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Fantasy's bad guys finally get their due in the first book of this action packed tale of Orc valor and human treachery.
Look at me. Look at the Orc.
There is fear and hatred in your eyes. To you I am a monster, a skulker in the shadows, a fiend to scare your children with. A creature to be hunted down and slaughtered like a beast in the fields.
It is time you pay heed to the beast. And see the beast in yourself. I have your fear. But I have earned your respect.
Hear my story. Feel the flow of blood and be thankful. Thankful that it was me, not you, who bore the sword. Thankful to the orcs; born to fight, destined to win peace for all."
This book will change the way you feel about Orcs forever.
Look at me. Look at the Orc.
There is fear and hatred in your eyes. To you I am a monster, a skulker in the shadows, a fiend to scare your children with. A creature to be hunted down and slaughtered like a beast in the fields.
It is time you pay heed to the beast. And see the beast in yourself. I have your fear. But I have earned your respect.
Hear my story. Feel the flow of blood and be thankful. Thankful that it was me, not you, who bore the sword. Thankful to the orcs; born to fight, destined to win peace for all."
This book will change the way you feel about Orcs forever.
730 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
108 people are currently reading
1,031 people want to read
About the author
Stan Nicholls
59books186followersStan Nicholls (born 1949) is a British author and journalist, working full-time since 1981. He is the author of many novels and short stories but is best known for the internationally acclaimed Orcs: First Blood series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 378 reviews
July 9, 2008
I finally finish the daunting/masochistic task of reading the 745 pages of crap that this book contains� now as promised my review:
Look I’ve read crap in my life� but this was just ridiculous� if you ever played one of those random RPG games for the Game Boy back in the early 90’s you know what talking about here� you get your generic main character an Orc named Stryke, you also get the traditional cookie cutter motley crew of retards: Haskeer who is stubborn and stupid and is supposed to be the main source of “comical� relieve� Coilla, who steps forward as the mistress in distress in a couple of situations that made wish I was blind or illiterate� you also get your wise healer Alfray, who starts showing his skill by cutting off somebody’s leg and then cooking it to give the patient strength and a fast recovery� (Yes, the patient dies anyway) and Jub, a dwarf with some racial self-pity/shame issues� but wait there is more!!! You also get another cookie cutter character; the evil ruler Jennesta!!! She likes to wear a strap-on unicorn horn dildo to refill her magic powers from her ritualistic rapes!! But wait there is more!! You also get tour designated Gandalf, a human mage who likes to make cliché religious jokes and goes by the name of Serapheim� (Still wishing I was illiterate)
After an attack on a random village and stealing and important artifact the Wolverines (believe it or not that’s the name of Stryke’s war band) decides to smoke some pellucid (this world’s equivalent of crack) that they find along with the artifact� they late because they were getting high and decide to make a run for it so their evil ruler don’t get upset, but in their way back they get attack and the artifact is stolen from them. in the process of getting the artifact back they discover that is a star shape thingy that has some of awesome powers! And that there are 4 more scattered around the world (they gets this information from a scholar gremlin) and so they decide to take on a quest of get them all in an adventured that will take the mighty Wolverines to great quests like getting a tear from an megalomaniac selfish bitch in some cave, fight stupid trolls in smelly caves, stealing from Nazi look alike religious freaks and, stupid besieged cities with magical geysers!!!
Many times while I was reading this book I started to wonder� what horrible thing would I rather be doing instead of reading this book? Here is a few of the things I came up with:
1. Cover my hand with crazy glue and then sprinkle it with glass chards and then masturbate with it�
2. Listen to a Bon Jovi album.
3. Talking to that crazy Jehovah witness near the Q38 bus stop.
4. Play Final Fantasy X-2 .
5. Call my mother.
6. Running around the tiger mountain on the Bronx zoo while wearing only a raw meat jacket.
7. Watch the teletubbies
8. Read a harry potter book.
9. Cover my genitalia with honey and then walk around naked in a bear cave.
10. Watch an entire golf tournament in ESPN.
I Alfonso Gutierrez give this piece of crap a 2 out of 5 because of the unicorn horn dildo!!
Look I’ve read crap in my life� but this was just ridiculous� if you ever played one of those random RPG games for the Game Boy back in the early 90’s you know what talking about here� you get your generic main character an Orc named Stryke, you also get the traditional cookie cutter motley crew of retards: Haskeer who is stubborn and stupid and is supposed to be the main source of “comical� relieve� Coilla, who steps forward as the mistress in distress in a couple of situations that made wish I was blind or illiterate� you also get your wise healer Alfray, who starts showing his skill by cutting off somebody’s leg and then cooking it to give the patient strength and a fast recovery� (Yes, the patient dies anyway) and Jub, a dwarf with some racial self-pity/shame issues� but wait there is more!!! You also get another cookie cutter character; the evil ruler Jennesta!!! She likes to wear a strap-on unicorn horn dildo to refill her magic powers from her ritualistic rapes!! But wait there is more!! You also get tour designated Gandalf, a human mage who likes to make cliché religious jokes and goes by the name of Serapheim� (Still wishing I was illiterate)
After an attack on a random village and stealing and important artifact the Wolverines (believe it or not that’s the name of Stryke’s war band) decides to smoke some pellucid (this world’s equivalent of crack) that they find along with the artifact� they late because they were getting high and decide to make a run for it so their evil ruler don’t get upset, but in their way back they get attack and the artifact is stolen from them. in the process of getting the artifact back they discover that is a star shape thingy that has some of awesome powers! And that there are 4 more scattered around the world (they gets this information from a scholar gremlin) and so they decide to take on a quest of get them all in an adventured that will take the mighty Wolverines to great quests like getting a tear from an megalomaniac selfish bitch in some cave, fight stupid trolls in smelly caves, stealing from Nazi look alike religious freaks and, stupid besieged cities with magical geysers!!!
Many times while I was reading this book I started to wonder� what horrible thing would I rather be doing instead of reading this book? Here is a few of the things I came up with:
1. Cover my hand with crazy glue and then sprinkle it with glass chards and then masturbate with it�
2. Listen to a Bon Jovi album.
3. Talking to that crazy Jehovah witness near the Q38 bus stop.
4. Play Final Fantasy X-2 .
5. Call my mother.
6. Running around the tiger mountain on the Bronx zoo while wearing only a raw meat jacket.
7. Watch the teletubbies
8. Read a harry potter book.
9. Cover my genitalia with honey and then walk around naked in a bear cave.
10. Watch an entire golf tournament in ESPN.
I Alfonso Gutierrez give this piece of crap a 2 out of 5 because of the unicorn horn dildo!!
March 27, 2025
Поредната наивна до дебилност драсканица, маскирана като фентъзи роман.
Никак не става! :(
Никак не става! :(
April 8, 2022
"Orcos" es una novela de Stan Nicholls qué por mucho tiempo quise leer, una historia desde la perspectiva de los malos sonaba interesante. Finalmente me armé de las suficientes ganas para abordar sus más de 800 paginas y la verdad es que no puedo decir que haya valido mucho la pena... ¡Pero vayamos por parte!
