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Orc Forged #1
The Sins of the Orc
He’s fallen too far to save… but his enemy is going to try.
In a world of warring orcs and men, Kesst of Clan Ash-Kai is a pawn. A pretty, pliant plaything, bound to the cruelest orcs in the realm.
Until the new healer storms in.
He’s huge, hostile, and hideous, with a powerful scarred body and terrifying ancient magic. And it only takes one disastrous meeting before he and Kesst are bitter enemies, and Kesst vows to see the vile brute destroyed…
And then a sudden, deadly attack hurls his helpless body straight at the healer’s feet.
Kesst fully expects to be mocked, belittled, abandoned to his doom — but instead, his new enemy picks him up.
Soothes his wounds.
And carries him home...
Soon Kesst is trapped in a tiny sickroom beneath Orc Mountain, caught in the thrall of the healer’s impossible magic. In the surprising gentleness of his touch. In the strength of his stubborn, seductive safety…
But with his horrid handlers close on their scent, Kesst can’t possibly be falling for his forbidden foe… can he? Can a healer save him from his sins… or destroy him?
_____________________
A dark, angsty, MM fantasy romance novella. Comes before the Orc Sworn series, but also reads as a standalone. Happily ever after guaranteed.
In a world of warring orcs and men, Kesst of Clan Ash-Kai is a pawn. A pretty, pliant plaything, bound to the cruelest orcs in the realm.
Until the new healer storms in.
He’s huge, hostile, and hideous, with a powerful scarred body and terrifying ancient magic. And it only takes one disastrous meeting before he and Kesst are bitter enemies, and Kesst vows to see the vile brute destroyed…
And then a sudden, deadly attack hurls his helpless body straight at the healer’s feet.
Kesst fully expects to be mocked, belittled, abandoned to his doom — but instead, his new enemy picks him up.
Soothes his wounds.
And carries him home...
Soon Kesst is trapped in a tiny sickroom beneath Orc Mountain, caught in the thrall of the healer’s impossible magic. In the surprising gentleness of his touch. In the strength of his stubborn, seductive safety…
But with his horrid handlers close on their scent, Kesst can’t possibly be falling for his forbidden foe… can he? Can a healer save him from his sins… or destroy him?
_____________________
A dark, angsty, MM fantasy romance novella. Comes before the Orc Sworn series, but also reads as a standalone. Happily ever after guaranteed.
192 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 4, 2022
617 people are currently reading
1737 people want to read
About the author
Finley Fenn
23 books1,353 followersFinley Fenn is “the queen of dark orc romance” (Virgo Reader), and her ongoing Orc Sworn series has been praised as “sexy, romantic, angsty, and captivating … utter brilliance” (Romantically Inclined Reviews).
When she’s not obsessing over her stories, Finley loves reading, drooling over delicious orc artwork, and spending time with her incredible readers on Patreon, Discord, and Facebook. She lives in Canada with her beloved family, including her very own grumpy, gorgeous orc mate.
News, free stories, and artwork: www.finleyfenn.com
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Finley-Fenn/e/...
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/finleyfenn
Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/finle...
Instagram: https://instagram.com/authorfinleyfenn
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/finleyfenn
Twitter: https://twitter.com/finleyfenn
THE ORC SWORN SERIES
1. The Lady and the Orc
1.5: Offered by the Orc: Free with signup at www.finleyfenn.com
2. The Heiress and the Orc
3. The Librarian and the Orc
4. The Duchess and the Orc
5. The Midwife and the Orc
6. The Maid and the Orcs
6.5. Tryggred by the Orc
7. The Governess and the Orc
7.5. Yuled by the Orcs
8. The Beauty and the Orcs
9. The Widow and the Orcs
10. The Artist and the Orc
THE ORC FORGED SERIES
1. The Sins of the Orc
2. The Fall of the Orc
THE MAGES SERIES
0.5: The Mage's Maid
1. The Mage's Match
1.5: The Mage's Groom: Free with signup at www.finleyfenn.com
2. The Mage's Master
When she’s not obsessing over her stories, Finley loves reading, drooling over delicious orc artwork, and spending time with her incredible readers on Patreon, Discord, and Facebook. She lives in Canada with her beloved family, including her very own grumpy, gorgeous orc mate.
News, free stories, and artwork: www.finleyfenn.com
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Finley-Fenn/e/...
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/finleyfenn
Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/finle...
Instagram: https://instagram.com/authorfinleyfenn
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/finleyfenn
Twitter: https://twitter.com/finleyfenn
THE ORC SWORN SERIES
1. The Lady and the Orc
1.5: Offered by the Orc: Free with signup at www.finleyfenn.com
2. The Heiress and the Orc
3. The Librarian and the Orc
4. The Duchess and the Orc
5. The Midwife and the Orc
6. The Maid and the Orcs
6.5. Tryggred by the Orc
7. The Governess and the Orc
7.5. Yuled by the Orcs
8. The Beauty and the Orcs
9. The Widow and the Orcs
10. The Artist and the Orc
THE ORC FORGED SERIES
1. The Sins of the Orc
2. The Fall of the Orc
THE MAGES SERIES
0.5: The Mage's Maid
1. The Mage's Match
1.5: The Mage's Groom: Free with signup at www.finleyfenn.com
2. The Mage's Master
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 351 reviews
November 8, 2025
This whole book was a fucking mess. A mess I GLADLY consumed.
Because okay, the magic fingering scene... ✨ICONIC BEHAVIOUR✨
Because HELL TO THE YEAH that was a good use of magic.
MAKE THOSE INSIDES TINGLE MY DUDE.
Only to be followed up by... MAGIC USE FOR PREP BUTT STRETCHING 👏, AND WHAT WAS THE EPILOGUE'S BIG MOMENT YOU ASK?? (spoiler ahead)...
Was it marriage? no. ❌
A proposal? no. ❌
A happy family? no. ❌
Domestic bliss? no. ❌
War? no. ❌
Our epilogue was our MC finally having enough practice on his throat skills, so that.. ✨it fits all the way in✨
The MC calls himself a "size queen" which like...... how did orcs learn this term? What is fucking going on here? HAHA.
But like... He meets the man of his dreams, who has magically healing/magic fingering abilities, AND Mr Size Queen realises that he's hit the cock jackpot because his healer man... ✨ALSO HAS THE BIGGEST LONGEST VIRGIN DICK IN ALL THE LANDS✨ what a wonderful revelation.... ahhahahaa
Like.... I'm confused by the lore, but I had a fucking fantastic horny old orc porking time, and that's all that matters.
Why are the orcs fucking the MC just out in the open at the campfire whilst all the other orcs are just chilling? WHO CARES 💅🏼
I laughed this whole book, it's ridiculous and not good by any stretch of the word but omg, joy was felt. I will add, that I will puke if I hear the word "seed" one more time though.
Because okay, the magic fingering scene... ✨ICONIC BEHAVIOUR✨
Because HELL TO THE YEAH that was a good use of magic.
MAKE THOSE INSIDES TINGLE MY DUDE.
Only to be followed up by... MAGIC USE FOR PREP BUTT STRETCHING 👏, AND WHAT WAS THE EPILOGUE'S BIG MOMENT YOU ASK?? (spoiler ahead)...
Was it marriage? no. ❌
A proposal? no. ❌
A happy family? no. ❌
Domestic bliss? no. ❌
War? no. ❌
Our epilogue was our MC finally having enough practice on his throat skills, so that.. ✨it fits all the way in✨
The MC calls himself a "size queen" which like...... how did orcs learn this term? What is fucking going on here? HAHA.
But like... He meets the man of his dreams, who has magically healing/magic fingering abilities, AND Mr Size Queen realises that he's hit the cock jackpot because his healer man... ✨ALSO HAS THE BIGGEST LONGEST VIRGIN DICK IN ALL THE LANDS✨ what a wonderful revelation.... ahhahahaa
Like.... I'm confused by the lore, but I had a fucking fantastic horny old orc porking time, and that's all that matters.
Why are the orcs fucking the MC just out in the open at the campfire whilst all the other orcs are just chilling? WHO CARES 💅🏼
I laughed this whole book, it's ridiculous and not good by any stretch of the word but omg, joy was felt. I will add, that I will puke if I hear the word "seed" one more time though.
![Profile Image for Imme [trying to crawl out of hiatus] van Gorp.](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1700013408i%2F101358081._UX200_CR0%2C0%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
June 26, 2022
|| 4.0 stars ||
Aww, I really enjoyed this!
The way Eft seemed to completely adore Kesst had my heart melting. Eft saw him as this glittering shining light and would do anything for him. He was obsessed in the cutest and sweetest way possible!
And luckily, Kesst grew to adore him right back, even if he had his prejudices about the unmannered 'ugly' orc at first.
Kesst was quite a troubled character. He had so much self-loathing, and I felt really bad for all the horrible things he had to do throughout his life, and how it affected his way of thinking about himself. He felt Ruined. Broken. Used. A coward.
But, I loved how vehemently Eft was against Kesst thinking so badly about himself. He always reminded Kesst of how perfect and beautiful he was, and he constantly used his calming and healing magic to sooth Kesst's anxiety, nerves or insecurities.
As an added bonus to the swoony romance was quite an interesting plot. I can't say it was developed in all that much depth, but what we got was surely entertaining.
I think this book would have really benefitted from being a bit longer, since it would have added more detail, depth and perhaps more of a slow-burn. I also would have really liked to read from Eft's POV other than only Kesst's. Nonetheless, I was still happy with what we did get!
Aww, I really enjoyed this!
The way Eft seemed to completely adore Kesst had my heart melting. Eft saw him as this glittering shining light and would do anything for him. He was obsessed in the cutest and sweetest way possible!
And luckily, Kesst grew to adore him right back, even if he had his prejudices about the unmannered 'ugly' orc at first.
Kesst was quite a troubled character. He had so much self-loathing, and I felt really bad for all the horrible things he had to do throughout his life, and how it affected his way of thinking about himself. He felt Ruined. Broken. Used. A coward.
But, I loved how vehemently Eft was against Kesst thinking so badly about himself. He always reminded Kesst of how perfect and beautiful he was, and he constantly used his calming and healing magic to sooth Kesst's anxiety, nerves or insecurities.
“You’re the most beautiful of them all, you know. Gods, you should see yourself.”
As an added bonus to the swoony romance was quite an interesting plot. I can't say it was developed in all that much depth, but what we got was surely entertaining.
I think this book would have really benefitted from being a bit longer, since it would have added more detail, depth and perhaps more of a slow-burn. I also would have really liked to read from Eft's POV other than only Kesst's. Nonetheless, I was still happy with what we did get!
October 20, 2025
3.5*** stars
Silly little (barbaric) Orc romance.
Did I enjoy it: yes, I actually ate it up
Would I recommend it: not particularly
What honestly icks me a bit is that I initially thought this would be an MM standalone series, which it basically is but if you’re interested in other character’s stories you met in this book you’ll most likely find them in the author’s Orc MF series, which I’m not interested in.
************
Orc Forged Series
Book 1 - Orc Forged - 3.5 stars
Book 2 - The Fall of the Orc
Silly little (barbaric) Orc romance.
Did I enjoy it: yes, I actually ate it up
Would I recommend it: not particularly
What honestly icks me a bit is that I initially thought this would be an MM standalone series, which it basically is but if you’re interested in other character’s stories you met in this book you’ll most likely find them in the author’s Orc MF series, which I’m not interested in.
************
Orc Forged Series
Book 1 - Orc Forged - 3.5 stars
Book 2 - The Fall of the Orc
June 3, 2022
Here's my mother-fucking review, y'all. This was fire. Absolute fire. I think it's some of Fenn's best work honestly, but that seems crazy to say given how amazing her full-length novels are. I think I'm just feeling all the feels because Kesst and Eft have been with us since the very, very beginning and to finally get to experience their love story (and it is absolutely the most gorgeous love story) was something special beyond words.
Kesst is so damaged and so in need of someone to see him and want him and love him...for more than what his body can do for them. And Eft just...exists? I guess. He's just living his life one step at a time, serving others and never himself. And Kesst, the little whirlwind, just sweeps into his life with his sexy hair and his self-deprecating thoughts and his temper and changes Eft's life. Now Eft wants. He wants something for himself and by golly he's going to fucking have it. Even if he has to kill for it. Their chemistry was a physical thing that literally leapt off the page and burrowed deep in my chest.
I finished and immediately wanted to reread it, but I'm forcing myself to wait a few days before reexperiencing the brilliance that is The Sins of the Orc. The only sin happening here though is that this wasn't a full-length book. But I'll take fifty novellas if it means Fenn keeps cranking out work at the alarming rate that she is. I would literally do anything for Fenn if it meant she continued to write more MM novellas. MORE, I say!
The funniest part is that I literally hate the magic dick cures all shit, but in this case there's really a magic dick, so...I guess Fenn has officially shut me up.
Kesst is so damaged and so in need of someone to see him and want him and love him...for more than what his body can do for them. And Eft just...exists? I guess. He's just living his life one step at a time, serving others and never himself. And Kesst, the little whirlwind, just sweeps into his life with his sexy hair and his self-deprecating thoughts and his temper and changes Eft's life. Now Eft wants. He wants something for himself and by golly he's going to fucking have it. Even if he has to kill for it. Their chemistry was a physical thing that literally leapt off the page and burrowed deep in my chest.
I finished and immediately wanted to reread it, but I'm forcing myself to wait a few days before reexperiencing the brilliance that is The Sins of the Orc. The only sin happening here though is that this wasn't a full-length book. But I'll take fifty novellas if it means Fenn keeps cranking out work at the alarming rate that she is. I would literally do anything for Fenn if it meant she continued to write more MM novellas. MORE, I say!
The funniest part is that I literally hate the magic dick cures all shit, but in this case there's really a magic dick, so...I guess Fenn has officially shut me up.
June 9, 2022
How in the world was a fingering scene more hawt than the sex itself? This book lost stars because of it, sad thing but it had to be done. 🧐
Anyways, I picked this book because I've been seeing the series a lot around here, so I thought: what a better way to start it than reading the MM book of it?
And I was right, this was a somehow dark story, about orcs being their lovely selves and more importantly this is about orcs that want to change that brutality. I enjoyed the overall story and the magic part that it had.
There were some transitions that weren't quite there, things that happened quickly that maybe shouldn't have and things that didn't make sense, but this was short, it depicted the cruelty and abuse of their world perfectly.
So ir created a good balance.
And yes, the sex scenes needed more work, the first one was explosive so I thought I wasn't going to survive the rest, but I sadly did, they didn't compare, and it could be done because the author did it in the first sex scenes... The hopes I had *sighs*
Anyways, I still enjoyed it! ❤️❤️
Anyways, I picked this book because I've been seeing the series a lot around here, so I thought: what a better way to start it than reading the MM book of it?
And I was right, this was a somehow dark story, about orcs being their lovely selves and more importantly this is about orcs that want to change that brutality. I enjoyed the overall story and the magic part that it had.
There were some transitions that weren't quite there, things that happened quickly that maybe shouldn't have and things that didn't make sense, but this was short, it depicted the cruelty and abuse of their world perfectly.
So ir created a good balance.
