The Black Company by Glen Cook

Every now and again I get to read a book or series of books that have not been touched by other reviewers on the site, but really should have been. The Black Company series by Glen Cook is one of those series, and I apologize for taking so long to get to these wonderful books. With them, in the words of Steven Erikson, “Glen Cook single-handedly changed the face of fantasy.”
And I totally agree; something that doesn’t always happen with such hyperbole.
The Black Company, the first book in the series of the same name, tells the story of the Black Company, last of the Free Companies of Khatovar, the last of the Twelve True Companies. They are an elite mercenary force, hundreds deep at the moment, but once numbered in the thousands. Glen Cook immediately draws us into an action packed world that is free with death, unlike so many books where the death count seems miraculously non-existent.
The Company are dragged out of one conflict, maybe dishonourably, and into another. But are they on the side of good or evil, or can you even tell? Brought into the war between the Lady’s Empire and the Rebel, the Company fight with Soulcatcher, one of the Ten Who Were Taken, they are driven back and back until the last stand is fought against the Circle of Eighteen and the Rebel.
But all is not what it seems, and machinations between the ten Taken and the Lady might bring everything to ruin if the Company can’t help soon.
Told from the first person point of view of Croaker, the Company’s physician and historian, we’re taken deep into the folds of the Company, what makes them tick, the honour that they hold close to their hearts and the strength that makes them unstoppable.
Cook makes the most of his US Navy career, including a tour in the Vietnam War, in bringing us a story ripe with realistic fight scenes and reactions. Gone is the bravado of some storytellers with characters able to withstand anything and ignore everything. Characters are lost early in this book, and the reactions to those losses are heartbreaking.
I was absolutely captivated by this story, with its gritty realism and fast paced storytelling. And the perspective from which the story is told, that of the Company’s Analyst recording the history of the Company, is really clever. You get the feeling you’re actually reading the accounts of Croaker, even if they are at times obviously not.
The Black Company is a brilliant book, and now available in omnibus form makes for the perfect opportunity to jump into the Black Company story.
Review by Lee
The Black Company by Glen Cook is the first book of the nine that make up The Black Company series. First published in 1984 this book was responsible for taking the fantasy genre and turning it on its head with his introduction of realistic characters and its complete disregard for fantasy stereotypes and the age-old battle of good versus evil.
The Black Company forms the remnants of a one great mercenary army. Led by the physician and annalist Croaker, the company must search a civil war torn world for the last hope – The White Rose.
This is an arresting story full of black humour told from the first person perspective of Croaker. The world in which we arrive is fantasy-medieval and the first thing that we notice is the non-existence of the fantasy stereotypes to habitually grace (haunt?) the pages of fantasy literature. Tolkien or Eddings this is not, if you are aware of Steven Erikson’s work then it may not surprise you to learn that Glen Cook influenced Erikson greatly. There is no good versus evil battle going on here; this is fast paced action where all the harsh realities of military life are laid bare.
Glen Cook uses his real-life military experience in the US Navy to excellent effect by creating a gritty, realistic and very believable existence for the mercenary soldiers that form The Black Company.
You are thrown straight into the middle of the action and this leads to an initially confusing opening to the book, you are unable to make head or tail of what is going on but your perseverance is rewarded as the chapters fly by and things begin to fall into place. Once the initial confusion is over, the fast pace grips you and the book becomes highly addictive. Glen Cook’s writing is not the best than can be found and is not on the same level as say a Robin Hobb but it is very honest and straight to the point and this style fits well with the military feel of the book.
There are no larger than life characters to be found in The Black Company, all contain frailties and failings that are found in all humans. This book is beautifully amoral and contains no two-dimensional characters. As I’ve already mentioned, The Black Company is a wonderfully amoral book, often dark and containing violent battles and fantastic characters. Glen Cook changed the face of the fantasy genre forever – and for the better.
This The Black Company book review was written by Joshua S Hill


All reviews for: Chronicles of the Black Company

Port of Shadows
Chronicles of the Black Company
The soldiers of the Black Company don't ask questions, they get paid. But being "The Lady's favored" is attracting the wrong kind of attention and has put...
The Silver Spike
Chronicles of the Black Company: Barrowlands, Book 1
...embedded in the trunk of the scion of the godtree, it contains the essence of the maddest of the Ten Who Were Taken...The Dominator. Defeated by the Lady and cast from t...

The Black Company
Chronicles of the Black Company: Books of the North, Book 1
Darkness wars with darkness as the hard-bitten men of the Black Company take their pay and do what they must. They bury their doubts with their dead. Then comes the prophec...

Shadows Linger
Chronicles of the Black Company: Books of the North, Book 2
Mercenary soldiers in the service of the Lady, the Black Company stands against the rebels of the White Rose. They are tough men, proud of honoring their contracts. The Lad...

