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Queen of the Orcs #1
King's Property
Born into hardship, Dar learns to rely on herself alone. When her family betrays her, Dar is conscripted into King Kregant's army and its brutal campaign to conquer a neighboring country. Now she isbound as a slave to a dreaded regiment of orcs, creatures legendary for their savagery and battle prowess. Rather than cower, Dar rises to the challenge. She learns the unique culture and language of the orcs, survives treachery from both allies and enemies, and struggles to understand a mystical gift that brings her dark, prophetic visions. As the war escalates-amid nightmarish combat and shattering loss-Darmust seize a single chance at freedom. "Original and vivid. I was captivated."-Nancy Kress, author of "Beggars in Spain" Lookfor Books II and III in the Queen of the Orcs trilogy, """From the Paperback edition."
Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2007
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About the author
Morgan Howell
11 books73 followersMorgan Howell is the pseudonym of author Will Hubbell. Hubbell uses his own name when writing childrens' picture books and for his science fiction novels published by Ace. He uses the name Morgan Howell for his recent fantasy writing, citing the darkness of the writing.
A graduate of Oberlin College and the Rochester Institute of Technology, MORGAN HOWELL is a full-time writer who lives in upstate New York.
A graduate of Oberlin College and the Rochester Institute of Technology, MORGAN HOWELL is a full-time writer who lives in upstate New York.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 162 reviews
October 12, 2009
Got this as a Kindle freebie and finally decided to check it out. I've had a few bad experiences with the freebies, but this was not one of them.
The story is about a woman -- Dar -- taken into the army as a serving wench. The brutality can be disturbing at times, although there is a constant thread of hope with Dar's strength and subsequent triumphs -- small victories, but inspiring nonetheless.
This is a fantasy story, of course, and I've had some problems lately with the bleakness of most fantasy writers. Robin Hobb and Brent Weeks come immediately to mind. What a joyless trip those two are! But this, while it ends on a bittersweet note, seems to have a chance of ending somewhat well for the heroine and a few other featured characters. The one truly sad event was foreshadowed, so I didn't feel like anyone ripped my guts out thoughtlessly.
There may even be a romance brewing, which would make me happy. I'm not sure, but I can say that, of all the fantasy writers I've tried since I discovered Jim Butcher, only Morgan Howell's 'King's Property' has made me anxious to get to the next installment.
If we start to go downhill, believe me, I'll dump Howell in less than a second. But the sense I'm getting is that this is ultimately a story of triumph bought by cleverness and goodness of heart, and that's a story I can enjoy.
As I mentioned, there is much brutality to women in this book. But the bad guys are revealed very soon after their introductions to be monsters so there are no gut-punching surprises in that direction. The good guys (few though they may be) are refreshing and I enjoyed rooting for them. And while the women are severely treated by some of the other characters, this is also a story where a woman, if she's willing to risk it all, can make a difference.
I hope I won't ultimately be disappointed in this series now that I'm hooked. It's happened before (Brent Weeks grrrrrr!), so there is definitely some apprehension here. But right now, I'm optimistic, and I recommend this first book of the Queen of Orcs series. We'll see what the next two bring.
The story is about a woman -- Dar -- taken into the army as a serving wench. The brutality can be disturbing at times, although there is a constant thread of hope with Dar's strength and subsequent triumphs -- small victories, but inspiring nonetheless.
This is a fantasy story, of course, and I've had some problems lately with the bleakness of most fantasy writers. Robin Hobb and Brent Weeks come immediately to mind. What a joyless trip those two are! But this, while it ends on a bittersweet note, seems to have a chance of ending somewhat well for the heroine and a few other featured characters. The one truly sad event was foreshadowed, so I didn't feel like anyone ripped my guts out thoughtlessly.
There may even be a romance brewing, which would make me happy. I'm not sure, but I can say that, of all the fantasy writers I've tried since I discovered Jim Butcher, only Morgan Howell's 'King's Property' has made me anxious to get to the next installment.
If we start to go downhill, believe me, I'll dump Howell in less than a second. But the sense I'm getting is that this is ultimately a story of triumph bought by cleverness and goodness of heart, and that's a story I can enjoy.
As I mentioned, there is much brutality to women in this book. But the bad guys are revealed very soon after their introductions to be monsters so there are no gut-punching surprises in that direction. The good guys (few though they may be) are refreshing and I enjoyed rooting for them. And while the women are severely treated by some of the other characters, this is also a story where a woman, if she's willing to risk it all, can make a difference.
I hope I won't ultimately be disappointed in this series now that I'm hooked. It's happened before (Brent Weeks grrrrrr!), so there is definitely some apprehension here. But right now, I'm optimistic, and I recommend this first book of the Queen of Orcs series. We'll see what the next two bring.
November 29, 2008
I guess I'd call this "dark fantasy" since there is little hope throughout the book. It's also not a book I, personally, would give to anyone under 15 years old. The book clearly implies, though never actually states, that Dar was raped repeatedly by her father and both Dar and a young girl come very close to being raped on several occasions. While most of the sex, rape, brutality, and killing occur 'off screen' and none of it is explicit or gratuitous, the horror and danger of her surroundings is nearly unrelenting. It's a rather depressing read.
Understandably, Dar doesn't trust men and doesn't really like them. I was a bit turned off by the apparent "all men are scum" message but, near the end, it becomes quite clear that Dar doesn't hate all men--just the ones that really are scum.
That being said, all of the characters were very interesting and realistically drawn. The story was suspenseful, and the world-building was excellent.
Understandably, Dar doesn't trust men and doesn't really like them. I was a bit turned off by the apparent "all men are scum" message but, near the end, it becomes quite clear that Dar doesn't hate all men--just the ones that really are scum.
That being said, all of the characters were very interesting and realistically drawn. The story was suspenseful, and the world-building was excellent.
November 23, 2007
King's Property is the first in a series of three books by Morgan Howell. Set in a somewhat generic fantasy setting, the trilogy centers on the character of Dar, a resourceful (human) peasant woman who is conscripted into the king's army to serve in a orcish regiment.
I read this novel as I have been floating for a couple years now the idea of writing something similar, a sort of reinterpretation of the idea of orcs, which coincidentally also had a human woman as the main character (fantasy literature is not a very original field). Thus, I felt the need to examine the competition.
Howell takes a slightly different direction than I might have expected. Some things are as I guessed: Dar lives in a dark, gritty, "realistic" place where pragmatism is by far the dominant ethos. I was surprised, however, by the orcs. They share little more in common with Tolkien's orcs (the light by which all orcs must be interpreted, for better or for worse) than being large, "ugly," and fierce. But even the fierceness is not as one might expect: These orcs are not always violent on their own (though they sometimes are) but rather at the behest of their human leaders, whom they serve for the sake of their queen who is in some way allied with Dar's king (many of these particulars are omitted in the volume and are presumably dealt with later). The orcs, rather than being a disorganized, violent mob, are the most disciplined of all the troops Dar encounters, up to and including the king's own guard. There are some more surprises I don't want to give away to those that haven't read the book, but the orcs eventually deviate even more from the Tolkienesque archetype. On top of all this, I could see definite hints of "noble savage" myths mixed in the orcish behaviors, which makes me somewhat uneasy. While I was somewhat disappointed that the orcs were not what I might have guessed, that is not a fault of the book.
