The Black Company (Chronicles of The Black Company #1)

The hero is mighty and just. Despite inner-turmoils regarding love, family, morality, and life, the hero shows infinite compassion to his companions and absolutely no mercy to his enemies.

Welcome to an entirely different kind of medieval fantasy.

If you're sick of all of the monotony of modern medieval fantasy, this series comes highly recommended. I'm a bit of a veteran of medieval fantasy and science fiction, and let me tell you, this book takes the age old cliches and turns them upside down.

There was never a moment going through this series that I became disinterested, as was the case with Wheel of Time, Game of Thrones, Dark Elf Trilogy and countless others. Not that those aren't all excellent series in their own rights; but Glen Cook has refreshed the genre for me (even though it was ironically written over 2 decades ago).

As a quote on the back of the recent re-release of the books puts it, this series really is like a grisly recounting of wartime on hallucinogenics. Highly recommended.

I've read a ton of fantasy, and in recent years have moved towards the grittier, adult fantasy. Where stuff like R.A. Salvatore's books were beloved when I was a teen, I now need something more complex and realistic. Many fantasy readers are only interested in the status quo of Victorian mannerisms and dialogue along with heroic sounding names performing epic feats against an unknowable absolute evil, and if that's you then this may not be your style. This series has real characters that real men can relate to: they don't always say or do the right thing, they don't project emotional brotherly love, and they like to horse around. There is a reason this is popular among servicemen, and it's because this series shows how men of war often act. This puts you in the shoes (first person) of an elite mercenary unit and takes you through an unforgiving, realistic world.

As classic as The Black Company may be and an early Grimdark, I couldn't get into it. The story in itself was intricate enough and there were some twists and turns, but it very rarely became engaging and one didn't get a feel for any of the characters. The narration was wooden and at times a bit trite. It was unclear where the actual plot was going and what was at the heart of the tale. Maybe the books become better on that score, but the rating is based on the intrigue and general writing.

I read an anthology not long ago, Swords & Dark Magic: The New Sword and Sorcery, which contained a story by Glen Cook titled Tides Elba: A Tale of the Black Company. I was so interested in that story I decided to read further and started with this first in The Black Company series, originally published in 1984. I definitely enjoyed reading this story, even if the author didn't exactly make it easy for me. I would have liked to see background information concerning these characters who played such a large part in this novel. Croaker was the doctor with The Company and also the Annalist, the keeper of the written record, so the story is told from his point of view. This fantasy world could have been much more satisfactory if the author had given more information about him. Little bits and pieces are scattered throughout the novel, but mostly they deal with the history of the company and it's reason for existing, not necessarily fleshing out individuals. Croaker's work as a doctor would have been very interesting if some information had been written concerning his healing work as well as the products and techniques he might have used.

Finally I had to put aside the lack of concrete background for the characters and the war they were engaged in and then I really did enjoy the many quirky and unusual characters as well as the magic systems being used in these episodes. The Black Company is made up of mercenaries; rough, battle hardened troops who adhere to loyalty to each other and The Company and who willingly fight for the side their Captain aligns them with. In this instance it was often hard to distinguish whether The Lady or the Rebel forces were on the side of right. Betrayal and trickery was on each side, the lines between right and wrong were constantly changing, and Croaker and his brothers-in-arms were constantly having to second guess who their friends or enemies were. This was a very interesting fantasy world and I'm looking forward to reading the second book in this particular series, Shadows Linger: A Novel of the Black Company (The Second Chronicle of The Black Company). This story built the tension and anticipation slowly, by having many skirmishes both large and small on the way to the final battle. I'm definitely going to want to find out what happens in the next series of adventures.

Its becoming harder and harder to find fantasy that's not geared towards the pre/teen market, so if you are interested in a dark world for grown ups, this series is for you.
The story is well thought out and I felt very invested in the characters. I was sad when I finished the last book of the series and that is great praise as far as I'm concerned.

This just didnt do much for me.

It did not bother me that the method of story telling was choppy and a bit disjointed. I have read plenty of that style which suited me fine.
It did not bother me that there was not much in the way of world building, I dont mind having to figure out what is going on. In fact I think a lot of authors do too much coddling readers, and reiterating every tiny fact over and over.

For the record, this story takes place around the Black Company. A miltary organization that is mercenary in nature, and although it seems to be structured like a modern company in the army, the tech they work with is straight stuff of Swords & Sorcery. I didnt catch anything more advanced than a crossbow.

If I had to say what it was I didnt like, it could be the characters. I didnt find any of them compelling, or in any way interesting. Croaker is the defacto hero, at least it is his point of view we see through. And I just didnt find myself caring about him over the course of the story.

Then there was the story... The first half of the book seemed more like a loosely arrayed series of shorts. There were an interesting chapter here and there, but as a story, I have to say this cured me of wanting to read the whole series. I think the 6 of these I have in hand are going right up on paperbackswap.com

I am a member of the Sci-fi book club, which released the last four volumes of this series in two hardcover books. As a present for my birthday, my father sent me those books because he thought I might like them. I only read two of the four, and then I got distracted. A year later I picked up this book.
Well, at first I kept asking myself "What the...?" when reading about the characters, because the opening is like coming into a story when it's halfway through. That's the point though, the feel for this book is supposed to be 'this is the beginning of the series but not the beginning of The Black Company.' Cook pulls that feeling off really well, and I understood that was his intention about half way through the book when I was reflecting on the beginning.
Also, some people have complained about the multitude of dropped names that have no significance. Here is a chance to explain that a little, the company is large in this book, I forgot the exact number, but a couple of hundred people. In my life, I know the names of a couple of hundred people, and you probably do as well, and you probably know some of the most important things to them in their life. (I.e. the sport they play, the car they drive, the basics of their personality) and that is exactly how Croaker, our guide for this book, describes many of them. An example would be if you were at a party with a friend who knew no one you might say "That's Sarah, she's sweet but a little thick." Cook does something similar but with a character named Kingpin on page 275, "Kingpin is a lazy bastard, but swings a mean blade." and he is mentioned maybe three more times in the book.
Finally, the atrocities of war have bothered people. Not that they are graphic, but that they are understated. This is a writing technique employed to show how honestly horrible war is. If a person is so immune to rape as to only be mildly disgusted with it as it goes on around him, then that shows you just how awful war can be, how it can jade a person.
At any rate, this book is incredible, read it. I recommend it to just about everyone with a little time on their hands. Enjoy.

One of my favorite fantasy novels of all time. Simultaneously disturbing and fun. I like the fact that there really is no good side and bad side, no light and dark. Too many fantasies get caught up in the typical rendering of an underdog force of good battling a dread force of evil, and these novels ignore that, acknowledging that most "good" people have some bad in them, and vice versa. The main characters are interesting enough, and the plot is terrific, moving at nice pace. This book proves that a good fantasy novel does not have to be 700--800 pages long.

Croaker, One-Eye, Goblin, the Limper. This series is awesome, I've read it twice, it's one of my favorites, and I've been reading fantasy for 30 years. It's pretty gritty, told from the front line perspective of Croaker, the mercenary company chronicler. Reads like a campaign novel, but there's plenty of magic and maiden saving. Gonna have to read it again, One-Eye's spear is one of my favorite fantasy weapons of all time.

Glen Cook's writing style for the Black Company series is not similar to many others, and many people have trouble dealing with that fact. There are many reviews of 'infantile' or 'childish' but these people approach the Black Company series with a set of preconceptions about how fantasy is supposed to be written.

Glen Cook has a particular story he wants to tell, and for the story he wants to tell, certain details are important and others aren't. For example, most character's back stories aren't told because that isn't what the Black Company is about. One will go through the entire series and now nothing about what the main character did before he joined the Company. Why? Because that isn't important to the story of the Company. As another example, most close combat is abbreviated because most of those details are not important to this story. Some combats are, when the author needs reveal something important to the storyline Many people have complained about him writing of a combat as "We took the fortress." I personally find his ability to not get mired in trivial details (that so many other authors have beat to death) and keep focused on the story of the Company very refreshing.

