'We' being afficianados of all things Orcish, apparently. During my downtime from writing LoC (and believe me, there's not much downtime), I picked up the first book in a new fantasy trilogy called Queen of the Orcs: King's Property by Morgan Howell. From the Random House website:
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 is bound 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–Dar must seize a single chance at freedom.
I was skeptical at first, but it turned out to be quite good. Morgan Howell (who is a HE, though I first thought otherwise . . . it's the name 'Morgan' that threw me -- and shame on me, because I know a guy named Morgan) has taken his Orcs in a whole new, and distinctively non-Tolkienesque, direction. These are a far cry from the brutal greenskins of WoW or Oblivion, and a whole different species compared to the piggish orcs of D&D. Large and muscular (and appearing in my mind's eye as hairless mountain gorillas in plain and functional armor), Howell's Orcs possess a matriarchal society with strong Native American overtones. They are less warlike than Humans, but far superior in the physical act of fighting due to their innate strength and speed. That they are efficient killers gives them a reputation for savagery among their human allies.
The story follows a woman, Dar, who is conscripted into the army of King Kregant as -- essentially -- a cross between a slave and a camp follower. She's an interesting character and it's equally interesting to watch as she learns to navigate the intricacies of Orc culture. My only complaint -- well, I actually have two: first, I wanted more page-time for the Orcs -- more battle scenes, etc. Hopefully, the future volumes will go into stronger martial detail. My second gripe has to do with the Spartan nature of Howell's prose. Don't get me wrong, he's a fine writer with an excellent grasp of character. But, David Durham's Acacia has left me spoiled and on the prowl for new sources of lush and poetic description. I want to see fantasy worlds come alive like that, and while Howell's Orcs were fully-realized and fascinating the balance of the world seemed typically medieval European.
But, Morgan Howell has hooked me and I'll be back for more.
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on Tuesday, August 07, 2007
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Spoiled by Acacia
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