The main character, Dar, shows elements of nineteenth century adventure novel heroines and the women of Greek epics and tragedies (she shares some things in common with Cassandra), though I don't know that she could have existed prior to the advent of modern feminism. She is not Buffy, though (at least not yet). She survives on courage, genius, and audacity, not on her ability with the sword. One of the weaknesses of this novel is that Dar seems to display too much courage, genius, and audacity. In fairness, though, Dar is clearly depicted as exceptional; I just sometimes balked at how exceptional.
The other characters, at least the humans, tend to go the other direction. I can't accuse them of being one-dimensional, most aren't, but rather of being dull, in both senses: stupid and boring. Development is admittedly not a high priority for many of these characters though, as few live long enough for us to care what happens to them. Thus, this is not as large a fault as it might at first seem.
On the whole, though, I found this to be an intriguing book. There were enough surprises, but not too many, to keep me curious about what would happen. Dar is interesting and sympathetic (if not always wholly believable). I'm curious to see where Howell takes this all in the next two books.
A word of warning: This is definitely a book for "mature readers" as they say. It is so in a way that is appropriate to the subject matter - this isn't an exploitation novel - but some elements may still be disturbing. Specifically, besides the usual decapitations and such, there is a constant threat of sexual violence (none of it graphic, but still...) in the book. Furthermore, Dar, it turns out, comes from an abusive past, and some references to that may also be disturbing to some, I imagine.
I read this novel as I have been floating for a couple years now the idea of writing something similar, a sort of reinterpretation of the idea of orcs, which coincidentally also had a human woman as the main character (fantasy literature is not a very original field). Thus, I felt the need to examine the competition.
Howell takes a slightly different direction than I might have expected. Some things are as I guessed: Dar lives in a dark, gritty, "realistic" place where pragmatism is by far the dominant ethos. I was surprised, however, by the orcs. They share little more in common with Tolkien's orcs (the light by which all orcs must be interpreted, for better or for worse) than being large, "ugly," and fierce. But even the fierceness is not as one might expect: These orcs are not always violent on their own (though they sometimes are) but rather at the behest of their human leaders, whom they serve for the sake of their queen who is in some way allied with Dar's king (many of these particulars are omitted in the volume and are presumably dealt with later). The orcs, rather than being a disorganized, violent mob, are the most disciplined of all the troops Dar encounters, up to and including the king's own guard. There are some more surprises I don't want to give away to those that haven't read the book, but the orcs eventually deviate even more from the Tolkienesque archetype. On top of all this, I could see definite hints of "noble savage" myths mixed in the orcish behaviors, which makes me somewhat uneasy. While I was somewhat disappointed that the orcs were not what I might have guessed, that is not a fault of the book.
The main character, Dar, shows elements of nineteenth century adventure novel heroines and the women of Greek epics and tragedies (she shares some things in common with Cassandra), though I don't know that she could have existed prior to the advent of modern feminism. She is not Buffy, though (at least not yet). She survives on courage, genius, and audacity, not on her ability with the sword. One of the weaknesses of this novel is that Dar seems to display too much courage, genius, and audacity. In fairness, though, Dar is clearly depicted as exceptional; I just sometimes balked at how exceptional.
The other characters, at least the humans, tend to go the other direction. I can't accuse them of being one-dimensional, most aren't, but rather of being dull, in both senses: stupid and boring. Development is admittedly not a high priority for many of these characters though, as few live long enough for us to care what happens to them. Thus, this is not as large a fault as it might at first seem.
On the whole, though, I found this to be an intriguing book. There were enough surprises, but not too many, to keep me curious about what would happen. Dar is interesting and sympathetic (if not always wholly believable). I'm curious to see where Howell takes this all in the next two books.
A word of warning: This is definitely a book for "mature readers" as they say. It is so in a way that is appropriate to the subject matter - this isn't an exploitation novel - but some elements may still be disturbing. Specifically, besides the usual decapitations and such, there is a constant threat of sexual violence (none of it graphic, but still...) in the book. Furthermore, Dar, it turns out, comes from an abusive past, and some references to that may also be disturbing to some, I imagine.
April 29, 2015
First of all, I'll start explaining why I haven't given 5 stars to this book, which I liked quite a lot: I'm excessively sensitive to turning points of view. In mine (point of view!) it shouldn't be done in the same paragraph, and only with precaution in the same chapter. This book is mainly wrote by Dar's point of view, in such an intimate way that it could have been wrote using the first person singular. Therefore, when the author suddenly throw her readers in another character's mind, it's a choc; the story - a very good one, very immersive - sounds artificial for a little while. It's a shame.
Putting this weakness aside, 'King's property' is an excellent fantasy's read: no unhealthy lengthy horrors' descriptions, even if Dar's life is a harsh one, in a cruel world. Brutalities, rapes, murders are common place, but the reader isn't subjected to minute details of each atrocity - a disgusting fondness that many fantasy authors seem to have...
An another strong point: quite frequently in the sort of fiction the main character is modernised, painted with our convictions and strengths. But not here, the details are absolutely realistic: Dar is honorable, courageous and likable, but her choices are coherent with her upraising and background. Also, she's physically much more resistant than we'd be! She's used to hard work, not wearing shoes, sleeping on the ground without any cover, and so on. And, in the beginning of the book, she believes bathing unhealthy!
The story develops a very interesting idea, by presenting Orcs in an unusual light: brutish and deadly but also honorable, guileless, impervious to deceit, lies, shams and trickeries.
The book's thread rest upon their blind obedience to their queen, who have given the human king's army many Orcs to help the despicable sovereign to fight his wars and also strip bare his people to sustain his army, encouraging his soldiers to kill and loot without any restraint.
Dar is given by her father to be a slave in the Orc army, branded like cattle, subjected to the vile soldiers of this strange army, in which much hated and feared Orcs demand to be given food by women, and women only.
But Dar is unusual, clever and courageous in adversity, and will soon be able to see truth behind the veil of hatred and prejudices.
Putting this weakness aside, 'King's property' is an excellent fantasy's read: no unhealthy lengthy horrors' descriptions, even if Dar's life is a harsh one, in a cruel world. Brutalities, rapes, murders are common place, but the reader isn't subjected to minute details of each atrocity - a disgusting fondness that many fantasy authors seem to have...
An another strong point: quite frequently in the sort of fiction the main character is modernised, painted with our convictions and strengths. But not here, the details are absolutely realistic: Dar is honorable, courageous and likable, but her choices are coherent with her upraising and background. Also, she's physically much more resistant than we'd be! She's used to hard work, not wearing shoes, sleeping on the ground without any cover, and so on. And, in the beginning of the book, she believes bathing unhealthy!
The story develops a very interesting idea, by presenting Orcs in an unusual light: brutish and deadly but also honorable, guileless, impervious to deceit, lies, shams and trickeries.