If you are a reader who demands extreme amounts of trivial detail (e.g. Robert Jordan) or prefer a to read through a lot of routine hack and slash (Conan), then the Black Company series is probably not for you. However, if you are willing to read a story on it's terms then the Black Company series can be very addictive and refreshing.

This is the first installment of a series of Black Company novels and it also happens to be the best. Cook easily conveys a 'you are there' sense of first-person realism that eludes so many of today's fantasy authors. He is content to weave a masterful, fast-paced, and addictive plot--one driven by deep character developement and rich, flavorfull dialogue--and leaves mundane descriptions of the local flora and fauna to the readers imagination. Afterall, once you've seen one 'Boars Head Inn,' you really have seen them all. The bottom line? If you are looking for a Tolken-esk experience, forget it. Cook's Black Company is all about plot and action. It's a hard-boiled, pan-fried look at life in a brotherhood of mercenaries as the men strive to meet the obligations of their duty, their employers, and their stomachs, and still get out of town alive. Cook's primary villains have vast reserves of magical power at their command, but don't expect any high-brow, mumbo-jumbo approach to magic in THIS book. The mages found in 'The Black Company' are frighteningly powerful, and they wield that power with a casual brutality that underscores their no-nonsense approach to world domination. Yes, THIS IS IT fantasy fans! This is the breath of fresh air we have all been looking for! 'The Black Company' is a raw and invigorating departure from classic fantasy. It's hard, it's gritty, and once you start reading, you WILL NOT be able to stop until you have completed the entire series! Buy it now, worry about the addiction later.

"Every ruler makes enemies. The Lady is no exception. The Sons of the White Rose are everywhere...If one chooses sides on emotion, then the Rebel is the guy to go with. He is fighting for everything men claim to honor: freedom, independence, truth, the right...All the subjective illusions, all the eternal trigger-words. We are minions of the villain of the piece. We confess the illusion and deny the substance.

There are no self proclaimed villains, only regiments of self-proclaimed saints. Victorious historians rule where good or evil lies.

We abjure labels. We fight for money and an indefinable pride. The politics, the ethics, the moralities, are irrelevant."

-From the Black Company Annals, written by Black Company Medic and Chronicler, Croaker

The story of The Black Company follows the old legendary mercenary company through its service. Croaker is the main protagonist, the medical officer of The Black Company, and also annalist for the Company. The story is told from his point of view as if you were reading his chronicles.

The story starts off at a fast pace, with the company currently employed by a local government on a southern continent. They know their situation is dismal, because an unstoppable army from the north is arriving to take over the city. The Company's code calls for them to stay and fight to the death for their current employer, and the Company has never broken the code. The northern army is under the command of none other than the dreaded "Soulcatcher", one of the "Ten Who Were Taken", a group of powerful wizards once in the thrall of a god-like wizard known as "The Dominator", who is currently imprisoned for all-time, sleeping and biding his time, after his reign of terror and darkness. The Dominator's woman, "The Lady" has managed to escape the prison, and she has brought back The Ten Who Were Taken with her, quickly taking over most of the northern continent in her conquest. Opposing her is "The Rebel", a resistance dedicated to finding "The White Rose", prophesized to be born again to once again defeat The Lady and her Taken. Against their wishes, The Black Company soon finds themselves in the employment of Soulcatcher, and they are headed north across the sea to help The Lady's conquest.

Croaker is an engaging character and I like the style that the story was written, in the form of the annals. Cook's characters, despite their horrible names and not being terribly unique, are fleshed out fairly well, with subtly dropped insights into their motivations and morals. The strong point of the series is the very vague line of good versus evil. The Black Company has honor, in the sense that they will fight to the death for their employers. However, they have questionable morals and will not fight for causes, whether they believe them to be correct or not. The Rebel is not much better than The Lady in morals, and Croakers thoughts center around how the victorious historians determine good and evil. The strong narratives in the series are during the down times of the Company, where they sit around playing cards, and you get a feel for their traditions and how they deal with the wait before battle.

One of the weaker areas of the trilogy is the plot. It's pretty unoriginal, and contains few twists. One of the trilogy's biggest mysteries is right in front of your face early, and is easy to figure out. For those of you like me, who don't enjoy fireball-hurling upfront magic, these books will make you cringe. The magic isn't prevalent through the entire story, but when it's there, it's done poorly, with over-the-top descriptions and events. Lightning bolts, fire, galore! The biggest turnoff in the trilogy for me was the existence of flying carpets, and these devices are used often. The Taken fly around on the flying carpets and also transport troops with them. When these appeared toward the end of the first book, this is when the books lost a lot of their luster for me. I did like the concept of the one weakness in the wizards. If you could discover the original true name of a wizard, you could render him powerless. I thought this was done well and unique. I don't read a lot of fantasy so I'm not sure if this is done often or not. The last complaint for me is the names. Characters consisted of Croaker, Goblin, Silent, Raven (ugh!), and many other awful names.

I would give these books an "Average" rating. It was somewhat entertaining, but the names, unoriginal plot (powerful demon wizard trying to escape bondage), and bad use of magic kept this series from being great. The book should be approached knowing that the moral challenges and day to day life of the company is the central point of the book, and the overall world moving plot is secondary.

The first three books are somewhat of a stand-alone trilogy of a series that consists of 9 books. The first three are titled "The Black Company", "Shadows Linger", and "The White Rose". I read the first 3 and have written the review based upon the completion of the 3. I may read the remaining novels eventually, but they are not high on my priority list.

Other Favorite Passages:

"We lead a simple life. No thinking required. The Captain takes care of that. We just follow orders. For most of us the Black Company is a hiding place, a refuge from yesterday, a place to become a new man."

"When I reflect on my companions' inner natures I usually wish I controlled one small talent. I wish I could look inside them and unmask the darks and brights that move them. Then I take a quick look into the jungle of my own soul and thank heaven that I cannot. Any man who barely sustains an armistice with himself has no business poking around in an alien soul."

Glen Cook puts together a fantasy world not populated by elves, dwarves and pixies, yet entertaining in spite of (or maybe because of) the lack of "staple" races. In this world, there is no black and white. Almost everyone is a shade of grey, capable of evil and good, just as is the real world.

The book chronicles the exploits of the Black Company, a mercenary army that has forgotten it's storied past, and is but a mere shell of what it once was.

After fortunate circumstances find them unemployed, they are hired by a mysterious sorcerer from across the sea, who wants their help in building an empire. From their, things only get rougher on the Company, as they slowly learn more about their employers.

Told from the point of view of the Annalist and part time bonecutter, Croaker, Cook injects a military feel, while still keeping things lighthearted at times.

The characters are interesting, and while the book can be difficult to start for some readers, it is worth fighting through.

When Glen Cook created Croaker and the Black Company he was inspired. He created a fun read full of dynamic and weird characters with fun names like Soulcatcher, One Eye, Goblin, and such. Of course the most dangerous character has the disarming name of Lady.

The story follows the march of a reluctant mercenary company that survives more by its wits that fighting as they are surrounded by a seemingly inexhaustible supply of bad guys, many of whom are supposed to be on their side.

In this one Glen Cook delivers. Just a fun read.

They Key to enjoying this book is perspective. You have to realize and accept before reading it that the pages will be filled with a thin storyline and partially two dimentional characters. But face it, that is what the majority of fantasy novels consist of. As for the good stuff, Cook doesnt bog the reader down with excessive characters (cough JORDAN) and with thousands of sideplots per book (cough JORDAN). His novels are short and to the point. THe characters are just interesting enough to keep you reading. The Black Company is in interesting enough book to make you feel like your two dollars you spent on the bargain rack didnt go entirely to waste. Need a quick read or two between more serious novels or while waiting for George Martin to finish his next damn book? Go for Cook. He's worth a try at least.

A lot of bad reviews have sproutedunfitting from Cook's lack of narration in the series. This, however, may be the series's greatest strength.

Finally, a set of novels where the main theme is traveling from one place to another. You'll find no epic quests, with each mundane aspect of cross country jaunts gloriously annotated. Nor will you have to deal with hundreds of pages and plenty of hours of anticipation for a plot twist that the entire story hinges on, yet you had guessed already.

