World of Warcraft: War Crimes

By: Christie Golden

Narrated by: Scott Brick

Length: 13 hrs and 31 mins

Publisher's summary

The brutal siege of Orgrimmar is over.

Alliance and Horde forces have stripped Garrosh Hellscream, one of the most reviled figures on Azeroth, of his title as warchief. His thirst for conquest devastated cities, nearly tore the Horde apart, and destroyed countless lives throughout the World of Warcraft.

Now, on the legendary continent of Pandaria, he will stand trial for his transgressions.

Renowned leaders from across the world have gathered to witness this historic event. As the trial unfolds, agents of the bronze dragonflight present shocking visions of Garrosh's atrocities. For many of those in attendance, these glimpses into history force them to relive painful memories and even question their own innocence or guilt. For others, the chilling details stoke the flames of their hatred.

Unbeknownst to anyone, shadowy forces are at work on Azeroth, threatening not only the court's ability to mete out justice…but also the lives of everyone at the trial.

© 2014 Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Blizzard Entertainment and World of Warcraft are trademarks or registered trademarks of Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries.

©2014 Christie Golden (P)2014 Simon & Schuster Audio

I really enjoyed this book.

I was surprised how well the book combined fantasy and the art of the justice system. I especially enjoyed the lore because I love WoW.

13 hour prequel

This was a 13 hour prequel to an expansion....... I feel older and slightly amazed it was so long. Good though

The trial of garrosh

This book takes place in the courtroom with “flashback” evidence against and for the accused. Good book that keeps you up on what’s happened and where we’re going

Great for Fans of the Game; Major Holes; Fun Read

Where does World of Warcraft: War Crimes rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Above average.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

Christie Golden does an admirable job of combining the action-fantasy of World of Warcraft with a courtroom procedural. The book has this, "let's just go with it" vibe that doesn't bother me much because I read it as a fan of the game.

The premise of Garrosh Hellscream's trial for War Crimes is misexecuted, in my opinion. It isn't a trial at all, but a sentencing phase and Tyrande cares more about proving things Garrosh is involved with rather than showing how and why Garrosh cannot change. Even though Garrosh is deplorable, I spent the whole book cheering for Baine in his defense of Garrosh. Baine hates Garrosh but defends him because it is his duty and I can respect that. Tyrande just hates Garrosh. It makes it hard to probe her point of view and empathize with her.

Why there must be a Defender and why someone for the Horde must defend Garrosh is never answered; the book provides only vague pronouncements that people will think the Horde didn't give Garrosh a fair shake if they don't defend him.

Which character – as performed by Scott Brick – was your favorite?

Vol'jin. He did a very good job of getting the troll's speech just right.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes. Stupid work and raiding got in the way a bit.

Any additional comments?

Starts very strong, drags just a bit at the end

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in Warcraft lore, absolutely. It's a great tie-in piece connecting the end of Mists of Pandaria and the current expansion, Warlords of Draenor.

What other book might you compare World of Warcraft: War Crimes to and why?

A courtroom Wow story? Not sure it compares to much else. But I love the combination of fantasy and real-life courtroom procedure. Fantastic mix.

Which character – as performed by Scott Brick – was your favorite?

Vol'Jin and Sylvannas, definitely. Love the voice and character provided to Vol'Jin (his time on the witness stand might be my favorite part of the book). Was also exciting seeing more character to Sylvannas, who - outside of her Arthas/Lich King story - often is left out of major lore events.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Nothing extreme, but there were a few chapters where I just HAD to keep listening (again, mostly around Vol'Jin's time on the stand.

Any additional comments?

Ending drags just a little bit. Felt like it took a minute too long and suddenly there were all kinds of morals and lessons being tossed my way. Aside from the last maybe twenty minutes/half hour, loved every second.

Enrapt! Audible version is an immersive experience

I started War Crimes on my Kindle, but decided to purchased the Audible version so I can keep working while listening to the book. The audible version proved to be such an immersing experience, I had a hard time going back to the e-book!

War Crimes is a World of Warcraft novel that follows up on the downfall of Garrosh Hellscream, the dethroned Warchief of the Horde. Garrosh is put on trial for his War Crimes for the atrocities committed during the War. This includes the bombing of Theramore, the destruction of the Vale of Blossoms, the martial law and internment of the Darkspears trolls, and many more.

Throughout the trial, crucial and devastating moments are brought and "re-enacted" thanks to the Vision of Time. Moments from the past from both books and in-game scenarios are brought up. This makes for emotional court room drama and stuff happening to rock everyone's world. At moments you wonder if anything good can come from any of this at all!

What I love so much about War Crimes is that you can't help but get sucked into the drama of it all. Several notable characters are brought up front to shine as the great characters they are. Secrets are exposed and dealt with. People meet that we've always wondered what would happen if they did.

I think Scott Brick did a great job reading War Crimes. My favorite scene is when he re-enacts the in-game dialog between Garrosh Hellscream and Varok Saurfang. I've seen this dialog before, but until Scott read it, I never realized the depth of what Saurfang was saying til I heard it out loud. Then I was like "Oh, crap!"

War Crimes on audiobook form is totally worth listening to. It's a great experience. Five rocking stars! Fantastic book by Christine Golden. Great read by Scott Brick. You can't help but get lost in the story.

Immersive

Was very sceptical when I saw it was read by Brick, since I find him very monotone and basically the same voice for every character. But he surprised me in this book and I found his voice acting entertaining and somewhat immersive.
The story in this book is very good, and its a great way to summarise previous books and events, and get a good look behind what each of the characters is going trough on their own.
Overall I give this book 4/5 since performance is lacking some of the immersiveness you've come to expect from other narrators.

Excellent

One of the best stories I've heard. Being a fan of the game the lore and history intrigue me. Christie Golden is an amazing writer and should write all of these books.

Great Story

loved the book. I was wary at first thanks to all the negative comments about Brick's narration, but I am pleasantly surprised that he does a decent job at worst. would recommend.

Couldn't Ask for a Better Narrator!

Fantastic story! Great narrator who pronounced names and locations with great accuracy. He read lines with emotion and intent.
The book was engaging on the story of Garrosh's trial. I was much more engulfed by the story than I originally thought I was going to be. Events the trial showed made me wait in anticipation for the next chapter!
I would recommend to anyone that loves the Warcraft universe as I do.