Acá conocemos a Stryke y su banda "Los hurones", un grupo de orcos sirvientes de la villana Jennesta, que deciden rebelarse en contra de su ama con la idea de reunir varias puntas de una estrella que supuestamente los ayudará a liberar a su pueblo de las cadenas de la esclavitud en las que actualmente se encuentran.
La trama a simple vista no parece tan mala, aunque tampoco aporta nada nuevo si lo analizamos de cerca. Se asemeja a algún videojuego RPG o a alguna campaña "Calabozos y Dragones"... y eso es justamente lo que es.
El grupo de orcos va de un lado a otro del mapa agarrándose a macanas con casi todo el bestiario medieval conocido, que incluso incluye robots y un par de grupos de fanáticos religiosos, que por supuesto también querran apoderarse de las puntas de la estrella.
La novela en sí consta de cuatro partes:
1. La Banda de Los Hurones: Que narra la rebelión de Stryke y su grupo contra Jennesta y como incursionan en la ciudad de los Unis, un grupo religioso, y las cavernas Troll en busca de las puntas de la Estrella.
2. La Legión del Trueno: De cómo el grupo se vuelve a reunir tras unos cuántos capítulos separados y de cómo negocian con los centauros para conseguir otra de las puntas de la Estrella.
3. Guerreros de La Tempestad: De cómo se enfrentan al ejército de Jennesta y los Unis, y de cómo consiguen la última punta de la Estrella faltante.
4. El Secuestro: De como Coilla, la única hembra orco del grupo, se une a la banda y de como enfrentan a una secta de pirómanos.
La primera parte logra mantenerte interesado y en mi opinión vale bastante la pena, sin embargo, a partir del segundo libro la cosa decae, volviéndose en exceso repetitiva, las batallas van y vienen con apenas un par de muertos del bando de los orcos, y el resto siempre heridas superficiales, volviéndose cansino al punto de que incluso cuando tienen todo en contra terminan ganando. Ya en el tercer libro ésto se vuelve insoportable, el autor pareciera dotar a sus héroes de un aura Inmortal, no importando lo que suceda en las batallas siempre terminan de la misma forma, los orcos ganando. Por lo que uno ya se puede imaginar el final sin siquiera leerlo. Por último, la historia del secuestro es tan tediosa -más de lo mismo- que ni siquiera debieron molestarse en agregarla.
Sin olvidar tambien que a lo largo de la trama el autor nos va contando acerca de los sueños de Stryke con otro mundo dónde los orcos son libres y felices, algo que no termina de resolver del todo dejándonos un final abrupto y bastante desabrido que incluso podríamos tachar de decepcionante.
Y el asunto tampoco se queda ahí, pues sí analizamos la novela un momento nos damos cuenta que tambien podríamos cambiar a los orcos por cualquier otra raza y la historia funciona igual. El autor no dota a la banda de ninguna característica única, es más, suaviza su personalidad acercandola más a los humanos qué a las monstruosas criaturas de pesadilla qué comúnmente encontramos en los orcos. Si incluso los orcos que aquí nos muestran son amantes de la naturaleza ¿¡Amantes de la naturaleza!? ¡Okay, vale!
En fin, una novela que empieza bien, pero que termina mal.... muy mal.
¡Solo recomendada a lectores principiantes interesados en leer mucha acción! Porque una buena trama aquí no encontrarás.
Acá conocemos a Stryke y su banda "Los hurones", un grupo de orcos sirvientes de la villana Jennesta, que deciden rebelarse en contra de su ama con la idea de reunir varias puntas de una estrella que supuestamente los ayudará a liberar a su pueblo de las cadenas de la esclavitud en las que actualmente se encuentran.
La trama a simple vista no parece tan mala, aunque tampoco aporta nada nuevo si lo analizamos de cerca. Se asemeja a algún videojuego RPG o a alguna campaña "Calabozos y Dragones"... y eso es justamente lo que es.
El grupo de orcos va de un lado a otro del mapa agarrándose a macanas con casi todo el bestiario medieval conocido, que incluso incluye robots y un par de grupos de fanáticos religiosos, que por supuesto también querran apoderarse de las puntas de la estrella.
La novela en sí consta de cuatro partes:
1. La Banda de Los Hurones: Que narra la rebelión de Stryke y su grupo contra Jennesta y como incursionan en la ciudad de los Unis, un grupo religioso, y las cavernas Troll en busca de las puntas de la Estrella.
2. La Legión del Trueno: De cómo el grupo se vuelve a reunir tras unos cuántos capítulos separados y de cómo negocian con los centauros para conseguir otra de las puntas de la Estrella.
3. Guerreros de La Tempestad: De cómo se enfrentan al ejército de Jennesta y los Unis, y de cómo consiguen la última punta de la Estrella faltante.
4. El Secuestro: De como Coilla, la única hembra orco del grupo, se une a la banda y de como enfrentan a una secta de pirómanos.
La primera parte logra mantenerte interesado y en mi opinión vale bastante la pena, sin embargo, a partir del segundo libro la cosa decae, volviéndose en exceso repetitiva, las batallas van y vienen con apenas un par de muertos del bando de los orcos, y el resto siempre heridas superficiales, volviéndose cansino al punto de que incluso cuando tienen todo en contra terminan ganando. Ya en el tercer libro ésto se vuelve insoportable, el autor pareciera dotar a sus héroes de un aura Inmortal, no importando lo que suceda en las batallas siempre terminan de la misma forma, los orcos ganando. Por lo que uno ya se puede imaginar el final sin siquiera leerlo. Por último, la historia del secuestro es tan tediosa -más de lo mismo- que ni siquiera debieron molestarse en agregarla.
Sin olvidar tambien que a lo largo de la trama el autor nos va contando acerca de los sueños de Stryke con otro mundo dónde los orcos son libres y felices, algo que no termina de resolver del todo dejándonos un final abrupto y bastante desabrido que incluso podríamos tachar de decepcionante.
Y el asunto tampoco se queda ahí, pues sí analizamos la novela un momento nos damos cuenta que tambien podríamos cambiar a los orcos por cualquier otra raza y la historia funciona igual. El autor no dota a la banda de ninguna característica única, es más, suaviza su personalidad acercandola más a los humanos qué a las monstruosas criaturas de pesadilla qué comúnmente encontramos en los orcos. Si incluso los orcos que aquí nos muestran son amantes de la naturaleza ¿¡Amantes de la naturaleza!? ¡Okay, vale!
En fin, una novela que empieza bien, pero que termina mal.... muy mal.
¡Solo recomendada a lectores principiantes interesados en leer mucha acción! Porque una buena trama aquí no encontrarás.
April 1, 2011
I was tricked into reading this - my copy had a quote on the cover by Tad Williams. I adore Tad Williams' work and the premise sounded neat (Orcs as you've never seen them! or something to that effect), so I bought the book.