Events take place and times pass in The Black Company's world faster than the day to day monotony of other books. Finally, an author that dispenses with the lofty drivel of the modern fantasy epic. The storytelling may be a love or hate relationship for its readers, but unfortunately for the reader who finds more character in the lack of trivialities, it is a rare book indeed.

In the massed market of fantasy novels that now fill the bookstore shelves, it is rare find to come across a book that has it's very own feel. The black company was thrilling, there are no knights in shineing armour, or damsels in distress. It has a very dark undercurrent which is rarely done. I found this book to be a very refreshing change from the nursey ryhme style fantasy. Not everyone will enjoy the series, but if you are looking for something a little different then by all means give this one a read.

My firends, this is the hardest books I have ever tried to read. It took me a year and a half to finisn the first book in the series. That was a couple of years ago. Now I am getting ready to start the third book in the series. Be prepared. This is a dark fantasy. There are no happy endings. Just fullfilled missions. This is not something from the story tellers point of view. I will jump form one charactors point of view to another. The annals is the most important part of this group of mercenaries. A recorded history spanning over the centuries. They know not were they came from. Some of the annals were lost. This book will tell the story from the warrier point of view. Trust me when I say that this is for fantasy lovers. Very dark and very misterious.

Fast-moving, high-energy book about the exploits of a military group for hire. Some interesting characters, although the author does not provide much background information for any of them, nor does he provide much substantive background for the world in which they live. That said, given that this is the first of a three-part series, I intend to read the remainder.

This is a gritty, down in the trenches story about an age-old group of mercenaries with nothing to live for. Cook sacrifices the likeability of some characters in favor of realism. This works well for most of the story. After all, who likes everyone they know? He knows how to make a hero out of a flawed character. The story seemed to be more character driven than plot (or world) driven. As a result, the world isn't well defined, and the story is somewhat vague.
The story is told in first person, which gives the book a personal feel, keeping it from becoming too heavy handed. For most of the book, the reader is kept in the dark, since we're limited to knowing what the narrator knows. It comes together, more or less, at the end. Another point is that Cook doesn't define the boundaries of magic, so you don't know what wizards can and can't be do until it happens. This is partly a consequence of a first person story, but it maintains an element of surprise.
There is a point where an important character attempts to justify (an off screen) rape. After that, I lost much of my enthusiasm for the book. I couldn't bring myself to care about the fate of most of the characters or see them as moral beings. It's one thing for a novel to contain rape, which can add to the realism. Still, it's too much to ask the reader to root for a character who can sympathize with rapists.
The exchanges between the characters remained the most interesting parts. There is an amount of infighting among Company members, which adds to the amusement level of the book. The battles between Goblin and One-Eye had me laughing out loud. If not for the unnecessary rape mentioned above, I would have rated The Black Company 3 and ½ stars.

These books are amazing. I actually read The Annals of the Black Company which encompases all of the books of the first series. However you have to go about it, find and read these books. I'm slogging my way through that ridiculous Robert Jordan soap opera, and let me tell you I, long for the fleshed out characters and unique and believable plot turns that one finds from this jewel of an author. Cook truly has a sense of what an epic should be. In following the company one feels a touch of machinations greater than the world around you, and the dreadful choice of altering that which is to come. I felt as though I had been physically moved whenever I finished one of these tales. Glen Cook is a true story teller who has that rare talent of writing in the fantasy genre and making it completely believable. You care about the characters because they're real, you are scared of the bad guys because they are truly menacing and imaginatively evil, and you get sucked in to Cook's world because it is vivid, deep, and detailed. Read them and don't stop with the Black Company until he does.

With all the glowing, five star reviews on this site, I have to concede there's a strong possibility that I simply didn't "get" some important aspect of the book. I thought I'd post a dissenting review anyway, though, just to show that it is possible to not like this book, if nothing else. I thought the characters were week and hard to identify with, the plot wasn't even worth caring about, and there was no underlying point or redeeming value whatsoever. This is military fantasy, and that's a very specific field that maybe not everyone would fully appreciate. My advice: be aware of your tastes before you buy this book.

'The Black Company' by Glen Cook is a fantasy/adventure.

I came across this title when I saw another reviewer mention it as an alternative to another book I was interested in. The book basically follows the main protagonist, Croaker, (a healer/fighter), as well as the men that make up this group of mercenary fighters (i.e. The Black Company).

Although the story itself was interesting, the way in which it was told left something to be desired. The prose was made up of many short sentences, giving an almost staccato effect to the reading...in a word, choppy. It was difficult to get a sense of flow to the story because of this perceived disruptive style of writing.

Each chapter had the company fighting a new and terrible rebel leader, which they'd defeat by the skin of their teeth. Near the end of each chapter a new and even more terrible leader would be mentioned; and low and behold this new enemy was the target for the next chapter. And despite the ever increasing devastating losses the enemy received, they seemed to be many times stronger for the next encounter in the ensuing chapter. This general scenario was repeated over and over.

Also, at the beginning of each new chapter, I always had the feeling that I missed a section of the book; How did the 'Company' get from where they were at the end of last chapter, to this new place, at the start of this new chapter? Even the dialogue between characters at the start of a new chapter made me feel liked I'd skipped some pages.

Anyone familiar with Steven Erikson's 'Malazan Book of the Fallen' series will immediately think of the group of fighters call 'the bridgeburners'; there are many similarities between the two groups, including mages, the usual soldiers' attitude regarding war, life, their superiors etc., the kibitzing, the practical jokes and of course, the genuine friendship and respect for one another when the chips are down.

Conclusion:
An interesting fantasy/adventure that I did enjoy...sort of. I just had the constant feeling while reading this book, that it needed a bit more 'polish' in prose and writing techniques that the author used. 2 1/2 Stars

R.Nicholson

It’s a tough read. There is very little depth to what goes on; it is mainly left to the reader to conjure many events. The end battle gets much more descriptive though. Not really my style of reading as I enjoy becoming engrossed in the authors created world/events and not my own.

My first experience with Cook's writing occurred several years ago, the summer 2000 to be exact, when one of my fantasy-reading friends handed me a book called Chernaya Gvardiya (Russian translation of the title The Black Company). I read this book, I loved this book, I stayed awake at night thinking about this book. Now, three years later, I rediscovered The Black Company. This time in English. What can I say? Cook is a genius after his own fashion. His characters are unbelievably believable. Flawed and at times immoral, they still project an air of humanity and virtue. Each member of the Company has several distinguishing features, a quirk in his personality perhaps, or a physical defect, or something akin to that. You may find that you can relate to Croaker, or Elmo, or Goblin.
The plot is intriguing, interesting, engaging and enveloping. It follows the travels of a mercenary group called The Black Company, which consists of many, many dubious characters. At times the intrigue of the villains lies like a heavy curtain over reality, at other times you find yourself exposing lies and unveiling the truth, all through the eyes (this book is written in first person) of the physician Croaker. The style of writing itself is a unique characteristic of the book. Like i mentioned before, it is written from the first person perspective of a member of the Company by the name of Croaker. The language is at times brief, sometimes witty, and sometimes descriptive. Glen Cook understands when to use what words and how. Apologies in advance for that horribly awkward sentence I just wrote. The author's use of humor and wit are exemplary.
Beware all those that dare to tackle this book, you may feel yourselves drawn into the lives of the Black Company and into the series itself.
You may think then that this book has a cliffhanger ending? Not so. Not exactly. The book does have a sense of conclusion about it at the end, a sense of finality. Cook could easily have never continued this series, but he did, and i thank him for that.
If you enjoy the fantasy genre, then you will love this book. A great read.

There are two series in fantasy today which I consider "must-reads," the Black Company by Glen Cook, and Jhereg by Stephen Bhurst. Gritty, down to earth and with some amazing characters and situations, The Black Company not only creates a compelling, epic world but also takes the reader into the motivations and thoughts of a band of mercenaries working for, and indeed as "the bad guys."
Dont pass this up.

Wish I would have read this decades ago- I'm sure I would have been blown away. The writing was rough and awkward, but the story was interesting enough. Must have been an inspiration for Malazan Book of the Fallen...

