بازی های سایه

The Chronicles of the Black Company #4

by Glen Cook, Aida Keshvari (Translator)

پس از جنگ نابود‌گر در ماهورتپه، طبيب گروهان سياهِ رو به زوال را در جستجوي تاريخچه‌هاي گمشده به سوي جنوب هدايت مي‌کند. تاريخچه‌ها به کاتووار بازگردانده خواهد شد. کاتووار، کيلومترها دورتر، شهري که ممکن است تنها در افسانه‌ها وجود داشته باشد... خاستگاه اولينِ گروهان‌هاي آزاد.

گروهان به پيش مي‌رود و با هر گام، پيکري سايه‌وار و کلاغ‌هاي لاشخور، در پي‌شان روان هستند. از دلِ جنگلي مملو از حشرات، رودهايي پر از دزدان درياييِ تشنه به خون و شهرهايي ويران‌شده يا همچنان آباد و وحشت‌زده از گروهاني سابق، به سوي جنوب سفر مي‌کنند و در اين حين بر نفرات‌شان افزوده مي‌شود و سرانجام هزاران سرباز به آنان مي‌پيوندند.

اما همواره چشم‌هايي آنان را زير نظر دارد؛ اربابان سايه، دشمن مرگباري جديد... موجوداتي پيچيده که با تاريکي و مرگ سروکار دارند: موجوداتي قدرتمند و سايه‌وار که مصمم هستند دنيا را در آغوش ناپاکِ خود خفه سازند. اين اولين دور از يک بازي مرگبار است و گروهان سياه اميدي به پيروزي در اين بازي ندارد.

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

399 pages, Paperback

First published June 15, 1989

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

[Matt's Fantasy Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Check out my YouTube channel where I show my instant reactions to reading fantasy books as soon as I finish the book.

The best Black Company book since the first entry, and a thoroughly wonderful read from start to finish

After The White Rose, which was book #3, I really didn't know how this series was possibly going to continue. It felt like a clear ending to the story, with the Black Company splitting up and going separate ways, and the central antagonist in the land being vanquished.

But oh how I was wrong! Very quickly the Black Company starts recruiting again, and the new recruits give vibrant life to this series that evokes the amazing feelings of the first book again. The story progression is incredible, and the new goal that the company needs to resolve feels even more grandiose than what the first trilogy covered.

The dynamic between the characters is the high point of this book, and it's so great just being with the characters interacting with one another from a first person narrative perspective. There are double crosses, swists, epic stakes, and an infuriatingly enormous cliffhanger at the end - which is perfectly okay since this series is completed and you can just keep on reading to get it resolved.

I am fully back sucked into this world, and can't wait to continue this series to see where it goes.

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

➽ And the moral of this rerereread is: THE STUMP.



👋 To be continued and stuff.



[September 2021]

💀 The Black Company is Recruiting Again Buddy Rereread (TBCiRABR™) with the MacHalos and stuff 💀

➽ And the moral of this rereread is: this book should have been titled “Shadow Games, or How My Boyfriend Croaker Turned on the Charm and Became the Lamest Greatest Casanova of the South.”



Yeah, I think Lady might be with you on that one, kiddo.

P.S. I've quoted this before but I'll quote it again because reasons and stuff:

“She wielded her weapons with a dancer’s grace and the deadliness of a demigoddess.”

😍😍😍

You are quite welcome.

👋 To be continued and stuff.



[June 2018]

💀 Buddy reread with the clueless new mercenary recruits Elena and Mark over at BB&B. Under the wicked supervision of our Ever-Stalking Black Company Overlord (ESBCO™), of course 💀

➽ And the moralssssss of this reread are :

① It seems I almost nearly DNFed this book the first time I read it (still rated it 5 stars, though. Don't ask. I most certainly didn’t). Goes to show that one can be both nefarious and a complete, utter, total nitwit.

② Croakie Baby, you’re the worst Casanova in the history of worst Casanovas, but I still 💕lurves💕 you from the bottom of my black, withered heart.

③ Lady, thou art MINE. Glad we cleared that up for the 2,500 millionth time.

④ ♫ It’s just an illusion ♫ ← this is your queue to start singing “oooh oooh oooh aaah,” my Faithful (if a little Flimsy) Decapods. Just so you know and stuff.

Also:





[Original review]

Welcome to yet another fascinating Why Did I, Why Didn't I Non-Review (WDIWDINR™)! Because I don't have the time to write one of those It's Longer Than The Book Itself Non-Reviews (ILTTBINR™) that you love so much! That's right, my Little Barnacles! Time for you to be glad and rejoice again! We're about to embark on a The Crap Is About To Get Cut Non-Review (TCIATOGCNR™)!



① Why did I almost DNF this book?

