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Orcs: Bodyguard of Lightening, Legion of Thunder, Warriors of the Tempest: "Bodyguard of Lightning", " Legion of Thunder", " Warriors of the Tempest" (Gollancz S.F.)
 
 
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Orcs: Bodyguard of Lightening, Legion of Thunder, Warriors of the Tempest: "Bodyguard of Lightning", " Legion of Thunder", " Warriors of the Tempest" (Gollancz S.F.) (Paperback)

by Stan Nicholls (Author)
3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (44 customer reviews)
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Customers buy this book with Orcs Bad Blood I: Weapons of Magical Destruction (Gollancz S.F.) by Stan Nicholls

Orcs: Bodyguard of Lightening, Legion of Thunder, Warriors of the Tempest: "Bodyguard of Lightning", " Legion of Thunder", " Warriors of the Tempest" (Gollancz S.F.) + Orcs Bad Blood I: Weapons of Magical Destruction (Gollancz S.F.)
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Product details

  • Paperback: 688 pages
  • Publisher: Gollancz (12 Aug 2004)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0575074876
  • ISBN-13: 978-0575074873
  • Product Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.8 x 5 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (44 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 17,115 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Product Description

Product Description

Combining the acclaimed trilogy of books, BODYGUARD OF LIGHTNING, LEGION OF THUNDER and WARRIORS OF THE TEMPEST, plus a new short story previously only available in a small press anthology, this is the entire story of Stryke and his band of Orcs. Fantasy's bad guys finally get their own say in this fast moving, action packed, tongue in cheek tale or Orc valour and human treachery.


About the Author

Stan Nicholls has been a reviewer and interviewer in the UK for more than 20 years and is a key figure on the genre scene. He writes a regular column for TIME OUT and contributes to both INTERZONE and STARBURST. He is also the author of several children's fantasies.
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Orcs: Bodyguard of Lightening, Legion of Thunder, Warriors of the Tempest: "Bodyguard of Lightning", " Legion of Thunder", " Warriors of the Tempest" (Gollancz S.F.)
65% buy the item featured on this page:
Orcs: Bodyguard of Lightening, Legion of Thunder, Warriors of the Tempest: "Bodyguard of Lightning", " Legion of Thunder", " Warriors of the Tempest" (Gollancz S.F.) 3.2 out of 5 stars (44)
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Customer Reviews

44 Reviews
5 star:
 (9)
4 star:
 (13)
3 star:
 (9)
2 star:
 (2)
1 star:
 (11)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.2 out of 5 stars (44 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars Promises much but just doesn't deliver, 22 Jun 2007
By Mr. Ja Fairhead "Warhippo" (UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
The concept of the book is wonderfully innovative - "want to know the truth about the orc? Then why not look at the world through their eyes and discover the honorable creature that lies beneath that monstrous exterior".

Well, that's the idea but unfortunately Stan Nicholls has made one terrible error - he's not writing about orcs. The creatures he writes about are intelligent, emotional, articulate, jovial, happy, fearful, desiring and so on. Point of fact is that these orcs are so un-orclike that they're indistinguishable from humans. There are hardly any physical references to the differences we would expect with orcs (what about their great strength, toughness, skin colour, etc?), there is no mention of any reasonable contrasts between the social structure enjoyed by orcs and humans (sure these orcs are warlike but they're far from WWWWWAAAAAAARRRRR-like), and as for any mental disparities separating human and orc, well good luck in finding any (any you do find will be tenuous at the very best).

Okay, Stan is obviously writing about a different kind of orc from the one I'm thinking about but hold on a second. My mental picture of orcs is created from books such as Lord of the Rings, computer games like Warcraft, board games like Warhammer and an entire shed load of RPG games. I can safely say that my understanding of orcs is pretty broad. Ultimately, the orcs that Stan writes about are so far removed from anything orc-like that it destroys the entire concept of the book, which is a terrible shame.

I could go on about the predictable plot, the growing sense of monotony one has with each new battle, the (oft times) truly awful dialogue and horribly contrived ending. But I won't.

All in all, the book shows great promise but just fails to deliver on almost every single level - you'd do a heck of a lot better reading one of the many orcish Warhammer novels that must be out there.

