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by Mathew McCurley 
Jul 11th 2011 at 8:00PM
The first Cataclysm novel by Golden, The Shattering, told the prequel story of the newest expansion. Garrosh's rise to power and duel with Cairne, as well as Anduin Wrynn's involvement with the dwarven civil war, took center stage, while Thrall left leadership of the Horde to train as a shaman on the orcish home world of Draenor.
Thrall: Twilight of the Aspects, continues Thrall's journey as a pivotal personality as the cataclysm and Deathwing ravage Azeroth. Thrall's journey will begin with a task for Ysera that eventually becomes fraught with green dragons, nightmares, and a bleak vision from Ysera herself, the Hour of Twilight. We will know more in a week, and I couldn't be more excited.
Reader Comments (Page 3 of 4)
Scunosi Jul 12th 2011 12:01AM
So...since when has Thrall had a Tauren-sized nosering?
Yrmes Jul 12th 2011 12:30AM
Other art has had it for awhile, as well as teeth rings (like bands around his teeth).
Also, he's apparently one of the only two Orcs with double tusks according to art (not just little canines like seen above but ones almost the same size as the teeth all Orcs have.) The other being Garrosh who has a mouth full of canines.
There are alot of things like that done in the art that makes me wish they'd realize the players want that instead of a badly done fauxhawk on our trolls.
Amaxe Jul 12th 2011 12:21PM
Since he got married... Aggra needs something to lead him around with...
Flare-Sama | Steam: EL Token | XBL: EL Token Gaijin | PSN: FearDFunk Jul 12th 2011 12:44AM
Ooh time to preorder!
Pyromelter Jul 12th 2011 12:59AM
Thrall is my Warchief, wielder of the Doomhammer, Hero of the Horde.
Blizzard should have Garrosh and Varian duel each other to the death and kill each other. Thrall steps in, and leads the Horde against the Burning Legion once again, while Anduin becomes a young king-hero in the mold of Louis XIV.
Well I don't give a crap about the alliance thing, but if Thrall isn't my Warchief in 5.0 and beyond, I'll be pretty much done with the story. I just think the Anduin thing would be cool since alliance people seem to like him. Maybe he kills garrosh after garrosh kills varian. I think both factions would enjoy a story like that.
Daestrum Jul 12th 2011 5:57AM
The idea of Anduin taking over for Varian is asinine to me. He's too naive and too young to lead in a world like Azeroth. Varian is a warrior who has seen the best and worst the world has to offer. He has experience, honor, and he cares for the well being of the entire Alliance.
Kylenne Jul 12th 2011 12:28PM
@Daestrum: You really need to read The Shattering if you think the idea of Anduin leading the Alliance (or even just Stormwind) is asinine. He's got more sense than his father, is very wise for his years, and youthful inexperience is something that can be overcome. With Jaina and Muradin molding him (presumably also Velen, given his interest in the Light), I'd even go so far as to say Anduin would grow up to be a king worthy of his namesake. His friendship with Baine Bloodhoof is also heartening and speaks volumes about his character.
The Alliance isn't the Horde, and I say this as a die-hard Horde partisan. Though I'd say if Anduin were an Orc, he'd make a damn fine Warchief too.
Daestrum Jul 12th 2011 11:29PM
@Kylene
I bought The Shattering the day it released and read through it three times. Anduin has promise, but he is no where near ready to lead the Alliance. He is not ready to take over in a time of war. Varian saw the Horde invade Azeroth, he saw his father die, he survived and learned and became a far greater ruler than his father. He has the kind of wisdom that only comes from experience. He is the only Human suitable of leading the Alliance.
In time, his son will be a great leader - probably far greater than any Human king in history. However, a child in unsuited to lead a war against a man like Garrosh. It would lead the Alliance to ruin.
Billaos Jul 12th 2011 6:26AM
$13 for this, while a "A Dance with Dragons" was $12? Hmmmmm, pass. I read the Shattering, it's just not worth the money.
MusedMoose Jul 12th 2011 8:16AM
"A Dance with Dragons" would be worth paying whatever they decided to charge for it. ^_^
kingoomieiii Jul 12th 2011 9:03AM
Think of it as your average video game released today. $60 for a 6-hour campaign and virtually no multiplayer. I mean, you could throw the book if you wanted, but come on.