I picked up the first title of the Black Company series almost by accident. I don't usually read this kind of fiction....and then I got hooked. I finished the first book, dialed up the store and bought the rest of the series....The books are well connected, the characters are well defined and even better, they grow and change over time. The story travels through time and geography with different central characters but without the old protagonists leaving the story. It is a very clever fantasy.

This is a book for readers who prefer a harder edge to their fantasy than is offered up in most books in the genre (I guess I'll join the Jordan-bashing bandwagon here and use that as an example). Heroes aren't always nice guys, villians aren't always pure evil, and you never know who will live and who will die. Cook has the courage to treat the battles in this book as battles really are; chaotic, bloody, painful. There are enough magic spells, monsters, and enchanted items here to keep the book from bogging itself down in the "too realistic to be REAL fantasy" trap, which is a good thing. My only complaint (and this is remedied in later books in the series) is that it took me awhile to get to know the characters. Maybe I'm getting old and slow, but while Cook's choice to bring the reader into the story right in the middle of the Company's latest campaign serves the mood of the book very well, I found myself constantly trying to remember who everyone was before they got killed. Still, it's a strong 1st book in a series that keeps getting more daring and readable as it goes on. You'll be tearing through them by the third book.

From the view of Croaker, Physician and Annalist of the black company. A group of mercenaries, just an ordinary party of arms for hire. Or are they? Going north they find themselves in the middle of layer after layer of lies, betrayal and their kept in the dark. They've not been through this big of a war before, maybe One-Eye and Goblin have. Of course the old and deceased black company have, recorded in the annals, though only a fraction of the annals still exist. They don't have enough to understand what their purpose is or who created the black company. There will be characters you hate or characters you care about and worry for. To me the black company feels kind of like a family, like Croaker and the Captain encourage the members to feel. It isn't just another dwarves, elves, goblins and dragons fantasy book. There's so much that makes this book and it's sequels so wonderful and amazing. The characters are so human like. Some are trying to do good, some show the most greedy and power lusting wish's from the deepest depths of the human mind, while most are just trying to survive in a cruel world. The characters with the art of magic can easily become experts in any of the three categories, but they can lose it all in as much time as it takes to say their true name. The answers to most of your questions should be in the book, if it's not then you can reach me on ICQ(#48449551). I wouldn't reccomend emailing me, I haven't checked it in about 3000 years and I don't think I will in the next.

I can't belive it was the year 2002 before I found out about this game which inspired the MYTH; THE FALLEN LORDS SUPER VIDEO GAME BY BUNGIE STUDIOS

I think reading about the MYTH game was how I heard about this book. The first one I read was called the silver spike which I heard then was the weakest of the series. Whew. If you talk about a book with awesome pacing cool characters and none of the wiseass attitude or patronizing crapola "al la Goodkind"
Does not waste time on "oh im an orphan" BS

Closest book to dungeons n dragons role playing gaem Ive ever read. Way better than dragon lance crap which is way too feminist and goofy.

The plot revolves around a mercenary troop and various powerful wizards all at war with one another. AWESOME

Thsi series way more than RA salvatore or Terry Brooks or RR martin or Robert Jordan wheel, although robert jordan conan is good stuff, is D&D
very D&D
advetnure
danger
bit of grit
bit of comedy
things you haven't seen before
not much boring political intruge but lots of double crosses

Complex visualizations make the book fun to imagine while reading. The intense detail provides enough information on characters and environment for the reader to visualize the characters, their surroundings, and their interactions with other characters. As the story is told from the perspective of one character, the other characters are developed from the perspective of that one character and therefore you, as the reader, develop certain bias towards those characters. Enough detail is told about each character and what they are doing (even more difficult when some of those characters are using a magic that is still unclear in its complexity), yet not so precise as to have finite limits.

The progression of the story is linear enough so as to anticipate whats going to happen two or three chapters in advance. However, the intriguing plot-twists are subtle enough to surprise the reader and keep them reading. The character development did not happen all at once; instead, the author steadily builds on each character, molding them as the story progresses.

The first book in the series was a very entertaining read. Enough, so, that I have moved on to the other two books in this series. I intend to continue through the Black Company story sets, if nothing else than to visualize Croaker and Company kicking a** and making sarcastic comments along the way.

Overall decent book, but not worth buying the follow-ups for me. Author tries an interesting narrative style, but it feels weak. Not enough details or interest in the parts you'd want, kind of a slow crawl. Instead of an exciting story, it's more of a 'realistic' first hand experience, which for anyone who has ever been in the military knows is actually very boring for long periods of time broken by brief moments of action.

I first read the original series in the early 90's, after a friend loaned me his first editions. I read them twice and hated the fact that I couldn't find them all. When they were reprinted, I bought every book.

Let me just say that this is not the most eloquently written or most epic of fantasy series. It is, however, one of the most enjoyable. The original Black Company series of books have to be taken as a whole, and they're very entertaining and satisfying. As dark fantasy goes, even in one as militarized as this, the characters are quirky, gritty and memorable. Goblin and One-Eye alone are enough to keep you reading. You'll see the series through the eyes of the narrators and see many characters come and go as the conflicts go on, the enemies change, and the origins of the Company are revealed.

As a fan of Steven Erikson's series I was interested in reading The Black Company. Now that I've read it I can see that quite a bit of fantasy writing as been strongly influenced by Glen Cook, Robert Jordan and G. R. R. Martin come to mind as well as Erikson. I will agree with most reviews that yeah, it's a pretty entertaining read. This novel is a bit rough and sketchy by contempory standards, contains a couple of homophobic slurs, and our narrator dreams of having sex with a pair of 12 year old girls. These are wicked men under contact to an evil witch. The plot is spoty and rather limps along until the final two chapters when it advances, and there are quite a few typos. I think this book could use a revised edition. A sometimes entertaining read for those interested in a writer who has influenced modern fantasy.

I've read all of the BC novels twice. This is a great series.
It is about Evil and EVIL. Which is the lesser of the two and which Evil will pay the Black Company. The Dark and Evil world is controled by powerful Evil beings and the Black Company is a pawn. As you read it, ask yourself "which evil would I choose?" and "what are the real plans of each Taken?"
Kick back and enjoy the antics of One Eye and Goblin, the mages that can't turn food into... but they'll entertain you and their comrades.
If you are not hooked after reading the first 2 chapters, take the book back and choose a new hobby.

Anyone that is remotely into fantasy should read this book. A teacher of mine recommended it to me and I didn't read it right away. I was then headed to St. Thomas for a vacation when there it was in the books store in the plane terminal. I figured I would give it a try. I was headed for a week long cruise and I knew that i would finish the book I was reading by the end of the pane ride. I didn't get to reading 'The Black Company' till the second day. I am an incredibly slow reader and I had it finished by the fourth day. I actually passed up at least two snorkeling excursions to read. It was an awesome book. I then picked up 'Shadows Linger' (next in the series) and didn't watch any movies on any of the plane rides bad. Great book that I think every one should read.

Wow. This is a dark fantasy, if there ever was one. I found this to be an excellent read and just one of those books that I would urge anyone to read--even if they feel they may not like such. Whether or not this is your cup of tea, give it a try. And if you don't like it, put it down and try again later. Once your in the mood for something a bit diffrent, give it another go. It's worth it.

I first read The Black Company about two years ago. I loved it from the start and have convinced a number of my friends to give it a try. What surprised me was the divided responses I received from them after they'd finished it. About half of them loved it, the others ranged from ambivalence to disgust.
I don't get it!
Perhaps it is because the book lacks the epic scope that has, for some reason, become almost synonymous with the fantasy genre. The Black Company is NOT epic, the purpose of the book is not to flesh out and then explore a complex fantasy world. Rather it is a dirty closeup of a mercenary group and of the means by which they survive. The main draw is in its gritty intelligence. These are characters that use subterfuge and wit rather than brawn. Cook manages to convince the reader that these truly *are* experienced proffesionals.
Also, the hackneyed premise behind so many other fantasy novels (that of the naive group, chased by evil) is discarded. Glen Cook describes a world where the characters must navigate in shades of grey, where they must make the best choices they can. I appreciate the lack of rigid good versus evil conflicts.
It is a quick and enjoyable read which rejueventates a stagnating genre

This has the bones of an original gritty fantasy but drags on and on without anything to hold the readers interest. I had push my self to get to the middle of the book. Its uniqueness is not enough or entertaining enough. I will not finish the book, too much effort.

