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The Chronicles of the Black Company #10

by Glen Cook, Tomasz Nowak (Translator)

Pierwszy tom nowego cyklu o przygodach Czarnej Kompanii, którego nakłady przekroczyły miliony egzemplarzy. Najnowsze dzieło Glena Cooka, ojca chrzestnego literatury fantasy spod szyldu grimdark.

Czarna Kompania wycofała się przez Bramy Cienia, szukając schronienia w dawnym azylu w Krainie Nierozpoznanych Cieni.
W Siedlisku Kruków Pani młodnieje wraz z odradzającą się mocą i stopniowo zrzuca krępujące ją pęta. Tymczasem Konował, wyniesiony do boskiej godności jako Niezłomny Strażnik, pozostał w bezimiennej fortecy. Funkcję kronikarek Czarnej Kompanii przejmują po nim jego przybrane córki Arkana i Szukrat Voroszk.
Początkowo życie w Hsien jest spokojne, wręcz nudne. Szybko jednak okazuje się, że pewne dziwne zdarzenia mają drugie dno. Od bohaterek zaś zależeć będzie odkrycie prawdy skrywanej w cieniach tej niezwykłej krainy.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Dark Fantasy, Audiobook, Epic Fantasy, High Fantasy, Science Fiction Fantasy

448 pages, Paperback

First published November 4, 2025

About the author

Glen Cook was born in New York City, lived in southern Indiana as a small child, then grew up in Northern California. After high school he served in the U.S. Navy and attended the University of Missouri. He worked for General Motors for 33 years, retiring some years ago. He started writing short stories in 7th grade, had several published in a high school literary magazine. He began writing with malicious intent to publish in 1968, eventually producing 51 books and a number of short fiction pieces.
He met his wife of 43 years while attending the Clarion Writer's Workshop in 1970. He has three sons (army officer, architect, orchestral musician) and numerous grandchildren, all of whom but one are female. He is best known for his Black Company series, which has appeared in 20+ languages worldwide. His other series include Dread Empire and and the Garrett, P.I. series. His latest work is Working God’s Mischief, fourth in the Instrumentalities of the Night series.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/glencook

Reviews

[✘✘ Sarah ✘✘ (former Nefarious Breeder of Murderous Crustaceans) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The latest Black Company installment. Written by a now 81-year-old Glen Cook. 41 years after the first book in the series was published. Narrated from the (slightly erratic) POV of two sarcastic as fish, ever-bickering teenage girls, "my dear diary" style (I kid you not). And it bloody works. Glen Cook really is a god.



It's not the Black Company we used to know, but the shift makes perfect sense in light of how the Company has evolved after the events of the third arc in the series. It's a new era, a new Company, and it calls for a new perspective. And for a new pace. Yes, it's true, this installment is not exactly action-packed. How could it be when the Company no longer has any foes to fight against? What the book does is serve as a bridge to A Pitiless Rain, the new series arc. It shows how the Company has settled in this time of peace, and introduces new characters. A new evil nemesis (and possibly nemeses) slowly makes its way into the narrative, which seems to indicate that fun times await, yay!

But you know what the somewhat hysterical Black Company fangirl in me really really really really really really LOVED about this book? Spoiler Spoiler Spoiler's POV. (No, this is not the character's real name and yes, you'll know who this person is if you read the blurb but hey if the publisher wants to spoiler their readers to death it's their problem and I'm not like that because I have a heart—sometimes—so Spoiler Spoiler Spoiler it shall be.) This third POV is basically everything you ever wanted to know about the Domination and the Senjaks, but were afraid to ask. (Like the Dominator's funny as fish true name, which sounds like something One Eye would have come up with.) And it's bloody shrimping glorious. And I can't wait to read the next installment because I need more.

Add to that Lady being Lady, Soulcatcher being Soulcatcher, a no-longer-howling Howler (I don't think I'll ever get used to that), flying carpets and posts and stuff, Tobo's ghostly menagerie, characters acting in the weirdest way and super fishy goings-on all-round (I smell devious Glen Cook shenanigans in the series future), and you get the best possible introduction to this new Black Company era.

I will say one thing, though: that cliffhanger, REALLY? I don't really mind cliffhangers when they are used as a way to link to the next installment, but ending a book mid-chapter, right in the middle of an action scene is pushing things a bit too far, if you ask me.



Oh, and by the way, I'm not blaming Glen Cook for this. I'm pretty sure this was the publisher's decision. You know, the old "this book is going to be too long, let's split it into two installments, it will sell better, and who the fish cares if we end the story mid-action anyway?" trick. Yeah, eye roll and stuff.

And on that happy note, until next time and stuff 👋.

· Book 1: The Black Company ★★★★★
· Book 1.5: Port of Shadows ★ ← I have no idea where this book came from, or what it's about. Pretty sure I never read it.
· Book 2: Shadows Linger ★★★★★
· Book 2.2 (short story): Shaggy Dog Bridge ★★★★★
· Book 2.3 (short story): Bone Eaters ★★★★★
· Book 3: The White Rose ★★★★★
· Book 3.5: The Silver Spike ★★★★
· Book 4: Shadow Games ★★★★★
· Book 5: Dreams of Steel ★★★★★
· Book 6: Bleak Seasons ★★★★★
· Book 7: She Is The Darkness ★★★★★
· Book 8: Water Sleeps ★★★★★
· Book 9: Soldiers Live ★★★★★



We have a cover, and it's pretty scrumptious indeed! (ETA: come to think of it, it's probably way too pretty for this series. It sort of gives off YA fantasy vibes, doesn't it? *shudders*)



Okay, so it is a truth universally acknowledged that nothing beats old-school fantasy covers and I much prefer the style of the first installments in this series (Shadows Linger anyone?) but I have to admit that I kind of love Raymond Swanland's covers for Glen Cook's books. Except maybe for the one he created for Port of Shadows. Then again, the book and I didn't exactly part on the best terms. So I might quite possibly be a little biased here. Maybe.



