World of Warcraft: Exploring Azeroth: The Eastern Kingdoms review. Christie Golden has done another fantastic job. Inside of the fun and engaging read is an overview of the zones located within the Eastern Kingdoms. Spymaster Mathias Shaw and Captain Flynn Fairwind are the narrators.
Shaw writes short but detailed histories about each area in the Eastern Kingdoms. Fairwind provides amusing commentary written within the margins of the text. Contained within the pages is the Eastern Kingdoms’ vast history. We discover lost treasures and fallen kingdoms. And, we find out what Khadgar has been up to since Legion. Also, there are exciting hints and foreshadowing to possible future World of Warcraft stories and events.
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World Of Warcraft: Exploring Azeroth: The Eastern Kingdoms Review (*Contains Spoilers*)
Product: World of Warcraft: Exploring Azeroth: The Eastern Kingdoms
Author: Christie Golden
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My rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Book Overview
Blurb (Amazon.com)
For over a quarter of a century, Warcraft and World of Warcraft players 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 the fearsome powers they hold.
From the shining towers of Silvermoon to the sulfurous Blackrock Mountain to the white stone castles of Stormwind, the Eastern Kingdoms are vast and full of wonder. Every corner of the majestic isle contains countless stories, treasures, and more than a few secrets that some would prefer stay buried. Follow Spymaster Mathias Shaw and Captain Flynn Fairwind on an expedition across the Eastern Kingdoms for king and country as they chronicle its history and catalog the weapons, armor, and powers untold that are scattered across this sprawling dominion. Penned by New York Times bestselling author and Blizzard Entertainment writer Christie Golden, Exploring Azeroth: The Eastern Kingdoms is your first step on a truly remarkable journey across the beloved lands of Azeroth.
Author Overview (Amazon.com)
About the Author
Christie Golden is the award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of more than fifty novels and more than a dozen short stories in the fields of fantasy, science fiction, and horror. Her media tie-in works include launching the Ravenloft line in 1991 with Vampire of the Mists, more than a dozen Star Trek novels, several movie novelizations, the Warcraft novels Rise of the Horde, Lord of the Clans, Arthas: Rise of the Lich King, and War Crimes, Assassin’s Creed: Heresy, as well as Star Wars: Dark Disciple and the Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi novels Omen, Allies, and Ascension. In 2017, she was awarded the International Association of Media Tie-in Writers’ Faust Award and named a Grandmaster in recognition of over a quarter century of writing. — Christie Golden
Book Overview, Continued
A Quick Summary
World of Warcraft: Exploring Azeroth: The Eastern Kingdoms by Christie Golden takes place after the Battle for Azeroth expansion. King Anduin Wrynn has given Spymaster Mathias Shaw and Captain Flynn Fairwind approval to tour the Eastern Kingdoms.
King Anduin sends them off with a letter that allows them safe passage through Horde territory as they are acting as ambassadors for the Alliance. High Chieftain Baine Bloodhoof also sent a note to the Horde territories allowing Shaw and Fairwind safe passage.
Throughout their journey, they learn about the histories in each zone. They also discover information about hidden treasures. The lost crown of Lordaeron is finally found. Shaw connects with his spies. His informants give him valuable information about the state of the continent. Fairwind reads all of Shaw’s notes and writes witty commentary in the margins. Their easy chemistry is felt on every page.
World of Warcraft: Exploring Azeroth: The Eastern Kingdoms
Examining World Building And Artwork
The Eastern Kingdoms review is going to begin by examining world-building. Character development isn’t a major factor in this book. The story’s focus is on investigating the different zones. Stormwind is the first area explored in the book. Shaw describes Stormwind as, “The beating heart of the Alliance.”
He explains the statues lining the bridge which leads into the city. The statues are of Falstad Wildhammer, Danath Trollbane, Archmage Khadgar, Alleria Windrunner, and High Exarch Turalyon. These statues honor fallen leaders of the Alliance. Alleria Windrunner and High Exarch Turalyon were discovered to be alive during the Legion expansion.
Examining World Building And Artwork Continued
Shaw explains how the Stonemason’s Guild rebuilt the city after the First War. He also discussed how the Stonemason’s Guild was denied payment for their work. The black dragon Onyxia was pretending to be the Lady Katrana Prestor, and she instigated the feud between the Stonemason’s Guild and Stormwind. The guild eventually ended up fleeing to Westfall and forming the Defias Brotherhood, led by Edwin VanCleef.
An awesome illustration of Stormwind Keep is on the page. The picture on this post doesn’t do the drawing justice. Shaw then explains each section of Stormwind Keep by describing the history of those areas. His report includes fascinating information about the weapons Shalamayne and Fearbreaker. The report also discusses Garona Halforcen’s betrayal when she assassinated King Llane during the Second War. Garona wasn’t in her right mind at the time of the attack, and she is now in good standing with Uncrowned.