*gasps*

YES, my name is Sarah and I have a shameful admission to make: I am unfull of grate and I almost potentially not quite but nearly DNFed a book written by the Ever Awesome Glen Cook (well sometimes he is not so Ever Awesome but I am pretending The Silver Spike never happened and shh shh shh I never said any of this do not be silly now you Barnacles you did not just read what I just wrote thank you.) Having almost potentially not quite but nearly committed the deadliest of sins I shall now make an act of contrition by confessing my hideous thoughts:

✘ My aging boyfriend Croaker is annoyingly grumpy in an annoyingly grumpy kind of way. I mean, grumpy can be sexy but grumpy can be grumpy. And not sexy. So Croaky Baby, please stop constantly debating with your little yourself, I've had it with your inner-ramblings. Do I ever ramble when I write reviews? Never. QED. Oh, and by the way, please do remember to attend those how-to-romance-the-hell-out-of-a-girl's-knickers classes we signed you up for. You still have a LOT of progress to make in that department.



See? That's exactly the kind of lame stuff I'm talking about. Croaky, this has to stop. NOW.

✘ Lady, previously known as THE Freakingly Awesome Lady, is having a hard time adjusting to her new life. Yeah, well, join the club. I had to adjust to going back to work after a three-month holiday. Everyone has problems. I get that the sudden lack of evil slaves and evil everything sucks, but hey, it could be worse. You could be stuck in a freaking historical romance or something. Sobering thought if there ever was one, huh? So stop all that "being a normal, average, boring human being is boring and average and normal, and what do I do now?" nonsense and do the Definite Article Pep Talk (DAPT™)! Repeat after me, "I am not Lady, I am THE LADY! Woot! Woot! Woot!"



Attagirl! Now that's the spirit!

✘ Filler filler filler. Boredom boredom boredom boredom. ← you might think you just read this. But you didn't. Oh no, absolutely not. Because frankly, how could a Freaking Black Company book be boring? Impossible. You really have to stop drinking vodka while reading my reviews, you keep imagining things.

✘ Where is the Plain of Fear menagerie?! Where is the coolest zoo in the universe?! Give it back give it back give it back! I want mantas! I want windwhales! I want aggravating talking stones! And coral with a life of itself! Come ON Glen Cook, make a traveling circus out of the Plain of Fear if that's what it takes, but please bring my favorite petting zoo back!! Normal animals are BORING!



② Why did I end up giving this book 5 stars?

*pats herself in the back*
*does a little happy dance*
*raises a glass to her own glorious judgment*

✔ Ghost legions. Damn. Awesome Black Company is really AWESOME.

“Slick. Oh, slick. Not even a hangnail. That was the way we did it in the old days. Maneuver and trickery. Why get yourself hurt if you can whip them with a shuffle and con?”

I want to be a Black Company mercenary when I grow up. I want to be wicked and devious and shrewd and cunning and treacherous and deliciously sneaky. Without having to worry about how my manicure will hold while I slaughter the masses.

✔ Frogface, mostest awesomest pet imp ever.

✔ Freaking tree stumps.



✔ Croaker, my aging, grumpy boyfriend. Yeah yeah yeah, I know he was one of the reasons I wanted to DNF, but I never said this WDIWDINR™ was going to make any sense. Besides, Croaky is awesome. And love is blind.

✔ Lady, previously known as THE Freakingly Awesome Lady. Yeah yeah yeah, I know she was one of the reasons I wanted to DNF, but I never said this WDIWDINR™ was going to make any sense. Besides, she wields her weapons with a dancer’s grace and the deadliness of a demigoddess. So there.

✔ Shadowmasters. I love it when they get their asses slightly kicked. And get lectured over it like the whimpering dogs they are. Because there is nothing quite like a villainous villain being properly chastised by his villainous villain boss after one too many pathetic screw ups.



✔ Widowmaker and Lifetaker. Sigh. Such sheer amazing pure undiluted awesome awesomeness. Sigh.

✔ Things protruding from piles of limbs. Evil Mr Cook, you are EVIL.

✔ Freaking tree stumps ← yes, I am aware that I've already mentioned this. Just trying to make a subtle point here.

✔ OMG OMG OMG SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER EVIL MR COOK YOU ARE EVIL BUT I LOVE YOU YOU DID IT WILL YOU MARY ME?!

✔ Epic ending is FREAKING EPIC.

✔ Freaking cliffhanger is FREAKING CLIFFHANGY.



➽ And the moral of this WDIWDINR™ is: you have to be Glen Cook to turn an almost potentially not quite but nearly DNF into a 5-shrimping-star Awesome Black Company is Freaking Awesome Story™. The man wasn’t dubbed the Father of Bloody Fishing Grimdark for naught, my Little Barnacles.



· 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 2.4 (short story): Letha of the Thousand Sorrows ★★★
· Book 3: The White Rose ★★★★★
· Book 3.5: The Silver Spike ★★★★
· Book 5: Dreams of Steel ★★★★★
· Book 6: Bleak Seasons ★★★★★
· Book 7: She Is The Darkness ★★★★★
· Book 8: Water Sleeps ★★★★★
· Book 9: Soldiers Live ★★★★★
· Book 10: Lies Weeping ★★★★

[Robin (Bridge Four) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 My Fair Lady Stars

I love being back with Croaker, One –Eye, Goblin and the former Lady, still called Lady but she is much diminished in power since The White Rose, I’m sure that will be rectified at some point though.

