Customer Reviews

The Silver Spike: The Chronicles of the Black Company (Chronicle of the Black Company)

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Silver Spike is the fourth book in a series on the the Black Company, a mercenary band in a sword and sorcery world. The Black Company is one of the great creations of modern fantasy. In a genre in which most stories are starkly black and white--really great good guys and really bad villans--the Black Company (contra its name) lives in grey. In a genre in which heroes are all-knowing and all-powerful, the Black Company is filled with fallible, vulnerable humans. Yet, they nevertheless are the baddest outfit around. Remember how we reworked Psalm 23 back in the '60s? "Yea, though I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, I shall fear no evil--for I am the baddest SOB in the valley!" That could be the Black Company motto.

One of the things I like best about Cook's novels is that the story line is more important than the individual characters. There are no Gandalfs here--no powerful wizards (who never seem to do anything with their power) that are all-good and all-powerful. Characters die--just like in real life. Good guys turn bad--just like in real life. Bad guys turn out to have socially redemming qualities--just like in real life.

The first three novels told the story of how the Company came into the service of Lady, a sorceress of great power who rules a purportedly evil empire in the northern part of the Company's world. Eventually the Company rebels against the Lady and joins the White Rose, a reincarnated hero who opposes the empire. At the end of book three, the Rose, the Lady, and the Company join forces to defeat an older evil known as the Dominator. A long (nine-plus) series of sequels follows the subsequent adventures of the Company.

In contrast, the Black Company is off the stage in Silver Spike, which follows the subsequent adventures of the Rose. The initial trilogy introduced a number of characters and plot lines that were not resolved. Here, Cook wraps up many of those loose-ends. Fans of the series will definitely want to read Silver Spike. Those who have not yet discovered the Black Company should NOt start here--you'll never get it. But I envy those folks--they get to discover the Black Company for the first time. My advice: buy this book, but pick up the first 3 Black company novels and read them first.

Poor Raven. That was one of my fist thoughts as I finished this book. I must agree with some of the other reviews here. If you have not read the first part books of the Black Company series at least, don't pick this one up. If you have, read it, but be forewarned: this is one of the darkest books Cook has written yet.

The book is sort of an aside to the series up to this point. It answers the questions of what happened to Darling and Raven. Raven has become a tragic figure. He has drunk himself into oblivion for many years straight. His companion begins to keep a journal inspire by Raven's stories of Croaker. Raven, Silent and Bomanz are the main subjects of this journal. Of course something happens to cause Raven to clean up and act the part of the hero to defend Darling, with the usual unusual twist to it.

In the meantime, Cook also follows Toadkiller Dog and his sometimes unwilling allies in a purely narrative style. As usual evil is relative and the reader finds themselves favoring one over the other. The reader, like Raven hears rumours and catche glimpses only of Croaker. This is not about the Black Company per se, but rather a wrap up of some characters and their futures and the beginning of a mystery for later. I personally liked the book a great deal, but missed the rest of the Company.

This book is perhaps the perfect example of the parallel story line, as it happens between two of Cook's impeccably executed Black Company novels. I damn near died from enjoyment as I revisited Mighty Events from a totally different perspective. The story was so well matched to the mainline that it significantly strengthened the fabric of the whole. Once again, Cooks' considerable skills are used to elevate unlikely candidates to hero status, whether they like it or not. And once again, we see absolute evil (or madness, as the case may be) pitted against far less than absolute good. If you've even HEARD of the Black Company, then you absolutely must read this book. Preferably after reading the First Book of the South, to get the context right

In many ways, this is my favorite Black Company novel, because I found Case to be the most believable and sympathetic narrator in the series. I am in no way trashing on Croaker... I just couldn't put myself in his shoes most of the time.

In many other ways, this is the weakest of the books, because the writing is (as other reviewers have noted) a bit spotty. Its reliance on Raven as a central character is a distinct weakness, as he was always the most one-dimensional character in the Company.

On the other hand, he was developed MUCH more thoroughly in the Silver Spike than in previous novels, so maybe using Raven ain't all bad.

Also, it was nice to see a bit more of the Black Company's world; things we wouldn't have seen if the story had revolved around the full Company, or around Croaker's, Murgen's or Sleepy's broken Companies.

On the whole, great concept! I can't re-read this book enough! But I really wish it had been stronger on its own merits, and not simply as an addendum to a fantastic series.

