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Warcraft: Day of the Dragon (No.1) |  | Author: Richard A. Knaak
Publisher: World Wrestling Entertainment
Category: eBooks
This item is no longer available
Rating:  36 reviews
Sales Rank: 6293
Format: Kindle Book
Media: Kindle Edition
Pages: 384
Number Of Items: 1
Dewey Decimal Number: 813
ASIN: B000FBJHTY
Publication Date: January 30, 2001
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Product Description
In the mist-shrouded haze of the past, the world of Azeroth teemed with wondrous creatures of every kind. Mysterious Elves and hardy Dwarves walked among tribes of man in relative peace and harmony -- until the arrival of the demonic army known as Burning Legion shattered the world's tranquility forever. Now Orcs, Dragons, Goblins, and Trolls all vie for supremacy over the scattered, warring kingdoms -- part of a grand, malevolent scheme that will determine the fate of the world of WarCraft A terrifying upheaval among the highest ranks of the world's Wizards sends the maverick Mage, Rhonin, on a perilous journey into the Orc-controlled lands of Khaz Modan. What Rhonin uncovers is a vast, far-reaching conspiracy, darker than anything he ever imagined -- a threat that will force him into a dangerous alliance with ancient creatures of air and Þre if the world of Azeroth is to see another dawn.
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Showing reviews 1-5 of 36
 Great technically, but couldn't really hold my interest June 4, 2010
C. Good (North-Central Montana, U.S.A.)
_Day of the Dragon_ by Richard Knaak is a World of Warcraft novel, set in the world shown in the various Warcraft games. It is mainly about the human mage Rhonin and the night elf ranger Vereesa on a mission in Khaz Modan. Since Khaz Modan is quite a ways away from where they start, most of the book is about their travels to get there. There are also a couple of side plots, one about a minor noble names Prestor who is a confidant of a king feuding with other kings, and another side plot about a mage Krasus who is keeping secrets from just about everyone.
Technically the book is great, but somehow it never really impressed me.
Part of it is all the secondary characters seem to be caricatures more than characters, limited carboard-cutouts there to move the story along. Take Duncan, for instance: Duncan is a senior paladin in the Order of the Silver Hand, he doesn't like mages, and he thinks Vereesa is wonderful, although we never find out if any of the adoration is for her martial prowess (and Vereesa is an excellent swordswoman and archer) or if he's just smitten with her exotic good looks. And . . . that's about it. Duncan travels with them for a couple of chapters and is one of the more detailed secondary characters encountered in the book, and that's still about as much as we know about him at the end. Other secondary characters are even less finely drawn.
I realize there can't be a full character biography for every single character the reader encounters, but I've read lots of other novels with much more detailed and memorable character descriptions that are about the same length as this one.
Even when we do spend a long time with a character and get to know their motivations, there's still a feeling of something missing. Duncan hates any magic users besides paladins (and maybe clerics) because he's a paladin in the Order of the Silver Hand and they don't like magic. Khryll is sneaky and is ultimately seeking revenge, assuming he doesn't get killed first by all the masters he's serving and double-crossing. Nekros is a lamed orc who's good with warlock magic and who figured out how to use a talisman to control dragons; he one day dreams of being a high-ranking leader in the orc clans.
It's only with a few characters that we begin to see anything like ideals or a more detailed past history -- Krasus is driven by love of one who was captured by enemies long ago and who he still desperately hopes to free. Malygos is partially insane from the loss of his mates and children at the hand of one he defended. Rhonin is a bit unconventional and impulsive but loves magic, is actually very talented at it, and is still wracked by guilt from the deaths of the rest of his traveling companions in a previous mission. Alexstrasza hates the people who captured her and especially the warlock who controls her and constantly seeks for ways to kill him in return for all her children he's sent to their deaths.
The parts of the book that were a joy to read were the parts that dealt directly with the characters who were well-drawn. But most of the rest of the book was really hard to get into.
