Lore can be tricky; timelines are even trickier. One of the most frequently asked questions we get here at WoW Insider pertains to Warcraft in print. With dozens of novels, manga, comics, and other print material out there, how exactly do you know what order to read it in? Where exactly do you start, if you want to begin at the beginning?

If you're looking to read everything in order, we've got you covered. This guide presents all novels, manga, comics, and short stories that are considered canon in Warcraft lore, in chronological order. For reference purposes, I've included the game releases and expansions in the list, so you know which novels cover which games.

The Warcraft: Legends manga series does not appear in this list. There are five volumes in the series, which is an anthology that includes several short stories from all over the Warcraft timeline. Rather than try to pinpoint every short story in each volume, I would simply suggest that you read the Legends series at your leisure, as none of the stories contained in the series are of earth-shattering importance to the current events in Azeroth today.

Some stories appear twice in the timeline. This is because some stories take place partially in flashbacks to earlier events. The timelines of these stories have been noted in their descriptions.

Pre-game timeline novels, stories, and comics

• The War of the Ancients Trilogy by Richard A. Knaak. There are three books in this trilogy: The Well of Eternity, The Demon Soul, and The Sundering. These novels cover information pertaining to the Sundering of Azeroth and the Well of Eternity -- sort of. The majority of the novels take place during the War of the Ancients, however it's the War of the Ancients as viewed by travelers sent back in time by Nozdormu.
• World of Warcraft: Curse of the Worgen Issues 1-5 by Micky Neilson and James Waugh. This comic miniseries takes place at two points on the Warcraft timeline. Flashback sequences detailing the origins of the worgen curse take place just after the War of the Ancients.
• The War of the Shifting Sands by Micky Neilson. This short story takes place at two points in the timeline. The flashback sequence tells the story of the original War of the Shifting Sands, 1,000 years before the orcs first arrived on Azeroth.
• Rise of the Horde by Christie Golden. On Draenor, the native orcs of the world are going through some staggering changes. This book involves the story of Ner'zhul, Gul'dan, and the draenei, ending just before the events of the First War.
• Unbroken by Micky Neilson. This short story tells the tale of Nobundo, former paladin of the Light, and his transformation into a shaman. It takes place just after the corruption of the orcs in Rise of the Horde and follows Nobundo's journey through the shattering of Draenor after Beyond the Dark Portal.

Warcraft: Orcs and Humans (The First War)

• The Last Guardian by Jeff Grubb. This book takes place during the beginning of the First War and tells the story of Medivh's origins, his apprentice Khadgar, and the mysterious half-orc Garona.

Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness and Beyond the Dark Portal (The Second War)

• Tides of Darkness by Aaron Rosenberg. This novel tells the story of the events of Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness, largely from the Alliance perspective.
• Beyond the Dark Portal by Aaron Rosenberg and Christie Golden. This novel tells the story of Warcraft II: Beyond the Dark Portal, largely from the Horde perspective.
• Day of the Dragon by Richard A. Knaak. This book takes places just after the Second War and largely concerns Alexstraza, who has been captured by the Dragonmaw clan of orcs through the use of the Demon Soul.
• Lord of the Clans by Christie Golden. This novel focuses on the story of Thrall, his origins, and his eventual escape and rise to glory as the Warchief of the Horde. Players who have done the Caverns of Time: Durnholde Keep instance will recognize a lot of the characters and events in the novel.
• Genn Greymane: Lord of His Pack by James Waugh. This short story takes place at two points in the timeline. Flashback sequences detail Genn Greymane's struggles as leader of Gilneas and the withdrawal from the original Alliance of Lordaeron.
• Of Blood and Honor by Chris Metzen. This novel takes place sometime between Warcraft II and Warcraft III and recounts the tale of a paladin named Tirion Fordring and Eitrigg, an orc warrior. Fans of Tirion will want to check this one out.
• Road to Damnation by Evelyn Fredericksen. This short story takes place just before Warcraft III and tells the story of the mage Kel'Thuzad, his fallout with the Kirin Tor, and his alliance with the Lich King.

Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos and The Frozen Throne (The Third War)

• Arthas: Rise of the Lich King by Christie Golden. While the events of this novel end just before Wrath of the Lich King, the majority of the novel itself takes place just before and during the events of Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne. I've put it here chronologically because so much of it involves Warcraft III; however, readers may want to keep in mind that the prologue and epilogue to the book take place just after The Burning Crusade.
• Ashbringer, Issues 1-4 by Micky Neilson. This four-part comic series takes place as the plague of undeath sweeps across Lordaeon during the Third War. It tells the story of the legendary blade Ashbringer and the sorrowful tale of the Mograine family.
• World of Warcraft: Death Knight by Dan Jolley. This manga begins during the events of Warcraft III. It tells the tale of Thassarian, a Lordaeron soldier who eventually becomes the first death knight to rejoin the Alliance. This book covers the span of time between Warcraft III and Wrath of the Lich King.
• Warcraft: The Sunwell Trilogy by Richard A. Knaak. This manga trilogy concerns the events directly after the destruction of the Sunwell in Warcraft III. It tells the tale of blue dragon Kalecgos and Anveena Teague, a mysterious young woman who is much more than she seems. After the manga's end, Anveena and Kalecgos both make an appearance in the Sunwell raid at the end of The Burning Crusade expansion.
• Vol'jin: The Judgment by Brian Kindregan. This short story takes place at the same time that Thrall arrives on the tiny island of the Darkspear and meets with Sen'jin, swearing to lead the Darkspear to their destiny as depicted in Reign of Chaos. It tells the story of Vol'jin's coming of age ritual deep in the forests of First Home.
• The War of the Ancients Trilogy by Richard A. Knaak. There are three books in this trilogy: The Well of Eternity, The Demon Soul, and The Sundering. The majority of the novels take place during the War of the Ancients, however it's the War of the Ancients as viewed by travelers sent back in time by Nozdormu. The opening and closing of the trilogy takes place just after the Third War.
• Cycle of Hatred by Keith R.A. DeCandido. This novel takes place one year before the beginning of World of Warcraft and involves Thrall and Jaina Proudmoore and their attempts to keep the tentative peace between the orcs and humans of Kalimdor alive after the end of the Third War.

World of Warcraft

• The War of the Shifting Sands by Micky Neilson. This short story takes place at two points in the timeline. The reopening of the Gates of Ahn'Qiraj during World of Warcraft is highlighted with a flashback to the original War of the Shifting Sands.
• World of Warcraft: Shadow Wing Vol. 1, The Dragons of Outland, and Vol. 2, Nexus Point, by Richard A. Knaak. A manga that takes place just prior to the events of The Burning Crusade, the Shadow Wing series tells the story of Tyrygosa and Jorad Mace, last seen in The Sunwell Trilogy. Tyrygosa and Jorad have made their way through the newly opened Dark Portal and witness the first meeting between human and draenei on Outland. But it's the mysterious Netherwing that capture Tyrygosa's attention. The story ends with Malygos at last regaining his sanity -- something that has disastrous effects that are highlighted in the Wrath of the Lich King expansion.

World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade

• Night of the Dragon by Richard A. Knaak. This novel is a sequel to Day of the Dragon and a sequel of sorts to the Shadow Wing series. It involves the Netherwing dragons that were introduced in The Burning Crusade -- including one introduced in Shadow Wing. This story also introduces the Twilight Dragonflight that threatens Azeroth in Cataclysm.
• World of Warcraft: The Comic series, Vol.1 and Vol. 2 (Issues 1-14), by Walter and Louise Simonson. This section of the Warcraft comic series takes place during The Burning Crusade. It tells the tale of Varian Wrynn, flashing back to his disappearance just prior to World of Warcraft's launch and culminating with the eventual defeat of Onyxia.
• World of Warcraft: The Comic series, Vol. 3 and Vol. 4 (Issues 15-25), by Walter and Louise Simonson. This section of the Warcraft comics series begins just prior to Wrath of the Lich King's launch and ends at some point during Wrath of the Lich King. It begins just after the first series leaves off, with Varian Wrynn scheduling a peace summit with Warchief Thrall, and it involves the story behind Garona, Cho'gall, and the Twilight Cult that make a full return in Cataclysm.
• World of Warcraft: Mage by Richard A. Knaak. This manga tells the story of Aodhan, an apprentice mage studying in Dalaran. It takes place just before Wrath of the Lich King -- at some point right after Dalaran moved to Northrend -- and concerns the Nexus War between the Kirin Tor of Dalaran and Malygos, Aspect of the Blue Dragonflight.
• Garrosh Hellscream: Heart of War by Sarah Pine. This short story takes place during the Wrath of the Lich King expansion, after the scene shown in the trailer for Ulduar. It flashes back to Garrosh's arrival on Azeroth after he left Nagrand in The Burning Crusade.