The book's thread rest upon their blind obedience to their queen, who have given the human king's army many Orcs to help the despicable sovereign to fight his wars and also strip bare his people to sustain his army, encouraging his soldiers to kill and loot without any restraint.
Dar is given by her father to be a slave in the Orc army, branded like cattle, subjected to the vile soldiers of this strange army, in which much hated and feared Orcs demand to be given food by women, and women only.
But Dar is unusual, clever and courageous in adversity, and will soon be able to see truth behind the veil of hatred and prejudices.
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December 29, 2022I didn't finished, I gave up and DNFed this somewhere near the halfway mark.
I hate this book. It was grim and depressing, not in a fun grimdark way, but in a miserable grinding way.
Basic plot: Young Dar is a peasant girl who's seized from her village to act as a servant to a bunch of orcs who are soldiers in the King's army (the orcs will only accept food from women for religious reasons). On the way she's abused by the human soldiers and becomes friendly with the orcs. Presumably she'll become some sort of leader to them in the future (this is the first volume of a trilogy) and kill all the humans or something.
Why did I hate this book? All the human men in it are scum. Without exception. Apparently the only value women have in this world is as whores for the men (unpaid, of course) and if a woman doesn't pick a man she'll simply be raped and passed around. The consequences are of course irrelevant - . Probably this is to make Dar's liking for the orcs more understandable, but it was still unpleasant reading.
The war was also a dismal waste of time - this story is from Dar's point of view, so we have of lots of marching through shitty, half-destroyed villages but no fighting that I could see. And taking everything from his own people's villages, leaving them basically to starve in winter - that's a king asking for a peasant revolt in my opinion.
If that was 'tl;dr' then here's my opinion summed up: a dreary slog through a crapsack world - avoid.
I hate this book. It was grim and depressing, not in a fun grimdark way, but in a miserable grinding way.
Basic plot: Young Dar is a peasant girl who's seized from her village to act as a servant to a bunch of orcs who are soldiers in the King's army (the orcs will only accept food from women for religious reasons). On the way she's abused by the human soldiers and becomes friendly with the orcs. Presumably she'll become some sort of leader to them in the future (this is the first volume of a trilogy) and kill all the humans or something.
Why did I hate this book? All the human men in it are scum. Without exception. Apparently the only value women have in this world is as whores for the men (unpaid, of course) and if a woman doesn't pick a man she'll simply be raped and passed around. The consequences are of course irrelevant - . Probably this is to make Dar's liking for the orcs more understandable, but it was still unpleasant reading.
The war was also a dismal waste of time - this story is from Dar's point of view, so we have of lots of marching through shitty, half-destroyed villages but no fighting that I could see. And taking everything from his own people's villages, leaving them basically to starve in winter - that's a king asking for a peasant revolt in my opinion.
If that was 'tl;dr' then here's my opinion summed up: a dreary slog through a crapsack world - avoid.
September 21, 2009
Dar is a poor country girl conscripted into the army. The soldiers are vicious scum who seize women, whom they brand, rape, and use as slave labor in their camps. The miserable lives of the women, fighting for scraps of food, are generally short and end in violent deaths as they are flogged, decapitated for bounties, perish of malnutrition or childbirth, or are simply killed. Also, the women must serve the Orcs, as well. Orcs are generally indifferent to humans but may strike crippling blows at individuals who fail to bathe or offend them in some other way.
Doesn't sound entertaining? It wasn't. Not a fun read. I found most interesting the parts where Dar tries to learn about the Orcs' language and culture. I appreciate that Howell wanted to depict how even under horrible conditions it is possible to try to maintain some degree of agency and personhood, but I could have done without scene after scene of physical and psychological abuse. Not a book for the sensitive soul.
Lastly, this does not function as a stand alone. What I guess to be the major plot arc does not begin until near the end, so the first 250 pages are basically to set up the character and situation.
Doesn't sound entertaining? It wasn't. Not a fun read. I found most interesting the parts where Dar tries to learn about the Orcs' language and culture. I appreciate that Howell wanted to depict how even under horrible conditions it is possible to try to maintain some degree of agency and personhood, but I could have done without scene after scene of physical and psychological abuse. Not a book for the sensitive soul.
Lastly, this does not function as a stand alone. What I guess to be the major plot arc does not begin until near the end, so the first 250 pages are basically to set up the character and situation.
September 19, 2009
This book was written by a man, the first for my "vaginal-fantasy" shelf, cool?
I like this book, I didn't love it, but I really liked it. I think boys and girls could enjoy it equally. I was just sometimes not loving the main character as much as I would like, and some of the motivations got blurried and were confusing. I read this after Firethorn (a similar book in fact with emotionally abused, war-marched women) so if you liked that book you may like this one. I just found the world a bit odd. Nothing I can say specifically negative.
I like this book, I didn't love it, but I really liked it. I think boys and girls could enjoy it equally. I was just sometimes not loving the main character as much as I would like, and some of the motivations got blurried and were confusing. I read this after Firethorn (a similar book in fact with emotionally abused, war-marched women) so if you liked that book you may like this one. I just found the world a bit odd. Nothing I can say specifically negative.
July 26, 2019
I picked up this series on some credit at the second-hand bookstore. I was intrigued by the premise, in that it sounded like this was a book that was going to challenge the tired old "orcs are bad guys you can kill with impunity" fantasy trope. Since I am writing a story with a similar premise, I thought I should have a look at what other people had done with that idea recently. When you submit a manuscript to a publisher, they want to know about similar works out there so they have an idea where and how to market your idea. So call it "market research."
I didn't know how I would feel about it. "Slave girl learns about orcs to survive and finds they're not really monsters after all" could be seven types of bad (visions of a more brutalized Gor were making me cringe.) But, it was store credit, so what the hell. I figured if it was lousy I could always bring it back and get more credit.
I needed something new to read for the bathtub, and since I was back to work on that same story (novel series) I mentioned, I thought maybe reading it would inspire me to break through my block. I checked its ratings on Goodreads, and discovered that it had encountered a mixed reception: everything from one to five stars. Weird, I thought. But then I saw that my friend Cat Rambo had rated it at four stars, and I thought, Cat doesn't say something is good if it isn't. So that decided me. I would give it a shot.
It was not seven types of bad. It was excellent. The key as to whether you like it or not seems to be, How much can you handle it when the protagonist suffers?
Dar is a desperately poor highland girl who is conscripted into the King's army. Her family offers her up like a sacrifice. She is branded so she can't escape and no one would give her refuge if she did. The reason she has been conscripted is that the King employs orcs in his army, and they refuse to be served food unless it's from a woman's hands.
Of course, the soldiers use the women for a variety of other things too: scullery maids, servants, kitchen wenches, grooms, and unwilling bedwarmers. If a girl doesn't find a soldier to protect her in return for sexual favours, then she's at the mercy of the entire band. Life for these women is brutish and short: they get the last of the rations, are expected to do all the work in camp for the regiment, cook all the food, and screw all night if desired. If they become pregnant, the babies are taken away. One is drowned, though the soldier who took it promised to find it a peasant home to raise it in.
Dar was abused by her father until she stabbed him with a knife, so she has no intention of providing her favours for anyone. But there's no refuge for her except with the orcs.