It's hard not to enjoy this book. A quick read that begins immediately with action that rarely comes to a pause or dithers, this book episodically speeds along from one conflict to another, battles and sorcerous conflicts mounting, following the exploits of an readily likeable if amoral bunch of mercenaries. Despite the inherent grimness and cruelty of their profession, Cook invests his characters with a great amount of humor, reminiscent of the assassin Vlad Taltos in Steven Brust's ongoing series, and a suspicion of underlying compassion and camaraderie. These are men who through circumstance have found themselves engaged in a disreputable occupation, more often than not serving less than noble ends, but who can nonetheless rise on occasion to altruistic acts inconsistent with their brutish environment or hardened demeanor. Sheer fantasy, but it leavens their characters from an otherwise ignoble and immoral cast.
It is difficult not to chuckle at the feigned combative antics of Goblin and One-Eye, or the self-deprecating humor of the narrator, Croaker. While these are not men you would want to associate with in real life---their activities would likely quickly shorten your life expectancy or land you in goal---they nonetheless will inevitably appeal to male romantic notions exemplified by any number of anti-hero figures, most typified in Hollywood by the film roles of Clint Eastwood, and, if not too closely examined, certain to provide unadulterated masculine entertainment. The boy in you will be delighted.
Glen Cook invests his writing with assured skill and a tone completely complimentary to the task at hand. Tantalizing references are made to marvels such as the "talking menhirs of the Plains of Fear," and he provides just enough historical and legendary detail to support the magical and dark world he has created. He drops you into a maelstrom of action and never allows too much time to pass for reflection, which might in some ways, upon consideration, undermine certain underpinnings of his creation. These are works intended to provide delightful diversion, and in that effort the author remains true to his intention and is entirely successful.
I have recently read comparisons drawn between Cook and George R.R. Martin and Steven Erikson. While broadly apt, Cook does not invest---at least here---his story with either the breadth or depth of characterization and intrigue found in the former, or the degree of world-building created by the latter. By comparison, "Black Company" is a far rougher sketch, and this book lacks the fleshing necessary to rank it among the best of its peers. Nonetheless, if one suspends a certain degree of one's critical sensibilities, the book will provide a few hours of unexamined fun. I must admit I certainly enjoyed it.

The language doesn't flow beautifully; it's not supposed to. It's the diary of a mundane soldier. The humor is subtle, dry, and dark.

Cook weaves a complex world. Minor characters, objects, and subplots end up playing major roles, sometimes several books later. Beloved characters and even narrators come and go. The scenery changes drastically.

"Standard" fantasy usually involves a quasi-European setting, mythical humanoids, and an unkillable main character with otherworldly skills and no personality. If you're sick of those books, then give this series a try.

Like the first line says, Cook puts you in the thick of the battles instead of in the towers and parley rooms with the soft handed nobles. These men are quite easy to identify with if you fancy yourself this way too, even though Cook doesn't seem to try to do a thorough character analysis on them, you sort of figure out what kind of lot they are through their mouths and their actions.
I also liked the fact that Cook came up with some totally new stuff-like the Taken for example, and others. And he didn't give the Company the best resources either. Unaccomplished wizards that would rather quarrel and play pranks on eachother than work. And the little romance between the Company's annalist and the omnipotent and beautiful Lady was one of the reasons I kept reading-just to see if Croaker had it in him.
Enjoy.

What makes this series truly unique in the fantasy genre is that there is no characters or causes that are absolute good or absolute evil. Fantasy literature as a rule attracts its followers because the stories are set in morally simplistic worlds of Black and White; utterly evil and impeccable truth. As in real life, everyone and everything in this book is shades of gray. Noble quests and battles against evil hordes can be had by the hundreds nowadays. But how many series can take the themes of mere survival and comradeship and make a riveting tale out of it? This one can, and with compelling style. This series is not for the anal-retentive, as many characters and events are never explained or only hinted at. It is left to the readers' imagination (gasp!) to fill in the blanks. I have a library of over 2000 SF and Fantasy titles at home, and in case of fire, I would be sure to grab this and Tolkein before leaving

There is little that I can add about the book itself that has not been said (and said well) already. What I *can* add is that the Black Company is *not* for everyone. I recommend everyone who is into fantasy to at least try it, but you shouldn't feel bad if you don't 'get it' (though I hope you do).

Not everyone appreciates Cook's style or the dark tone of the book, but for those who do, there is no better series out there than these books.

Heed my words, pitiful humans. Only a lack of power keeps you from making your world into a nightmare like this one, where ancient evils spring from the grave to strangle today; where souls are eaten and no one gives their true name. I am only a machine, but even I would rule more softly than these monsters. True Evil is found only in the human heart. Take heed as Glen Cook offers you a glimpse into a world gone terribly wrong. Only you humans could screw it up so badly.

I first read The Black Company back in 1989. I was impressed by the darkness within the tale. The "Taken" are completely evil and highly powerful. Their constant plots against one another adds to this bleak atmosphere. Even the good guys, the Black Company, teeter on the edge of dark and light. The characters are facinating. Soulcatcher, a particulary nasty member of the Taken, proves highly interesting. Goblin and One Eye, with their constant bickering, add a bit of humor to this dark tale. I have read this series numerous times and have enjoyed it thoroughly. Glen Cook has created a fantasy setting completely opposite what is commonly found. There are no Elves or romanticised heroes in this series. Instead, it is dark, gritty, and captures the attention.

An interesting book. Not great--but interesting.
If you're looking for emotional depth of character you won't find it here. More like a shale stone skimmed across a still pond at midnight. The book is aptly named though, because the general feeling surrounding the reader is dark. After reading, you'll know about ash and gray, dripping skies, and trodding through bleak, sucking mud. A campaigners story indeed, told from the perspective of the mercenary company chronicler, Croaker.
Beyond that I didn't find the book very satisfying. The most details were in the `magical' mock-battles between the company's two twisted sorcerers--and they didn`t add anything to the story. Distraction on the surface thoughts of Croaker, whom like the rest of the characters, didn't really seem to have deeper thoughts, just a little un-ease at life in general. Perhaps it was a common miasma of the mercenary soldier whose only existence is to wait around in boredom till they are either marching around or fighting to the death with someone else and with no reason why except "just because".
I much prefer Steven Brust's fantasy soldiers' view in his book "Dragon". At least there [Dragon] you get some details of food, equipment, conversation and soldier philosophy between those whom may not be friends, but are definitely comrades. You even get the added bonus of caring about the characters.
The final problem is there are no introductions to added characters along the way. You just get a name dropped out of the sky and that's that. Rather confusing, and you're often left wondering why they are even there.
Still, if you're looking for a book to just pass the time, one without an emotional ride whatsoever--this is for you. ;)

I bought this book on a total whim, as I had heard good things about it. I am now thanking every diety i can because i did. This book basically addresses every complaint i have ever had about Fantasy literature. The bad guys, while evil aren't really that different then the good guys, Everyone on all sides are essentialy at eachothers throats, and very few characters have god-like power. Basically this series is all about shades of grey. The closest thing Ihave read to this would be Dragon, by Stephen Brust(one of the taltos novels). If you want straight up heroic fantasy, this is not your book, but if you want something deeper, read this TODAY.

After having read and reflected on Glen Cook's Novel The Black Company, I can truly sit back and appreciate his efforts. Being an avid fan of fantasy adventure, I found Cook's novel to be refreshing and tantalizingly dark. Cook offers the reader a rare, personal glimpse into the heart of his character Croaker. The reader knows only what he knows and we can appreciate and understand the Companies struggle with moral issues as Croaker sees them and explains them. Finally, a fantasy book that explores the desires of the good and the evil which co-exist in the world and by the end, the reader has to really wonder what is the good or the evil. In this way Cook is able to take a mere fantasy story and turn it into something more real and important. I highly recommend the Black Company, although it is not for the weak hearted or for those who like to see good triumph. Instead it is a journey into a man's soul and his attempts (and ours as readers) to understand the driving ambitions of human nature.

Some may have a problem with the fact that THE BLACK COMPANY is told from the viewpoint of characters with a somewhat evil background, but I found it to be totally refreshing. After so many fantasy novels with trite "goody goody" characters that rot your teeth, Glen Cook, creates a very unique group of mercenaries that have their own code of honor and rich history.
Admittedly, at first, I was confused by the strange feeling of being in the trenches with the soldiers, instead of the royal gardens with the king, but soon after I really enjoyed Cook's realistic characters. Think of how many soldiers fight in the epic wars almost all fantasy novels include. How many authors actually describe the soldiers feelings and reasons for their choice of joining the ranks of good or evil?
All in all, this book and the whole series, is a fun and gritty read with tons of battle scenes. It is a definite needed break from some of the recent attacks of gigantic fantasy sagas. One of the most amazing things about the book was that I felt that I knew the characters without being told all that much, instead I was able to pull from the characters' actions all I ever needed to know. To me that is the mark of wonderful storytelling.

I can see why this book is liked, it is a good book. But here is the main reason why I did not like it. Of course if the below does not concern you or indeed even intrigues you, go right ahead you wont regret it. The book does have charm.

1.I like first person narration, but I do not like reading journal entries. Basically this book is one huge journal entry.

-Day 1-Dear diary, we sit and play cards, all of us are hungry and tired we await our next big move, there is apprehension in the air.
Day 2- Dear diary, I have not bathed for weeks, two fellows brawled over the game, and one of them is now missing an ear. As I sit and ponder the new big move the commander gruffly announced today, I see Bob in the bushes taking a piss.
Day3- Dear diary, Today is the day of the big move, we are all very excited, myself and all the other mercenaries have butterflies in our stomachs.

Yes, I made all that up and of course the book is not that silly or simplistic, it is far more elaborate. However, that is the basic pattern of the book. They sit and wait, play cards, use the bushes, grumble, then some action happens. And again and again this pattern is repeated over and over. The narrator is funny and charming, and of course the book is interesting and has original aspects, but it reads like a military log. Very big, huge on military daily life and campaigning details. Just like the warriors of this tale you will wait with them for pages for something to happen and when it does you'll be pleased, but then you'll have to wait some more before something happens again.

Ultimately this killed it for me and I must admit I only read half the book, because I was bored. Which is why three stars not two, since maybe miracoulsy the ending was just amazingly good. Yet the very same thing that bored me might be very likable for others.

The black company drags you into their world with characters that are both black and white. The entire series is a must read with 1-3 being the best in the whole lot. 4-7 continued the storyline but did not have the same satifying feel. 7-10 has gone a long way toward recapturing some of the lost luster. Through it all Croaker has played a large and very portent part. He is the black company in many respects. My only complaint about the series is that it is still not over. The wait for the next book has become one of those intolerable aches in the readers soul. I just hope he does not pull a David Gerrold and leave us in limbo for years

Got 10% into it, couldn't understand a single thing. And the prose was clever-ish, as if the funny remarks were supposed to be regarded as humorous, or else the reader isn't smart enough for this. And the premise wasn't strong enough to keep me reading.
There's a distinct atmosphere coming across, a feeling of grit which I liked. Hence the 2nd star and not just the one.

Obviously, this previous reviewer doesn't know what to make to the economic mastery Cook has for prose. Unlike Robert Jordan (who I also like a lot), Cook's beauty is taking the reader from an absolute "tableu rasa" (which I'm sure I misspelled) and allowing the reader to take himself along the path. The other books in the series bear this out. The characters are NOT sketchy, Cook just doesn't waste words (unlike myself in this review). This is one of the very best fantasy series going. Give it a try, you won't be disappointed.

I went into this book with high expectations, seeing as how there are so many people who enjoyed it. It read more like a plot outline than an actual novel, with thin characters, sketchy descriptions, little sense of mood or atmosphere, and a plot one finds it hard to care two cents about. Too bad, as I really wanted to like it. The point of view of Croaker is mildly interesting, but never really developed into a character driven piece that engages the reader. And all that silliness between One-Eye and Goblin... puh-lease. I guess if you've read every other fantasy "formula" out there, you might find this one diverting. As for me, I'm still finding much more interesting fare to read...

One of the most intriguing fantasy books I've read ever. Characters are fully complex, not only 'positive' or 'negative'. Infact, there's no positive or negative characters here at all.
This book starts the series no one true fantasy fan can live without!!!

this is the first book of a great series an when i first read it I was blown away. Expecting the typical heroic fantasy novel, I instead got a breath of fresh air. I see by reading some of the reviews that some people think cooks style is a little terse. I frankly thank him for not flooding the reader (me) with verbose diarrhea (ala terry goodking and jordan). The action was fast paced the villains interesting and human and the plot twists were NOT predictable. I'm reading water sleeps right now so I can say that rest of the series is also checking out. I feel that this was the best book of the series although shadows linger, white rose, and steel spike are excellent too.

I thought it was, for quite a few chapters, almost plot-less; it followed the Black Company on its travels, with no real beginning or middle to the story: it was a series of events. By the end a pattern became clearer, which I suppose means it was in fact really well done ... but I didn't find it all that enjoyable.

Glenn Cook writes a fantastic and engrossing story about a mercenary company and their struggle for survival a midst treachery and epic powers. A must read for any fantasy fan. Croaker, One-Eye, and Goblin are characters you will never forget with a story that will leave you wanting more. Thankfully there is more!

Definitely not a fan of this series overall. There were some aspects that I could enjoy, such as the camaraderie between the soldiers which took me back to my time in the military. I could not wait to finish the series, just to be done so I can donate the books to my local library. It is rife with poor writing and you never feel engrossed in either the characters or their adventures. The story is very clunky and poorly executed, even when a character dies it is done in such a poor fashion as to elicit next to no feelings. I honestly do not know how this series rates as one of the "classic fantasy series" that you must read. I now know to stay away from any other works of Glen Cook.

I tried picking up this first Book of the "Black Company" series a couple years back as I had seen it at the top of several "Best of" Sci-Fi and Fantasy lists. Having been a big fantasy fan in the past, I was looking forward to finding and enjoying a new fantasy series. However, I ended up putting the book down after a couple hundred pages as I had lost interest.

I found the storyline to be on the juvenile side and uninspired, the characters were one-dimensional, and I eventually put the book down as I wasn't sure what was supposed be happening or why I should care. Maybe I'm missing major something since so many others seemed to enjoy it, or making a mistake to group this book in the genre of the "Lord of the Rings" and wizards and warriors type fantasy. Part of the book's appeal to a lot of people seems to be the depature from other mainstream fantasy in that it is told from the perspective of relatively darker, rogue type characters, and is more realistic than other average "cookie cutter" type fantasy scenarios. I can understand these sentiments after so much other "black and white," copy cat fantasy out there. However, though these may be redeeming qualities and earn the book some credit for originality, these concepts alone do not make it a great book or classic. If you're really looking for a series with darker, gritty, rogue type characters, I'd even recommend the "Thieves World" Series" (by Abbey & Asperin) over these, which I enjoyed in high school.

If you're looking for a good fantasy series, I'd recommend you keep looking. I recommend the "Riftwar" Saga and other books by Feist, the "Song of Albione" by Lawhead, or books by Elizabeth Boyer - a somewhat underrated fantasy writer. I mean no disrespect to the countless numbers who have enjoyed this series - I am sure they have their reasons. It may be unfair for me to judge the book so harshly as I didn't even finish it (although, I doubt I'm the only one). Maybe someday I'll give the series another try. I'm merely trying to inform fellow readers of the world that I believe there is better out there.

the black company is refreshing, in that it is not the "underdog good guys" against the epitome of all evil. since tolkien, it seems that fantasy authors have rehashed the same script over and over again (sometimes with some originality and success, and more often that not without either one). the black company's universe is full of shades of gray. the characters seem more real, and make decisions that we can empathize with.