And yes, the sex scenes needed more work, the first one was explosive so I thought I wasn't going to survive the rest, but I sadly did, they didn't compare, and it could be done because the author did it in the first sex scenes... The hopes I had *sighs*
Anyways, I still enjoyed it! ❤️❤️
July 11, 2022
This is M/M fantasy romance with some highly erotic scenes it’s also deeply emotional and this author does have an uncanny ability to successfully incorporate the two you get all the spice you could ever desire but combined with an intense emotional connection as well. This is actually a prequel to the larger series so technically can be read as a stand-alone but to fully appreciate this it does help to have read the rest of the series as it introduces these two particular Orcs making you want to learn their back story and having this prior knowledge added a whole new layer and flavour to this as a whole.
So this is of novella length but the books in this series do tend to be quite lengthy so this is more of a mini-novel and very substantial for a novella and it’s all narrated from Kesst’s POV. Here Kesst Is filled with self-loathing which he conceals behind a polished and practised smile. The guilt is eating away at him he’s constantly ashamed and thinks he’s only good for the one thing and that it defines him he doesn’t feel he deserves better and doesn’t realise that he is even a victim.
He Hides behind these flirtations with a flippant dismissive sometimes cruel wit to mask the stain he feels daily. The bitterness is huge but he also uses these talents to manipulate and ingrain whilst pasting an uncaring smile on his face so the other orcs don’t know how he really feels. It’s Kesst’s only form of power and he does use this. The occasional enjoyment he receives from these liaisons is another cause of Self-flagellation that contributes to this whole negative mindset he’s in.
He’s the pretty insignificant plaything the toy without a serious thought In his head and he has embraced and embodied this outward facade, this, in turn, has helped him survive. But underneath he’s a mass of swirling toxic emotions and rather than the simple creature he portrays Kesst is actually extremely complex.
The new healer Efterar with all of his strange ways and complete lack of self-preservation instantly manages to pierce through all of this armour a fact that instantly puts Kesst on the defensive and results in him cruelly lashing out and when Kesst is then hurt and these two are forced into close proximity together a dangerous attraction starts to simmer between the promiscuous ash-Kai and the innocent healer placing both of there lives in direct danger from outside forces.
Eft is exactly how I’d imagined him to be and I especially adored getting his back story. These two couldn’t be more opposite but they also complement each other so perfectly. I was also incredibly interested regarding the set-up in Orc mountain it just shows how far they’ve all now come under different leadership and the contrast was vast.
I enjoyed this a lot the heat is as usual high but it also provided all of the feels. I’ve wanted Eft and Kesst’s story for a while and I definitely wasn’t disappointed this was another fabulous addition to one of my favourite series. I voluntary reviewed a copy of The Sins of the Orc
.Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.bookbub.com/profile/63435390
October 13, 2024
3.5 stars
It’s been a while since I’ve read an orc romance but this was fun. It wasn’t groundbreaking and I’ll probably forget about it in a few weeks but the world building was solid and the main characters were interesting to follow. Kesst’s trauma was also incredibly well handled and wasn’t miraculously “sovled” just because Eft came along.
However, I did find certain passages long winded and in need of a trim. The writing style definitely fit the time period but some descriptions just seemed to go on and on and on…
I may pick up the second book at some point in the future but we'll have to see.
It’s been a while since I’ve read an orc romance but this was fun. It wasn’t groundbreaking and I’ll probably forget about it in a few weeks but the world building was solid and the main characters were interesting to follow. Kesst’s trauma was also incredibly well handled and wasn’t miraculously “sovled” just because Eft came along.
However, I did find certain passages long winded and in need of a trim. The writing style definitely fit the time period but some descriptions just seemed to go on and on and on…
I may pick up the second book at some point in the future but we'll have to see.
December 15, 2023
Audio - 5 Stars
Story - 3.5 Stars
Story - 3.5 Stars
June 1, 2022
I read an ARC of this, it’s out 6/3!
If you’ve read any of the Orc Sworn books, you probably know Kesst and/or Efterar. Eft is a healer in Orc Mountain, and Kesst is his mate with lots of social skills and political power. You can read this novella as a standalone, but to me it definitely provides background to the Orc Sworn books and the couple they BECOME - so it reads well alongside it, before, or after those books. (It takes place well before the first book in Orc Sworn, The Lady and the Orc.)
The entire book is from Kesst’s POV. I admit, I was worried about how dark this book would be, because from other books in the series we know Kesst had a rough life being meeting Eft. As a more “feminine” orc (slimmer, leaner, long hair, pretty), he was essentially raped and abused for years in exchange for his safety. Kesst learns to compartmentalize and deal with this in his own way - he refuses to see himself as a victim or victimized (as a coping tactic) and even says to Eft (trying to be careless) “It’s fine, I enjoy it.” It’s HEARTBREAKING.
This book felt much more bleak than the others. I think what saved it was we as the readers of other Orc Sworn books know what happens - that Kesst and Eft end up together, happily. But along the way it was rough!
Like I said, my heart broke for Kesst. But it also broke for Eft - who grew up among humans, who had never been touched, who had never felt desired or loved. In a defense tactic, Kesst ridicules him - using his only powers (verbal barbs) to hurt him.
They heal each other, and it’s lovely.
I think my favorite Kesst/Eft appearance in Orc Sworn was in The Maid and the Orcs, where we get much closer to both of them through Alma, the heroine. So reading this book, where scent is so heavily discussed, and comparing it to that book (iykyk) was just… tears. I think that after the beast of TMATO (haha… it looks like tomato…) at 600+ pages, I was greedy and wishing for a full length story about Kesst but honestly this was kind of the perfect size. With how dark the subject matter was, I don’t know if I could have handled a full sized book of him… pre-happiness-with-Eft. I’m just SO excited to read Orc Sworn 7, and I hope we see a lot of him in it. And Eft, giving Kesst’s brother hell for abandoning him.
There’s a line where Grimarr, hero of the first book and the Captain of Orc Mountain in Orc Sworn, tells Eft that Kesst deserves a partner who will protect him and cherish him. Uhhhhh hey Grim,
Finley Fenn is the queen of dark orc romances. I will read any orc book she writes, because I love these ridiculous overbearing orc bastards. The world she’s built is compelling because it’s so complex and well thought out, even when it’s devastating.
CW: abuse/rape, violence, war, assassin plot, murder
If you’ve read any of the Orc Sworn books, you probably know Kesst and/or Efterar. Eft is a healer in Orc Mountain, and Kesst is his mate with lots of social skills and political power. You can read this novella as a standalone, but to me it definitely provides background to the Orc Sworn books and the couple they BECOME - so it reads well alongside it, before, or after those books. (It takes place well before the first book in Orc Sworn, The Lady and the Orc.)
The entire book is from Kesst’s POV. I admit, I was worried about how dark this book would be, because from other books in the series we know Kesst had a rough life being meeting Eft. As a more “feminine” orc (slimmer, leaner, long hair, pretty), he was essentially raped and abused for years in exchange for his safety. Kesst learns to compartmentalize and deal with this in his own way - he refuses to see himself as a victim or victimized (as a coping tactic) and even says to Eft (trying to be careless) “It’s fine, I enjoy it.” It’s HEARTBREAKING.
This book felt much more bleak than the others. I think what saved it was we as the readers of other Orc Sworn books know what happens - that Kesst and Eft end up together, happily. But along the way it was rough!
Like I said, my heart broke for Kesst. But it also broke for Eft - who grew up among humans, who had never been touched, who had never felt desired or loved. In a defense tactic, Kesst ridicules him - using his only powers (verbal barbs) to hurt him.
They heal each other, and it’s lovely.