[December 10, 2024]

OH MY SHRIMP OH MY SHRIMP OH MY SHRIMP OH MY SHRIMP!!!!!!!!

Expected publication date Nov. 4th, 2025!!!!!!!!!!! I thought I'd never live to see the day!!!!!!!!!!!







Tor website: https://torpublishinggroup.com/lies-w...

[Jake Bishop · Rating 3.75 out of 5]

Lies Weeping was a book I was pretty nervous to read, because it had a huge publishing gap between Soldiers Live, and I consider Soldiers Live to be one of my favorite ever final scenes to a series. Especially with the last published Black Company book(Port of Shadows) being received rather poorly.

So the number 1, most important question is, does this book ruin, or harm Soldiers Live, because if that was the case, I would actively recommend people to not read it. I am happy to say I think it unequivocally does not ruin Soldiers Live, and if you like The Black Company series you should read it without fear.

My favorite thing about this book, is the duel narrators who have a best friend/sibling dynamic going on, and who spend a bunch of time basically talking shit about the other narrator. They were pretty consistently quite funny, and compelling to me. I think Glen Cook does meta humor quite well. There was also a 3rd PoV that gave us some history of the world, and I liked those even more. So as a result I overall enjoyed most of the novel.

That being said, I think the plotting is a little weak. For a solid chunk of the book I just don't think there is an inciting incident, and it felt a little aimless. And then I don't feel like we are really clear what the actual conflict is about, to a degree that I can be really invested, until like 10 pages before it's resolved, and then the book ends very very suddenly. Like this might set a record for shortest falling action ever, we barely even get a resolution, I was wondering if my ARC was missing a chapter or 2.

And this isn't some mystery where I was trying to figure stuff out, it was just kinda an absence of knowledge, until I got it.

So I can sum this up really easily. Do you like the Black Company. Read this without fear of it ruining Soldiers Live in hindsight, or reading it and thinking Glen Cook forgot how to write.

Have you never read The Black Company before, or are not caught up. Go read the main series first, this one will spoil the ever loving shit out of Soldiers Live, and a lot of previous Black Company books as well. And I think is a little less good, although that is not due to writing, or characters, but plot, so it does have me excited for Cook to continue with Pitiless Rain, as I really like the characters, and setting.


7.4/10

[Darren McGowan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh man, this was music to the ears! So, so glad to be back with Glen Cook and the black company. While many of my favorites are no longer among the living, we still have croaker,lady, howler and the infamous soulcatcher. Combine that with some newbies and a brand new world, we have the makings for a long story line. The new annals writers are a interesting choice ,and at times was a little frustrating, but overall the teenage girls did ok. Hopefully the wait is shorter for the next book.

[Todd · Rating 5 out of 5]

l'm going to refer to this one as the Seinfeld of the Black Company series. lt's not about nothing, but definitely not the typical amount of action.

That being said, there's an awful lot going on. The 2 Voroshk girls adopted by Croaker and the Lady are the primary narrators, lending to quite a bit of amusement. There are also chapters as seen from new Shivetya's POV(Croaker learning his powers as he goes)

Unfortunately it does end on a cliffhanger.

[Economondos · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Black Company is back after a long hiatus. This is a worthy entry in the series, starting a new arc set in An Abode of Ravens. It starts with one chronicler complaining about another (her cousin) and ends with fireballs. Very Glen Cook. 4 out of 5 stars

[John Mauro · Rating 4 out of 5]

My review of Lies Weeping is published at Grimdark Magazine.

A new Black Company novel in 2025? You read that right: Glen Cook returns to his pioneering grimdark epic fantasy series with Lies Weeping, the tenth mainline novel in Chronicles of the Black Company. As the first book in an all-new arc called A Pitiless Rain, Lies Weeping also serves as an ideal entry point for readers new to Cook’s mesmerizingly dark world.

Lies Weeping is told from the alternating perspectives of two young women, Arkana and Shukrat Voroshk, orphaned cousins who have been selected as the new Annalists of the Black Company. Although their work as Annalists serves as official historical record, with their informal and often playful writing, Arkana and Shukrat’s logs are more akin to personal diaries.

Glen Cook struck storytelling gold with this dual narrator approach. Rather than simply telling the story directly, Arkana and Shukrat use their journal entries to poke fun at each other, providing a surprisingly lighthearted narrative style to this series famous for pioneering the grimdark aesthetic.

Lies Weeping shines in its nuanced character work, especially in the relationship between the two cousins and the interactions with their friends, Dikken and Tobo. Arkana and Shukrat’s origin story is shrouded in mystery, but that’s only the tip of the iceberg of secrets that will be revealed. The girls were adopted by Croaker, a mortal man on an ascent toward godlike status. Another standout figure is known simply as the Lady, whose history and motivations are among the most enigmatic of the novel.

The Black Company itself has experienced many ups and downs throughout its long history. The elite group of mercenaries shrank to as few as seven members before rebounding into the thousands. At the time of Lies Weeping, the Black Company finds itself in a lull and at a crossroads, returning to their erstwhile home of Hsien in the Land of Unknown Shadows.

Plotwise, Lies Weeping is a slow and rather meandering read, without much action until the final part of the novel. Despite the lack of action, the punchy narration from Arkana and Shukrat made Lies Weeping a fun read and kept me fully engaged throughout the novel, with a cliffhanger ending that left me craving the next book of A Pitiless Rain.