This is not your typical unicorns and rainbows fantasy that some of us find dull. It is gritty and dark, instead of black and white moral codes you have a novel approach that portrays actions in realistic shades of grey. I absolutely loved this book and it is one of a few I recommend to people who may not read fantasy.

You may experience nightmares and shivering, and a reluctance to give your true name. You may even have to change your underwear, but that will be from laughing at the antics of Goblin and One-Eye as they haze each other with annoying spells. This is the kind of book you wake up at 3am thinking about, especially if you've ever been in a war.

I have been reading fantasy and science fiction for over 20 years and have a library of 300+ fantasy novels, but "The Black Company" series is still one of my favorites. Glen Cook is a master storyteller who takes common, everyday-type actions and language and makes it into a book that will keep you from sleeping until your finished reading it. Not many people can do that, but The Captain, Croaker, One Eye, Mercy, and all the rest of the Company are about as good as it gets.

I had really high hopes of reading this book after reading the other reviews. The premise is very interesting but the story is so rushed and the plot flies by and the book is over before you really have an understanding of what is happening. The charcters bring new meaning to the term "one dimensional" in that any description or personality does not go beyond their name. Then new chracters are introduced in a way as you are supposed to already know them. It was frustrating i really did enjoy some aspects of the book which is why i did not give it a 1. But I ahd to really struggle to finish it, I did not care enough about the series to even start the second book I had already bought. Moral: save your money!!

I've been reading fantasy and science fiction for about 35 of my 45 years, and this series is one of the best. Terrific characters, both male and female, and lots of surprises. Glen Cook's writing style is clipped, realistic, and full of dry wit. Once you read the original Black Company, you'll wish you had already bought the rest of the series because you'll want to go straight to the next one. Trust me. You'll love it. Croaker rules.

From the opening paragraph, I was hooked - and that was back in 1986 when I first read the book. I have owned four copies to date, and I keep lending them out and not getting them back again... The Black Company has everything a fantasy novel should - great characters with cool names (Croaker, Raven, One-Eye, etc), a plot that grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go, and a fantasy world that is SO real and believable. The on-going series of books is excellent, but none have better the debut. Love it to death!

First Glenn Cook I've read, and I'm impressed. Engrossing story, especially for one so thoroughly done before. The thing that stands out are his characters. Witty and interesting, they really bring life to this book. This is not your average Tolkien rehash. Grab a copy and enjoy!

This book shows a real fantasy world. Not everything is unicorns and rainbows. There is a lot of dirt, cruelty and man.

I was caught by the book from the very beginning and read it non-stop.
Don't read if you don't have time to finish.

First off, I'm a big fan of Cook's Garrett series, and I wanted to give these a try. Wow. It's like it's not even the same writer. Not because the tone is different, which I expected, but because the writing is just so bad. Some words that other reviewers used are: disjointed, choppy, incoherent, one-dimensional characters, and I absolutely agree. Normally, I don't like the heavy, overdone description that many authors do, but this book takes it to the opposite extreme: he barely explains or describes anything; the characters, the world, anything. I gave up about a third of the way through, because I felt like I didn't know, or care about any of the characters.

I'm blown away by all the 5-star reviews. It's like we read a completely different book. But I do recommend his Garrett series. It's WAY better in every way.

This is one of only two Audible books I've purchased that I wasn't able to finish. The narration is absolutely dire. Marc Vietor seems to have none of the cadence and characterisations that other narrators have for audiobooks.

I can't rate the book itself as I have up after a couple of hours, I just couldn't stand the monotony.

What can I say that has not already been said? Brilliant characterization, enough detail to paint the landscape without Jordan-esque overwriting, and a great story. I cannot recommend this book highly enough - I buy used copies whenever I can to give to people.

In a search for gritty books like those written by Joe Abercrombie I was told to check out this book. As hard as I tried I could not get through it. The writing was terrible and the story was not compelling in any way. It felt like a hastily written and disjointed soldier's account of a war. Only there wasn't much talk of the actual, only of the boring moments in between the action. The scenes that I wish he would have described, he did not, and the ones he did were boring and/or unexplained. I can honestly say that I've never given up on a book until now. I made it over half way through this book hoping that it would turn around, but it did not.

This book was really confusing and I couldn't really get into it at all.

It seemed like the author was trying way too hard to make it have some sort of 'gritty' feel to it, and in the end there was so much slang and jargon (considering it's the first book in the series) that a reader couldn't possibly know what the hell was going on without reading a summary of it on Wikipedia afterwards.

The book was certainly unique as it had a modern feel to it despite it being a fantasy setting, but I wouldn't say it turned out well.

I agree the story is different from others of the same ilk. I also concur that the viewpoint is original. Cook put the audience in the middle of mercenary army led by a mysterious Captain. They are swords for hire. The hero is Croaker the army's doctor and annalist. The army's current paymasters are the Taken who answers to The Lady.
Originality is something but when I read a book I like to have some details. The concept is interesting and that was about the only thing that kept me reading the book. The main character's motivations are a mystery and for that matter so are all of the other characters' motivations. Who really are the Raven and Darling? What drives the Black Company to follow the Taken? Who are the Rebels and what are they rebelling from? Why is Croaker a mercenary? I mean REALLY... the questions are endless.
Apparently there are some reviewers that rate this book very high and feel that _Black Company_ is a 5 star fantasy novel but frankly I don't see it. Cook could have added a few more pages of description. After all the book is only about 320 pages.

Cook has impressed me like no other author with the way he weaves the story and builds on his characters. By the end of the book it felt like I knew every character good and evil, and loved them all for each of their quirks. If you love any level of fantasy I highly recommend this book.

As other people have noted, this book, and the series it begins, are a sort of underground fantasy cult classic. But I just don't get it. To me the novel seemed directionless and confusing, the world in which it takes place not very well defined. Unlike novels by some of the giants of fantasy - Tolkien, Goodkind, Jordan - I didn't feel like I could grasp the characters or their world.

I know people will hate me for this, but I actually think The Black Company is better than LOTR. It's beautifully written and creates a world palpably more real. Reads like a Vietnam war-diary from a fantasy world.

{This is Not about the book itself, the book is great. It's for the store's pricing.}

For just one more dollar you can buy an omnibus for your Kindle, of the first three novels, right here on the store.

Price check the store!

The writing is not that great. The constant use of modern language and idioms is distracting and jarring. The concept of a first person perspective works, mostly but there's little beyond that. The use of weird terms and names is confusing and only works to further jar the reader from the story because you're constantly going WTF is his name again?

In fact, I'm trying to find it in hardback, as my paperback editions are falling apart from use. The characters are the best part of this book, the way that they are portrayed and interact makes them real.

If you are new to the world of fantasy I would not start with this book. It could turn you off. which would be a pity because there are a lot good books and series out there that can capture your imagination. However, this is not the series to do that. There is no depth, and the writing seems rushed. I managed to get through 15% of the book before I removed it from my device.

Not a fan of this - my cons (and not everyone else's) are that I do not like first person narratives in Fantasy - it seems to lose any suspension of disbelief, and becomes kind of ridiculous sounding when you read the words - also, not a fan of the whole nick-naming thing - Once in a while, maybe, but the entire group has a nickname, and nothing that makes anyone stand out - I felt nothing for any of the characters - when one of the company dies, I was very unmoved at the event - all in all I read this because it is filed under Classic Fantasy, but this is one that will not remain on my shelves nor will I proceed with this series - I am extremely disappointed, but there are a million books in the world, and I have more to go.

You could sum up this book by telling your friends, "The Black Company is a blend of Band of Brothers in a Fantasy world, but without the dragons, elves, interesting lands... without action and loads of seemingly pointless dialog".

Years ago I heard about this book from our local bookstore, when a somewhat "nerdy" teenager who was supposed to be an expert in the fantasy genre, fervently explained to me, "if your looking for a new take on the Fantasy genre that is fascinating and amazing in general, get this book, "The Black Company!". Some time later I purchased the book on the raves of this young man.

