Title: Warcraft: The Sunwell Trilogy Ultimate Edition
By: Richard A. Knaak & Jae-Hwan Kim
Publisher: TOKYOPOP
ISBN: 9781427806901
May Contain Spoilers
Kalec, a Blue Dragon, has been sent on a quest to find the source of the power surge that is reverberating through Azeroth. His mission is interrupted when he’s attacked by a dwarf with a bitter grudge against dragons. Rescued by the mysterious girl, Aveena, he finds himself caught up in a race against Dar’Khan, a powerful member of the Undead Scourge, to find the secret behind the disappearance of the Sunwell.
Without a doubt, this is a beautifully presented book. It’s a hefty volume, and it’s large, over-sized pages just scream with action. The illustrations pop off of the pages, grabbing your attention and not letting go. There is a generous amount of glossy, full-color pages, which include a prologue at the beginning, and a cover gallery at the end. And guess what? Also included is a World of Warcraft trading card, illustrated by Jae-Hwan Kim. I’m not even a WoW zombie, and I was extremely impressed with this book.
The plot, though a little mundane, zipped along, and I was soon caught up in its rapid pace. Action heavy, there’s little emphasis on the one-dimensional characters, but in the flurry of battles, that’s not really missed. There were enough new villains and deadly monsters tossed in every few chapters to keep the reader’s interest, and to keep the story racing along. The characters never get to catch their breath, and neither does the reader! With all of the Undead bashing, falling from impossible heights, and other near fatal adventures, this book is best read in a one huge chunk of time, to keep the momentum flowing.
The illustrations are exciting and convey a convincing sense of action. The many battle scenes feature large, eye-popping drawings, though the panel arrangements tend to be a little boring; there’s almost no variety to the page layouts. Still, the action is easy to follow, especially on these large pages.
Grade: B-
Rated for Teen 13+
Review copy provided by TOKYOPOP
