While the last week has been hard for Blizzard in terms of Warcraft 3: Reforged launch, the life in Azeroth did not stop. Valiant heroes of the Alliance and brave champions of the Horde have taken the battle for Azeroth into the lair of Old God N’zoth, the Waking City of Ny’alotha. Following many epic fights, the minions of the aberration, as well as N’zoth himself, have been vanquished by Limit on the Mythic difficulty. Below you can find one of the reactions of the team to snatching this achievement from Method (Warning: LOUD!). Check out Wowhead’s page to see other players’ reactions.
Over the last month, fans noticed three new books appearing around the Net, each promising a new adventure in various corners (and timelines) of Azeroth. Let’s check out what little we know:
World of Warcraft: Exploring Azeroth: The Eastern Kingdoms by Christie Golden
For over a quarter of a century, players of Warcraft and World of Warcraft have been treated to a treasure trove of artifacts, gear, weaponry, and trinkets of both awe and amusement. Now players can get an in-depth look at the items they have collected…and some they might not have just yet. With exquisite art and a framing story involving the no-nonsense Matthias Shaw and high-spirited Captain Flynn Fairwind, this book covers the continent of the Eastern Kingdom, from Stormwind to Stranglethorn, plaguelands to palaces, and all the lands in between.
Mathias Shaw, the leader of Stormwind’s spy organization SI:7, has been a big presence in the War Campaign on the Alliance side. Captain Flynn Fairwind had helped Alliance players to escape the prison of Tol Dagor, offered his invaluable aid throughout the leveling across Kul Tiras and helped out during the War Campaign in Zandalar. What kind of adventures can the two find across The Eastern Kingdoms? What locations will they visit? Will we see any of the legendary artifacts get a deeper story through this new exploration book? Stay tuned to find out!
With the peculiar title of the book, it is possible we might get to see Exploring Azeroth: Kalimdor or Pandaria or other iconic locations at a later point, perhaps featuring a different cast of characters.
World of Warcraft: Illustrated by Christie Golden
Enter the fantastical world of the Alliance and the Horde with these two World of Warcraft stories by Christie Golden. Learn about the Orc Thrall’s rise to power in Lord of the Clans, and then follow him through the history of how the Horde came to be in Rise of the Horde. This beautifully bound book is a must-have for any World of Warcraft fan and will be a treasured addition to any gaming library.
It is intriguing that the events of the two stories featured in the book take place in a not-so-distant path if we consider the timeline of World of Warcraft. Both Lord of the Clans and Rise of the Horde happen not only before World of Warcraft timeline but also that of Warcraft 3. What is the sudden urge to detail events unrelated to those of the current expansion or the next one, Battle for Azeroth & Shadowlands respectively? We’ll keep you posted as more information is revealed.
World of Warcraft: Shadows Rising by Madeleine Roux
Shadows Rising is the prequel novel for the upcoming expansion Shadowlands, acting as the bridge between the current events and those of the pre-event/next expansion, similar to those of War Crimes (Mists of Pandaria -> Warlords of Draenor) and Before the Storm (Legion -> BfA) by Christie Golden. Madeleine Roux is the author of the recently released third book in the Traveler cycle, The Shining Blade. You can find an excerpt from the upcoming novel at Blizzard Watch.
“The Horde is nothing!” With those infamous words, Sylvanas Windrunner betrayed and abandoned the Horde she vowed to serve. The Dark Lady and her forces now work in the shadows as both the Horde and Alliance race to uncover her next move, including her own sister, Alleria. Struggling to shoulder the crushing weight of leadership, King Anduin entrusts the void elf and High Exarch Turalyon to uncover Sylvanas’s whereabouts.
The Horde now stands at a crossroads. The various factions form a council, leaving the mantle of warchief to rest. Thrall, Lor’themar Theron, Baine Bloodhoof, First Arcanist Thalyssra, and many other familiar faces rise to this new challenge. But the threats are numerous, and the distrust runs too deep.
When the council is derailed by a failed assassination attempt on Talanji, the Zandalari queen and a key ally, Thrall and the rest of the Horde leaders are forced into action. They empower the young troll shaman Zekhan, still grieving the loss of Varok Saurfang, with a critical mission to aid Talanji and help uncover the rising threat against her.
Meanwhile, Nathanos Blightcaller and Sira Moonwarden have been tasked by the Dark Lady with a terrifying gambit: to kill the troll loa of death himself, Bwonsamdi.
As Zekhan and Talanji work to save Bwonsamdi, their journey will be a key turning point in bolstering the Horde against the coming darkness and finding themselves along the way. Failure to save their allies and the trickster god will surely doom the Horde, but through success, they may rediscover what makes the Horde strong.
Check out the author’s Twitter for some jokes about the upcoming book.
