Review of For Love Orc Money
Posted: 20 Feb 2022, 02:57
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "For Love Orc Money" by Christina Winds.]
Eons ago, before recorded history, many magical races lived together with humans on Earth. But some of them were volatile, unpredictable, and prone to making trouble. Being weaker and having no magic, humans were often the unwitting and innocent victims of their quarrels. Eventually, the Maker grew weary of their continual disregard for human life and banished these races to another realm — Abbadon. There they would stay, cut off from the world of their birth, for thousands of years, until they became naught but myths and legends to those of Earth.
Now a ‘new’ king (he’s ruled for a thousand years) has proven to the Maker that he pursues a new harmony on Earth. Recognizing this, the Maker allows King Eric to select five individuals to return for a ‘probationary period’ on Earth. Cliff, a young orc who seeks to better the future of his long-enslaved race, is honored to be among the chosen. On Earth, he will seek the knowledge to create a computer that runs on magic. Building and selling them in Abbadon would give his race the income, independence, and time they need to heal. Victoria grew up in the computer labs of her father’s company and has the expertise that Cliff seeks. She is more than happy to share it with the striking ‘man’ from Abbadon who has joined her computer class. Their attraction to each other grows each time they meet, but can Victoria handle the revelation that her new love is not at all what he seems? With her mother determined to ruin her father’s corporation out of pure spite, will she even get the chance before the conflict turns lethal?
For Love Orc Money, by Christina Winds, is the third in the Abbadon series. Despite not having read the other books, at no point was I lost or even confused. The author dropped tantalizing hints about the first two books, successfully enticing me to read them, but the book can easily be read as a standalone. There are several notable characters in addition to our main protagonists, and I was pleased to see many of them grow and progress alongside Cliff and Victoria throughout the book. There is no dearth of background information about each of them, and we see their stories unfold through flashbacks. Interestingly, the seeming antagonist of the book caught my interest just as much as the main characters did. He has the sweetest relationship with his partner, and I truly hope to see more of their story in future books.
The author’s world-building is superb and thorough. She deftly builds a compelling view of Abbadon and the places within it that are relevant to the story. Unlike authors such as Tolkien and Asimov, though beautifully detailed, her descriptions neatly avoid being pedantic or tiresome. In addition to her depiction of the world itself, she neatly focuses the reader’s attention on environments and places important to the storyline. After their access to Earth was cut off, the struggle for power over Abbadon began. The author successfully covers this history in enough detail to engage the reader’s interest in specific races and characters relevant to the story. Some you will love, and some you will loathe with all your being.
The people of Abbadon underwent dark times after their banishment. Entire races were enslaved and forced to fight in wars that seemed unending until King Eric’s rise to power. Because this is an integral part of Cliff’s motivation, the topics of oppression, revolution, and freedom are openly woven into the storyline. The author’s touch on these areas is moderate. She goes no more in-depth than is necessary to entice out the reader’s sympathy toward the people of Abbadon and, more specifically, toward the orc race.
Cliff and Victoria’s romance is a slow burn, far more gentle than passionate. Thus, there are no erotic scenes in the book. There are a few instances of borderline profanity, but only two non-borderline curse words in the entire book. Given the situations in which they occur, both are appropriate and understandable. I feel the book is acceptable for a YA audience as well as adults who are fond of fantasy and romances. Because of the excellent character development and world-building, I would love to give the book full stars. Unfortunately, it was just a couple of errors over the allowed limit of ten. Therefore, I award For Love Orc Money 3 out of 4 stars with the understanding that if the story and excellence of writing alone were considered, it deserves four. Come. Explore Abbadon and join Cliff on his quest to bring his people out of the darkness and into the healing light.
******
For Love Orc Money
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Eons ago, before recorded history, many magical races lived together with humans on Earth. But some of them were volatile, unpredictable, and prone to making trouble. Being weaker and having no magic, humans were often the unwitting and innocent victims of their quarrels. Eventually, the Maker grew weary of their continual disregard for human life and banished these races to another realm — Abbadon. There they would stay, cut off from the world of their birth, for thousands of years, until they became naught but myths and legends to those of Earth.
Now a ‘new’ king (he’s ruled for a thousand years) has proven to the Maker that he pursues a new harmony on Earth. Recognizing this, the Maker allows King Eric to select five individuals to return for a ‘probationary period’ on Earth. Cliff, a young orc who seeks to better the future of his long-enslaved race, is honored to be among the chosen. On Earth, he will seek the knowledge to create a computer that runs on magic. Building and selling them in Abbadon would give his race the income, independence, and time they need to heal. Victoria grew up in the computer labs of her father’s company and has the expertise that Cliff seeks. She is more than happy to share it with the striking ‘man’ from Abbadon who has joined her computer class. Their attraction to each other grows each time they meet, but can Victoria handle the revelation that her new love is not at all what he seems? With her mother determined to ruin her father’s corporation out of pure spite, will she even get the chance before the conflict turns lethal?
For Love Orc Money, by Christina Winds, is the third in the Abbadon series. Despite not having read the other books, at no point was I lost or even confused. The author dropped tantalizing hints about the first two books, successfully enticing me to read them, but the book can easily be read as a standalone. There are several notable characters in addition to our main protagonists, and I was pleased to see many of them grow and progress alongside Cliff and Victoria throughout the book. There is no dearth of background information about each of them, and we see their stories unfold through flashbacks. Interestingly, the seeming antagonist of the book caught my interest just as much as the main characters did. He has the sweetest relationship with his partner, and I truly hope to see more of their story in future books.
The author’s world-building is superb and thorough. She deftly builds a compelling view of Abbadon and the places within it that are relevant to the story. Unlike authors such as Tolkien and Asimov, though beautifully detailed, her descriptions neatly avoid being pedantic or tiresome. In addition to her depiction of the world itself, she neatly focuses the reader’s attention on environments and places important to the storyline. After their access to Earth was cut off, the struggle for power over Abbadon began. The author successfully covers this history in enough detail to engage the reader’s interest in specific races and characters relevant to the story. Some you will love, and some you will loathe with all your being.
The people of Abbadon underwent dark times after their banishment. Entire races were enslaved and forced to fight in wars that seemed unending until King Eric’s rise to power. Because this is an integral part of Cliff’s motivation, the topics of oppression, revolution, and freedom are openly woven into the storyline. The author’s touch on these areas is moderate. She goes no more in-depth than is necessary to entice out the reader’s sympathy toward the people of Abbadon and, more specifically, toward the orc race.
Cliff and Victoria’s romance is a slow burn, far more gentle than passionate. Thus, there are no erotic scenes in the book. There are a few instances of borderline profanity, but only two non-borderline curse words in the entire book. Given the situations in which they occur, both are appropriate and understandable. I feel the book is acceptable for a YA audience as well as adults who are fond of fantasy and romances. Because of the excellent character development and world-building, I would love to give the book full stars. Unfortunately, it was just a couple of errors over the allowed limit of ten. Therefore, I award For Love Orc Money 3 out of 4 stars with the understanding that if the story and excellence of writing alone were considered, it deserves four. Come. Explore Abbadon and join Cliff on his quest to bring his people out of the darkness and into the healing light.
******
For Love Orc Money
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