Things I like about this Series:

ͼ Everything is a little clipped. Since it is told like the annals of an army company things like scenery, excessive dialogue and descriptions are clipped. Therefore it is a short read with most of the meat of the story but not a lot of extras

ͽ Croaker, he is my favorite character. He has gone from the company Annals keeper and surgeon to the actual captain and not has to rebuild from the 7 people left after the conclusion of The White Rose back into a new Black Company.

ͻ The Lady….I loved her when she was a badass power of deific proportions but I am liking her as a mere mortal too. It is weird seeing her human side and it takes some time but I think she is an amazing female character and warmonger.

ͼ The twists just keep coming. It seems that more than once I’ve been blindsided by a twist that wasn’t expecting and this one was no different. Let’s just say that some people we left behind might not be so forgotten.

ͽ Wizard wars…Goblin and One-Eye’s continuing feud pretty hilarious overall and it seems that the longer they go between battles with each other the more time they have to plan and the better the fight is. It is amazing that they are playing for the same team.

ͻ - Could that be a little bit of romance in the air? Okay it is really downplayed and there are only a few instances of anything that resembles some lovin but ultimately it played an interesting role in the plot line that I again wasn’t expecting.

ͼ - The cliffhanger ending….I was aghast as I didn’t realize that is how that was going to go down. I wanted so badly to jump into the next book right away. I mean there is so much going on and the ending was surprising and hit me hard. Still

What might not work for you

☠ - Like I mentioned before the writing is clipped and sometimes that makes certain instances hard to follow. If you need a lot of description in your world building (something I usually really like) it is going to leave something maybe missing a little bit.

☠ - There is brutality in this. The Black Company is not a bunch of boy scouts helping the poor and beaten. They are mercinaries and while Croaker is pretty civilized I think most of the rest of the company are completely brutal and most might even torture their mothers if given a chance.

☠ - There is a lot going on especially in a new setting from the previous trilogy and so at times it is hard to follow just because of the writing style. I’ve become pretty used to it but at the same time new people and places it is hard to keep track of it all.

☠ - New part to the trilogy so it really took awhile for things to start really rolling in this. The beginning seemed to have quite a bit of down time until Croaker really hit the road and the first fight happened. But no worries once you hit the 35-40% mark it is fast and furious to the end.

Overall

If you are a fan of Grimdark fantasy then Glen Cook is the father of it. He is unapologetic for any of the characters in the series and I think that any one of them is capable of just about anything. I like that as you never know what is going to happen and usually it is so surprising that I’m a little in shock.

[HaMiT · Rating 4 out of 5]

تجربه خوندن گروهان سیاه شبیه تجربه ی بازیهای آقای میازاکیه (دارک سولز، بلادبورن)
همزمان که خوندنش سخته، لذتبخش هم هست
یه جاهایی اصلا نمیفهمیدم چی میخونم :))
بعد از داستان درگیریهای شمال، باقی مونده ی گروهان راهی جنوب میشن تا به دنبال تاریخ خودشون بگردن. یه جورایی دچار بحران وجودی شدن و دنبال دلیلی برای ادامه ی کار میگردن که با اربابان سایه مواجه میشن و ادامه ی ماجرا

[Elena Rodríguez · Rating 4 out of 5]

"-Bienvenida a la vida en la Compañía Negra, querida. Ahora sabes por qué me muestro tan cínico acerca de los lores y de toda esa gente. Ahora conoces uno de los sentimientos que he estado intentando transmitir.
-Creo que lo capto. Un poco. Me siento rebajada. Como si no fuera en absoluto humana, sino un objeto que puede ser utilizado.
-Como te he dicho, bienvenida a la Compañía Negra."

Bendita la hora que he seguido con esta saga. Me gusta muchísimo. Demasiado, diría yo. Tiene un algo que me engancha que me hace sentirme una más de ellos. Además, tiene esos tintes oscuros que nada más te sumerges parece que estás en un reino lleno de sombras y la poca luz que hay es de magia o encantamientos por parte de los hechiceros. Al menos es como lo veo yo.

“¿-Sois realmente la Compañía Negra?
-La misma y única. La malvada, ruin, rosca, cruda, mezquina y a veces incluso desagradable Compañía Negra”.

Esta es el quinto libro de la Compañía Negra. Aunque muchos lo consideran como el cuarto ya que “El clavo de Plata” no es sino una novela puente o de transición para esta saga.

"No hay correcto ni incorrecto, ni bien ni mal, solo nuestro lado y el suyo. El honor de la Compañía se halla en medio, dirigiendo a su hermano hacia el otro. Aparte de eso, el honor reside solamente en mantener la fe en el que la ha contratado”.

Con esta novela nos adentramos en el primer libro de la campaña del Sur. Dejamos de lado el norte y todos los problemas allí acaecidos. Es un nuevo comienzo para la Compañía, pero no por ello menos peligroso. Aparecen nuevos personajes, así como nuevos villanos y aliados. Sin embargo, seguimos teniendo a nuestro querido Matasanos como analista al mismo tiempo que uno de los principales personajes de la Compañía junto a uno de los personajes que más ha dado que hablar en estas últimas entregas.