Despite my ranking above, I really enjoy this series, turning to it when I am seeking pure, pleasurable and unabashed entertainment. Additionally, the series seems to be improving, and were I allowed, I would have given this outing 3.5 stars. Nonetheless, despite my enjoyment, this book, as has its predecessors, does not possess the depth of characterization or breadth of world building of the best, nor is its plot line particularly complex, driven along essentially by fast paced action that on occasion is propelled or changed through convenient coincidence, or altered almost at a whim. Cook has no difficulty involving his participants in events with scant explanation or substantiation, or introducing new characters that appear and as abruptly---sometimes inexplicably---disappear (cases in point here are Exile and Raven's two children). Nor let it be said that the author, once finished with a character or a scene, wastes words on situations or players that are spent---Bear Torque's death is learned only through a process of elimination while his brother simply walks away off the pages. At times the narrative seems as though it is being strung together as one goes along---in this book as in the previous "White Rose," the protagonists bounce back and forth all over the world essentially chasing each others' tails---and the author never hesitates if it will serve his purpose to resurrect a character from the dead: here, as previously with Raven, Limper rises again for at least the third time, and at book's end there still exists the possibility that we could one day see him again, at least as a visitor from another dimension. In like fashion, the author blithely borrows from his own established conventions, such as here drawing again from a journal though written by a different character that, despite his more impoverished background, nonetheless closely mimics Croaker both in style and tone of writing. Nonetheless, as long as one does not approach this series with too exacting a demand that events unfold following a certain rational and logical evolution, but instead allow the action and the many likeable scoundrels populating the narrative to carry the story along, one will enjoy many short hours simply and entertainingly spent.

Previous reviewers have already noted that this novel wraps up many of the threads left dangling after the conclusion of "The White Rose, bringing the stories of Darling, Raven, Silent, Toadkiller Dog and Bomanz to an end (though, again, in the case of the latter, Toadkiller Dog is implied to be almost invincible, and Bomanz was supposedly dead at the conclusion of the last book, so who knows---maybe we'll see them again). Unlike some of the others, I read this book after "The White Rose" and, even without having read "Shadow Games," had no trouble following the story. They are correct, however, that despite this book's appearance as a stand-alone novel, it does directly follow events established in the first three books in the series, and the reader will be lost without having begun there.

Regardless of my criticisms, I am thoroughly enjoying this series, especially this work and the earlier "Shadows Linger." Cook has created a delightful and amoral cast of distinctive if comparatively attenuated characters and uses them to good advantage to forward a pithy, often satirical and cynical world view, where great things happen as much by accident and despite the protagonists' intentions as by design. Fast paced, where the action rarely leaves you flagging, direct and uncomplicated in its appeal, read this when you are looking for a welcome respite from the volumes and volumes of dense, doorstopper fantasy.

If you haven't read any of the Back Company books, do so immediately. Don't argue with me, go find The Black Company and read it, Now! Don't start with this one though. Not that it's not a great book, it's just that you won't have a clue as to what is going on. The cover of this book should have a warning notice- Full Familiarity With The Black Company Required. If you are a fan, get ready for a great story. This is the tale of the search for The Silver Spike, the object containing the essence of the defeated Dominator. The old characters here are just like you remember them, Croaker, One-eye, Goblin and all the rest with a few new ones thrown in. Cook's ability to make you feel that you are standing just over the shoulder of his characters is a true gift. If you are a Company fan and don't buy this book, I'm going to find you and make fun of you

I loved the first Black Company book. I found the second and third books to be entertaining, but not really in the same class. I read this book fourth, and found it to be hardly recognizable as the work of the same author. The characters are unsympathetic and one-dimensional, and the plot meanders without rhyme or reason. The climax is a yawner and the denouement is neither believable nor satisfying. From reading the other reader reviews it is clear that some Black Company fans enjoyed this one. . . I just hope that the later books in the series recapture some of the gritty, imaginative writing of the original.

The Silver Spike is a side story in Glen Cook's Chronicles of the Black Company that takes place sometime during Shadow Games and Dreams of Steel, collectively referred to as the Books of the South. Silver Spike continues in part where the first trilogy, concluding with the White Rose, left off. At the end of the White Rose, Croaker and the rest of the Black Company go south while Darling, Silent, Raven and some others go their own separate ways. While the Books of the South continue to follow Croaker, the Silver Spike concludes the other characters' stories.

If you've read other Black Company books, then you should already know a lot about how the Silver Spike is written. There are no wholly good or wholly bad characters. Most of the characters are, at the least, violent and murderous, though some serve slightly more noble purposes than others. The chapters are told from different perspectives: some are told from a first person perspective, others from a third person perspective. Cook doesn't provide a ton of description, preferring instead to leave a lot of it to the reader's imagination. But what descriptions he does write are done very well and, as always, his dialogue is very realistic. Further, Cook pulls another example of masterful character development, much like he did with Marron Shed in Shadows Linger, turning a fairly despicable character into someone almost worth liking. It's the sort of character development that most authors couldn't pull off realistically in a thousand pages, let alone in 200.

The Silver Spike is told from the point of view of several returning characters: Case, the Limper and Toadkiller Dog and one new character, Smeds Stahl. Croaker, narrator of most of the original three books, is referred to only in passing and is never actually present in the novel. The story, too, is a little different in that the Black Company, as a whole, is not involved. There is no real war, no great battles. But the story is still plenty important. The spike used to seal the Dominator (a powerful, evil sorcerer) has been stolen and wizards from all over the place are trying to get a hold of it. The story, then, follows Darling and her compatriots as they try to secure the spike and save the world. Overall, the Silver Spike is a very dark story, darker, even, then other Black Company books.

For those reasons, it's hard to compare the Silver Spike to other Black Company novels. Aside from some returning characters and the gritty, dark feel, the book is pretty different. It took maybe 50 pages before I started getting interested and about 100 pages before I had difficulty putting it down. If you're particularly fond of Raven or Darling or Silent, you'll definitely want to pick up this book. If, like me, you much prefer hearing about Croaker's adventures, the Silver Spike isn't quite as exciting. That being said, however, it's still a very good book and a worthy addition to the series. If nothing else, it ties up a bunch of loose ends and completes some important character arcs. The Silver Spike is worth your time if you've enjoyed any of the Black Company books.

Glen Cook wrote The Silver Spike to resolve many of the loose ends that are left after the conclusion of The White Rose. With the final battle against the Dominator done, and the Black Company headed south to find Khatovar, there is one more story to tell. Darling, Silent, Raven, and a small handful of others are left behind to go their varied ways. Cook takes time out from the big story to make this one detour into the fate of those left behind.

Raven, rejected by Darling and at loose ends, takes up with Philodendron Case and goes of wandering and settles into the life of a broken alcoholic. It is only gradually that Case pulls him together. But Raven's inability to face emotional realities handicaps him at every turn. Darling and Silent return to their underground retreat and the crazy cast of animals and vegetables that haunt the desert around them. For them, the rebellion has yet to end. And Bomanz, the wizard who set many of these events into motion, has left the Barrowland to practice being unnoticeable in the city of Oar.

But things aren't as quiet as they should be. A sapling of the tree god's line guards the silver spike that holds the evil remains of the Dominator's spirit. But four desperate men decide to steal the spike and sell it to the highest bidder. And ToadKiller Dog works his own mischief, digging up Limper's head and bringing the worst of the ten who were taken. In a deadly moment the spike is freed from its prison, and all these people are drawn together for one last battle over the fate of the world.

This is actually one of Cook's best stories in the series. Terse, with a lot of action and twists, it brings the first three volumes to a satisfactory conclusion. On the way it offers insights into characters that, despite their importance, never quite took center stage in the Black Company stories. These first four volumes of the Black Company series are essentially fantasy tragic-comedy and The Silver Spike is no exception, bleak and wry at the same time, with the occasional moment of hope to keep the reader alert.

A couple of asides before getting to the meat of the matter. Theoretically, "The Silver Spike" really isn't a "Black Company" book since no one in it is, technically, still a member of the Black Company -- they're all ex-members. Plus, this book is basically a spur off the real "Black Company" line of books. And, that brings up the other aside. According to the numbering in The Books of the South: Tales of the Black Company (Chronicles of the Black Company), "The Silver Spike" is the 6th in the series. The formal chronology would be:

1) The Black Company (Chronicles of The Black Company #1)
2) Shadows Linger: A Novel of the Black Company (The Second Chronicle of The Black Company)
3) The White Rose: A Novel of the Black Company (Chronicles of The Black Company)
4) Shadow Games: The Fourth Chronicles of the Black Company: First Book of the South
5) Dreams of Steel (The Fifth Chronicle of the Black Company)
6) The Silver Spike: The Chronicles of the Black Company

Yet, it could actually be the 4th, 5th, or 6th in the series. Like "Shadow Games," "The Silver Spike" begins just after "The White Rose." It runs parallel to "Shadow Games," and when it's done, that spur is over. So, it could be #4. But, according to the publications dates, the order should be "Shadow Games" (June 1989), "The Silver Spike" (September 1989), and "Dreams of Steel" (April 1990). That could put it at #5. Yet, because of the extreme cliffhanger in "Shadow Games," no one in their right mind would voluntarily separate "Shadow Games" from "Dreams of Steel" (I can't even believe Cook broke off between those two books to write this one). So, even though you can read "The Silver Spike" any time after "The White Rose," I'll have to agree with the chronology used in "The Books of the South" and call it #6.

As to the book, itself: it's very good "Black Company" material. It's narrated mostly by Philodendron Case and Smeds Stahl, and there are some problems with their sudden spurts of abilities, but it falls right in with the rest of the "Black Company" books. So, I rate it at a Very Good 4 stars out of 5. It's not a "necessary" book in the series. But, if you like the Black Company, you'll want to read it.