World of Warcraft has 27 books commonly catalogued as novels in the Warcraft literature list, including the Warcraft and World of Warcraft imprints. The wider Warcraft library is much larger and also includes Chronicles, short story collections, comics, manga, art books, travel guides, and in game books. Blood Ties by Christie Golden was released on November 18, 2025 as an official prequel to Midnight. A separate Dungeons & Dragons: World of Warcraft tabletop sourcebook is scheduled for November 17, 2026.
From this guide you will learn:
- All Warcraft Novels in Chronological Order
- Warcraft Novels by Release Date
- Where to Start
- Best Warcraft Books
- Who Wrote the Warcraft Books
- World of Warcraft Comic Books
- Art Books and Other Lore Books
- Books Inside World of Warcraft
- Where to Read
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All Warcraft Novels in Chronological Order
Chronological order follows the story rather than publication date. The Warcraft novels move between ancient history, the First War, the Second War, Warcraft III, the original World of Warcraft era, and later expansions. Several books also use flashbacks, so no single order can remove every timeline overlap.
| Era / Period | Title | Author | Publication | Story focus |
| War of the Ancients | The Well of Eternity | Richard A. Knaak | 2004 | The War of the Ancients and the first invasion of the Burning Legion |
| The Demon Soul | Richard A. Knaak | 2005 | The creation and use of the Dragon Soul during the ancient war | |
| The Sundering | Richard A. Knaak | 2005 | The final stages of the War of the Ancients and the Sundering | |
| Pre First War | Rise of the Horde | Christie Golden | 2006 | Draenor, the corruption of the orcs, and the formation of the Horde |
| First War | The Last Guardian | Jeff Grubb | 2001 | Medivh, Khadgar, Garona, and the opening of the Dark Portal |
| Second War | Tides of Darkness | Aaron Rosenberg | 2007 | The Second War and the Alliance campaign against the Horde |
| Beyond the Dark Portal | Aaron Rosenberg and Christie Golden | 2008 | The Alliance expedition to Draenor after the Second War | |
| After the Second War | Lord of the Clans | Christie Golden | 2001 | Thrall’s childhood, captivity, and rise as leader of the Horde |
| Of Blood and Honor | Chris Metzen | 2000 | Tirion Fordring and his encounter with the orc Eitrigg | |
| Day of the Dragon | Richard A. Knaak | 2001 | Rhonin, Vereesa, Falstad, and the dragonflights | |
| Between the Second and Third Wars | Arthas: Rise of the Lich King | Christie Golden | 2009 | Arthas Menethil’s fall and the rise of the Lich King |
| Warcraft III and its aftermath | Illidan | William King | 2016 | Illidan’s campaign in Outland and the events surrounding the Burning Crusade |
| Cycle of Hatred | Keith R. A. DeCandido | 2006 | Jaina Proudmoore and Thrall shortly before World of Warcraft | |
| Classic World of Warcraft | Night of the Dragon | Richard A. Knaak | 2008 | Rhonin, Vereesa, and the dragonflight conflict |
| Rise of the Horde | Christie Golden | 2006 | The novel uses a framing structure connected to the Burning Crusade era | |
| Wrath of the Lich King | Stormrage | Richard A. Knaak | 2010 | Malfurion, the Emerald Nightmare, and the threat to Azeroth |
| The Shattering: Prelude to Cataclysm | Christie Golden | 2010 | Political and elemental conflicts before Deathwing’s return | |
| Cataclysm | Thrall: Twilight of the Aspects | Christie Golden | 2011 | Thrall and the Dragon Aspects during the Cataclysm crisis |
| Wolfheart | Richard A. Knaak | 2011 | Genn Greymane, the worgen, and the conflict in Ashenvale | |
| Mists of Pandaria | Jaina Proudmoore: Tides of War | Christie Golden | 2012 | Jaina and the destruction of Theramore |
| Vol’jin: Shadows of the Horde | Michael A. Stackpole | 2013 | Vol’jin and his survival during the events of Pandaria | |
| War Crimes | Christie Golden | 2014 | Garrosh Hellscream’s trial after Mists of Pandaria | |
| Warlords of Draenor | War Crimes | Christie Golden | 2014 | The trial that leads directly into the alternate Draenor storyline |
| Legion | Illidan | William King | 2016 | Illidan’s return and his campaign against the Burning Legion |
| Battle for Azeroth | Before the Storm | Christie Golden | 2018 | Anduin, Sylvanas, the Forsaken, and the events before the Fourth War |
| After Battle for Azeroth | Shadows Rising | Madeleine Roux | 2020 | The political situation after N’Zoth and the lead up to Shadowlands |
| Shadowlands | Sylvanas | Christie Golden | 2022 | Sylvanas Windrunner’s life and her role in the Shadowlands story |
| Dragonflight | Dawn of the Aspects | Richard A. Knaak | 2013 | The origins of the Dragon Aspects and their early history |
| War of the Scaleborn | Courtney Alameda | 2023 | The ancient history of the dragonflights before Dragonflight | |
| Midnight | Blood Ties | Christie Golden | 2025 | Arator’s journey and the events leading into Midnight |
Why the chronological list is not a perfect timeline. Several Warcraft novels contain flashbacks, framing stories, or events that overlap with the games. The War of the Ancients trilogy also involves characters travelling through time, which makes strict chronological placement less useful for a first reading. For most readers, release order is easier to follow, while chronological order works well for readers who already know the major Warcraft story.
