With World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth coming to a close, we are now entering the beginning stages of the next expansion. New information has come out over the last few months as alpha testing’s started for World of Warcraft: Shadowlands. This new wave of information does come with the clear warning that everything is subject to change. But fans looking for a more concrete piece of lore can now dive head first in Shadows Rising.
The new pre-expansion novel from Madeleine Roux will tie the two expansions together. It tells the events between the fall of N’Zoth and our eventual departure into the Shadowlands. The novel follows the Horde and Alliance’s search for the Banshee Queen and her followers. But it appears that no matter how close they get, the enemy group is one step ahead of them.
Shadows Rising releases today. I highly suggest picking up with audio book narrated by Susan Wokoma on Audible. You can find an excerpt of the novel here.
RELATED: World of Warcraft: Shadowlands Moves to Beta Next Week
Book summary:
“The Horde is nothing!” With those infamous words, Sylvanas Windrunner betrayed and abandoned the Horde she vowed to serve. The Dark Lady and her forces now work in the shadows as both the Horde and Alliance, including her own sister, Alleria, race to uncover her next move. Struggling to shoulder the crushing weight of leadership, King Anduin entrusts the void elf and High Exarch Turalyon to uncover Sylvanas’s whereabouts.
The Horde now stands at a crossroads. The various factions form a council, leaving the mantle of warchief to rest. Thrall, Lor’themar Theron, Baine Bloodhoof, First Arcanist Thalyssra, and many other familiar faces rise to this new challenge. But the threats are numerous, and the distrust runs too deep.
When the council is derailed by a failed assassination attempt on Talanji—the Zandalari queen and a key ally—Thrall and the rest of the Horde leaders are forced into action. They empower the young troll shaman Zekhan, still grieving the loss of Varok Saurfang, with a critical mission to aid Talanji and help uncover the rising threat against her.
Meanwhile, Nathanos Blightcaller and Sira Moonwarden have been tasked by the Dark Lady with a terrifying gambit: to kill the troll loa of death himself, Bwonsamdi.
As Zekhan and Talanji work to save Bwonsamdi, their journey will be a key turning point in bolstering the Horde against the coming darkness and finding themselves along the way. Failure to save their allies and the trickster god will surely doom them—but through success, they may rediscover what makes the Horde strong.
Who I Am: A nerd by the strictest definition. I enjoy diving straight into my favorite fandoms without a care in the world. I live on video/board games, fantasy movies and TV, and all things geeky.
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