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Orc Sworn #3
The Librarian and the Orc
The Bookish Box Exclusive Luxe Edition details:
- Concept + Direction by Stephanie Brown
- Front Dust Jacket Artwork with Foiled Details by Amarna
- Reverse Dust Jacket Artwork with Foiled Details by Moonpress Design
- Hard Case and Endpaper Artwork with Foiled Details by Virginia Allyn
- Edges Artwork by Virginia Allyn
He’s a fierce, ferocious, death-dealing beast. And he’s reading a book in her library...
In a world of recently warring orcs and men, Rosa Rolfe leads a quiet, scholarly life as an impoverished librarian — until the day she finds an orc. In her library. Reading a book.
He’s rude, aggressive, and deeply terrifying, with his huge muscled form, sharp black claws, and cold, dismissive commands. But he doesn’t seem truly dangerous… at least, until night falls. And he makes Rosa a shocking, scandalous offer…
Her books, for her surrender.
Her ecstasy.
Her enlightenment…
Rosa’s no fool, and she knows she can’t possibly risk her precious library for this brazen, belligerent orc. Even if he is surprisingly well-read. Even if he smells like sweet, heated honey. Even if he makes Rosa’s heart race with fear, and ignites all her deepest, darkest cravings at once…
But surrender demands a dangerous, devastating price. A bond that can’t easily be broken. And a breakneck journey to the fearsome, forbidding Orc Mountain, where a curious, clever librarian might be just what’s needed to stop another war…
- Concept + Direction by Stephanie Brown
- Front Dust Jacket Artwork with Foiled Details by Amarna
- Reverse Dust Jacket Artwork with Foiled Details by Moonpress Design
- Hard Case and Endpaper Artwork with Foiled Details by Virginia Allyn
- Edges Artwork by Virginia Allyn
He’s a fierce, ferocious, death-dealing beast. And he’s reading a book in her library...
In a world of recently warring orcs and men, Rosa Rolfe leads a quiet, scholarly life as an impoverished librarian — until the day she finds an orc. In her library. Reading a book.
He’s rude, aggressive, and deeply terrifying, with his huge muscled form, sharp black claws, and cold, dismissive commands. But he doesn’t seem truly dangerous… at least, until night falls. And he makes Rosa a shocking, scandalous offer…
Her books, for her surrender.
Her ecstasy.
Her enlightenment…
Rosa’s no fool, and she knows she can’t possibly risk her precious library for this brazen, belligerent orc. Even if he is surprisingly well-read. Even if he smells like sweet, heated honey. Even if he makes Rosa’s heart race with fear, and ignites all her deepest, darkest cravings at once…
But surrender demands a dangerous, devastating price. A bond that can’t easily be broken. And a breakneck journey to the fearsome, forbidding Orc Mountain, where a curious, clever librarian might be just what’s needed to stop another war…
428 pages, Hardcover
First published July 14, 2020
1162 people are currently reading
2115 people want to read
About the author
Finley Fenn
23 books1,342 followersFinley Fenn is “the queen of dark orc romance” (Virgo Reader), and her ongoing Orc Sworn series has been praised as “sexy, romantic, angsty, and captivating … utter brilliance” (Romantically Inclined Reviews).
When she’s not obsessing over her stories, Finley loves reading, drooling over delicious orc artwork, and spending time with her incredible readers on Patreon, Discord, and Facebook. She lives in Canada with her beloved family, including her very own grumpy, gorgeous orc mate.
News, free stories, and artwork: www.finleyfenn.com
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Finley-Fenn/e/...
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/finleyfenn
Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/finle...
Instagram: https://instagram.com/authorfinleyfenn
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/finleyfenn
Twitter: https://twitter.com/finleyfenn
THE ORC SWORN SERIES
1. The Lady and the Orc
1.5: Offered by the Orc: Free with signup at www.finleyfenn.com
2. The Heiress and the Orc
3. The Librarian and the Orc
4. The Duchess and the Orc
5. The Midwife and the Orc
6. The Maid and the Orcs
6.5. Tryggred by the Orc
7. The Governess and the Orc
7.5. Yuled by the Orcs
8. The Beauty and the Orcs
9. The Widow and the Orcs
10. The Artist and the Orc
THE ORC FORGED SERIES
1. The Sins of the Orc
2. The Fall of the Orc
THE MAGES SERIES
0.5: The Mage's Maid
1. The Mage's Match
1.5: The Mage's Groom: Free with signup at www.finleyfenn.com
2. The Mage's Master
When she’s not obsessing over her stories, Finley loves reading, drooling over delicious orc artwork, and spending time with her incredible readers on Patreon, Discord, and Facebook. She lives in Canada with her beloved family, including her very own grumpy, gorgeous orc mate.
News, free stories, and artwork: www.finleyfenn.com
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Finley-Fenn/e/...
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/finleyfenn
Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/finle...
Instagram: https://instagram.com/authorfinleyfenn
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/finleyfenn
Twitter: https://twitter.com/finleyfenn
THE ORC SWORN SERIES
1. The Lady and the Orc
1.5: Offered by the Orc: Free with signup at www.finleyfenn.com
2. The Heiress and the Orc
3. The Librarian and the Orc
4. The Duchess and the Orc
5. The Midwife and the Orc
6. The Maid and the Orcs
6.5. Tryggred by the Orc
7. The Governess and the Orc
7.5. Yuled by the Orcs
8. The Beauty and the Orcs
9. The Widow and the Orcs
10. The Artist and the Orc
THE ORC FORGED SERIES
1. The Sins of the Orc
2. The Fall of the Orc
THE MAGES SERIES
0.5: The Mage's Maid
1. The Mage's Match
1.5: The Mage's Groom: Free with signup at www.finleyfenn.com
2. The Mage's Master
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 436 reviews
August 25, 2020
This book is terrible. It is so wrong. First we have Rosa; a silly, self righteous librarian who is basically a glorified prostitute for her lord master who thinks little about contraception.
Then we have John Ka, a gruff, giant orc with a huge cock who rogers her senseless the minute he meets her and makes her into his pet.
There is a war to avert and lies told as our heroine becomes a pretty inept spy for the humans seeking a war.
She is taken inside the orc mountain to learn of its depraved secrets of which there are a few. Most impressively the fact that male orcs do other male orcs and have a kind of voyerism thing going and a big BDSM dungeon.
We even have the MM side story of beautiful Tristan and medic Salvi going on in the background.
And there is a lot of orc seed. 56 mentions to be precise. There are buckets and buckets of it shooting everywhere. It’s hot, wicked, deadly, thick, viscous, powerful, spurting seed. It’s everywhere. At one point someone even gets jettisoned backwards through the sheer force of it gushing out. The heroine must be permanently sticky, although she does an admirable job of licking up as much as possible. As luck would have it, it’s a magical food source and she’s very malnourished so the hero’s giant cock basically becomes one of the major food groups.
Iike I say... terrible
Jeeez... I loved it. It’s official, I’m fucked in the head. I just found it silly and delightful. I think I sighed contentedly at their happy orc orgy at the end.
I am now off to read every book in this series and kiss its cover.
Orcs man, who knew? GO ORCS!
Then we have John Ka, a gruff, giant orc with a huge cock who rogers her senseless the minute he meets her and makes her into his pet.
There is a war to avert and lies told as our heroine becomes a pretty inept spy for the humans seeking a war.
She is taken inside the orc mountain to learn of its depraved secrets of which there are a few. Most impressively the fact that male orcs do other male orcs and have a kind of voyerism thing going and a big BDSM dungeon.
We even have the MM side story of beautiful Tristan and medic Salvi going on in the background.
And there is a lot of orc seed. 56 mentions to be precise. There are buckets and buckets of it shooting everywhere. It’s hot, wicked, deadly, thick, viscous, powerful, spurting seed. It’s everywhere. At one point someone even gets jettisoned backwards through the sheer force of it gushing out. The heroine must be permanently sticky, although she does an admirable job of licking up as much as possible. As luck would have it, it’s a magical food source and she’s very malnourished so the hero’s giant cock basically becomes one of the major food groups.
Iike I say... terrible
Jeeez... I loved it. It’s official, I’m fucked in the head. I just found it silly and delightful. I think I sighed contentedly at their happy orc orgy at the end.
I am now off to read every book in this series and kiss its cover.
Orcs man, who knew? GO ORCS!
June 8, 2023
This one is the third book in a series which is fast becoming a real guilty pleasure of mine.I just love these books so much every thrilling naughty and filthy word pulls me in effortlessly and I think this one was my favourite to date.
This one centre's on Rosa and John, John-Ka we were introduced to previously and Rosa is the Library assistant and mistress to Lord Kaspar, she’s an orphan who longs to better herself through education and books. Lord Kaspar holds the key to all this and tasks Rosa with finding new information to stir-up trouble for the Orcs essentially starting another war and disrupting the current peace treaty.
John and Rosa meet when he attends the library to read and research information for his people and Rosa decides to try and use this opportunity too further her own agenda.
So John did surprise me here I think I was expecting him to be more easy-going and all with what I had observed previously with him but he actually wasn’t very nice to Rosa in the beginning.He was quite rude, judgemental, mocking and at least initially rather cold acting, like she was in some way beneath him, blaming her even for the fact that he had succumbed to her charms, in turn, endangering herself foolishly in his eyes. He acts like he’s doing her a favour and he constantly belittles and humiliates her and I actually felt rather bad for the poor girl, despite appearances to the contrary Rosa lacks confidence and Johns criticisms ring closer to home than he could ever imagine his disapproving glances striking her deep. I mean I know technically she has an agenda but he doesn’t actually know that and Rosa herself is basically a pawn for powerful men, she has learned that to survive she has to comply and provide what men want and expect from her It’s basic self-preservation on her part.
John, I found to be quite the dominant take control kind of Orc despite his outward scholarly persona. He’s also super blunt which can come across as a tad harsh and also controlling there’s nothing this Orc likes better than proud public displays where he gets to show off his pet.
John definitely grew on me and he is so much more complex than I could have imagined, he’s not used to being out of control and as such reacts accordingly lashing out at Rosa at least initially.
When Rosa and John do start to find a middle ground I adored there connection she is his pampered pet and he in turn, her reprobate lord. Pet and foolish then start to take on a whole new meaning with these two words now a term of endearment and affection. John loves to dominate Rosa and she in turn blossoms under this dynamic and their bond was electric and super hot. This one was as usual super-steamy and incredibly filthy the Ka-esh are quite the kinky deviants it was also incredibly in-depth at the same time.
This author had managed to blend the two traits splendidly and her world-building is incredible. She really does deliver every time and the outrageous acts and language here is actually part of its whole appeal, If you’ve read previous books in this series You’ll get what I mean.This can be read as a standalone as each book features a separate couple but you will probably get much more from this reading them in order just for background information and clarity really.
What I also especially appreciated was the inclusion of Tristan and Salvi’s pairing, these two were super cute together and there described encounters just so highly erotic. The imagined visual here blew my mind with its pointed sensuality and sweet filth and I loved them so much especially Tristan he was bloody adorable.
This really is a great series that has so much to offer and is so much more than what it appears on the surface be aware it is incredibly graphic and also includes some M/M (Tristan & Salvi ) a whole lot of descriptive kinkiness and oodles of voyeurism. I highly recommend this and I am always pulled right back into this fascinating world so effortlessly. A massive thumbs up from my camp I loved this. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of The Librarian and the Orc.
Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
www.beckiebookworm.com
Read
November 3, 2021I think I liked this one more the second time around because when I knew all of John's secrets, I was able to see his reactions better. Very glad I re-read.
August 10, 2021
DNF at 40%. The main heroine is so unlikable. Manipulative, selfish, shrewd. I don't mind the plot point of her trying to advance her station through sex, I mind her being okay to start a war to get what she wants. I dislike her so much I can't continue the book. I read silly romances to turn my brain off and relax, not get pissed off enough to get on a high horse about the characters.
