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vespurr's review
4.0
Not the greatest actual writing I've ever read, but I really enjoyed this book and the look into Illidan's character.
I've only recently gotten back into WoW after taking about a four year hiatus and I'm taking time now to also read some of the novels and dig into the world lore. Illidan is my favorite character in game and one of the most complex and fascinating characters I know overall. Is he a villain? Is he a savior? The truth is honestly so much more complicated than that, and this book gave us a look into Illidan's personality and thought processes.
It was fun to get to see "behind the curtain" to what he was truly up to in Outland during the BC times, and also get some insight into the demon hunters. I additionally really enjoyed the descriptions of the terrain itself. I had never really considered what Zangarmarsh might be like, for example, just how deadly and sinister the very air you breathe. All of this really gave me a chance to look at the game I love from another angle and I found it to be really satisfying as a reading experience.
I would have liked a little more post-Black Temple. What happened to Illidan after he was defeated? What went on with all of the demon hunters during the years between BC and Legion? Although I have most of the information I seek already due to other sources (ahem, playing the game) and although the book is called ILLIDAN and it would likely not make sense for it to continue on without him, I felt that a wrap-up would have been nice. As a lead up to the events of Legion, I would have liked to have seen these loose ends tied off.
Overall, however, I liked this book a lot and loved getting to read so much about Illidan's character. Well done.
I've only recently gotten back into WoW after taking about a four year hiatus and I'm taking time now to also read some of the novels and dig into the world lore. Illidan is my favorite character in game and one of the most complex and fascinating characters I know overall. Is he a villain? Is he a savior? The truth is honestly so much more complicated than that, and this book gave us a look into Illidan's personality and thought processes.
It was fun to get to see "behind the curtain" to what he was truly up to in Outland during the BC times, and also get some insight into the demon hunters. I additionally really enjoyed the descriptions of the terrain itself. I had never really considered what Zangarmarsh might be like, for example, just how deadly and sinister the very air you breathe. All of this really gave me a chance to look at the game I love from another angle and I found it to be really satisfying as a reading experience.
I would have liked a little more post-Black Temple. What happened to Illidan after he was defeated? What went on with all of the demon hunters during the years between BC and Legion? Although I have most of the information I seek already due to other sources (ahem, playing the game) and although the book is called ILLIDAN and it would likely not make sense for it to continue on without him, I felt that a wrap-up would have been nice. As a lead up to the events of Legion, I would have liked to have seen these loose ends tied off.
Overall, however, I liked this book a lot and loved getting to read so much about Illidan's character. Well done.
pipsqueak00's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
wisewalker419's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Immolation aura--throw glaive--metamorphosis--blade dance --chaos strike --brrrrrrr
Illidan did no wrong
Illidan did no wrong
januaryf's review
4.0
Having never read a WoW book before, I enjoyed it more than I expected to. Being familiar with the locations and the races made it really easy to slip into the story and become immersed. Now I just need to figure out which book to read next - I wish there was a clear order to the warcraft novels.
reilala's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
jeffdecker's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
brittanybwrites's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
hidekisohma's review
3.0
Ok, get ready for a fact that's totally going to blow your mind. This is a book that if you don't play World of Warcraft, you probably won't get a lot out of it. I know, crazy right?
But seriously, if you either aren't into the Legion expansion or played Burning Crusade, there's a lot of things you won't find as interesting. But, if you're a WOW fan like me, it definitely gives some interesting background into the character Illidan Stormrage.
I will say, there is a LOT of violence in this book. So if you're cool with that then there shouldn't be a problem.
This book does seem to do quite a bit of jumping between the story's four main characters though. Those characters are Akama, Illidan, Maiev, and Vandel. If you don't mind jumping around between perspectives until it all comes together in the finale then it shouldn't be a problem. If that sort of thing bothers you, be warned it happens a lot.
