Customer Reviews

Orcs: Bad Blood

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

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.

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!

Very impressive! Shipped quickly and was in great condition! Couldn't ask for better service...thank you! Gave this to my husband who loves this series! Definitely would buy from this site again!

On the planet Maras-Dantia, the Wolverine band of Orc soldiers unwillingly served the cruel evil Queen Jennesta; she demanded they find five instrumentalities. When they are put together, they form a portal that opens up into other worlds. The orcs use it to go to their homeworld Ceragan, a clean place populated by Orcs only. The leader of the wolverine band Stryke and others are weary of the constant deadly battles and see this realm as a haven.

They choose to remain here and stop fighting in order to live out the remainder of their lives rusticating in harmony and peace. Seraphim the human arrives informing them of a depressing tale of atrocities as orcs are in decline and humans are hunting them like they are dumb beasts on Acurial. The wolverines learn that Jennesta still lives and is coming after them to take the instrumentalities that will make her queen of all worlds. Stryke and the wolverines know they must go to Acurial to end the genocide and prevent the queen from achieving her objective. Jennesta remains in a position of power so has much to toss at her former minions whom she calls traitors. Still Stryke and the Wolverines are willing to fight to the death to prevent her from making an already horrific situation worse.

ORCS: BAD BLOOD makes a case that the species is not evil brutal thugs but are intelligent rational beings who battle to the extreme rather than surrender (think of the Highlander warriors in pre Culloden Scotland). They do not believe in slaughter, massacres or genocide, but will bravely fight against overwhelming odds. In fact they look forward to a quiet life and death in bed on their new world, but feel duty calls so they travel Acurial world to free the orcs though they assume a trap awaits them. There is plenty of action though little is settled even as Stryke and his wolverines prove the orcs are so different than the prejudicial Tolkien standard.

Harriet Klausner

I was surprised with the quality of the other books in the ORCS Trilogy. I was hungry for more battle and for more adventures in the ORCS world. So that's when Orcs: Bad Blood arrived. It's got that catching story, some twists and turns, and the best battle situations described in a book. I loved it thorouly, it's a real page turner. I'm just glad the ORCS will be back in 2010.

Let me start by saying that I love everything about this book, and that it is better than the last book, except for it's blatantly obvious political bias. I read and reviewed his last book, which I also loved except for the short and seemingly poor ending. And I say seemingly because he fixed that bad ending by turning things completely around in this book. He fixed what I believed to be his biggest problem, but he added in his disgusting political bias. And he did it in a very obvious fashion, even going as far as to say that the invading forces invaded because they believed orcs to possess, and I quote, "weapons of magical destruction". Stan, you're so pathetic.

I'm not going to waste my time writing out a lengthy and descriptive review, I'm just going to give it to you straight. I'm not going to argue with you because I know how futile it is to argue with a liberal.

Here is basically what Stan is saying by this book:

Wolverines + Resistance = Middle Eastern Terrorists
Middle Eastern Terrorists = Freedom fighters
Terrorists commit suicide, terrorists = Honorable warriors such as Samurai (orcs commit sepuku)
Peczan = America
America = Evil occupying force
Jennesta = Bush? (not so obvious, but I'm pretty sure)

If you are liberal (ignorant) and agree with his views then by all means read the book.

The sad part about all this is that Stan has equated honorable warriors to suicide bombing terrorists. Terrorists do not fight honorably. Yes, they commit suicide like Samurai, which is probably why Stan and other liberals liken them to each other, but the truth is terrorists fight like dirty rats. Terrorists aren't like Samurai in any way whatsoever. There is no honor in the way terrorists fight. And for Stan to liken terrorists to the Orcs is just plain disgusting, and I cannot continue reading.

Goodbye Wolverines, goodbye Vixens