“Desde el minuto mismo en que firmas con la Compañía estás haciendo cosas que no tienen sentido, instrucción y prácticas y ensayos, de modo que cuando llega el momento de la verdad haces lo correcto automáticamente, sin pensar. Pero la mente tiene esas cosas. Yo no podía pensar en nada salvo en una posible pérdida. No hice lo correcto”.

Cada vez siento que estás novelas están mejor escritas. Nunca pensé que me gustaría tanto la fantasía militar o épica o clásica. No sé cómo encuadrar a esta saga, la verdad. Además, como he dicho antes, cada vez noto más de donde Erikson ha sacado su influencia para Malaz. No hay libro que no vea alguna similitud y me hace muchísima gracia. Sin embargo, creo que lo que más destaco de esta saga es la forma de pensar de los protagonistas y su forma de ver el mundo. Me encanta, todo gris y sin remordimiento alguno.

“En la política y en la batalla, nuestra mayor arma tiene que ser la teatralidad”.

Los amo. A por el siguiente.

“Todavía no es el momento, Matasanos”.

[Markus · Rating 4 out of 5]

The heart is stilled but the corpse stumbles on. The Company is dead in fact but not in name.
And we, O merciless gods, stand witness to the power of names.

After decades of fighting in the dark empire of the north, the huge and devastating battle at the Tower of Charm, and the awakening of an ancient evil in the Barrowland, the Black Company turns south in a quest to find its mysterious origins and the long lost city of Khatovar.

A couple of the most interesting characters are absent in this novel, but fortunately the ranks of the Company are bolstered by lots of new and fascinating people, of whom the most prominent is the Lady, who is well on her way to becoming one of my favourite fantasy characters ever. The new setting is absolutely wonderful, the writing is brilliant, and Shadow Games is a great addition to the Chronicles of the Black Company.

Additional kudos for the use of the word 'absodamnlutely'!

[Choko · Rating 4 out of 5]

*** 4.44 ***

A buddy read with my fellow mercenaries in the BB&B company.

I can honestly say, I missed The Black Company terribly, I just didn't realized that until I started reading the forth installment in the series. Am I glad to be back on the road with my BC mercs:):):)

The Black Company is on the road to the South, trying to get beck to their legendary origins. It does not matter that at the beginning of the journey they are only 7, and that is including the now diminished Lady. Although, even diminished, with no power what so ever, no one should ever count The Lady out!!!

Croacker has been selected as the new Captain, flanked by his ever insane and hilarious wizardly sidekicks Goblin and One-Eye, and couple of grunts... And that is it. Pathetic, right? Who could possibly take the Company seriously in this almost non-existent state? Well, I have learned through the first 4 books never to give up on them, even if only one is left to carry the standard!

This book covers only a part of their journey to the Khatovar, the origin place of the Free Companies, and it takes the a loooooooooong time... They have stops on their way, and the two crazy wizards work hard earning their money, since they have to "project" an image of the company in a bit of a better health than it actually is in... The Lady seems depressed and having a hard time adjusting to her powerlessness, while the Croacker is being his usual clumsy around a pretty woman self and is botching any chance of romance... I guess the Kristen Ashley romances Eon sent to him must not have reached him, or they plain didn't work, because if there is a manual on how to act like an assertive, possessive, alpha dude, those KA books are it!

Needles to say, there are scrimmages, new and unknown territories, potential friends and recruits, as well as a ton of new (or old???) suspicious characters, and since this is a Black Company book, you can't trust anybody!!! What we know is, they have an objective and they are going to do everything possible to achieve it.

I loved this book! Yes, it is slower than the previous ones, yes it is a setup book for a new arc, and yes, it ends on a big cliffhanger, but darn it, it feels soo good to be back among these now aging characters, which I am absolutely in love with! And yes, I still want to kill the wizards for being so stubbornly dumb at times, but their talents in battle deserve our patience, I guess...:-)

As always, I recommend this series to all who are fans of military/grim-dark/fantasy and would love to share my enjoyment of it with as many friends as I can! So, join in the fun and happy reading to all!

[Mayim de Vries · Rating 4 out of 5]

”Always audacity. Be bold. Be arrogant. Keep them reeling.”

An old soldier with a new flame. They cast shadows.

“Shadow Games” opens up with this shattering statement: “The Company is dead in fact but not in name.” Indeed, what we are left with, is seven individuals who look more like vagrants than elitary mercenaries.

I call it a fresh start!

Indeed, this novel is a very much needed breath of freshness after the somewhat (particularly towards the end) tiring setup of the initial trilogy. What has changed in the first place, is the general aim. The remnants of the Company abandon the military shenanigans in the north, to start the journey in search of the Company’s roots. On the one hand, it means a lot of travelogue, on the other (s much as I missed the Plain of Fear menagerie) it is nice to visit new corners of the world created by Mr Cook and his wicked imagination.

The perspective of the narrator is also changed; now that Croaker has been promoted to shoulder new responsibilities, his point of view is slightly altered from a subordinate officer part-time doctor, part-time annalist, he becomes a leader of a band of tired old men of military force whom he must command and motivate to do their usual routine: the impossible. It is fun to watch read.