August 27, 2020
John and his little rose
This third installment of the Orc Sworn series is intense, even by the expectations laid out by the first two books. For some reason silly me thought that John would be a relatively safe orc to follow as a protagonist. But as they say...it's always the quiet ones.
TLatO is the hardest hitting book of the current bunch. I was not quite prepared for this and decided to stretch it out and give myself lots of brain bleach in between sittings to cleanse and think about what I read. I seriously started to feel tears stinging in my eyes during some of the worst of the gut punches in this one—I am not a crier, y'all—because Rosa's reality is just so absolutely awful and heart breaking that it was a lot to take in. So much is unsaid in her story, but it's enough to get a pretty clear picture. For all the pain, this was an excellent read, and I genuinely enjoyed it.
Rosa is a well-written, unlikable heroine—especially when we first meet her—who is also one of John's (and the orcs') many human antagonists. Unlike Jule and Ella who are unwitting pawns in the game men are playing with the orcs, Rosa is an active piece on the board (even if only as a shadow/ghost writer for Lord Kaspar). I love that Ms. Fenn isn't afraid to go outside of the Safe Box when it comes to writing her characters, and Rosa is polarizing figure, because she lacks what we expect in a romance heroine: she is not sweetness and light; she's ambitious and unashamed of wanting to achieve and to matter and be recognized; she's not too weak to save herself; she's not throwing herself into constant danger; she hides and lies and is fearful of the men she needs to use to get what she wants; she's not having sex with men because she's in love with them. Seriously, romance readers are an overwhelmingly heteronormative, prudish lot very stuck in sexist standards for how women should use their own bodies—and how couples are allowed to exist in their own relationships. Step a hair outside it and so much angry hissing. Rosa grows into herself in this book, learning to accept who she is, what she wants, be honest about it, and not be ashamed of it. Rosa in the final chapters is a seriously leveled up version of Rosa in chapter 1.
John is a proper partner for Rosa, after the tons of orc shit eventually get sifted through. (But if you've read all of the books so far, you already know the orcs are constantly playing games and the majority of words mean zilch to them unless they're in a really trusting relationship with you.) They're very similar characters, both shaped by the experiences of their childhoods and adolescence. But where Rosa , John's Their dynamic certainly isn't one a lot of people are going to be comfortable with, but if no one is being harmed, that's between them. They're happy with it.
It seems that things are quickly coming to a head between the humans and orcs in this world, and soon they will boil over. We have a few new orcs to watch in the future——as well as at least one more prominent human woman who is currently a valuable ally but could herself make a very interesting orc mate...to the right orc.
This book is going to be rolling around in my head for some time, a quality I value in a story.
TW/CW: Discussion of/remembering childhood sexual abuse
------------
And I'd like to take a quick moment to give a shout-out to Jule, who is still growing as a character behind the scenes in these stories. She's becoming one bad ass queen in the Orc Games and a serious player. It's delighting me to know that just because characters are no longer featured in a story, they're still busy and doing things.
This third installment of the Orc Sworn series is intense, even by the expectations laid out by the first two books. For some reason silly me thought that John would be a relatively safe orc to follow as a protagonist. But as they say...it's always the quiet ones.
TLatO is the hardest hitting book of the current bunch. I was not quite prepared for this and decided to stretch it out and give myself lots of brain bleach in between sittings to cleanse and think about what I read. I seriously started to feel tears stinging in my eyes during some of the worst of the gut punches in this one—I am not a crier, y'all—because Rosa's reality is just so absolutely awful and heart breaking that it was a lot to take in. So much is unsaid in her story, but it's enough to get a pretty clear picture. For all the pain, this was an excellent read, and I genuinely enjoyed it.
Rosa is a well-written, unlikable heroine—especially when we first meet her—who is also one of John's (and the orcs') many human antagonists. Unlike Jule and Ella who are unwitting pawns in the game men are playing with the orcs, Rosa is an active piece on the board (even if only as a shadow/ghost writer for Lord Kaspar). I love that Ms. Fenn isn't afraid to go outside of the Safe Box when it comes to writing her characters, and Rosa is polarizing figure, because she lacks what we expect in a romance heroine: she is not sweetness and light; she's ambitious and unashamed of wanting to achieve and to matter and be recognized; she's not too weak to save herself; she's not throwing herself into constant danger; she hides and lies and is fearful of the men she needs to use to get what she wants; she's not having sex with men because she's in love with them. Seriously, romance readers are an overwhelmingly heteronormative, prudish lot very stuck in sexist standards for how women should use their own bodies—and how couples are allowed to exist in their own relationships. Step a hair outside it and so much angry hissing. Rosa grows into herself in this book, learning to accept who she is, what she wants, be honest about it, and not be ashamed of it. Rosa in the final chapters is a seriously leveled up version of Rosa in chapter 1.
John is a proper partner for Rosa, after the tons of orc shit eventually get sifted through. (But if you've read all of the books so far, you already know the orcs are constantly playing games and the majority of words mean zilch to them unless they're in a really trusting relationship with you.) They're very similar characters, both shaped by the experiences of their childhoods and adolescence. But where Rosa , John's Their dynamic certainly isn't one a lot of people are going to be comfortable with, but if no one is being harmed, that's between them. They're happy with it.
It seems that things are quickly coming to a head between the humans and orcs in this world, and soon they will boil over. We have a few new orcs to watch in the future——as well as at least one more prominent human woman who is currently a valuable ally but could herself make a very interesting orc mate...to the right orc.
This book is going to be rolling around in my head for some time, a quality I value in a story.
TW/CW: Discussion of/remembering childhood sexual abuse
------------
And I'd like to take a quick moment to give a shout-out to Jule, who is still growing as a character behind the scenes in these stories. She's becoming one bad ass queen in the Orc Games and a serious player. It's delighting me to know that just because characters are no longer featured in a story, they're still busy and doing things.
October 19, 2021
On first reading, I remember HATING John, the smooth and smart orc who is the last of the Ka.
(Quick insert: if you didn’t know, the orcs in this series are born into one of five clans that will determine defining characteristics about them and their future.