I think my favorite Kesst/Eft appearance in Orc Sworn was in The Maid and the Orcs, where we get much closer to both of them through Alma, the heroine. So reading this book, where scent is so heavily discussed, and comparing it to that book (iykyk) was just… tears. I think that after the beast of TMATO (haha… it looks like tomato…) at 600+ pages, I was greedy and wishing for a full length story about Kesst but honestly this was kind of the perfect size. With how dark the subject matter was, I don’t know if I could have handled a full sized book of him… pre-happiness-with-Eft. I’m just SO excited to read Orc Sworn 7, and I hope we see a lot of him in it. And Eft, giving Kesst’s brother hell for abandoning him.
There’s a line where Grimarr, hero of the first book and the Captain of Orc Mountain in Orc Sworn, tells Eft that Kesst deserves a partner who will protect him and cherish him. Uhhhhh hey Grim,
Finley Fenn is the queen of dark orc romances. I will read any orc book she writes, because I love these ridiculous overbearing orc bastards. The world she’s built is compelling because it’s so complex and well thought out, even when it’s devastating.
CW: abuse/rape, violence, war, assassin plot, murder
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June 3, 2022I was ecstatic to receive an early copy of this. Finely Fenn can do no wrong.
After meeting them in The Maid and the Orc I'm so happy to get Eft's and Kesst's story!
This takes place before any of the Orc Sworn books and Orc Mountain is a miserable place to be. Management is sadistic and it's every orc for himself.
Kesst isn't a fighter in the traditional sense, but he's strategic and quick and does what he needs to guarantee staying alive. Enter the new healer with familiar old magic.
I loved learning more about Kesst!!! And even though you want him not to be so prickly toward Eft, it makes sense with his history and his secrets.
This is a story about survival and finding the person who loves everything about you.
💚 MM romance
💚 Prickly orc in distress
💚 Size difference
💚 So many fluids
After meeting them in The Maid and the Orc I'm so happy to get Eft's and Kesst's story!
This takes place before any of the Orc Sworn books and Orc Mountain is a miserable place to be. Management is sadistic and it's every orc for himself.
Kesst isn't a fighter in the traditional sense, but he's strategic and quick and does what he needs to guarantee staying alive. Enter the new healer with familiar old magic.
I loved learning more about Kesst!!! And even though you want him not to be so prickly toward Eft, it makes sense with his history and his secrets.
This is a story about survival and finding the person who loves everything about you.
💚 MM romance
💚 Prickly orc in distress
💚 Size difference
💚 So many fluids
December 22, 2023
3.5⭐
I'm definitely familiar with this series, I've read a few books in the #Orc Sworn series and this series pre-dates that one in terms of events.
And precisely because that is the case - and there are readers out there who don't want to read m/f - I think the world these Orcs live in should've been much, much more explained. There was no prologue, no particular world building, so even though these books come before the #Orc Sworn series, they're written like you've already read that series and are here for the next one, so if you have no idea who these guys are, I don't think this book will impress you that much.
Should you read at least one m/f book before starting this one? Yes, absolutely.
There are also some MMF couples, but just reading the 1st book in that series should be almost enough.
🟣 Monster romance - Orcs
🟡 A war between Orcs and Humans
🔵 Orc Mountain exists already, but it's a darker place than in #Orc Sworn
🟢 MMCs are both completely gay (these guys are usually bi)
🟠 Size difference
🟣 Both MMCs are familiar with magic
🔵 Virgin/ the clan's plaything (an orc twink who's there for anyone to use)
🌶️ Spice is good, but not enough of it; t/b
The series mentioned and this book altogether are about a few clans of Orcs who reside in the Orc Mountain in the world of humans. It's not mentioned here specifically, but the Orc Mountain is a huge dwelling where plenty of these guys live, they're separated by importance or other specifics and in general these Orcs are huge, muscular, hyper-sexual, exhibitionists, they can be pretty violent and they're always looking for human females to procreate. They usually kill humans or kidnap women, but in later books that violence simmers down a bit and we also find out that females willingly have sex with Orcs, because the sex is that good, yes, and if they manage to produce a baby, the women don't really have a bright future ahead of them.
In this book Kesst is a twinkish Orc and the Ash-Kai's clan plaything, which means any important Orc in that clan can have sex with him or use him any way he wants. And he's used, plenty. Now, Kesst is a thinner Orc, so not suited for battle, but he's used almost like a slave, he's usually in the dirt, noone cares about his well-being, he has to survive and can't say no to sex - and looking at how he came to this mountain and is kept there, well, there's no way out.
Grimmar is the MMC in the first book of the Orc Sworn series and plays an important role here, because he wants to get rid of his violent father, who's in charge. Kesst and Grimmar get along really well and Grimmar brings a healer Orc to the Orc Mountain, Efterar.
Efterar spent all his time amongst humans, he's a really powerful magician actually and has come here to help get rid of the bad guys.
Kesst and Efterar have to work together and while they do, they get really attached, but surprisingly not through sex, as is most common for these Orcs, but simply through smell and magic.
Kesst and Efterar
Kesst finds the person who's really interested in him and him alone, not his willingness to do whatever they want sexually, but Efterar wants to take care of him and keep him safe, but he also really likes who Kesst is as a person. He sees him and wants him around, he's also very much willing to take Kesst on as his rightful mate, which is like a marriage between Orcs. They both don't want women, they don't want children, so during their sweet story they really commit to each other and in the end run their small hospital room together.
"And suddenly Kesst was laughing, shrill and uncontrollable, his body shuddering, his head shaking back and forth. "You utter menace," he gulped, between breaths. "You are never getting rid of me now, you realize. I am worshipping this cock until I die." Kesst is a size queen and Efterar has the biggest dick he's ever seen - and he's seen a lot of them.
Their love story was not that spectacular though, maybe it's because of the writing style that's very different. I expected more of that raw Orc energy that I remember from the m/f series, in general more events, more depth even - and considering how sex-crazed these Orcs are, I definitely expected more sex.
Anyone who's read the other books knows that m/m couplings are constantly mentioned, these guys have public man-on-man sex all the time, because they're "practicing", so there's always some Orc around who's sucking on another Orc, there's a lot going on on that mountain, so I was fairly dissapointed here.
Also the way sex was described could't be more enigmatic, or almost poetic? There's much talk about how something feels, there's a lot of shivering and withering and whatnot, not enough of just plain and simple vocabulary for having sex. And yes, it goes along with the particular writing in this series, it's a lot of physical feelings described and if you like such a thing, you'll love this, but I'm more of a black-white kind of reader and I want to know what went where in the most simplistic terms, so in that regard the smut part wasn't as satisfying for me. It was good, of course, but there could've been a lot more aswell.
I'm kind of surprised this author didn't do m/m books sooner, since these guys are sexually very open in her other series, I've read one book where the m/f couple has public sex - yes, that's totally a thing with these guys - and the guys were watching them and fucking each other in the meantime, so really hot scenarios, but we're only now getting m/m. And this book was also much shorter than the others, so I'm not really a fan so far. Let's see what the next book brings.
We meet Olarr, the MMC in the next book here, we know already all the Orcs know he's constantly meeting the same person, since he always smells the same, but since he's a great and big fighter, noone knows why he's coming back to the Orc Mountain so beaten up, so that story ought to be interesting.
I'm definitely familiar with this series, I've read a few books in the #Orc Sworn series and this series pre-dates that one in terms of events.
And precisely because that is the case - and there are readers out there who don't want to read m/f - I think the world these Orcs live in should've been much, much more explained. There was no prologue, no particular world building, so even though these books come before the #Orc Sworn series, they're written like you've already read that series and are here for the next one, so if you have no idea who these guys are, I don't think this book will impress you that much.
Should you read at least one m/f book before starting this one? Yes, absolutely.
There are also some MMF couples, but just reading the 1st book in that series should be almost enough.
