A lot of players of the various
Warcraft games like the background lore of them. Blizzard understands this and has issued various fiction books and comics, of which
Arthas: Rise of the Lich King is the latest. The author and Blizzard were rewarded for their endeavour by
a spot on The New York Times bestseller list.
Arthas tells us the story of Arthas Menethil, one of the movers and shakers in Azeroth, the world of
Warcraft. This review assumes at least passing familiarity with that setting.
Content
After a full-colour portrait of Arthas (from the Warcraft III packaging), a full-colour plate of the Lich King (from Wrath of the Lich King), a dedication, two maps and a prologue the story gets going proper. It's divided into three parts: "The Golden Boy", "The Bright Lady" and "The Dark Lady".
The first part talks about Prince Arthas of Lordaeron's childhood and starts with the First War. It's an event not immediately of concern to the boy, but it draws the reader in and sets the scene with one swift stroke. It introduces the reader to the setting. Even if you didn't know it before, you know the basics of it now: the world of Warcraft is one of high fantasy with a lot of familiar tropes. The human lands and various kingdoms have been invaded by an alien menace, the orcs, and the humans reel under the impact.
I found this first part to be the most intriguing of the book. It grounds the main character for the events that are sure to follow, and the contents are mostly new. This is the first time we catch a glimpse of Arthas as he was before the events in Warcraft III.
During the second part of the book, Arthas comes of age. As this part's title hints, a lot of screen time is given to the mage Jaina Proudmoore, friend of Arthas, and their budding romance. Their relationship makes the changes that come over Arthas all the more poignant. The prince is trying to do the good thing in an impossible situation, but his lover doesn't support his decisions. The short version is as follows: Lordaeron's grain is infected by a plague that transforms those who eat it into undead. What's more, those who fall to the undead rise as undead themselves. Arthas and Jaina are sent out to investigate what caused the infection, and find themselves and their land in dire straits.
This brings the book to the events of Warcraft III. If you've played that game and its expansion The Frozen Throne, you've played through the events that take up the rest of the book. Fortunately, the author doesn't give us a straight retelling. She elaborates upon a lot of events, giving us the thoughts and feelings of both Jaina and Arthas. The tale isn't entirely chronological either, with lots of foreshadowing and flashbacks.
The last part, "The Dark Lady", weaves in another major character: the elven ranger Sylvanas Windrunner, protector of Quel'Thalas. Her story is very gripping as she futily tries to protect her people from the ravages of the Scourge, led by the Death Knight that Arthas has become. During this section the story becomes slightly confusing, what with various powers vying for control.
The book closes with an "About the Author" and a bibliography. Since the book touches upon just about all the major events and characters of the setting, it's a rather detailed and thorough list: pretty much every novel, comic and snippet of lore of the universe is referenced, which should help the budding Warcraft lore scholar.
Style
Christie Golden has a clear writing style, with a brisk pace. It's also evident that she's very familiar with the universe. There are many small touches that remind us of the fact that we're in Azeroth without any unnecessary grandstanding. While the author focusses on Arthas, Jaina and Sylvanas, there are many more characters in the book and she juggles them admirably.
She also understands that, in her own words, "Sometimes things that work in game simply do not work in novels", and either changes them or skips them entirely. At other points, intriguing comments in the games that were never further explored are now fleshed out.
This brings me to my biggest "problem" with Arthas: I feel Mrs. Golden could've done so much more with the story and the characters. For some reason the scope of the book is very limited. Readers who are not veterans of either Warcraft III or World of Warcraft may not feel this way, of course.
Conclusion
The book succeeds admirably in what it sets out to do. It tells us the story of Arthas up until the end of The Frozen Throne. It brings newcomers to the world up to date without having to play Warcraft III and its expansion set. Christie Golden's writing style is clear and fresh, with good pacing. It's evident she knows the world and its characters.
Unfortunately, Mrs. Golden doesn't stray far from the story that was already known. Only the first third of the book contains new events. This means that readers familiar with the world of Warcraft will not find much new material.
Review Summary