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jamesjaspers's review
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
3.0
shaekin's review against another edition
4.0
This book says it's 3.5, but it's really book 4.1 and takes place at the same time as some of the events in book 4. I would recommend reading it after book 4 because of this, but if you read it before book 4 it shouldn't ruin too much for you in that story line. This book wraps up Raven, Darling, and Silent's story lines. Definitely a good addition to the overall series.
csdaley's review against another edition
For reasons I don’t totally understand I didn’t like this book. I like The Black Company but this one just didn’t do it for me.
shirin_mandi's review against another edition
3.0
6.5/10
چیزی را از مردی خردمند شنیده بود. درباره سه مرحله امپراتوری، سه نسل: ایتدا فاتحانی می‌آیند که در جنگها بی‌رقیبند، سپس مجریان می‌آیند، کسانی که همه چیز را به عمارتی به ظاهر تزلزل ناپذیر و فناناپذیر متصل می‌سازند؛ سپس مسرفان می‌آیند، کسانی که هیچ مسئولیتی نمی‌پذیرند و سرمایه میراثشان را با هوا و هوس هدر می‌دهند به دستان فاتحانی دیگر می‌سپارند.
ضعیف ترین کتاب مجموعه با اختلاف زیاد، تا الان به نظرم بهترین سایه‌های ابدی بود.
spoiler alert
نه طبیبی، نه گابلین و تک چشم، اونم از کلاغ که تمام تصوراتم رو از شخصیت با خاک یکسان کرد، آخرشم که فاجعه بود... آخه اولشم فاجعه بود، کلا ایده داستان انگار برای گلن کوک نبود :(
سه ستاره فقط برای ماجرای اسمدز و کل کلای کیس
چیزی را از مردی خردمند شنیده بود. درباره سه مرحله امپراتوری، سه نسل: ایتدا فاتحانی می‌آیند که در جنگها بی‌رقیبند، سپس مجریان می‌آیند، کسانی که همه چیز را به عمارتی به ظاهر تزلزل ناپذیر و فناناپذیر متصل می‌سازند؛ سپس مسرفان می‌آیند، کسانی که هیچ مسئولیتی نمی‌پذیرند و سرمایه میراثشان را با هوا و هوس هدر می‌دهند به دستان فاتحانی دیگر می‌سپارند.
ضعیف ترین کتاب مجموعه با اختلاف زیاد، تا الان به نظرم بهترین سایه‌های ابدی بود.
spoiler alert
نه طبیبی، نه گابلین و تک چشم، اونم از کلاغ که تمام تصوراتم رو از شخصیت با خاک یکسان کرد، آخرشم که فاجعه بود... آخه اولشم فاجعه بود، کلا ایده داستان انگار برای گلن کوک نبود :(
سه ستاره فقط برای ماجرای اسمدز و کل کلای کیس
masong63's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
stale_reviews's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
sbaar's review against another edition
5.0
If you thought the original [b:The Black Company|140671|The Black Company (The Chronicles of the Black Company, #1)|Glen Cook|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1389929874s/140671.jpg|390334] was too conventional, the second [b:Shadows Linger|400881|Shadows Linger (The Chronicles of the Black Company, #2)|Glen Cook|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1436464351s/400881.jpg|1761500] was almost comically understated in it's perspective, and [b:The White Rose|400906|The White Rose (The Chronicles of the Black Company, #3)|Glen Cook|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1327901074s/400906.jpg|390332] left too many plot threads open, then this book will hit the spot.
There is no central protagonist to carry things along. There are just self-interested groups acting on incomplete knowledge. Surprisingly, it is the newcomers who you end up rooting for, a bunch of low lifes who through quick thinking and a bit of luck realize "Wait a sec, this long dormant evil just tried to get out, was put down, and is now vulnerable for the next few weeks. We don't know what we're doing, but we are the closest ones who can take advantage of it before it's sealed forever or someone more powerful comes along." They are by no means the "best people" or "the most unlikely" people, but they are low level criminals who clearly know how to hustle. Through no special talents, they keep their cool and play off various forces against each other with subtle tricks and subterfuge. It actually makes up for the lack of Goblin and One-Eye.
The old cast of characters Croaker left behind comes back. Raven comes off as much more flawed without a Great Evil to fight or avenge. Observing him is a regular Imperial Soldier who narrates from the not-quite-epistolary not quite 3rd person narrative that Cook uses to middling success throughout the series. Later in the book it proves invaluable when so many different players cross each other's paths in complex situations. His disinterested take keeps things focused on what's actually important and stops the foibles from becoming melodramatic. However, in the first half, he is not full of great insights. "Raven was obsessed. Raven was angry. Silent was silent, but his sign language was hasty".