🟣 Monster romance - Orcs
🟡 A war between Orcs and Humans
🔵 Orc Mountain exists already, but it's a darker place than in #Orc Sworn
🟢 MMCs are both completely gay (these guys are usually bi)
🟠 Size difference
🟣 Both MMCs are familiar with magic
🔵 Virgin/ the clan's plaything (an orc twink who's there for anyone to use)
🌶️ Spice is good, but not enough of it; t/b
The series mentioned and this book altogether are about a few clans of Orcs who reside in the Orc Mountain in the world of humans. It's not mentioned here specifically, but the Orc Mountain is a huge dwelling where plenty of these guys live, they're separated by importance or other specifics and in general these Orcs are huge, muscular, hyper-sexual, exhibitionists, they can be pretty violent and they're always looking for human females to procreate. They usually kill humans or kidnap women, but in later books that violence simmers down a bit and we also find out that females willingly have sex with Orcs, because the sex is that good, yes, and if they manage to produce a baby, the women don't really have a bright future ahead of them.
In this book Kesst is a twinkish Orc and the Ash-Kai's clan plaything, which means any important Orc in that clan can have sex with him or use him any way he wants. And he's used, plenty. Now, Kesst is a thinner Orc, so not suited for battle, but he's used almost like a slave, he's usually in the dirt, noone cares about his well-being, he has to survive and can't say no to sex - and looking at how he came to this mountain and is kept there, well, there's no way out.
Grimmar is the MMC in the first book of the Orc Sworn series and plays an important role here, because he wants to get rid of his violent father, who's in charge. Kesst and Grimmar get along really well and Grimmar brings a healer Orc to the Orc Mountain, Efterar.
Efterar spent all his time amongst humans, he's a really powerful magician actually and has come here to help get rid of the bad guys.
Kesst and Efterar have to work together and while they do, they get really attached, but surprisingly not through sex, as is most common for these Orcs, but simply through smell and magic.
Kesst and Efterar
Kesst finds the person who's really interested in him and him alone, not his willingness to do whatever they want sexually, but Efterar wants to take care of him and keep him safe, but he also really likes who Kesst is as a person. He sees him and wants him around, he's also very much willing to take Kesst on as his rightful mate, which is like a marriage between Orcs. They both don't want women, they don't want children, so during their sweet story they really commit to each other and in the end run their small hospital room together.
"And suddenly Kesst was laughing, shrill and uncontrollable, his body shuddering, his head shaking back and forth. "You utter menace," he gulped, between breaths. "You are never getting rid of me now, you realize. I am worshipping this cock until I die." Kesst is a size queen and Efterar has the biggest dick he's ever seen - and he's seen a lot of them.
Their love story was not that spectacular though, maybe it's because of the writing style that's very different. I expected more of that raw Orc energy that I remember from the m/f series, in general more events, more depth even - and considering how sex-crazed these Orcs are, I definitely expected more sex.
Anyone who's read the other books knows that m/m couplings are constantly mentioned, these guys have public man-on-man sex all the time, because they're "practicing", so there's always some Orc around who's sucking on another Orc, there's a lot going on on that mountain, so I was fairly dissapointed here.
Also the way sex was described could't be more enigmatic, or almost poetic? There's much talk about how something feels, there's a lot of shivering and withering and whatnot, not enough of just plain and simple vocabulary for having sex. And yes, it goes along with the particular writing in this series, it's a lot of physical feelings described and if you like such a thing, you'll love this, but I'm more of a black-white kind of reader and I want to know what went where in the most simplistic terms, so in that regard the smut part wasn't as satisfying for me. It was good, of course, but there could've been a lot more aswell.
I'm kind of surprised this author didn't do m/m books sooner, since these guys are sexually very open in her other series, I've read one book where the m/f couple has public sex - yes, that's totally a thing with these guys - and the guys were watching them and fucking each other in the meantime, so really hot scenarios, but we're only now getting m/m. And this book was also much shorter than the others, so I'm not really a fan so far. Let's see what the next book brings.
We meet Olarr, the MMC in the next book here, we know already all the Orcs know he's constantly meeting the same person, since he always smells the same, but since he's a great and big fighter, noone knows why he's coming back to the Orc Mountain so beaten up, so that story ought to be interesting.
August 13, 2024
3.25 stars
*sigh*
I read this as sort of a nostalgia read, because back when I was reading a lot of MF romance, I got up to book 5 (or 6 maybe?) of Finley Fenn’s Orc Sworn series.
This is a standalone MM romance that takes place in the same world, with 2 MCs- Eft and Kesst- who are a well known established mated couple in the Orc Sworn series. This takes place before the events of the first Orc Sworn book.
If you are reading this as a standalone, there’s a couple things I think you should be aware of.
1. In this world, orcs, as a species, have one gender: male. They procreate by having sex with human women and producing sons
2. The orcs are very open sexually- like, in every way you might interpret that
That’s all you really need to know for this.
This book is a lot shorter than the Orc Sworn books which are all like 500 pages at least. There is also a lot less drama, betrayal and hurtful secrets. Finley Fenn puts her FMCs THROUGH THE WRINGER to get their HEAs. There was none of that here. Not once did Eft make a secret bargain to trade Kesst to the humans in exchange for a peace treaty. And Kesst didn’t even try to use Eft as bait to instigate a war. Unbelievable. Finley Fenn went really soft on these guys.
The writing was very… okay. I don’t know if I used to just not be as picky? or if this book is inferior to the others. But it was fun.
*sigh*
I read this as sort of a nostalgia read, because back when I was reading a lot of MF romance, I got up to book 5 (or 6 maybe?) of Finley Fenn’s Orc Sworn series.
This is a standalone MM romance that takes place in the same world, with 2 MCs- Eft and Kesst- who are a well known established mated couple in the Orc Sworn series. This takes place before the events of the first Orc Sworn book.
If you are reading this as a standalone, there’s a couple things I think you should be aware of.
1. In this world, orcs, as a species, have one gender: male. They procreate by having sex with human women and producing sons
2. The orcs are very open sexually- like, in every way you might interpret that
That’s all you really need to know for this.
This book is a lot shorter than the Orc Sworn books which are all like 500 pages at least. There is also a lot less drama, betrayal and hurtful secrets. Finley Fenn puts her FMCs THROUGH THE WRINGER to get their HEAs. There was none of that here. Not once did Eft make a secret bargain to trade Kesst to the humans in exchange for a peace treaty. And Kesst didn’t even try to use Eft as bait to instigate a war. Unbelievable. Finley Fenn went really soft on these guys.
The writing was very… okay. I don’t know if I used to just not be as picky? or if this book is inferior to the others. But it was fun.
December 14, 2022
2.5⭐️
Plot ⭐️⭐️
Spice 🌶️🌶️.5
Vibes ⭐️⭐️⭐️
3rd orc POV - Kesst
This was my first read from this author and my first read in this Orc world they've created. Since this is a standalone prequel, I thought it would be just fine to start with. Unfortunately, I was wrong. We're dropped into the middle of an argument between our MCs who don't have history but yet the worldbuilding, terminology, names, hierarchies, and current political climate are expectant of us to have read the original series that this is from so I was extremely confused. But once I got my bearings, I just didn't feel the connection between our MCs either... Eft is so stoic and since we don't get his POV, all we have are inferences from Kesst, who is drowning in his own self-worth issues (which isn't to say they aren't warranted but he's just not the most reliable POV).
I will say that I absolutely loved Eft's constant check-in's in the beginning when he consistently made sure that his touch was welcome by Kesst. Since this has on page SA (to Kesst but not by Eft), it was healing to see someone care about Kesst's consent and desires. But things come to a climax and when there was a fairly large issue between Kesst and Eft, they conveniently get to put aside their issues in order to quickly save their lives against the common enemy. Then of course, all is well and they live happily ever after. Overall a quick story with some decent spice but unless you've read some of the other books in this world, it's a little too confusing and therefore distracting to start as your introduction, IMO.
