Orc is a dirty word. A cursed race. The only race without magic
Yet the elvish woman assures Orzah that she belongs at Bixarth Sanctuary; a magic school for orphans. And so they ride across the war torn wasteland, away from the pailiken fate she would soon face.
Apparently this knack for gossip weaving is called speechcraft. It isn't magic, but it isn't NOT magic either, whatever that means.
Inside Bixarth is a life Orzah never imagined was real. Food in abundance, physical security, and books galore!
Plus, the chance to choose her own fate.
And to think she'd been hesitant to come!
But though she'd spun webs of words around the orcs, speechcraft alone would not be enough in Bixarth. All of her peers had come in years younger than her, leaving her far behind academically.
The hierarchy here is also very different, making her an outcast in what should be a family.
If she cannot prove to the leaders of Bixarth that she is dedicated to more than her own interests, Orzah may be expelled and left alone in the world.
Join Orzah as she explores this new life and digs into the moral differences she finds there, questioning what she has been taught and seen lived out. Orcish Outlier invites YA readers to think more deeply about what the world says is true and moral.
A Parent Disclaimer is available for the parents who can't keep up with their voracious young adult readers. Find it at authoress-raven-shadowheart.com