This is not the only development when it comes to Croaker. In “Shadow Games” we can see him in the role of a rather clumsy but ardent lover. (I guess this is the moment to say it very clearly: I always preferred the White Rose to the Lady and in general don’t hate me but TEAM SOULCATCHER!!! ). In general, the relationships between various protagonists gain depth, which is a plus.

Of course, this does not alter the main way of telling the story or what it is all about. The Company, remains the one and only, the evil, mean, rude, crude, nasty and sometimes even unpleasant proponent of applied terror the Black Company and so along the way gets tangled up in various skirmishes and local conflicts. You will be also pleased to know that Goblin still slips worms into One Eye’s trousers (and vice versa), Raven’s replacement (so to speak) is satisfactorily hot, and Croaker does not lose his cynical touch.

We will need it. The way to the mysterious and distant Khatovar is long. Croaker knows only approximately where the mystical place is located and every single roadsign says: far away. For the better part of the book, the Company is simply heading south, enlisting more comrades, traversing exotic albeit primitive places full of not always friendly natives. The action takes a long time to develop and even despite certain bi-focality (there are also non-Croaker narrated chapters) can be simply boring at times.

The tension is built up for hundreds of pages only to culminate in a battle (five pages), a siege (add three) and yet another battle (didn't matter at this point). For an amateur of war fantasy, a treat I am sure. For the rest of us, normal mortals, a disadvantage as the final encounters are still disappointingly short and surprisingly easy (also in terms of antagonists).

Still, I think that in this instalment the Company experiences a renaissance, literally and figuratively. After the previous book, which started to bore me with a repeatable formula, here again, I felt that it was not yet time to desert the Company.

The other Chronicles:

1. The Black Company ★★★★☆
2. Shadows Linger ★★★☆☆ (and a half, Goodreads!)
3. The White Rose ★★★★☆
3.5 Silver Spike ★★☆☆☆
5. Dreams of Steel ★★★☆☆
6. Black Seasons ★★★☆☆
7. She is the Darkness ★★★★☆
8. Water Sleeps RTC
9. Soldiers Live RTC
10. A Pitiless Rain RTC

[Wanda Pedersen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A smattering of the Black Company still remains and they have decided to head back to their beginnings, heading south to the legendary city of Khatovar. They are in search of the lost Annals of the Company, so you may be sure that this operation is being headed by our cranky Annalist, Croaker.

Croaker isn’t sure that he likes being in charge, but he shows an aptitude for it, thinking up sneaky surprises for the enemies that they encounter and showing that knowing some history gives a leader a good grasp of the many things that can go wrong. He informs the reader that “I guess I suffer from an impoverishment of the sociopathic spirit necessary to go big time.” He is selling himself short.

Finally, I see why so many other readers love Lady. She is down, but not out. She still has the governing touch and retains buckets full of knowledge about battle, administration, and politicking. And she’s not afraid to use it. A peek at the next book reveals that she will take up the pen as Annalist and I can hardly wait to get her take on things.

Book 258 of my Science Fiction and Fantasy Reading Project.

[Zahra · Rating 3 out of 5]

کتاب اول مجموعه جنوب به خوبی سه تا کتاب شمال نیست اما بازم کتاب فانتزی بدی محسوب نمیشه.
خوندن این کتاب خیلی بیشتر از انتظارم طول کشید‌. سرعت کتاب خصوصا اوایل داستان خیلی پایینه. من هیچوقت با نثر کوک مشکل نداشتم اما این کتاب خیلی طول کشید تا باهاش ارتباط بگیرم! ویلین‌های اصلی داستان در حد dominator نیستن و هویتشون کاملا قابل حدسه. پلات توییست داستان رو هم میشه از چند کیلومتری تشخیص داد.
اما خب اون نبرد حماسی آخر داستان خیلی خوب بود و چپتر های پایانی واقعا نمیشد کتاب رو زمین گذاشت و کتاب سه ستاره میشه.

[S. ≽^•⩊•^≼ I'm not here yet · Rating 5 out of 5]

اگر فقط...اگر فقط ...کل زندگی اگر فقط بود.

چرا اینجوری شد؟؟!!!

شاید خدایان مراقب احمق‌ها و مست ها هستند.

🥹😭

[Jake Bishop · Rating 4 out of 5]

Damm this was good. I love the direction this took the series in, and where Croaker is going as a character.

Only complaint would be there are some non Croaker PoVs early that are really confusing.

8.8

[Layla ✷ Praise the sun ✷ · Rating 4 out of 5]

The heart is stilled but the corpse stumbles on. The Company is dead in fact but not in name. And we, O merciless gods, stand witness to the power of names.

The Black Company is down to seven members, with Croaker as their new captain. The Lady has lost her powers and is trying to come to terms with it. For now? I have a feeling, a vague hope that they are going to be back sooner or later.

