« The Grey Bastards » Jonathan French

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 civilization 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.