Avert your eyes my orcish brethren and move on swiftly - the true glory of the orcish hoard will not be found within these pages!
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9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars Not too bad, 18 April 2007
By Paul Rigby "Skirmator" (Lancashire, England) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
The book starts good, Orcs fighting in a human settlement, but it soon drags. The first problem is the battle sequences which are pretty much all the same, and each ends agonisingly with "casualties?" Jup: "Only minor injuries, we were lucky". It occurs so much that you will get vexed at the end of each battle scene praying, hoping, there will be a realistic casualty list after they have been outnumbered 5 to 1 against elite corps of the armies of men. In fact halfway through the book, you get pretty cheery when 200 or so orcs latch on to the band, just so the author can finally kill some of the good guys off without it being a main character. This shouldn't be needed though as the band has a good 20 "Grunts" (a word which appears about 4-5 times a page)which have no character whatsoever, no lines personality or actions other than follow the lead orc "Stryke". In fact he only seems to refer to them by name when in a list(in battle tactics, proclamations etc), just so you don't get too close if(heaven forbid)one of them dies.

Another problem about the book is the story...I know this seems quite a big point, but it still struggles on without a good one. The problem with the story is that its like playing an early final fantasy game. Going to each location one by one collecting crystals, not only that but the worlds so small, you could cross the map in 3 days, which makes it difficult to picture how many of the characters in the book seem mystified by many of the locations presented(I mean if you could explore the whole world in a month, you would do it right? You wouldn't stay under a rock, like some of the "explorers" and "veterans" must have done and been lying through their teeth), and also how some battles contain 20,000 plus troops, which takes the edge off realism. These faults shows the authors ability to keep you reading despite the fact you know you shouldn't. The main reason for this is their great portrayal of the evil characters which make the book worthwhile. The portrayal of the 5 main orcs also gives the book a sense of meaning, as you want them to complete their quest.(though id prefer them to be a lot less human, and a lot more orc-like and vulnerable).
All in all a good read, drags in some places and makes you want to see orc blood, but it should keep your attention to the end.

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8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Fast paced and fun, 20 Feb 2006
By Tom West (Whitby) - See all my reviews
This book puts the whole fantasy world into a spin and places orcs - the deadly foe as the good guys.

A story that twists and turns and provides an enjoyable read with lots of deatailed battles and in my opinion some really good character development.

to sum it up in a sentence, - Orcs is a fast paced thrilling ride with blood and gore and twists and turns, very enjoyable read.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

1.0 out of 5 stars Orcishly Ordinary
I was disappointed in this book. I was expecting something more along the lines of Mary Gentle's 'Grunts', where the Orc main characters are Magnificent Bastards who you can't... Read more
Published 1 month ago by J. Hallam

3.0 out of 5 stars Going Nowhere Fast
First off, if you're into a bit of gore then this book maybe for you. There are well over 700 pages here, all practically dripping with blood. Read more
Published 3 months ago by spazzy panda

1.0 out of 5 stars Are these really Orcs?
Very disappointing. While seemingly very original and interesting, the novelty quickly fades. There is nothing particularly Orcish about these. Read more
Published 4 months ago by G. Sylph

5.0 out of 5 stars Orcs - Brilliant!
Visceral, violent, funny, very well written, this is the book to take on holiday with you whilst the wife sunbathes. Check it out, you will not regret it!
Published 4 months ago by Jonny R

4.0 out of 5 stars A Cracking Fantasy Read
This is a really enjoyable read. It is original in its telling from the view point of Orcs; the reader will often find themselves empathising with the Orcs and hating the humans... Read more
Published 4 months ago by S. Clarke

4.0 out of 5 stars Unpretentious not the usual type of fantasy
I was a bit surprised to see the book-series of Nicholls so heavily criticized. My opinion of this book in a nutshell: I found it a highly appealing book and a great read. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Jon

3.0 out of 5 stars Rushed
The three books in the collection really are a single seamless story, each subsequent book carrying on directly from the last. Read more
Published 6 months ago by W. Nelson

1.0 out of 5 stars Massively Disappointing
Orcs is a serious disappointment. Weighing in at over 700 pages I was extremely glad to have finished it and that is never a good sign. Read more
Published 8 months ago by MLA

4.0 out of 5 stars Great story - unusual point of view
I came across this book by accident - looking for something in the fantasy section of an airport bookshop. Read more
Published 11 months ago by B. MURPHY-RYAN

4.0 out of 5 stars Unusual. All kinds of awesome.
The book does seem to follow a formulaic pattern, with the characters repeatedly having to sneak into enemy territory AGAIN... that theme repeats itself a little two often. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Crazy Foo

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