Black Company

[andycook]

The annals of the Black Company isn't mentioned here. I enjoyed how down-right nasty the main characters were. Unfortunately I think this series suffered from the problem that many do - one or too books too many in the series.

Thoughts?

-Andy

 

[littlemissattitude]

I don't think I've ever heard of this series, andy. Could you tells us - or me, anyway - something about it?

 

[fungi from Yuggoth]

Glen Cook's 'The Black Company' is a series of novels following the life of a mercenary band as they go about their business. I've only read the first one, but found it refreshingly well-written. Cook's style is very sparse, and the stories move along very quickly. It's not perfect, but it's worth a read.

 

[Leto]

All of them worth the read. The first 3 annals are written using Croacker POV (the vet/doctor of the company), then the POV can change to another member in others annals. What's interesting though is that Glen Cook perfectly well "caught" the voice of ones character (even when female) without losing the general voice of the Black company as an entity.
I'm not fond of fantasy in general, LMA, but this one serie has been read and re-read. It's as good as an old fine western movie.

 

[Taltos]

I think the first 3 to 4 books were exceptionally good. I just loved the style. But when the journey to the south started, the serie lost it's appeal - something is missing from the later books. Can quite say what, but something is definitely missing

On the other hand - the P.I. Garret series from the same author are brilliant.

 

[Brys]

I've only read the first 3 books, which I think were excellent. They weren't quite the best I'd read. It's a very easy read, but the concepts are very interesting and original. I think the most important thing about the Black Company was the company itself, and the people within them - it was a military fantasy that actually was able to portray what a mercenary company would actually be like.

 

[GOLLUM]

I've read the entire series, which for me is a major work in the field of military fantasy. A fairly realistic potrayalist of military life, Cook has also been a strong influence on Steven Erikson's brilliant modern millitary fantasy EPIC Malazan Book Of The Fallen.

As per comments made here by members, Cook has also written other books/series, albeit the entire Black Company series is not easy to get hold of and some books are currently out of print.

A thread was started on Cook some while ago in which I provided details on Cook's published books/series etc... Perhaps if the moderators can combine these 2 threads?

http://www.chronicles-network.net/forum/showthread.php?t=2462&page=1&highlight=glenn+cook

 

[finvarre]

I've read the entire series, which for me is a major work in the field of military fantasy. A fairly realistic potrayalist of military life, Cook has also been a strong influence on Steven Erikson's brilliant modern millitary fantasy EPIC Malazan Book Of The Fallen.

When I read Gardens of the Moon the first thing I noticed was the strong resemblance of Whiskeyjack and the entire Bridgeburners company to the Black Company . I really think Cook's series have inspired Erikson when he created his story (at least this part of the story ). Black Company was very innovative, I think, and the first fantasy book in which I wholly sympathised with the 'dark side' of the conflict. Previously a Tolkien-like worlds in which mainly the good forces battled with the evil ones were more common, and in Cook just everything is ambiguous, as is usually nowadays in modern fantasy. I know it's nothing new now, but back in the 80's I suppose it was quite refreshing?

I'll admit, though, that for me this series were too long - I liked the first 6 books, up to Dreams of Steel, well enough, but I didn't like Bleak Seasons at all- Murgen's retelling of what had happened in Dejagore was immensely boring for me, because there was already a description of the event in Dreams of Steel, and I read only She Is the Darkness afterwards. I'm a bit curious if much has changed in Water Sleeps and Soldiers Live, though, and whether Cook has ended this series for good?

 

[GOLLUM]

You're right Finvarre, it was something of a breath of fresh air for me personally in the eighties although Cook certainly isn't the first fanatsy author to deal in shades of grey.

Things do shift in terms of the emphasis on certain characters in Water Sleeps in relation to what's gone on before and the fact that the Company as such no longer exists as a single entity that has been depleted in its numbers. Less emphasis on military prowess than the earlier books and more on intrigue (not uncommon of course with Cook). There's also a new female narrative voice who isn't a particulalry sympathetic (easy to relate to) character IMO.

Soldiers Live takes up more on the fates of the previous Black Company characters like Croaker and there's several deaths in this final book of the current series. I don't want to reveal anymore than this but suffice to say the ending leaves enough open threads for future story lines. It's suposedly the final chapter of this series and I believe Cook plans nothing for the forseeable future but you never know...

I enjoyed these last 2 book BUT for me the earlier books in the series were the best, a little like Jordan's WOT sequence falling away, albeit Cook is a better writer than this author IMO. In short YES there is an ending to this current series with the last 2 books.

Ok I've not yet read Book 1 Instrumentalities Of The Night, the latest Cook offering. I know it follows Cook's usual theme of gritty fantasy by all reports and is based on a totally new world and characters to the Black Company.

Hope this helps, bye for now....

 

[andycook]

Sorry, I must have used the search incorrectly.

I enjoyed how Glen Cook conveyed muddy and cold conditions and the Taken were pretty innovative creations.

-Andy

 

[littlemissattitude]

Thanks, everyone, for the overview and opinions. Sounds like something I might have to look into.

 

[GOLLUM]

Sorry, I must have used the search incorrectly.

I enjoyed how Glen Cook conveyed muddy and cold conditions and the Taken were pretty innovative creations.

-Andy

As per my previous PM regarding Steven Erikson do you therefore prefer more "gritty" reads where characters are painted in shades of grey (i.e. moral ambiguity) rather than the often described black and white potrayals one sees and where life doesn't always end neatly or on a happy note??