Ash-Kai - the powerful
Grisk - the kind
Ka-Esh - the wise
Skai - the loyal
Bautul - the brave)
John is a Ka-Esh, which means he’s brilliant and focuses more on studies and treaties > fighting. So unlike the other scarred orcs, he’s remarked as being “smooth” and looking more like an elf than an orc by the women in other books.
He meets Rosa when he goes to study at the library where she works. While Rosa is scared of him (he’s an orc after all) she also appreciates that he’s smart and careful with the books and allows him to keep studying.
One thing leads to another, and Rosa’s benefactor (a skeezy human) asks her to spy on the orcs, so she goes with John back to the mountain. And SEE? SEEEEEE? This is why I said in my other reviews of the series that on re-read, I fully understand why the orcs don’t immediately trust the heroine even if they’re in love with them - because they know what it’s like to be betrayed or abandoned by someone you care about. Because their mothers all abandoned them!
But, John is a prickly pear. He’s got no social skills. He’s mean to Rosa. He lashes out at her with hurtful words, and she does the same. We learn towards the end of the book why this is (TW at the bottom) and how it shaped the way he is.
So many fun side characters. Tristan (my bb), Salvi (rude healer), and SIMON (my fav! His book is next!)
TW: John, Tristan, and Salvi were fatherless orcs who were known for being “pretty”. They were raped many times over the years by Skai warriors who whispered about them and would take detours on hunting excursions to visit the camp where they lived. SUPER HORRIFYING, and we see how it impacted John (who now tries to control everything, hurt people before they can hurt him, and likes pain/fear during sex) and Tristan (who has a lot of fear/PTSD)
(Quick insert: if you didn’t know, the orcs in this series are born into one of five clans that will determine defining characteristics about them and their future.
Ash-Kai - the powerful
Grisk - the kind
Ka-Esh - the wise
Skai - the loyal
Bautul - the brave)
John is a Ka-Esh, which means he’s brilliant and focuses more on studies and treaties > fighting. So unlike the other scarred orcs, he’s remarked as being “smooth” and looking more like an elf than an orc by the women in other books.
He meets Rosa when he goes to study at the library where she works. While Rosa is scared of him (he’s an orc after all) she also appreciates that he’s smart and careful with the books and allows him to keep studying.
One thing leads to another, and Rosa’s benefactor (a skeezy human) asks her to spy on the orcs, so she goes with John back to the mountain. And SEE? SEEEEEE? This is why I said in my other reviews of the series that on re-read, I fully understand why the orcs don’t immediately trust the heroine even if they’re in love with them - because they know what it’s like to be betrayed or abandoned by someone you care about. Because their mothers all abandoned them!
But, John is a prickly pear. He’s got no social skills. He’s mean to Rosa. He lashes out at her with hurtful words, and she does the same. We learn towards the end of the book why this is (TW at the bottom) and how it shaped the way he is.
So many fun side characters. Tristan (my bb), Salvi (rude healer), and SIMON (my fav! His book is next!)
TW: John, Tristan, and Salvi were fatherless orcs who were known for being “pretty”. They were raped many times over the years by Skai warriors who whispered about them and would take detours on hunting excursions to visit the camp where they lived. SUPER HORRIFYING, and we see how it impacted John (who now tries to control everything, hurt people before they can hurt him, and likes pain/fear during sex) and Tristan (who has a lot of fear/PTSD)
October 12, 2020
DNF at 22%. Didn't care for the heroine at all. Girl would have sex with anyone she thought would help her out.
May 19, 2021
Not my cup of tea. There should have been a warning on this book, a LOT of warnings. The "hero" constantly refers to her as a pet. There is so much sexism in the beginning of this book that it's amazing. I skimmed to the end and there seemed to be a bit less sexism, but this isn't a woman liking to be submissive in the bedroom, she specifically says at the end she'll be his obedient little pet in day to day life. I don't read these kinds of books, if I would have been properly warned I wouldn't have wasted my time to begin with.
Also, the worldbuilding doesn't make sense. The heroine is sleeping with the bad guy and she's never been pregnant even though there's no talk of birth control and no safe way to have an abortion in this world. This plotline just doesn't make sense. After 9 years of being sexually active, if you're a normal, healthy person, you will get pregnant, but she didn't.
I didn't mind, like some of the other readers did, that she used her body to get what she wanted, but there needed to be more depth to her character sooner to make this work, some hint as to why she was behaving like this, when all we know is that men have all the power, women are sexual playthings and that she's trying to use sex to manipulate. Her motivation for her actions is believing the bad guy who promises to get her into school if she does what he wants and this also seems like a weak motivation when we see how the bad guy treats women, how he lies and she's seen this and suffered from it for years. She knows she has to keep the bad guy happy, but it doesn't make sense to believe him.
All that being said, it's not a terrible book, it's actually ok, I just didn't like it because of the reasons mentioned above. But, there's absolutely no excuse for a BDSM novel to not be sold as such.
Also, the worldbuilding doesn't make sense. The heroine is sleeping with the bad guy and she's never been pregnant even though there's no talk of birth control and no safe way to have an abortion in this world. This plotline just doesn't make sense. After 9 years of being sexually active, if you're a normal, healthy person, you will get pregnant, but she didn't.
I didn't mind, like some of the other readers did, that she used her body to get what she wanted, but there needed to be more depth to her character sooner to make this work, some hint as to why she was behaving like this, when all we know is that men have all the power, women are sexual playthings and that she's trying to use sex to manipulate. Her motivation for her actions is believing the bad guy who promises to get her into school if she does what he wants and this also seems like a weak motivation when we see how the bad guy treats women, how he lies and she's seen this and suffered from it for years. She knows she has to keep the bad guy happy, but it doesn't make sense to believe him.
All that being said, it's not a terrible book, it's actually ok, I just didn't like it because of the reasons mentioned above. But, there's absolutely no excuse for a BDSM novel to not be sold as such.
May 28, 2022
Edit from 1 to 3 stars 28.5.2022: I completely forgot to edit my review!
The author contacted me shortly after I wrote my original review and explained she had indeed gotten someone who had spent a couple of years in Iceland. She then asked if I would be willing to fix the translation, which I’ve tried to do to the best of my abilities.
I’ve got to say I admire her greatly for taking criticism and using it to find solutions for betterment!
Original 1 star review left on 12.4.2021:
OK let me just say that I’m at 58% and can not finish this for a few reasons. The main one is this:
The orc language is Icelandic, probably google-translated, and the phrases and wording is just something that nobody who speaks this language would ever say with a straight face. I’m alternating between cringing and laughing my ass off at their horrible icelandic sexy talk.
The author contacted me shortly after I wrote my original review and explained she had indeed gotten someone who had spent a couple of years in Iceland. She then asked if I would be willing to fix the translation, which I’ve tried to do to the best of my abilities.
I’ve got to say I admire her greatly for taking criticism and using it to find solutions for betterment!
Original 1 star review left on 12.4.2021:
OK let me just say that I’m at 58% and can not finish this for a few reasons. The main one is this:
The orc language is Icelandic, probably google-translated, and the phrases and wording is just something that nobody who speaks this language would ever say with a straight face. I’m alternating between cringing and laughing my ass off at their horrible icelandic sexy talk.
July 15, 2020
Read the first part, skipped to the ending.
Lovely premise. And I might have finished it even.. But the h was so self-righteous that it just turned me off. I know that she became more open-minded in the end. But to read her thoughts and her words at the beginning was so annoying. I felt like she was a Karen. She might have motivations driving her to be like a Karen. But when someone points out the truths of your actions, you should acknowledge you're being a Karen. Not stick to your guns and imagine yourself so slighted.
Now, maybe I'm projecting because of all the stuff happening today. It's just a book, some of you would say. But I don't care to spend time with people, real or imagined, who act like this.
So, I'm rating this one down. But I might check out the other books. Maybe not all the heroines are written like her. Fingers crossed.
Lovely premise. And I might have finished it even.. But the h was so self-righteous that it just turned me off. I know that she became more open-minded in the end. But to read her thoughts and her words at the beginning was so annoying. I felt like she was a Karen. She might have motivations driving her to be like a Karen. But when someone points out the truths of your actions, you should acknowledge you're being a Karen. Not stick to your guns and imagine yourself so slighted.
Now, maybe I'm projecting because of all the stuff happening today. It's just a book, some of you would say. But I don't care to spend time with people, real or imagined, who act like this.
So, I'm rating this one down. But I might check out the other books. Maybe not all the heroines are written like her. Fingers crossed.
did-not-finish
September 25, 2022
25/09/2022
DNF 48%
The scene with the claw? hell no
DNF 48%
The scene with the claw? hell no
Read
July 15, 2020I started this and tried very hard to get into it. I admittedly skimmed it, but even though I’m sure the author worked hard on this, it isn’t for me, I disliked the heroine a lot, she was a user and lacked any moral character, as for the Orc the less said the better. DNF so I won’t give it a star rating.
December 30, 2022
Yes please, call me little rose and have your way with me John-Ka. Finley never disappoints with mixing dark romance and monster loving. I can always feel the full spectrum of the angst, the anger, the love, and the passion in these stories.
These audiobooks are amazing - Shane does a wonderful job immersing me in the Orc Sworn world and story.
These audiobooks are amazing - Shane does a wonderful job immersing me in the Orc Sworn world and story.
March 7, 2023
SO
MANY
FLUIDS
:(((((((((
MANY
FLUIDS
:(((((((((
May 16, 2021
*** Book Q & A***
* How did the book make you feel?: These books are fascinating and very erotic.
* How do you feel about how the story was told?: There was a lot of back and forth between the MC’s. I felt a lot of the h’s heartache at having no power in her life and seeking approval.
* What did you think about the main characters?: These orcs are fascinating but their emotions read as very wooden. I certainly wouldn’t be attracted to one. They don’t have many redeeming qualities! Their race is treated as inferior by humans so they’ve suffered a lot. The h was quite annoying at first because she was so closed minded and judgmental but she did come around. I’m not feeling the chemistry though.
* Which parts of the book stood out to you?: Raunchy! If you are in the mood for smut, read it!
* What themes/tropes did you detect in the story?: orc fantasy romance, erotic romance, different species romance
* What did you think about the ending?: I would’ve loved an epilogue to see if she survived the pregnancy.
* What is your impression of the author?: Very creative author and great at world building.
* How did the book make you feel?: These books are fascinating and very erotic.
* How do you feel about how the story was told?: There was a lot of back and forth between the MC’s. I felt a lot of the h’s heartache at having no power in her life and seeking approval.
* What did you think about the main characters?: These orcs are fascinating but their emotions read as very wooden. I certainly wouldn’t be attracted to one. They don’t have many redeeming qualities! Their race is treated as inferior by humans so they’ve suffered a lot. The h was quite annoying at first because she was so closed minded and judgmental but she did come around. I’m not feeling the chemistry though.
* Which parts of the book stood out to you?: Raunchy! If you are in the mood for smut, read it!
* What themes/tropes did you detect in the story?: orc fantasy romance, erotic romance, different species romance
* What did you think about the ending?: I would’ve loved an epilogue to see if she survived the pregnancy.
* What is your impression of the author?: Very creative author and great at world building.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 4, 2020
The heroine was selfish and manipulative. She falsely accused the hero for behavior that she herself exemplified. She was irredeemable even if she was a sexually abused poor orphan in her youth.
I also disliked the heroine in book 2. I probably will not continue this series.
I also disliked the heroine in book 2. I probably will not continue this series.
July 29, 2020
What rollercoaster of a story.
All that glitter is not gold
Rosa is a librarian who is asked by the humans, specifically her lover and patron, Lord Kaspar Sippola, to find a way to defeat the orcs. She decides to sell her body to an orc, John of Clan Ka-esh to get information.
What I Thought
I admit the first few chapter had me convinced that Rosa was the typical submissive, docile and trapped woman, thinking that by submitting her body to Lord Kaspar Sippola and the orc John of clan of Ka-esh, she could survive. It curdled my stomach to see her accept and seemingly enjoy the sexual degradation and sexual humiliations of these powerful manipulative men.
