Glen Cook's The Black Company

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Orion

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I will probably be buying the first book so I thought I'd ask the community here what you guys think of it if you've read any of the books in this series. What kind of style is it? Gritty/bloody at all? Adult themes?
 
Yep, pretty girtty stuff which is why it appeals to me at least. Cook has had a direct influence on other writers like Steven Erikson and Paul Kearney who both go into military style fantasy.

Be aware that recent omnibus editions have been published of the black company series I think from memory by Nightshade Hmmm...I should know because I purchased them LOL! Senility setting in!!!

Hope this helps and welcome.
 
Ok fol;ks an update....

The final omnibus of Glen Cook's Black Company series by Tor The Many Deaths Of the Black Company (collects Water Sleeps and Soldiers Live) will be out at the start of January 2010..... so about 6 weeks to go.

As has been the case throughout this omnibus release (and further back with the collector editions of his Dread Empire series by Nightshade books) the coverart is very good.
 
I bought the Science Fiction Bookclub editions of these. If you like military fantasy with a down to earth (and yes, gritty) feel, I think you'll like these. Plenty of blood, mud, dirt, and battle with a touch of intrigue wrapped up in sorcery and wizardry.
 
I've only read the first three books, but immensely enjoyed all of them. I prefer Cook to Erikson actually.

It is definitely some of the grittier fantasy around and I'd say pretty character focused and driven, Cook doesn't invest a lot of time in immaculate world building. This also keeps everything at a reasonable pace.
 
I've had the first omnibus (can't remember it's name) for over a year now and still havn't read it. Its the size of the darn thing, thats the problem, won't fit in my work bag! Will definately read it one day though, I'm a big fan of Erikson so Cook is a must.
 
Has anyone got any comments on what happens after the first three books? These are the only one's that I seem to see around and will have to order the next books on-line, most probably.

Are they as good and do they follow straight on with the storyline?
 
Well I'd got into Erikson before I'd heard of Cook. Seen a lot of comparisons between the two authors, I.E Erikson is a Cook hack, books are very similar in style but the general opinion I got was Erikson is better, so I sort of filed Cook to the back of my mind as an author I'd try one day, but the more I read about him the more I think I should be picking him up now.
 
nixie said:
Well I'd got into Erikson before I'd heard of Cook. Seen a lot of comparisons between the two authors, I.E Erikson is a Cook hack, books are very similar in style but the general opinion I got was Erikson is better, so I sort of filed Cook to the back of my mind as an author I'd try one day, but the more I read about him the more I think I should be picking him up now.
Click to expand...
Yep, Black Company is probably his finest work but I've got a lot of his other writings, close to everything having also collected the Dread Empire HBs put out by Night Shade and almost all of his marvelous P.I Garret supernatural sleuth stories plus some stand-alones... OH and his SF stuff too. Actually PI Garrett and Black Company are probably what you'll like the most. His current series Instrumentalities of The Night is also excellent.

Erikson on balance is IMO superior to Cook but Cook is still worth reading.

Now I MUST get some sleep. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
 
Think the one you probably saw ( the one I always see in W) - Chronicles is the first three books.

The Black Company,
Shadows Linger,
White Rose.
After that, I seem to think the timeline splits a little. I'm sure Gollum will be able to expand on this.

Cheers, Woody.
 
No, there's no real split in the timeline, and the order's pretty much as they were written:

THE BLACK COMPANY
SHADOW’S LINGER
THE WHITE ROSE
THE SILVER SPIKE
SHADOW GAMES
DREAMS OF STEEL
BLEAK SEASON
SHE IS THE DARKNESS
WATER SLEEPS
SOLDIERS LIVE

Loved these books, despite the frequent deaths of familiar characters. Soldiers Live seemed to wrap everything up very neatly, but someone said on these forums a year or so ago that Cook was planning to write more. Hope he doesn't ruin his own creation if so.
 
Ah, ok.
I heard there was a book that followed Raven and Silent and that the main arc and all the rest followed Croaker and the company.
That's good to know, I'll probably try and get the books of the south in soon.
 
Erikson's Malazan series isn't a bad follow up Deltakid or come to think of it James Barclay's Raven series for pure kick-butt action.
 
GOLLUM said:
Erikson's Malazan series isn't a bad follow up Deltakid or come to think of it James Barclay's Raven series for pure kick-butt action.
Click to expand...

I'll second that!
Although I've never finished the Raven books, after the events when unknown warrior was 'unmasked' and he was reunited with his brothers etc, I didn't see how that could be bettered in the series and ended it there.
 
To be honest I never finished/tracked the series much beyond that either but of what I read it was well written, especially those action sequences that rival Bob Salvatore at his sparkling best.
 
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