Altogether, Lies Weeping is a very welcome return of Glen Cook to the Chronicles of the Black Company, one of the pioneering series of grimdark fantasy. I am eager to find out what happens next with Arakan, Shukrat, and others in A Pitiless Rain, this newest arc of the series.

[Allen Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

It feels so good to be back with the Company!

I had never read Port of Shadows, so this was my first experience with a BC novel post-Soldiers Live (and wonder why). I completed a re-read right before receiving this ARC, so I was about as refreshed as one can be before hitting this book which takes place IMMEDIATELY after the end of book 10. Cook is firing on all cylinders here, filling the pages with everything we've come to expect from a Company novel - the lives of the regular soldier, a cynical, yet hopeful worldview, and some overpowered sorcerers on top of an unraveling mystery. This time, however, it's from the perspective of two teenage girls.

I gave this 4 stars because, for me, it feels more a setup novel than even Shadow Games. It doesn't have the highs of Darkness, Water, and Soldiers. In fact, this may be THE slowest paced of all the Company novels. And that's for a reason. What does the Company do when it's 'off-duty' so to speak? What are they supposed to do when they have no immediate purpose? I love the explorations of soldiers who don't have any soldiering left to do.

My problems with this book:

- the annalists are both straddling the line of annoying. If I see Shukrat call Arkhana 'boob-monster' one more time lol

- I am CONVINCED Cook did not remember that Howler died in the last book. About 100 pages in we get an explanation of why the freaking Howler is back up and operating but it feels like he realized he had messed up and hand-waved it

- is anyone else sick to DEATH of Soulcatcher? I mean, can there please please please be a different antagonist? Pleeeeeeeease.

Those qualms are small and though not a ton of epic moments are present in here, it does unravel some mysteries we thought we were done with as well as add a whole lot more. And, of course, it's the Black-freaking-Company. Can't wait for the next book.

Thanks to Netgalley and Tor for the ARC!

[Eva Kristin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Military Fantasy is one of my favourite sub-genres, and that's what I wanted and expected when I picked up the latest book in Cook's Black Company series. That wasn't what I got.

Instead I got 300 agonizingly boring pages where nothing happened, before the last 80 pages where there was finally some action. (Not of the military type, unfortunately.)

In addition, this 81 year old man has figured it's a good idea to use the POV of two teenage girls to tell his story. Unlike Mr Cook I have actual experience being a teenage girl (albeit more than half a life ago), and it takes more than throwing in a "like" or "totally" in every second sentence to make them believable characters. I also don't remember being so fascinated by my friend's big breasts or their sweet behinds. Nor did I think of myself as "cute little My Name" in my inner dialogue. All teenage girls are different, of course, but this seems more like how an old man would think about them, than how they'd think about themselves. Ick.

All in all; Lies Weeping was an unexpected disappointment.

[AoC · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

I find it difficult to believe it's been 25 years since Soldiers Live that concluded the story of the Black Company. Since then we've received an interquel in the form of Port of Shadows that somehow ended up being strangely relevant in Cook's return to the series with Lies Weeping. Is it a fresh start or something aimed solely at fans?

It's impossible to really talk about the new story without going into some prior details, but the Black Company has survived its return from the Plain of Glittering Stone albeit not going back to the old world. Now, as chronicled by Arkana and Shukrat - Voroshk cousins from another doomed world who got adopted by the Company - they're making their due from An Abode of Ravens. Much of their angle contends with managing a wizarding power house Tobo who seems intent on self-destructing, as well as their own sibling rivalry. Third perspective is that of old man Croaker himself, or rather Shivetya the New as that is the almost all-present godlike role he has assumed. Why? So he can explore history to his timeless leisure. Naturally, we wouldn't have a story if things were ideal so strangeness is afoot with actions spurred from both former Shivetya, remnants of old Shadowmasters villains and the Lady herself who seems intent on reviving hers and Croaker's daughter.

Initial impressions of Lies Weeping were not the best. Quickfire POV switches between Arkana and Shukrat don't really have the desired effect since novel takes a while for them to start differentiating significantly to warrant it. I definitely had some laughs as they refer to one another as bimbette and boob-monster, but that highschool girl act gets old fast if that's all you have to work with. Too many of their back-to-back chapters are essentially identical and merely rephrased. I just wish they got to do more SOONER, that's all. What I assume was entirely intentional on Cook's part this is then in turn counterbalanced by Shivetya's much longer at times diffused chapters. Here we also take a while for Croaker to come to terms with what he is and how to utilize the tools he has. Oddly, this is also where aforementioned Port of Shadows comes into play as we again dive back into the Domination era with greater detail. Add to this Croaker has his old archenemies Soulcatcher on both proverbial and literal shoulder, her being the only person he can natively interact with, and it makes for a snarky dynamic where you can't tell when the dagger is coming.

I may have given you the impression I didn't really like how the Voroshk cousins were written as the new annalists of the company, and I'm not thrilled, but I'm also pleased to say Cook hasn't lost his touch. This is a Black Company novel through and through. He doesn't shy from darkness and cruelty, not even with some events like Arkana's mistake you'd expect to be quietly forgotten about. You're simply looking at a far lower "power level" in this one with a story setting up a whole lot with very little payoff as Lies Weeping is merely the first novel of a new arc.

Would I recommend Lies Weeping? If you don't like author's signature "we saw the fort, and we took it" terse approach to writing with no words wasted on purple prose you know to avoid this one. If you do, however, this is less military fantasy you've come to expect purely because our POVs are so unlike that. Darkness aplenty, though.

[Terence]

6.5 out of 10.

