"There are strangers on the plain, Croaker."
Comprised of three novels, the Chronicles of the Black Company is the collection of: The Black Company(May 1984), Shadows Linger(October 1984), and The White Rose(April 1985) are what is referred to in the series as The Books of the North.
Adventures within this new world introduce a tumultuous landscape inheritant of constant turmoil; sorcerous power gone mad amidst a medieval-generation's walk of life. Survival of the fittest is in no question a viable theme, emphasized in realistic scope through Cook's astounding grasp of military culture hailing back to his years in the U.S. Navy. Other themes include the honor among thieves, the choice between two or more evils, and the meaning of what a day-to-day grind becomes while under the palpable shadow of death.
Central characters of the outfit include: Croaker, doctor and annalist; The Captain, commander of the Black Company; The Lieutenant, second in command; Silent, Goblin, One-Eye and Tom-tom, wizards of a valuable strength; Elmo, the sergeant; Otto and Hagop, veterans; Raven, newly recruited; and Darling, a young, mute and deaf girl.
Cook's imagination is reminiscent of the greats of science fiction and fantasy literature. Intrinsically concise, these stories are a relatively quick read while also disallowing skipping lines. Much of the character development is typically brief, swaggering, and shrouded in questions unanswerable without knowing what may never be literally explained. The main narrator, Croaker, both the company's primary physician and historian, is privy to specialized information but must also maintain a certain persona of objectivity in the midst of his own insatiable curiosity.
Perhaps what Cook emphasizes best is that no man is truly good or evil. Though being medically trained and more ethically rooted, Croaker tends to gloss over the inhumanities and morality of his companions. He admits their faults within a constant strife they must all endure. Without exceptional circumstance, no man leaves alive. The Black Company is not a group of butchers or men with no conscience, they are necessarily unrestrained and brutal in their no-nonsense tactics.
The plot, characters, setting and theme are difficult to find fault in; every concept is refreshingly new, yet relationally familiar. What the trilogy may seem to lack in description has been replaced by a fixation to each page's constant momentum. Likely, this is due to Cook's writing style of allowing his imagination to run rampant while remaining both linear and uncharted. For a naturally combative, colorfully entertaining, and conceptually straightforward read, I highly recommend this.
Adventures within this new world introduce a tumultuous landscape inheritant of constant turmoil; sorcerous power gone mad amidst a medieval-generation's walk of life. Survival of the fittest is in no question a viable theme, emphasized in realistic scope through Cook's astounding grasp of military culture hailing back to his years in the U.S. Navy. Other themes include the honor among thieves, the choice between two or more evils, and the meaning of what a day-to-day grind becomes while under the palpable shadow of death.
Central characters of the outfit include: Croaker, doctor and annalist; The Captain, commander of the Black Company; The Lieutenant, second in command; Silent, Goblin, One-Eye and Tom-tom, wizards of a valuable strength; Elmo, the sergeant; Otto and Hagop, veterans; Raven, newly recruited; and Darling, a young, mute and deaf girl.
Cook's imagination is reminiscent of the greats of science fiction and fantasy literature. Intrinsically concise, these stories are a relatively quick read while also disallowing skipping lines. Much of the character development is typically brief, swaggering, and shrouded in questions unanswerable without knowing what may never be literally explained. The main narrator, Croaker, both the company's primary physician and historian, is privy to specialized information but must also maintain a certain persona of objectivity in the midst of his own insatiable curiosity.
Perhaps what Cook emphasizes best is that no man is truly good or evil. Though being medically trained and more ethically rooted, Croaker tends to gloss over the inhumanities and morality of his companions. He admits their faults within a constant strife they must all endure. Without exceptional circumstance, no man leaves alive. The Black Company is not a group of butchers or men with no conscience, they are necessarily unrestrained and brutal in their no-nonsense tactics.
The plot, characters, setting and theme are difficult to find fault in; every concept is refreshingly new, yet relationally familiar. What the trilogy may seem to lack in description has been replaced by a fixation to each page's constant momentum. Likely, this is due to Cook's writing style of allowing his imagination to run rampant while remaining both linear and uncharted. For a naturally combative, colorfully entertaining, and conceptually straightforward read, I highly recommend this.
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