Sons of Anarchy: Bratva
© 2014 Christopher Golden
256 pages

For Jax Teller, the Sons of Anarchy motorcycle club has always been his family, its members his brothers. His father started the Sons, with a philosophy directly inspired by Emma Goldman. But over the years they became little more than another gun-and-drug-running biking gang,  and now they’re not the only family in Jax’s life. Not only does he have two boys to protect, but in the process of rescuing one from kidnappers, he discovered a half-sister in Ireland. Now that sister, Trinity, has gotten herself in bed with the Russian mob, who are falling apart in civil war.   In Bratva, Jax and two of his brothers ditch their colors to find out where one Russian kingpin is holed up, while not being killed by another.  It’s the first unexpected foray into licensed fiction for the Sons series, not counting graphic  novels by the same artist.  Most of the characters are new (Russians and a slew of north Vegas residents destined for cemetery plots), but the three Sons in play (Jax, Chibbs, and Opie) sound in character. Gemma Teller-Morrow certainly does. The plot is fairly reminiscent of one of the episodes, with criminal politics, corrupt or complicit authorities, and a bloodbath at the end. The only thing that’s missing is the show’s soundtrack, which alternates between furious and melancholy rock.  It’s fun enough if you’re in the mood for lots of plotting, biking, and shooting,  and has enough background info that you don’t need to be a viewer of Sons to roll with the plot.

Related:

• Rebels; A Brotherhood of Outlaw Bikers, Daniel Wolf. Sociology meets motorcycle clubs,
• Under and Alone, William Queen. In which an ATF agent infiltrates the Mongols. 
• The Aging Rebel, from a biker who describes Sons as ‘cynical, shallow, and remarkably stupid’.
• Sons of Anarchy, Vol 1, Christopher Golden. Evidently he’s written graphic novels, too.