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skycrane 's review for:
The Black Company
by Glen Cook
I've seen this referred as a kind of progenitor of grimdark fantasy novels, which maybe it is, but I think it's not anywhere near as grim or dark as that reputation would imply. There certainly is a lot of murder, theft, and even some rape in this book. But there's also a strong heart to it. Though Croaker, the narrator, has no illusions about what war is or about what atrocities he and his brothers have committed, he also sees the good in them, their fellowship, their sense of honor and their genuine disgust at the excessive horrors of their situation. He sincerely believes in the Company, if not in its goodness then at least in its traditions and in the sense of family it provides its men. The story's presentation through Croaker's eyes means it's more than just misery all the time.
The story itself is also very interesting. The Black Company, in a terrible situation after a long period of decline, takes on a contract with the murderer of their previous employer (after participating in or at least turning a blind eye to said murder). They soon find themselves sent to the front lines fighting rebels in defense of the Lady, an ancient and unquestionably evil sorceress. The book is told through seven chapters, each describing a significant incident in the course of the war as the company and Croaker get more and more entangled in the war and the infighting between the Lady's commanders. Some chapters follow directly after the previous events, some after significant time gaps.
When I finally started this book, I quickly got the feeling that I've read it, or pieces of it, many times before in some of my favorite fantasy series. I don't know for sure that those other authors read The Black Company and decided to reference it, but I think some of them did, or were at least influenced by it. For some people, it's probably worth reading for that alone, but it helps that it's also just a very engaging and entertaining story.
The story itself is also very interesting. The Black Company, in a terrible situation after a long period of decline, takes on a contract with the murderer of their previous employer (after participating in or at least turning a blind eye to said murder). They soon find themselves sent to the front lines fighting rebels in defense of the Lady, an ancient and unquestionably evil sorceress. The book is told through seven chapters, each describing a significant incident in the course of the war as the company and Croaker get more and more entangled in the war and the infighting between the Lady's commanders. Some chapters follow directly after the previous events, some after significant time gaps.
When I finally started this book, I quickly got the feeling that I've read it, or pieces of it, many times before in some of my favorite fantasy series. I don't know for sure that those other authors read The Black Company and decided to reference it, but I think some of them did, or were at least influenced by it. For some people, it's probably worth reading for that alone, but it helps that it's also just a very engaging and entertaining story.