فصل حزن

The Chronicles of the Black Company #6

by Glen Cook, Aida Keshvari (Translator)

مورگن، سرباز کهنه‌کار و آبديده‌ي گروهان سياه چنين مي‌نويسد: «بگذاريد برايتان بگويم کيستم، شايد شانسي وجود داشته باشد که دست‌نوشته‌هايم جان سالم به در ببرند... من مورگن هستم، پرچم‌دار گروهان سياه، گرچه داغ ننگِ از دست دادن پرچم را بر شانه‌هايم به دوش مي‌کشم. من تاريخچه‌هاي غيررسمي را ادامه مي‌دهم چون طبيب مُرده است، تک‌چشم اين کار را نمي‌کند و ميان باقي افراد کمتر کسي است که خواندن و نوشتن بداند. تا هنگامي که سربازان سايه اين وضع نامساعد فعلي‌مان را به پايان ناگزيرش برسانند، راهنمايتان خواهم بود...»

گروهان دژ استورم‌گارد را از چنگال اربابان سايه‌ي شرور، اربابان تاريکي‌اي از دوردستِ گيتي، بيرون کشيده است. اکنون انتظار آغاز شده است

گروهان، خسته از محاصره، به ستوه‌آمده از جادوگري و با سربازاني روزافزون، روح‌شان را همچون جان‌شان فدا کردند تا غنيمت جنگي را حفظ کنند. اما اکنون پايان دوره‌اي فرا رسيده است و نيروهايي بزرگ در کارند. نژادي باستاني به نام نئوينگ بائو قسم مي‌خورد که خدايان به جنب‌وجوش افتاده‌اند. جنون وجود فرمانده‌ي گروهان را در چنگ خود گرفته است و او با نيروهاي تاريکي در ارتباط است. تنها مورگن که گرفتار طلسمي شده است که روحش را در زمان به پرواز در مي‌آورد، سرانجام به دسيسه‌اي شوم پي مي‌برد که آدميان و خدايان را مهره‌هاي شطرنج خود ساخته است

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

535 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1996

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 5 out of 5]

➽ And the moral of this rereread is: Whenever I reread this book I get SO MAD at the Spoiler Spoiler Spoiler for leading Spoiler Spoiler Spoiler to believe that Spoiler Spoiler Spoiler was Spoiler Spoiler Spoiler. It makes me wish I could sneak into the book and unleash the murderous crustaceans on the duplicitous bastards' puny little derrieres.



Note to self: remember to ask your pal Thursday Next how she got into Jane Eyre all those years ago, it might prove helpful.

P.S. Everytime Murgen says “House of Pain” I think about this and start dancing around like a maniac. Sorry Mr Cook but some things simply cannot be helped.

👋 See you next time and stuff.



[January 2022]

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

➽ And the moral of this rereread is: my ever-yummilicious boyfriend Murgen + HAHAHAHAHAHA + evil Glen Cook is evil as fish + NOOOO!!!!!!!!! + sustainable-yet-not-quite-plant-based eating habits (you don't want to know) + well this is confusing mind-bending as shrimp + NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!! + “it is time to carry justice to the wicked” =



👋 To be continued and stuff.



[July 2018]

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

Previous rating: 20 stars.
New rating: 24 stars. And a half.

➽ And the moral of this reread is : If I am to believe Goodreads, this book is the lowest-rated in the whole series. HAHAHAHAHAHA. Its average rating is even lower than that of the Silver Spike That Never Happened! HAHAHAHAHAHA. Bloody shrimping hell of the stinking fish, you Little Barnacles have such Despicable Book Taste (DBT™), it's almost endearing. Almost.



P.S. My Murgen is MINE. Because duh and stuff.



[Original review]

☠ All Bleaked Out buddy read with my fellow mercenaries Evasive, Slowpoke, Cleaver and Lost One (if she ever makes it back from the Plain of Fear) ☠

Actual rating: 20 freaking stars. Yep, that's right. This one is even MORE intergalactically amazing than the previous installment. And I kinda liked it. A little.

THIS. BLOODY. BOOK.



I could write the shortest review ever by saying: Glen Cook is a genius. Glen Cook is a god. QED. The End.