It is always a cause of celebration in chez Monika when a new Black Company volume is published. Though, I could have died content had Cook stopped with Soldiers Live. It was the perfect ending to Croaker and Lady’s story (as I wrote in my brief review). Croaker has been my fantasy alter-ego and favorite character since I read the original trilogy way back when in the ‘80s, and TBH I would love to end up as he does at the end.

But I do not regret that Cook is still finding things to write about in this world.

Relative to the rest of the series, Lies Weeping falls in the middle. My favorite narrator is Croaker, hands down. The other voices that have been heard in the series – Lady, Murgen, Sleepy, etc. – have never quite lived up to Croaker’s (IMO). In the latest volume our narrators are Arkana and Shukrat, the teen-age Voroshk wizards Croaker “adopted,” and Croaker in his role as the new Steadfast Guardian, Shivetya. The Shivetya sections give Cook the opportunity to exposit on Lady’s backstory but he also explores how the creature sitting in the middle of the Glittering Plain is and is not Croaker, and what that may mean as Croaker’s links with the Black Company become fewer. Arkana’s and Shukrat’s sections are less successful. Cook tries to convey their immaturity and inexperience but their idiom is too modern sounding. The girls use “like” and “totally” far too often and it’s not entirely convincing; nor are their voices sufficiently distinct.

There’s also the very delicate issue of Arkana’s rape (which occurred in an earlier volume). Cook does an OK job treating it with the sensitivity and respect it requires but it’s clearly something he’s not fully confident about handling.

The plot revolves around the old Shivetya, whose soul now occupies Croaker’s body, stirring up trouble in Hsien and Arkana and Shukrat’s efforts to thwart him. The B plot is Lady still making an effort to restore her and Croaker’s daughter. She had previously been possessed by Kina at her birth and there is nothing of a real person left in her to bring her out of the coma she’s been in since Kina’s death. The A plot is resolved but the B plot is left hanging at the end, and there are other strands that are suggested but not developed at this point: How the Black Company is going to fit in with their new home in Hsien (or not), is Tobo going to become another evil wizard who has to be put down, will Soulcatcher ever escape her imprisonment under the Glittering Plain. And probably a few more that will surface in future books.

Of course, this is recommended to anyone who’s followed the Company from their days in the North. The series as a whole is recommended to any fantasy enthusiast or grimdark fan.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolute banger. Dragged a bit 3/4 in with all the traveling but it was a great beginning to the presumed last arc of the series (Cook is like 90??)

Cliffhanger AF

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lies Weeping is the tenth book in Glen Cook's long-running Grim Dark Fantasy, "The Chronicles of the Black Company". This book takes a different turn from the previous books. In this one, most of the original members of the Black Company are long gone. A crop of new people have taken their places, but a few of the old hands are still around, such as Croaker/the Steadfast Guardian, The Lady, and Soulcatcher. This book is definitely different. It has an interesting choice of chronicle writers and their adventures, all intertwined with Croaker in his new incarnation as The Steadfast Guardian.
In this one, weird stuff keeps bubbling up often enough that Arkana and Shukrat, the new Annalists of the company, eventually realize that things are moving beyond their limited “teenage drama” concerns. Tobo was supposed to be the future of the wizards in the company, but after a brush with spectral vampires, he is in no shape to defend the company. It is the girls who are going to be left to figure out what the hell is going on. In the meantime, "The Lady" returns to her home world in an effort to revive her daughter, who remains in a coma. All this while Croaker becomes accustomed to being the new minor god, The Steadfast Guardian. A must-read for Black Company fans.

[Danielle]

OH MY GOOOOOOOOOODDDDDDDDDDD!!!!!!

I will *not* be calm about this. I refuse! Let’s fucking goooooooooo!

[Mark Redman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review: Lies Weeping by Glen Cook

Lies Weeping marks Glen Cook’s triumphant return to The Black Company series, delivering a fresh and compelling story through the lively perspectives of young Annalists Arkana and Shukrat Voroshk. Their journal entries inject the narrative with humour and banter, creating an engaging contrast to the dark, grim world they navigate. Revisiting the Company’s universe was enjoyable, and reconnecting with familiar faces only heightened the excitement.

Cook’s signature strengths shine through once again: rich character development, intricate world-building, and subtle hints at mysteries yet to unfold. The setting feels vibrant, thick with history and depth that enrich the story. However, the novel isn’t without its flaws. The pacing felt sluggish at times, overly focused on setup, and the narrators’ voices occasionally seemed awkward or repetitive, especially early on. Those expecting large-scale Black Company battles may find themselves disappointed, as the story emphasizes intrigue and complex relationships instead. The ending leaves several threads unresolved, culminating in a cliffhanger that teases more chaos to come — though waiting a year for resolution might test patience. A more self-contained story could have made for a more satisfying experience.

Still, for devoted fans, Lies Weeping offers a promising new chapter, trading rapid momentum for nuanced groundwork. New readers might find it a tough starting point without prior knowledge of the series’ extensive history.

In the end, while not a thunderous installment, Lies Weeping delivers an engaging, character-driven beginning to a new era — one driven by voice, mystery, and the relentless spirit of the Black Company

[Caleb Greenough · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve been a huge Black Company fan for several years now, and it was one of the first fantasy series I got into, so it holds a special place in my heart. When I saw Cook was writing more past Soldiers Live, I was skeptical, and I still have to admit there’s no need for more books.

