Orcs

by Stan Nicholls

Book Overview

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...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0316033707
• ISBN13: 9780316033701
• Release Date: September 2008
• Publisher: Orbit
• Length: 784 Pages
• Weight: 1.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 2.2" x 5.4" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

Outstanding

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Unlike some others who reviewed it, who claim Nicholls' orcs are human-like and not standard orcs. Well for them I say its Nicholls' fantasy world, he can make them however he likes. These people have Tolkien's orcs implanted in their minds and cannot grasp that others might have a different view of orcs. Once I started reading this book I could not put it down. I thought it was well written and kept me entertained til the end (which is why you read books, to entertain you, so again to all the negative reviewers, if you read it, it probably entertained you. So, it served its purpose. And if it didn't entertain you then you should have stopped reading). So if you want a good read that will keep you entertained start to finish, because there is rarely a dull moment, Nicholls doesn't spend five pages describing the rust on a man's armor, I highly recommend this book to you.

Teen/MA rating

I love the book sofar. Some content is explicit but not in a cheesey love story way. Shows how evil Evil can be, You really hate the bad-guys. Littered with humor in all the right spots when the story line supports it. The content fits well together in the progression, nothing seems out of place.

Loved this new perspective on Orcs

Loved it. Loved it. Loved it! My son picked this book up on vacation in England and insisted that I read it too. I found the first chapter quite disturbing, but once the characters began to resolve themselves - WOW. Great pacing and imagery. Well written. A new favorite. Oh yeah, one more thing ... it is bloody, there are graphic rape references, and the "f" word appears throughout. I wouldn't give this to an immature reader. Wait until they're at least teenagers! Now, how do I convince Nicholls to write more?

great book, not for the youth though

I loved these books. The point of view was great and the story shifted enough to keep me engaged. I would recommend this to any fantasy reader. This book is very violent and has a bunch of "Adult Only" sections. I wish the story would go on with another book or two.

A great read by Stan Nicholls

Orcs, the omnibus edition Stan Nicholls Orcs, the omnibus edition, contains all the four stories written by Stan Nicholls about his beloved Orcs. In the first part of the omnibus, called Bodyguard of Lightning, we get introduced to the characters of the books. Stryke, captain of the orcish warband The Wolverines, is the main character. He's the leader of the group. For those of you who have read the Sharpe books by Bernard Cornwall, Stryke can be compared with Richard Sharpe. He's a great fighter and although he needs both his wits and strength to keep his command his men love him. Next in the line of command are the sergeants Haskeer and Jup. Haskeer is the troublemaker in the Wolverines. He's always having arguments with Stryke about the things they should be doing. Besides that his favourite waste of time is making war on Jup. Jup is the stranger in the warband full of orcs, simply because he is a dwarf. Not quite a surprise, Jups favourite waste of time is making warfare on Haskeer. Last in command are the corporals Coilla and Alfray. Coilla is the only woman in the warband, but that doesn't make her less frightful. Alfray is the oldest orc of the Wolverins and their medic. Bodyguard of Lightning is set in the world of Maras-Dantia, although this is the name the humans living there call it. For the orcs the world is called Centrasia. The world of Maras-Dantia is witness of a war between two groups of humans, called the Unis and the Manis. The orcs are fighting under the command of Jennesta, queen of the Manis. The story sets of when the Wolverines are on a secret mission to capture a message cylinder hidden in a Uni settlement. Stryke and his warband are able to defeat the Unis and get there hands on the cylinder. Unfortunately the Wolverines are attacked on there way back and they lose the cylinder to a group of kobolds. Trying to retrieve the artefact Stryke orders the Wolverines to chase the kobolds. This turns out to be a great mistake since queen Jennesta now thinks the orcs have deserted her cause and orders here general to find and destroy the Wolverines. Unknown of this threat the warband succeeds to destroy the kobolds and retrieve the cylinder. Along with recapturing the artefact the release a gremlin prisoner called Mobbs. This gremlin convinces Stryke to open the cylinder. The cylinder contains a magic artefact which according to the gremlin is a part of a tool which could set the orcs free of there alliance with the humans. Thinking they can find the other pieces of the artefact Stryke and the Wolverines abandon the service of Jennesta. This is where the real adventure starts..... The story continues in Legion of Thunder and Warriors of the Tempest. Without giving the story away, the Wolverines have to fight and think there way trough the world of Maras-Dantia to find the other pieces of the artefact to finish their quest. During this adventure they start to find out what is really happening to their homeland. Stan Nichol