Now tell me, why would I do such a silly thing when I have the opportunity to put you through one of my pointless, never-ending reviews? Do you really think the fact that I'm exhausted and can't afford to waste spend three hours writing a review will stop me? You are so delightfully naïve, my Little Barnacles. I'm heartless and love to watch you suffer, so I'll write a rambling review for this book even if it kills me. Besides, this is kind of one of the best books I have ever read in the entirety of my whole entire life. Entirely. Ever. As in, you know, since before the day I was conceived and stuff. More or less. Why? Sorry, what was that? "Why what," you say? Oh please do try to follow once in a while! Why is this kind of one of the best books I have ever read, that's why. So. Why? Because Glen-Cook-is-a-genius-Glen-Cook-is-a-god this is the book of my ♥ Murgen ♥ And…

❣❣ My Murgen is a-tripping and I am a-orgasming a-fangirling ❣❣



Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know what you're thinking. Murgen is nothing but the Black Company's lowly standard bearer. Boring, boring, boring. Yawn, yawn, yawn. How could the guy ever rival our beloved Off-With-Their-Heads Lady and her amazing-awesome-this-is-so-good-I-might-die Dreams of Steel? You remember Lady, right? You know, the insignificant little unimportant tiny character that dethroned Kate Daniels as my All Hail the Queen Goddess Of Total Awesomeness (AHtQGoTA™) {insert screams of dismay and horror from Ilona Andrews fans here}? Yes, it's THAT Lady I'm talking about. Seriously, how could a pathetically pathetic standard-bearer be not pathetically pathetic compared to my #1 girlfriend? That's the question you're asking your little selves right now, isn't it? Oh come on, I KNOW you're NOT asking your little selves this question right now, but can't you just humor me for once in your little lives? *sighs*. Well it turns out that there is a very simple answer to this very simple question (you do remember the question, don't you? Good) It's THE answer, actually. To ALL questions. And that answer is:

GLEN COOK IS A GOD.

Have I told you that before? I have? Are you sure? Nah. I don't think so. I mean, I'm pretty sure I'd remember it if I had. It's not like I have Alzheimer's or something. Not that I remember, anyway. Which means I couldn't have forgotten about forgetting about it, thus forgetting I'd already told you about it. Because, frankly, forgetting something like that can't be easily forgotten. Especially when you're not prone to forgetting. Because you didn't forget you forgot you had Alzheimer's. Confused yet? Good. Now you know what the first part of this book feels like.



Yeah. So much confusion and psychedelic-like tripping on behalf on my Murgen. It's absolutely glorious . What? Do you think confusion is a bad thing? WRONG. Why? Because GLEN COOK IS A GOD. What do you mean I've already told you that? Are you sure? Nah. I don't think so. I mean, I'm pretty sure I'd remember it if I had. It's not like I have Alzheimer's or something. Not that I remember anyway. Which means…ARRRGGGGHHHHH ← this is you screaming, in case you hadn't noticed. Okay, I don't know what your problem is, but can you please keep it down?! There are people sleeping through this review, show some consideration! And please stop interrupting me with your silly interruptions. We'll get nowhere really slow at this rate. So. Where were we? Oh yes, confusion is NOT a bad thing in Glen-Cook-Is-A-God's Wonderland (GCiaGW™). Why? So nice of you to ask. Kirky and Leo approve.



① Because this book is amazingly written and brilliantly woven. QED. And stuff.

② Because this is one of those books you want to start rereading and rerereading and rererereading. Yesterday. Even though you're barely halfway through it.

③ Because no matter whose POV Glen Cook writes from, the end result is always unique and brilliant and brilliant and unique. And somewhat incredibly incredible. Cook stays true to his uniquely brilliant and brilliantly unique style, and yet each narrator has a distinctly discernible brilliant and unique and awesome and amazing voice.

④ Because all the little things in the story contribute to the great things in the story. Or, as some of the greatest philosophers of our time once said: everything counts in large amounts. Oh yeah, definitely. Cook is a man of little words and lots of implications. So you better pay attention. Lots of attention. Just ask Evgeny Evasive, he'll tell you. Tell you what? Things like: "Remember those two lines you read 10 chapters back? You know, the ones about that insignificant guy who is only mentioned once in the whole book? And very briefly at that? Well keep them in mind three books from now. Well those lines are important. VERY IMPORTANT."