One of the things that I really liked about this book was that it gave me some lore with the burning legion. I honestly didn't know too much about them as I didn't' really pay attention to the lore back when Burning Crusade was out, so now that I'm playing Legion it's nice to see what they're all about (not really spoiler* they're evil and want to burn things)
All in all, if you're a fan, you'll give it about a 3.5. if you're not a fan, well you probably won't be reading it, but you'll more or less give it a 2.5. It reads well and it kept me wanting to keep reading until I finished it. So that's a plus. 3.5 for me, but since I can't do halves, it's not quite worth a 4, so a 3 it is.
But seriously, if you either aren't into the Legion expansion or played Burning Crusade, there's a lot of things you won't find as interesting. But, if you're a WOW fan like me, it definitely gives some interesting background into the character Illidan Stormrage.
I will say, there is a LOT of violence in this book. So if you're cool with that then there shouldn't be a problem.
This book does seem to do quite a bit of jumping between the story's four main characters though. Those characters are Akama, Illidan, Maiev, and Vandel. If you don't mind jumping around between perspectives until it all comes together in the finale then it shouldn't be a problem. If that sort of thing bothers you, be warned it happens a lot.
One of the things that I really liked about this book was that it gave me some lore with the burning legion. I honestly didn't know too much about them as I didn't' really pay attention to the lore back when Burning Crusade was out, so now that I'm playing Legion it's nice to see what they're all about (not really spoiler* they're evil and want to burn things)
All in all, if you're a fan, you'll give it about a 3.5. if you're not a fan, well you probably won't be reading it, but you'll more or less give it a 2.5. It reads well and it kept me wanting to keep reading until I finished it. So that's a plus. 3.5 for me, but since I can't do halves, it's not quite worth a 4, so a 3 it is.
d_t_havarson's review
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Illidan is a novel set in the World of Warcraft universe featuring the story of Illidan, a tragically misunderstood tyrant and crusader.
The story rarely diverges from any lore already set in stone by the producers of WoW, Blizzard Entertainment, even when it pertains to minor things. On one hand, this serves the writing of the novel perfectly, setting up it's worldbuilding with ease, invoking familiar ambiances and atmospheric feelings while taking the reader on a trip through the diverse land of Outland. Outland is where the majority of The Burning Crusade, the expansion which introduced Illidan to WoW, takes place. William King never shies away from connecting the familiar cast of characters present in this work with the nostalgia which binds them to the readers and long time players of World of Warcraft.
On the other hand, the writing leaves a lot to be desired in terms of memorable prosaic moments. The book feels like a long countdown, literally counting down the time to Illidan's fall at the beginning of every chapter. This is most likely connected to the aforementioned lore established by the video game and the events therein. Not only does this pose an immediate anticlimactic moment for any reader not familiar with WoW's lore, it teases every reader with how much time Illidan has left. The author bravely takes on little more than five years of plot time in these 300 or so pages, but ultimatively a lot is left unsaid and more importantly, unshown. Large amounts of time are skipped and characters are developed off-screen and between the lines too often. This is most tragically done with Illidan, who the author desperately wants to show in a torn, unaligned light, as a true antihero who marches the path of the Betrayer only so he could save millions of lives and never be aknowledged for it. Unfortunately for the reader, Illidan's history is hand waved and sent to the far background from the start. The first chapter doesn't convey anything about his troubled past or the complex web woven between him and other characters which appear in the book later on. Illidan can seem like an edgy puppet at times, a sideshow abomination, rather then a cold-hearted saviour twisted by his desires.
There are times in which Illidan really comes through as the author, and many authors who worked with his character before, intended to. Some of his inner monologues are trully profound and almost out of place in a video game novel. His desires, bonds and morals are presented well, but rarely acted upon. His biggest mistakes are overblown, while his biggest victories seem shallow in the shadow of his ultimate fall, spawning an air of inaptitude which clings to the titular character until the end of the novel.
The supporting cast of characters are diverse in their own right, but suffer the same fate Illidan does. Plot threads teeming with life and interest are left unchecked and wither on as the story progresses. Long chapters are devoted to the struggle and hardship that Maiev Shadowsong, sometimes acting as the books primary protagonist, endures, all while contrasting her with the backdrop of horrible war and devastation in Outland. These passages are skillfuly paired with worldbuilding, but in many cases it falls short of giving the reader a real sense of versimilitude and immersion. A lot of the text is devoted to smaller points of view within Illidan's posse. The plot within these and their uniqueness seldom justify the reader's time.
There are plenty of cases in which the entirety of the character cast seems like a basket of plastic action figures - limited in range and shape. From the interesting beginnings and intriguing voyages through different worlds contained in this book, to the mild and lukewarm culmination and the unoriginal ending it forces upon the plot, William King's Illidan is a heterogenous work. Presenting a peculiar mix of seasoned and inspired writing within a loved universe and "subscription based" excitement concealed behind trademarked character names and events scripted long ago.
The story rarely diverges from any lore already set in stone by the producers of WoW, Blizzard Entertainment, even when it pertains to minor things. On one hand, this serves the writing of the novel perfectly, setting up it's worldbuilding with ease, invoking familiar ambiances and atmospheric feelings while taking the reader on a trip through the diverse land of Outland. Outland is where the majority of The Burning Crusade, the expansion which introduced Illidan to WoW, takes place. William King never shies away from connecting the familiar cast of characters present in this work with the nostalgia which binds them to the readers and long time players of World of Warcraft.
On the other hand, the writing leaves a lot to be desired in terms of memorable prosaic moments. The book feels like a long countdown, literally counting down the time to Illidan's fall at the beginning of every chapter. This is most likely connected to the aforementioned lore established by the video game and the events therein. Not only does this pose an immediate anticlimactic moment for any reader not familiar with WoW's lore, it teases every reader with how much time Illidan has left. The author bravely takes on little more than five years of plot time in these 300 or so pages, but ultimatively a lot is left unsaid and more importantly, unshown. Large amounts of time are skipped and characters are developed off-screen and between the lines too often. This is most tragically done with Illidan, who the author desperately wants to show in a torn, unaligned light, as a true antihero who marches the path of the Betrayer only so he could save millions of lives and never be aknowledged for it. Unfortunately for the reader, Illidan's history is hand waved and sent to the far background from the start. The first chapter doesn't convey anything about his troubled past or the complex web woven between him and other characters which appear in the book later on. Illidan can seem like an edgy puppet at times, a sideshow abomination, rather then a cold-hearted saviour twisted by his desires.
There are times in which Illidan really comes through as the author, and many authors who worked with his character before, intended to. Some of his inner monologues are trully profound and almost out of place in a video game novel. His desires, bonds and morals are presented well, but rarely acted upon. His biggest mistakes are overblown, while his biggest victories seem shallow in the shadow of his ultimate fall, spawning an air of inaptitude which clings to the titular character until the end of the novel.
The supporting cast of characters are diverse in their own right, but suffer the same fate Illidan does. Plot threads teeming with life and interest are left unchecked and wither on as the story progresses. Long chapters are devoted to the struggle and hardship that Maiev Shadowsong, sometimes acting as the books primary protagonist, endures, all while contrasting her with the backdrop of horrible war and devastation in Outland. These passages are skillfuly paired with worldbuilding, but in many cases it falls short of giving the reader a real sense of versimilitude and immersion. A lot of the text is devoted to smaller points of view within Illidan's posse. The plot within these and their uniqueness seldom justify the reader's time.
There are plenty of cases in which the entirety of the character cast seems like a basket of plastic action figures - limited in range and shape. From the interesting beginnings and intriguing voyages through different worlds contained in this book, to the mild and lukewarm culmination and the unoriginal ending it forces upon the plot, William King's Illidan is a heterogenous work. Presenting a peculiar mix of seasoned and inspired writing within a loved universe and "subscription based" excitement concealed behind trademarked character names and events scripted long ago.