Compared to that, it's a steal.
eechoblade Jul 12th 2011 6:23PM
Always enjoy Christie Golden's writting style. Looking forward to this new release.
exogenesis. Jul 12th 2011 7:21AM
I love Christie Golden, I really do, but I don't honestly think I'm going to buy a book centred on Mary Sue Thrall.
It'd be just like Knaak's Rhonin, except Golden has no choice but go along with Blizzard's ridiculous plans.
kingoomieiii Jul 12th 2011 9:05AM
I'd be happier with the whole "reluctant hero" thing if they explained why he was so damned important. Even if it's a giant Dwarf popping up on a Mechano-hog and saying "'Yer a wizard, Harry".
Kylenne Jul 12th 2011 12:30PM
Pretty much. God knows I've defended Thrall from Sue accusations for years, but after 4.2 I just can't anymore.
Give me WC3!Thrall any day over this nonsense. (And WC3!Tyrande, Jaina, and Sylvanas too, for that matter.)
TonyKP Jul 12th 2011 8:51AM
Neat, Mary Sue has a new book out... ;-)
S.O. Jul 12th 2011 10:51AM
Dancing (with dragons) is more important. I'll pick it up, eventually
Amaxe Jul 12th 2011 12:50PM
I find the negative comments about Thrall interesting, and I think it's one of the reasons for my declining interest in WoW and a lack of interest in this novel.
So here's my attempt at analysis of the problem.
Thrall is the iconic character for Blizzard it seems. However, given he was a faction leader for the Horde, and Blizzard provides absolutely no reason why Alliance characters should give a damn. We're essentially secondary to the whole thing, leaving my Alliance characters to think, "Well, we're going to go settle down for a few years. Write a letter when Thrall saves the universe."
We're told he's big and important and can somehow save the planet and nobody else can.
Yet he cut and run to Draenor when the world was falling apart on Azeroth to find out from the elementals on Azeroth were so ticked off, and went through Shamanistic rituals... only to find out the Draenor elementals answer was, "Hell if I know... I don't live there."
Yet he had the poor judgment to put Garrosh in charge of the Horde and Gallywix in charge of the Goblins...
and we're supposed to trust him to save the world?
I think the whole "Savior of Azeroth" thing is very annoying and whenever he becomes involved in the quests the whole thing comes across like some bad fanfic...
http://www.svamcentral.org/ewic/ms-mar.html
(Read some of these MSTings, and compare Marissa Amber Flores Picard with Thrall)
So I guess one reason I am not enthused with a new Golden novel is she has bad material to work with. Rise of the Horde was excellent. Arthas was good. The Shattering was... bad. The Shattering was a bad novel but not because of her. Rather it was because the stuff Blizz gave her to work with was bad.
So what I wish Blizz would do is:
1) Dump the concept of Thrall as "Orc-Jesus" (as one poster wittily put it awhile back) and make him one of many important people working together. Right now Garrosh is better developed because he has failings as well as his strengths... Thrall has to get ripped in four pieces before we can see his failings which he keeps perfectly suppressed. Make him more fallible. Make him dependent on others... maybe even others from other factions.
This eliminates the "Mary Sue" problem.
2) Treat the Alliance as something other than an afterthought to the story... let the Alliance races actually be contributors to the saving of Azeroth. (IIRC, most of the Hyjal and Earthen Ring people of significance are Horde races)
That eliminates the "Horde-centric" view which WoW has been taking lately.
If we could address these things in the game, I'm sure Golden's Cataclysm novels would have better matter to write on and come off better.
Al Jul 12th 2011 2:48PM
Well said - I saw this article, and my mind went to the "There are several "missing" characters in the Warcraft universe, but they are not forgotten!" Blue post.
Blizzard, maybe they wouldn't be missing if you could just stop making everything about Thrall (and Rhonin). Hell, even characters who have made it into the game have been abandoned. "Muradin's back.. we better kill off Magni, 2 Dwarves is too many". Or the Blood Elf guy.. you know the one? He has an eye-patch? Hangs out in Silvermoon?
kcorke60 Jul 12th 2011 4:19PM
I think Thrall is a symptom of something that's gone wrong with WoW: NPCs are the main heroes of the game, not you. I'm glad to see some of the racial leaders being more active in the world, but not when I'm lobbing frostbolts at something that leader is just going to one-shot anyway. Situations where they crop up are situations where you're just along for the ride. Remove your presence, and nothing would change. And if that doesn't make your character insignificant, I don't know what will.