I'm pretty sure some kind of VERY dark magic is at hand here. No human author can be so talented. It's impossible. The only plausible explanation is that Glen Cook sold his soul to the Denominator before the poor guy went "poof!" In exchange of which, he received the gift of being the most geniusly what do you mean, this word doesn't exist? Of course it does, I just used it gifted writer that ever was, and the All-Encompassing Father of Grimdark and, Alternatively, of All Things (AEFoGaAoAT™). By the way, if you don't know who the Denominator is, you should be kicked out of Goodreads. Just sayin'.

➽ And this is why, my Little Barnacles, the Earth is round.

» And the moral of this non-review is: my Murgen is MINE.
» And the other moral of this non review is: this is my favorite installment in the series so far.
» And the other, other moral of this non review is: if Glen Cook wrote a YA paranormal historical romance, I'd read it. Hell yeah. Definitely.
» And the other, other, other moral of this non review is: GLEN COOK IS A GOD. I've already said that? Are you sure? I think you should see a doctor. Your memory is not as good as it once was.



✉ A very private message to Markus, Gavin & Athena: you gave this book three miserable stars. You obviously read it wrong. So very wrong. But I still love you. Sometimes.

· 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 4: Shadow Games ★★★★★
· Book 5: Dreams of Steel ★★★★★
· Book 7: She Is The Darkness ★★★★★
· Book 8: Water Sleeps ★★★★★
· Book 9: Soldiers Live ★★★★★
· Book 10: Lies Weeping ★★★★



Pre-review nonsense:

Actual rating: BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. 18 freaking stars again.

» I am such a complete, total, utter stupid idiot. I thought nothing could ever compare to the greatness that is Dreams of Steel.

» I am such a complete, total, utter stupid idiot. I thought this was going to be a disappointing read.

» I am such a complete, total, utter stupid idiot. I thought a book narrated by the Black Company's standard-bearer would be unexciting. And maybe even prove to be a tedious read.

»» COMPLETE, TOTAL, UTTER STUPID IDIOT. THAT'S ME ««



I doubted Glen Cook and now I deserve to be severely punished. Because Glen Cook should NEVER be doubted. Because Glen Cook is a god. Because Glen Cook is one of the most amazingly talented writers EVER. Because this series is the best I have EVER read. Because the books in this series just keep getting more and more and more and more AWESOME. And more gut-wrenching. And more heart-breaking. And more "BOOM! You're dead!" Because the books in this series are so incredibly amazing I just can't decide which one I LOVE best. And because I'm in complete, total, utter love with Murgen, grumpy standard-less standard-bearer, reluctant Annalist extraordinaire, psychedelic trip-prone mercenary, and just plain awesome guy. You know what this means, right? BOOM! Kidnapped! Off to the harem you go, Murgie!



►► Full review to come.

[Markus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Buddy read with Athena & Gavin!

Once more we’re brought back to the siege of Dejagore, where the Black Company faces the armies of the Shadowmasters in battle. But this time our point of view is from within the city. With Murgen, the Standardbearer of the Company who aspires to take over Croaker’s role as annalist. Croaker and Lady are thought dead, Mogaba tries to seize power in the Company and the city both, and Murgen’s dreams are haunted by strange visions, bringing him back and forth between past, present and future.

Bleak Seasons was a drastic improvement after the spectacular disappointment that was The Silver Spike. However, this book also has its problems. Taking place simultaneously with Dreams of Steel, this book adds little new to the overall storyline of the series. The absence of all the most fascinating characters also had a rather negative impact on my experience with the book.

Even so, Bleak Seasons is another enjoyable addition to the Chronicles of the Black Company, despite not being as good as previous instalments like The White Rose and Dreams of Steel. The most interesting part is the insight the reader gets into the events occurring within the walls of Dejagore while war rages outside them, and also a lot of revelations surrounding Mogaba and the Nar, the mysterious warrior class of Gea-Xle inspired by the Company’s ancestors.

Last, but not least, it has to be said that when referring exclusively to the writing, this book may very well be the best book Cook has written so far. I will leave off by quoting a particularly interesting passage:

Within that fastness nothing moves, though at times mists of light shimmer as they leak over from beyond the gates of dream. Shadows linger in corners. And way down inside the core of the place, in the feeblest throb of the heart of darkness, there is life of a sort.

