For those who haven't,I recommend you read it. It offers a completely different view on Orcs as a race. The beauty of it is that,instead of simply turning everything known about them upside-down,Nicholls doesn't deny the fact that they're a wild race. They are born to fight and are savage at times,yes,but they also have their own beliefs and reasons to fight. One of the things written on the back cover is:
"Hear my story. Feel the flow of my 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."
The last sentence is probably what describes them the best,at least in this story.
Anyway,the plot is placed in a land called Maras-Dantia (or Centrasia,as it is called by humans). The races who rule it are pretty much all races you can encounter in other fantasy books: Dwarves, Elves, Trolls, Centaurs, Orcs, Gremlins, Merzpeople with addition of Kobolds and the Nyadd. They are Maras-Dantia's original inhabitors,otherwise called elder races. Humans came later,in two waves - the Unis and the Manis. The Unis worship one god,while the Manis are pagans. The two factions are at war,Orcs being Manis' allies. The aggressive Unis want to exterminate all elder races and the Manis for "blasphemy". The situation isn't so ideal for Orcs either,because they are ruled by a psycho Queen Jennesta who kills anyone who dares to fail her. The Orcs want to get rid of her,but no-one dares to do anything about it. That is,until the main character, Stryke,accidentally discovers a way.
If you read it,you won't be dissapointed. It's very fast paced,has an interesting plot and there are some places in the book where you just have to laugh
Opinions?
