The Weight of Blood

The Half-Orcs, Book 1

By: David Dalglish

Narrated by: C.J. McAllister

Fantasy author David Dalglish begins his series of the half-orc brothers, whose struggles will soon bathe the land of Dezrel in demon fire....

Five hundred years ago, brother gods devastated their world with civil war. When they were imprisoned, their conflict ended without a victor. Centuries passed while their followers secretly continued the war, a war that will soon have an end. The gods have found their paragons.

When half-bloods Harruq and Qurrah Tun pledged their lives to the death prophet Velixar, they sought only escape from their squalid beginnings. Instead they become his greatest disciples, charged with leading his army of undead. While they prepare, Harruq trains with an elf named Aurelia, to whom he owes his life. She is a window into a better world, but as war spreads between the races, their friendship takes a dire turn.

Velixar orders them to fight alongside the humans, changing Aurelia from friend to foe. To protect her, Harruq must turn against his brother and fight the killing nature of his orcish heritage. To side with one means to turn on another. No matter Harruq's decision, someone he loves will die.

©2010 David Dalglish (P)2016 David Dalglish

This is where it started for me!

I found David Dalglish on accident and started with this novel as my first. His style is quick paced and the story moves quickly as you get thrown into a world as if the reader is familiar. It's not difficult to follow and soon enough, things do get familiar.

I'm writing a review now that I have finished reading all of his books here so far, and coming right out of "Dance of Chaos" into the first line of this book was exhilarating.

There are a lot of books to go through, but the pay-off was incredible. I started with Half-Orcs and then went to the World Breaker series. After that, Paladins, and then Shadowdance. I've also gotten my friends to get into it and we've all read in different orders and it's exciting to see the different ways we each reacted to these separate, but interlocked characters.

Half-Orcs can be a lot to go through for the first time, but I think if you like it enough, keep going to Dalglish's other books!

Additionally, this is actually my favorite narrator across all the books and I was sad to never see him come back. It's something to be extra excited about in my second listen.

This book serves as the background to the characters you meet in this series and helps to expand upon familiar characters to Dalglish's other books. It's a dark tale of redemption that has to start somewhere.

Wonderful dark fantasy with true anti-heroes

I was given this book for free in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This book is truly dark, but well written and recorded. The characters are nearly irredeemable, but it was still enjoyable to hear their tale. This series could truth or really incredible, and I'm definitely looking forward to more.

Dark, Indeed

This is a dark book about orphaned, sold half-orc brothers. One is darkness, not wanting the light side of his elven heritage. One is lightness, being elven in his heart but following his brother's darkness out of love and guilt. They are two halves of a whole, I think, even to their names which are mirror images of each other. Harruq and Qurrah find a dark master to follow and do his bidding without question until Harruq's elven heart falls in love.

I don't usually like books with children being hurt, even murdered. This book was no exception and I didn't like it and wanted to stop listening during the darker parts. But I am intrigued by the author's promise of redemption and by the world he has created so I will look for more in this series. I am hopeful for Harruq and leery of Qurrah and the good in the story is muddled enough that I am not sure which side is good and which side is evil yet. I'll follow my curiosity and find out more.

The narration was good and the voices were well done. Velixar was too low for me but the rest were varied and reflected the characters' personalities well.

I received this audiobook for free through Audiobook Boom! in exchange for an honest review.

it isn't an toe nil

it's an tone null you uncultured swine my father made the man in his image of which David asked permission to use

Dark without the gore

While there is true evil, murder and slaughter it’s not super gory. Love the story, but it took me some time to get into it….. I couldn’t stop at the end. I wanna know more and NEED another book.


Possible spoiler
- does the robe beckon him to the master?
- or maybe the robe makes the person truly evil
- do the red eyes seek a body in the robe
- will brothers unite or fight
So many more questions but trying to still be vague here…..

I love this story!

The only complaint I have is the narrator’s voice was hard to get used to, two characters have deep voices and the narrator voice is already deep so it’s hard to tell what’s happening and who is talking. Again I love the story!!! It’s amazing and have read them many times!

Slow Start, Hoping Second One Like Ending

The Weight of Blood tells the story of 2 brothers who happen to be Half-Orcs. When they were young, they were sold. Qurrah had a much tougher life then Harruq, but they eventually found each other again. They had to fight, steal, etc to eke out a living. We learn that Harruq is a large warrior while Qurrah is a necromancer. They fight along humans in the beginning of the story but run into Velxar, who continues to haunt/message Qurrah in his dreams. They final agree to join with him.
The author does a good job of world building but at times it seems to be slow and dragging. Near the end of the book, with the training of Aurelia, the attack and the ending, it was better written, not as slow. I will try the next book to see if the slowness was due to the world building. I have read good things about David, I am guessing that this might have been his first series.

The narrator did a decent job. At some points, he was a little monotone or it could be hard to get who was speaking.

The weight of blood

A lot of books have sword or knife fights, war, battle, death; but here the author David Dalglish expertly brings every emotion to life. You may read reviews that label this work dark, because you feel , while other books just tell the story. This could not happen without the talented CJMcAllister giving such a great performance. The story takes you into the lives of two brothers , their paths are different but tied together. There is magic, mystery, action, sadness, and love all mixed together.

💕

Awesome Book, Thanks Dre for reading this book with me and escaping our lives for a bit...Momi Rain

Dalglish never disappoints

I am a recent fan of his other series such as Soulkeeper, and the shadow dances, and I have to say this has not disappointed me thus far. I look forward to to seeing more of the amazing world he has built us, and those who inhabit it