Orcs

Sent to fetch a magical relic, Stryke, the Orc captain of the Wolverines, discovers that his band is being hunted not only by his usual enemies (humans, hostile Orc tribes, etc.) but by his queen, Jennesta, the very one who had sent him on the mission. Evading enemies, fighting in foreign territories, and acquiring additional magical relics are the only means he and his fellow orcs have of surviving. The more than 20 hours of listening (this production includes the entire Orc trilogy and a bonus short story) finds a perfect vessel in John Lee's deep, rhythmic, reverberating voice with its quirky mix of Irish and English accents. The book offers eclectic characters of different age, sexes, and species, but Lee provides distinct voices for each, shifting from description to action and from character to character flawlessly. An Orbit paperback.(Dec.)