The humans hate and fear the orcs. They call them "piss-eyes" (a rather unique epithet, I thought) and Dar does too, at first. The first things she hears about the orcs is that they eat the conscripted women. One girl who is seized with Dar believes this so strongly she hangs herself on route. Dar is made to carry her head to the camp, because she didn't stop her. This is within about the first twenty pages, so you have some idea of what you're in for. Kindly, however, all the sexual violence, while mentioned, takes place off-screen, so there's less trigger warnings than you might expect. Still definitely a book for mature readers, though.
One of the orcs speaks to her gently at the food-serving ceremony and tells her in broken English (or whatever the common human language is, which we read translated as English) that she is saying it wrong. He corrects her pronunciation and she works to get it right. Because he is the only person in the whole regiment who treats her with any gentleness or dignity at all, including the other women, who conspire to earn the favours of more powerful and high-ranking soldiers, she reaches out to him. She realizes that the men fear the orcs, and uses their fear to protect herself by hiding among them when she can.
Slowly, she breaks down the language and cultural barrier - and this is really well done. Really, really well done. Top marks for worldbuilding. We even get an orcish glossary at the end. It sounds vaguely Slavic or Polish.
Dar forms a friendship with this orc, who agrees to protect her. She learns that the orcs serve in the army because their queen has a debt to the human king for healing her sickness; though it quickly becomes clear that something isn't right there.
Dar also learns in orcish culture, food belongs to women, and only they may dispense it as a gift from their goddess. She pushes this issue when the orcs begin to resist her presence in their camp. She tells them that if they do not consider her a real woman - a mother, in their language - then the food from her hands is no good and they'll have to get it themselves. But if she is a mother, she's entitled to their protection and they should listen to her.
Kovok-mah, her orc friend, agrees, and so he announces to the soldiers that Dar is under his protection the next time she attacked in the only way he knows how: "This is my woe man!" Then everyone thinks they are lovers - something a rival among the women for the attentions of one of the commanders, whom Dar is only trying to avoid - is happy to spread. Dar becomes a complete pariah. Her only hope lies with the orcs, and they don't want her there either.
I'll stop there, because the rest would be a complete spoiler. But I'll let you know that I was riveted. I could hardly put the book down.
Why not give it five stars then? It's got a couple of glaring flaws that are difficult to ignore. Understand that I think it's worth putting up with them, but they are occasionally intrusive and jarring.
One is that there's an unsettling "noble savage" element to the orcs in how their language, culture and behaviour is portrayed. It's not overwhelming, but it is a bit like a sour aftertaste.
Another is the "not like other women" syndrome. People repeatedly, for good or ill, say that Dar is "different from other women." The rest of the branded women are dismissed repeatedly as whores, even when they don't have a choice in the matter, and she's the only one who seems to have any courage. I am tired of this old misogynist trope. Now, to be fair, there's a bit of the "different from other men" thing going on too, as most of the men in the story are indiscriminate rapists and killers, but it's not as much. Or maybe I just dislike the fact that there seem to be exactly three or four decent people (human, orc or otherwise) in the whole story and everyone else is irredeemably awful. I understand the circumstances are unusual, but "grim-for-grim's-sake" gets wearisome after a while.
A third is that the author clearly has no understanding of the mechanics of war. I wish that more writers would spend more time researching this in epic fantasy! The king's army doesn't make sense and wouldn't function. They would fall apart at the first sign of real battle with their slovenly ways and terrible discipline. All they seem to do is march. They never drill, not even when they are stopped from marching by weather. And if any army had to survive on the rations described as long as they did, they would simply fall over from exhaustion and stop marching entirely. I realize that medieval armies put up with a lot more deprivation than modern armies do, but there's a limit. I grant that this is an unwilling camp follower's view of war, mostly told from the third person personal, so maybe Dar doesn't understand, but I can't figure it out either.
That said, the story does what a story is supposed to do: it grabs a hold of you by the collar, makes you want to keep turning those pages, and makes you want to read the sequel when it's done. So I think I will! I'm invested in Dar and Kovok-mah and I want to know how things turn out for them.
If you're a fan of traditional sword-and-sorcery fantasy, as I am, this is a delightfully refreshing read in that war is horrible, death is permanent, and the orcs are not just bad guys because the humans say so. Well worth it!
I didn't know how I would feel about it. "Slave girl learns about orcs to survive and finds they're not really monsters after all" could be seven types of bad (visions of a more brutalized Gor were making me cringe.) But, it was store credit, so what the hell. I figured if it was lousy I could always bring it back and get more credit.
I needed something new to read for the bathtub, and since I was back to work on that same story (novel series) I mentioned, I thought maybe reading it would inspire me to break through my block. I checked its ratings on Goodreads, and discovered that it had encountered a mixed reception: everything from one to five stars. Weird, I thought. But then I saw that my friend Cat Rambo had rated it at four stars, and I thought, Cat doesn't say something is good if it isn't. So that decided me. I would give it a shot.
It was not seven types of bad. It was excellent. The key as to whether you like it or not seems to be, How much can you handle it when the protagonist suffers?
Dar is a desperately poor highland girl who is conscripted into the King's army. Her family offers her up like a sacrifice. She is branded so she can't escape and no one would give her refuge if she did. The reason she has been conscripted is that the King employs orcs in his army, and they refuse to be served food unless it's from a woman's hands.
Of course, the soldiers use the women for a variety of other things too: scullery maids, servants, kitchen wenches, grooms, and unwilling bedwarmers. If a girl doesn't find a soldier to protect her in return for sexual favours, then she's at the mercy of the entire band. Life for these women is brutish and short: they get the last of the rations, are expected to do all the work in camp for the regiment, cook all the food, and screw all night if desired. If they become pregnant, the babies are taken away. One is drowned, though the soldier who took it promised to find it a peasant home to raise it in.
Dar was abused by her father until she stabbed him with a knife, so she has no intention of providing her favours for anyone. But there's no refuge for her except with the orcs.
The humans hate and fear the orcs. They call them "piss-eyes" (a rather unique epithet, I thought) and Dar does too, at first. The first things she hears about the orcs is that they eat the conscripted women. One girl who is seized with Dar believes this so strongly she hangs herself on route. Dar is made to carry her head to the camp, because she didn't stop her. This is within about the first twenty pages, so you have some idea of what you're in for. Kindly, however, all the sexual violence, while mentioned, takes place off-screen, so there's less trigger warnings than you might expect. Still definitely a book for mature readers, though.
One of the orcs speaks to her gently at the food-serving ceremony and tells her in broken English (or whatever the common human language is, which we read translated as English) that she is saying it wrong. He corrects her pronunciation and she works to get it right. Because he is the only person in the whole regiment who treats her with any gentleness or dignity at all, including the other women, who conspire to earn the favours of more powerful and high-ranking soldiers, she reaches out to him. She realizes that the men fear the orcs, and uses their fear to protect herself by hiding among them when she can.
Slowly, she breaks down the language and cultural barrier - and this is really well done. Really, really well done. Top marks for worldbuilding. We even get an orcish glossary at the end. It sounds vaguely Slavic or Polish.