A massive wooden throne stands upon a dais at the heart of a chamber so vast only a sun could light it all. Upon that throne a body sprawls, veiled by shoals of shadow, pinioned by silver knives driven through its feet and hands. Sometimes that body sighs softly in its sleep, impelled by bitter dreams acrawl behind its sightless eyes.

This is survival of a sort.

In the night, when the wind no longer licks through its unglazed windows, nor prances along its untenanted halls, nor whispers to its million creeping shadows, that fortress is filled with the silence of stone.

[Sina · Rating 3 out of 5]

نه اراده‌ای، نه هویتی.
اکنون فقط رنج است. اکنون فقط بردگی خاطرات مانده است.
اکنون در خانه هستم. در منزلگاه رنج.

متفاوت‌ترین کتابی که تا الآن تو این مجموعه خوندم. گرچه همیشه گلن کوک تو دست و بالش چیزی برای غافلگیری داره. ولی این جلد چیز دیگه‌ای بود. روایتی غیر خطی در زمان از گزارش‌های سربازی که مدتی در محاصره بوده و حالا برگشته. داستان مثل تیکه‌های پازلی میمونه که تو زمان پخش شده و در انتها با کنار هم قرار دادن این تیکه‌ها یه دید کلی نسبت به اون چیزی که رخ داده پیدا می‌کنید.

دلیل این که اصلا چرا این جهش‌های زمانی دارن اتفاق می‌افتن هم خیلی گنگ و نامشخص باقی می‌مونه. ظاهرا تو جلدهای بعدی بهش پرداخته میشه. اما چیز جالبی که شنیدم اما نمیدونم تا چه حدی حقیقت داره. اینکه گلن کوک این کتاب رو تحت تاثیر کتاب سلاخ‌خانه شماره پنج کورت ونه گات نوشته که در اون هم سربازی جنگ دیده در زمان به عقب و جلو پرتاب میشه.

نکته دیگه هم توجهم رو جلب کرد روایت گلن کوک بود. این کتاب اولین کتابیه که از دید مورگن و نوشته‌هاش روایت میشه. مورگنی که خام دسته و هنوز قملش به پختگی قلم طبیب نرسیده. مثلا به طور واضحی حس کردم که مورگن جمله بندیش یکم داغونه:) جمله‌هاش بعضی طولانی میشن و رشته کلام از دستش در میره. یک جورهایی حال و هوای جلد اول مجموعه رو داره که تو اونجا هم طبیب کم‌تجربه رو داشتیم.

پ.ن.: دو نکته ناراحت کننده در مورد این کتاب وجود داره. یک: ویراستاری مطابق معمول داغونِ نشر تندیس. دو: تیراژ 500 تایی کتاب که نشون میده چقدر در حق مجموعه کم‌لطفی شده.

[Choko · Rating 4 out of 5]

*** 4 ***

A buddy read with the mercenaries at BB&B!!!

Every time I finish one of the books in this series I promise myself I am not going to write a review. After all, why bother... We have already established that Glen Cook is a genius and his writing is this elusive mixture of military jargon, historical journaling, and at times such lyrical and haunting prose, that I want to wrap my whole being around some of the books passages, even just sentences, and worship them for eternity... He can set up a mood and lead you by the heartstrings, despite the seemingly distorted timelines and random information... As I said, the dude is a genius and rarely is there a sentence which does not connect with the overall story through all the books... Sometimes while I am reading, I feel like I am on a hunt for clues, small hints which litter the text throughout and keep me on my toes at every moment of the read...

Just as I KNOW his writing is amazing, so do I KNOW it is NOT for everyone. His military stile of Epic Grim Dark Fantasy is very much an acquired taste. There is a lot of violence, a lot of dissolution and despair... There are no "good" or "bad" guys - they are all thoroughly flawed and all of them are bound to disappoint you, or break your heart one way or another...

This particular book gave us a warning as what we were getting involved with straight from the beginning with the title - "Bleak Seasons"... And boy, is it bleak!!! When I first began reading it I felt like I was on some very potent hallucinogenic drug and could see parts of everything, but never the whole picture - it was fuzzy, jumpy, chopped and distorted... And very trippy!!! And as confused and lost as you feel the first 40%. everything crystallizes by the end, but it still lives plenty of questions for the next installment...

