Bodyguard Of Lightning: Orcs First Blood: v. 1 - Softcover

Stan Nicholls

3.42

1,058 ratings by Goodreads

9781857985573: Bodyguard Of Lightning: Orcs First Blood: v. 1

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1857985575 ISBN 13: 9781857985573

Publisher: Gollancz, 1999

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An epic and bloody fantasy told from the perspective of fantasy's traditional enemy. The 1st in a sweeping new fantasy epic that tells the story of fantasy's traditional enemy for the 1st time. For Stryke and his fellow orcs the arrival of man has seen the end of their world. But now it is time for Stryke and his fellow orcs the arrival of man has seen the end of their world. But now it is time for Stryke and his fellow Orcs the arrival of man has seen the end of their world. But now it is time for Stryke and his warband to take control of their destiny and fight for a future for them and all Orcs. Stryke, his 2 sargeants, the dwarf Jup and the rest of his warband embark on a quest for the 5 pieces of an artefact that will overturn the world, and open a gate to new worlds. Fighting for a master they do not trust, hated by all, the Orcs must rely on all their bravery and natural toughness.

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Review:

The constant recycling which is an inevitable part of genre in general, and fantasy in particular, means that, if things are to be made new, standard assumptions have perpetually to be up for grabs. For years now, we have had sensitive anguished vampires and dragons so cultured that it is a privilege to be eaten by them; and in recent years, it has been the turn of orcs, those villainous spear carriers who have gibbered and strutted through every fantasy epic since Tolkien. Nicholls' orcs, warband leader Stryke, his corporal Coilla and the rest, are misunderstood infantry, whose ruthlessness and bad domestic habits have been overstated by racist humans; at their worst, they are only obeying orders. The plot of this first volume of a lengthy series is a standard gathering of plot tokens; once Stryke and the others have offended their owner, the enchantress Jenesta, they have no alternative but to collect a series of magic objects in the hope that they will know what to do when they have a full set. Nicholls' tongue is intermittently in his cheek, but his action sequences are seriously exciting and Stryke's drug dreams of a better Orcdom are touching. --Roz Kaveney

From the Publisher:

Great reviews for BODYGUARD OF LIGHTNING
'Incorporating wall-to-wall action, with undercurrents of dark humour, BODYGUARD OF LIGHTNING is a gritty, fast paced novel with a neat twist. The heroes are orcs - though you wouldn't want to meet any of them on dark night!' DAVID GEMMELL

'Weirdly charming, fast-moving and freaky, BODYGUARD OF LIGHTNING is the most fun you're ever likely to have with a warband of orcs. Remember, buy now or beg for mercy later' TAD WILLIAMS

'Excellent fantasy with a twist. Writing from the point of view of the orcs is neat idea and Stan Nicholls pulls it off with great panache. Fast and violent . . . an all action adventurer. You'll never feel the same about LORD OF THE RINGS' SFX

'The most impressive new fantasy sequence in many a moon . . . the most imaginative (and viscerally exciting) re-invention of some of the most cherished concepts in the genre. Exhilarating panache . . . tremendous style' BARRY FORSHAW, LINEONE GENRE HOTLINE

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