The White Rose
Chronicles of the Black Company: Books of the North, Book 3
She is the last hope of good in the war against the evil sorceress known as the Lady. From a secret base on the Plains of Fear, where even the Lady hesitates to go, the Bla...
Shadow Games
Chronicles of the Black Company: Books of the South, Book 1
After the devastating battle at the Tower of Charm, Croaker leads the greatly diminished Black Company south, in search of the lost Annals. The Annals will be returned to K...
Dreams of Steel
Chronicles of the Black Company: Books of the South, Book 2
After the Company's defeat at Dejagore, Lady, one of the few survivors, sets out to avenge herself and the Company against the Shadowmasters, and she joins forces with ...
Have you read The Black Company?
We've found that while readers like to know what we think of a book they find additional reader reviews a massive help in deciding if it is the right book for them. So if you have a spare moment, please tell us your thoughts by writing a reader's review. Thank you.
The Black Company reader reviews
David from Canada
This is a keeper. The whole series is. Cook has gone where no one had gone before (sorry, but he did!) As a reader, he sucks you in and then it's a dead run, OK occasionally a long march that turns into a dead run when the stuff hits the fan, to the next bit of chaos. Character driven, it's so full of twists and gut wrenchers that you reach the end reaching for the next book.
Jacob from Denmark
This is such an amazing book. The chapters might be very long, but the amount of content and detail within them is a work of art. Though it's on paper a militaristic fantasy novel, it's really all about the characters. Croaker is one of the best and most complex protagonists ever created.
Wes from West Virginia
The ultimate Adult Fantasy Novel. You will love the point of view of Croaker, the story's main narrator. He makes the story personal for the reader, yet still manages to imprint upon you the world changing implications of what is going on in the story around him.
Larry from USA
I've read all ten titles in the series. And could stand to read more. Excellent series.
David from Armenia
The definitive dark/military fantasy novel that changed the rules of the game, The Black Company combines realism and clipped narrative with strategically placed passages of poetic beauty. Perfect read!
Aaron from Bangkok
Do yourself a favour and read these books! Absolutely brilliant style of writing and a brilliant story. Up there with the best I have read.
Anthony from USA
Despite me not knowing what's going on for the first quarter of the book, all the characters are well drawn, fights seem very realistic (though I've never been in a fight or war). And during the first 10 pages a member of the company dies, still with only 9 pages of build - up I thought " I feel bad for that guy". I didn't actually cry, but I realized this was the book for me. Just the right amount, a heap of the gritty realism of war, and 3D characters. One word can describe Glen Cook: AWESOMETACULAR.
Rebecca from Aniams
Amazing. Few books make me change my favourite author, but this one did! I love croaker, you have to, but Soulcatcher is, and always will be, my favourite charecter. Once more, an amazing book and story! Go Glen Cook!
James from Swindon
Glen Cook invented a (sub) genre with this ground-breakingly brilliant book and series. Due to his style and point-of-view discipline (if you want flowery prose and lengthy exposition--or even a map--look elsewhere), it can sometimes be hard to follow, but the reader is rewarded with an epic story told from an entirely new perspective. And Tvrtko (above) is missing the point about the names...
Tvrtko from Zagreb
I am speechless. This is such a horrible book. It is poorly written, the narrative is completely unintelligible, dialogue is infantile, names are like a 10 year old came up with them. The reader has no idea what is happening. The company is constantly travelling somewhere having one-sentence fights with god knows who. You cannot identify with any character or for that matter even tell the difference between them. The characters are not even two-dimensional. Don't waste your time on something that never should have being published.
Abi from Mansfield
Simply Brilliant. I'm keeping this concise as I could rave about this series for longer than you would care to read.
Fred from Walton
This was a much needed kick up the backside for a genre that badly needed it. Weighed down with stereotypes and cliches until Glen Cook came along and blew them all away with flawed characters (in the good sense!) and gritty and realistic plots. Very militaristic in its theme this is a book that takes no prisoners and gets right to the point.
8.8/10 from 13 reviews
Write a reader review
Thank you for taking the time to write a review on this book, it really makes a difference and helps readers to find their perfect book.
More recommended reading in this genre

A Tale of the Malazan Book of the Fallen
Steven Erikson
Bled dry by interminable warfare, infighting and bloody confrontations with Lord Anomander Rake and his Tiste Andii, the vast, sprawling Malazan empire simmers with discont...

The Macht
Paul Kearney
On the world of Kuf, the Macht are a mystery, a seldom-seen people of extraordinary ferocity and discipline whose prowess on the battlefield is the stuff of legend. For cen...
Shadow Ops series
Myke Cole
Army Officer. Fugitive. Sorcerer. Across the country and in every nation, people are waking up with magical talents. Untrained and panicked, they summon storms, raise the d...
Breach Zone
Myke Cole
The Great Reawakening has left Latent people with a stark choice: either use their newfound magical powers in the service of the government, or choose the path of the Selfe...

The Divine Cities Trilogy
Robert Jackson Bennett
A special omnibus edition, collecting all three books of Robert Jackson Bennett’s acclaimed Divine Cities trilogy in a single volume. &nbs...

The Rigante Novels
David Gemmell
Born in the storm that doomed his father, Connavar grows to manhood among the mist-covered mountains of Caer Druagh, where the Rigante tribe dwell in harmony with the land ...

The First Law
Joe Abercrombie
Inquisitor Glokta, a crippled and increasingly bitter relic of the last war, former fencing champion turned torturer extraordinaire, is trapped in a twisted and broken body...

The Ascendants of Estorea
James Barclay
The Estorean Conquord has stood for 850 years. Its Advocate, Herine Del Aglios, knows that she presides over the greatest civilisation in history. But she wants more. And i...

The Drenai Novels
David Gemmell
The Legend Druss, Captain of the Axe: the stories of his life were told everywhere. Instead of the wealth and fame he could have claimed, he had chosen a mountain lair, hig...
Looking for more suggestions? Try these pages: