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Orcs: First Blood #2
Le legioni del tuono
Nella terra di Maras-Dantia la guerra tra umani e razze antiche sembra non conoscere sosta e i figli del Lupo sono nell'occhio del ciclone. Soli, braccati, bollati dall'infamante accusa di diserzione, vagano per le regioni che gli umani chiamano Centrasia alla ricerca di risposte a interrogativi sempre più pressanti: cosa sono in realtà i manufatti chiamati stelle? Qual è il loro effettivo potere? Perché l'ambizione di possederli ossessiona Jennesta, la spietata regina dell'Orda, così come Kimball Hobrow, capo della fanatica setta degli Uni? E ancora: quale significato attribuire ai sogni di cui è preda il capitano degli orchi Strike? Sono forse profezie? La speranza di un mondo in cui la magia occupi il posto che le compete nell'ordine naturale, un mondo nel quale le razze antiche possano finalmente convivere in pace, libere dalla pestilenziale minaccia dell'uomo, potrà realizzarsi solo dopo aver superato nemici letali e situazioni ai limiti dell'impossibile, in un crescendo di eventi che scateneranno forze oscure, terrificanti incantesimi e arcane potenze da troppo tempo sopite. Prima, però, gli orchi dovranno confrontarsi con le proprie ataviche paure, per porre fine a un'esistenza da mercenari e tornare a essere ciò che sempre sono stati: un popolo fiero, un popolo di guerrieri.
286 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
9 people are currently reading
311 people want to read
About the author
Stan Nicholls
67 books191 followersStan Nicholls (born 1949) is a British author and journalist, working full-time since 1981. He is the author of many novels and short stories but is best known for the internationally acclaimed Orcs: First Blood series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
August 28, 2017
This book follows Stryke and crew in their search for the second of the instrumentalities, in their bid to return power to the lands and unseat Jennesta, the Sorceress Queen. This book finds the Orcs on the wrong side of crazed human cultists who believe Orc skin and blood are magic. They also entreat with Centaurs and fight pitched battles all through this book. It's a great read and the ending is really unbelievable, so it really got me reacquainted with these books so I can blast into the third. This is a really fn experience and I can't wait to jump into book three, which I shall do so now!
Danny
Danny
November 12, 2019
Più divertente del primo volume ma ci si sta dirigendo verso un omogeneo abbozzamento di qualsiasi cosa. Tutto sta diventando, poco a poco, superficiale. La missione, i personaggi, i misteri.
Mi diverte tantissimo e allo stesso tempo mi esaspera.
Inoltre: era davvero necessario inserire tipo quindici razze diverse? Insommina.
Mi diverte tantissimo e allo stesso tempo mi esaspera.
Inoltre: era davvero necessario inserire tipo quindici razze diverse? Insommina.
December 10, 2022
3.5 stars
Very fast paced. Overall an enjoyable read. I think it's an improvement over the first book and by the end I didn't want the book to end yet. I need to stew but I'll update this review in a day or two.
Very fast paced. Overall an enjoyable read. I think it's an improvement over the first book and by the end I didn't want the book to end yet. I need to stew but I'll update this review in a day or two.
January 12, 2020
Wat een teleurstelling was dit boek!
Het eerste deel in de reeks was een 'ok' boek: het had een veelbelovend uitgangspunt (verhaal vanuit het gezichtspunt van de orcs verteld) maar ik bleef qua uitwerking wat op mijn honger zitten. Wat vooral aandacht trok, waren de vele, vele, vele (zeer goed geschreven) gevecht scenes. Er zijn er gewoon zoveel dat het verhaal zelf erin verdrinkt.
Ik had gehoopt dat dit vervolg een nieuwe wending zou geven aan het verhaal waardoor het wat boeiender zou worden.
Maar helaas: een nog steeds slechts vaag uitgewerkt, onduidelijke plot begeleidt je van gevecht naar gevecht. Een goede motivatie voor de vele gevechten of voor de zoektocht die de orcs ondernemen ontbreekt. Dit lijkt me een reeks voor wie van sappige vechtscenes houdt zonder daarbij veel verhaal te verwachten.
Ik heb me door het boek geworsteld en deel 3 -dat al klaar lag in de kast- gaat ongelezen naar de bibliotheek terug.
