Reviews - The Midwife and the Orc

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There’s a buoyance to The Midwife and the Orc, a sense of lightness like the sunny gardens that Joarr and Gwyn both love. This fifth entry in Fenn’s Orc Sworn series is my favorite to date because of Joarr’s lighthearted nature, Gwyn strength and versatility, and the way it shares more about the orc clan skirted around in previous books, the Bautul.

Joarr is a jokester, with a wry, understated sense of humor that is decidedly in contrast to other orc heroes in this series. His devotion to and interest in Gwyn is marvelous. I really loved how he listened to every request that Gwyn made and worked to respect them. (Of course, he meets only the letter of her requests because he has his secrets, as the orcs do in this series.)

And Gwyn was marvelous! She’s bright and talented, yet a woman who doesn’t realize her full worth, particularly when it comes to her looks and her personal appeal. She takes refuge in skills as a midwife and herbwoman. Joarr is her counterpart in this, with a love of plants and mushrooms that matches Gwyn perfectly. And how Joarr and Gwyn each adapt to the unexpected things thrown their way is one of the delights of The Midwife and the Orc.

Then there is the continued danger to the orcs, in part brought about the brute-force mentality of Joarr’s new clan, the Bautul. Seeing Joarr’s struggle with a fundamental shift in his identity was fascinating. There’s also a welcome revisit to Silfast and Stella (the focus of a novella by Fenn), who need to adjust not only their relationship but his management of the Bautul clan.

The world of Orc Sworn is one where the orcs strategize for the long term, working against the machinations of humans who would love them to be gone from the world. The humans in this book are on the periphery, and I loved the focus on the orc world, only bringing in humans for those moments the plot required it. The Midwife and the Orc worked on all levels for me, flourishing just like Gwyn and Joarr’s gardens.

angilooney's review against another edition

5.0

Loved this story and this couple so much! By far my favorite of the series. I know it’s Orcs but this story felt more *relatable*. Loved that the FMC was such a strong character and brought a lot to the relationship/clan.