The Sundering
Michael Frederic

Imagine a world where the inhabitants have limitless magical abilities, immortality and eternal beauty. Over ten thousand years ago, on the planet of Azeroth, this was just another day in the life for the native elves.

That is, until the invasion. In a state of churning terror, the Well of Eternity, the source of everything and the only vulnerability of the elves, is on the brink of destruction. The well pollutes, slowly; unimaginable dark forces consume it. A legion of fiery demons hell-bent on the demise of all life leaves little hope for Azeroth.  

A handful of noble heroes and their remaining armed forces, the last line of defence, must protect the planet. In a final twist-turn of fate, and upon the last strand of hope for Azeroth, a great bronze dragon, which wields the powers of time, bought forth one last strand of hope from the sands of the ages; a band of great heroes from the future. Hope? Yes, these heroes bring forth the final stand, but they also carry upon their shoulders the realization that both places in time depend upon defeating the Burning Legion and its leader.

This is just a small sample of what to expect from the emotional and personally engaging plot of “The Sundering,” Richard A. Knaak’s third and final entry in the “WarCraft: War of the Ancients Trilogy.” Knaak is a well-established force in fantasy books and that he had been behind the pen and ink of this trilogy made me very happy considering his previous work. 

If you are a fan of “Blizzard,” you surely realize just what must be set into motion concerning how many crossroads the plotline of this story must begin to unfold for WarCraft lore. The demands of accuracy made by the millions of fans of the WarCraft universe would not accept copouts, no strays from the legends of lore; nor would I. “The Sundering” is the best book I can recall reading, and will not be easily trumped. Never before have I read such a perfect balance of epic large-scale storytelling, relentless action and adventure, all paired so well with deep and involving emotional plotting and minute detail.

A tale that involves huge themes and separate characters alike, where each must contribute to the grand portrait of the storyline is no simple feat. “The Sundering” is a grand effort, even before you consider it is part of the Blizzard Entertainment WarCraft book series. Despite his nine other works in WarCraft canon, Knaak had a very tall order to fill with this book. There’s not a complaint in sight, as far as I am concerned though, not from this trilogy. The series is as wonderful as it is epic, with The Sundering as the clear showpiece of the three in my humble opinion.

 Each day, leaders become enslave. Their rightful powers begin to fade. There’s is a fate with few questions left to ask seems certain.

Has time, a concept still of infancy to the elves, run out? There are countless great sacrifices to make. Imagine pondering death for the very first time after thousands of years of youth. A single world and the existence of two places in time depend upon these heroes. Can these heroes, of the future, come together to save the past?

Do yourself a service, find out for yourself. This is a journey you with no regrets. Pick up your own copy of this trilogy, the best part is surely last: “The Sundering.”