Liam of Whitecap is at the mercy of the merciless. Captured while traveling the infamous Red Thread, the caravan driver is just one more forgotten thrall rotting in a Beh-Inar cage. On the night the elves finally come for him, Liam expects torture. What he gets is a bite from a seven-foot female orc! Thrust into a baffling new existence, Liam must adapt quickly. Why are there thralls training for combat? Do his cellmate’s frustrating orc rituals serve any purpose? And what in shuddering Zhud is a charioteer? But Liam’s most vexing problem is his deepening desire for the warrior woman who marked him…His Orc Charioteer Bride is an uncozy slice-of-life fantasy romance with a towering orc heroine, a resourceful human hero, bad elves, good plumbing, armless predators, limited facial hair, and one extremely lethal race.
A lovely, action packed, fantasy romance about a human and an orc. They are forced together into a marriage then forged together through impossible trials.
As with any human/monster romance there are cultural and physical differences that the couple must overcome, or (more accurately) that adds heat to the mix, lol!
What makes this book unique is that it is a story about a human man and an Orc woman (instead of the other way around) and that the author is a man.
Through extrapolation, after reading this book, one might surmise that the ultimate male fantasy is being loved and supported by a strong beautiful hulking monster companion that is competent as hell, respects you, trusts you, and wants to fuck you into oblivion.
As a Romantasy fan I was really looking forward to reading about the FMC being a “monster” for once! This book didn’t disappoint and I felt that the FMC and the Orc culture were really well done.
The romance story was very cute/heartwarming and the sex was nice and didn’t overwhelm the story. The action scenes were well done easy to follow.
I do wish we got deeper into the world. It’s obvious it’s well developed but we don’t get to see much on page.
I liked seeing the gender dynamic flipped from most romances. A giant strong woman and a regular sized guy - a guy that didn't have any magic powers or great strength, just some skills from his job and a can-do attitude. Their relationship dynamic was sweet and gentle despite all the violence around them.
The writing was a bit amateurish and could use polishing/editing - there were lots of unnecessary exclamation marks, ellipses, and there were several cheesy "and then everyone clapped" type scenes that made me cringe.
Also, I was annoyed that Liam apparently didn't think to question anything that had happened to him until like 18% into the book. Like, if I was locked in a cell with someone else who hadn't expressly told me to shut up, I'd be pestering the other person to explain everything I was confused about. As a reader, it was frustrating to have no understanding of what was happening.
Anyway, the story itself was good, the romance was sweet, and the worldbuilding was pretty good despite the entire story happening between 2 people in like 4 rooms. I'd like to see more from the world, so hopefully the author writes a sequel!
The last sex scene made me laugh when she told him he "fucked like the heroes of old" when he was just laying there while she did all the work. 😂 (you can tell a guy wrote this book)
Quick Thoughts: This book follows a simple story about two characters developing a relationship in a single location. The plot is clear and focused, with only a couple of smut scenes. The main male character can be annoying at times, but the couple is portrayed as equals and it doesn't descend into a cliche male power fantasy where he "tames" the wild orc woman. Despite my initial trepidations based on the book's title, it is a surprisingly enjoyable read if you have an interest in the romantasy genre.
I had been craving a book with a non-human FMC and this fit the bill nicely. My only complaint is that we spent too long not knowing what was going on. It took me out of the story a little, but once everything was explained I was back on track and really enjoyed the book.
The first 20% literally nothing gets explained, some things happen, but we have zero context. The MMC goes just along, does not once really bother to question anything — if you'd be randomly thrown in a cell with some orc, wouldn't you by day two atleast once ask what the fuck is going on? Maybe ask the big orc you're stuck with 24/7?
i had high hopes for this, considering it's high rating but now after reading it's a bit sus that there's no bad rating to this book, because usually even with a good book there'll be a hater. I guess I'll be the first for this one.
First the writing. I did not like it very much. I don't really expect a beautiful writing for this kind of genre, but for this one, it's the kind of writing where things aren't described very well, that several times you had to reread sentences because your mind are drawing blanks for what to visualize. Same with the dialogues.
The story is just repetitive, episodic, "this-is-what-happened-today", type of plot, at least up to the pages I've read which is close to 100.