I enjoyed this entry, and there were some revealing details about the Domination era that made this worth reading for me personally and the main reason I’ll continue future entries, but I wouldn’t recommend most people continue past Soldiers Live unless you are a massive fan of the series.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

[Leion Menionson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Die Black Company Bücher sind sehr gute Dark Fantasy, die ich wirklich liebe und "Lies Weeping" bricht in keiner Weise mit dieser Tradition.
Es ist anders als die bisherigen Bücher, mehr auf das Innenleben der Charaktere konzentriert und weniger weitreichend in den Ereignissen, was seltsam klingt, wenn man bedenkt, dass dies das erste Buch ist, dass wirklich Zeit und Energie darauf verwendet die Geschichte der Welten zu erkunden.
Trotzdem kann ich das Buch, und die gesamte Reihe, nicht wirklich weiter empfehlen kann. Es ist gefüllt mit frauenfeindlichen Beleidigungen, die nicht besser werden nur weil es jetzt weibliche Charaktere sind, die mit ihnen umher werfen, und den düsteren Elementen, die man in einer Dark Fantasy Geschichte über Söldner erwarten würde.
In anderen Worten, ein sehr gutes Buch, dass merkliche Probleme hat und nur mit Vorsicht zu genießen ist. Aber wer die vorherigen Bücher mochte, wird auch dieses mögen.

[José Alejandro Vázquez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tardé bastante en terminarlo porque he estado ocupado y ahora enfermo, pero que tu autor favorito empiece una nueva trilogía es una de esas pequeñas felicidades que he tenido en este año de kk.
Ahora bien, hablemos del libro.
Lo primero es que si no has leído los once anteriores te vas a perder el 90% de todo lo que está sucediendo incluyendo muchas referencias a Port of Shadows que no tendrán sentido y son claves para muchas de las revelaciones.
En cuanto al ritmo es calmado, pero a medida que las cosas avanzan se va haciendo interesante hasta llegar a un final que weno, no quedará claro hasta el siguiente libro.

[Sean Fredericksen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Black Company is my favorite series of all time. I read every book last year, so when I learned the series wasn’t actually finished, I was thrilled and terrified. Glen Cook was returning to a world he hadn’t written in for years, and I worried it wouldn’t feel the same. I worried the voice would be gone.

I was very, very wrong.

Lies Weeping is fantastic. It’s disorienting, frustrating, and constantly makes you question the sanity of everyone writing the Annals, which is exactly how a Black Company book should feel.

Most of the Annals are written by Shukrat and Arkana, two teenage girls chronicling the Company’s day-to-day life. And you can absolutely tell they’re young. Their entries bounce all over the place. One moment they’re recording events, the next they’re venting, oversharing, and treating the Annals like personal diaries. Croaker would be furious, and that alone makes it perfect.

The other perspective comes from Shivetya, as written by Dikken. Somehow, this viewpoint is even more confusing. Shivetya, Croaker in his new, unsettling form, is trying to adapt to what he’s become, and at times I wanted to slam the book shut in pure frustration. But then Cook pulls you back in. Shivetya becomes a treasure trove of information, diving deep into the past and revealing pieces of the Domination we’ve only ever glimpsed before. Those sections were incredible. I couldn’t get enough of them.

I will say the book starts slow. A lot is happening, but it feels aimless at first. Patrols. Daily routines. Peacetime monotony. A lot of self-exploration. It doesn’t fully click until about two-thirds of the way through, when everything suddenly does. From that point on, it’s unmistakably Black Company.

Messy. Confusing. Cynical. Brilliant.

I cannot wait for the next book. I need it like I need air.

[Adam Carmack · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know how Cook keeps creating new mysteries that I need answers for within the same series, but he has done it again

[Stefan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ich habe etwas gebraucht um mich an die "neue" Art des Chronisten zu gewöhnen, statt einem gibt es in diesem Buch drei. Die Geschichte braucht ein wenig um Fahrt aufzunehmen, liest sich aber flüssig und man wird mit einem gutem Abschluss belohnt.

[Artur · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of the Black Company continues after almost 20 years. After wrapping up the tales of the original crew around Croaker in Soldier's Live (2000), Glen Cook returns with new adventures for the next generation of the Black Company. The book does a good job establishing new characters, a new world, new power struggles and sets up the Black Company for a larger adventure to come, while also shedding light on some mysteries from the interquel Port of Shadows (2018).

As somebody who enjoyed the previous books, this instalment was a good read and makes me want to know how the story will continue in the next book.

[Drew McCaffrey · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

I received a review copy of this book via NetGalley.

The (first installment of the) long, long-awaited Black Company sequel A Pitiless Rain lives up to the lofty expectations.

While Cook released PORT OF SHADOWS in 2018, it never really felt like a true continuation of the series. Partially due to its place in the chronology, partially due to the VERY different tone, but altogether PORT OF SHADOWS seemed like a strange sibling of the Company mainline series, rather than a must-read installment. But we'll get back to that in a minute.

LIES WEEPING very much feels like a true continuation of the story, though Cook never rests on his laurels. The structure of the book has changed a bit—though it's still an in-world artifact, written by Annalists—and doesn't focus as much on the military side of things.

Rather, this book is laser-focused on the human weaknesses, emotions, and desires of its characters. The cover may say "A Pitiless Rain" is the title of the sequel series, but the title page of the book gives its true name: The Orphans' Tale.

For this truly is a story of orphans. The Annalists Arkana and Shukrat are orphans, but they're not the only ones here who've lost their homes, whether physical or spiritual. The Black Company has always been a new home to orphans, whether they're disabled children like Darling or men seeking revenge like Raven or hardened criminals, desperate characters, fortune-seekers like the majority of the mercenaries. Cook is telling THAT story now.