After a looooot of travelling, a loooot of Lady struggling to adjust to her new life as something like a mere mortal and a looooot of Croaker's internal conflicts, it is finally time to kick-ass again and for some action, so if you find yourself bored at times during the inititial lecture of this book, hang in there, it takes a while but then is well worth the wait and you will be rewarded with

Only Murgen did not snap up a membership in the bitch-of-the-minute club. Good lad, that Murgen.
⚔interesting new characters joining the cast, some seemingly nice, some rather ominous, but if I have learned anything in this life then it is to



Somebody had to take the bull by the horns. We couldn’t go on forever both of us waiting for the other one to make a move. So why didn’t she do something? You the guy, Croaker. Yeah.
⚔a pinch of romance

If I said black they said white just to let me know they considered themselves Taglios’s real bosses. If I’d had time I’d have gotten vexed with them. I didn’t, so I didn’t play their games. I got them and their chief boys together, with the Prahbrindrah and his sister chaperoning, and told them I didn’t care for their attitude, that I would not tolerate it, and the schedule from here on in was do it Croaker’s way or die.
If they didn’t like that, they were welcome to take their best crack at me. Then I would roast them over a slow fire in one of the public squares. I did not make myself popular.
⚔Croaker and the Lady finally coming to terms with their new lives. Croaker is back!!! Finally. There. This is the Croaker I like.

⚔a new mission to accomplish, fighting and action.

⚔Oh and. Of course. Not to forget about that cliffhanger ending...

[Sina · Rating 3 out of 5]

آیا به ذات طبیب نمی نگرید که همچون ماست؟
همانا ما روح خود را در طبیب دمیدم.
این نیز نوعی نامیراییست.
گلن کوک.

خب اولش باید بگم گنگی و مبهم بودن این کتاب مثل کتاب اول اذیت میکرد.اینجا خبری از تخیلات ماورای تحمل نیست.بلکه دوباره درگیر همون ماجرایی پیچیده شناخت جبهه مقابل میشید. هنوز هم برام گنگه که کلا اربابان سایه کیان؟
حتی بعضا توصیفات جنگی هم مبهم و عجیب غریب بود.
درواقع قصدم در ابتدا این بود که یه ستاره بدم.اوایل این کتاب چیزی جز حرکت کردن به سمت جنوب نداشت.
ولی از جایی که دوستای قدیمی سر و کلشون پیدا میشه و قضیه کلاغای جاسوس بد جوری میره رو مخ آدم دیگه داستان کشش پیدا میکنه.
قبلا هم گفته بودم که گلن کوک خیلی شبیه طبیبه.(یا برعکس؟؟؟!!!) تو این کتاب دیگه این قضیه بد جوری میزنه تو چشم.
همیشه حقه های خودشو تو استین داره. هیچوقت هم دستشو برای نزدیکترین آدما رو نمیکنه.
و در نقطه ای که بسی امید است ناامیدت میکنه.
صفحات پایانی کتاب عجیب نفسگیر بود.به شدت منو یاد پایان کتاب سوم نغمه (یورش شمشیر ها) انداخت.
خلاصه که جناب گلن کوکِ مرده پرست(البته نه در اون معنی)، دهنت سرویس

[Hosein · Rating 5 out of 5]

چرا اینجوری تموم شد؟:|

هیچ چیز خاصی واقعا نمیتونم در مورد این کتاب بگم، جز اینکه فوق العاده بود.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another Buddy Read with Sarah and Elena, along with our captain Evgeny!

The fourth installment of the excellent Black Company series, this novel immediately follows the events of The White Rose (it also takes place concurrently with #3.5 in the series, The Silver Spike).

As anyone who read The White Rose is aware, the Black Company has disbanded, and is now down to only a handful of former members. Croaker, The Lady, One-Eye, Goblin, Murgen, and a few others head south in search of Khatovar, to fulfill Croaker's obligation of returning the annals to their rightful place.

Of course, it's not as simple as a leisurely afternoon stroll. Along the way, they pick up some new recruits and battle some new enemies. Par for the course.

One thing I noticed is how much Glen Cook's prose has improved since the earlier books. It's still sparse and easy-to-read (which is a good thing), but his descriptions are generally better. Whether we are led through an exotic jungle, a mysterious swampland, or a chaotic field of battle, I truly felt immersed in this world. In fact, when it comes to setting a tone and atmosphere in relatively few words, I would say Cook is entering the league of Robert E. Howard with this book.

Another important point to mention is Glen Cook's humor! Even though he is often hailed as the "father of grimdark", one of the highlights of this series are the hilarious moments. Typically these involve resident sorcerers One-Eye and Goblin. But there are also some emotional scenes here, along with the continued character development of Croaker and Lady.

This novel is a slow build, and does have a few boring/purposely-cryptic chapters, but it's worth it when everything starts to come together. Unlike the previous three volumes, which each worked in a more episodic manner, Shadow Games is clearly the introduction to a larger, more epic story; be aware that it does not stand on it's own, and not all plot lines are neatly resolved. In fact, it ends on a shocking cliffhanger, so be ready to read Dreams of Steel soon after you're done with this book!

[Athena Shardbearer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual Rating 3.5

GAH!!!! Glen Cook, what a cliff hanger.

It wasn't as great as the last three, more of the slow years. It did drag in places, loved the Lady and Croakers relationship but I have questions...and I need answers!!!

[Allen Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a whole lot happens before the last section, which was weird, but I like Cook's writing style and I like the new lore with Taglios, etc, but Croaker is more irritating in this one, but on the other hand we get Swan, Blade, Cordy, and Mogaba, so I'm ok with it. Great ending and I liked it way more than I did when I read this last 20 years ago.

Will the same hold true with Dreams of Steel?

[Sadra Khalaf · Rating 4 out of 5]

After defeating the Dominator in Borrowland and being down to only 7 men, the Black Company decides to go to south and it's just turn to another epic adventure for them.
The book was full of battles and bloodshed and some unexpected faces from previous novels appeared again.
It is a good start for the "books of the south" and looking forward to continue the Chronicles of the Black Company.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

"We ride out in the morning," I said. "My apologies. I was elected to lead the Company, not just Croaker. Forgive me for losing sight of that."

Crafty old Croaker. One-Eye and Goblin looked properly abashed. I grinned. "So go get packed. We're gone with the morning sun."


She wakened me in the night. For a moment I thought...

I saw her face. She had heard.

She begged me to stay just one more day. Or two, at the most. She did not want to be here anymore than we did, surrounded and taunted by all that she had lost. She wanted to go away, to go with us, to remain with me, the only friend she'd ever had-

She broke my heart.

It sounds sappy when you write it down in words, but a man has to do what a man has to do. In a way I was proud of me. I did not give an inch.

"There is no end to it," I told her. "There'll always be just one more thing that has to be done. Khatovar gets no closer while I wait. Death does. I value you, too. I don't want to leave... Death lurks in every shadow in this place. It writhes in the heart of every man who resents my influence." It was that kind of empire too, and in the past few days a lot of old imperials were given cause to resent me deeply.

"You promised dinner at the Gardens in Opal."

I promised you a lot more than that, my heart said. Aloud, I replied, "So I did. And the offer still stands. But I have to get my men out of here."

I turned reflective while she turned uncharacteristically nervous. I saw the fires of schemes flickering behind her eyes, being rejected. There were ways she could manipulate me. We both knew that. But she never used the personal to gain political ends. Not with me, anyway.

I guess each of us, at some time, finds one person with whom we are compelled toward absolute honesty, one person whose good opinion of us becomes a substitute for the broader opinion of the world. And that opinion becomes more important than all our sneaky, sleazy schemes of greed, lust, self-aggrandizement, whatever we are up to while lying the world into believing we are just plain nice folks. I was her truth object, and she was mine.



4 stars

[Gavin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shadow Games is the fourth book in The Black Company series. It's not quite as strong as the books from the original trilogy, but it's a worthwhile entry into the series.

This is the tale of The Black Company's attempts to return their vaunted annals to Khatovar, the Company's place of origin. Of course the path to Khatovar is fraught with mishaps!

I liked the story and Lady was a good addition to the team. Plenty of other familiar faces pop up as well. Croaker remains an interesting character.

The book ended with a massive cliffhanger. I'm glad I get to move straight on to Dreams of Steel.

Rating: 3.5 stars. I'm being kindly and rounding up

Audio Note: Marc Vietor continues to do a great job with The Black Company series. He is the perfect voice for Croaker.

[Silvana · Rating 2 out of 5]

I spent more time looking at my phone when reaching the second half. Too many travelogue, useless plots and unsatisfying reveals. Sorry, Croaker. Even your inner quips could not save this book.

[Milda Page Runner · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
Good but not as good as 2 previous books.
The pacing was a bit uneven. As Black Company travels South to mysterious Khatovar we have some slow moments especially in the first half of the book. Once they reach exotic southern towns with unpronounceable names action picks up. Mysterious and menacing enemies and no less mysterious allies with questionable motives, intrigue of Company's own past and what lies over the edge of the map, fights with the Company's signature magic and trickery and massive battles with the showmanship worthy of Rammstein concert. It was hard to put down the book towards the end. And then ... cliffhanger! Gah! No other option but jump straight on to the next book. Be warned! Better have it ready. :)
Important part of the story plays developing romantic relationship between the main character and the Lady. And here we had few hiccups. For the most of the book I felt Croaker could rival famous Harry Dresden with his luck getting laid. But I guess in the end Harry wins - or looses - depends how look at it :P
There were too many close encounters which conveniently got interrupted just as the things were getting interesting. Felt forced. Towards the end of the book 'will they won't they' dance got tiresome. Croaker acting all shy blushing teenager like seemed a bit off character to me - he's too old and cynical for that. And then the revelation of Lady's virginity was plain ridiculous. She is 400 years old FFS! Unbelievable and totally unnecessary. I did my best to forget and pretend it never happened so I can enjoy the rest of the story. (which was worth it)
In spite of the few mishaps - it was enjoyable read with plenty of action in the second half of the book.

[Maria Dimitrova · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's time to open a new chapter in the adventures of the Black Company. Or rather what remains of it after the Battle of the Barrowland and the split with Silent and the White Rose. It's time to head south and learn more about the origins of the Free Companies.