But the author gave us a more nuanced character in Rosa.? Rosa is not just the victim but also the villain in the piece , silent as she spies on the orcs, looking to start a unprovoked war against the orcs. Not for a personal vendetta against the orcs but because of professional ambition, to be a coveted student. Even if it was a bribe, Rosa knows what she's doing the wrong thing, twisting her own moral codes.
John of clan Ka-esh should have been only the monster orc: terrifying, huge, mean and manipulative. The big bad orc who kidnaps innocent women and impregnating them with large orc babies. But he isn't just that. Again the author surprises the reader with a monster who is more than his ugly parts. He actually in his orc terrifyingly alpha way tries to help Rosa: feeding her , protecting her , allowing her to accept all the squiggly icky parts of herself, the parts that make her feel ashamed of her past and her unconventional needs but most importantly of all: he asks for her consent evertime. Mind you, I didn't love his methods by any stretch of the imagination, but... by the end of the book, I appreciated them.
I also liked Tristan and Salvi's relationship. Who would of thought of supportive gay relationships in a society of monster brutish orcs and as they desperately search for human women to give them young? The author doesnt shy away from ugly parts of a male dominated society either, i.e the rapes, the power struggles, the sexual play. Their relationship just goes to show how love comes in all shapes and sizes.
But more than the actual plot, the steamy scenes were just fabulous. Author just always seems to get it right😁
All that glitter is not gold
Rosa is a librarian who is asked by the humans, specifically her lover and patron, Lord Kaspar Sippola, to find a way to defeat the orcs. She decides to sell her body to an orc, John of Clan Ka-esh to get information.
What I Thought
I admit the first few chapter had me convinced that Rosa was the typical submissive, docile and trapped woman, thinking that by submitting her body to Lord Kaspar Sippola and the orc John of clan of Ka-esh, she could survive. It curdled my stomach to see her accept and seemingly enjoy the sexual degradation and sexual humiliations of these powerful manipulative men.
But the author gave us a more nuanced character in Rosa.? Rosa is not just the victim but also the villain in the piece , silent as she spies on the orcs, looking to start a unprovoked war against the orcs. Not for a personal vendetta against the orcs but because of professional ambition, to be a coveted student. Even if it was a bribe, Rosa knows what she's doing the wrong thing, twisting her own moral codes.
John of clan Ka-esh should have been only the monster orc: terrifying, huge, mean and manipulative. The big bad orc who kidnaps innocent women and impregnating them with large orc babies. But he isn't just that. Again the author surprises the reader with a monster who is more than his ugly parts. He actually in his orc terrifyingly alpha way tries to help Rosa: feeding her , protecting her , allowing her to accept all the squiggly icky parts of herself, the parts that make her feel ashamed of her past and her unconventional needs but most importantly of all: he asks for her consent evertime. Mind you, I didn't love his methods by any stretch of the imagination, but... by the end of the book, I appreciated them.
I also liked Tristan and Salvi's relationship. Who would of thought of supportive gay relationships in a society of monster brutish orcs and as they desperately search for human women to give them young? The author doesnt shy away from ugly parts of a male dominated society either, i.e the rapes, the power struggles, the sexual play. Their relationship just goes to show how love comes in all shapes and sizes.
But more than the actual plot, the steamy scenes were just fabulous. Author just always seems to get it right😁
September 17, 2021
DNF.
I absolutely hate not finishing books, but genuinely, I couldn’t read another word. I got to Chapter 5 and couldn’t take anymore. Rosa, the main character, is incredibly problematic and I kept cringing at her every thought and spoken word. I couldn’t connect with her. I understand the position she is in (which is complete shit), where she has a job that she loves and she wants to pursue an education at an actual university, but she’s stuck in a hard place where she has to satisfy her employer and keep him satisfied even though he’s absolute trash in order to keep her job (when I say satisfy you can imagine what I mean). But then when she offers the same satisfaction to the lead orc (in the same room that she does the deed with her employer and he freaking knows it because he can smell it!), he laughs…and I laughed with him. Like, girl, you were just internally monologuing how intelligent you are and how much knowledge possess in regards to the library, but yet, you choose to be a judgemental idiot who isn’t willing to consider that maybe this orc just wants to read his book, alone, and in peace without having to deal with you….or your attempts of manipulation. But no! He is a beast and obviously, even though he can read and seems intelligent, he must want her because he’s an orc and that’s the number one thing they want. This was sold to me as a spice read. And I really, really like spice in my books, but there’s no spice. It’s like a curtain drops before any detail is shown, but even then, I don’t think I would even want the details because of how depressing each semi-sexual scene is. I just couldn’t go on any longer. All I got was really depressing and immature characters in depressing scenes.
I absolutely hate not finishing books, but genuinely, I couldn’t read another word. I got to Chapter 5 and couldn’t take anymore. Rosa, the main character, is incredibly problematic and I kept cringing at her every thought and spoken word. I couldn’t connect with her. I understand the position she is in (which is complete shit), where she has a job that she loves and she wants to pursue an education at an actual university, but she’s stuck in a hard place where she has to satisfy her employer and keep him satisfied even though he’s absolute trash in order to keep her job (when I say satisfy you can imagine what I mean). But then when she offers the same satisfaction to the lead orc (in the same room that she does the deed with her employer and he freaking knows it because he can smell it!), he laughs…and I laughed with him. Like, girl, you were just internally monologuing how intelligent you are and how much knowledge possess in regards to the library, but yet, you choose to be a judgemental idiot who isn’t willing to consider that maybe this orc just wants to read his book, alone, and in peace without having to deal with you….or your attempts of manipulation. But no! He is a beast and obviously, even though he can read and seems intelligent, he must want her because he’s an orc and that’s the number one thing they want. This was sold to me as a spice read. And I really, really like spice in my books, but there’s no spice. It’s like a curtain drops before any detail is shown, but even then, I don’t think I would even want the details because of how depressing each semi-sexual scene is. I just couldn’t go on any longer. All I got was really depressing and immature characters in depressing scenes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 31, 2022
I told you. Men don’t give. They only take.