Plot ⭐️⭐️
Spice 🌶️🌶️.5
Vibes ⭐️⭐️⭐️
3rd orc POV - Kesst
This was my first read from this author and my first read in this Orc world they've created. Since this is a standalone prequel, I thought it would be just fine to start with. Unfortunately, I was wrong. We're dropped into the middle of an argument between our MCs who don't have history but yet the worldbuilding, terminology, names, hierarchies, and current political climate are expectant of us to have read the original series that this is from so I was extremely confused. But once I got my bearings, I just didn't feel the connection between our MCs either... Eft is so stoic and since we don't get his POV, all we have are inferences from Kesst, who is drowning in his own self-worth issues (which isn't to say they aren't warranted but he's just not the most reliable POV).
I will say that I absolutely loved Eft's constant check-in's in the beginning when he consistently made sure that his touch was welcome by Kesst. Since this has on page SA (to Kesst but not by Eft), it was healing to see someone care about Kesst's consent and desires. But things come to a climax and when there was a fairly large issue between Kesst and Eft, they conveniently get to put aside their issues in order to quickly save their lives against the common enemy. Then of course, all is well and they live happily ever after. Overall a quick story with some decent spice but unless you've read some of the other books in this world, it's a little too confusing and therefore distracting to start as your introduction, IMO.
October 22, 2022
2.75⭐️
I’m not quite sure how to rate this, to be honest.
Overall, I enjoyed the plot and premise. I even enjoyed the characters. For a short book of only about 175 pages, both Kesst and Eft held plenty of depth. I liked them a lot.
But I had two issues and they kept me from truly being able to enjoy this book to its full potential.
Issue #1:
This book claims to be a standalone, stating you can jump into the orc world here, but I don’t think it is. I had no idea what was happening for most of the book. The writing was presumptive, like I should have already been clued in about orc scents and magic and the social tiers of this world.
I wasn’t.
I still have no clue about what orcs even are. What is this war they were fighting? Humans obviously play a big role here, but you never actually meet one or find out why. I have so many questions that are actually pretty basic, all things considered, but were never answered or even hinted at. Perhaps they’d be answered in the Orc Sworn series, but the author plainly stated it wasn’t necessary in order to enjoy this book.
I might disagree.
Issue #2:
The writing style.
Good Lord, the narrative was hard to follow. I swear that EVERY SINGLE SENTENCE of spoken dialogue was followed with an entire paragraph of internal dialogue. And SO MANY em dashes.
It went like this:
“There’s no way he can like me. I’m—“
*insert whole paragraph of internal dialogue where Kesst spirals*
“—ruined.”
*insert whole paragraph where Kesst tries to internally rebuild his defenses*
“No. No, you—“
*insert whole paragraph where Kesst dissects the emotions beneath Eft’s flickers of magic*
“—you are beautiful.”
(Repeat throughout book.)
It was so unbelievably hard to follow their actual conversation. It took me twice as long to read simply because I was constantly scrolling back trying to remember what they were even still talking about. Which, sucked since I was already confused as it was.
All in all, it’s not a book I’d recommend to anyone UNLESS you’re already familiar with the author’s Orc Sworn series or you’re willing to read it first. Then, by all means, I’m sure you’ll love it.
I’m not quite sure how to rate this, to be honest.
Overall, I enjoyed the plot and premise. I even enjoyed the characters. For a short book of only about 175 pages, both Kesst and Eft held plenty of depth. I liked them a lot.
But I had two issues and they kept me from truly being able to enjoy this book to its full potential.
Issue #1:
This book claims to be a standalone, stating you can jump into the orc world here, but I don’t think it is. I had no idea what was happening for most of the book. The writing was presumptive, like I should have already been clued in about orc scents and magic and the social tiers of this world.
I wasn’t.
I still have no clue about what orcs even are. What is this war they were fighting? Humans obviously play a big role here, but you never actually meet one or find out why. I have so many questions that are actually pretty basic, all things considered, but were never answered or even hinted at. Perhaps they’d be answered in the Orc Sworn series, but the author plainly stated it wasn’t necessary in order to enjoy this book.
I might disagree.
Issue #2:
The writing style.
Good Lord, the narrative was hard to follow. I swear that EVERY SINGLE SENTENCE of spoken dialogue was followed with an entire paragraph of internal dialogue. And SO MANY em dashes.
It went like this:
“There’s no way he can like me. I’m—“
*insert whole paragraph of internal dialogue where Kesst spirals*
“—ruined.”
*insert whole paragraph where Kesst tries to internally rebuild his defenses*
“No. No, you—“
*insert whole paragraph where Kesst dissects the emotions beneath Eft’s flickers of magic*
“—you are beautiful.”
(Repeat throughout book.)
It was so unbelievably hard to follow their actual conversation. It took me twice as long to read simply because I was constantly scrolling back trying to remember what they were even still talking about. Which, sucked since I was already confused as it was.
All in all, it’s not a book I’d recommend to anyone UNLESS you’re already familiar with the author’s Orc Sworn series or you’re willing to read it first. Then, by all means, I’m sure you’ll love it.
June 12, 2022
DNF @ 41%.
I haven’t touched this in four days, which speaks to the level of how boring I found it to be.
It’s orcs. It should be exciting, but instead I get a quick 180 into instalove and 1/3 of the book spent in a healer’s cave.
I suppose I wanted them to be more grotesque and orcish, not beautiful with magic fucking fingers.
I haven’t touched this in four days, which speaks to the level of how boring I found it to be.
It’s orcs. It should be exciting, but instead I get a quick 180 into instalove and 1/3 of the book spent in a healer’s cave.
I suppose I wanted them to be more grotesque and orcish, not beautiful with magic fucking fingers.
September 15, 2024
3.75 stars. Despite being advertised as such, this is not a standalone. Culture, habits, modesty.. how does everyone feel about them fucking in a public space? So, that's okay or...?
There's two things I wish I understood before reading:
1) public sexual encounters are fine with everyone. It's a thing. Don't worry about it.
2) Orcs have one gender (male). They only produce offspring with human women, but they can 'mate' with other male orcs.. still unclear as to whether or not this frequently includes willing (surrogates) or unwilling female (victims).
I wish the author had just included a few sentences to clear that up. It would have been less than a paragraph of information. I hate the opposite trend, where they explain the hell out of everything for 7 chapters, but all I needed was 3 or 4 succinct sentences.
How am I supposed to feel about orcs mating each other or publicly fucking for political advantage or abducting innocent human women?
Fuck if I know. I had fun, but my inquisitive ass was too confused to fully enjoy this.
There's two things I wish I understood before reading:
1) public sexual encounters are fine with everyone. It's a thing. Don't worry about it.
2) Orcs have one gender (male). They only produce offspring with human women, but they can 'mate' with other male orcs.. still unclear as to whether or not this frequently includes willing (surrogates) or unwilling female (victims).
I wish the author had just included a few sentences to clear that up. It would have been less than a paragraph of information. I hate the opposite trend, where they explain the hell out of everything for 7 chapters, but all I needed was 3 or 4 succinct sentences.
How am I supposed to feel about orcs mating each other or publicly fucking for political advantage or abducting innocent human women?
Fuck if I know. I had fun, but my inquisitive ass was too confused to fully enjoy this.
October 20, 2024
What would be Orctober without Orcs? Surprisingly (or not), this novella became my favorite part of the series. 4.5/5
May 28, 2022
This pushed all my buttons. Amazingly complex Orcs with all their shenanigans and a MM romance. Which I’m totally hyper fixating on at the moment.
