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Books Like Orcs: First Blood

6 books to read after Orcs: First Blood by Stan Nicholls, sorted by what you loved about it.

6 books By Sandro Andreatta, historian Updated
Cover of Orcs: First Blood

You loved

Orcs: First Blood

Stan Nicholls

Stryke leads the Wolverines, an orc warband including Coilla, Haskeer, Jup and Alfray. Maras-Dantia, a secondary world populated by humans, orcs, elves, dwarves and other peoples.

English omnibus of the First Blood trilogy; individual opening volume is Bodyguard of Lightning.

Get your personal match

If you loved: a warband’s loyalty and brutality

Cover of The Black CompanyThe Black Company

The Black Company

Glen Cook Start with Start with The Black Company; the early sequence continues with Shadows Linger and The White Rose.

Editorial match

What it is
Croaker, male physician and annalist of a mercenary company. Secondary-world conflict involving a mercenary company and powerful sorcerous rulers.
Why it fits
Both centre military groups operating inside morally compromised wars.
The difference
The Black Company is a human mercenary chronicle; Orcs reverses the usual monster viewpoint.

On the shelfSee who recommends it

If you loved: violent fantasy from compromised viewpoints

The First Law — original trilogy

Joe Abercrombie Start with The Blade Itself; trilogy continues with Before They Are Hanged and Last Argument of Kings.

Editorial match

What it is
Ensemble, prominently male veterans/officers and an inquisitor; not a single-protagonist story. Secondary-world kingdoms, warfare and government intrigue; exact historical-period label not assigned.
Why it fits
Cynicism, war and morally compromised characters offer a clear tonal bridge.
The difference
Orcs uses a more conventional action-adventure structure and a nonhuman viewpoint.

If you loved: a war-scarred world with irreverent voices

Cover of The Blacktongue ThiefThe Blacktongue Thief

The Blacktongue Thief

Christopher Buehlman Start with Blacktongue, volume 1.

Editorial match

What it is
Kinch, a male thief; Galva is a prominent female veteran companion, not the narrator. Secondary-world journey through a landscape shaped by goblin wars.
Why it fits
Travel, violence and dark humour connect the settings.
The difference
Kinch is a thief on a journey; Orcs follows a disciplined warband.

On the shelfSee who recommends it

If you loved: monster-facing fantasy adventure

Cover of TrollslayerTrollslayer

Trollslayer

William King Start with Gotrek & Felix opening volume; also collected in The First Omnibus.

My pick Editorial match

What it is
Gotrek, a dwarf Slayer, and his human companion Felix. Warhammer Fantasy’s Old World.
Why it fits
Warhammer’s orcs and monsters offer a direct adjacent route to brutal creature-centred adventure.
The difference
Gotrek and Felix are episodic roaming heroes; Orcs gives the warband its own political identity.

On the shelfSee who recommends it

If you loved: fantasy peoples in a threatened realm

Cover of The DwarvesThe Dwarves

The Dwarves

Markus Heitz Start with The Dwarves, book one; English edition of Die Zwerge.

Editorial match

What it is
Tungdil, a dwarf blacksmith raised among humans. Girdlegard, protected by a dwarven gateway now threatened with breach.
Why it fits
Dwarves, orcs and large-scale warfare make the species conflict legible from another angle.
The difference
Heitz centres a dwarf hero and epic defence rather than an orc warband.

If you loved: a soldier shaped by war

Cover of The Rage of DragonsThe Rage of Dragons

The Rage of Dragons

Evan Winter Start with First of The Burning; publisher also lists The Fires of Vengeance.

Editorial match

What it is
Tau, a young male fighter without the elite’s gifts. African-inspired fantasy with a Bronze Age framing.
Why it fits
Military action, revenge and a disciplined fighting culture make this the strongest human-led route.
The difference
The protagonist is a human outsider and the setting’s magic and social structure differ.

On the shelfSee who recommends it

FAQ

What should I read after Orcs: First Blood?

It depends on what you loved about it. For a warband’s loyalty and brutality: The Black Company by Glen Cook. For violent fantasy from compromised viewpoints: The First Law — original trilogy by Joe Abercrombie. For a war-scarred world with irreverent voices: The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman.

How many books like Orcs: First Blood are on this page?

6 books, grouped by what readers loved about Orcs: First Blood. Each one says why it fits, what is different and who backs the recommendation.

How this list is made: every match comes from Sandro's research catalog, which records who recommends what (book creators, readers, book sites) and an editorial comparison of what each book offers. Matches marked "Editorial match" are his own comparison. Recommendations cannot be bought.