Insignis publishing house continues the collector’s series Blizzard Legends , thanks to which we can learn stories from the world of Azeroth. This time we are introduced to the figure of the most famous druid, Malfurion, but also many other famous World of Warcraft heroes .
Malfurion on the sideline
World of Warcraft: Malfurionthis, contrary to the title, is not a story about a famous night elf and druid at the same time. The book takes us to the moment when the protagonist is in the Emerald Dream. Unfortunately, the Nightmare Lord has made it to this place as well, and not only does he not let Stormbringer get out of there, but also intends to bring his nightmares to the other inhabitants of Azeroth. The elf himself begins to slowly die in terrible torments. The only hope for him is his beloved Tyrande and one of his students – Broll. Along the way, they gain unexpected allies in the form of a human, Lucan Foxblood, and the orc Thura. Together they will fight not only for the druid, but also for all the creatures of this world. However, the task is all the more difficult because their opponent has several powerful allies that the team has no idea about.
Malfurion and Tyrande
Source: wowhead.com
The farther into the forest …
The author of the novel World of Warcraft: Malfurion is Richard A. Knaak, whom fans may associate with such titles as Dragonlance or Dragon Kingdom. He also has many years of cooperation with Blizzard. It was from his hand that the literary version of Diablo came out . At the same time, Malfurion is not his first novel set on Azeroth. Earlier, Dragon Day or the War of the Ancients hit stores . Books related to the popular WoW, however, are difficult to access on the Polish market and many readers will only now begin their adventure with a writer.
Like all Blizzard Legends titles , Malfurion is aimed mainly at World of Warcraft fans .. However, Knaak also tries to reach those who have never played the game and have not had the opportunity to read other novels. Therefore, the beginning may tire some people. There are tons of detailed descriptions of the world and the characters themselves. In addition, there are constant meetings of the heroes, which primarily discuss the fate of Malfurion and Teldrassil – the Tree of the World. However, if we manage to get through the first five chapters, then the fast-paced action begins, which draws you in for good. The style of the writer makes the novel easy to read and fast, but at the same time we are able to move to Azeroth and accompany the struggles of the heroes. Knaak also knows the history of this world. So he takes us through various locations, from the shores of Kalimdor and Darnassus, through Stormwind, to the Emerald Dream. He also gladly mentions famous characters. In addition to the main characters in the form of Tyrande, Broll and even Fandral, we will also meet Ysera or Hamuul, but there will also be mentions of Thrall, Varian and Valer. This is certainly a big plus that will make fans happyWoW will reach for the title even more willingly.
Moonglade / Gaj Luny
How did this happen?
Regarding the Malfurion edition itself , unfortunately I have a few comments. But let me start with the good side. All World of Warcraft fans , including myself, were excited to see the next book in the series. It is nice that we can learn the stories of famous heroes. For some it is a supplement to the existing knowledge, for others it is a rediscovery of the already well-known fate of Azeroth. Insignis made sure that the next title fits perfectly with the already substantial Blizzard Legends collection. People who are less familiar with this world will probably appreciate the map attached on the first pages, showing us where the island of night elves is located. However, it may be a surprise that on the cover we do not see the face of the title Malfurion, but Broll. The less popular hero, who, however, had enormous achievements to his credit, was appreciated.
So we have an interesting plot and a nice setting. So what’s wrong? Unfortunately, there are some errors in the text. It is not about the names of the heroes or the consistency of the story. Somehow a few punctuation errors got into the text. There are double commas or their complete missing, as well as incorrectly inserted hyphens. In addition, one of the sentences was cut in the wrong place and consequently loses its sense. Fortunately, these errors only happened a few times, and that’s in the front pages.
The second thing I have to mention is of course the translation. A theme covered by each book set on Azeroth. Players will probably never get used to polonized names and it will always hurt them. This time, apart from Windstorm or the aforementioned Stormglare, we also get Whisper of the Wind, Jeleniorogi, Bearman and Runic Totem. Interestingly, there is also Foxblood, which no one has changed into Fox Blood. So couldn’t he stay and Stormrage?
Teldrassil – World Tree
Source: pinterest.es
Do you dare to move to the Emerald Dream?
World of Warcraft: Malfurion is a must-have for all fans of the series. Both players and people who know Azeroth only from books will be delighted. The author has made sure that also new readers can reach for it without fear that they will not understand what it is about. And it must be admitted that he succeeded in this art. Unfortunately, there have been a few punctuation mistakes, but luckily there aren’t many of them. As compensation, we receive an addictive adventure that will allow us to discover the secrets of the Emerald Dream and, together with Tyrande and Broll, set out to help Malfurion.
Nasza ocena: 8/10
World of Warcraft: Malfurion is another great novel from the Blizzard Legends series . No one who has dealt with the previous parts needs to be encouraged to reach for it.EDITION AND PROOFREADING: 6/10
Characters: 10/10
STYLE: 7/10
STORY: 9/10