Dar forms a friendship with this orc, who agrees to protect her. She learns that the orcs serve in the army because their queen has a debt to the human king for healing her sickness; though it quickly becomes clear that something isn't right there.
Dar also learns in orcish culture, food belongs to women, and only they may dispense it as a gift from their goddess. She pushes this issue when the orcs begin to resist her presence in their camp. She tells them that if they do not consider her a real woman - a mother, in their language - then the food from her hands is no good and they'll have to get it themselves. But if she is a mother, she's entitled to their protection and they should listen to her.
Kovok-mah, her orc friend, agrees, and so he announces to the soldiers that Dar is under his protection the next time she attacked in the only way he knows how: "This is my woe man!" Then everyone thinks they are lovers - something a rival among the women for the attentions of one of the commanders, whom Dar is only trying to avoid - is happy to spread. Dar becomes a complete pariah. Her only hope lies with the orcs, and they don't want her there either.
I'll stop there, because the rest would be a complete spoiler. But I'll let you know that I was riveted. I could hardly put the book down.
Why not give it five stars then? It's got a couple of glaring flaws that are difficult to ignore. Understand that I think it's worth putting up with them, but they are occasionally intrusive and jarring.
One is that there's an unsettling "noble savage" element to the orcs in how their language, culture and behaviour is portrayed. It's not overwhelming, but it is a bit like a sour aftertaste.
Another is the "not like other women" syndrome. People repeatedly, for good or ill, say that Dar is "different from other women." The rest of the branded women are dismissed repeatedly as whores, even when they don't have a choice in the matter, and she's the only one who seems to have any courage. I am tired of this old misogynist trope. Now, to be fair, there's a bit of the "different from other men" thing going on too, as most of the men in the story are indiscriminate rapists and killers, but it's not as much. Or maybe I just dislike the fact that there seem to be exactly three or four decent people (human, orc or otherwise) in the whole story and everyone else is irredeemably awful. I understand the circumstances are unusual, but "grim-for-grim's-sake" gets wearisome after a while.
A third is that the author clearly has no understanding of the mechanics of war. I wish that more writers would spend more time researching this in epic fantasy! The king's army doesn't make sense and wouldn't function. They would fall apart at the first sign of real battle with their slovenly ways and terrible discipline. All they seem to do is march. They never drill, not even when they are stopped from marching by weather. And if any army had to survive on the rations described as long as they did, they would simply fall over from exhaustion and stop marching entirely. I realize that medieval armies put up with a lot more deprivation than modern armies do, but there's a limit. I grant that this is an unwilling camp follower's view of war, mostly told from the third person personal, so maybe Dar doesn't understand, but I can't figure it out either.
That said, the story does what a story is supposed to do: it grabs a hold of you by the collar, makes you want to keep turning those pages, and makes you want to read the sequel when it's done. So I think I will! I'm invested in Dar and Kovok-mah and I want to know how things turn out for them.
If you're a fan of traditional sword-and-sorcery fantasy, as I am, this is a delightfully refreshing read in that war is horrible, death is permanent, and the orcs are not just bad guys because the humans say so. Well worth it!
April 14, 2008
King's Property is the story of Dar, a woman whose family hands her over to the army of King Kregant to serve the human and orc soldiers. Being a rather spirited woman, Dar makes several powerful enemies among the humans. Instead of allowing herself to be used, she turns to the orcs for protection, a choice which further alienates her from her fellow humans. It's a dark and violent book, often depressing, but Dar's struggle to survive makes for a good story, as does her gradual immersion into orcish culture and beliefs.
Props to Howell for taking an unflinching look at the role of women during wartime. It's not a pretty picture. The work is backbreaking and unforgiving, and the women have to choose between crawling into bed with a "protector" or risking gang rape every time the army makes camp. It's a refreshing change from the way women are typically ignored or glossed over in this sort of book. Howell focuses on Dar and the women, narrating the war from their perspective. We still see the battles and the bloodshed, but it's a very different perspective. Less honor and glory, and more of the day-to-day fear and desperation.
As a result, this was definitely not a light read. The human men started to feel a little cardboard in their nastiness, and there's at least one point where things got dark enough I almost tossed the book aside. I'm glad I didn't.
The book is obviously part 1 of a trilogy, not so much ending as stopping. We see hints of dark powers and foreboding omens, fight a big battle, and leave Dar and the orcs in a very tight spot.
It's a gripping story about issues which have been unforgivably neglected in the genre. And I'm all about books that develop the typical monstrous races. The orcs were interesting, if a little too romantically idealized. (They reminded me a bit of the noble savage stereotype.) Overall, I'm glad I read it, and I'll almost certainly pick up the next ... but I'll keep a lighter book on the bedside table, just in case I need a break.
Props to Howell for taking an unflinching look at the role of women during wartime. It's not a pretty picture. The work is backbreaking and unforgiving, and the women have to choose between crawling into bed with a "protector" or risking gang rape every time the army makes camp. It's a refreshing change from the way women are typically ignored or glossed over in this sort of book. Howell focuses on Dar and the women, narrating the war from their perspective. We still see the battles and the bloodshed, but it's a very different perspective. Less honor and glory, and more of the day-to-day fear and desperation.
As a result, this was definitely not a light read. The human men started to feel a little cardboard in their nastiness, and there's at least one point where things got dark enough I almost tossed the book aside. I'm glad I didn't.
The book is obviously part 1 of a trilogy, not so much ending as stopping. We see hints of dark powers and foreboding omens, fight a big battle, and leave Dar and the orcs in a very tight spot.
It's a gripping story about issues which have been unforgivably neglected in the genre. And I'm all about books that develop the typical monstrous races. The orcs were interesting, if a little too romantically idealized. (They reminded me a bit of the noble savage stereotype.) Overall, I'm glad I read it, and I'll almost certainly pick up the next ... but I'll keep a lighter book on the bedside table, just in case I need a break.
March 17, 2016
This is a fantasy book that I downloaded for free almost seven years ago, and I’m sorry I didn’t get around to trying it sooner. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anybody talk about it, and it doesn’t seem to be very highly rated, but I actually really liked it. It’s not a book I’d recommend without reservation though; it’s pretty bleak.
The story focuses on a young woman named Dar whose family treats her terribly, culminating in the event at the beginning of the book where her family gives her away to the King’s army to serve as a slave to a regiment of Orcs. The story focuses on Dar’s adjustment to her new role, the threats she faces on a day-to-day basis, and her discoveries about Orc culture.
The men in Dar’s world don’t value women, and there’s a lot of brutality. Most things aren’t described in an explicit manner, but that doesn’t make the events any less disturbing. The story is told primarily from the perspective of Dar, but every now and then we would randomly jump into somebody else’s perspective for a few paragraphs. I really liked Dar, as well as some of the other main characters in the story, but I did think the villains were rather one-dimensional.
The story was told simply, and this book served as a great distraction that didn’t require excessive brain power while I was recovering from a cold. This is the first book in a trilogy, and there’s clearly more story to be told, but it didn’t end with any sort of a major cliff hanger. I plan to continue on with the next book right away.
The story focuses on a young woman named Dar whose family treats her terribly, culminating in the event at the beginning of the book where her family gives her away to the King’s army to serve as a slave to a regiment of Orcs. The story focuses on Dar’s adjustment to her new role, the threats she faces on a day-to-day basis, and her discoveries about Orc culture.
The men in Dar’s world don’t value women, and there’s a lot of brutality. Most things aren’t described in an explicit manner, but that doesn’t make the events any less disturbing. The story is told primarily from the perspective of Dar, but every now and then we would randomly jump into somebody else’s perspective for a few paragraphs. I really liked Dar, as well as some of the other main characters in the story, but I did think the villains were rather one-dimensional.
The story was told simply, and this book served as a great distraction that didn’t require excessive brain power while I was recovering from a cold. This is the first book in a trilogy, and there’s clearly more story to be told, but it didn’t end with any sort of a major cliff hanger. I plan to continue on with the next book right away.
January 23, 2009
The title and premise caught my eye, and while the summary on the back makes it sound 'meh' it was much better then I expected.
It's cliché, but enjoyably cliché. I found Dar charming, if not terribly relatable, and the prose reads smooth and the plot moves forward at a wonderful pace even though the writing isn't the most polished. I love the twist on Orcs, and their culture is the strongest aspect of the book. The weakest part, for me, was the first chapter when the story starts rather abruptly and we're flung straight into the world. But after that things even out.
I'm looking forward to picking up the next two in the series on my next trip to the bookstore. :D
It's cliché, but enjoyably cliché. I found Dar charming, if not terribly relatable, and the prose reads smooth and the plot moves forward at a wonderful pace even though the writing isn't the most polished. I love the twist on Orcs, and their culture is the strongest aspect of the book. The weakest part, for me, was the first chapter when the story starts rather abruptly and we're flung straight into the world. But after that things even out.
I'm looking forward to picking up the next two in the series on my next trip to the bookstore. :D
November 15, 2022
Liest sich flüssig weg, doch die Geschichte angelt sehr um sexualisierte Gewalt.
September 27, 2012
Although the concept of slave girl turn heroin seem to be quite cliche or even mundane, I personally never get tired of it. Something about a tale of growth in strength and wisdom to defeat ultimate evil that makes reading fantasy a real joy. In this first book of The Queen of Orcs Triology, the author sets a steady pace in the turn of events as a deeper more holistic plot unfolds itself. Dar as a heroine was quite compelling to read, I guess maybe that's because I find girls who have a tough character very admirable. I also want to applaud Morgan Howell for making Dar as close to a 'real' person as any fictional character can be. I like how she responded to fear, anger and other events. The underlying pro-feminist message behind the story was also to my taste and I like how she made stark contrasts between the patriarchal human societies and the strangely matriarchal orchish society.
I find myself really enjoying this world that Morgan Howell had created. Despite complaints from other reviewers I don't think the lack of dimensions or 'a unilateral world' of the humans in this book was an accident. I seldom read stories where we are invited to view humans from another species' perspective in such detail. That part, I think made this book deserve a 4 stars.
Though, I would have preferred if there were more races/species of fantasy beings other than orcs. I also didn't really understand her physical description of how the orcs actually look like. High-ridged nose and sharp chins? Not exactly the 'orc' stereotypical look I had seen before. Furthermore, the humans even called the orcs; goblins. I always thought goblins and orcs look very different.. Still confused but I guess that's the best part about books! In my mind ,I get to decide how they'll look like.
Other reasons to like this book include a the high intensity of the story and the unpredictability (at least for me) that made this book such an excitement. I picked it up because it was tagged 'forbidden love' and true to its name, King's Property tells of a Dar that has reaaaaallly gotten herself into a pinch by falling in love with an orc. Which one? You'll have to read it to find out.
I find myself really enjoying this world that Morgan Howell had created. Despite complaints from other reviewers I don't think the lack of dimensions or 'a unilateral world' of the humans in this book was an accident. I seldom read stories where we are invited to view humans from another species' perspective in such detail. That part, I think made this book deserve a 4 stars.
Though, I would have preferred if there were more races/species of fantasy beings other than orcs. I also didn't really understand her physical description of how the orcs actually look like. High-ridged nose and sharp chins? Not exactly the 'orc' stereotypical look I had seen before. Furthermore, the humans even called the orcs; goblins. I always thought goblins and orcs look very different.. Still confused but I guess that's the best part about books! In my mind ,I get to decide how they'll look like.
Other reasons to like this book include a the high intensity of the story and the unpredictability (at least for me) that made this book such an excitement. I picked it up because it was tagged 'forbidden love' and true to its name, King's Property tells of a Dar that has reaaaaallly gotten herself into a pinch by falling in love with an orc. Which one? You'll have to read it to find out.
March 25, 2008
Dar is a young peasant woman who is drafted into service as a cook and servant for the army of King Kregent. She is told that she must serve the Orc Regiment, since for unknown reasons, orcs refuse to be served by men, and only accept food from the hands of women. Dar is terrified by the orcs at first (naturally), but she has spirit and refuses to let it be broken by orcs or men. She decides to risk her very life in an attempt to forge a kind of alliance with the orcs, and learns all that she can from them, including their language. Eventually her calculated risk pays off, and Dar is accepted by the orc leader, although the rest of them think he is a little crazy for spending so much time with her.
This series was a bit "iffy". It had potential to be a great book, but for me it just didn't click. It has some important, although not very original, points to make, chiefly tolerance of different races and cultures. Howell chose a pretty orginal way to get that point across, however. In this world, orcs are reviled by humankind as vicious, maneating, dull-witted brutes who are good only for service in the army. In actuality, orcs have a highly structured and peaceful society, arguably more peaceful than that of humans, since the very concept of dishonesty is totally foreign to them. But in order to be left in peace by humans, they have made an alliance with a human king and agree to send soldiers to fight for him in his attempt to expand his kingdom into an empire.
I didn't hate it; I didn't love it. I finished it with a feeling that it hadn't lived up to it's potential.
This series was a bit "iffy". It had potential to be a great book, but for me it just didn't click. It has some important, although not very original, points to make, chiefly tolerance of different races and cultures. Howell chose a pretty orginal way to get that point across, however. In this world, orcs are reviled by humankind as vicious, maneating, dull-witted brutes who are good only for service in the army. In actuality, orcs have a highly structured and peaceful society, arguably more peaceful than that of humans, since the very concept of dishonesty is totally foreign to them. But in order to be left in peace by humans, they have made an alliance with a human king and agree to send soldiers to fight for him in his attempt to expand his kingdom into an empire.
I didn't hate it; I didn't love it. I finished it with a feeling that it hadn't lived up to it's potential.
October 28, 2014
I liked reading this, the writing was good and I don't remember any glaringly painful grammatical errors, but the story itself paints a pretty unrelentingly bleak picture and means that it missed getting 4 stars from me. I'm pretty sure that's exactly what the author set out to portray, but constant misery and fear just grinds my enthusiasm to dust. I tend to get invested in characters I read about and who wants to know about horrific things happening to "people" they know?
As it was I rather liked Dar, Kovok-mah and Twae, but wanted to give pretty much everyone else a quick kick to the genitalia for being stereotypical "bigoted peasants". All the women have been branded as slaves and live under the constant threat of rape, brutality and death, but from the beginning they pretty much hate Dar because she wont take the "generosity" of the soldiers and instead falls in to a strange sort of safety with the orcs. All the "soldiers" (these are the dregs of the army so actual bandits and thieves have more honour and discipline) hate and fear the orcs, mostly because they're bigoted peasants.
The world and the story itself has a lot of potential though. I'm not sure I can really recommend this to anyone other than those who enjoy reading about horribly misogynistic medieval-fantasy societies and the women it grinds under its heels of woe.
As it was I rather liked Dar, Kovok-mah and Twae, but wanted to give pretty much everyone else a quick kick to the genitalia for being stereotypical "bigoted peasants". All the women have been branded as slaves and live under the constant threat of rape, brutality and death, but from the beginning they pretty much hate Dar because she wont take the "generosity" of the soldiers and instead falls in to a strange sort of safety with the orcs. All the "soldiers" (these are the dregs of the army so actual bandits and thieves have more honour and discipline) hate and fear the orcs, mostly because they're bigoted peasants.
The world and the story itself has a lot of potential though. I'm not sure I can really recommend this to anyone other than those who enjoy reading about horribly misogynistic medieval-fantasy societies and the women it grinds under its heels of woe.
January 23, 2010
The Queen of Orcs series has been floating around the fantasy scene for a while. I had plans to read the series for quite a while, then I read Howell's Servant Worth Ten Coppers. The book was wonderful, so I went out and bought all of her books that I could.
After reading King's Property I can finally justify my purchases and breath easy. The plot is a standard fantasy plot, but the writing is refreshing. Speaking of refreshing, the take on Orcs in this book is too cool. These are not the Orcs we're familiar with from Tolkien's work. They have a society and the females have the position of lords of the land, they make all of the decisions.
The lead female is a very strong character. The way Howell wrote her was wonderful. I felt complete frustration and anger with the character as she had to choose the lesser of two evils each time constantly to survive.
Conclusion:
This is a must have for any fantasy collection and I look forward to reading the other two books. Howell is obviously a fantasy queen.
Sexual Content:
This is a dark book and goes over the rough treatment of women and there lowly state in the scheme of things. No graphic sex scenes
After reading King's Property I can finally justify my purchases and breath easy. The plot is a standard fantasy plot, but the writing is refreshing. Speaking of refreshing, the take on Orcs in this book is too cool. These are not the Orcs we're familiar with from Tolkien's work. They have a society and the females have the position of lords of the land, they make all of the decisions.
The lead female is a very strong character. The way Howell wrote her was wonderful. I felt complete frustration and anger with the character as she had to choose the lesser of two evils each time constantly to survive.
Conclusion:
This is a must have for any fantasy collection and I look forward to reading the other two books. Howell is obviously a fantasy queen.
Sexual Content:
This is a dark book and goes over the rough treatment of women and there lowly state in the scheme of things. No graphic sex scenes
Want to read
June 13, 2012I'm only on page thirty-seven of this one and already my jaw is clenched with RAGE.
The brutality against women from nearly the first page raised my eyebrows, and as I read further the incredulity turned to red-eyed rage. At this point (page 37, mind you) I would love to cheerfully take and an axe and help the "heroine" have-at everyone in range, male, female and orc.
I don't wear rose colored glasses about real life. I don't mind grim, brutal, or even horrific events in my reading, but IN MY READING I would like a little build up before the unrelenting awfulness begins.
This book manages to shove nearly every misogynistic thing you could think of IN THE FIRST 37 PAGES. My suspicions roused, I scamper off to take a gander at the author's other work and sure enough, his second series is about a woman "suddenly enslaved." I'm sure she's going to be brutalized and horribly betrayed, etc. Thanks, but no thanks, Mr. Howell.
The author blurb says he also writes children's books under another name. I can see why.
The brutality against women from nearly the first page raised my eyebrows, and as I read further the incredulity turned to red-eyed rage. At this point (page 37, mind you) I would love to cheerfully take and an axe and help the "heroine" have-at everyone in range, male, female and orc.
I don't wear rose colored glasses about real life. I don't mind grim, brutal, or even horrific events in my reading, but IN MY READING I would like a little build up before the unrelenting awfulness begins.
This book manages to shove nearly every misogynistic thing you could think of IN THE FIRST 37 PAGES. My suspicions roused, I scamper off to take a gander at the author's other work and sure enough, his second series is about a woman "suddenly enslaved." I'm sure she's going to be brutalized and horribly betrayed, etc. Thanks, but no thanks, Mr. Howell.
The author blurb says he also writes children's books under another name. I can see why.
January 1, 2010
This book is the first of a trilogy that I most definitely will continue reading until it's finished! The book was very captivating, entertaining, and action packed as a slave-girl tries to survive in a war camp with cruel soldiers and other-worldly creatures called the Orcs.
Dar was enslaved by the king of the realm's army, and forced to serve both the human and Orc soldiers alike. This story shows how Dar changed from a trusting, naive slave to a guarded yet tolerant and fierce fighter in her battle for survival and understanding of the Orc culture.
Warning: It is dark sci-fi with some unsavory inuendos and abuse spread throughout the story, so if you are not for darker writing you might not want to read this tale.
Dar was enslaved by the king of the realm's army, and forced to serve both the human and Orc soldiers alike. This story shows how Dar changed from a trusting, naive slave to a guarded yet tolerant and fierce fighter in her battle for survival and understanding of the Orc culture.
Warning: It is dark sci-fi with some unsavory inuendos and abuse spread throughout the story, so if you are not for darker writing you might not want to read this tale.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 4, 2022
I still remember reading this book, even after 13 years, and I remember that I really liked it back then. Though I never came around to reading the other books in the series. Which I will do now.
It took me some time to get into book one. Interesting how one's reading taste changes over the years (13 years since I first read it). Also interesting that I always thought that Morgan was a woman - and now just found out that a man wrote this series.
I still love the idea of book one - but what really annoys me is the lack of emotion. Or better: the way emotions are just told and not shown. That is such a shame.
Anyhow, I'm still giving this book four stars and will start reading the second book sometime this month.
It took me some time to get into book one. Interesting how one's reading taste changes over the years (13 years since I first read it). Also interesting that I always thought that Morgan was a woman - and now just found out that a man wrote this series.
I still love the idea of book one - but what really annoys me is the lack of emotion. Or better: the way emotions are just told and not shown. That is such a shame.
Anyhow, I'm still giving this book four stars and will start reading the second book sometime this month.
July 5, 2012
This book kept me up way past my bedtime on a regular basis. I haven't immersed myself so completely in a story in a long time, nor have I so readily dove into a sequel. Morgan Howell makes beautiful use of language and culture in this story, and forces the reader to re-think many of their common conceptions about the genre.
It does have a slight "Lifetime Movie" feel ("Men are terrible and will hurt you"), but it's totally worth it, and the theme doesn't appear to continue throughout the series. I'll have to get back to you on that.
