The Grey Bastards cover art

The Grey Bastards

The Lot Lands

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The Grey Bastards

By: Jonathan French
Narrated by: Will Damron
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About this listen

Bring on the orcs....

Jackal is proud to be a Grey Bastard, member of a sworn brotherhood of half-orcs. Unloved and unwanted in civilized society, the Bastards eke out a hard life in the desolate no-man's-land called the Lots, protecting frail and noble human civilisation from invading bands of vicious full-blooded orcs.

But as Jackal is soon to learn, his pride may be misplaced. Because a dark secret lies at the heart of the Bastards' existence - one that reveals a horrifying truth behind humanity's tenuous peace with the orcs, and exposes a grave danger on the horizon.

On the heels of the ultimate betrayal, Jackal must scramble to stop a devastating invasion - even as he wonders where his true loyalties lie.

A standout adventure fantasy debut that's down, dirty and damn good fun - perfect for fans of Joe Abercombie, Mark Lawrence, Markus Heitz's Dwarves series and Stan Nicholl's Orcs series.

©2018 Jonathan French, Jonathan French (P)2018 Jonathan French, Jonathan French Action & Adventure Coming of Age Dark Fantasy Dragons & Mythical Creatures Epic Epic Fantasy Fantasy Fiction Genre Fiction Humorous Magic Mythology Comedy

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Critic reviews

"Filthy, charismatic, and frankly excellent." (Mark Lawrence)

"A bloody tale of battle, betrayal and war pigs." (Brian McClellan)

"Jonathan French has to be lauded for his plot ingenuity, bawdry charm and vicious characters. The Grey Bastards has instantaneously catapulted him into my must-read list." (Fantasy Book Critic)
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fast paced, gritty, laugh out loud funny :) Loved it!!!! Can't wait for the next one

fantastic!

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A well written romp with a group of likeable characters.

I can't wait for the next book!

A rough and ready romp...

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Such a strong storyline and characters, fantastic book. Can’t wait to get into the next one.

Love, love, love this book

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Yeah man pretty sweet orcs and that, somewhat predictable but not bad at all 8 out of 10 brapples

Good

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It's not a massive story or an epic spanning continents. But what it is is nuanced, well written, well planned and very well thought out, even when I thought it wasn't.

The story will surprise you a few times. It's a tale about ambition, failure, and serving the greater good.

Most of the villains aren't truly evil. The characters are people.

The author made "story" out of the lowest lows and the highest highs and didn't add events just to mess with the reader.

It's not the best story I've listened to, but what it does it does well, from a very fulfilling perspective. And yes, there's magic. Not a lot, but sometimes more than the characters know what to do about.

Well written

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As my first audio book it took a few chapters to get use to, but before long found it to be an enjoyable experience! The book was entertaing with a good pace and plenty of action. The narration was well delivered and helped keep the story flowing enjoyably.

Enjoyable!

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Great story, unexpected twists and great discription of characters.
Not a fan of the almost pornographic scenes but that is more of a personal con.

Great story and twists.

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Love the first book of this fantasy adventure, looking forward to what Jackel finds outside the Lots.

Fantastic book, can't wait for the next chapter

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The book was a bit slow at first, but became more captivating the more I listened.

Surprisingly good

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A really great audiobook to take the mind away from the present and into a world of Orcs, Elves and Wizards. Interesting and gripping plot line, fantastic characters and narration. Definitely worth a recommendation.

An enjoyable ride through the world of fantasy

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