Murgen wrote the annals this time around. He was Croacker's apprentice for a while before the company was faced with restructuring due to being split in a battle... It is hard to convey the Black Company's trials and tribulations without spoiling it for those who want to read the books... Grrrr! Well, the time covered in this book mostly corresponds with the time of the annals written by the Lady. At this time the part of the company where Murgen is seen as a impromptu leader, is behind the walls of the besieged city of Dejagore. The company inside the walls has split into two factions - those who call themselves the "old" company, and those under the leadership of the self-proclaimed new captain Mogaba, the Nar. The conditions in the city are miserable and those who have access to food have the power... The different cultural and religious factions who have been forced to coexist create a very interesting and potentially explosive atmosphere... And Glen Cook takes full advantage of it:)

Murgen is a very different persona then the two previous annalists. He has the ability to ghost-walk/dream and this makes us feel as if we are looking through a camera attached to a balloon, which is being poked and bumped from one place and vantage point to another, which could make you dizzy, but still gives you glimpses of things you would have never seen otherwise! Many things happened, much violence ensued, and more craziness prevailed... Nothing was truly accomplished in this volume, but it did give us new clues and more questions for which answers we will be looking in the next installments...

Once again, this series is not for everybody and if you attempt it, start from the beginning, because every book connects clues from the previous ones.

I wish you all happy reading and many wonderful books to come!!!

[Elena Rodríguez · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5
“Somos la Compañía Negra. No tenemos amigos. El resto del mundo es nuestro enemigo, o como mínimo no es digno de confianza. Esa relación con el mundo no requiere odio ni ninguna otra emoción. Requiere cautela”.

Primer libro de la tercera saga de La Compañía Negra. La historia sigue los acontecimientos acontecidos en el anterior tomo, Sueños de acero. A decir verdad, ha sido una lectura que por un lado me ha encantado como el resto de los libros, pero, por el otro lado me ha dejado con muy mal sabor de boca.

“La compañía Negra no es más que una banda de marginados. De verdad. Somos mercenarios de toda la vida atrapados en unas circunstancias que no comprendemos y que no nos gustan”.

Por un lado, me ha encantado el personaje de Murgen y su enfoque a la historia. Me parece que tiene bastante potencial para ser uno de los personajes más queridos de la saga. Sin embargo, por otro lado, el problema que he me encontrado este libro es que ha sido un poco caótico en cuanto a su argumento y hasta un cuarto del libro no sabías que estaba pasando. Menos mal que luego se hizo la luz y todo cobró sentido.

“Fragmentos…por todas partes, fragmentos de mi trabajo, de mi vida, de mi amor y de mi dolor, esparcidos en esta estación de penurias…

Y en la oscuridad, esquirlas en el tiempo”.

[Eilonwy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ah! Dejagore! Those halcyon days, slouching through Hell with a smile on.
Welcome to the house of pain.

I wasn't really expecting to be very involved in this installment of The Black Company, since it doesn't carry the action forward, but instead covers the same time period as Dreams of Steel, and is narrated by Murgen, the Company standardbearer, who mostly seemed like a nice-enough side character, but not terribly interesting. No way could he follow the Book of Lady without seeming utterly bland.

So, wow, was I surprised to fall in love with this book from the get-go. Murgen tells a crazy twisting maze of a story that left me breathless and dying to figure out what on earth was going on. The blurb on the back of all the omnibus collections of this series says "Glen Cook's stuff is like reading Vietnam War fiction on peyote," and this is the first book which really made me see why someone would say that. Is Murgen having flashbacks? Flash-forwards? Or are time and events actually shifting around him as he tries to get a grip on what's real?

This was hands-down the grimmest, darkest, and most wrenching Black Company book so far -- and that says a lot, because this certainly isn't a cheerful series even at its lightest. And yet the grim-dark is so well done. There's nothing in these books just for effect or shock-value. It all feels real. Very, very real.

WARNING: MAJOR FANGIRLING BELOW!!