I struggled with this one. Parts made me very uncomfortable. I know the orc’s have different customs and love voyerism. That wasn’t even my problem. I understood that. It was Rosa’s past, present, and possibly future. Y’all she was And here comes John a natural dominant to her natural(forced) submissive ways. Of course they’re attracted to each other but how much control did she ever really have? And the way he talked to her!!! I didn’t like him until maybe the end and even then I didn’t really like him.
I don’t know, it wasn’t bad. It just needed more happy times for Rose. She was so smart and kind. She deserves better. That’s my review. Rose deserves better.
I struggled with this one. Parts made me very uncomfortable. I know the orc’s have different customs and love voyerism. That wasn’t even my problem. I understood that. It was Rosa’s past, present, and possibly future. Y’all she was And here comes John a natural dominant to her natural(forced) submissive ways. Of course they’re attracted to each other but how much control did she ever really have? And the way he talked to her!!! I didn’t like him until maybe the end and even then I didn’t really like him.
I don’t know, it wasn’t bad. It just needed more happy times for Rose. She was so smart and kind. She deserves better. That’s my review. Rose deserves better.
January 15, 2021
5 stars ⭐️ plus
Wow, just wow. Finley Fenn is a new author to me and she has left me speechless. I really don’t know what to write to praise this story enough. This is a book you need to read without interruption. The prose reads like a regency novel, but be aware it contains explicit sexual scenes, both M/F and M/M. The nature of the relationship between Rosa and John is complex, and sometimes you may think both need a good slap, but the author brings their angst to life. As well, there is the presence of a war brewing, as well as misunderstandings in ORC Mountain that have been caused by secrets kept. All in all, this is a deep, emotive, suspenseful read, well worth your time.
Wow, just wow. Finley Fenn is a new author to me and she has left me speechless. I really don’t know what to write to praise this story enough. This is a book you need to read without interruption. The prose reads like a regency novel, but be aware it contains explicit sexual scenes, both M/F and M/M. The nature of the relationship between Rosa and John is complex, and sometimes you may think both need a good slap, but the author brings their angst to life. As well, there is the presence of a war brewing, as well as misunderstandings in ORC Mountain that have been caused by secrets kept. All in all, this is a deep, emotive, suspenseful read, well worth your time.
August 31, 2022
This is so over the top, melodramatic, angst, full of stereotypes, lots of classic tropes, a very traditional male/dom female/sub dynamic with strong bdsm overtones. Oh and it’s utterly, utterly filthy! By rights my feminist self should be running for the hills. I’m almost ashamed to admit I enjoyed it immensely!!! 😂
Read
November 15, 2022*retch*
November 8, 2023
Really 2.5 stars. On one hand, I enjoyed the spicy bits and thought the beginning set up an interesting relationship dynamic. I also really appreciated the use of language and language learning within the story. However, John was one of those unbelievably frustrating characters who's actions and words don't match. He also withheld information from Rosa and was an all around jerkface. Rosa also withheld information from John so therefore the plot was full of mutual suspicion and misunderstandings. Ugh.
July 26, 2020
Mixed feeling stars
May 22, 2021
This took me a while to get through but of course, Finley never disappoints. I've really enjoyed reading John and Rosa's story and getting another insight into this wonderful world.
So far, I think Rosa and John's relationship is my least favourite. They were always quite estranged and were only really sexually attracted to one another instead of truly caring. Obviously, this changed throughout but to start they were only sleeping together for their own personal benefits. While Rosa is confident and sassy, she's very skinny and fragile, which results in John being very dominant of her. Some of their sex scenes were very kinky, and there was one that frankly made me a bit uncomfortable because the lines of Rosa's consent were very blurred. I did love how John would read to her and give her his food. Other than that, there weren't too many romantic feelings, there were just lots and lots of dominant sex scenes in which Rosa said she was John's pet.
The plot of this book wasn't the best of the series, but what it lacked in plot, it made up for in characters. I really adored the cast of characters in this. Rosa was an entertaining protagonist and I really related to her likes. Then, of course, we have the orc characters. In this book, we have Tristan, Salvi and Simon. There was even a romantic subplot with Salvi and Tristan that I didn't know I needed! I loved the group and the friendship that we saw and am very excited that Simon is the main character of the next book. Unfortunately, the middle part of this book was a little slow and lacklustre and the chapters tended to be quite long and tedious. However, that all changed when we reached the third act and the climax started.
Some themes in Finley's books are rather prominent, like lying and betrayal, but frankly, it works. I do get a little bored of the back and forth "You lied to me" speeches, but watching the betrayal unfold and seeing them forgive each other is always worth it. I've said this before and I'll say it again, Finley knows how to write the best third act and I always binge it in one day. While this is probably my least favourite so far, I'm really glad I read it and cannot wait to continue with the next book and read the bonus epilogue.
So far, I think Rosa and John's relationship is my least favourite. They were always quite estranged and were only really sexually attracted to one another instead of truly caring. Obviously, this changed throughout but to start they were only sleeping together for their own personal benefits. While Rosa is confident and sassy, she's very skinny and fragile, which results in John being very dominant of her. Some of their sex scenes were very kinky, and there was one that frankly made me a bit uncomfortable because the lines of Rosa's consent were very blurred. I did love how John would read to her and give her his food. Other than that, there weren't too many romantic feelings, there were just lots and lots of dominant sex scenes in which Rosa said she was John's pet.
The plot of this book wasn't the best of the series, but what it lacked in plot, it made up for in characters. I really adored the cast of characters in this. Rosa was an entertaining protagonist and I really related to her likes. Then, of course, we have the orc characters. In this book, we have Tristan, Salvi and Simon. There was even a romantic subplot with Salvi and Tristan that I didn't know I needed! I loved the group and the friendship that we saw and am very excited that Simon is the main character of the next book. Unfortunately, the middle part of this book was a little slow and lacklustre and the chapters tended to be quite long and tedious. However, that all changed when we reached the third act and the climax started.