Het eerste deel in de reeks was een 'ok' boek: het had een veelbelovend uitgangspunt (verhaal vanuit het gezichtspunt van de orcs verteld) maar ik bleef qua uitwerking wat op mijn honger zitten. Wat vooral aandacht trok, waren de vele, vele, vele (zeer goed geschreven) gevecht scenes. Er zijn er gewoon zoveel dat het verhaal zelf erin verdrinkt.
Ik had gehoopt dat dit vervolg een nieuwe wending zou geven aan het verhaal waardoor het wat boeiender zou worden.
Maar helaas: een nog steeds slechts vaag uitgewerkt, onduidelijke plot begeleidt je van gevecht naar gevecht. Een goede motivatie voor de vele gevechten of voor de zoektocht die de orcs ondernemen ontbreekt. Dit lijkt me een reeks voor wie van sappige vechtscenes houdt zonder daarbij veel verhaal te verwachten.
Ik heb me door het boek geworsteld en deel 3 -dat al klaar lag in de kast- gaat ongelezen naar de bibliotheek terug.
August 28, 2012
Prosegue il precedente, senza infamia e senza lode, l'ho trovato forse più scorrevole del precedente.
La trama va avanti, forse mi aspettavo introducesse qualche personaggio nuovo o qualche situazione degna di nota, invece prosegue liscia.
La trama va avanti, forse mi aspettavo introducesse qualche personaggio nuovo o qualche situazione degna di nota, invece prosegue liscia.
February 24, 2019
Avoid. Read almsot anything else. If you want more details, see the First Blood omnibus review.
September 11, 2022
Secondo libro della Trilogia "Orchi" di Stan Nicholls, "Le legioni del tuono" ... ed anche qui, come per i guardiani dei lampi, non sappiamo per che cosa stia il titolo.
La storia prosegue, con l'inserimento di diverse razze, con il prosieguo della storia da dove lo avevamo lasciato. Ma se possibile questo libro riesce ad essere anche peggiore del precedente. Non c'è alcun miglioramento psicologico dei personaggi, tutto sembra scorrere inesorabilmente e senza lasciare una vera traccia di ciò che accade.
I combattimenti sono raffazonati, scritti male e scontati - ci troviamo di fronte ad un gruppo che a quanto pare gode dei poteri dell'immortalità - la storyline sembra andare senza senso troppo velocemente, con cambi di scena repentini e che sembrano soltanto dei filler. Non si ha un contesto di world building, è tutto così mediocre e già letto.
Per non parlare del personaggio rivelazione, ennesima figura bardica dai poteri misteriosi ...
Il libro come il precedente viene letto velocemente e a questo punto ciò non è una nota a favore ... mi sarebbe piaciuto potermi soffermare a ragionare su qualcosa che mi desse da pensare, qualcosa che mi facesse socchiudere il libro e pensare: "wa ... che genialata!" ... purtroppo non è stato così.
Leggerò per completezza anche il terzo perchè son masochista ed odio lasciare le cose in sospeso.
Unica positiva di questo volume è la presenza, ad inizio libro, di un riassunto del capitolo precedente.
La storia prosegue, con l'inserimento di diverse razze, con il prosieguo della storia da dove lo avevamo lasciato. Ma se possibile questo libro riesce ad essere anche peggiore del precedente. Non c'è alcun miglioramento psicologico dei personaggi, tutto sembra scorrere inesorabilmente e senza lasciare una vera traccia di ciò che accade.
I combattimenti sono raffazonati, scritti male e scontati - ci troviamo di fronte ad un gruppo che a quanto pare gode dei poteri dell'immortalità - la storyline sembra andare senza senso troppo velocemente, con cambi di scena repentini e che sembrano soltanto dei filler. Non si ha un contesto di world building, è tutto così mediocre e già letto.
Per non parlare del personaggio rivelazione, ennesima figura bardica dai poteri misteriosi ...
Il libro come il precedente viene letto velocemente e a questo punto ciò non è una nota a favore ... mi sarebbe piaciuto potermi soffermare a ragionare su qualcosa che mi desse da pensare, qualcosa che mi facesse socchiudere il libro e pensare: "wa ... che genialata!" ... purtroppo non è stato così.