I'm just in awe of Glen Cook. This is the sixth book in the direct series (the seventh if you count The Silver Spike, but certain people of my acquaintance refuse to acknowledge that one :-), and I may have said this before, but every single book has its own distinct feel and tone. Every single narrator is completely recognizable. Every single place is different from anywhere else, with its own weather, its own geography or geology, its own wildlife. Every single culture encountered during the Black Company's travels has its own language, traditions, and religion, in a fascinating mix that comes partly from our own world and partly straight out of Cook's incredible imagination. Every single character is a complete, real person with his or her own interests and motives. Every single plotline works brilliantly by itself to move the story along, but each book is also weaving together with all the others to form a crazy, creepy Big Arc that I keep getting peeks at but can't claim to understand yet. This is hands-down some of the best fantasy I've ever read. I'm so, so impressed by an author who can write so well, both at the sentence level and at the Amazing Big Picture level.

I can't recommend this book alone, but if you love fantasy, do give this series a try. It's grim and dark and depressing, but so, so, so good.

Buddy Read with:
Choko
Evgeny (Our Fearless Native Guide)
Sarah
Robin

[Maria Dimitrova · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buddy read with the seasoned and not so seasoned mercenaries at BB&B

I had to read this book two times in a row before I could grasp what the hell happens in it. In the book's defence I was really out of it the first time. That being said this book is a mess. Forget about linear progression of the story - it's all over the place. Still after the second read I understood what's happening and realized that I actually had grasped the most important points of the story the first time.

We're on a new analyst - Murgen the Standard Bearer. At first I didn't like it but he grew on me. And at the end I felt heartbroken for what he went through. I guess it was too much to hope for a HEA from a Glen Cook book. And yet a small part of me wanted some happiness for at least one of the company men.

As I said before at first I didn't like Murgen as the analyst but having a different point of view other than those of Lady and Croaker greatly improved the story. Up until now I didn't realize how much their biases color the narrative. And boy are those two self-centered! And really screwed up after the kidnapping of their daughter. And I'm pretty sure that kid will grow up to make the Dominator look like an angel.

This is a very interconnected book. If your attention slips for even a second you'll get lost. Sometimes there are references to a sentence/character 5-6 chapters back and if you had missed it you'll just get more and more confused as the story progresses. But hey I survived the Wheel of Time where there were references to scenes/characters 3-4 books back so once I forced myself to pay close attention things were easy. And I loved it. Because it gets you engaged and immerses you into the narrative in a way nothing else can.

There were a whole set of new characters introduced, some of which played major roles and some were there just to break your heart. Some of the old timers returned after a long absence and hopefully will play some role in the events to come. And I'm really invested in seeing what the hell will happen with Kina and her followers. I want to see them all burn!

[Wanda Pedersen · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s been a while since I last checked in on the Black Company. If you had asked me several years ago whether I would enjoy really dark military science fiction in a threatening fantasy world, I would have said, “No.” And I would have been quite definite about that. But I find myself really enjoying The Black Company series and this surprises me.

The Company itself is an eclectic mix of societal rejects who have banded together as mercenaries to earn a living and provide a kind of support group for each other. You can’t really call any of them likeable, and yet you find yourself glad to see the familiar faces: Goblin, One Eye, Big Bucket, Croaker, and Murgen (who is our narrator for this section of the Annals).

Cook manages to show us how awful warfare is, how neither side is right/good, and how much brutality accompanies war, all while entertaining us with the antics of the two wizards or the negotiation attempts of Murgen with various factions within the besieged city of Dejagore (what language are they speaking today? Or more importantly, claiming not to understand). Maybe you consider the Company men to be uneducated, but then they start speaking six or seven languages or building complex structures or negotiating their way out of bad situations, and it seems that they have learned quite a bit on the job.

Although the fantasy world is mostly medieval in technology, Cook uses a modern tone to the dialog. This combination doesn’t always work for me, but in this series it seems to mesh. I already have the next book in the series teed up and ready to go!

Book number 352 in my Science Fiction and Fantasy reading project.

[Milda Page Runner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Welcome to the House of Pain

The book of Murgen

The name is here for a reason: this must the bleakest book of the Black Company Chronicle so far. It is interesting enough, but... not very optimistic or exciting.
Book consist of 3 intertwined storylines:

The Visions of the Plain of the Glittering stone - not much of a storyline really mostly the haunting images revealing more of the picture with each one of them.

The present - spans over 3 years after the events of the Lady's book. We get glimpses of the main characters but not enough to be satisfying. Story is a bit too fragmented and not revealing enough due to Murgens spells.