World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King

• World of Warcraft Special Issue 1: Beginnings and Ends by Mike Costa. This comic takes place some time after Algalon's defeat in Ulduar. It tells the continuing story of the inhabitants of Azeroth through the eyes of Algalon the Observer. This comic currently appears to be out of print, however you can find it in Vol. 4 of the graphic novel collections of comics. If you can't get your hands on it, don't worry -- it's not a big story, more of an introduction to characters we will see in the eventual Alliance and Horde graphic novels yet to be released.
• Stormrage by Richard A. Knaak. This novel covers the conclusion of the corruption of the Emerald Dream first introduced in World of Warcraft. It covers the Nightmare War and the return of Malfurion Stormrage.
• The Shattering: Prelude to Cataclysm by Christie Golden. This book takes place just prior to World of Warcraft: Cataclysm. Azeroth is in turmoil; the elements themselves are striking back against the mortals of the world. In between the chaos, political struggles in both the Alliance and the Horde erupt into devastation, and new leaders arise.
• World of Warcraft: Shaman by Paul Benjamin. This manga takes place just before the release of Cataclysm. The Earthen Ring has been working hard to try and pacify the unsettled elements of the world, to no avail. A mysterious stranger arrives, offering to lead the Earthen Ring into a new era of shamanism. Is he a hero? Or a heretic?
• The Council of Three Hammers: Fire and Iron by Matt Burns. This short story takes place after the events in The Shattering but before the launch of the Cataclysm expansion.

World of Warcraft: Cataclysm

• Gelbin Mekkatorque: Cut Short by Cameron Dayton. While the events in this short story don't really make it clear whether it takes place just before or just after the Cataclysm expansion, the story itself is set after the attempted reclamation of Gnomregan that took place just prior to the Shattering. Gelbin Mekkatorque revisits his old quarters, deep within Gnomeregan -- and he's in for a surprise when he gets there.
• Tyrande Whisperwind: Seeds of Faith This short story takes place immediatly after the Cataclysm. As the night elves find themselves quickly overwhelmed with death and loss, Tyrande Whisperwind makes a trip to Feathermoon Stronghold to save her daughter of the heart, Shandris Feathermoon.
• Baine Bloodhoof: As Our Fathers Before Us by Steven Nix. This short story takes place after the Shattering and the goblins' induction into the Horde. Tainted water supplies in Durotar force the tauren to export water from Mulgore to Orgrimmar. Meanwhile, tension still exists between the new leader of the tauren and the new leader of the Horde. Self-doubt riddles Baine Bloodhoof as he wonders: Is he competent enough to lead his people in his father's footsteps?
• Gallywix: Trade Secrets of a Trade Prince by Gavin Jurgens-Fyhrie. This short story takes place in a nebulous portion of the Warcraft timeline. It details Gallywix's rise to power on the island of Kezan; however, we've got no reference as to when that actually occurred. The end of the story has Gallywix currently living it up in Azshara as depicted in Cataclysm.
• World of Warcraft: Curse of the Worgen Issues 1-5 by Micky Neilson and James Waugh. This miniseries takes place at two points on the Warcraft timeline. The flashback sequences take place just after the War of the Ancients; however, the main story involves King Genn Greymane and the beleaguered people of Gilneas as they struggle to come to terms with the worgen curse. The comic's timeline ends somewhere in the middle of the worgen starting zone.
• Genn Greymane: Lord of His Pack by James Waugh. This short story takes place at two points in the timeline. The non-flashback points of the story take place after the end of the events in the worgen starting zone in Cataclysm.
• Wolfheart by Richard A. Knaak. The Worgen of Gilneas seek to join the Alliance, but one imposing figure stands in their way: King Varian Wrynn. In the meantime, the Night Elves struggle to try and reintroduce the Highborne of Eldre'Thalas back into Night Elf society. All the while, Ashenvale is threatened by a fierce new foe -- the united forces of Garrosh Hellscream, who seek to claim Ashenvale for the Horde.
• Thrall: Twilight of the Aspects by Christie Golden. Former Warchief Thrall is still trying to mend the world after Deathwing's explosive return to Azeroth. But self-doubt plagues the shaman, and a seemingly random errand from Ysera, Aspect of the Green Dragonflight, leads the former Warchief on a journey of self-discovery and healing -- both for himself and for the tormented dragonflights.

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World of Warcraft: Cataclysm has destroyed Azeroth as we know it; nothing is the same! In WoW Insider's Guide to Cataclysm, you can find out everything you need to know about WoW's third expansion, from leveling up a new goblin or worgen to breaking news and strategies on endgame play.

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