Warcraft Novels by Release Date
Release order shows how the Warcraft literary universe developed over time. This list covers the standalone novels and the major novella traditionally included with the Warcraft book catalogue. Compilations and reference books such as Chronicle are listed separately because they are not novels.
| Year | Title | Author |
| 2000 | Of Blood and Honor | Chris Metzen |
| 2001 | The Last Guardian | Jeff Grubb |
| 2001 | Lord of the Clans | Christie Golden |
| 2001 | Day of the Dragon | Richard A. Knaak |
| 2004 | The Well of Eternity | Richard A. Knaak |
| 2005 | The Demon Soul | Richard A. Knaak |
| 2005 | The Sundering | Richard A. Knaak |
| 2006 | Cycle of Hatred | Keith R. A. DeCandido |
| 2006 | Rise of the Horde | Christie Golden |
| 2007 | Tides of Darkness | Aaron Rosenberg |
| 2008 | Beyond the Dark Portal | Aaron Rosenberg and Christie Golden |
| 2008 | Night of the Dragon | Richard A. Knaak |
| 2009 | Arthas: Rise of the Lich King | Christie Golden |
| 2010 | Stormrage | Richard A. Knaak |
| 2010 | The Shattering: Prelude to Cataclysm | Christie Golden |
| 2011 | Thrall: Twilight of the Aspects | Christie Golden |
| 2011 | Wolfheart | Richard A. Knaak |
| 2012 | Jaina Proudmoore: Tides of War | Christie Golden |
| 2013 | Dawn of the Aspects | Richard A. Knaak |
| 2013 | Vol’jin: Shadows of the Horde | Michael A. Stackpole |
| 2014 | War Crimes | Christie Golden |
| 2016 | Illidan | William King |
| 2016 | Traveler | Greg Weisman |
| 2018 | Traveler: The Spiral Path | Greg Weisman |
| 2018 | Before the Storm | Christie Golden |
| 2019 | Traveler: The Shining Blade | Madeleine Roux |
| 2020 | Shadows Rising | Madeleine Roux |
| 2022 | Sylvanas | Christie Golden |
| 2023 | War of the Scaleborn | Courtney Alameda |
| 2025 | Blood Ties | Christie Golden |
Important distinction about the book count. The number depends on what is included. The commonly maintained digital literature catalogue lists 27 novels, but wider Warcraft book lists also include lore books, compilations, reference books, and books aimed at younger readers. Of Blood and Honor is also commonly listed with the novels even though the Warcraft novel guide identifies it as an unnumbered work that is not technically a novel.
New and upcoming publications. Blood Ties is already available and is a prequel to Midnight. The next major Warcraft branded book announced for 2026 is Dungeons & Dragons: World of Warcraft, a tabletop gameplay expansion releasing on November 17, 2026. It is not part of the Warcraft novel series.
Where to Start With Warcraft Books
Start with Rise of the Horde if you want the clearest introduction to Warcraft history. Christie Golden’s novel explains the history of Draenor, the corruption of the orcs, and the formation of the Horde before the First War. It gives new readers useful context for later Warcraft stories.
The Last Guardian is another strong starting point. Jeff Grubb’s novel follows Medivh, Khadgar, and Garona around the opening of the First War. It is especially useful if you want to understand the origins of the Dark Portal and the early history of Azeroth’s human kingdoms.
If you mainly play modern World of Warcraft, read Sylvanas for the character’s wider history, then The Voices Within for stories connected to The War Within, followed by Blood Ties for the lead up to Midnight. The Voices Within is a short story anthology rather than a novel and contains six stories connected to characters including Anduin, Alleria, Thrall, Gazlowe, Moira, and Faerin.
