The Grey Bastards: A Novel (The Lot Lands)

"[A] fantasy masterwork . . . a dirty, blood-soaked gem of a novel [that reads] like Mad Max set in Tolkien's Middle-earth."--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 Grey 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 frontlines 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 read 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

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432 pages

Average rating: 8.75

4 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

The Nerdy Narrative
Jul 19, 2024
8/10 stars
Wow.

Okay, I liked this one straight out of Chapter 1. Honestly, I felt it was a good story -simple and straightforward. Around the halfway mark, I started to realize there was A LOT more going on than I realized - I was getting led by the nose JUST like our half human, half orc main character, Jackal. Once the twists and turns started, they kept going until I was just flabbergasted with how involved this plot had become....and I am SO GLAD I have the second book here and ready to go because things built up to a frenzy and even though it ended well....there is so much that could happen in book 2 and I need to see how things progress!
LiziB
Feb 23, 2023
8/10 stars
Though it's not at all my usual genre, I completely loved this violent adventure about half-orc warriors. The prose was so tasty that I didn't mind all the battles, the males were more than manly, and the females were intelligent and kicked as much ass as the males (and were featured much more than is usual in this type of novel). Highly recommend!

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