarify how the Alliance and Horde will end up finding Pandaria and why they will be battling when they do. I like the edge Jaina has at the end of the book and I am glad she is finished brooding over the man who did her wrong (Arthas) and the one she can't have (Thrall). It was an easy read. (I read it straight through in under 2 hours.) It made me more excited for MoP and made me hope that the story will carry on in this expansion of the game. I like that it is written so that readers can follow all the major players (Jaina, Baine, Vol'jin, Varian, Kalecgos, etc.)

When I read it a while back, I did not expect much from it, I just pictured going-ons with Lady Jaina Proudmoore. Instead, I saw great talent from Christie Golden (it was my first Golden book!) as well as good lore (story) to it! I most definitely did not expect the blue Dragon Aspect of Magic, Kalecgos, nor much of a narration of Baine Bloodhoof, Vol'jin (a personal favorite!), or even Garrosh Hellscream. This is surely a must-read for all Word of Warcraft fans and/or players! ;D

I read a few pages so far as I got this book to take on vacation, From what I have read this is a good book and cant wait to finish it. Now I just need to get the rest in the right order to dive deeper into the lore of World of Warcraft.

This was the very first Warcraft novel I ever read, front cover to back cover. I absolutely fell in love with Jaina's character during this book, as well as throughout Mists of Pandaria. Although the bombing of Theramore was tragic, speaking as one who has played Alliance since the Burning Crusade expansion, Jaina really pulls you into the story. It shows her peaceful self, then becomes this frickin' badass who wants revenge. I loved it!

This is my fourth WoW novel that I have read. The others were the Well of Eternity Trilogy. I have liked all of them so far. I wanted to read this novel so I would have some background knowledge of the events before the new expansion comes out. I found this book to be relatively fast paced. It starts out a bit slow, but the ending is strong. This book takes place after the fall of Deathwing, but before the Pandarians are discovered. Other reviews have more in-depth critiques, but I hate spoilers. Overall, it was a great read, and if you are a fan of the lore behind WoW, you won't be disappointed.

not too shabby for an EU novel. the overall plot is fine, but the writing was not great--especially for a universe that is already so vivid because of the excellent games. Some parts felt wooden and lifeless.

While the story as a whole could have been a great story, Christie Golding's writing has gone down dramatically over the last few books. She takes characters on extreme and unbelievable character changes. Thrall in the Shattering's transition was abrupt and not remotely believable, and she has done the same thing again with Jaina here. I find my excitement over the World of Warcraft story dwindling as she releases more books with her pathetic attempts at telling a story. I would urge any true fan to save themselves the torture and read every WoW book there is except the ones written by her.

After reading 3 novels by Christie Golden, I can't stand her as an author. Between her constant repetition of repeating the same stuff every single chapter as to what the characters are feeling and the unconvincing love story between jaina and the blue dragon flight leader...I could barely stomach to finish this book.

The Shattering had the same problem...horrible story evolution.

Arthas was ok but could have been sooo much better and climatic. Total let down with that book.