The Grey Bastards by Johnathan French is a gritty story of family, loyalty, and duty set against the brutal beauty of the Lot Lands. The protagonists are a gang of half-orcs, half-breeds caught between worlds, accepted by neither humans, orcs, nor elves. No one accepts them, and they’ve reclaimed the slur “mongrel” and built a society of their own. Their group is called a ‘Hoof,’ and it resembles an outlaw biker gang… if those bikers rode massive war-pigs into battle.

Yes, literal hogs.

The Hoof protects their land, their interests, and their young and orphans that come in search of refuge. Like any gang, there is a strict code of conduct, expectations, honor, loyalty, punishments, and hierarchy. At the top sits the leader, responsible for maintaining order and guiding the Hoof’s decisions and alliances. There are members who in charge of different things. Some are in charge of armaments, some are in charge of protection, but they all work at the behest of the leader. The crux of the story involves a young Hoof member named Jackal.

“You’re bleeding,” Fetch repeated, “and I am awakened very early. Someone is going to die.”

Jackal is a standout protagonist. He is dynamic, flawed, and entirely compelling. He reminds me of Jax from Sons of Anarchy: morally gray, charismatic, and dangerous in the way only someone who believes they’re doing the right thing can be. Jackal has ethical personality aspects, but he does things for the benefit of his crew and family first. Because The Grey Bastards exist within the grey area of morality, there are no good guys and bad guys. Instead, it is flawed characters doing what they think is right. I believe this creates a much more believable protagonist. A reader may disagree with Jackal’s moral choices, but they can understand why he makes the decisions he does.

Along with Jackal, there are many well-developed and stand-out characters. First, Oats and Fetch, Jackals’ best friends and childhood playmates. They all grew up in the orphanage that The Hoof runs. Because of the rich history and ease between them, fueled by shared personal accounts, the interactions between the three come naturally and freely. French does an excellent job of creating believable relationships with dynamic language and dialogue. Although I don’t want to spoil anything, the stories’ antagonists are also well done. Again, they are morally grey. You can almost side with them and their actions.