Review of For Love Orc Money

[Kelyn]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "For Love Orc Money" by Christina Winds.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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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.

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For Love Orc Money
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[Joel_33]

The book is really nice.....the story is a bit complex and the right is great to put up this is really a good one....hope to see more of this.

[abbey robinson]

Quite a complex book yet one of the best books I have ever read!! Would definitely recommend this and would love to see more of it

[photosynthesis19]

The premise of this book sounds really intriguing, and I like that the book includes the topics of oppression, revolution, and freedom - super important and super relatable to the world we live in. This sounds like a great read indeed. Thank you for your insightful review!

[marta baglioni]

I love how you summarized the book. Thank you for the review!

[Unsullied]

I hate it when the error threshold affects the rating of an otherwise excellent book. Thanks for the detailed review.

[Chijindu Ifedigbo]

I didn't finish reading this book because of the amount of errors in It, it was poorly edited and the author need to work on this book.

[NetMassimo]

Romance is not my thing but the fantasy element makes this novel intriguing with an engaging story. Thank you for your great review!

[Asiaa Szn]

I love romantic books and your review is absolutely beautiful and intriguing. Nice work

[Kelyn]

The book is really nice.....the story is a bit complex and the right is great to put up this is really a good one....hope to see more of this.

Quite a complex book yet one of the best books I have ever read!! Would definitely recommend this and would love to see more of it

Complex, or layered...like an onion! LOL (Shrek reference, I couldn't resist.) Thanks for stopping in and commenting!

[Kelyn]

The premise of this book sounds really intriguing, and I like that the book includes the topics of oppression, revolution, and freedom - super important and super relatable to the world we live in. This sounds like a great read indeed. Thank you for your insightful review!

They are very relevant indeed. Thanks for dropping by and commenting. I appreciate it!

[Kelyn]

I love how you summarized the book. Thank you for the review!

I'm glad you enjoyed the review! Thanks for stopping by and commenting! (Love your pic, by the way. Calcifer is a grumbly little sweetheart.)

[Kelyn]

I hate it when the error threshold affects the rating of an otherwise excellent book. Thanks for the detailed review.

I didn't finish reading this book because of the amount of errors in It, it was poorly edited and the author need to work on this book.

I wish the errors were not there too. I hated to have to lower the score. Thank you both for stopping in and commenting. I appreciate it!

[Kelyn]

Romance is not my thing but the fantasy element makes this novel intriguing with an engaging story. Thank you for your great review!

Romance isn't for everyone, but the fantasy elements far outweighed the romance. Thanks for stopping by and commenting!

[Kelyn]

I love romantic books and your review is absolutely beautiful and intriguing. Nice work

Thank you for the lovely compliment! I love romances too. Thanks for dropping by and commenting!