“The Orc Way”
Tom Doolan
Kindle ebook $0.99

Tom Doolan returns with another short story about Orcs.  (His previous work is reviewed here, here, and here.)  This story is a sequel to “Pekra”.  It’s a worthy addition to the series.

The setup is basically simple, although the resolution turns out not to be.  Gortek, Pekra’s mate, is part of a group of Orcs dispatched to kidnap a Dwarf.  The problem is that Kagan is in charge rather than Gortek, and Kagan is just stupid enough to be dangerous.  And that can get them killed. 

Things don’t go according to plan.  This is both bad and good and sets up a number of potential storylines for future installments in the series.  This is a short story, so I don’t want to give too many details away.

One of the things I liked best about this tale is that Doolan didn’t confine himself to a single viewpoint.  Instead we see things from multiple viewpoints, including some of the Dwarves.  This added a layer of depth to the story because it gave us a glimpse of Dwarven society.  There are some intriguing thins going on there.

As I’ve come to expect from one of Doolan’s stories, there is plenty of well choreographed action, the pacing is good, and the characters are more than cardboard cutouts.  With this installment, Doolan appears to be laying the groundwork for a strong and interesting series.  Check it out.