The Grey Bastards

A Novel

By: Jonathan French

Narrated by: Will Damron

“[A] fantasy masterwork.... A dirty, blood-soaked gem of a novel [that reads] like Mad Max set in Tolkien's Middle Earth. A fantasy masterwork." (Kirkus Reviews - starred review)

Jackal and his fellow half-orcs patrol the barren wastes of the Lot Lands, spilling their own damned blood to keep civilized folk safe. A rabble of hard-talking, hog-riding, whore-mongering brawlers they may be, but the Bastards are Jackal's sworn brothers, fighting at his side in a land where there's no room for softness.

And once Jackal's in charge - as soon as he can unseat the Bastards' tyrannical, seemingly unkillable founder - there's a few things they'll do different. Better.

Or at least, that's the plan. Until the fallout from a deadly showdown makes Jackal start investigating the Lot Lands for himself. Soon, he's wondering if his feelings have blinded him to ugly truths about this world and the Bastards' place in it.

In a quest for answers that takes him from decaying dungeons to the front lines of an ancient feud, Jackal finds himself battling invading orcs, rampaging centaurs, and grubby human conspiracies alike - along with a host of dark magics so terrifying they'd give even the heartiest Bastard pause.

Finally, Jackal must ride to confront a threat that's lain in wait for generations, even as he wonders whether the Bastards can - or should - survive.

Delivered with a generous wink to Sons of Anarchy, featuring sneaky-smart worldbuilding and gobs of fearsomely foul-mouthed charm, The Grey Bastards is a grimy, pulpy, masterpiece - and a raunchy, swaggering, cunningly clever adventure that's like nothing you've heard before.

Praise for The Grey Bastards“Saddle up the war boar and set off on a wild, gory thrill-ride that ends in an awesome climax and begs for a sequel.” (Daily Mail, UK)

“Non-stop action, though not for faint hearts.... The Grey Bastards live up to their name in all respects.” (The Wall Street Journal)

©2018 Jonathan French (P)2018 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"A filthy, charismatic and frankly excellent read." (Mark Lawrence, international best-selling author of Prince of Thorns and Red Sister)

“A funny thing happens when reading The Grey Bastards. You’re rolling along, smiling at the novelties on display, but then, almost without warning, you find yourself truly in the world French has created, and it all becomes wonderfully familiar and convincing. The world-building creates exactly the kind of seamless transition that makes fantasy literature compelling, informative, and just plain fun.” (R.A. Salvatore, New York Times best-selling author of The Legend of Drizzt)

"French flips the fantasy script as the monsters become the good guys, fueling an action-packed, sneakily smart adventure. Half orc and all badass, Jackal is a hero you won't soon forget." (Scott Sigler, New York Times best-selling author of Alive and Infected)

"Refashions high-fantasy tropes into something both vibrant and highly entertaining..a fantasy take on Sons of Anarchy might seem an unlikely starting point for an excellent novel, but Jonathan French manages it with considerable aplomb." (Anthony Ryan, New York Times best-selling author of the Raven's Shadow trilogy)

Masterful, riveting, exciting

In ‘The Grey Bastards’, Jonathan French has built us a world that is harsh to the inhabitants and keeps us riveted to the story. The land is populated by orcs, half orcs, centurions, fae, a religious society of humans, and frails (humans). After a great war, the land is divided into lots. Many of the humans live in settlements under the protection of the half orcs.

It is a very male, misogynistic dominated society. The half manta orcs patrol the land boarders and protect the humans from invasions by the orcs and centurions. The life cycle of the society revolves around fighting, riding, mentoring young boys to fight, caring for mounts, strengthening the camaraderie among the riders and sex. Their mantra is live in the saddle, die on the hog. The hog is the beast the warriors ride. There are a lot of dick jokes and the word f**k is used as a verb, noun and adjective. It is a world of brawn vs brains and penises over vaginas.

The main characters are childhood friends Jackal, Fetching and Oats. Jackal is the brains with the desire for change. Oats is the brawn with the size to rival an orc. Fetching is the only female rider and has a take no prisoners attitude. Their actions at a brothel precipitate the story.

It is a fast-paced story with plenty of action, there is all kinds of banter and the plot is not predictable.

“This is the buzz you are looking for!”

A fresh take on old tropes — not an easy task. Mr. French delivers with a story that is both creative and well-told.

Best Book on Audible!!

I’ve never been into Fantasy style books but I was a huge fan of the tv series Sons of Anarchy, which this book is (very) loosely based on. I’ve listened to this book 3x since purchasing it and I can’t wait until the next audiobook drops later this year. If you’ve been on the fence about getting into the “fantasy” style books this one would be the absolute best to pop your cherry!!

Deliciously dark

i could not stop listening to this. Bastards really hit the spot with dark and playfull humour. indeed who wouldn't be happy as two dicked boar if our cocks learned to suck themselves

Flawless

most days, after a long day in the salt mines the only thing I want to put in my ears is grandmother's icepick. I then found The Grey Bastards and now there are two things. for fans of Joe Abercrombie, Scott Lynch, Sam Sykes, and any other authors of dark, gritty fantasy with. an oxcart full of black humor and well defined and represented characters. this nifty collection of words elicited many genuine LOLs from me and I quickly became invested in these wonderfully unique half orc antiheros. Author has created a refreshingly new fantasy world that I can not get enough of. buy this book.

Get ready for a wild ride!

What a wild hog ride this story is. Lots of raunchy fun, intermingled with political power plays, and deception galore.
I can say I can't remember a slow spot in this uniquely original escape from reality. How can I explain a book about half-orcs riding around on hogs, supposedly protecting the lands from invading orcs and centaurs. Adding to that a dubious wizard, a captive elf girl, a plague ridden chieftain, some of the foulest-mouthed dialogue I've heard, and ending up with a memorable tale you just have to experience.

different and very good!

The tagline caught my eye for a book for my boyfriend. A chapter in, he insisted I listen too. I'm very glad I did.

Agitating yet Great and Gritty

Very fun and exciting! loved it! only reason I didn't give 5 stars was that I felt there were a few minor plot holes. The gritty and grim humor was my favorite part. Unfortunately though, I predicted most of the small character outcomes. Although one character threw me a loop and blindsided me. That being said I cant wait for the next one!

Gritty... believable... compelling...

Loved this novel! Gritty world with harsh realities and characters that seem realistic. They have flaws and perspectives and even impure motives. Tough dangerous protagonists that don't have all the answers... hell they don't even have all the questions....so refreshing to have a fantasy novel where the characters are competent yet not omniscient. We like to see the heros deal with real-world problems like a real person and not like an idealized caricature. This is a great story, well-executed and paced exactly right. The story leaves you wanting more while still wrapping up everything that happens nicely enough so that there's no resort to the cheap trick of a cliffhanger. I will definitely be buying the next books in the series and looking forward to enjoying them and hopefully many, many more works from this author.

The bastards hold a special place in my heart

Narration was perfect! The story was very well told, and the struggle between hardass and hero was great. Arguably some of the decisions were made with too much emotion for a battle hardened warrior, but oh well still a great book. Highly recommend