The chapter almost always started with the protagonist waking up from his sleep in the morning, and then there's bonding scene of the day between the two character, then the chapter ends with him going to back to sleep again that night. Repeat for next chapter. Yes slice-of-life genre is a thing, but when book is about 2 characters trapped in a small space you know it going to get boring at one point.
If there's one thing i learned from this book, is just never to only trust the ratings, but also consider the amount of people who rated the book, because chances are, 100 of them are from friend and family. Yes there are great books in this genre, but for sure after this one, i will only look for ones with good amount of people who rated it.
His Orc Charioteer Bride tells the story of Liam, after he is captured while running supplies along the Red Thread by the Beh-Inar elves. Liam finds himself a slave in the ownership of a cruel elf named Isar. During his captivity Liam is forced to live alongside Eshka, a fearsome orc warrior. You watch as the two grow closer; Liam adopts some of Eshka's orc mannerisms, such as speaking in the third person, as well as her religious customs (which just so happen to be quite intimate). The relationship between the two blossoms into a sweet and passionate romance.
Watching Liam and Eshka develop their relationship was a real treat. Isar is a wonderfully hateable villain. Treadway has created a rich world, though Liam’s story only takes us to one corner. I look forward to future works that explore more of the world and its characters. I would His Orc Charioteer Bride to any fan of fantasy romance, but this story will particularly resonate with someone looking for a story told from an “average guys” point of view.
A relatively well-written romantasy for men, where the main guy is enslaved by some morally bankrupt elven aristocracy and he happens to (don’t ask me how; it ain’t exactly clear) become the "mate bound" husband of a female orc.
The two of them race gladiator-style in chariots drawn by giant carnivorous ostriches, there are 2 or 3 sex scenes, and plenty of sappy ‘romantic’ talk (whose mind-numbing imbecility is maybe the book’s only real weakness) — but the action is solid.
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Сравнително добре написано роментъзи за мъже, в което главния герой е поробен от някаква морално пропаднала елфска аристокрация и се оказва (не ме питай как, не става баш много ясно) съпруг на женски орк.
Двамата участват в гладиаторски битки с колесници теглени от гигантски хищни щрауси, има 2-3 секс сцени и доста лигаво-"романтични" разговори (чието малоумие е може би единствената слабост на книгата) но екшънът е здрав.
Exactly what I wanted. Loved it sooooo much. At first a little confusing due to all the new terms and world building but immediately grabbed my attention and kept it there right till the end. Wish it had a 1000 more books. Loved how the author explored reversed size difference looks like but also highlighted how strong our smaller MC was.
This was a refreshing tale. The romance was sweet, the action was intense, and the payoff was worth the wait. This is the start of a great series. The MCs love for each other really shines thru and I look forward to reading more of their story.
Much better than I was expecting. To be honest, I was expecting this to be somewhat gender-swapped, but even though the female orc was much larger and stronger than our human male MC, the story works out without going there.
This is a good book. It’s not as strong as “Charlotte’s Reject” but still well written with a plot that moves forward at a good pace. Definitely recommended.
I liked this a lot. It’s interesting that the fmc is so much bigger and more powerful. In most stories, they would make the male lead weak. The hero here is strong in his own was and an equal partner with his mate.
I really like this book, and I can't wait for a sequel if Treadway writes it. But it feels a bit quick in both how short it is and how the romance progresses. I know he originally meant it to be even shorter, but I still wish it was longer and more drawn out.
A simple but good story set in a single location. Liam and Eshka's developments were good. I wanted a little bit more of the red thread section, and a bit less time Liam being confused at the beginning. The rest is good. Looking forward to his next work.
such a delight! I loved this story a tale of finding love and companionship in this midst of chaos, Eshka is such an admirable character I loved her unbreaking morals no matter what was thrown at her she stayed true to herself, her beliefs and her strength in a climate that tries its hardest to break her down but never truly succeeded is something to behold. Eshka's strength was beyond just her muscles she was strong and resilient in spirit and that's what separates from the classic "strong FMC" I tend to see in books like these when the gender dynamic is switched.
Enjoyable read, like Treadway's other book, Charlotte's Reject, it could've done with a little more time to stew, a couple of extra chapters before the romance takes off. But otherwise, solid stuff.