The Grey Bastards

Starred review from May 7, 2018
This terrific and highly original epic fantasy debut focuses on a single small fighting unit: the boar-riding half-orc war band known as the Grey Bastards, “forged in the heat of Ul-wundulas, tempered by the pressure of the badlands, and quenched in the brackish water of life on the hoof.” The coarse nature of French’s half-orcs is immediately on display in the opening scene, in which Grey Bastards Jackal, Oats, and Fetching face off against a squad of human cavalry at the local brothel. A raid by full-blooded orcs, the arrival of an unknown half-orc wizard dubbed “Crafty,” and a confrontation in a nearby swamp with the Sludge Man and some “giant, featureless leeches made of tar” are just the beginning for Jackal and his mixed-gender crew. Meanwhile, the band’s leader, Claymaster, has been crafting nefarious schemes with unclear ends. The plots within and around the Grey Bastards add elements of mystery to the scenes of bloody combat and weird magics. French’s prose, appropriately lowbrow among the half-orcs, is almost poetic at other times. His half-orcs, halflings, centaurs, and others have rich histories and folklore, giving the work depth while never getting in the way of the fun. This is excellent fantasy fare on all levels. Agent: Cameron McClure, Donald Maass Literary.

September 1, 2018

War with the Hisparthan Empire a generation ago left the Lot Lands as desolate, dangerous badlands, inhabited by small settlements of orcs, half-orcs, elves, and halflings, jealously guarding their borders against raids by the other races. The half-orc Jackal of the Grey Bastards grew up here, riding patrol on his warthog with his partners Oats and Fetching, under the command of the elderly ailing clan chief the Claymaster. Before the dust settles, Jackal will have to cope with betrayals of loyalty, carnivorous sludge monsters, mad centaur hordes, ancient divinities, sorcerous plagues, crafty wizards, and a coming war that may overrun the Lot Lands. Narrator Will Damron does an expert job with this title, bringing Jackal and his cohorts alive with a variety of subtle voices and varying accents. VERDICT This high-octane, high-testosterone fantasy with dirty-handed but loyal heroes is in the vein of Joe Abercrombie's "First Law" novels, Richard Kadrey's "Sandman Slim" books, and Mark Lawrence's "Broken Empire," but it's less grimdark and more optimistic. ["This gritty debut takes the swords and sorcery trope to new heights; a must for epic fantasy enthusiasts": LJ 6/15/18 starred review of the Crown hc.]--Jason Puckett, Georgia State Univ. Lib., Atlanta

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