First problem: The writing style drove me up the wall. It felt juvenile, with lots of telling rather than showing, and generally the writing seemed clunky and lacked polish. Oddly enough, the writing for the dream sequences were an exception; they were well-written, conveyed the mood properly, and generally worked well. Unfortunately, they were a small fraction of the book.
Second problem: false advertising. The cover promised a new take on orcs, but apparently the author had never heard of Thrall and the Warcraft universe. Sorry, but the idea of orcs that have a conscience, have nobility, escape from serfdom - this has been *done*, and frankly done much better.
Third problem: cardboard cut-out evil villain for the sake of being evil, complete with unicorn horn dildo for impaling ... yeah, nevermind. If it weren't for the completely unnecessary sex scenes with extreme (though implied) violence, I might have suggested that this book was targeted at teens, who might be more tolerant of this schlock.
Fourth problem: The last 2-3 pages introduce a completely gratuitous "explanation" that doesn't fit with the depiction of the characters at all, and ends in a big "To Be Continued." As if.
I will admit that after forcing myself to read the first half of this book (I ran out of the backs of cereal boxes), I did find myself moderately invested in the characters and their quest. This made the cop-out ending even more disappointing than it would have been if I hadn't cared at all.
First problem: The writing style drove me up the wall. It felt juvenile, with lots of telling rather than showing, and generally the writing seemed clunky and lacked polish. Oddly enough, the writing for the dream sequences were an exception; they were well-written, conveyed the mood properly, and generally worked well. Unfortunately, they were a small fraction of the book.
Second problem: false advertising. The cover promised a new take on orcs, but apparently the author had never heard of Thrall and the Warcraft universe. Sorry, but the idea of orcs that have a conscience, have nobility, escape from serfdom - this has been *done*, and frankly done much better.
Third problem: cardboard cut-out evil villain for the sake of being evil, complete with unicorn horn dildo for impaling ... yeah, nevermind. If it weren't for the completely unnecessary sex scenes with extreme (though implied) violence, I might have suggested that this book was targeted at teens, who might be more tolerant of this schlock.
Fourth problem: The last 2-3 pages introduce a completely gratuitous "explanation" that doesn't fit with the depiction of the characters at all, and ends in a big "To Be Continued." As if.
I will admit that after forcing myself to read the first half of this book (I ran out of the backs of cereal boxes), I did find myself moderately invested in the characters and their quest. This made the cop-out ending even more disappointing than it would have been if I hadn't cared at all.
January 10, 2009
I sure would have liked this when I was 14! I should have put it back on the shelf when I saw the lead character's name was Stryke. It would have saved me the descriptions of how exotically sexy the half-orc sorceress is. NOTE TO AUTHORS: if you are describing any of your characters' pubic hair, you are probably going down the wrong path.
July 20, 2012
**SPOILERS AND BAD LANGUAGE BELOW**
I picked up by Stan Nicholls again, having bought it a couple of years ago, gotten about a third of tthe way through it and then abandoned to leave it languishing on my shelves. And for the life of me, I couldn't remember why.
Then I started reading, and by the time I hit the third chapter, I remembered.
The good guys in this book are reasonable - interesting characters, for all they aren't particularly orc like - even if I find the narrative a bit monotonous. But I can cope with that.
The setting is a cross between standard Dungeons and Dragons fantasy and the orcs as featured in ; not terribly original, but it's hard to get any fantasy these days that doesn't draw on something, so again, I can cope with that.
What I can't cope with? Is the main bad guy.
Of course, 'guy' is a misnomer here; the evil tyrant driving the plot along and sending people after our band of soliders* is in fact a female.
And a more cliched, ridiculous and frankly, insulting character, I've not seen.
It was so bad, I actually went back and reread the preceeding chapter, in case this entire thing was an exercise in satire that had managed to pass completely over my head, and therefore this was meant more as a commentary on female villans in fantasy (and how crap they invariably are) rather than an example of one.
No no, it would appear I had it right the first time.
Allow me to introduce Jennestra.
Just to lead in and set the tone here, the outfit she picks out to visit the dragonpens in - a dirty, farmyard environment - is thigh high leather boots with stiletto-esque heels, leather corset, and a bullwhip; one selected from her collection of many, might I add.
Say it with me now: WHAT?
[As a sidenote: please tell me why there aren't male equivalents to this? I mean not that I could take them seriously, but it would certainly be amusing to see a male villan visit his dairy shed clad in nothing more than ass-less chaps, baby oil, and brandishing an ambitiously sized dildo, which he could then shake it at his main cowherder in a suggestive manner to establish his dominance. I'd buy a book that featured that for the hell of it in fact. If nothing else, imagine the conversation in the barn when he's gone:
"Phew, that was close."
"Nah, you were fine."
"Are you kidding? Did you see that thing? He had it ready lubed!!"
"Listen, kid, unless he turns up with the double ender, you'll be ok."
EDIT: Someone thought the above was awesome enough to actually do fanart for me! Check it out: (WARNING: NSFW)
]
Oh, but it gets better; Jennestra's magical abilities are powered by sex.
But wait! There's more!
It's not just the sex that gives her power, it's that she has to kill them during it, rip out their heart, and eat it while it's still beating.
What she's apparently quite fond of is picking someone from one of the tribes who sees sex as bad (hello thar Christianity parallels) and then seducing them, and cleaving their chest open mid-coitus.
That's for the men, of course. The women that she uses get no such seduction techniques, and are merely screwed to death, courtesy of the unicorn horn she uses as a strap on.
Say with me again:WHAT?
Oh, and she keeps having to replace her servants, because she goes through them at such a rate. Which makes no sense on a practical level, really, because a good servant takes time to train - but that is really the least of what annoys me about them.
I'm sure it gets worse, but I couldn't read any further - sorry folks, I'm just not that self sacrificing.
Don't bother with this book. Seriously, honestly. I heard tell it was actually supposed to be part of a series; if this is the case, run, far far away.
*I find their alignment too questionable to be able to dub them 'heroes'.
I picked up by Stan Nicholls again, having bought it a couple of years ago, gotten about a third of tthe way through it and then abandoned to leave it languishing on my shelves. And for the life of me, I couldn't remember why.
Then I started reading, and by the time I hit the third chapter, I remembered.
The good guys in this book are reasonable - interesting characters, for all they aren't particularly orc like - even if I find the narrative a bit monotonous. But I can cope with that.
The setting is a cross between standard Dungeons and Dragons fantasy and the orcs as featured in ; not terribly original, but it's hard to get any fantasy these days that doesn't draw on something, so again, I can cope with that.
What I can't cope with? Is the main bad guy.
Of course, 'guy' is a misnomer here; the evil tyrant driving the plot along and sending people after our band of soliders* is in fact a female.
And a more cliched, ridiculous and frankly, insulting character, I've not seen.
It was so bad, I actually went back and reread the preceeding chapter, in case this entire thing was an exercise in satire that had managed to pass completely over my head, and therefore this was meant more as a commentary on female villans in fantasy (and how crap they invariably are) rather than an example of one.
