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    Orcs
    Orcs
    Orcs
    Audiobook24 hours

    Orcs

    Written by Stan Nicholls

    Narrated by John Lee

    3/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    "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 llike 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."

    Combining the international bestselling trilogy-Bodyguard of Lightning, Legion of Thunder, and Warriors of the Tempest-plus a new short story previously available only in a small-press anthology, Orcs presents the entire story of Stryke and his band of Orcs. A fast-moving, action-packed, tongue-in-cheek saga of Orc valor and human treachery.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateAug 24, 2010
    ISBN9781400186853
    Orcs
    Author

    Stan Nicholls

    Stan Nicholls is best known for the internationally acclaimed Orcs: First Blood series. His journalism has appeared in Locus, SFX, the Guardian, the Independent, the Daily Mirror, Time Out, Sight and Sound, and Rolling Stone, among many other publications. He currently lives in the West Midlands, U.K., with his wife, the writer Anne Gay.

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    Reviews for Orcs

    3/5

    17 ratings15 reviews

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 4/5
      This omnibus collects the first three ORCS stories. These are great hack and slash adult fantasy books. I mean adult, because there is graphic sexual scenes and disturbing images, but other than those it's pretty typical. The best part about this whole series is the recreation of the orc race. Nicholls strength lies in his ability to depict what a race dedicated to war would be like, and how their codes of honor (as any race or people) can become very difficult to navigate in a complex and amoral world.I enjoyed reading these books, but it wasn't for the gore or the carnal scenes at all. I found those to be a bit gross, but it was all in the vein of making a truly evil antagonist. The main character, Stryk, is very fun to follow, and his denial of change is laughable at first. As he continues his destiny and his luck seems to run out, we find that his sword arm and those he commands can make their own luck.I will read more of this series, but just for the fun of seeing orcs in a new light. I have always been a bit fascinated by these lowly brutes. Seeing Nicholls rework them into a people that I can root for against all odds was a real pleasure. I look forward to more of it in the future.
    • 3/5
      Consisting of the three "Orcs" books; Bodyguard of Lightning (1999), Legion of Thunder (2000) and Warriors of the Tempest (2000), it also includes the short story The Taking (2000) which first appeared in the anthology Swords against the millenium, edited by Michael Chin."Orcs" is the story of an elite orc warband, the Wolverines, led by the enigmatic captain Stryke and his cadre of officers: the grumpy sergeant Haskeer, the dwarf Jup, the corporals Olfray (the bands' healer) and Coilla, in their search for five magical artifacts called "instrumentalities", which somehow can tell them the truth about the past, present and future of the Orcish race.Although a fast-paced saga riddled with well-written combat and battle sequences, it falls short of the expectations the Encyclopedia Fantastica had about this omnibus. The main characters are never more than two-dimensional and especially the Orcish race depicted within the pages of this book is never able to convince. They are not mean enough, not gritty and lean and far too honourable and nice. The setting of "Orcs", the world of Maras-Dantia (or Centrasia as the human inhabitants call it) is not worked out as it should be, despite the fact that a myriad of races call it home.Certainly an entertaining read, but Nicholls is unable to suck the reader into the story as really great novels are able to do.
    • 5/5
      This book is brillant! It is so unusual to read a fantasy book from the point of view of the 'bad guys'. Very fast paced and lots of action. Fans of David Gemmell will love this. I hear there's a new Orcs book coming soon. Can't wait!
    • 3/5
      The title of this book caught me as I was looking for a fantasy book to buy. It is a very interesting book, as it is from orcs point of view. Very rare find indeed since most fantasy books portray orcs to be a bunch of ruthless, bloodthirsty, low-intellect creatures which focus solely on the destruction of others. In this book, we are given the insight on the society of orcs, their dream to escape their endless curse of fighting and slavery, honour and integrity between their kind and above all the story of their flight to preserve their way of life.
    • 2/5
      Ich habe es durch die ersten 16 Stunden(von insgesamt ca. 30) der Hörbuch-Fassung geschafft, aber dann war es auch gut. Platte Haudrauf-Fantasy ohne jede Spannung - eine Horde von Orks zieht durch die Gegend, sieht sich regelmäßig 2761 Menschen/ Kobolden/ Trollen/ Zentauren/ Zwergen/ Biebern/ Feuerameisen/ Japanischen Schulmädchen oder wer weiß was gegenüber (ist im Grunde egal), die Lage ist aussichtslos, dann hauen die Orks den anderen aufs Maul und töten 2760 von ihnen. Dann jammern sie darüber wie schlecht die Welt ist, weil sie keine Lust haben, immer nur allen auf die Fresse zu geben, und weil einer ihrer namenlosen Extras irgendwie doof gestolpert ist und sich dabei eine Fleischwunde zugezogen hat. Puh, war das spannend und knapp, wie wohl die nächste Schlacht ausgehen wird? Die beschriebene "Kultur" der Orks beschränkt sich darauf, dass Menschen (vor allem Monotheisten) blöd sind und man ohne sie besser dran wäre, die "Charaktere" (Gute wie Böse) sind allesamt platt wie Löschpapier, und was sich Nicholls bei diesem vollkommen storyirrelevanten Umschnalldildo-Opferungsblödsinn gedacht hat weiß der Geier.Wie dieses Buch einen kleinen Hype starten konnte bleibt mir schleierhaft. Zum nebenbei Hören vielleicht gerade noch akzeptabel, lesen würde ich es aber auf gar keinen Fall.
    • 3/5
      An ok read but defiantly a long one. I had a hard time with the whole Orcs being the good guys and having feelings and what not.
    • 1/5
      Orcs is a serious disappointment. Weighing in at over 700 pages I was extremely glad to have finished it and that is never a good sign. The long story details a series of skirmishes by a band of Orcs called The Wolverines under the leadership of their Captain Stryke. The skirmishes travel across a fantasy land populated mainly by Humans but also containing a range of fantasy standards including Centaurs, Gnomes, and Dwarfs.The best elements of the story come within the skirmishes. The battle descriptions are well done and while excessively bloody for the non-Orcs are well captured for the most part. I really did enjoy the smaller skirmishes that were well written and engaging. The skirmishes were often piled on top of one another as the Wolverines repeatedly jumped from frying pan to fire without pausing for breath. That piling on was grating at times as was the repeated mention of fortune or luck in describing how the band miraculously escaped without casualty vs overwhelming odds once again. However, the small battles were often won well.There are many criticisms that can rightly be levelled at this book. The first is one that has appeared in previous reviewers many times and that is the Orcs are entirely indistinguishable from other races. There is nothing that differentiates the Orc lifestyle and they are just another adventurer band. Why this criticism is valid is the false marketing. Essentially the book has been sold cunningly as the story told from the Orcish point of view and frankly this is a lie so those who were tricked into buying it (like me) can rightly be offended.Still, the main criticsm is that all of the characters are terrible. There is no emotional character development at all and everyone blurs into bland cliche. The single all-powerful villain is the most hideous character construction I have ever come across. That she rapes and tortures innocent young men for fun is an insight into Stan Nicholls psyche that leaves me wondering at his over-inflated sense of self worth. Stupidly indulgant.The main characters themselves are moronic. The warband leader Stryke turns from being the most effective of all the Orc warriors, leading the best of the best in a daring mission as ordered by his overlord to a self-righteous freedom fighter overnight. The opening encounter is great, really well written but Stryke suddenly decides to give up everything and set off on a quest with no graduation in his character. From black to white in an instant.The other characters are equally poorly drawn. Coilla is Stryke's main confidente and is never anything more than a plot device. Coilla only serves as a medium to demonstrate Stryke's inner thoughts and her own beliefs and understanding of the world are never questioned or developed. She is probably the weakest main support character I have ever had the misfortune of reading.Nicholls touches on religion with apparently almost no understanding and his clumsy distinction between fanatical Unis who believe in One True God and fanatical Manis who believe in Many True Gods is an embarrassment.As Nicholls sets his Orcs in a society where they are ruled over by a cruel dictator, there is no sense of societal construction and no explanation of how the characters involved relate to one another except as a company of fighters. Other societies are touched on but none seem to operate under any form except one dictator being followed unquestioningly.Worst of all is the writing itself. Nicholls should not be a professional author. As someone who edits and publishes novels, I would reject this script and strike Nicholls off my list. The use of language is banal with modern day cliches continuously breaching the suspended disbelief of the fantasy setting. Orcs trade modernist cliches in their speech despite those cliches deriving from sources that could not possibly have been known to them. A fundamental principle of good writing is that the characters involved are affected by their environment and those around them - these characters speak as if their language included the sum of 20th century English.I nearly gave this book two stars because the action is well written. By the time I got to the end of the review and reminded myself how horribly constructed this book is, with clearly no plan, no structure for developing character, and consistenly poor choice of language, all I can say is that Stan Nicholls is an author to avoid.
    • 1/5
      Another wannabe Tolkien writer. I should not look a gift horse in the mouth, but this was all battle and very thin on the story line.
    • 4/5
      A rollicking good read.