And why was it written like the intended audience was 12-year-old boys??? Rhonin and Vereesa do *not* hit it off well at their first meeting but are stuck together (she has been given a mission to escort him to Khaz Modan) but during the multiple times they are split up each keeps trying to find the other. But always while "not examining their feelings too closely" about the other person. Why? Clear thinking and mental discipline is needed for both physical fighting and casting magic, and clear thinking and mental discipline include being aware of your own mental state. Maybe you're attracted to someone but don't want to show it, or feel silly doing so. There actually are a few times when Rhonin admits to himself he doesn't want Duncan along to moon after Vereesa some more, and he wants to find a solution to a problem before Duncan does. But there's multiple times when Rhonin or Vereesa are search for each other, all while "not wanting to examine their feelings for the other person too closely". Why the primness about two characters who are attracted to each other?
And last but not least, why the incredibly complicated plot to destabilize the Alliance kingdoms and isolate the Kirin Tor? The person trying to tear apart the Alliance can mind control people. Why not just mind control one king into attacking another's kingdom? Or mind control a bunch of them into attacking the Kirin Tor and then attacking each other? Why instead of that is there this long convoluted plot that will take years to bring to fruition?
Not bad. I enjoyed it. June 2, 2010
K. McMillan (California)
I have read all of the WoW books I could get my hands on... and I have enjoyed almost all of them. This one was fun and a nice brainless read. I think I liked most WoW books so much because I spent 5 years of my life playing the game. Now, I'd rather read the lore than play so I find the novels a fun break from some of the more serious reading I do.
I highly recommend reading this book in the correct order in the series to really know what the heck is going on... there's a lot of time jumping around...
 Amazing Book December 7, 2009
J. D. Banks (Denver, CO)
This book definitely starts off a bit slow, introduction of characters and scenery, but it's worth it! I've never read a Fantasy/Sci-Fi book that's had this many twists, it's all quite addicting as well as interesting. If you've played any of the Warcraft series games or even World of Warcraft, you'll be familiar with quite a few of the areas where occurrences take place.
An important-ish note would be that this author writes from several different perspectives, which is new to me, but you get used to it and in fact I've found that it makes reading more enjoyable!
For the price, get it ;)
World of Warcraft: Day of the Dragon November 30, 2009
Leeanna Chetsko (OH, USA)
World of Warcraft: Day of the Dragon, by Richard A. Knaak
"Day of the Dragon" was the first book to be written in the Warcraft game universe. But while it is based on a game series, the book is practically a work of original fiction with hints of the story coming from the game. Knaak took the setting, characters, and events from the Warcraft universe and constructed them into an enjoyable, readable novel.
Although it is helpful to have some familiarity with Warcraft, such knowledge is not needed to understand the background of the book. Knaak spends some time in the beginning setting up the scene for unfamiliar readers, and refreshing it for those who have played the real time strategy game. I believe that he is the one who took the dragons in Warcraft and really fleshed them out; he has a very good touch with the behemoths. Their splashes of egotism combined with unique personalities make them seem more powerful than the "regular" inhabitants of Azeroth; you can easily see them meddling in mundane affairs, thinking they are doing the right thing.
The main story of "Day of the Dragon" consists of Rhonin, a mage, being sent on an observation mission into orc-held territory. He believes it is a chance to redeem himself for his previous adventure, one that went disastrously wrong. But his chance quickly turns into much more, as he is actually the pawn of two dragons who are each attempting to guide him into fulfilling their own devious plans.
Novels based on games can be very, very weak - usually only enjoyed by hardcore fans. But "Day of the Dragon," while set in the Warcraft universe, is much more than simple tie-in fiction. Knaak pens a memorable book, one that kept me reading long past my bedtime, as I kept reading "just one more page" to see what would happen next. The plot is ace, the characters are people you want to know more about and you want to see them succeed, and the writing is solid.
If you liked this book, check his "War of the Ancients" trilogy, which continues the story of Rhonin and the dragons.
4/5.
great! November 18, 2009
D. Fox (New Iberia, Louisiana United States)
I'm not a big reading fan at all. I usually skim around, doze off, spend weeks getting through books. But wow, this one sucked me in. I read the whole thing in two sittings; it was that interesting!
Showing reviews 1-5 of 36
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