The party of Darling and Silent get the least love. They are as single minded as ever in protecting the realm and maintaining dominion over the Plain creatures. What exactly they were doing instead of looking after the Spike is left unsaid. What the imperials were doing instead of looking after the one piece of the Dominator left behind is left unsaid.
This is a better book than the White Rose, and more captivating than Shadows Linger. It feels like a real conclusion to the situation in the North. Curiously, the heart of the original trilogy was evenly split between the Company and the political situation, some just seem to forget that since the rest of the cast moved on in other books, so please do read if you care about these countries as much as you do about Croaker.
There is no central protagonist to carry things along. There are just self-interested groups acting on incomplete knowledge. Surprisingly, it is the newcomers who you end up rooting for, a bunch of low lifes who through quick thinking and a bit of luck realize "Wait a sec, this long dormant evil just tried to get out, was put down, and is now vulnerable for the next few weeks. We don't know what we're doing, but we are the closest ones who can take advantage of it before it's sealed forever or someone more powerful comes along." They are by no means the "best people" or "the most unlikely" people, but they are low level criminals who clearly know how to hustle. Through no special talents, they keep their cool and play off various forces against each other with subtle tricks and subterfuge. It actually makes up for the lack of Goblin and One-Eye.
The old cast of characters Croaker left behind comes back. Raven comes off as much more flawed without a Great Evil to fight or avenge. Observing him is a regular Imperial Soldier who narrates from the not-quite-epistolary not quite 3rd person narrative that Cook uses to middling success throughout the series. Later in the book it proves invaluable when so many different players cross each other's paths in complex situations. His disinterested take keeps things focused on what's actually important and stops the foibles from becoming melodramatic. However, in the first half, he is not full of great insights. "Raven was obsessed. Raven was angry. Silent was silent, but his sign language was hasty".
The party of Darling and Silent get the least love. They are as single minded as ever in protecting the realm and maintaining dominion over the Plain creatures. What exactly they were doing instead of looking after the Spike is left unsaid. What the imperials were doing instead of looking after the one piece of the Dominator left behind is left unsaid.
This is a better book than the White Rose, and more captivating than Shadows Linger. It feels like a real conclusion to the situation in the North. Curiously, the heart of the original trilogy was evenly split between the Company and the political situation, some just seem to forget that since the rest of the cast moved on in other books, so please do read if you care about these countries as much as you do about Croaker.
broutt's review against another edition
4.0
I am loving this series so far. There's nothing that explicitly blows my mind but it's just a fun story with a weird and interesting world. I was wondering why this one was called book 3.5 when it seems like it was just part of the story focusing on side characters but it seems to have fully wrapped them up which wasn't expected. I'll miss a couple of them but I'm also excited to get back to Croaker and gang.
One thing that's really grown on me throughout these books is the narration. I like that the main narration is from first-person perspective while the other chapters are third. The author has done a great job throughout the series having multiple storylines going on at the same time and bringing them together in the end.
This one specifically was just a fun story. It definitely feels somewhat like filler if these characters don't have any impact on the rest of the story, but I do appreciate the effort in just making sure some of these stories are wrapped up instead of just having them disappear after their arc in the main series. The books have also done a great job of making me care about these characters introduced in a book who end up being one of the main perspectives. Usually that feels forced or like a death is being set up that I wouldn't care about but it's done well here.
Loving it, excited to see where the main plot goes.
One thing that's really grown on me throughout these books is the narration. I like that the main narration is from first-person perspective while the other chapters are third. The author has done a great job throughout the series having multiple storylines going on at the same time and bringing them together in the end.
This one specifically was just a fun story. It definitely feels somewhat like filler if these characters don't have any impact on the rest of the story, but I do appreciate the effort in just making sure some of these stories are wrapped up instead of just having them disappear after their arc in the main series. The books have also done a great job of making me care about these characters introduced in a book who end up being one of the main perspectives. Usually that feels forced or like a death is being set up that I wouldn't care about but it's done well here.
Loving it, excited to see where the main plot goes.
squishies's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
It's not the same without Croaker, but the story was interesting nonetheless - Case didn't do too shabby of a job :D.
Also, I'm starting to see a pattern here... frustratingly dodgy guy that kind of helps in the end.
It's not the same without Croaker, but the story was interesting nonetheless - Case didn't do too shabby of a job :D.
Also, I'm starting to see a pattern here... frustratingly dodgy guy that kind of helps in the end.