Title: Arthas: Rise of the Lich King
Author: Christie Golden
Genre: fantasy (game lore)
Format: hardcover
For: personal choice
Synopsis: (from book jacket)
Frostmourne.
It was caught in a hovering, jagged chunk of ice, the runes that ran the length of its blade glowing a cool blue. Below it was a dais of some sort, standing on a large gently raised mound that was covered in a dusting of snow. A soft light, coming from somewhere high above where the cavern was open to daylight, shone down on the runeblade. The icy prison hid some details of the sword's shape and form, exaggerated others. It was revealed and concealed at the same time, and all the more tempting, like a new lover imperfectly glimpsed through a gauzy curtain. Arthas knew the blade -- it was the selfsame sword he had seen in his dream when he first arrived. The sword that had not killed Invincible, but that had brought him back healed and healthy. He'd thought it a good omen then, but now he knew it was a true sign. This was what he had come to find. This sword would change everything. Arthas stared raptly at it, his hands almost physically aching to grasp it, his fingers to wrap themselves around the hilt, his arms to feel the weapon swinging smoothly in the blow that would end Mal'Ganis, end the torment he had visited upon the people of Lordaeron, end this lust for revenge. Drawn, he stepped forward.
The uncanny elemental spirit drew its icy sword. "Turn away, before it is too late," it intoned.
The Good: This book explores the story of the current ultimate bad guy in World of Warcraft. It explains his downfall from favored prince to hated leader of the scourge.
I would have to say my favorite parts were the beginning and the end of the story, which is relayed as being his time spent upon the throne of ice. He arises in the end as the Lich King.
The Bad: Much of this story was already known to anyone who has ever played the game of Warcraft (in any form, be it the mmo or the rts). I learned very little, if anything new, about Arthas. He had well established lore long before this book came out, lots of the dialogue in the book existed from the games and was familiar.
The romance aspect with Jaina felt a bit put on, in my opinion. Arthas, as portrayed in this book, is too self-centered and two dimensional to have a relationship with anyone, let alone a "romance" of any type. I honestly felt he had more feeling for his horse than he did for the girl, which it turns out he did. Go figure.
The layout of the story was awkward for me, as well. The sections were labeled as if the story was going to center around that character (female) in his life but it truly didn't and I am not sure why it was even sectioned in the manner it was.
Overall: I would have to say, while I enjoyed the book, I definitely could have lived without reading it as well. It was good but not great. It gave slightly to the already established lore of Arthas, but not a lot. This is one that can filed under the "take it or leave it" listing.
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