The past - siege of Dejagore that takes time parallel to Lady's book's events. The most interesting and prominent part of the book. I did enjoy Murgen's voice, especially his sarcasm and humour facing rather grim events. It explains some of the fallouts within the Company and answers few of the questions, although in the end I felt it have raised more than answered.
Who and why tortured Murgen during his blackout in Dejagore?
Why did Ky Hong Tray set up her granddaughter with Murgen if she could see the future?
What was Soulcatcher's angle with Murgens blackouts?
What was the real reason for fallout between Croaker and Blade? Somehow I don't think unbiased jealousy would be enough for Croaker to loose part of his army.

Overall I think it was important to cover the other side of the story as the Company got split up. But to me it feels like this book is just a pause before the story really takes off.

[Mayim de Vries · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Those who form it come and go but the Company is forever.”

Ahem. Fact is a fact: I hate when a writer does it, i.e. presents a story similar to the one in a previous volume, but told from a different perspective. We have it here. If you have read the Dreams of Steel, get ready for a reprise—definitely better than the weakest books (Silver Spike), but leagues behind my favourites in the series.

There are two main reasons for this.

1. Chaos at the gates of Dejagore. Total narrative befuddlement. On the one hand, it is undeniably very atmospheric. Our new narrator, Murgen, has considerable cognitive problems, suffering numerous, often sudden, seizures, which move his consciousness to different places and times. This adds to the mystery of the story and at times it really works, pricking the reader’s comfort bubble of predictability. On the other hand, there seems to be no purpose to it. Eventually, the only thing we learn is who was behind this ailment, but we have absolutely no idea why. To make matters worse, apart from the quick fix allowing for the trips of Murgen’s consciousness, there also is a second thing: a certain unconscious wizard who allows our narrator to fly through time and space at will. It deepens the chaos to the point where, in the end, I was not really sure if I understand this story properly. If it was merely the author’s pretext for further experiments with the writing style, this time he overdid it.

2. The second cause of my disgruntlement has been highlighted already. It was truly embarrassing to discover to what extent this book is nothing else than a filler. If you manage to take a bird’s eye view on all this balagan, you discover that all we get is a retrospective description of the siege of Dejagore (only this time from the perspective of the besieged) and a dive into a situation a few years after the siege, which turns out to be virtually unchanged from what we have known since the Dreams of Steel ending. Same status quo. Well, the war with the Shadowmasters is in full swing, and it is grand. The rest are minor details. We knew about Mogaba before, now we can add Blade to the list because he had an argument with Croaker over a beer. In this regard, Murgen’s style suits me and watching Croaker through Murgen’s eyes was a very illuminating experience. The most momentous events in Murgen’s life reach their macabre end almost immediately thus leaving only meagre scraps for later. Practically nothing new happens.

And probably worst of all, towards the end of the tale, Murgen’s feelings are too shallow, too schematic to consider him a compelling protagonist.

To sum up the entire volume, it is probably just a decent experimental makeweight. The crushing, dark and stuffy atmosphere of besieged Dejagore is a definite plus. The ambience, the Nar, this mood of hopelessness. and slouching through hell with a smile on ” (not only thanks to a secret brewery!). After stripping the story from the initially interesting and mysterious narration, it is bared as quite mediocre a tale. The plot is clearly confusing and as the novel develops, it becomes harder and harder to follow because in an attempt to deepen one particular event, the overall Chronicle loses its brilliance and pace.

Two and a half. Rounded up.

The other Chronicles:

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

[Gavin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bleak Seasons was an enjoyable read. It was not the same high quality as Dreams of Steel, but was a massive improvement on the disappointing The Silver Spike. Murgen takes over as annalist of The Black Company and focuses on telling the tale of the siege of Dejagore, and then the early parts of The Black Company's war against the remaining Shadowmasters and the Deceivers.

Murgen proved a very down to earth, humble, and likable annalist. I liked his voice and loved his differing views on some of the series familiar faces. As well as doing a great job of leading the old guard of the Black Company in the siege of Dejagore he proved an intriguing character because of the magical "spells" he suffered which seen him dragged between the present and the past. Murgen's spells and the subsequent time jumping did leave this reader slightly confused at times but it was worth it for the extra dimension it gave Murgen's character.

I was glad that this was still an entertaining read which retained some humor despite being set in a brutal and harsh siege. Cook is a master at writing character driven stories and not getting to bogged down in the darker or more brutal aspects of his stories.

