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In the distant future, a society of humans that escaped an oppressive Earth exist in an uneasy symbiosis with a race of insectoid aliens. The story centers around Gan, a young man raised up in love and friendship with these aliens, who for the first time, sees the horror of the purpose he was intended to full-fill and must decide what his choice will be.

Review: I read this story several times throughout my teenager years and again recently for this review. It has always struck a cord in me — the odd and frightening union between the two species; the conflict the Tlic race faces in learning to treat the humans that are their salvation as an equal, independent people; Gan’s feelings of terror and doubt and the temptation of easy escape through self-destruction, but despite it all, love for the being that has always loved him. In the end, he makes the only choice he can and still be himself.

The narrative starts with the strange, but easy to accept scene; a family joins together to indulge in a stimulant in the company of alien that looks after them. We are pulled in as the complexities of their world unfold slowly, with only vague hints at the reasoning behind them. Suddenly, we are confronted with the harsh reality of humanity’s place the Tlic society. Then, like Gan, we are left to process the dual truth; that the race that does such horrifying things to humans are also a sentient, feeling people who struggle with the needs of family and the survival of their species.

The writing style is a little disconnected from the feelings of the characters, probably because it’s such a large concept presented in the condensed form of a short story. At the same time, for me this always left open room for interpretation and speculation on the deeper meanings beyond the details presented. It has an easy, minimalist feel that explains only what needs to be told.

A classic and beautiful piece of science fiction work.

Review: I finished this the very next day after I bought it.

In short - may I have the next one please?

This is an engaging adventure on the dark and gritty side of human warfare and an unconventional look at everyone’s favorite Orcs.

The author’s prose is simplistic and straightforward, clearly conveying the scene and the characters with minimal clutter. Some reviewers found this made the story feel shallow; for me, it told enough that I was able to connect with the character’s feelings and sympathize, but I wasn’t completely dragged down into the muck and misery of the sheer wretchedness they found themselves trapped in. In this way it was a lot like a young adult novel, which I really like when it comes to enjoying a story instead of experiencing it. (And for anyone who wants an adventure in experiencing a story without enjoying it, read “Mirror Dance” by Lois McMaster Bujold. It was fantastic and I loved it, but I can’t say I liked it much.)

The main character Dar is obviously something of a messianic figure. Physically and sexual abused by her father after her mother’s death, she fights him off with her limited abilities and refuses to marry as she gets older, reaching the conclusion that she shouldn’t have to submit to a man to make a life for herself. This determination is put to the test when she is conscripted into the army as a branded slave to be a cook and server for the Orcs and the men. In this crude medieval setting, the only accepted way for army women to survive is to submit to soldiers in exchange for extra food, clothes, and trinkets. They are, of course, then abused upon and mistreated by these very same soldiers. Terrified of men and what they represent, Dar soon finds her fear of the alien Orcs to be the lesser of two evils and puts herself at risk to learn about their language and culture, eventually finding tenuous safety among their ranks.

Dar’s non-traditional view of her culture borders the unbelievable at the begining (where exactly did this downtrodden person find the hope and wisdom to realize her lot in life is wrong?), but it’s clear that her outlook is still very narrowed by her culture. She feels women shouldn’t have to submit to men to survive in much the same way that she feels it’s wrong for a king to loot from and kill his own citizens; but she doesn’t think much about how it should be. Concepts like owning her own land, holding a position of power, earning the same wages as men, being able to choose her own husband — these don’t even occur to her unless they’re introduced by other characters from different cultures. Most of her actions are guided by the fear of abuse, resulting in a fierceness and cleverness created by necessity.

It’s utterly delightful to find a version of Orcs that doesn’t fit into the Tolkien stereotype. All flaws aside. And yes, there are flaws; the Orcs of this series may be stupid savages, but they’re of the obviously Noble Savage variety. There’s a part of me that wanted to see dirty, brutish, uncouth Orcs with a subtle, complex, and fierce culture that Dar had to use all her wit and skills to fit in to — but the rest of me gets that they had to be noticeably less nasty than the men around her to for Dar to pick one over the other and I do love the results. With these Ocrs, we get a spiritual, Matriarchal society that doesn’t understand the concept of lying and views humans as brutal animals that are only worth obeying because their Queen told them too.

It’s an easy, good read with some engating character. Highly recommended for fans of young adult books and high fantasy.

Opinion: I am a sucker for good werewolf stories, especially since so many of them are the same old dreg that everyone writes. The background for Blood Trail isn’t overly unique or amazing, but the werewolves (in my little world) make up for everything. They’re more animal than human; they solve the issue of clothing getting in the way of shifting by simply not wearing any when in their own home; the children hunt and eat rats and frogs; and they mark their territory in a very canine way. I haven’t seen the equivalent of it in supernatural books yet. Additionally, the main female character is interesting, if not the most stellar charactrization ever, and the vampire is even better. Worth reading if supernatural/horror is your kink