Orcs: Bad Blood [Paperback]

Stan Nicholls (Author)

Book Description

Series: Orcs | Publication Date: April 8, 2009

Stryke and his band of warriors return in the first part of a brand-new Orcs adventure!


When the orcs discovered a world filled with their own kind, they thought they would live there till the end of their days. But the appearance of an unlikely ally will change everything.

This ally - a human - tells of the atrocities being visited upon orcs back in the other world. He implores Stryke and his companions to come back so that they may save their kind from extinction and wreak vengeance upon the humans who've wronged them.

But can this human be trusted? Is he a rare friend to the orc -- or is he there to lure them back for their own personal annihilation?

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Stan Nicholls is the author of more than two dozen books, most of them in the fantasy and science fiction genres, for both children and adults. His books have been published in over 20 countries. Before taking up writing full-time in 1981, he co-owned and managed West London bookstore Bookends, and managed specialist SF bookshop Dark They Were and Golden Eyed. He was also Forbidden Planet's first manager, and helped establish and run the New York branch. A journalist for national and specialist publications, and the Internet, he was the science fiction and fantasy book reviewer for London listings magazine Time Out for six years, and subsequently reviewed popular science titles for the magazine. He received the Le'Fantastique Lifetime Achievement Award for Contributions to Literature in April 2007. Find out more about the orcs at www.theorcsarecoming.com.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Orbit (April 8, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316033693
• ISBN-13: 978-0316033695
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 1 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #588,347 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Could have been better, May 8, 2009

By 

The Mad Hatter "booktionary.blogspot.com" (NY State, United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

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This review is from: Orcs: Bad Blood (Paperback)

Although the omnibus edition of Nicholls' first 3 Orc books was only recently release Orcs: Bad Blood is the first new Orc book in many years. The covers Orbit have been doing for these books are pitch perfect for attracting the right audience. The Orc on the covers is actually a bust they photographed.

I loved the first trilogy as it really gave you a different picture of the ravenous Orcs and their side of why they do what they do. What Nicolls did with developing the characters, most notable Stryke and Coilla, in the first book he almost ruins in this new extension. The characters appear as more watered down versions of what they were. The action sequences were still above par, but the story telling itself was too predictable to be enjoyable.

The story picks about 4 years after the events of the first trilogy with the Wolverines living an all too serene life on the Orc home dimension. Stryke is sought out to come to another dimension where orcs are being oppressed by humans. Predictable, the Wolverines are up for a good mission. They pick up a few new recruits and some old ones. Along the way they get involved with the orcs' resistance and battles ensue. Their goal is starting an uprising as the orcs of that dimension are docile and lost their warrior ways. All in all this was a bit of a disappointment.

The high point being the introduction of a human, Jod, to the band who is an amazing fighter and seems to have hit it off, oddly, with Coilla. I'm intrigued by Jod's past and his true motivations join the warband. Some foreshadowing is done about this a bit, but I get the feeling Nicoholls didn't plan it out too well. Hopefully I'll be proved wrong with the later volumes and that this was just a setup for bigger and more interesting things. I give Orcs: Bad Blood 5 out of 10 hats. I'll still stick in there for the next volume Orcs: Army of Shadows due out in October.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good bang for youre buck, March 1, 2011

By 

Andrew Chips (The dark diamond crevass) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Orcs: Bad Blood (Kindle Edition)

A fast story, and while the characters may seem slow to act at times the sotry carries on at a pace that never bores and never gets too far ahead of itself.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Bring on the Blood!!, January 7, 2011

By 

rastadawta - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Orcs: Bad Blood (Paperback)

This book is not for your average LOTR (Lord of the Rings) fan. Orcs: Bad Blood creates a fondness of gore, blood and violence. Yum!! Believe me, I am a Vegan yet this book had me craving for more Wolverines! If I had read the reviews prior to getting this book and the previous book ORCS, I would have missed out on a great story. This book is about 4 years after the Stryke and the Wolverines left Maras-Dantia to journey to their homeland. I like that Stryke has been bored since leaving Maras-Dantia and has been craving some bloodletting yet he is a family man, married with kids! The book starts with Stryke and the Wolverines traveling to another dimension and discovering that orcs are being killed, mistreated and continuing to live in an subservient life. These orcs that live in Acurial are mild-mannered and docile, nothing like Stryke and the Wolverines. What I like about this book was the continually action sequence and discovering what happed to Jup and Jennesta. The prejudice between species and even sexism rears its ugly little head in this book. What I found amazing was Corilla's ability to trust another species that years ago tried to sell her. I just finished this book and had to order the third one to continue reading. What happened after the Comet was viewed? Will Stryke and the Wolverines ever get back home? Will the Vixens continue to fight? I am hooked!. I have read the reviews but believe this book is good! Try it, you may like Orcs as much as I do!