If you are playing Classic or revisiting older expansions, a useful sequence is The Last Guardian, Tides of Darkness, Beyond the Dark Portal, Arthas: Rise of the Lich King, and the books connected to the expansion you are currently playing.
If you only want a short reading list, choose Rise of the Horde, The Last Guardian, Arthas: Rise of the Lich King, Jaina Proudmoore: Tides of War, and Blood Ties. Together they cover several of the most important periods and characters in Warcraft history.
Best Warcraft Books
The strongest books depend on the story you want to follow. Instead of treating one ranking as an objective list, the following selection focuses on books that are useful for understanding major characters, historical events, or the wider Warcraft setting.
- Arthas: Rise of the Lich King by Christie Golden. A character focused retelling of Arthas Menethil’s transformation from prince of Lordaeron into the Lich King.
- Rise of the Horde by Christie Golden. A detailed look at Draenor, the orcs, Gul’dan, and the creation of the Horde.
- The Last Guardian by Jeff Grubb. A focused story about Medivh, Khadgar, Garona, and the beginning of the First War.
- Jaina Proudmoore: Tides of War by Christie Golden. A key novel for Jaina and for the political conflict between the Alliance and Horde during Mists of Pandaria.
- Blood Ties by Christie Golden. The latest Warcraft novel and the official prequel to Midnight, centered on Arator and his family history.
Are the Warcraft books worth reading? The quality and style vary because the series has been written by many authors over more than two decades. The books are most useful when you want additional character history, events that connect major expansions, or background that the game only covers briefly.
Who Wrote the Warcraft Books
Christie Golden is the most prominent recurring Warcraft novelist. Her Warcraft books include Lord of the Clans, Rise of the Horde, Arthas: Rise of the Lich King, The Shattering, Thrall: Twilight of the Aspects, Jaina Proudmoore: Tides of War, War Crimes, Before the Storm, Sylvanas, and Blood Ties.
Richard A. Knaak wrote the War of the Ancients trilogy, Day of the Dragon, Night of the Dragon, Stormrage, Wolfheart, and Dawn of the Aspects. His books cover major dragon, elf, and Emerald Dream storylines.
Chris Metzen wrote Of Blood and Honor and was one of the key creative figures behind Warcraft’s wider lore. His role in the franchise extends far beyond the novels, including major contributions to the game’s setting and story direction.
Other major authors include:
- Jeff Grubb, author of The Last Guardian.
- Aaron Rosenberg, coauthor of Tides of Darkness and Beyond the Dark Portal.
- Keith R. A. DeCandido, author of Cycle of Hatred.
- Michael A. Stackpole, author of Vol’jin: Shadows of the Horde.
- William King, author of Illidan.
- Madeleine Roux, author of Shadows Rising and Traveler: The Shining Blade.
- Courtney Alameda, author of War of the Scaleborn and a contributor to The Voices Within.
World of Warcraft Comic Books
Warcraft has a large collection of comics and graphic stories. Blizzard’s official media archive includes comics connected to different periods of Warcraft history, including Ashbringer, Curse of the Worgen, Blood and Thunder, Blackhand, Gul’dan and the Stranger, Three Sisters, Mechagon, Reunion, and several expansion related digital comics.
Major printed comic series include:
- World of Warcraft, a comic series published by WildStorm.
- World of Warcraft: Ashbringer, a four issue miniseries focused on the history of the Ashbringer.
- World of Warcraft: Curse of the Worgen, a five issue miniseries centered on Gilneas, Halford Ramsey, and the history of the worgen.
- World of Warcraft: Pearl of Pandaria, a graphic novel connected to Pandaria.
- World of Warcraft: Dark Riders, a graphic story set around Duskwood.
- World of Warcraft: Bloodsworn, a story connected to the Horde and its characters.
Manga and short form collections include The Sunwell Trilogy and Warcraft Legends. Blizzard has also published many digital comics through its official media channels. The current official archive continues to list both comics and books alongside short stories and other Warcraft media.
How comics fit into the lore. Warcraft comics expand character stories and events that are not always covered in the novels. Some are direct links between expansions, while others focus on a particular character, faction, or historical event. Blizzard’s official media archive remains the best place to check which digital comics are currently available.
Art Books and Other Warcraft Lore Books
Warcraft literature goes far beyond novels. The franchise also includes Chronicle volumes, art books, travel guides, encyclopedic material, short story collections, and tabletop publications.
World of Warcraft: Chronicle is a major lore reference series. The currently established series contains Volumes I, II, and III. These books present Warcraft history in an illustrated reference format and should not be counted as novels. Blizzard’s official media archive lists Chronicle Volumes I, II, and III among its books.
