Originally posted as part of Queen’s Book Asylum’s SPFBO Champion’s League reviews.

Orcs have frequently been given short shrift, at least in the classic fantasy tradition. They’re often portrayed as blood-thirsty, savage creatures; willing to fight anyone in front of them, without thought or hesitation. And while the full-blooded orcs menacing the Lot Lands appear to be more of the same, the members of The Grey Bastards are another breed (pun intended)entirely.

The Grey Bastards are a group of half-orcs who, unwelcome with either side of their lineage, claw out a rough and tumble existence alongside other gangs as the first line of defense against any further orc-ish invasions. They patrol their territory on their giant war hogs, which is an integral part of their identity; from the collective description of the gangs as ‘hoofs’, to their repeated motto of “Live in the saddle, die on the hog”. Most of the Bastards, but especially two of the main characters, treat their hogs more like beloved pets than disposable mounts, which is refreshing and, for me, one of the best parts of the book.

The other highlight for me was the trio of main characters; Jackal, Fetch (short for Fetching) and Oats. The relationship between the three, particularly the bantering conversations between them, make it easy to believe that they’ve been friends since childhood. They also have some straight-forward character roles within the story.
Oats, is the loyal best friend, a not entirely gentle giant who tends to be a bit more cautious but will back Jackal to the end. Fetch, as the only female in the hoof, is probably the smartest and has had to fight twice as hard as either of her friends to be there. And Jackal, as the protagonist of the novel, is at times both protective and exploiting, cunning but impatient; and frequently takes anyone he meets according to his preconceived notions or unwilling to listen to any opinion that contradicts his own. It’s only when he is forced by the actions of others, or revelations about the history of the Lot, that he starts to reassess his thoughts.

Which brings me to what is likely to be one of the biggest detractions that some readers are likely to find with The Grey Bastards. It is very heavily male-centric, with the majority of the female characters falling on either side of the mother/whore dichotomy. Even Fetch, the best drawn female character, is frequently viewed as an object by the Bastards, whether it be of lust by the younger half-orcs including Jackal, or of derision by some of the older members of the hoof.

There are also multiple references to sexual assault which, as Filip will note in his review, is central to the Bastards very existence. I do feel like this is toned down somewhat in the other books in the series, in addition to what I’ve already said above, and the high levels of (often inventive) profanity and general violence will be a hard sell for some.

Speaking for myself, I did enjoy The Grey Bastards a lot, enough to buy this and the other books in the series. In my opinion there is a lot of good to be found here, so long as you know what you’re getting into.

4 out of 5 giant hogs.