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King’s Property
Author: Morgan Howell
Publisher: Del Rey Books
ISBN-13: 9780345500403
ISBN: 0345500407
Rating: 7/10

It’s hard to be a fan of orcs. They’re nasty, they’re green, and they generally kill anything that moves. Humans included. That prejudice would seem to extend to fantasy novels featuring said orcs as well. But surprise surprise-that’s not the case for Morgan Howell’s book Queen’s Property. While it is not Lord of the Rings or even Dungeons and Dragons, the book moves with a fast pace that never lets up. Despite the novel’s appeal, it is far from perfect-but then again, no one expects it to be.

Dar is a young woman who’s seen more than her share of trouble. A dad who died when she was only a toddler. An abusive stepfather. A mother who considers her as something less than flesh and blood. Not surprisingly, she is not overly keen when it comes to the issue of family relations.


So when her family sells her out to the Orc Regiment of King Kregent, it comes as something of a shock. But not as much of a shock as the conditions she finds at the regimental camp-units segregated by race (quite literally, in the orcs’ case), a world where women are treated as little more than slaves and rape is the norm, not the exception. Naturally, Dar tries her best to fit in, even as she watches her back. Enter Korvok-mah, an orc of compassion and understanding who finds common cause with Dar, forming a relationship that isn’t without its own headaches. Together, the two try to survive as best they can within the compound-even as the prospect of war looms in the horizon.

With a cast of dynamic characters and such a grand plot, it’s hard for the novel not to get the attention of readers. However, the book is not without its cons-most notably the cliffhanger ending (King’s Property is part of a trilogy, Queen of the Orcs). However, if escape is all anyone is looking for, it serves its purpose quite well. Not much more could be asked of a book.

King’s Property promises to kill boredom and ennui with its own bare hands.

John Winn – Staff Writer
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