And the characters shine in it. I love the relationship between our two new Annalists. Their banter is great, and Cook once again shows his chops as a writer by changing the style of the Annals to fit the Annalists. Despite the title, this book is frequently heartwarming—and the give-and-take style of the Book of Arkana and Shukrat Voroshk gives plenty of opportunities for genuine humor. It's like if One-Eye and Goblin were teenaged girls. On top of that, Cook seems to be even more self-aware than usual, often calling out his own writerly foibles through the girls.

But the cast is so much more than just the Voroshk girls. New characters step up and side characters from previous books have their moments as well. Suvrin, Tobo, Dikken, and especially Uncle Jun Go are a blast.

There are other characters, major characters, about whom I won't go into detail. Suffice it to say that this book serves up plenty of jaw-dropping surprises. Long-standing mysteries get answered here; many old answers are revealed to be less conclusive than we thought. And PORT OF SHADOWS? Yeah, suddenly that book feels a lot more important than it did before I read LIES WEEPING. A reread is certainly in order.

I worried at points that Cook was going to constrain himself in his world and conflicts, recycling old places and names the way he did when the Company went south. By the end of the book, however, any qualms were gone entirely. Cook has opened up an entire new tableau of wonder; I can't wait to see what else he has up his sleeve for the sixteen worlds and the glittering plain.

LIES WEEPING isn't perfect. It's a bit meandering in the early going (though the strength of the characters carried the story for me) and I do miss the military brotherhood side of things. Perhaps I should accept that that story is finished—"Soldiers live. And wonder why." is perfect ending enough.

And speaking of endings, this one is a SERIOUS cliffhanger. Maybe the most severe in the entire Black Company oeuvre...though SHADOW GAMES and DREAMS OF STEEL are also contenders. I desperately await THEY CRY, next year.

All in all, it was wonderful to be back with the Company. Cook is still a masterful storyteller with a deft hand at character voices and a wit unique among the fantasy genre.

[Elizabeth The Wicked · Rating 2 out of 5]

these books have always been drugged up and confusing, full of ambiguity and trouble communicating across languages, but this definitely turns it up to 11. its obvious we're just setting up for the rest of the new trilogy so nothing really happens. there's no story to follow. just jumbled events and then a screeching halt.

despite the lack of anything happening, it still took forever and left plenty to complain about. its pointless and tiring to be reminded how much a group of grown men carnally desire two teenagers. yet we have to hear about it often, to no narrative purpose, just in case we forgot. its annoying and condescending to have an otherwise capable, ambitious powerful and ancient woman be obsessed with a child she never knew but here we are.

sisters and whores, that's all croaker knows of women. and indeed that's all our author knows. curious how we're still treating women like some other species. no amount of life experience seems to cure some of that , even adding them as narrators.

I'm not trying to turn this into a indictment of how not feminist these books are. I read most of them over a decade ago but I do know what I'm getting. the rest of the new trilogy might make this exposition go somewhere and I'll reflect better on this..for now, it was something of a chore

[Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lies Weeping by Glen Cook
4.5 out of 5

I think this is a great first entry in the new Black Company series(yes this should be considered a new series).

It is a direct sequel to Soldiers Live but also acts as a reboot for the series. We have new Annalists and new locations/characters.

The tone and voice of the book is different than any previous entries as well. Yet again Cook shows us his mastery of using character voice to make each POV feel unique.

Now that I have read his bibliography I can see how his style has changed over the years. This has a lot more in common with his later Garrett novels when it comes to his word usage and pacing. Which is a good thing. Some of the later Garrett novels are not very good but they go down easy and I enjoyed the writing on a "line by line" level.

This reads like a pared down version of the previous works which plays into the feeling of it being a new series and I am really looking forward to the sequels.

[Adomas Karolis · Rating 1 out of 5]

Usually I do not write reviews since there are many more equipped readers for this.

This book requires an exception to this and not due to any good reasons.

I am huge fan of grimdark and Glen Cook in particular. I literally grew up with Black Company and Garrett PI, loved Dragon Nevers Sleeps and Tower of Fear.

This book, however, is a total waste of time. Absolutely not recommended for any BC fans, unless you want to kill time and torture yourselves a bit. I did finish it but did not get anything out, story, characters, everything is just bland nothing about nothing.

Better re-read original books or pick up something from Joe Abercrombie, Mark Lawrence, Christopher Buehlman, Brian McClellan, etc plenty of new authors who bring something similarly wonderful read to original BC.

Thank you to Glen Cook, but do skip this book.

[E.R. Burgess · Rating 2 out of 5]

This messy book is a must-read for Black Company fans but only to keep up with the once great series. The new book has less appealing narrators, so much exposition, and not a lot of action.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

My thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for an advanced copy of this fantasy novel which features the famed Black Company, a series that is still going strong, and a series that has influenced many writers and entertained countless fans.

I was a huge reader of fantasy in my early teens reading anything I could find. I combed through used book stores, flea markets, tag sales and book sales at my library to feed my hunger. Back before the Internet is was hard to find out about books, especially genre. I read Dragon, the occasional Locus and Fantasy and Science Fiction Magazine, but there were always gaps. An author I had found, Glen Cook had a series Garrett P. I. which I quite enjoyed mixing the adventures of hardboiled private detective in a fantasy setting. So I knew the name when I picked up another series by Cook and thinking I was going to read a nice light humourous fantasy novel. There was humor, but it was as dark as the plot and the company that the books were talking about. The Black Company was a series that treated people at war with a realism that was rare, with stories and characters that stayed with the reader. They were influential, name checked and ripped-off in equal measures. After a long absence, the Company returns, and has not lost a step, daring in many ways to try new ideas, something one wouldn't expect in a classic series. And succeeding. Lies Weeping is a direct sequel to the classic Soldiers Live and the first book in a new series, of A Pitiless Rain, a Chronicle of the Black Company by Glen Cook featuring the Black Company facing new threats from within and without, new challenges, and some troublesome monkeys.