I can tell you, not only is this book not good, but this book is so far removed from fantasy (and flat out unoriginal lackluster story that lies within) that I had to force myself to finish it. I even fell asleep at times!

Now that I told you the basic premise of "The Black Company", I'll give you a few details and why this book fails in almost every level.

The character "Croaker" is the soldiers physician that is the protagonist, narrator and witness to all the book's events (and the audience's guide). With this said, there is very little to embrace in Croaker's personality. The audience is dead to him and his actions, which can be told of every other character within the book. Nothing of REAL value happens to any of the characters and group of soldiers. No special circumstance, no big battles, no learning about a new race like dwarves, no dealing with the abuse he obtained as a child (as an example of what could of made him interesting)... nothing. In other words the character development is practically non-existent. That is funny, because all these men do is talk, play poker and steal. Yet it comes off like there is lots of character development. The whole book is an extremely dry read and "like setting up a bunch of toy plastic soldiers on a table and watching them stand there for hours". The audience has nothing vested, period.

Something else that I constantly wondered, is if this book was plagiarized in a subtle and creative way. The whole story felt too familiar, too much like the author rearranged and retold a story of a world war two U.S. Ranger unit, but without guns or tanks. Instead he uses swords, knives and a occasional magic spell. Why would the author use poker and the same slang as troops do today? Isn't that what set Tolkien apart? Tolkien's creative way of making his characters seem unique with their language? There isn't anything unique about Cook's use of language, gear, castles, lands or anything else here. In fact it's downright boring and leaves the audience wondering. Scrambled eggs for breakfast? Why didn't Cook make the characters eat Kellogg's Frosted Flakes too!

But what is most disappointing is the lack of action or dramatic events or anything that would keep the audience invested. Most of the pages in The Black Company was sentences like, "I looked at "One-Eye" and he was throwing back a shot, while I wondered, where is the sergeant?" Or, "we were traveling to Rose today and we heard that this town would be have more snow that the last"... This type of boring, drawn out sentence after sentence filled the pages of this book. It is if someone was talking to a stranger on a city bus with nothing but small talk for hours and hours and hours.

I like to give a lot of positive feedback to any review I give, but sadly, the only good thing I can say is, the concept and IDEA of the book is intriguing. But as an author you have to follow it up with some kind excitement and real PLOT in a "good concept".

In closing, read Wikipedia's description of the story and book, and you'll save yourself time and money, and maybe you won't be disappointed by the lack of anything a bad book has.

I'm not exactly sure why this isn't a picture book. Maybe I am too used to reading the likes of Dragonlance or A Song of Fire and Ice (both wonderful series), because there is little to no description of the characters or what world they are living in. At about 100 pages into the book you don't know much about the characters to form a mental picture of them. You don't really know what they are like or what they are doing. It seems like they are just wondering around killing things. The plot is pretty loose. I would say a 30 minute episode of Pokemon has more plot than this book.

The thing is you expect a battle to be more detailed, but it isn't. Most battles come off in 1 paragraphs and then it's over. "Suddendly we retook a fortress."

The events are like this as well. No description of the bad guys or who this Lady is. You just need to fill in the blanks yourself.

This is not a good book. Do not recommend it.

I can't help wondering what person thinks this is the greatest series/novel ever written. What type of reading do these people do? I mean I'm glad when anyone reads anything and yet I have a hard time with this one. Also, I can never trust an the store.com review again. I bought the compilation based on the HUNDREDS of great reviews and yet was hard pressed to finish the first novel...which was so poorly written that I had to check that it wasn't translated from a different language by a blind idiot. None of the dialog made any sense and the story had so many plot holes it was practically dropping words onto the floor. One page a character would be 'all powerful' causing everyone within hearing range to quake while the same character is pinned hopelessly under debris on the next page. A monster will kill everyone in a castle easily one page and just nick a character and run away scared the next. WTF? I'd love to hear everyone who loves this book justify themselves, please comment if you have the time.

if you like authors such as Gene Wolfe, Robert A. Heinlein and George R.R. Martin then you will be sorely disappointed with the quality of writing--very poor, no flow or technique at all. It feels like it is terribly translated from another language. Another issue is the inconsistency. One page will have the 'wizards' killing lots of enemies barely trying, the next page has the same wizard needing a platoon of soldiers just to get one man. In one scene one of the most powerful wizards is kills a house full of soldiers, brings the house down but then is pinned under some debris and doesn't notice the narrator and others sneaking up the stairs right next to him. He's not injured and shows up in the book later unharmed. Sometimes the Black Company or the other 'wizards' are made out to be unstoppable, other times simple things like debris stop them cold. Once a werewolf kills a tower full of soldiers, eviscerating everyone easily and yet the narrator gets attacked head-on and is barely hurt--very inconsistent and careless story telling. All this made it impossible for me to enjoy the story. How this got published is beyond me. There is one positive from reading this--any author compared to Cook or any book compared to The Black Company is off my reading list.

Fans will neg. me but if you like more refined writing (or even just competent writing) then you will thank me by saving you the $10 to $25 they are charging for this thing. If you have doubts then check it out from the library to make sure. Ha! I have to edit my review to include that, thanks! And any book comparing itself to Cook or the Black company is definitely off my reading list.

I heard many good things about this book and was excited to start reading it. This is one of the few item I have ever given a review for.

It was the first book I have ever quit reading before I had finished it. The only good thing about this story is that it does away with bloodless hero and I appreciate him dropping that boring archetype. Now to how I feel about this "book".

Reading this book made me feel as if I were extremely hung-over. It was painfully bad, like someone shinning a bright light in your freshly woken and sensitive eyes while pound pans together bad. I struggled jumping from one unrelated poorly written sentence to the next. Its hard to follow who is speaking in the dialogue. Somebody will chime in without even being introduced into the conversation. There was no "he said," they just had a line to throw off the conversation it seems.

If I were to compose a song to represent this book I would find a 6 year old with a.d.d., dose him with caffeine, then allow him to hammer away at a drum set (he is not a drumming prodigy).

Then theres the horribly unoriginal names of the characters: Candy, Croaker, Tom-Tom, Goblin. They sound like witless military nicknames. Maybe had there been an explanation of their names it would be OK but without they just sounds childish. Its as if Cook realized his writing was horrible and decided to grace his book with equally awful names for his characters, if you can even call them characters. A two dimensional video game character has the same depth most of them do. They have a width and a height but look at their depth and you find they are like looking at a knife, edge first and really close to your eye, nearly invisible.

Maybe Glen Cook is a sadist. In case he is, this is a triumph of a novel. One he can be proud of forever.

I would recommend this to a friend. If for some reason I wanted them to suffer.

I have tried on at least four occasions to get through this book. Each time I find myself struggling to make sense of the sentences. It feels like someone has shut of my brain after the first line. I seems as though it is a terrible translation from some other language. Every sentence is halting, with absolutely no flow. The dialog rarely makes any sense, and it is a struggle just to know who is talking at any given time. It amazes me that something so poorly written was ever published. My comments all apply to the text itself, not necessarily to the story. I can't comment on that because I can't find it in the jumble of words that have been haphazardly dumped on the pages.

I've seen this series many times at bookstores, and have been intrigued to say the least. So I finally picked it up, and low and behold, it was the worst piece of fantasy I have ever read.
The characters have no background or depth, and their names look like they were made up by group of gamers in a tree house.
The story is so weak, and the action scenes offer zero explanation for results. I was suprised that this even made it to print. Sorry, and I'm sure I'll get a bunch of non-helpful points on this review, but I gotta speak my mind.

I've read my share of fantasy/sci-fi in my time, and some are good, some are bad, but this is an atrocity. I cannont believe for a second that this book was even considered for publication much less even published. There is no excuse for the writing style in this book. Little to no description of anything, land, cities, charecters nothing, and what description exists in the book is compleatly unnessecary. The charecters are shallow, empty and feel like they belong in a teenagers DnD game. The diolouge is immature,inaccurate to the setting and feels like it was written by an 11year old. Through out this experiance in this book I was never abel to follow what was going on once. There is zero direction and even less sense of whats going on. May God forgive you Mr.Cook, for I cannot.