If you have read the other Orc books your already familiar with Kesst and Eft but this book really explored their characters and how they came to be relationship goals in Orc Mountain.
Kesst’s view of himself is heartbreaking at times. So vulnerable and lost. I’ve always been ambivalent to Eft but he was everything that Kesst needed and I was so grateful he was there and was the perfect counter to Kesst. This book even made me appreciate and love Grim more.
The wicked orcs were just as awful as we all thought. It was bliss seeing them getting their just deserts. I’d love to read more from this time in Orc mountain and I certainly want more of the side characters. Can’t wait for the next Orc books. Finley Fenn is a genius and I love everything she writes about these Orcs.
Also do not miss the bonus chapter. It was amazing!!!
If you have read the other Orc books your already familiar with Kesst and Eft but this book really explored their characters and how they came to be relationship goals in Orc Mountain.
Kesst’s view of himself is heartbreaking at times. So vulnerable and lost. I’ve always been ambivalent to Eft but he was everything that Kesst needed and I was so grateful he was there and was the perfect counter to Kesst. This book even made me appreciate and love Grim more.
The wicked orcs were just as awful as we all thought. It was bliss seeing them getting their just deserts. I’d love to read more from this time in Orc mountain and I certainly want more of the side characters. Can’t wait for the next Orc books. Finley Fenn is a genius and I love everything she writes about these Orcs.
Also do not miss the bonus chapter. It was amazing!!!
May 14, 2025
2.5 stars. This was good! A dark (mostly in atmosphere, but also in content) high fantasy romance that takes place in the middle of an orc clan. They're at war with the humans, and while Kesst is no fighter, he makes himself useful by serving the warriors. When a new healer joins the clan, there's immediate animosity between them, especially since Kesst thinks that Eft judges him. But when Kesst is hurt, Eft takes him away to be healed, and won't suffer anyone to disturb him or compromise his healing. And a romance develops.
One thing that will ALWAYS make me soft, especially in romance, is when we have a mistreated, perhaps abused character who has been devalued and made to feel less-than, finally getting love and care and affirmation from another character. It always makes my heart full, and that's Kesst's journey with Eft. Even though it was short, it was just so sweet. Kesst isn't being abused (at least, he definitely wouldn't see it that way, since he enjoys everything he does) but he certainly is being used, and his connection with Eft is the first time he feels precious. There's a side plot where the son of the current ruler is working his way to power, and there's a, awful, mean, powerful lieutenant who feels like he owns Kesst. The social politics stuff weren't the most interesting to me, but they were serviceable enough to flesh out the world. I just liked the romance. It was lightning fast, but I expected that, since this is a novella. I do wish that the magic system weren't so... idk, wishy-washy? We only get vague details about how it works, which is generally not my preference.
The things that really brought my rating down are the kinks, lol. Which is obviously subjective! If I was into some of the stuff in this book, it'd probably be like a 3.5 verging on a 4. But I'm not into them, so it's a 2.5.
Listened to the audiobook as read by James Joseph, and I really liked it! I've listened to his narration a few times before, and he just has a voice that's pleasant in the ear. Less so with some of this material, but nevertheless! The orc language is represented by Icelandic, and I obviously can't comment on how accurate his pronunciation was, but it sounded really good to me. This world seemed interested, though the overarching plot isn't the most captivating to me. Still, I impulse bought the second book when I was only a couple chapters into this one, so I guess I'll continue the series at some point.
Content warnings:
One thing that will ALWAYS make me soft, especially in romance, is when we have a mistreated, perhaps abused character who has been devalued and made to feel less-than, finally getting love and care and affirmation from another character. It always makes my heart full, and that's Kesst's journey with Eft. Even though it was short, it was just so sweet. Kesst isn't being abused (at least, he definitely wouldn't see it that way, since he enjoys everything he does) but he certainly is being used, and his connection with Eft is the first time he feels precious. There's a side plot where the son of the current ruler is working his way to power, and there's a, awful, mean, powerful lieutenant who feels like he owns Kesst. The social politics stuff weren't the most interesting to me, but they were serviceable enough to flesh out the world. I just liked the romance. It was lightning fast, but I expected that, since this is a novella. I do wish that the magic system weren't so... idk, wishy-washy? We only get vague details about how it works, which is generally not my preference.
The things that really brought my rating down are the kinks, lol. Which is obviously subjective! If I was into some of the stuff in this book, it'd probably be like a 3.5 verging on a 4. But I'm not into them, so it's a 2.5.
Listened to the audiobook as read by James Joseph, and I really liked it! I've listened to his narration a few times before, and he just has a voice that's pleasant in the ear. Less so with some of this material, but nevertheless! The orc language is represented by Icelandic, and I obviously can't comment on how accurate his pronunciation was, but it sounded really good to me. This world seemed interested, though the overarching plot isn't the most captivating to me. Still, I impulse bought the second book when I was only a couple chapters into this one, so I guess I'll continue the series at some point.
Content warnings:
June 1, 2022
Another great addition to Finley Fenn's Orc Sworn/Orc Foraged series!! In this novella we are introduced to how the suductive and alluring Kesst finds love in Orc Mountain's new rough and not-so-suave healer Efterar. Despite Kesst's initial objections to this "stodgy, stuffy, stick-up-the-rump arse" of an orc, Kesst and Efterar are drawn strongly to one another. A romance tale that intertwines ancient magic, painful pasts and intense connections, The Sins of the Orc adds more layers to Finley Fenn's amazing Orc Sworn world!
Read
April 2, 2024DNF
Read
April 3, 2024DNF 33%. My first orc book. I feel like I’ve been dropped into outer space. Am I supposed to understand what’s happening? 😵💫
August 4, 2023
My first orc read by this author and I'm thoroughly impressed!
I'm not familiar with the world the author's built but from the little glimpse I saw in this novella? It's expansive and well thought out.
The smut is hot, the romance is sweet, and the world is brutal and messy. The writing is done well but I thought it was a touch slow and I mildly struggled to stay interested.
Overall, still solid and I can't wait to read more orcs!!
I'm not familiar with the world the author's built but from the little glimpse I saw in this novella? It's expansive and well thought out.
The smut is hot, the romance is sweet, and the world is brutal and messy. The writing is done well but I thought it was a touch slow and I mildly struggled to stay interested.
Overall, still solid and I can't wait to read more orcs!!
December 11, 2023
Reread December 2023: Reread in preparation for The Fall of the Orc, which I'm super glad I did! We briefly meet Olarr, who keeps getting "injured" while "scouting" ;) According to our gossip queen Kesst, "Never mind that he’s a brilliant fighter, and that he always seems to come back doused with the exact same scent. Not suspicious at all, right?”. I'm excited for his book next month!
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BEBC 2022 Read - July
My first read by Canadian author Finley Fenn! I think she did really well with the worldbuilding and creating these societies of different types of orcs! I can't say I've read anything too similar to it which is a big claim these days. I love the whole mountain and the different clans. I look forward to reading more of them with coming books.
Kesst definitely grew on me - by the end I adored him and understood better He definitely stayed true to character through the whole story, even with his growth and changing ways of thinking. I liked when he referred to different Orcs around the mountain by the size of their *equipment*. But I think my favorite parts were when Kesst would
I will definitely be checking out the Orc Sworn series (M/F) by the same author - looks like the first book The Lady and the Orc features Grim, and I quite liked him and his plots!
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BEBC 2022 Read - July
The new healer, Kesst decided, was an arse. A stodgy, stuffy, stick-up-the-rump arse.
My first read by Canadian author Finley Fenn! I think she did really well with the worldbuilding and creating these societies of different types of orcs! I can't say I've read anything too similar to it which is a big claim these days. I love the whole mountain and the different clans. I look forward to reading more of them with coming books.
