Customer Reviews

Warcraft: Day of the Dragon

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

It's been awhile since I've read this book but it's still fresh in my mind. I remember all the great battles and many of the little things that one would pick up throughout the novel. I've read a few of Knaak's other books and this is definitely up to par with those. There are a couple of things that you would have had to play the game to understand but overall most of the story is new to Warcraft. For those of you that don't know, Warcraft is a role playing game for the PC. It takes place in a fantasy world of men, wizards, elves, and dwarves.
The book kept me reading to the end. Everyday I would bring it to class and every chance I got I would read it. I just couldn't put this book down. I recommend this book to anyone who likes a good fantasy novel. If you've played the game then you should definitely read this book. It expands on everything that was built up in the game and even makes up some new stuff as well. I guarantee that as soon as you get a couple chapters into this book you will not want to put it down.

It may make you a little lost in the first one third of the book, but it turns out really really nice plot. Can't miss it.

As a long time fan of the Warcraft games, ever since its humble beginnings in the early 90's, I have often wondered about the battles that you do not hear about or participate in during the game. Day of the Dragon is an excellent story set in the final days of the Second War, after the tremendous victory of the Alliance over the Horde.

I found this book impossible to put down. Normally, a book based on a video game would be received as silly and pointless. Not so with Day of the Dragon. The Warcraft saga itself has a huge, detailed story, which has always been the backbone of the games. Bringing the story to novel form not only proves to be a great idea, but a huge success as well. I felt strongly for the characters in this book, and everytime I told myself that I was going to read 'just a few more pages', I ended up spending another hour tearing through the book.

True fans of Warcraft have always appreciated the deep story, and Day of the Dragon delivers. When the Second War ends, the Alliance forces begin to round up the last of the Orcs. However, internal struggles within the Alliance lead to border disputes and even the threat of war between the once allied nations. When a mysterious individual befriends noble King Terenas of Lordaeron, he is chosen to be the new leader of Alterac, a nation that betrayed and was ultimately subjugated by the Alliance during the height of the second war.

The Kirin Tor of Dalaran is alarmed that they have not been informed about this, and yet a bigger threat still remains. The Dragonmaw clan still maintains control over the once free and noble Dragons. The conclave of mages selects a young, trouble-making yet resourceful wizard named Rhonin to look into this matter, accompanied by a beautiful and devoted elven ranger. Along the way, they will make new allies, and face new enemies...as well as a terrifying nemesis thought killed during the second war.

This book kept me reading from beginning to end. The author's storytelling is superb and all of the facts in the book are true to Warcraft lore. There were virtually no inconsistencies, and the descriptive imagery strongly reminded me of the Warcraft games, and I was able to picture all of the events with ease. My only gripe is that the ending seemed a little rushed, as if the author realized he was running out of time or nearing his limit and had to close several of the loose ends rather quickly. Otherwise, the shocking twists and surprises in this book, combined with the excellent action sequences and engaging dialogue make this a great read for any true Warcraft fan. I recommend this strongly to those versed in Warcraft lore however, since those unfamiliar with the games may find the read too confusing or difficult, with many questions that onlyWarcraft veterans would know. Otherwise, this is probably one of the best books i've read in a while.

I was very hesitant to buy a book based on a video game (even a great one), since that seems a little too exploitative for me, but once I saw this author's name on the cover I gave it a shot. I was very happy with this book. As usual Knaak weaves a world of wonder where I care about the characters and the action is entertaining. In case you don't know this guy, he wrote "The Legend of Huma" among other things.

Sorry I can't provide more details, I read this book about a year ago, but I fully plan on reading it again in another year.

I tend to write sometimes, too, and I was almost fascinated by the book. First of all, although the basic outline of he story is ordinary (forgotten hero goes on a quest and succeeds), and branches that come out of it are not. In other words, this book is pretty much original. And I know how it is to write an original book when writing fantasy.

Besides the originality, Knaak's descriptions are awesome. I wish I could have his talent of description. Although later on the book, those descriptions slowly became more and more repetitive, he still managed not to repeat himself too much, which is my constant problem (I like describing stuff, but I always do it the same way over and over again).

The story itself was very gripping, and I was never bored, not even in the very beginning, so I read it whenever I could spare time. The only boring part was the ending. I mean, how much sweeter can you get. It's basically, the complete destruction of evil or something. Complete victory. It annoyed me a little.

As for the rest, the book is awesome. I reccomend that you read it, even if you've never played the game - Knaak tells you everything you need to know.

It's been 3 years since I played the game and when I saw it at the store I was a tade skeptical. However when I read it I remember why I used to play the mage its all here, from elves to orcs and from Paladins to Goblins. A totally enjoyable read.

This is a great book, but it's not the best though. Although it talks about a lot of Warcraft in general (which is great), I wish there was more action. True, there was some great action that was seen in a few fights, but I wanted more. However, Richard Knaak did a great job describing the events and characters, giving the characters their own persona and making them stand out, including the orcs as well.

Give this book a try when you can!

WarCraft #1 is a great book on my terms. It wasn't quite what I expected in that it wasn't based on any of the missions of the game like the book StarCtaft. It was also more than I expected because the story line and the novel it self is written to the max. It was great!

I approached Day of the Dragon doubting that the book would be that great, so reading it was a pleasant shock. I expected to find a rather generic fantasy plot, (but it was Warcraft, and so I was seized with a mad curiosity.) Knaak brought some new ideas to the realm of Azeroth, but I think they fit in well. I will not accept all of them as concrete Warcraft lore, but that is because it is my favorite game and I formulated many opinions about the world while I was still playing it. The plot was much more involving than I expected, and it kept me glued to the book better than many books I have read recently. The story was also more complex and intriguing than I had hoped, although it started deceptively simple, and looked like it was going to contain an abundance of cliches. (Most of which were eventually avoided with plot twists.) I recommend dragging out the old Warcraft manual with the maps before you start reading. The book draws heavily on your knowledge of the individual kingdoms, but it provides no map to help those who do not have their own. Also, I think it might have been better off without any sort of "love" between the main characters, but that is nitpicking (plus it has been covered by previous reviews...) I recommend this book to any avid Warcraft fans; I doubt very much that you will be disappointed. It is enjoyable on its own as well, and not knowing much about the game should not hinder your understanding of what is going on.

"This sort of book is not an easy thing to write; trust me, I know (I wrote Diablo: Demonsbane). However, Richard Knaak has done an excellent job.

"The story takes place shortly before the battle of Khaz Modan in the second game. A young wizard is sent out on a secret mission to free the Dragonqueen from the Orcs. However, he soon discovers that almost nothing is as it appears.

"The book only suffers from two difficulties. The first is the lack of a map, which sometimes makes the background a bit hard to follow. The second is that in the opening chapters Knaak has far more exposition than action, revealing a great deal about the history of the world, but not advancing the plot in the process.

"Once the exposition is over, however, the plot moves along quite quickly. The characters are engaging, and Knaak manages to bring the world to life.

"Definitely worth reading; 4/5."

Robert B. Marks, 01/29/01