World of Warcraft: Jaina Proudmoore: Tides of War
Prince Anduin continues his education in the Exodar with Velen and the draenei — in continuity with the Leader Short Stories: “Velen: Prophet’s Lesson” by Marc Hutcheson.
Kalecgos and the blue dragonflight continue to regret Malygos’ demise, the Nexus War and the Hour of Twilight which is their responsibility due to Arygos’ betrayal and the use of the Focusing Iris to give life to Chromatus — as seen in World of Warcraft: Thrall: Twilight of the Aspects
Garrosh Hellscream recently set a plan in motion to invade Ashenvale — in the pages of World of Warcraft: Wolfheart
Players have experienced this war in-game in the Cataclysm expansion’s low-level quests.
Garrosh has learned from his mistakes and came up with a master plan to now not only invade Ashenvale, but to take the entire Kalimdor continent for the Horde.
Christie Golden fully benefits from her years of hands-on experience playing World of Warcraft. She is played up to level 75, but still has plenty of material to work with. She used elements from each expansion to add to continuity. Garrosh uses elements from questlines seen in Terrokar Forest (Burning Crusade), Vash’jir (Cataclysm), Coldarra (Wrath of the Lich King) and fused them to mastermind Garrosh’s ultimate plan.
Tides of War is an epic battle between the Alliance and the Horde — rated M, with all the violence, blood and gore.
I was literally surprised by the large amount of characters that either take center stage in the story, or make a cameo. It shows Christie Golden and the Blizzard Creative Team worked really hard with each character that appears in the story and to keep track of continuity.
I’m still unsure about two characters who made a cameo, as they were supposed to be dead long ago, but in general I counted at least 84 characters. Some are established known NPCs who make a cameo, others were created by Christie Golden as they don’t even show up in WoWHead, and few are merely mentioned (i.e. Arthas and Admiral Daelin Proudmoore).
The story mainly focus on the point of view of Warchief Garrosh Hellscream, High-Chieftain Baine Bloodhoof, Lady Jaina Proudmoore, and Kalecgos the blue dragon. Supporting characters who get some relevant screen time in certain chapters are King Varian Wrynn and Thrall.
It’s no longer a spoiler to mention the focus of this book is to lay the groundwork for the destruction of Theramore — coming up in Patch 5.0.4 on August 28th.
This heinous crime is the trigger that starts the war that eventually causes the Alliance and the Horde naval fleets to get stranded within the Mists of Pandaria.
Thus, Tides of War novel serves as a prequel to the events of the upcoming World of Warcraft MMO expansion pack, which is expected to launch in September 25th.
Many changes are to come in the expansion, and I am not truly convinced some of these changes are currently seen in beta servers.
Not only Theramore, which will now become a crater, but even Dalaran might have some changes as well. Significant ones.
The events set in this novel will change Jaina Proudmoore in ways we have never expected, that will put her down the path of hatred and revenge her father Admiral Daelin Proudmoore and her former lover Prince Arthas walked. Will she come to her senses, or seek to return the atrocities of the Horde back at them in kind?
Whichever path she chooses, it will certainly change her forever.
I finished reading the novel. It shook me to the core at an emotion level no other Warcraft novel has at this magnitude. There will be countless loses of life — NPCs we have interacted with since 2004, and characters some players have grown fond with in past Warcraft novels.
I definitely recommend hardcore lore fans to pick up, and read World of Warcraft: Jaina Proudmoore: Tides of War
Got questions for Christie Golden? Blizzplanet’s Eldorian will have a live phone interview with Christie Golden on Wednesday, August 22. Share your questions for her here.
More comprehensive spoilers here.
Non-spoiler reviews and interviews by other fansites:
So, what’s the deal with Pained?
And I’m glad that Jaina wasn’t paired up with Varian.
Not really much. After the Battle of Mt. Hyjal in Warcraft III, Pained was assigned by Tyrande to be Jaina’s bodyguard. She was never relieved from this charge, so she continued her duty. Seems she grow fond of Jaina, and her friendship. Loyal to the end.
Ugh.. Pass. I don’t like the rumoured forced shipping of a certian dragon with a certian mage. Thought the Sunwell, while he already has a girl, was enough. Seems he wants to have a harem and now that certian mage is just that “other girl”. Real disgrace to her character, real disgrace.