Publishers Weekly
★ 08/26/2019
This grim but brilliant sequel to The Grey Bastards follows the Bastards’ new leader, half-orc/half-elf Fetching, as she takes charge of her cohort (or “hoof”) of half-orcs and the humans who rely on them. Fetch and her fellow “mongrels” face off against famine and starvation, cavaleros from neighboring Hispartha, another band of half-orcs who feel that Fetch is unworthy to lead, and a mysterious, enormous orc (large enough to pick up a horse and throw it like a baseball) and the oversized hyenas that he commands. The woes that face the Bastards are unrelenting, and Fetch isn’t sure she can count on their supposed allies: the other hoofs, the cultish human Unyars, the elven mountain-dwellers, and the newly arrived foreigners called Zahracenes. But by the novel’s end, Fetch has secured real connections and support for the surviving Bastards. French’s half-orcs are an uncouth lot but fiercely loyal to one another and those they protect, and Fetch herself is prepared to endure unimaginable pain to secure safety for her people. The many cultures are richly detailed, adding depth. This installment will more than satisfy fantasy readers who like deadly battles balanced with intricate worldbuilding and skilled characterization. (Oct.)
From the Publisher
Praise for The Grey Bastards
“Nonstop action, though not for faint hearts . . . The Grey Bastards live up to their name in all respects.”—The Wall Street Journal
“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)
“A filthy, charismatic, and frankly excellent read.”—Mark Lawrence, international bestselling author of Prince of Thorns and Red Sister
“A dirty, blood-soaked gem of a novel [that reads] like Mad Max set in Tolkien’s Middle Earth . . . a fantasy masterwork.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred)
“French’s world-building creates exactly the kind of seamless transition from reality to fiction that makes fantasy literature compelling, informative, and just plain fun.”—R.A. Salvatore, New York Times bestselling author of the Legend of Drizzt series
“A bloody good tale of battles, intrigue, betrayal, duty, and frickin’ war pigs.”—Brian McClellan, author of the Powder Mage trilogy
“A gritty adventure with a fantastic, foul-mouthed voice and filthy, lovable characters in a wonderfully original world.” —Django Wexler, author of the Shadow Campaigns series
“French flips the fantasy script as the monsters become the good guys, fueling an action-packed, sneakily smart adventure.”—Scott Sigler, New York Times bestselling author of Alive
“Refashions high-fantasy tropes into something both vibrant and highly entertaining.”—Anthony Ryan, New York Times bestselling author of the Raven’s Shadow trilogy
Kirkus Reviews
★ 2019-07-28
The True Bastards' motto says it all: "Live in the saddle! Die on the hog!"
In the action-packed sequel to The Grey Bastards (2018), French returns to the sprawling wastelands of Ul-wundulas with a gore-splattered, foulmouthed adventure following Fetching and her band of half-orcs as they battle adversaries bent on eradicating their kind from the lawless badlands that separates humans from orcs. After the events of the first novel—in which the Bastards' home was destroyed and their legendary leader lost—Fetch attempts to save the dwindling group (called a "hoof") from dying off. On the verge of starvation and struggling mightily to finish a structurally sound and defensible home, she must deal with a number of momentous issues, first and foremost being her deteriorating health. As she tries to find a cure for her strange affliction, a pack of seemingly indestructible "devil-dogs" roams the badlands, as do encroaching humans (called "frails"), killing any free-riding half-orcs they run across. When Fetch uncovers a devious scheme masterminded by the frails to wipe out all the hoofs, she must somehow unite the bickering mongrel factions before it's too late. Although the pacing is a bit more methodical in this installment, the story is filled with relentless action and powered by a cast of adeptly developed and emotionally appealing characters. Fetch is an obvious favorite—a female outcast finding acceptance and respect in a cutthroat and patriarchal society—as are Incus, the deaf giant female thrice (born of an orc and a half-orc) also known as the celebrated fighter Anvil's Bride; and Mead, Fetch's one-handed second-in-command. Fans will be overjoyed not only with the return of some beloved characters, but also with the novel's conclusion, which sets up the storyline for a much larger adventure to come.
Imagine an outlaw biker gang of half-orcs riding giant war pigs and you've captured this saga's gloriously dirty soul.