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Are there any ork novels that are told by orks point of view? Also are there any book that contain a lot of ork concept art possibly colored (I'm pretty sure pictures gw uses in cedexes originally have color).

thx in advance.

There's Deff Skwadron.

That has to be any editor's worst nightmare...

Deff Skwadron is something I recommend to all players, not just Ork fans. It's one of the best pieces of lore in the entirety of 40k.

There's a comic, Blood and Thunder I believe it's called. It's mostly told from an Ork perspective.

Basically an Imperial Guardsmen gets captured by the Orks and is used as a pet by a lowly Ork boy who gradually rises to the position of Warboss. While the Guardsmen watches this evolution, most of the story is told from the Ork perspective. It's quite good.

All the Guardsmen really does for most of the story is provide Rorshach-like diary entries on how filthy and vile the Ork race is between chapters.

I look at Black Library's website and I didn't find a book called "blood and thunder" also the deff skwadron is out of production.

Deff Skwadron is free:
http://www.cold-moon.com/40k/Deff%20Skwadron/deff_skwadron.htm

Can't think of any full-length novels, but Imperial Glory has a chapter written entirely from the perspective of an Ork from emerging from his pod to becoming Warboss.

illuknisaa wrote:I look at Black Library's website and I didn't find a book called "blood and thunder" also the deff skwadron is out of production.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_and_Thunder_(comics)

I'm going to bookmark that comic. Brilliant.


You get a lot of that kind of thing in 3rd edition ork books. Was WAAAGH!: da orks the background one or was it the other one? But still they are both brilliant reads.

The short story Iron Inferno, by C.L. Werner, from the collection Fear the Alien, edited by Christian Dunn. It is billed as "the first ever ork viewpoint story." (According to the back of the book.) I found it to be massively disappointing.

Here's why.



I for one would love to see a legitimate story that has more of an orky view, but have thus far been disappointed.

I know Orks are in Rynn's World, but is there any part of it from their point of view?

Some books do have moments where it focuses on orks

But apparently BT authors think orks=gorillas with guns so theres little characterization

kenshin620 wrote:Some books do have moments where it focuses on orks

But apparently BT authors think orks=gorillas with guns so theres little characterization

Be completely honest.

How often does an Ork actually develop beyond comic relief? You have a few stand-out cases like Ghazghkull, but for the most part, Orks are so simple and comical that a compelling story rife with tension and character develop simply doesn't happen, not when Ork lives are treated as comically expendable even by the Orks.

I personally think a story from the viewpoint of a Gretchin would be very interesting though.

Though, thanks for the link to Deff Skwadron Melissia, didn't know it was free. Will be sure to read.

zilegil wrote:You get a lot of that kind of thing in 3rd edition ork books. Was WAAAGH!: da orks the background one or was it the other one? But still they are both brilliant reads.

I presume you mean 1st edition rather than 3rd, but yes, Waaargh the Orks is a highly entertaining read. Freebooterz and 'Ere We Go are more rules (and random tables) heavy, but contain plenty of amusing background.

Void__Dragon wrote:How often does an Ork actually develop beyond comic relief?

Frequently, if you don't think of them as comic relief to begin with.

Look at my Groknar character, for example (in the Dakka Fluff section).

It basically is a story of him developing as a warboss, learning new things, encountering challenges and either succeeding or failing, and always trying to become a stronger and smarter warboss.

I'm tempted to go into more depth in a single story of one of the wars he was involved in (namely the one where he conquered a hive city and conscripted gangers into his war for the lulz).

A decent Ork novel could be written, but in order to maintain a straight face the character of the Orks might have to change slightly in order to be taken seriously.

I don't know if I want my perception of Ork comic relief to change... it's the reason I like 'em. You can only 'grim dark' so much before it gets tedious.

IMO Orks are comic relief, while still being grimdark if you look at how they actually conduct business.

Oh my god. I think I love Deff Skwadron, and I'm only halfway through.

On topic though, I do not know any good novels. I love Orks mostly for their humour, and if you took that out, what would be left? Some grim, rather stupid but somehow still technologically.. advanced race of thugs.

Skylifter wrote:Oh my god. I think I love Deff Skwadron, and I'm only halfway through.

On topic though, I do not know any good novels. I love Orks mostly for their humour, and if you took that out, what would be left? Some grim, rather stupid but somehow still technologically.. advanced race of thugs.

Simple. They'd be a race of alien technobarbarians whom are led by a few (usually) highly intelligent and (always) powerful warlords, with every Ork having the possibility of becoming a warlord themselves through luck, aggression, intelligence and skill.

I think that it would be very difficult for a single ork character to carry a novel all by themselves. I think that a legitimate 'orky' novel could be written, however. They say flat out that orks take slaves, work as mercenaries, and trade with fringe Imperial groups. Any of these situations would provide a better opportunity to examine ork characters in greater detail, through the eyes of a more relatable, human, character.

Jimsolo wrote:I think that it would be very difficult for a single ork character to carry a novel all by themselves. I think that a legitimate 'orky' novel could be written, however. They say flat out that orks take slaves, work as mercenaries, and trade with fringe Imperial groups. Any of these situations would provide a better opportunity to examine ork characters in greater detail, through the eyes of a more relatable, human, character.

It'd be pretty boring because you'd only examine the human's interpretations of it.

It wouldn't be THAT difficult to write an interesting Ork character. Certainly they'd be more interesting than most Marine characters simply because of how different their morals are than what we'd expect.

There is a book, not 40K-related though similar in some ways, called "Orks!". It is about a band of Orks who, in delving through a dragon's horde, come across some... artifacts. Some... asynchronous artifacts. Artifacts like... tanks. Fighter-Bombers. Assault rifles. Things like that. In a swords-and-sorcery world.

It's pretty hilarious.

That book was awesome (but I think the title was Grunts) for an ork(c) point of view story. Ashnak was a great orky character. You should also check out Orcs by Stan Nicholls. Nicholls work is okay if you don't mind some heavy handed anti-American political commentary.