No no, it would appear I had it right the first time.
Allow me to introduce Jennestra.
Just to lead in and set the tone here, the outfit she picks out to visit the dragonpens in - a dirty, farmyard environment - is thigh high leather boots with stiletto-esque heels, leather corset, and a bullwhip; one selected from her collection of many, might I add.
Say it with me now: WHAT?
[As a sidenote: please tell me why there aren't male equivalents to this? I mean not that I could take them seriously, but it would certainly be amusing to see a male villan visit his dairy shed clad in nothing more than ass-less chaps, baby oil, and brandishing an ambitiously sized dildo, which he could then shake it at his main cowherder in a suggestive manner to establish his dominance. I'd buy a book that featured that for the hell of it in fact. If nothing else, imagine the conversation in the barn when he's gone:
"Phew, that was close."
"Nah, you were fine."
"Are you kidding? Did you see that thing? He had it ready lubed!!"
"Listen, kid, unless he turns up with the double ender, you'll be ok."
EDIT: Someone thought the above was awesome enough to actually do fanart for me! Check it out: (WARNING: NSFW)
]
Oh, but it gets better; Jennestra's magical abilities are powered by sex.
But wait! There's more!
It's not just the sex that gives her power, it's that she has to kill them during it, rip out their heart, and eat it while it's still beating.
What she's apparently quite fond of is picking someone from one of the tribes who sees sex as bad (hello thar Christianity parallels) and then seducing them, and cleaving their chest open mid-coitus.
That's for the men, of course. The women that she uses get no such seduction techniques, and are merely screwed to death, courtesy of the unicorn horn she uses as a strap on.
Say with me again:WHAT?
Oh, and she keeps having to replace her servants, because she goes through them at such a rate. Which makes no sense on a practical level, really, because a good servant takes time to train - but that is really the least of what annoys me about them.
I'm sure it gets worse, but I couldn't read any further - sorry folks, I'm just not that self sacrificing.
Don't bother with this book. Seriously, honestly. I heard tell it was actually supposed to be part of a series; if this is the case, run, far far away.
*I find their alignment too questionable to be able to dub them 'heroes'.
November 12, 2009
I am almost embarrassed to put this on my list. I did start reading it. I got almost halfway through by sheer perseverance. Then, I found myself flipping to the end of the tedious fight scenes to see what happened next. Then I realized that about every second or third page, the characters did something so profoundly and inexplicably stupid as to completely distract me from enjoying the story. Finally, I threw the book against the wall and moved on to something else. If I can ever remember the name of the Barnes and Noble employee who recommended this book to me, I will be giving him a piece of my mind and no mistake.
December 27, 2017
I read this book for the first time many years ago, so nostalgia probably colours my review. Orcs is a great book, and the first of its kind that I read that told the story from the orcs pov.
I loved all the relentless action and gore, as well as the dark humour laced throughout. Yes, the plot isn't all too complex, but the world-building was very well done and the fight scenes were the highlight.
The beginning and the middle of the series were definitely superior to the last third, but the ending was by no means a deal-breaker either.
I loved all the relentless action and gore, as well as the dark humour laced throughout. Yes, the plot isn't all too complex, but the world-building was very well done and the fight scenes were the highlight.
The beginning and the middle of the series were definitely superior to the last third, but the ending was by no means a deal-breaker either.
April 23, 2009
Just don't. No matter how good the back sounds, just don't.
March 30, 2020
I got a kick out of this novel. It wasn't the best written nor was the topic all that deep, but when it came to amusing me, I enjoyed the heck out of it. My biggest issue was the writing - the battle scenes were repetitive: lots of hacking and slashing starting from one main character and then following the circuit to show the others in their battles. And he did this for every skirmish and major altercation - it just grew a little dull to me. I enjoyed the subject - the orcs reminded me of the ones from Warcraft - though the plot wasn't overly complicated. In fact, it reminded me of a video game. A good video game, but a video game none-the-less (and I'm not talking about fantastic games like Mass Effect, but a generic, well put-together, linear plot game). The simplistic plot (and plot devices [like A LOT of deus ex]) and slightly repetitive writing didn't detract too much from the story, I mean, let's face it, the novel is about orcs.
I liked the characters. Stryke had some depth to him and of course I liked Coilla. I particularly liked how Coilla was aware of being the only female but tried to ignore that fact. What I didn't get was why she was the only female - that really isn't explained. Where are the other female orcs? The other three main characters - Jup, Haskeer and Alfray (or whatever his name is) - were rather generic. But they were fun, so I can't say I disliked them. Janeesta was a pretty interesting villain though a little too over-the-top. She's evil just for evil's sake, I guess? She was pretty one-dimensional but her brutality was the push for the action, so she played her part. Some of the stuff she did was so ridiculous though - the unicorn horn?
The best part was the dialogue. The orcs spoke like real people, they used hilarious expressions, and they swore. The one thing I hate about fantasy is when the characters talk as if it were a Tolkien novel. So a bonus point for Nicholls for using the word "fuck."
This was a fun, fairly quick read for the xmas rush. It was so much fun I was able to overlook its flaws, which is why it gets a 4/5. It was a riot!
I liked the characters. Stryke had some depth to him and of course I liked Coilla. I particularly liked how Coilla was aware of being the only female but tried to ignore that fact. What I didn't get was why she was the only female - that really isn't explained. Where are the other female orcs? The other three main characters - Jup, Haskeer and Alfray (or whatever his name is) - were rather generic. But they were fun, so I can't say I disliked them. Janeesta was a pretty interesting villain though a little too over-the-top. She's evil just for evil's sake, I guess? She was pretty one-dimensional but her brutality was the push for the action, so she played her part. Some of the stuff she did was so ridiculous though - the unicorn horn?
The best part was the dialogue. The orcs spoke like real people, they used hilarious expressions, and they swore. The one thing I hate about fantasy is when the characters talk as if it were a Tolkien novel. So a bonus point for Nicholls for using the word "fuck."
This was a fun, fairly quick read for the xmas rush. It was so much fun I was able to overlook its flaws, which is why it gets a 4/5. It was a riot!
July 8, 2017
I remember reading this omnibus edition some years back and I really rather enjoyed it. Despite several negative reviews, which I tend to disregard, this was an entertaining set of three novels. Different from the usual fantasy I have read, as it is told from the standpoint of the Orcs, hence the title. The edition that I bought had a recommendation from David Gemmell on the cover, that pretty much sold it to me on its own. I liked it and would recommend it to others that enjoy D&D style dungeon bashing and wilderness encounters.
October 26, 2008
I actually enjoyed this book more than i expected to, but i was a little let down by the story behind Jennesta and her sisters - not what i expected, but i thought they'd have a bigger role.