Leggerò per completezza anche il terzo perchè son masochista ed odio lasciare le cose in sospeso.
Unica positiva di questo volume è la presenza, ad inizio libro, di un riassunto del capitolo precedente.
January 3, 2026
“Legion of Thunder”, second in the 'Orcs: First Blood' series, is not a standalone novel – it requires some understanding of the events which happened in 'Bodyguard of Lightning.'
It's mainly hack and slash fantasy as a small warband of Orcs fight their way free of an evil sorceress queen and towards … well, that's something they've not quite figured out.
Only that it seems to involve finding all five pieces of a legendary object some know as an Instrumentality.
What it does, how it operates, even whether it has anything to do with their predicament, is a mystery.
And their leader, Stryke, is experiencing strange dreams of a place where Orcs live in peace. It seems too real to be a dream, but Stryke has no control over them.
As an all-action read it is good but the Orcs have little to distinguish them - except for physical characteristics - from the many other races involved.
3 Stars.
It's mainly hack and slash fantasy as a small warband of Orcs fight their way free of an evil sorceress queen and towards … well, that's something they've not quite figured out.
Only that it seems to involve finding all five pieces of a legendary object some know as an Instrumentality.
What it does, how it operates, even whether it has anything to do with their predicament, is a mystery.
And their leader, Stryke, is experiencing strange dreams of a place where Orcs live in peace. It seems too real to be a dream, but Stryke has no control over them.
As an all-action read it is good but the Orcs have little to distinguish them - except for physical characteristics - from the many other races involved.
3 Stars.
March 9, 2021
This book literally picks up where the previous book left off. Not a problem, except it's been four years since I read book one. Thankfully it does come with a handy summary of what came before.
I really like how these books have taken what is usually a largely underdeveloped minion character whose sole purpose in a story is to be slain by the hero in great numbers and made them into relatable characters who we want to see win.
The only issue I have is with the journeying across the landscape which seems to be a bit woolly in terms of time versus distance, but that's the power of narrativium I suppose.
The action set pieces are well laid out and described though the Orcs do largely appear to have some form of godmode cheat on.
Great fun.
Looking forward to getting answers in book 3...
I really like how these books have taken what is usually a largely underdeveloped minion character whose sole purpose in a story is to be slain by the hero in great numbers and made them into relatable characters who we want to see win.
The only issue I have is with the journeying across the landscape which seems to be a bit woolly in terms of time versus distance, but that's the power of narrativium I suppose.
The action set pieces are well laid out and described though the Orcs do largely appear to have some form of godmode cheat on.
Great fun.
Looking forward to getting answers in book 3...
September 14, 2023
For some reason, I have the first two books in this series but not the last one in the trilogy and the truth is after finishing this second one I don't feel the need to rush out and buy the third one.
I remember when I bought them I was looking forward to a story from the point of view of the orcs and after finishing both books, whilst enjoyable in their own way, I don't think they delivered on that promise. They didn't feel like any orcs I've ever read about. If anything they felt like a band of mercenaries, who occasionally made reference to the fact that they were orcs and some random thing that they ridiculed about the weak humans in the story.
That said it is a good premise, it just isn't what I expected.
I remember when I bought them I was looking forward to a story from the point of view of the orcs and after finishing both books, whilst enjoyable in their own way, I don't think they delivered on that promise. They didn't feel like any orcs I've ever read about. If anything they felt like a band of mercenaries, who occasionally made reference to the fact that they were orcs and some random thing that they ridiculed about the weak humans in the story.
That said it is a good premise, it just isn't what I expected.
October 13, 2017
Like the first book, this one is decently written, but nothing special. The plot was straight-forward and serviceable, Haskeer's stupidity seemed a bit flanderised, and the main character was compelling enough to stop me from giving up, but not enough to ever have me on the edge of my seat.
I think the main problem with these books is that the orc warband is just too elite. They regularly battle groups twice their size to the death without taking any casualties. I get that orcs are meant to be the best fighters, but the way it's described in this, they should have conquered the entire world decades ago.