I use the Search bar at the top of the page to perform searches so maybe you used another one or did a typo, no drama, we got there in the end...

 

[GOLLUM]

Thanks, everyone, for the overview and opinions. Sounds like something I might have to look into.

Yes they'e not bad if you prefer a more "gritty" read, the earlier books are the better ones IMO.

Just be aware a number of the books are currnetly out of print, so may require a bit of hnuting through second hand bookshops or online eg Amazon etc.. to get a copy.

Alternativley you could try Book 1 Instrumentalities Of The Night, the latest Cook offering and part of a shorter trilogy. I know it follows Cook's usual theme of gritty fantasy by all reports but is based on a totally new world and characters to that of the Black Company, so presumably it may be a way to get a feel for this author's style. Not read it yet myself but planning to..

 

[andycook]

I will look up Steven Erikson.

My taste has shifted from perferring those stories with clearly good/evil and rooting for the good side when I was young to enjoying the more morally ambiguous and gritty stories now a days. Is this the normal progression for everyone?

I always thought it would be fun for one of those Quest-type fantasy novels to end in utter failure for the good guys and let the dark side win. Fade to black...

 

[GOLLUM]

I will look up Steven Erikson.

My taste has shifted from perferring those stories with clearly good/evil and rooting for the good side when I was young to enjoying the more morally ambiguous and gritty stories now a days. Is this the normal progression for everyone?

I always thought it would be fun for one of those Quest-type fantasy novels to end in utter failure for the good guys and let the dark side win. Fade to black...

Can't speak for everyone but YES that was the basic progression for me, with a strong preference for right to vanquish evil and none of the "good guys" dying up to age 15 or so...

You may like to add R Scott Bakker, China Mieville, GRRM and Paul Kearney to that list too..

 

[littlemissattitude]

Just be aware a number of the books are currnetly out of print, so may require a bit of hnuting through second hand bookshops or online eg Amazon etc.. to get a copy.

Alternativley you could try Book 1 Instrumentalities Of The Night, the latest Cook offering and part of a shorter trilogy. I know it follows Cook's usual theme of gritty fantasy by all reports but is based on a totally new world and characters to that of the Black Company, so presumably it may be a way to get a feel for this author's style. Not read it yet myself but planning to..

Thanks for the warning, G., but I just checked the online catalog, and it looks like my library system has several of Cook's titles, including at least the first three Black Company books.

 

[Leto]

They're easily found in second hand shop (or on the second hand service of amazon).

 

[Brys]

I will look up Steven Erikson.

My taste has shifted from perferring those stories with clearly good/evil and rooting for the good side when I was young to enjoying the more morally ambiguous and gritty stories now a days. Is this the normal progression for everyone?

I always thought it would be fun for one of those Quest-type fantasy novels to end in utter failure for the good guys and let the dark side win. Fade to black...

Yes, so have I. I just didn't bother writing one because the first part would be so boring to write. Maybe Robert Jordan will end the Wheel of Time series like this (which would make it worth reading again). Actually, I think Gene Wolfe did something along these lines with the Wizard Knight, and in a different way, Donaldson's Thomas Covenant.
I think that gritty ambiguous stories have re-emerged for fantasy, and most of us tend to get bored of the good and evil archetypes after a while.

Erikson has said many times that Cook is one of his favourite authors and has greatly influenced him. Gollum's listed the main ambiguous authors, but I think you can safely add JV Jones' Sword of Shadows series (not either of the other series!),Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast (which is a classic of the genre) and Roger Zelazny's Amber.

 

[finvarre]

Thanks for the info, Goll. I might read the last 2 books yet, to complete the series . BTW, I know Cook wasn't the first one to deal in shades of grey, as you put it, but if I remember correctly he was the one who did the trick for me.
I also progressed from these good vs. evil stories - there was a time Eddings and the Dragonlance stories were some of my favs (although I still enjoy this kind of stories i.e Tad WIlliams) but after you've read too much of this kind of books you yearn for something more complex and ambiguous.
Even so, I certainly don't agree with you, Brys: if Rand al Thor dies in, say, book no 20 and I've suffered through so damn many volumes (and paid for them as well!) for nothing I'd be quite@#$@%%#@$ !!! (anyway, I don't think I could express that accurately in English). If you want to read a book with good guys vanquished by the evil forces, then the author should better make it a shorter one!

 

[GOLLUM]

Yes, so have I. I just didn't bother writing one because the first part would be so boring to write. Maybe Robert Jordan will end the Wheel of Time series like this (which would make it worth reading again). Actually, I think Gene Wolfe did something along these lines with the Wizard Knight, and in a different way, Donaldson's Thomas Covenant.
I think that gritty ambiguous stories have re-emerged for fantasy, and most of us tend to get bored of the good and evil archetypes after a while.

Erikson has said many times that Cook is one of his favourite authors and has greatly influenced him. Gollum's listed the main ambiguous authors, but I think you can safely add JV Jones' Sword of Shadows series (not either of the other series!),Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast (which is a classic of the genre) and Roger Zelazny's Amber.

Well I just quoted a few of the authors who deal in shades of Grey, plenty more as you point out. You've listed some more of my favs in Zelazny, Peake, Jones (as Brys says only the current Sword Of Shadows series!) Wolfe and Donladson. Maybe also add Jordan's WOT ONLY if it ends soon AND half decently.... and the Elric series by Michael Moorcock.

I know there's others but my Brains on hold for the moment..