Customer Reviews

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

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2 star:		(13)
1 star:		(13)

 

 

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.

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.

Military action in a fantasy setting

The Black Company is not for the softhearted. They're a hard-core mercenary unit and whatever honor they may have had in their long-history has been all but lost (Put it this way, at least they draw the line at killing children). Now it's all about getting a paycheck and take it from a former soldier the military jargon and attitude is down pat. Ya' gotta love that. It takes a few chapters to get used to, because you get most of what's going on from the conversations. Croaker, the medic and the keeper of the companies' annals tells the whole story. There's a few writing flaws and a little too much sorcery going around for my taste, but there's enough intrigue and plot twists to keep you hooked. Also this is the first book, I hear the other stories are even better.

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.

There aren't any characters who are pure good or evil, like you normally see in this genre. Instead, what we have are varying shades of gray. (In that way only, would I compare it to George RR Martin's Song of Ice and Fire) The Black Company is a mercenary army... and they've fallen on desperate times.

Some of its members honestly seem like they want to do the right thing. Some simply try to survive. And others will pillage, rape, or murder on occasion. This reminded me of some of the better Vietnam War films I've seen. Such harsh circumstances can lead to diminished morals in some men, and I enjoyed that element of realism.

Each chapter of this book reads like a separate mission, with its own conflict and resolution. This approach worked well here in my opinion. Right from chapter one, we are introduced to the Black Company and plunged into action, through the writings of the army's annalist, Croaker. Unfortunately, you may feel like you've missed some important details, as Cook bombards you with names, events, and his advanced vocabulary. He doesn't explain everything very well at first, and it can be quite confusing.

After finishing the second chapter, I went and reread the first chapter to iron out some details, and that helped out quite a bit. From then on, it was smooth sailing and well worth my patience. With plenty of action, and a few laughs- this was a pretty entertaining read!

I went into this wanting to love "The Black Company" -- a number of friends I greatly respect love and praise it, and on the surface, it sounded like my kind of book: It's not another phonebook-sized transparent "Lord of the Rings" clone with a naive hero destined for great things facing the grim forces of ultimate darkness.

And that's what I got, and what I like about "The Black Company." The book instead revolves around a professional mercenary company in the service of ultimate darkness (or penultimate darkness, if you want to be precise about such things). There's little romanticism here, and what little there is ends up being sneered at by the characters in the book. We also don't get a long build-up with a central character's journey from either bucolic bliss or mysterious origins as an orphan (both of which can be found in enough bad modern fantasy tales to turn anyone's stomach), but instead are thrust fairly quickly into the war between the evil goddess The Lady and the wizard-led rebel army in the north. In a way (and this is the only way "The Black Company" resembles the oft-repeated stylings of Tolkein), this is like reading a novel version of some of the notes from "Unfinished Tales," wherein we see what the bad guys were doing during "The Lord of the Rings."

Right. So, good ideas, no question.

Unfortunately, Cook works so hard to go against the grain of today's truly awful fantasy mainstream that he ends up throwing out the baby with the bathwater: "The Black Company" is terribly underwritten, on two fronts.

First, Cook eschews the naming style most fantasy novels feature, which can best be described as pounding a keyboard randomly and using what results as a name in the story. No clunky "Drizzt" or "Belgarion" here. Instead, members of the Black Company typically take on nicknames when they join the company, especially as many of them are hiding from their pasts and would like to have their real names die forgotten. Croaker, the company's doctor and "annalist" who records their history, is the narrator of the novel. And that's OK. Company members One Eye, Raven, Goblin, Silent, Elmo and the Captain all are memorable, as are the names of the Ring-Wraiths, er, Chosen, including Shapeshifter, Soulcatcher, the Limper and so on. Unfortunately, Cook doesn't know where to stop: the South has the warring factions of Red and Blue, there are the Jewel Cities of Beryl and Ruby, the Lady is fighting the Rebel, who are in turn led by the Twelve and their generals, including Whisper and Harden. It quickly goes from good idea to conceit to flat-out trite. Someone as clearly gifted as Cook should have realized when enough was enough and mixed in some other sorts of names at some point.

Less noticeably, but perhaps even more frustrating, is that the first person narrator (the aforementioned Croaker) doesn't share everything he knows with the reader. Sometimes it's because Croaker himself doesn't know (and doesn't care) why the Company is doing what they're doing. And that's fine. That's realistic, especially for military life. But when we're told "I understood now," it'd be nice for Cook to go ahead and let us know why something happened, especially when it was of apparently monumental importance. Frustrating and avoidable.

Like I said previously, I'm not someone who wanted "The Black Company" to be "The Wheel of Time" -- quite to the contrary. And I've been told that subsequent novels in this series are better than this first volume. But I'm not a reader who is interested in plowing through a few hundred or thousand pages of multiple novels waiting for the good parts to come along. So I'm probably not going to pick up the rest of this series.

"The Black Company" isn't an awful book -- which puts it head and shoulders above most fantasy bestsellers -- but it's still not good enough.

If any of this sounds like you might have the same sort of reaction that I did, pick this up from the library before putting down hard-earned money for "The Black Company."

'Black Company', the first book in Cook's series of the same name, is an interesting read. I am not too sure whether I mean that as a compliment or a criticism.

The Black Company are a brotherhood of warrior mercenaries, roughneck soldiers who contract their services to whoever will pay. Whether for moral goals or not, if the money's there they'll do it. Croaker, the member of the Black Company who records their adventures, is the narrator.

I enjoyed the first-person perspective very much. It was enjoyable to hear Croaker's thoughts on what was going on around him. The story is far different than most typical fantasies as there are no distinct good or evil characters. Sure, there are some who pretty much meet the requirements of both, but nothing is very simple in this book.

I did not like, however, how the story was layed out. Rather than immersing the reader in the imaginary world, the reader is more or less tossed carelessely into the murkiness of the plot. You're introduced to far too many imaginary names, titles, monsters, etc early on in the book. I had to recheck whether I was reading the first book in the series or not. It just assumed I should know everything about the world I was reading about. Also, characters fly by in such a whirlwind that it's hard to keep track of who is who. A couple of times a character would be killed off only to be replaced by another, but it would go by so fast that the event seemed inconsequential. Most characters just kinda faded into the background, with the exception of the ever-present Croaker and a few other extras. There wasn't anything about the people or events that hooked me into the story.

Overall, 'Black Company' was an okay read. It gave the feeling that something was going to happen soon, and I will definately read the next book. I just hope that when that's done, I will have a clearer picture of why I am actually continuing on.

The Black Company is a tightly knit band of mercenaries that are not in the least bit softhearted. They do what they have to in a world that's overrun by evil. Now the Company has been hired by one of the Lady's minions, Soulcatcher, to do her bidding. Their job is to aid her in her fight against the Rebel. The story is told by Croaker, the Company's doctor and historian. As with any novel told in first person, the plot is limited to what the storyteller knows. So if Croaker is left out of something, or doesn't know the reasoning behind something, then neither does the reader. I wasn't thrilled with the book, but neither did I dislike it. I found myself not knowing if the Lady was Evil or Good, whether the Rebel was Evil or Good, or if both of them are Evil. And if both of them are Evil, then who's Good? I was a little confused about parts of the story, and short of re-reading it, I probably will remain so.

Unlike many fantasy books, Glen Cook places his characters not in a world of good and evil, but in a world where good and evil is not absolute. The perception of good and evil in many cases, depends upon the viewpoint of the observer. The reader of the book is drawn into a world much like ours, with sorcery added for flavor. The company, with it's many main characters, serves as the unwilling pawn of the powers that be, trying to "make a living" by doing what they do best and not "taking sides". In this way, they are portraying the human dilemma of feeling a part of the world they live in, yet having little control of their ultimate fate. Also unconventional to many fantasy series, the characters are intertwined in multiple "plots" at once, and their priorities and interests change as the events of their lives unfold. This realism causes a close relationship with the characters that is found in many of the favorite fantasy stories such as the Wheel of Time series and the Belgariad series. However, unlike the Wheel of Time, the Black Company series can be read (for the most part) in sets of three books each giving a sense of conclusion after each third book while still leaving the reader wanting more! The style of writing makes reading the book feel like you are "in the action" instead of feeling an observer, and is a refreshing change from the third person point of view. It is a fantasy book in all respects offering sorcery galore, battles, intrigue in a three dimensional style including an element of depth to the characters, world and plot that can't be found in the works of many authors. Perhaps the only reason the Black Company series is not placed alongside the Wheel of Time, the Shannara, the Belgariad and now The Wizard's First Rule (besides by those who have ventured to pick up the first book to read it,)is that Glen Cook does not produce the books as quickly. However, after reading the eighth book and latest release, I can still say that each wait, which seemingly torments, has resulted in pure delight and gratification. It is the beginning of a series that if not read yet, is a must for any fantasy reader of any age!

I've been reading fantasy on and off for years now and was frankly getting a little tired of the genre. But I read this book with delight.

Unlike most other "dark fantasy," this book managed to walk the marvelous line of maintaining likeable characters; I never felt ham-handedly manipulated or jerked around, and I never wanted to throw the book down in disgust (like I do when I read, for example, George R.R. Martin, whose idea of "dark fantasy" is "Haha, you like that character? I KEEL HIM!")

The plots were clever and relatively original; the author communicated a real sense of the personalities of all the major characters, and they moved in a world that felt "real." The book was good enough to suspend my disbelief; it got me and took me in.

The closest parallels in tone I can think of are perhaps the old Fritz Leiber Lankhmar books, or what the Theives' World series wanted to be but didn't manage. Maybe some of the earlier, better Michael Moorcock stories.

Is this book as polished as some of the stuff that's coming out now? No. Heck, there isn't even a map, much less detailed historical accuracy in the weapons, or completely invented languages, or whatever else. That's not what this is; it's closer in spirit to Robert E. Howard than it is to Robert Jordan. A little primitive; a little rough around the edges. But good, worth reading, and unique.