Some themes in Finley's books are rather prominent, like lying and betrayal, but frankly, it works. I do get a little bored of the back and forth "You lied to me" speeches, but watching the betrayal unfold and seeing them forgive each other is always worth it. I've said this before and I'll say it again, Finley knows how to write the best third act and I always binge it in one day. While this is probably my least favourite so far, I'm really glad I read it and cannot wait to continue with the next book and read the bonus epilogue.
September 5, 2021
“Do not deny this to me, silly woman,” he breathed, and that — that — was the unmistakable, heart-stopping feel of his finger’s deadly claw, tracing gentle against delicate skin. “The strong scents of your fear and your hunger have swarmed me all this day. You wish for me. And you wish to be frightened.”
I love these orcs so much! As a reader who doesn't love a book about librarians and book lovers? Sign me up for John any day.
As always, lots of good steam and spice. This one is a bit heavier on the kink than the previous 2 full length, although less kinky than the novella.
I was really surprised overall, John felt like a very nice orc compared to the previous too. If anything I felt like Rosa was more of the heartbreaker of this story.
For a long, faltering moment, Rosa couldn’t move, breathe, think. John was here. In the library. Reading a book. His dark head was bent over the book, his face hidden in shadow — but as Rosa stared, frozen, he slowly lifted his head, and met her eyes. Looking unusually tired, with deep smudges under those eyes, faint lines around his mouth, an even sharper cut to his jaw and cheekbones. And his clawed hands closing the book, setting it aside, didn’t bother to keep his place, as though he hadn’t really been reading it at all.
I love these orcs so much! As a reader who doesn't love a book about librarians and book lovers? Sign me up for John any day.
As always, lots of good steam and spice. This one is a bit heavier on the kink than the previous 2 full length, although less kinky than the novella.
I was really surprised overall, John felt like a very nice orc compared to the previous too. If anything I felt like Rosa was more of the heartbreaker of this story.
For a long, faltering moment, Rosa couldn’t move, breathe, think. John was here. In the library. Reading a book. His dark head was bent over the book, his face hidden in shadow — but as Rosa stared, frozen, he slowly lifted his head, and met her eyes. Looking unusually tired, with deep smudges under those eyes, faint lines around his mouth, an even sharper cut to his jaw and cheekbones. And his clawed hands closing the book, setting it aside, didn’t bother to keep his place, as though he hadn’t really been reading it at all.
May 18, 2022
NOUP
I get why she does why she does because woman and old times but OMG she was so dumb i didn't believe she really lover her books and library, if she was dying to be a schoolar and keep her work in the library maybe she would have some topic of passion, even though the book mentions she likes to learn new languages and cultures she didn't come across like that at all at the begging of the book.
Next the orc was a horrible character he always made her feel bad and humiliated her with all his actions.
Both characters were soooooo bad.
My big mistake was my expectation. I expected something romantic with something spicy, maybe something like the Amanda Milo books but Orc type but boy i was wrong.
Everything that happens its somewhat sexual from innuendos to blowjobs to straight sex but the thing is that the book could be okay if they both were consenting adults and with similar power but there is neither, there is not consent to be dominated and humiliate with someone waaaaay powerful than her and i just get mad and madder reading so i made myself to stopped
I get why she does why she does because woman and old times but OMG she was so dumb i didn't believe she really lover her books and library, if she was dying to be a schoolar and keep her work in the library maybe she would have some topic of passion, even though the book mentions she likes to learn new languages and cultures she didn't come across like that at all at the begging of the book.
Next the orc was a horrible character he always made her feel bad and humiliated her with all his actions.
Both characters were soooooo bad.
My big mistake was my expectation. I expected something romantic with something spicy, maybe something like the Amanda Milo books but Orc type but boy i was wrong.
Everything that happens its somewhat sexual from innuendos to blowjobs to straight sex but the thing is that the book could be okay if they both were consenting adults and with similar power but there is neither, there is not consent to be dominated and humiliate with someone waaaaay powerful than her and i just get mad and madder reading so i made myself to stopped
October 19, 2020
I loved this book! (And I really wanted to write that in Black Tongue, but I couldn't figure it out.)
As I said on my review of the first book in the series, orcs are not usually my thing, but there's such heart in these books that they've drawn me in. I loved John from the previous book and really wanted to see him find his woman. There's so much more to this book than I anticipated. John's role within the orc horde, the complex relationships within the Ka-clan, and the heroine's slow discovery of her own self-worth - it really is a great story as well as being exceptionally hot.
I came into this book after several disappointing reads that I didn't finish. This book pulled me straight out of my book slump and made me a very happy reader again. Looking forward to the next book in the series!
As I said on my review of the first book in the series, orcs are not usually my thing, but there's such heart in these books that they've drawn me in. I loved John from the previous book and really wanted to see him find his woman. There's so much more to this book than I anticipated. John's role within the orc horde, the complex relationships within the Ka-clan, and the heroine's slow discovery of her own self-worth - it really is a great story as well as being exceptionally hot.
I came into this book after several disappointing reads that I didn't finish. This book pulled me straight out of my book slump and made me a very happy reader again. Looking forward to the next book in the series!
July 17, 2020
I loved this story, how can you not love a book about 2 main protagonists that love books, reading and enjoying each other?
I felt for Rosa, she's trying to get through life the best she can but well off men keep holding something over her head. I liked it when she stood up for herself, you can't be weak around orcs.
Rosa and John's first meeting was definitely something to remember lol.
This is the second book I've read in the series and I find myself thinking about it when I'm not reading it. It's one of those books that follows you around but in a good way.
It gave me all the feels.
I'll definitely read another one!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I felt for Rosa, she's trying to get through life the best she can but well off men keep holding something over her head. I liked it when she stood up for herself, you can't be weak around orcs.
Rosa and John's first meeting was definitely something to remember lol.
This is the second book I've read in the series and I find myself thinking about it when I'm not reading it. It's one of those books that follows you around but in a good way.
It gave me all the feels.
I'll definitely read another one!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
November 23, 2023
Rather dark story with h who has been mistreated by men. The H takes her but he is using her for his own goals, much like the evil OM. This couple lie to themselves and each other yet their romance is also very sweet. She is a change agent for him and the orcs.
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