Examining World Building And Artwork Continued – Karazhan
Each zone from Stranglethorn Vale all the way to Eversong Woods is included. One notable part of the book which stood out to me is when Shaw and Fairwind visit Karazhan. The old tower was once home to the Guardian of Tirisfal Magus Medivh.
Medivh was the one who opened the Dark Portal and allowed the corrupted Orcs to descend into Azeroth. Sargeras was controlling Medivh. Karazhan is an interesting and dangerous place.
Deadly magical artifacts, books, and weapons are inside of Karazhan’s halls. The report talks about Medivh’s Dark Riders. The Dark Riders searched the world and collected powerful artifacts for Medivh. Many of those artifacts still reside in the tower today.
The Eastern Kingdoms Review Continued – Karazhan
Karazhan is also home to hauntings. Spirits continue to perform different plays on the Opera Stage within the tower. There is also a local legend of an unnatural steed who roams Karazhan’s grounds. Midnight is the steed and it belonged to Attumen the Huntsman who terrorized trespassers.
We learn that Archmage Khadgar now resides in the tower. This is exciting information because Legion never told us where the Archmage went before the Fourth War. The Spymaster makes a curious note about Khadgar and the dark temptations of Karazhan.
Shaw mentions that they check up on Khadgar sometimes to make sure he’s okay. It could be a possible foreshadowing that Khadgar may fall to darkness like his mentor Medivh. If this proves to be true it would be an intriguing and poetic direction to take the story, especially if Khadgar can fight off the evil temptations of the tower, unlike Medivh.
“This particular task has been much eased since Khadgar moved into Karazhan. He’s withstood the temptation of this place before…Of course, it never hurts to be careful. We usually check up on him, too” (Golden, pg. 24).
Overall: My Thoughts And Opinions
World of Warcraft: Exploring Azeroth: The Eastern Kingdoms review is a fun book. The book is 121 pages long. Shaw does the writing, but Fairwind gets to shine in Booty Bay. It’s the perfect place for Fairwind to display his Swashbuckling knowledge. Fairwind writes the “Rules to Survive Booty Bay” and Shaw leaves hilarious commentary on his notes.
The book also features cool armor sets from each class. These little snippets of information were really creative and added flavor to the text. I felt like Golden was paying homage to the countless adventurers who traverse through Azeroth.
Azeroth is also home to many famous weapons. Within the book, we see them mentioned. This excited me because of the story tied to them. During the Legion expansion, we got to play with the legendary weapons and it was epic.
Fairwind was once a pirate. Buried treasure is something he can find. He figures out where the lost crown of Lordaeron is located. You’ll be surprised to discover it’s been hidden in plain sight. He’s also intuitive and could sense that the Tirisfal Glades was hiding more than just the deceased. He also wondered if there was any goodness in Arthas, but seemed to lose hope in the fallen prince once he learned that Arthas had raised his horse Invincible from the dead. Fairwind also said what we’re all thinking in terms of the undead.
“This “Becoming Undead” tendency seems like quite the problem. Can’t you do anything about it?” (Golden, Pg. 99)
Overall: My Thoughts And Opinions Continued
World of Warcraft is rich with engaging stories and unforgettable characters. New and old players alike will enjoy this book. Long time fans of the game series will enjoy being reminded of Azeroth’s vast history, whereas new fans will appreciate an easy to digest companion book to the game.
We’re reminded about the ancient troll civilizations, how the dwarven clans became fractured, and the insurmountable pain the blood elves have experienced. The old human kingdom in the Arathi Highlands is mentioned, as well as the kingdom of Gilneas which is currently in the Alliance.
Ancient kingdoms and devastating wars create the world of Azeroth. I love how this book only focuses on the Eastern Kingdoms. I’m excited to see if a book for each continent is released. Breaking the history of Azeroth down this way is great, and I’ll certainly be reading World of Warcraft: Exploring Azeroth: The Eastern Kingdoms again.
World of Warcraft’s story is why I play the game. Having the highest item level to squash my enemies is fun, but that’s not my main reason for logging into the game. Logging into the game immerses me in a world full of magic and wonder. In Azeroth, I’m able to become a hero. Reading this book reminded me of why I fell in love with the Warcraft universe.
The Eastern Kingdoms Review
Have you read the World of Warcraft: Exploring Azeroth: The Eastern Kingdoms book? What did you think of the story? Please feel free to leave a comment below with your thoughts.
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If you enjoy reading about Azeroth’s lore, then you should probably check out my Shadows Rising Review. The prequel novel by Madeleine Roux was released last summer and sets the stage for the Shadowlands expansion.
You may also enjoy reading novels by the amazing Christie Golden. You can find Warcraft reading suggestions in the 23 must-have gifts for World of Warcraft fans.
Lastly, if you’ve ever wanted to taste Azeroth’s famous dishes, then you’ll want to check out my review on World of Warcraft: The Official Cookbook by Chelsea Monroe-Cassel.
Thank you for hanging out at my hearth.
Happy Hunting,
Spyells