Stan Nicholls, Orcs

[nixie]

I've had the omnibus edition on my too read pile for a few years, finally picked it up yesterday. It is violent,funny and charming all at the same time. never thought of orcs as good guys before.

 

[Fried Egg]

Portraying Orcs as the good guys was the only novel factor in an otherwise deeply formulaic work of fantasy. At least that was my opinion when I read it.

 

[Vladd67]

I agree with Fried Egg I know when I read it I quickly forgot they were Orcs and it just seemed like any other story about a group of men.

 

[D_Davis]

The book insulted my intelligence with its juvenile humor and sexual content. I was actually angry for having purchased it.

 

[nixie]

Well I find it amusing. It won't ever be one of my favourites but it has lightened the dark mood I've been in.

 

[Fried Egg]

Sorry Nixie for our barage of negativity, don't let it affect your enjoyment. It's had a fair measure of success from what I understand so there's obviously people out there who share your appreciation of it.

 

[D_Davis]

Sorry Nixie for our barage of negativity, don't let it affect your enjoyment. It's had a fair measure of success from what I understand so there's obviously people out there who share your appreciation of it.

Yeah, sorry to have **** on the thread.

I just had a very negative reaction to the book. It's one of the very few books I've read that I actively dislike. If I hear someone is interested in, I will go out of my way to encourage them to try something else.

Usually I only need to mention the unicorn horn dildo...

However, I fully understand that there are things I've read and loved that other people feel the same way about.

If you like it, you like it.

 

[Lord Soth]

Yeah I didn't like it either, as mentioned simply replace 'Orcs' with humans and you wouldnt notice any difference.

One of the few books I put down half way through. Didn't mind the unicorn horn dildo though

 

[Stephen Palmer]

Couldn't finish it. Luckily it was a freebie from when I was at Waterstones.

 

[Carro]

I met/saw Stan Nicholls at a convention some years ago, thought he was a very nice guy. Remember him talking about doing book reviews for a magazine. He said that he had more books to review than space for the reviews, so he only ever reviewed ones he liked.

I bought Orcs there and just found it not entirely to my taste. Was slightly disconcerted as the book was not quite what I'd expected from meeting Stan.

(Mind you found that with other authors seen/met at conventions. Some I liked and liked their books, some I liked and didn't like their books.)

 

[Menion]

I was given the omnibus by a friend of a friend, I did enjoy them. They were'nt the best fantasy out there, but there short, funny and easy to read.
I think the next two Weapons of Magical Destruction and Army of Shadow are better, I've still to buy Inferno. I'm sure It'll be just as good.

 

[Connavar]

I think this thread has killed off little interest i had for this book. I always thought it was semi interesting the fact you read the story about Orcs, their POV in fantasy like this.

If the Orcs in this book is so easily replaced with humans when you read then there is no reason to read this book it seems unless you have nothing else to read.

 

[Overread]

I liked it and I feel that its Nicholl's strongest writing that I've read of his thus far. There is a somewhat "DnD" feel to it that is not uncommon with a lot of modern fantasy in that it draws on a lot of already established ideas and themes; but overall I felt that it worked well for a light fantasy romp through a world.

I think if you're after a more serious or detailed approach then you'll not find it in this book and whilst the orcs do indeed have an orcy flavour they are quite civilized and thus I can see how some would think them too human in presentation.


I've tried reading the start of his second trilogy with them and, without dropping spoilers, didn't get very far as it has that feeling of a rather forced start; plus it tries to pull in quite a big new array of characters very early on, which can be jarring when it already has an established crowed of them (its a finely balanced act that someone like Steven Erikson can get away with but others can't).

 

[Vertigo]

I confess I didn't like it. I just found the fight discriptions gratuitously bloody; way beyond what I consider necessary. Tell me they chopped an arm off (actually quite hard to do) and that's all I need to know. I don't need to know just how far the spurting blood is going to fly and for just how long. One of the few books I've given up on half way through. Which wasn't too unhappy as it was a library book.

 

[Overread]

See I was the opposite - I rather liked the more gratuitous descriptions

 

[Vertigo]

And wouldn't liffe be boring if we all liked the same stuff