Stryke was so obviously Thrall from Warcraft through ;)
Stryke was so obviously Thrall from Warcraft through ;)
May 17, 2012
Maybe I just don't get it. Maybe I'm not Mr. Nicholls intended audience. Whatever the case may be, this is an awful, awful book that squanders a truly intriguing premise with the most generic, boring, and clumsy writing I've ever had the displeasure of reading. I cannot stress enough how horrible this book is. There is absolutely zero character development throughout the entire novel; every single cast member is a generic cliche, from the visionary young lead, the unrelentingly and stupefyingly sadistic villain, the gruff noble dwarf, dumb brutish trouble maker, bigoted religious zealot, etc, etc, etc. These are cardboard cutouts, not characters, and worst of all you'd be hard pressed to figure out that any of the Orc characters actually were Orcs if the name of the book didn't spell it out for you. They don't think, speak, or act any differently than humans would; nothing about their nature is explored because there's nothing to explore. Mr. Nicholls has made them exactly like regular humans in an effort to make them more relatable to the reader, but in doing so he robs the book of it's entire premise: seeing an Orc's side of the story in a typical fantasy novel. These aren't Orcs, they're humans playing dress up.
Beyond that, the story is non-existent and the writing is awful. Every time some new hurdle is thrown up in the way of the main characters, they instantly find a way to circumvent it by some deus ex machina event within two pages of the conflict being introduced. The "action" is anything but; it's mechanical, generic, and there's an overabundance of it. By about the 900th fight sequence into the book, you'll be sick of reading the same description of how some character dodged a blow and slashed downwards with his/her sword.
Avoid this book like the plague. I threw it away after finishing it. That's something I've never done with a book before, but I'm sorry, this is trash.
Beyond that, the story is non-existent and the writing is awful. Every time some new hurdle is thrown up in the way of the main characters, they instantly find a way to circumvent it by some deus ex machina event within two pages of the conflict being introduced. The "action" is anything but; it's mechanical, generic, and there's an overabundance of it. By about the 900th fight sequence into the book, you'll be sick of reading the same description of how some character dodged a blow and slashed downwards with his/her sword.
Avoid this book like the plague. I threw it away after finishing it. That's something I've never done with a book before, but I'm sorry, this is trash.
March 19, 2016
Have you ever wanted to read about someone getting beaten to death with their own arms? Dirty unicorn sex toys? Had you ever even thought about such possibilities? If you have then this is the book for you.
Let me start out by saying that I thoroughly enjoyed this book while I was reading it. It reads like a graphic novel. It is bloody, gory, sexy, and completely over the top. If you are looking for something understated, or feel that reading about “glistening entrails caught on someone’s halberd� is not only unnecessary but gross, you need to quickly put this book down and move on. It reads a bit like a graphic novel. It’s really fun, if you’re a bit grim like me, its witty at times, the description is excellent. It’s a good book for a rainy day. The plot is sometimes weak. The characters different enough that they are all enjoyable (even the evil Jennesta) but they aren’t too deep. Still, you’ll become attached.
This is a great book if you are looking for action/adventure fantasy. Next to Brent Weeks these are some of the best described combat scenes I’ve ever read. I particularly like that each orc has a very distinctive combat style that meshes with their personality. It’s very intriguing that way, and well done. It’s a very character driven book.
That all said, I never felt compelled to finish the series. Maybe someday when I need another brain vacation on a rainy day. Nothing particularly stuck with me except some of the more graphic scenes that I still chuckle to myself about.
Let me start out by saying that I thoroughly enjoyed this book while I was reading it. It reads like a graphic novel. It is bloody, gory, sexy, and completely over the top. If you are looking for something understated, or feel that reading about “glistening entrails caught on someone’s halberd� is not only unnecessary but gross, you need to quickly put this book down and move on. It reads a bit like a graphic novel. It’s really fun, if you’re a bit grim like me, its witty at times, the description is excellent. It’s a good book for a rainy day. The plot is sometimes weak. The characters different enough that they are all enjoyable (even the evil Jennesta) but they aren’t too deep. Still, you’ll become attached.
This is a great book if you are looking for action/adventure fantasy. Next to Brent Weeks these are some of the best described combat scenes I’ve ever read. I particularly like that each orc has a very distinctive combat style that meshes with their personality. It’s very intriguing that way, and well done. It’s a very character driven book.
That all said, I never felt compelled to finish the series. Maybe someday when I need another brain vacation on a rainy day. Nothing particularly stuck with me except some of the more graphic scenes that I still chuckle to myself about.
November 21, 2024
Orcs is a breathless, fast-moving action adventure you won’t want to put down. And these are not your Tolkien’s orcs, nor are they some modernized peace-seeking, family-values orcs.
The orcs are militant and a minority class in this world where magic is being depleted and drained by the invasion of humans. Sold by their own into the service to the nyadd Jennesta, an unmerciful, tyrannical sorceress who is allied with some of the humans, the orcs take orders and war as they are bred to do.
The Wolverines, one such war band of orcs led by Stryke, fail to complete a mission to obtain an artifact, a star, an instrumentality Jennesta desires. No one is sure what to call the object.
Failure to complete the mission is unacceptable and if they return home without the star, they are sure to be punished, possibly with their lives.
Not wanting to face Jennesta’s wrath, Stryke decides, despite a few complaints, that they should proceed on their own to hunt down the kobolds who stole the star. Once they obtain the artifact, they might be able to negotiate some mercy from Jennesta. These orcs know no other life and they have no place else to turn. Following Stryke is the only hope they have.
Jennesta, however, views the Wolverines actions as desertion. She sends out hunting parties to find and destroy the Wolverines, everything from orcs, humans, brownies, dragons and harpies.
It’s not long before the Wolverines realize that there is no going home. After hunting down the kobolds and obtaining the star, the war band learn that there are five of these instrumentalities and they are valued by more folk than just Jennesta.
Although he doesn't know what the stars are or what powers they have, Stryke decides that the orcs only hope for survival lies in obtaining these things that are valuable to others. A war band without purpose means ruin. The orcs need a purpose to stay united. So they strike out to find more stars.
The Wolverines proceed to make enemies nearly everywhere they go. Seemingly every endeavor turns into a fight. And they fight. Often. (The one misgiving with the book might be the few casualties the Wolverines suffer throughout much of the book but it is fantasy adventure and you don't want their numbers to dwindle, so you take it as a point of fact that the Wolverines are an elite war band, superior to most other orc war bands)
Stryke, while holding onto the stars as they gather them, begins to dream of a distant land where orcs live in peace. He is confused and not sure if it is a dream or someplace real. It seems very real when he is there, walking alongside a fetching female orc who speaks with him, knowing nothing of Stryke’s volatile world, only knowing the peace of her land, wondering why he keeps coming and going from her life. He wants to stay with her but doesn't know how.
If you like action and fantasy with a band of interesting heroes, Stryke, Collia, Haskeer, and Jup (the only dwarf in the war band) as well as the other grunts, this story will satisfy your thirst.
I loved it. This is a book I would like to read again and probably will one day. It is that good. 5 Stars.
The orcs are militant and a minority class in this world where magic is being depleted and drained by the invasion of humans. Sold by their own into the service to the nyadd Jennesta, an unmerciful, tyrannical sorceress who is allied with some of the humans, the orcs take orders and war as they are bred to do.