I think the main problem with these books is that the orc warband is just too elite. They regularly battle groups twice their size to the death without taking any casualties. I get that orcs are meant to be the best fighters, but the way it's described in this, they should have conquered the entire world decades ago.
February 11, 2020
La historia avanza y es pelea ,tras pelea, tras pelea y la gran mayoria son entretenidas , vemos homunculos, seres de agua ( ¿ sirenos?) , magia oscura y mas mala leche y nuestro grupo de orcos se ve en unas muy jodidos pero tu les coges cariños a esta banda de orcos , pero hay un punto en que ves que les salen todas, eplean y pelean y nunca pierden hasta que una pelea se cobra con la vida de uno, pero es que era normal que pasara . El capitulo de Stryke con el efecto de las drogas es muy entretenido ,sangriento y bien escrito. Aguanten los orcos !!!.
August 16, 2023
I honestly could't remember, as I trudged through the second of the Orcs trilogy, if I had enjoyed the first.
Apparently, having checked the review, I had.
Which came as something of a surprise, because book 2 is essentially more of the same, only without the sense of 'romp' and 'fun'.
There's more of a plot, there's more attempt at depth, we have new characters - but what we also have is a sense that there must be more to life than this.
The third one, when the time comes, should be a riot.
Apparently, having checked the review, I had.
Which came as something of a surprise, because book 2 is essentially more of the same, only without the sense of 'romp' and 'fun'.
There's more of a plot, there's more attempt at depth, we have new characters - but what we also have is a sense that there must be more to life than this.
The third one, when the time comes, should be a riot.
April 23, 2019
Addictive, compelling, unpredictable. A refreshing fantasy read set in an interesting world and peopled with engaging characters. 4 / 5
Read the full review, and others, on Sammi Loves Books: https://sammicox.wordpress.com/
Read the full review, and others, on Sammi Loves Books: https://sammicox.wordpress.com/
December 27, 2019
Anche in questo secondo episodio la lettura risulta scorrevole, rapida e divertente. Stesso stile del primo libro. Continuano le avventure e la ricerca iniziate nel primo libro. Anche in questo caso, il libro è molto carino. Non sarà un libro fenomenale, ma di sicuro non è un libro noioso.
July 30, 2025
Non mi piacciono, e mai mi piaceranno, le dimensioni alternative e i multiversi inseriti con la forza. Il romanzo resta godibile e divertente, a tratti anche più del primo, ma ha cominciato a farmi interessare sempre meno.
October 9, 2025
I thought that this was an okay read. Continued the story on from where the first book stopped. Lots more action, and more mysticism, as this quest story continued. Again, stopped at a convenient point in the story rather than reached a conclusion.
September 6, 2018
Love these books.
August 17, 2020
Enjoyable
April 9, 2021
Anche se per ora la saga non mi sembra particolarmente originale nella trama così come nei personaggi, apprezzo molto il ritmo scorrevole della narrazione e l'ambientazione.
January 12, 2023
Better than the last one. Enjoyed the journey in this one. Better story arch than the first.
April 4, 2023
What a ride! I hope the third book in the series is as good as the first two.
Read
May 16, 2023DNF at 50%. Wasn’t not enjoying it, but wasn’t exactly invested either and just kept thinking ‘is there something else I’d rather be reading?’
July 31, 2023
This read a little like a direcr run-on form the previous novel. Not much more character development, and a plot that was rather predictable.
August 11, 2023
Lettura di Leo, il mio compagno.
Non è un capolavoro, ma è una lettura scorrevole ed interessante.
Non è un capolavoro, ma è una lettura scorrevole ed interessante.
October 27, 2024
peggio del primo, l'ho trovato più noioso e stancante.
April 22, 2025
Personalmente sto trovando questa saga molto divertente. In confronto al primo é un po’ più dispersivo ed ha messo molta “carne al fuoco”, speriamo che il seguito dia una quadra al tutto.
May 10, 2025
3.5
this book picks up right where the previous one left off.
this one was a little repetitive but still a very fun read!
this book picks up right where the previous one left off.
this one was a little repetitive but still a very fun read!
September 5, 2025
So gripping! enjoyed this one even more than book 1, knowing the characters, following their story. Very excited for book 3 and the conclusion!
February 14, 2026
Sadly just as mid as the first one
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews