Chronicles of the Black Company
by Glen Cook
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Book Summary Information
Author: Glen CookEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2007-11-13
ISBN: 0765319233
Number of pages: 704
Publisher: Tor Books
Product features:
- ISBN13: 9780765319234
- Condition: New
- Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
Book Reviews of Chronicles of the Black Company
Book Review: A Fantasic Series
Summary: 5 Stars
This omnibus features all three books in the Chronicles of the Black Company trilogy by Glen Cook. The trilogy follows the trials and tribulations of an elite mercenary group as they are enlisted to fight for the Lady, the dark ruler of the Empire, as she tries to suppress a rebellion. The rebellion depends on the re-birth of the White Rose, the enigmatic figure who defeated the Lady and her minions four hundred years ago (the Lady had subsequently been freed from captivity).
The Chronicles of the Black Company was gritty for its time (the mid-1980s), but a reader today will notice that it is relatively mild compared to the likes of Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire or Erikson's Malazan series. There is minimal cursing (and none of the really bad words), no sex (nothing more than hints), and no real hardcore gore (obviously there is violence, but it is not depicted graphically).
Further, the Chronicles of the Black Company was touted as highly realistic fantasy. Again, for its time, this was true. In the 1980s, the vast majority of fantasy novels were little more than knockoffs of the Lord of the Rings. But the Black Company has its fair share of magic (more than, say, A Song of Ice and Fire), including sorcery and magic carpets.
Finally, although frequently called morally ambiguous, that phrase is somewhat misleading. There are really no "good' people in the Chronicles of the Black Company. The Black Company are soldiers, murderers, some of them even rapists. The Lady is evil (although her character develops in an interesting way), but the rebels are little better. But that being said, although the Company finds itself in the service of the Lady, they, in the end, always seem to do the moral thing when it's really important. Unlike George R. R. Martin, whose protagonists often do bad things, even at the key moments (Jaime Lannister comes to mind), the Company usually does the right thing, in the end.
All of that is meant to simply warn a new reader that the Black Company is a little dated in those ways. But it should be noted that guys like Martin and Erikson owe a big debt to Glen Cook, who's Chronicles of the Black Company really paved the way for a key evolution in the realm of fantasy.
Even if you don't care about the Black Company's role in the history of fantasy, it is definitely worth a read. It is, for the most part, told from a first person perspective, by Croaker, a historian and physician in the employ of the Black Company. The language can be terse (indeed, it is often written as a person might talk). But Croaker is capable of poignancy when the moment is right. On rare occasions, the dialogue or prose can be a little hard to understand, but, for the most part, is very well executed. As one last note on the writing front, Cook writes some of the most exciting and captivating action scenes I have ever read. He definitely knows how to stage a battle.
Overall, the characters are very appealing. Croaker is a weary, realistic man who does his job but seems to take little pleasure in it. The Taken, Cook's version of the Nazgul from the Lord of the Rings, are fascinating. Unlike the Nazgul, which are little more than vague embodiments of evil, the Taken are very human, even if they are extremely powerful and difficult to kill. They have flaws, they can be petty, and they bicker amongst each other. Each Taken (although only a few are ever really in focus) have unique personalities and talents. Some of them, like the Hanged Man and Shapeshifter, are downright cool. The Lady is an enigmatic villain whose motives are very real and who, despite her otherworldly power and near omniscience, is very human.
Character development is one of Cook's strong points. Although many characters are not very well fleshed out (mostly because they aren't very important to the story), those that are fleshed out are done so brilliantly. Indeed, the second novel of the trilogy, Shadows Linger, features one of the finest exemplars of character development I have ever read. Cook's development of the character Shed (who provides one of the two first person perspectives in the book, along with Croaker) is incredible and, more impressively, very realistic. It was an unpredictable and remarkable character evolution that I cannot praise enough.
Otherwise, the plot can at times be a little silly. Shadows Linger, for example, features an evil castle that grows with the consumption of dead bodies (which Shed, incidentally, sells). But even something silly as a growing castle that somehow consumes dead bodies is done in a surprisingly realistic and understated way. Cook handles even the greatest silliness maturely.
In sum, I highly recommend picking up the Chronicles of the Black Company. Although you can buy the books separately, the omnibus is the best way to go. You get three very good, complete novels for the price of one trade paperback book. Each one is a substantial book, but a quick read. Further, the Chronicles of the Black Company is a complete story. Although Cook writes later books about the same characters, you can finish with the White Rose (book three) and never need to pick up another book, a rarity today where fantasy series need 7-12 books to wrap up. If I had to guess, though, you're going to want to pick up the next series. The Chronicles of the Black Company is that good. I gave each individual book a 4 star rating (although Shadows Linger properly deserved a 4.5 star rating), but the sum really is greater than its parts here.
Pick this up as soon as you can. You won't regret it.
Summary of Chronicles of the Black Company
Darkness wars with darkness as the hard-bitten men of the Black Company take their pay and do what they must. They bury their doubts with their dead.
Then comes the prophecy: The White Rose has been reborn, somewhere, to embody good once more?.
This omnibus edition comprises The Black Company, Shadows Linger, and The White Rose.
Then comes the prophecy: The White Rose has been reborn, somewhere, to embody good once more?.
This omnibus edition comprises The Black Company, Shadows Linger, and The White Rose.
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