The Wolverines, one such war band of orcs led by Stryke, fail to complete a mission to obtain an artifact, a star, an instrumentality Jennesta desires. No one is sure what to call the object.
Failure to complete the mission is unacceptable and if they return home without the star, they are sure to be punished, possibly with their lives.
Not wanting to face Jennesta’s wrath, Stryke decides, despite a few complaints, that they should proceed on their own to hunt down the kobolds who stole the star. Once they obtain the artifact, they might be able to negotiate some mercy from Jennesta. These orcs know no other life and they have no place else to turn. Following Stryke is the only hope they have.
Jennesta, however, views the Wolverines actions as desertion. She sends out hunting parties to find and destroy the Wolverines, everything from orcs, humans, brownies, dragons and harpies.
It’s not long before the Wolverines realize that there is no going home. After hunting down the kobolds and obtaining the star, the war band learn that there are five of these instrumentalities and they are valued by more folk than just Jennesta.
Although he doesn't know what the stars are or what powers they have, Stryke decides that the orcs only hope for survival lies in obtaining these things that are valuable to others. A war band without purpose means ruin. The orcs need a purpose to stay united. So they strike out to find more stars.
The Wolverines proceed to make enemies nearly everywhere they go. Seemingly every endeavor turns into a fight. And they fight. Often. (The one misgiving with the book might be the few casualties the Wolverines suffer throughout much of the book but it is fantasy adventure and you don't want their numbers to dwindle, so you take it as a point of fact that the Wolverines are an elite war band, superior to most other orc war bands)
Stryke, while holding onto the stars as they gather them, begins to dream of a distant land where orcs live in peace. He is confused and not sure if it is a dream or someplace real. It seems very real when he is there, walking alongside a fetching female orc who speaks with him, knowing nothing of Stryke’s volatile world, only knowing the peace of her land, wondering why he keeps coming and going from her life. He wants to stay with her but doesn't know how.
If you like action and fantasy with a band of interesting heroes, Stryke, Collia, Haskeer, and Jup (the only dwarf in the war band) as well as the other grunts, this story will satisfy your thirst.
I loved it. This is a book I would like to read again and probably will one day. It is that good. 5 Stars.
January 3, 2009
This book has a bit of a cookie cutter story to it (in terms of typical fantasy), but I like the idea of telling the story from the Orcs perspective. If your into fantasy you will know that Orcs are a much maligned race and are cast as a wicked warrior race controlled by others (most famously by Tolkien in ). The author here goes out of his way to try and change the stereotype and demonstrate that Orcs have an intelligent and personable side as well. Although, you don't want to get into a fight with them. Good read for those that like fantasy.
Read
January 22, 2009Well, so far I'm struggling to get into this one. I'll give it another few chapters till I decide to let it go.
CRAP!!!! This book is total crap. I would rather saw my legs of with a spork than finish this garbage. I have closed the book never to be opened again.
CRAP!!!! This book is total crap. I would rather saw my legs of with a spork than finish this garbage. I have closed the book never to be opened again.
March 16, 2008
A great book with a neat twist, the main characters are the Orcs who in most other Fantasy novels are the cannon fodder.
November 3, 2024
It’s entertaining for what it is. It’s fun having a fantasy series from the eyes of creatures that are normally villains. Obviously it’s not on par with books like lord of the rings and the descriptions of the many battles can get repetitive but I think it’s still worth a read.
December 19, 2011
This was a very formulaic fantasy story, with a single twist - it was about the bad guys instead of the good guys. This was a great imagining of what orc culture would be outside of the rather one dimensional interpretation of J.R. Tolkien (no disrespect to the master intended - they were monsters, not characters in Lord of the Rings). They have everything that makes them scary - violence, strength, aggression, anger, and fierce fighting ability - but they also had real feelings, and a deep sense of camaraderie that I really appreciated.
The writing certainly wasn't literary, but it got the point across. The fight scenes were vivid, if a bit repetitious and, dare I say, formulaic? But the simplicity of the writing makes this a very accessible story, and one that would probably be good for beginners to the fantasy genre. The strongest piece of the writing I felt was the dialog, with each character adopting a unique voice that really showcased their personality.
Storywise, Orcs was again straight-forward. The story stuck to the formula - the troop of orcs needed to find a certain treasure, then had to overcome some sort of quest to retrieve it before the evil queen could, and there were two or three battles, with cliffhangers about whether certain characters would die or not. But the formula worked, and I kept reading, whether they were fighting trolls or vicious mer-people or religious fanatics. In the end, I still wanted the world to be saved from the evil queen.
Then I got to the end, and the story fell apart for me. I won't give away exactly what happens, but I was not at all happy with the choice of the main character. I considered it the magical equivalent of deus ex machina combined with a main character fleeing his responsibilities. Sorry, Mr. Nichols, but you copped out on that one.
All in all, I would consider this a good fantasy beach novel. Nothing special, but an enjoyable, mindless read. Follows all the formulas - but you know what? Formulas can work.
The writing certainly wasn't literary, but it got the point across. The fight scenes were vivid, if a bit repetitious and, dare I say, formulaic? But the simplicity of the writing makes this a very accessible story, and one that would probably be good for beginners to the fantasy genre. The strongest piece of the writing I felt was the dialog, with each character adopting a unique voice that really showcased their personality.
Storywise, Orcs was again straight-forward. The story stuck to the formula - the troop of orcs needed to find a certain treasure, then had to overcome some sort of quest to retrieve it before the evil queen could, and there were two or three battles, with cliffhangers about whether certain characters would die or not. But the formula worked, and I kept reading, whether they were fighting trolls or vicious mer-people or religious fanatics. In the end, I still wanted the world to be saved from the evil queen.
Then I got to the end, and the story fell apart for me. I won't give away exactly what happens, but I was not at all happy with the choice of the main character. I considered it the magical equivalent of deus ex machina combined with a main character fleeing his responsibilities. Sorry, Mr. Nichols, but you copped out on that one.
All in all, I would consider this a good fantasy beach novel. Nothing special, but an enjoyable, mindless read. Follows all the formulas - but you know what? Formulas can work.