It's a bleak story full of violence and adult themes. I enjoyed reading about Dar's difficulties, but I'd only suggest this book to adults.
It does have a slight "Lifetime Movie" feel ("Men are terrible and will hurt you"), but it's totally worth it, and the theme doesn't appear to continue throughout the series. I'll have to get back to you on that.
It's a bleak story full of violence and adult themes. I enjoyed reading about Dar's difficulties, but I'd only suggest this book to adults.
August 25, 2010
Wonderful world building. A very different fantasy world. This one is not based in any way on the Tolkien mythos. It's raw and gritty and realistic. Realistic that is in any world that includes orcs. ;-) At first you can't imagine how any orc could be a sympathetic character but Morgan Howell totally pulls it off. A wonderful series. I loved all three books.
April 8, 2015
I had a very hard time putting down this book. 5 star story from beginning to end, I loved it!
January 9, 2021
Great series start.
Morgan Howell has created a cynical and hard world in which to set her story. This is not a YA or romance novel, but a survival story. The author doesn't shy away from showing the horrific consequences of war and the indifference of the general population to the politics behind it. This is not a character-driven novel & characterization is not its strength; the plot drives the book & it's sketched out in bold strokes. This is not a chatty novel or one filled with humor -- this is about survival & culture clash. Read this book if you are interested in cultural differences. The best part about it is watching the heroine learn about a new society & adapting the rules of that society to protect herself. The development of the orcs as a different species is deftly done & they are just different enough to make it interesting without being too farfetched to imagine the heroine connecting with them. I liked that the author didn't paint all human men in the book as misogynists & created an orc society with blind spots. The themes addressed and style of the book remind me of some of Marion Zimmer Bradley's early Darkover novels. I usually read character-driven novels, so this was a nice change of pace.
Morgan Howell has created a cynical and hard world in which to set her story. This is not a YA or romance novel, but a survival story. The author doesn't shy away from showing the horrific consequences of war and the indifference of the general population to the politics behind it. This is not a character-driven novel & characterization is not its strength; the plot drives the book & it's sketched out in bold strokes. This is not a chatty novel or one filled with humor -- this is about survival & culture clash. Read this book if you are interested in cultural differences. The best part about it is watching the heroine learn about a new society & adapting the rules of that society to protect herself. The development of the orcs as a different species is deftly done & they are just different enough to make it interesting without being too farfetched to imagine the heroine connecting with them. I liked that the author didn't paint all human men in the book as misogynists & created an orc society with blind spots. The themes addressed and style of the book remind me of some of Marion Zimmer Bradley's early Darkover novels. I usually read character-driven novels, so this was a nice change of pace.
January 25, 2019
This review has spoilers that include the next couple of books!
This book was a bit slow and ended just as things starting developing (to be picked up in the next instalment), but overall made you want to keep reading.
I liked Dar and loved Kovok-mah, and after reading the synopsis for the next books was excited that they get together, but I kept reading reviews that the ending of the trilogy was a disappointment. So I searched through the reviews and found that Dar and Kovok-mah do not end up together, and indicated Dar ended up with Sevyrn (I think that’s the right spelling).
So I won’t be continuing with these books, but I’m excited to see what else is from this author.
I hope this helps for anyone who is like me and hates getting all the way to the end of the series and hating the ending!
This book was a bit slow and ended just as things starting developing (to be picked up in the next instalment), but overall made you want to keep reading.
I liked Dar and loved Kovok-mah, and after reading the synopsis for the next books was excited that they get together, but I kept reading reviews that the ending of the trilogy was a disappointment. So I searched through the reviews and found that Dar and Kovok-mah do not end up together, and indicated Dar ended up with Sevyrn (I think that’s the right spelling).
So I won’t be continuing with these books, but I’m excited to see what else is from this author.
I hope this helps for anyone who is like me and hates getting all the way to the end of the series and hating the ending!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 27, 2020
TW: implied rape; threats of rape
Though it took a while for the plot to get going, I enjoyed every moment of this book.
The author did a wonderful job with Dar's characterization. For example, practically all the men in this book are shit and are recognized as such (and I liked how that was actually acknowledged). As a result, Dar is wary of all the men she meets. When Sevren shows up, even though he is genuinely well-meaning, Dar still doesn't trust him and I appreciate that the author took the time to show that Dar had to learn to trust him after being ill-treated, threatened, and had several men assault/attempt to assault her.
Though I don't really have a lot to say, I loved Dar (and Kovok-mah), the plot was intriguing, and I just enjoyed everything about this book and can't wait to read the next one.
Though it took a while for the plot to get going, I enjoyed every moment of this book.
The author did a wonderful job with Dar's characterization. For example, practically all the men in this book are shit and are recognized as such (and I liked how that was actually acknowledged). As a result, Dar is wary of all the men she meets. When Sevren shows up, even though he is genuinely well-meaning, Dar still doesn't trust him and I appreciate that the author took the time to show that Dar had to learn to trust him after being ill-treated, threatened, and had several men assault/attempt to assault her.
Though I don't really have a lot to say, I loved Dar (and Kovok-mah), the plot was intriguing, and I just enjoyed everything about this book and can't wait to read the next one.
January 19, 2022
Read books 2 and 3 decades ago and finally picked up a copy of the first book. It's almost grimdark and, unlike some other reviewers, I have no problem with the Orcs "not being Tolkien-inspired". What they are is a far more developed species, with a belief system, differences in personality, etc, and presented as almost the good guys, at least when compared to the majority of those humans. (For really good Orc fiction, unrequiring of an external race as POV, read Jonathan French's 'Grey Bastards' and 'True Bastards'. (Only just realised the third in the series, 'The Free Bastards' is now available so ordered that.)) This book might not feel epic, but the character of Dar is a strong one.
March 7, 2019
The story focuses on Dar a poor peasant girl who lives in poverty and is abused by both her father and step-mother. She is sold to the king and branded as his property. She is taken to an army regiment to serve the men and eventually the Orcs that live there. This is a hero or in this case heroine trope. She suffers hardships and grows as a person. Her strength comes from within and she is formidable. This is the first book in a trilogy and I was so enthralled that I immediately started the second in the trilogy.
May 1, 2019
Rounding up from 2.5/5. These didn't stand out to me as an avid fantasy reader.
I was attracted to the concept, since you always see orcs as the bad guys, and Howell did a decent job of establishing orc culture. That was really the redeeming feature of these books for me.
That aside, I found myself losing interest in this series after the first two books.
I was attracted to the concept, since you always see orcs as the bad guys, and Howell did a decent job of establishing orc culture. That was really the redeeming feature of these books for me.
That aside, I found myself losing interest in this series after the first two books.
October 5, 2021
Took me a while to start reading this one. Something about it seemed interesting. Glad I read it. It’s interesting. Enjoyed the back and forth between orcish and human. Does have some dark content it alludes to. I’ll be continuing on with the series.
July 7, 2017
I liked the style, but the dialogue is so dramatic, that i wanted to cry. Sometimes I actually heard very bad actors saying the words very impassionately. Still, it wasn't bad.
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