The Grey Bastards

I grew up reading stories inspired by D&D (particularly the Drizzt series), and adored every single fantasy book I could get my hands on. Of these, I always enjoyed the stories with unlikely heroes the most. So naturally, I was drawn to this book. In this book, there are no heroes. Not really. And it's all the better for it. For a book about half-orcs and wizards, it's more Game of Thrones than Lord of the Rings. The characters aren't bad people, but they're certainly not out to save the world, either. At its core, it's a story about people trying to save their own little corner of the world, and still have it be worth saving in the end. The people just happen to be half-orcs. Without spoilers, it left me genuinely uncertain of the best choice in the end, because every person in the story made a good case for their side of the issue. This was a great book, and maybe even the best one I've read this year.