April 21, 2013
This book quickly establishes that it is going to be different than any other fantasy book you read pertaining to Orcs. (Christi Golden Exempt). you see humans how they see humans, without honor, untrustworthy, resource hogs and destroyers, and incredibly full of them selves. they think they own the place. Orcs in their general fashion, warlike, honorable, and not the sharpest tool in the shed but they still manage to trim the hedges with the best of em. it also shines an interesting light on Orc Culture as the author see's it.
i thought it was a pretty entertaining book. it was a well done piece on my personal favorite fantasy race of all time. that bias was solidified when i was 13 playing Warcraft 3. i played 1-2 before and i thought what everyone else thougth aobut 1, 2 was pretty good. 3 was world shaking.
one criticism is that, the Main Protagonist Stryke is kind of a washover, not much to em. sort of boring. i suppose some could argue that adds to the simplistic brilliance that is ORC but to that id say they havent read Rise of the Horde by Christi Golden, or anything that she has written with Thrall in it.
so it is not as complex in terms of character development as id like. but it was still entertaining and had me on the edge of my seat a good portion of the time.
i thought it was a pretty entertaining book. it was a well done piece on my personal favorite fantasy race of all time. that bias was solidified when i was 13 playing Warcraft 3. i played 1-2 before and i thought what everyone else thougth aobut 1, 2 was pretty good. 3 was world shaking.
one criticism is that, the Main Protagonist Stryke is kind of a washover, not much to em. sort of boring. i suppose some could argue that adds to the simplistic brilliance that is ORC but to that id say they havent read Rise of the Horde by Christi Golden, or anything that she has written with Thrall in it.
so it is not as complex in terms of character development as id like. but it was still entertaining and had me on the edge of my seat a good portion of the time.
February 6, 2024
Despite the generally negative reception to this book, I enjoyed it enough to finish it. It’s a perfectly serviceable fantasy book focused on orcs as opposed to one of the more commonly-observed elven or human fantasy characters. The squad dynamics between the characters were good enough for me to enjoy their dialogue, but I did find myself skimming through a lot of the action scenes. I can’t put to words why it didn’t hook me, but I struggled to feel engaged a lot of the book.
Ultimately, I’d recommend this book if you’re looking for a new series of straightforward fantasy adventure. However, as someone who has a TBR full of RA Salvatore, Brandon Sanderson, Isaac Asimov, and Robert Jordan sitting behind this book, I don’t know that I’d recommend picking up this book first, especially considering if you DO get into it enough to enjoy it, it sets up for a second trilogy of Orc books, so it’s not entirely a self-contained story like I was expecting it to be.
Overall, it was fine, probably wouldn’t recommend it to friends, definitely don’t see myself rereading it.
Ultimately, I’d recommend this book if you’re looking for a new series of straightforward fantasy adventure. However, as someone who has a TBR full of RA Salvatore, Brandon Sanderson, Isaac Asimov, and Robert Jordan sitting behind this book, I don’t know that I’d recommend picking up this book first, especially considering if you DO get into it enough to enjoy it, it sets up for a second trilogy of Orc books, so it’s not entirely a self-contained story like I was expecting it to be.
Overall, it was fine, probably wouldn’t recommend it to friends, definitely don’t see myself rereading it.
April 5, 2009
This book gives a new look to what Orcs really are. They are not always the blood thirsty animals we think, they have brains, and they can use them.
February 7, 2011
Just not good enough. I understand the supposedly fresh view point but there is way too much mediocrity in fantasy literature right now and this is one of it. I have put it aside after one-third.
September 24, 2015
Прилично, непретенциозно, но надъхващо батъл фентъзи (или както му викаха там на този поджанр).
Четох с голямо удоволствие, а орките вече ще ги гледам с други очи. :)
Четох с голямо удоволствие, а орките вече ще ги гледам с други очи. :)
August 28, 2022
Ich bin bei "Die Orks" wirklich hin- und hergerissen. Die Hauptstoryline hat mich sehr gefesselt, ich mochte die Kriegstruppe der Vielfraße und die Darstellung der Orks generell, wie sie sich bei ihrer Mission zurechtfinden und immer mehr ihre eigene Handlung selbst in die Hand nehmen. Ich mochte das Miteinander und die Einblicke in ihr Denken, in eine Rasse, die viel mehr ist als die Bösewichte in anderen Fantasywelten. Natürlich gibt es hier viel Krieg und Gemetzel und Nicholls beschreibt gerade Kampfszenen sehr ausführlich, wobei die Sicht hier von Stryle zu Coilla und Alfray und Jup springt - oder auch zu wem auch immer, der sich gerade gegen einen Menschen, Troll, Gnom oder Kobold wehren muss.
Die Kampfszenen waren nicht unbedingt ein Highlight. Hier geht es blutig zu und detailliert beschrieben, dennoch war das für mich akzeptabel - ich habe immerhin zu einem Buch über einen Kriegstrupp und ihren Kommandanten gegriffen.
Was das Buch für mich fast unlesbar gemacht hat, war die Storyline rund um Jennesta, die böse Herrscherin über die Orks. Sie ist unglaublich überzeichnet als böse und es gibt in ihrem Charakter nichts, was irgendwie positiv hervorzuheben wäre. Das hat letztlich vielleicht sogar Gründe, auch wenn die nicht so ausführlich ausgeschrieben werden:
In Jennestas Kapiteln gibt es daher eine Menge Vergewaltigungen, Verstümmelungen, Folter, Qual, Mord und grundsätzlich hing es mir schon nach 2 Seiten zum Hals raus. Ihre Motivation ist einfach nur "hallo, ich bin böse" - warum sie jetzt mehr Macht will und ob das darauf hinauslaufen soll, dass sie am Schluss alleinige Machthaberin ist, weil es niemanden sonst mehr gibt - es ist alles sehr nebulös. Sie handelt also häufig ziemlich sinnfrei, weil sie immer auf den bösen Weg festgelegt ist, egal, was andere ihr sagen. Das fand ich ermüdend, langweilig und ziemlich überflüssig.
Konflikte mit anderen Bösen im Buch fand ich da schon wesentlich interessanter. Es gibt einen Glaubenskonflikt zwischen Unis (ein Gott, wirkte ziemlich christlich) und Mannis, wo nicht nur Menschen Anhänger sind, sondern diese auch teilweise friedliches Zusammenleben mit anderen Rassen propagieren. Es gibt ein Trio Kopfgeldjäger, die auch ziemlich fies sind, aber wenigstens Charakter, Motivation und unterschiedliche Darstellungen haben. Es gibt einen Konkurrenten unter den Orks, der Stryke hasst und sich prinzipiell gegen ihn spielt - aber all diese Antagonisten kommen zu kurz, weil es immer um Jennesta geht. Je länger ich über sie schreibe, desto mehr gerate ich in Versuchung, dem Buch doch nur 1 oder 2 Sterne zu geben.
Es ist wirklich schade, weil es viel Potential hat und rund um die Orks eine interessante Storyline bietet. Im Großen und Ganzen war es aber etwas unausgegoren und ich will heutzutage einfach keine Bücher mehr lesen, in denen Böse hauptsächlich böse sind und um das zu zeigen (als würden wir es nicht auch so verstehen!) sich fröhlich vergewaltigend und mordend durch ihre Kapitel wüten. Da hilft auch kein "ja aber das Buch ist ja schon über 20 Jahre alt", das war auch damals schon Mist.
Meine Empfehlung: Lesen, aber wenn ein Kapitel mit "Jennesta tut dies" oder "Jennesta das" beginnt, weiterblättern.
Zudem Content Warnung:
Vergewaltigung, Mord, Verstümmelung, Folter, sehr viel grafisch beschrieben Gewalt, auch Tod von Kindern und Tieren.
Die Kampfszenen waren nicht unbedingt ein Highlight. Hier geht es blutig zu und detailliert beschrieben, dennoch war das für mich akzeptabel - ich habe immerhin zu einem Buch über einen Kriegstrupp und ihren Kommandanten gegriffen.
Was das Buch für mich fast unlesbar gemacht hat, war die Storyline rund um Jennesta, die böse Herrscherin über die Orks. Sie ist unglaublich überzeichnet als böse und es gibt in ihrem Charakter nichts, was irgendwie positiv hervorzuheben wäre. Das hat letztlich vielleicht sogar Gründe, auch wenn die nicht so ausführlich ausgeschrieben werden:
In Jennestas Kapiteln gibt es daher eine Menge Vergewaltigungen, Verstümmelungen, Folter, Qual, Mord und grundsätzlich hing es mir schon nach 2 Seiten zum Hals raus. Ihre Motivation ist einfach nur "hallo, ich bin böse" - warum sie jetzt mehr Macht will und ob das darauf hinauslaufen soll, dass sie am Schluss alleinige Machthaberin ist, weil es niemanden sonst mehr gibt - es ist alles sehr nebulös. Sie handelt also häufig ziemlich sinnfrei, weil sie immer auf den bösen Weg festgelegt ist, egal, was andere ihr sagen. Das fand ich ermüdend, langweilig und ziemlich überflüssig.
Konflikte mit anderen Bösen im Buch fand ich da schon wesentlich interessanter. Es gibt einen Glaubenskonflikt zwischen Unis (ein Gott, wirkte ziemlich christlich) und Mannis, wo nicht nur Menschen Anhänger sind, sondern diese auch teilweise friedliches Zusammenleben mit anderen Rassen propagieren. Es gibt ein Trio Kopfgeldjäger, die auch ziemlich fies sind, aber wenigstens Charakter, Motivation und unterschiedliche Darstellungen haben. Es gibt einen Konkurrenten unter den Orks, der Stryke hasst und sich prinzipiell gegen ihn spielt - aber all diese Antagonisten kommen zu kurz, weil es immer um Jennesta geht. Je länger ich über sie schreibe, desto mehr gerate ich in Versuchung, dem Buch doch nur 1 oder 2 Sterne zu geben.
Es ist wirklich schade, weil es viel Potential hat und rund um die Orks eine interessante Storyline bietet. Im Großen und Ganzen war es aber etwas unausgegoren und ich will heutzutage einfach keine Bücher mehr lesen, in denen Böse hauptsächlich böse sind und um das zu zeigen (als würden wir es nicht auch so verstehen!) sich fröhlich vergewaltigend und mordend durch ihre Kapitel wüten. Da hilft auch kein "ja aber das Buch ist ja schon über 20 Jahre alt", das war auch damals schon Mist.
Meine Empfehlung: Lesen, aber wenn ein Kapitel mit "Jennesta tut dies" oder "Jennesta das" beginnt, weiterblättern.
Zudem Content Warnung:
Vergewaltigung, Mord, Verstümmelung, Folter, sehr viel grafisch beschrieben Gewalt, auch Tod von Kindern und Tieren.
November 3, 2020
Wonderful fantasy book with a lot of action. The author gives us a vast world with a wide spectrum of many elder races. Apart from cover design, I love the world of orcs and can't wait to read the next omnibus!
March 3, 2021
I've read books better than this.
I don't think it deserves my time to write a review.
I don't think it deserves my time to write a review.
July 17, 2019
Dieses Buch habe ich als Teenie gelesen und ich weiß nur noch, dass es sehr gewalttätig, aber dennoch recht witzig war.
October 28, 2014
The shadowed brute on the cover of Orcs caught my eye, and it's got endorsements by great authors like David Gemmell and Tad Williams, but it was this teaser on the back cover that got me hook, line, and sinker:
"There is fear and hatred in your eyes. To you I am a monster, a skulker in the shadows, a fiend to scare your children...... Feel the flow of blood and be thankful. Thankful it was me, not you that bore the sword. Thankful to the orcs; born to fight, destined to win peace for all"
Wow! Now if only whoever wrote the teaser had written the rest of the book!
I managed to finish the first novel (Bodyguard of Lightning) of this three-book omnibus before realizing that what really kept me going was the [...] bucks I paid for it.
Stan Nicholls had a great idea .... if only he'd done something with it. I expected to find a leather-tough, savage race born into slavery and caught-up in a war not of their making. Instead, I got creatures with no remarkable traits at all. They might just as well have been human barbarians except they're almost too civilized. On a good day, these orcs couldn't hold their own against a squad of Marines. It's mentioned several times in the cheesy dialog that orcs are a race born to war, but they're more talk than walk. In fact, the Wolverines could win an award for being the most democratic military unit ever; They discuss, if not vote-on, every decision. Sure, an argument breaks out among them from time to time, and a few of those almost come to fisticuffs. And ... oh, my goodness!... sometimes they even use real cuss-words! Otherwise, these orcs are pretty tame.
I'd almost say Orcs was intended as YA, specifically teen-aged males. What boy doesn't enjoy a little gratuitous combative violence? (Heck, I still do.) But, the plot includes some explicitly detailed sacrificial rapes and murders committed by the sensuous cross-species-bred queen. I guess the intention was to show her evilness, but I can't decide whether it was vulgar or just ridiculous.
Besides all that, the writing is mediocre at best.
"There is fear and hatred in your eyes. To you I am a monster, a skulker in the shadows, a fiend to scare your children...... Feel the flow of blood and be thankful. Thankful it was me, not you that bore the sword. Thankful to the orcs; born to fight, destined to win peace for all"
Wow! Now if only whoever wrote the teaser had written the rest of the book!
I managed to finish the first novel (Bodyguard of Lightning) of this three-book omnibus before realizing that what really kept me going was the [...] bucks I paid for it.
Stan Nicholls had a great idea .... if only he'd done something with it. I expected to find a leather-tough, savage race born into slavery and caught-up in a war not of their making. Instead, I got creatures with no remarkable traits at all. They might just as well have been human barbarians except they're almost too civilized. On a good day, these orcs couldn't hold their own against a squad of Marines. It's mentioned several times in the cheesy dialog that orcs are a race born to war, but they're more talk than walk. In fact, the Wolverines could win an award for being the most democratic military unit ever; They discuss, if not vote-on, every decision. Sure, an argument breaks out among them from time to time, and a few of those almost come to fisticuffs. And ... oh, my goodness!... sometimes they even use real cuss-words! Otherwise, these orcs are pretty tame.
I'd almost say Orcs was intended as YA, specifically teen-aged males. What boy doesn't enjoy a little gratuitous combative violence? (Heck, I still do.) But, the plot includes some explicitly detailed sacrificial rapes and murders committed by the sensuous cross-species-bred queen. I guess the intention was to show her evilness, but I can't decide whether it was vulgar or just ridiculous.
Besides all that, the writing is mediocre at best.
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