The Black Company has retreated to an old base in the region of Hsien, known as the Land of Unknown Shadows. There they find a city in chaos, as the old regime has been overthrown and refugees filling the land and more importantly their old base, An Abode of Ravens. The Company starts to work with the refugees knowing that winter is coming and food must be gathered or else a season of starvation will follow. The Company is regrouping as their last Captain and writer of their narrative Croaker has become almost like a god, taking the place of the Steadfast Guardian. Though that is not going so well. The Lady, Croaker's wife and also an ancient God is using the time to recover her youth, and power while mourning those the Lady has lost. And thinking of how to bring them back. Arkana and Shukrat, adopted by Croaker have taken on the role of chronicling the Black Company's tale, though their narrative is filled with snide remarks, and poison pen attacks on each other. A simple idea of stopping monkeys from attacking the food supply leads to big problems for Arkana and Shukrat as both are sure they have seen Croaker among the monkeys, which could lead to problems. For in the Black Company things are never easy.

For a writer with a successful series, Glen Cook has taken some interesting chances in this book. For one making a sequel so many years later. And also for taking a lot of narrative chances which really work well and bring a lot to the story. The narrative is told through the points of view of Arkana and Shukrat with both sharing their views, their comments on each other, and what others are thinking. There is another view one that explains the world and what is going on, which again expands on the story in many ways. There is humor, fighting and a lot of traveling, but the book does not bog down, nor have that feeling of many first books in a series.

One should really read the other books in the series, for they are quite good and one can see their influence on a lot of modern fantasy. This is a sequel even with the fact that this is the first part of a new series. The characters are quite at home with each other, and to come in without knowing why is a pretty steep learning curve. Read all of them. In fact read the Garrett PI books in between to rest one's mind. Glen Cook is a very good writer, and to have him back is a great thing. I can't wait to read more in this series.

[Andy Peloquin · Rating 5 out of 5]

TL;DR Review: Somber and serious military history…as told by sarcastic teenagers? A tonal change to the Black Company I loved!

Full Review:
The Black Company is one of my all-time favorite dark and military fantasy series. From the first pages, we’re taken into this band of hard-boiled, throat-cutting, take-no-shit brothers in arms who know their business—war—and do it better than anyone else. From wars between sorcerers to bloody sieges to killing evil goddesses, the Black Company’s adventures go hard and dark.
Except in Lies Weeping, all their great threats have been eliminated, and the Black Company is now sort of sitting around on their butts with nothing more important to do than keep their farms running and no enemies beyond a few rock monkeys to fight off.
And with no one else to keep the historied Annals of the Black Company, the task falls to the former Annalist’s sort-of-adoptive teenage daughters to do it. Which means the Annals have now effectively become a diary where the two girls (cousins from a conquered kingdom and minor wizards in their own right) bicker and snipe about each other while still somewhat telling us what’s happening with the Black Company.
Let’s get one thing very clear: this is NOT the Black Company as we know it. Gone is the serious, workmanlike, epic tone of Books 1-9 (and The White Rose and Port of Shadows). Shukrat and Arkana are the absolute worst at keeping actual records of what’s going on. Everything is so colored by their perception and perspective that we barely even see what’s happening to the Black Company at large (which, honestly, is very little at this point). It’s all about them, their romances, their issues with Lady and the Captain.
Really, the only lingering shadow of the former Black Company tone is the scenes we get to see of Croaker-as-the-Steadfast-Guardian. It’s when we’re in his POV that we remember, “Ahh, yes, this is what the Black Company is supposed to be.”
But make no mistake: I absolutely LOVED it.
Switching the tone to this snippy, sarcastic, rambling, chaotic teenager style takes something that was so serious and somber (soldiers dying in an endless war) and twists it. Through their perspectives, we see just how strange things have gotten for the Black Company with nowhere to march and no one to fight. It becomes all about internecine squabbling and subtle intrigue and the most trifling issues. Because that’s exactly what happens when a military company that has for centuries spilled blood and moved from one war to another finds itself sitting around in peace time.
We get a wonderful look at the very few surviving Black Company characters—Lady, her devious sister Soulcatcher, the Howler, and more—and see how they’re faring now that battle is ended and life has to move on. We also come to learn more about the new world the Black Company has settled in, and are introduced to a new threat that slowly crawls out of the shadows to become a very real problem for all of our players, major and minor.
I will complain that the book had a cliffhanger ending—not the good kind where the story’s wrapped up neatly and a new hook is introduced, but a proper middle of the climactic action cliffhanger. My suspicion is that this was done to split a longer complete book into multiple parts for easier publication.
Aside from that, however, I reveled in every second I spent back in this world, with this new tone and unfamiliar set of characters. I adored the time Croaker spent delving back into the history of the world to learn more about the Dominator (whose True Name had me snorting milk through my nose), the Senjak sisters, and how the past shaped the present. It was an awesome way to move the story forward while also giving us a look backward to some of the darkest moments in this world’s history.
Lies Weeping was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, and it absolutely delivered in a way I didn’t expect, but still immensely enjoyed. I can’t wait for the next book to find out where this story is going and what new, looming, world-spanning threat will arise to challenge the Black Company!

[Aaron Hill · Rating 2 out of 5]

As someone who loves the Black Company series, this one kind of misses the mark. The first 4/5ths of the book are kind of rambling and even contradictory. The Croaker/Shivetya hybrid finds information then seemingly forgets it? This could be intentional but makes for a confusing read. Some information he already knows but seems to have forgotten. Main example, Croaker spends the majority of his sections digging through history for the true backstory of his wife The Lady and repeatedly mentions trying to find her true name. But he already knows it? Way back at the end of the first trilogy they used it to take away her powers after defeating the Dominator. There are bits that seem to suggest his memories have become muddled but it seems pretty unbelievable when he repeatedly mentioned him being the source of her rekindled powers. So all his efforts to eavesdrop throughout history seem wasted when he already knows the answer?

The other two main PoVs are his adopted daughters who probably aren't written that well. As a side character in Croakers story they kind of worked but as main characters (written by an 80 year old man) they don't really seem to coalesce into anything fun to read. They aren't teenagers anymore but spend many many pages whining and complaining about each other.

Really my main issue is that for a book of such length nothing happens until the last couple chapters, and most of that is unexplained because of the cliff hanger ending.

There are many events that other characters attribute to Croaker/Shivetya but are most likely caused by Soulcatcher, but it's never spelled out and you never find out why or what for. The Old Shivetya inhabiting Croakers old body is obviously scheming then teleports across the world with seemingly no explanation provided on why or how. The "Well" is introduced in the destroyed city the sisters find themselves in as well as their new unknown shadow friends, but again with no real explanation. I can make some guesses but the ending doesn't make me want to buy the next one, it's ultimately too frustrating even for Cook's normal writing style. Pretty much every other Black Company book had an ending, a wrap up of major plot points. This one dead ends right in the middle of the only action in the entire thing.

What is Soulcatcher planning? Who is Jun Go really? What is the Croaker-thing actually trying to accomplish? Who actually caused Survin's dreams? Who actually summoned the demons that were stealing the life from Tobo? You never find out. Some things are guessed at or could be implied but the deeper whys aren't addressed. Is Soulcatcher or the Croaker-thing stirring the pot? Is the soul of Longshadow touching others somehow? Again, for a lengthy book it's very very light on any actual details or actual events. It's badly written sorcerer girls complaining and Croaker rambling around in time until the last 50 or so pages. Even the girls travels to the south are boring. Quite simply nothing in any of the other Black Company books has been this plodding and boring.

At this point I don't really care about Lady's past nearly as much as Croaker does. And having him waste pretty much all of his portions on digging around in the Domination times for information he mostly already has is annoying. Cook kept setting up some kind of reveal about Croaker and the Lady having some kind of magical time altered romance together with references to a past he couldn't remember and his missing time in the Tower at Charm but, again, goes nowhere with it in the most frustrating way.

As much as I was excited for a new installment in the Black Company it was quite honestly disappointing. I did like the small call backs like One-Eyes hat making another appearance but it's wasted in one of the most boring books in the series.

[Philip · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first encountered Glen Cook’s The Chronicles of the Black Company, I was fresh out of college and working at Borders (it was 2010, and the economy was garbage, and it was the only work I could get, despite a degree in technical writing). I found the original ten of Cook’s fantasy novels (published between 1984 and 2000) in large paperback omnibus editions, and I was immediately entranced by the cover art and the premise of a mercenary band roaming across a fantasy empire and struggling to survive against all odds. It would be over a decade before I managed to sit down with them, and at the time I was unaware that Glen Cook was not only still alive but also still writing, continuing the adventures of Croaker, Goblin, One-Eye, Lady, and all the others. I recently had the opportunity to go through the audiobook versions of the entire series in anticipation of the release of Lies Weeping, a new volume set after the events of Soldiers Live.

The Black Company as it was is no more. Soulcatcher and her forces were finally defeated, and Taglios was freed from her rule. The heroes who were trapped beneath the Plain of Glittering Stone were freed to participate in the final battle, and many were lost in the struggle. Now the Company is lead by Suvrin, who had once served as Sleepy’s lieutenant. They have returned from Taglios, through the Shadowgate into Hsien, to the outpost known as An Abode of Ravens. Taking over as co-annalists are Arkana and Shukrat, two young women from the world known to the company as Khatovar who were taken in by Croaker and Lady. Lady herself remains with the company, but with the defeat of the goddess Kina, her magic is greatly diminished once again. Shukrat and Arkana may bicker over how best to maintain Croaker’s legacy with the Company’s annals, but they’re still working together. Croaker himself is no longer with the Company, having taken the role once held by the demon Shivetya as the guardian of the Plain of Glittering Stone. Now with his burgeoning omniscience, he can monitor all the comings and goings of his loved ones back and forth through time, even when his physical form is still bound to the throne beneath the Plain.

Things are not quite what they all seem at An Abode. Packs of roving monkeys are threatening the Company’s food supply as winter approaches. Strange spirits appear to be haunting Tobo, the Company’s primary mage and friend of the Unknown Shadows. Arkana and Shukrat have spotted an old man wandering about near the outpost, and of all the impossible things, he looks like Croaker. Lady, meanwhile, is crafting a plan to try to restore her daughter, Booboo, to a level of health and sanity she had never in her short life possessed. The only hints anyone has received have been in the form of mysterious notes posted about An Abode, and the whispered phrase “Lies Weeping.”

Glen Cook is launching a new continuation of The Chronicles of the Black Company, with Lies Weeping being the first novel in a A Pitiless Rain. He’s deftly weaving together his original novels with his more recent work like Port of Shadows. Arkana and Shukrat serve as our primary narrators in this book, with amendments by a young man named Dikken in interstitial chapters. This book strikes me as a fine addition to the series that I’ve come to love so much in recent months. My utmost thanks to Tor Books and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for a fair review. Lies Weeping came out last Tuesday, 11/4/25. If you’re a Black Company fan, you should snag this one ASAP. If you’re not yet a fan, now’s as good a time to start as any.

This review originally appeared here: https://swordsoftheancients.com/2025/...