Exploring Azeroth is another separate category of Warcraft books. These books combine artwork, travel writing, locations, characters, and lore. They are useful for readers who want to explore Azeroth through the eyes of its characters rather than follow a conventional novel.
The Warcraft RPG books were tabletop sourcebooks published during the early years of the franchise. They are not authoritative sources for current Warcraft canon and should be treated separately from the modern novel and lore catalogue.
The Dungeons & Dragons: World of Warcraft sourcebook is a new tabletop publication rather than a Warcraft novel. It is scheduled for release on November 17, 2026 and includes Warcraft themed classes, species, subclasses, spells, monsters, dungeons, and factions for Dungeons & Dragons.
Books Inside World of Warcraft
Azeroth also contains hundreds of readable books and notes. These are in game objects that players can find in cities, libraries, quest areas, dungeons, and other locations.
Major libraries and collections can be found in places such as Stormwind, Dalaran, and Scholomance. Books also appear as objects in the open world, quest related items, and environmental lore.
In game books cover many subjects. Some explain Warcraft history, races, wars, religions, and famous characters. Others are intentionally humorous and contain jokes, fictional scholarship, or references to events inside the game.
Collecting readable books is also part of Warcraft’s achievement system. The Bookworm achievement tracks the collection of readable books, while other achievements require players to discover particular pieces of lore during exploration and questing.
Where to Read Warcraft Books Legally
Full Warcraft novels are normally purchased or borrowed through legal book services. Depending on the title, readers can find print editions, ebooks, audiobooks, and library loans.
Digital comics and short stories are different. Blizzard has published many short stories and digital comics directly through the official World of Warcraft website. The current Blizzard media archive includes books, comics, and short stories in one searchable collection.
The Voices Within is a good example of the modern digital format. Its stories were released individually through Blizzard before the complete anthology became available. The collection contains six stories connected to The War Within.
Library services can also be useful. Availability varies by country and by title, but public library systems may offer ebooks and audiobooks through services such as Libby or other regional lending platforms.
Avoid unauthorized downloads. Websites offering complete novels as free downloads without permission are not legitimate sources. Use publishers, bookstores, libraries, or Blizzard’s official media pages instead.
FAQ
How many Warcraft novels are there?
The commonly maintained Warcraft literature catalogue lists 27 novels. The broader Warcraft book library is larger because it also includes Chronicles, short story collections, comics, art books, travel books, and other lore publications. Of Blood and Honor is often included in novel lists, although the Warcraft novel guide describes it as an unnumbered work that is not technically a novel.
What is the first Warcraft book?
By publication date, Of Blood and Honor was published in 2000. The first numbered Warcraft novel series begins with The Last Guardian, Lord of the Clans, and Day of the Dragon.
What should I read first?
Rise of the Horde is one of the clearest starting points for new readers because it explains Draenor, the orcs, and the formation of the Horde. The Last Guardian is another strong choice if you want to begin with the First War and the story of Medivh and Khadgar.
Do I need to read the books to understand World of Warcraft?
No. The books add background and character history, but the game tells its main story through quests, cinematics, dialogue, zones, and expansion campaigns.
Are the Warcraft novels canon?
Warcraft novels are part of the official Warcraft literature and are used to expand the setting and its characters. Older Warcraft RPG sourcebooks are a separate category and should not be treated as authoritative current canon.
What should I read before Midnight?
For the most direct preparation, read Blood Ties by Christie Golden. It is the official prequel to Midnight and follows Arator the Redeemer. The Voices Within is also useful for The War Within context, while Sylvanas provides broader background on one of the major characters connected to the modern Warcraft storyline.
Is Blood Ties a 2026 book?
No. Blood Ties was released on November 18, 2025. It is the official prequel novel to Midnight and was written by Christie Golden.
Is The Voices Within a novel?
No. The Voices Within is a short story anthology connected to The War Within. It contains six stories by six authors, including Christie Golden, Delilah Dawson, Jonathan Maberry, Andrew Robinson, Catherynne M. Valente, and Courtney Alameda.
When does the Dungeons & Dragons: World of Warcraft book release?
Dungeons & Dragons: World of Warcraft is scheduled for release on November 17, 2026. It is a tabletop gameplay expansion for Dungeons & Dragons, not a Warcraft novel.
Where can I read Warcraft books legally?
Depending on the title, Warcraft books are available as physical books, ebooks, audiobooks, and library loans. Blizzard also publishes selected short stories and digital comics through its official World of Warcraft media archive.