“You utter menace,” he gulped, between breaths. “You are never getting rid of me now, you realize."
Kesst definitely grew on me - by the end I adored him and understood better He definitely stayed true to character through the whole story, even with his growth and changing ways of thinking. I liked when he referred to different Orcs around the mountain by the size of their *equipment*. But I think my favorite parts were when Kesst would
"You don't know that," he breathed. "You can't, Eft. It's only been-"
"Long enough," Eft cut in, quiet but firm, while that familiar stubbornness studded into his scent, his eyes, his mouth . "I've made up my mind, all right? And that's not changing. Not unless you say no."
I will definitely be checking out the Orc Sworn series (M/F) by the same author - looks like the first book The Lady and the Orc features Grim, and I quite liked him and his plots!
August 16, 2023
You know when you have a headache and your man is like "I've got something for that." (i.e. his dick)? Eft ACTUALLY HAS SOMETHING FOR THAT and get this: IT'S HIS DICK.
This was a sweet 'n spicy little novella and overall, I really enjoyed it. Kesst is a little brat and Eft is a softie with a big heart and an even bigger schlong; it was lovely to read their story.
This is my first Finley Fenn read and I chose it because I knew it acted as a mini-prequel to her Orc Sworn series (but mostly because it's MM, sue me) - and I went in assuming I didn't need to know much about the characters or the world-building, which I didn't. BUT, I think I would have enjoyed this a helluva lot more if I was already familiar with the characters. I think it would have been a little more meaningful to read about them and then have this quick little glimpse into their past rather than start there.
It was still a fascinating world and there's enough intrigue for me to want to read other books in the series. Which, if I do, I think I'll circle back around to this after reading some of those.
This was a sweet 'n spicy little novella and overall, I really enjoyed it. Kesst is a little brat and Eft is a softie with a big heart and an even bigger schlong; it was lovely to read their story.
This is my first Finley Fenn read and I chose it because I knew it acted as a mini-prequel to her Orc Sworn series (but mostly because it's MM, sue me) - and I went in assuming I didn't need to know much about the characters or the world-building, which I didn't. BUT, I think I would have enjoyed this a helluva lot more if I was already familiar with the characters. I think it would have been a little more meaningful to read about them and then have this quick little glimpse into their past rather than start there.
It was still a fascinating world and there's enough intrigue for me to want to read other books in the series. Which, if I do, I think I'll circle back around to this after reading some of those.
June 4, 2022
Perfect. Just perfect. Just like Kesst.
I came in looking forward to learning about Kesst and Efterar’s love story and I walked out wanting to reread the series again to look for scenes for my new favorite couple LOL!
Eft was just amazing. He was so obviously smitten and adored Kesst, so patient and always checking in and seeking consent. Validating Kesst and not letting him talk badly about his best patient. ❤️
Hands down my new absolute favorite of the series.
And Finley Fenn told no lies when she said Kesst’s first time with Efterar was a good fun time. Chapter 13. That’s all I’ll say.
Also, Finley does an absolute amazing job at writing angst and tearing up the heart strings. The betrayal that you kinda know is coming but not sure how the gift is wrapped up or how it’s gonna be presented. The misunderstanding, the groveling. Just chef’s kiss.
I know Finley’s orc series is popping but I wonder if she’ll ever go back to her mage series because it’s SOOO good you guys.
I came in looking forward to learning about Kesst and Efterar’s love story and I walked out wanting to reread the series again to look for scenes for my new favorite couple LOL!
Eft was just amazing. He was so obviously smitten and adored Kesst, so patient and always checking in and seeking consent. Validating Kesst and not letting him talk badly about his best patient. ❤️
Hands down my new absolute favorite of the series.
And Finley Fenn told no lies when she said Kesst’s first time with Efterar was a good fun time. Chapter 13. That’s all I’ll say.
Also, Finley does an absolute amazing job at writing angst and tearing up the heart strings. The betrayal that you kinda know is coming but not sure how the gift is wrapped up or how it’s gonna be presented. The misunderstanding, the groveling. Just chef’s kiss.
I know Finley’s orc series is popping but I wonder if she’ll ever go back to her mage series because it’s SOOO good you guys.
June 4, 2022
Kesst has been my favorite since the Lady and the Orc. Getting to see Eft and Kesst relationship evolve was wonderful, we already know our healer and story teller but we learn so much more about both of them. I just knew I'd love their story but Finley really exceeded my expectations. We still have a bit of deviousness from our orcs and get to see some familiar faces (if you've read the orc sworn series) along the way, it was a bit darker but that was to be expected since this was set in the past.
Now this is a stand alone and can be read on its own, but I would suggest starting with the Lady and the Orc if you haven't yet read those. This is more of prequel set in the same mountain several years earlier. So I suppose it could be read before the others, either way you can't go wrong with any of them. At this point I will gladly read anything about these orcs and their mountain lol.
Now this is a stand alone and can be read on its own, but I would suggest starting with the Lady and the Orc if you haven't yet read those. This is more of prequel set in the same mountain several years earlier. So I suppose it could be read before the others, either way you can't go wrong with any of them. At this point I will gladly read anything about these orcs and their mountain lol.
June 6, 2022
3.5/5
I read the Orc Sworn series and mostly enjoyed it. The world building is interesting, the smut is monster-y (with copious scenting and fluids), and the writing is solid. This prequel took Kesst and Eft, the healers, and showed us their beginning. I really enjoyed both characters. The tropes were really well done with them (magic to make it fit?!) and this had buckets of hurt/comfort. Though Kesst’s low sense of self worth was definitely amended by how he was seen through Eft’s eyes he also came to some important conclusions on his own. Surprisingly emotional and plotty for its length without overdoing it. I think this does work as a standalone and I really hope the author continues writing MM in their Orc universe.
I read the Orc Sworn series and mostly enjoyed it. The world building is interesting, the smut is monster-y (with copious scenting and fluids), and the writing is solid. This prequel took Kesst and Eft, the healers, and showed us their beginning. I really enjoyed both characters. The tropes were really well done with them (magic to make it fit?!) and this had buckets of hurt/comfort. Though Kesst’s low sense of self worth was definitely amended by how he was seen through Eft’s eyes he also came to some important conclusions on his own. Surprisingly emotional and plotty for its length without overdoing it. I think this does work as a standalone and I really hope the author continues writing MM in their Orc universe.
November 27, 2022
You’re the most beautiful of them all, you know. Gods, you should see yourself.
I continue to read these out of order and I don’t care. I’m such a mode reader and this is the mood. It’s a bit chaotic at the moment but I’m finally reading again.
Kesst and Efterar are so ridiculously cute together. I loved how much they loved each other. I struggle with shorter stories and in this case it was out of greediness. I wanted more of them. I really liked the plot twist with both of their magics. Wow. That was quite unexpected and also pretty cool.
I continue to read these out of order and I don’t care. I’m such a mode reader and this is the mood. It’s a bit chaotic at the moment but I’m finally reading again.
Kesst and Efterar are so ridiculously cute together. I loved how much they loved each other. I struggle with shorter stories and in this case it was out of greediness. I wanted more of them. I really liked the plot twist with both of their magics. Wow. That was quite unexpected and also pretty cool.
Read
June 16, 2022I’m not really sure what to say about this one. I didn’t vibe with the writing style so I found it hard to read. Luckily it wasn’t long and mainly just smut instead of plot so I was able to get through it. Does have some darker themes such as depression, thoughts of suicide, using s3x to get ahead (no shaming but some parts of the act seemed violent and didn’t read as consensual, which falls into dark themes for me), murder and probably some others I’m forgetting.
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