But first we have to tie up some loose ends in the Northern Continent. The Lady's Empire's fate is to be decided. I was a bit surprised that Lady decided to abdicate. I just never thought her capable of giving up power. Yet she did and followed Croaker south across the Sea of Torment. I guess even someone like her can fall in love :)

It was supposed to be an easy journey - to Khatovar to return the Annals to where they belong, to the birth place of the Company. Didn't work out that way. Our beloved characters managed to get themselves in the middle of yet another struggle between the forces of Good and evil. Or rather between the forces of Evil and Not-so-sure-if-they're-the-good-guys, because lets face it - a black and white world is not Glen Cook's style. And I love this world because of it. I love the backstabbings, the betrayals and never knowing if the adversaries have truly perished. And I was enjoying the hell out of the ride until that bloody cliffhanger of an ending that nearly killed me. So be warned if this is your first read - you need to have Dreams of Steel by your side because you will want to start it immediately after you finish this one.

[José · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn't enjoy this one as much as the previous books of the series, but the final chapters were interesting enough to make me want to read the next book.

I felt that the Shadowmasters wasn't interesting compared to the Dominator. Also their identities weren't a surprise, you could see that "plot twist" coming from miles away.
The new characters were pretty lame and the relationship between Lady and Croaker was annoying.

BUT the final battle saved the book for me. Even though it's not as epic as the final battles of the previous books, Glen Cook knows how to write awesome action scenes. I just love how he describes the tactics and how the character react to the enemy moves.

This is an OK fantasy book, but not a good Black Company book. I'll read the next one hoping that the story gets better.

[Tamara · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75
Cook is improving his endings. Where before I had trouble caring, now I have questions. And I need the next book for that. This was also the first time the humour in the book actually stood out to me. I chuckled quite a bit.

[Eilonwy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am no closer to coming up with a review than I was when I closed the covers!

[Gary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although I am reading these in the collection, I am rating them individually since they are each different. My complete review will be in The Chronicle which collects 4-6.

[Pranav Prabhu · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first Book of the South takes this series in a different but exciting new direction. Following the events of The White Rose, the hugely depleted Black Company sets out on a quest led by Croaker to find Khatovar, the origins of the mercenary group now lost to time in the distant South.

The travelling nature of the story led to an expansion of the world that I really enjoyed — discovering new lands and people and cultures as the Black Company retraces its past. The jungles of D’loc Aloc, the city of Gea-Xle, the sea voyage to the southern continent, and the nation of Taglios are all unique and interesting settings. This shift in focus, however, does not mean that the strengths of the previous instalments: the humour, banter, and military aspects are eschewed. They remain compelling features of the story, and the banter between the old guard of the Company is some of the best in the series so far.

The Shadowmaster Wars were engaging as well, as the Company is hired by the Prince of Taglios. The attempts by Croaker to make sense of the vast cultural and religious gap between them and the Taglian sects were both funny and interesting in how Cook deals with those aspects of the different settings. Croaker’s changing role within the Company was really well-done and promising for the future, although the book leaves off with a cliffhanger at the end.

My only semi-major complaint would be the non-Croaker PoVs, especially in the first half of the book. Once they intertwined with Croaker and the Company’s plot, they began to make more sense, but in this book alone, those characters didn’t really have much personality and did not hold my interest. Overall though, an excellent start to a new arc of the Black Company: great character dynamics, worldbuilding, and plot, with the shocking ending opening up a lot more questions left to be resolved.

[Sumant · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was some what let down for me as it did not live up to the standards set by first three books in the series, this book basically consists of journey of company back to Khatovar where they are going to place the annals of the company.More than 25% of book consisted of traveling different regions up to Beryl, where everything actually began in the first book.I forgot to mention in my last review but got to give credit to narrator of books Mark Vietor so far he has done an awesome job and he manages to convey the darkness associated with the black company books.

The story basically begins after barrowland where the company was almost decimated and now only seven of company men are left, having being elected captain Croaker decides that he needs to take the company back to Khatovar joining the ranks of company is the mysterious lady who lost all her magical powers after Silent took her name in the last book.The initial part of the journey where they head to Castle at charm to collect the annals was really enjoyable especially the way they tackle bandits.The journey after that gets interesting when they finally manage to reach Gea-Xle where they basically discover The Nar.

The Nar are basically somewhat like universal soldiers or perfect soldiers and they have been birthed by company men when they stayed in Gea-Xle for the longest duration of 56 years.Company helps fight the pirates for Gea-Xle but on their way they meet up with Radisha Drah,Willow Swann an imperial from the battle at charm and Cordy Mather and after traveling up river they arrive at Taglios where people seem to cheering for them.Croaker finds this suspicious from the start but things start getting clear when Prahbrindrah Drah tell him his real motive which is basically to fight the shadow masters who are a threat to Taglios.

The story definitely picks up after Taglios and ends definitely in a bitter state for the company, Cook has a penchant for writing fast and engrossing endings.The the issue I had with this book was basically all the haphazard names which he uses they are definitely hard to remember.The story also picked up for me at the ending of the book for me so i give it 3/5 stars.