annahlee's review
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
boseags's review
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
codywolf's review
3.0
Interesting concept for a book. The whole story evolves around an orc war-clan in the service of a Queen sorceress. During an excursion to retrieve a mysterious artifact, the plan goes awry and the clan is faced with the option of returning to the Queen and facing her wrath, or turning rogue to unravel the mystery of the artifact.
If you are interested in fantasy, I think the book is worth the read. While the story easily kept my attention, there are some flaws. The setting of the story (a world called Maras-Dantia) doesn't seem very lively to me (like Westeros in Game of Thrones, or Middle-Earth in The Hobbit/Lord of the Rings). I also think character development is lacking, but I am hoping the next two books will solve that issue. With all that said, the book was intriguing to me. Stan Nicholls utilizes multiple fantasy creatures, and they blend together nicely. It also interests me with Orcs as the main character, and humans as the bad guys. I will definitely continue with the series, and have already added Stan Nicholls to my list of authors.
If you are interested in fantasy, I think the book is worth the read. While the story easily kept my attention, there are some flaws. The setting of the story (a world called Maras-Dantia) doesn't seem very lively to me (like Westeros in Game of Thrones, or Middle-Earth in The Hobbit/Lord of the Rings). I also think character development is lacking, but I am hoping the next two books will solve that issue. With all that said, the book was intriguing to me. Stan Nicholls utilizes multiple fantasy creatures, and they blend together nicely. It also interests me with Orcs as the main character, and humans as the bad guys. I will definitely continue with the series, and have already added Stan Nicholls to my list of authors.
wyrmbergsabrina's review
4.0
Not a bad tale. What makes this a little different from he other fantasy quest books, is the leads are normally the enemies. Orcs have a bad rep in fantasy; ruthless, nameless killers of the big bad.
Here they do work for a big bad, and my gosh she's got some interesting habits, but it's reluctant employees here, and the enemy are the humans, draining Magic from the world, killing the elder races; Orcs, dwarfs, elves, and generally being an unlikable race.
Spike sets out on a mission, and things get from bad to worse, with the only option clear fairly soon; if they want to keep their insides, inside, they need to have an advantage, so they go on a quest seeking it.
This is the first in a trilogy, and it ends on a cliffhanger, with three of our main characters in a sticky situation. We're not sure why the books were released like this, as a few years later the trilogy was collected into a nice weighty tome. We're publishers afraid of big fantasy books?
If you like classic feel fantasy, quest still, but want something a bit different from the band of humans with other races tagged on, then this should satisfy you.
Here they do work for a big bad, and my gosh she's got some interesting habits, but it's reluctant employees here, and the enemy are the humans, draining Magic from the world, killing the elder races; Orcs, dwarfs, elves, and generally being an unlikable race.
Spike sets out on a mission, and things get from bad to worse, with the only option clear fairly soon; if they want to keep their insides, inside, they need to have an advantage, so they go on a quest seeking it.
This is the first in a trilogy, and it ends on a cliffhanger, with three of our main characters in a sticky situation. We're not sure why the books were released like this, as a few years later the trilogy was collected into a nice weighty tome. We're publishers afraid of big fantasy books?
If you like classic feel fantasy, quest still, but want something a bit different from the band of humans with other races tagged on, then this should satisfy you.
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