      If you're put off by the negative write ups here, forget them! So, not many of the band get killed, how many of the nine get killed in Lord of the Rings? Ok, so the land described isn't massive but neither is Scotland and that has plenty of room for this story to happen.

      Read it if you love fantasy books.
    • 3/5
      Orcs, is an omnibus collection of the Orcs: Frist Blood trilogy. I have to say that the book was a fun fast-paced read with non-stop action, in the style of David Eddings. We have a band of Orcs running around getting into trouble, fights and scraps with lots of killing mostly of the other side. Every now and then the author seemed to think "it's been awhile I should kill off a band member to keep things real". Once or twice the author wrote himself into a corner and then made an easy escape, like a RPG on a DM's railroad track, he needed someone to survive, so they did. It was cool and unusual having the Orcs as protagonists and it looked a bit at prejudice as an ongoing topic.Overall a fun read and worth some time to enjoy but I would not call it a brilliant piece of work, but definitely satisfactory.
    • 3/5
      3 stars is a good score from me for this book because normally I'm stuck between 3 and wishing to put 3.5 or 4.5. Half stars are needed! Well, except in this case. Orcs is a decent read. The descriptions are detailed but after awhile I found it fairly redundant. There are only so many ways to hack an arm off. When I was younger I would have loved this book and the ones that followed. I'm getting older and more jaded I guess. I'm used to more complex writing like Robert Jordan's work. So, you may want to consider your tastes for variety and complexity when thinking of Orcs.
    • 5/5
      Took me a while to get into this one, but once I got to the last 6 or so chapters, I couldn't put it down! Absolutely LOVED the ending!! Looking forward to picking up more of Stan Nichols' novels about orcs!
    • 2/5
      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!!
    • 3/5
      "Unicorn horn dildo" If this phrase bothers you then stay away from this book, as it makes an appearance at least once. Your basic "find X crystals and save the world" plotline, but with Orcs as the heroes and humans the bad guys.You follow a Warband of orcs through their various battles, all of which they have rather miraculous luck in surviving. Through all their trials and tribulations they only lose about 4 members of their group of roughly 30 during the course of three books.The book was long and midly entertaining, but the evil sorceress that rapes men/women and eats their hearts as her source of magical powers is bit... icky to say the least.
    • 4/5
      Surprisingly good! The orcs are the good guys.