This was an enjoyable read and sets us up nicely for She is the Darkness and hopefully more exciting times as the war against Kina and her followers intensifies and the mystery of both Khatovar and The Plain of Glittering Stone grows ever closer to being solved.

Rating: 3.5 stars.

Audio Note: Jonathan Davies narrates his second Black Company book and produced a much better performance this time around.

[Jake Bishop · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hindsight: Shadows Linger goes up, this goes down. In hindsight I just don't like the annalist in this as much. Reading the last 2 made me realize this

Well this was different. I can see why this has a lower rating. This was a somewhat difficult book to get into, but I very much enjoyed that.

It was actually probably my favorite start to a Black Company book. Although I thought the weird structure didn't work as well for the second half, so it ends middle of the pack for the series.


Which means I enjoyed it thoroughly

7.5/10

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

"خودم به شخصه خدایی را نمی پرستم گرچه حدس میزنم بعضی‌هایشان به نوعی واقعی هستند. معتقدم همگی‌شان دست‌شان را روی دلشان گذاشته‌اند و به این می‌خندند که یکی‌شان آنقدر مبتکر بوده که جنسیت را خلق کند.
حتی حرص و طمع برای قدرت به حماقت هایی که با مرد و زن بودن به وجود می‌آید، نزدیک هم نیست."

کتاب ششم در اصل زاویه ی دیگری از داستان کتاب پنجمه... فقط کمی پیشرفت داستانی داریم، ولی نمی تونید ازش بپرید!

با توجه به نقدهای اولین کتاب از سومین مجموعه گروهان سیاه، انتظاراتم از این بسیار پایین بود...

ولی

این که خیلی خوب بود.

در حق مورگن بیچاره بی انصافی میکنیدااا

قبول دارم هیچکی طبیب نمیشه

(گلن توروخدا گند نزن بهش)

"فرماندهی هم که به جای فکر کردن با مغزش با آنجایش فکر میکرد، میتوانست آدمهای زیادی را به کشتن دهد."

... و

کتاب قبلی که بانو راوی بودم خیلی خوب بود

ولی

آخه این بارم خیلی کاره جالبی کرد:
توصیف همه بخصوص طبیب، از دیدگاه غیر طبیبی
و
گابلین و تک چشم
من عاشق این دوتام. خیلی حیف بود تو کتاب قبل اصلا ماجرای اینا تو محاصره باز نشد.

کار قشنگی کردی... مرسی گلن عزیز

ارادتمند
دارک‌لاور

[Allen Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, I liked this better than the last time I read it as well, and Murgen doesn't bother me nearly as much as he did 20 years ago. A lot is rehashing the last book, though from a different perspective and the Mogaba stuff in here is top notch. But too confusing at times still.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

The web of darkness would span all of Dejagore soon. "One-Eye. Goblin. You guys have any new ideas?"

"Get religion?" Goblin suggested. "Since you won't let us go den up?"

One-Eye mused, "You might amble over and see if Mogaba will change his mind about letting us operate his engines." The Taglian crews were ineffective. "We might be able to distract Shadowspinner."

"You did take shadows into account when you spelled the entrances to the underground ?" I knew. They had. That was always our biggest concern. But I had to reassure myself. You keep checking on Goblin and One-Eye.

Small groups were returning after long, dangerous journeys through the night, searching for rope that had survived.

"Yeah. For what that's worth. You ready to go down and start starving yet?"

Bad signs followed ill omens. The situation was grim indeed if One-Eye and Goblin could spare no time to quarrel.

A sudden susurrus swept the city and the plain beyond.

A blazing diamond of light rose out of the Shadowlander camp. It spun slowly. A core of darkness centered it. From that, blackness pulsed into the all-spanning web it anchored.

Nobody was looking at the hills when the pinkish light returned. No one noticed until it flared so brilliantly that it rivalled the brightness here at hand.

It burned behind two bizarre mounted figures. It cast their hideous shadows upon the night itself. Crow shadows circled them. Two huge ravens perched upon the shoulders of the larger figure.

Nobody breathed for a while. Not even Shadowspinner, I'd bet. And I was sure he had no more idea what was happening than I did.

The pink flare faded. A cable of pink reached toward Dejagore, like a snake probing, stretching. As one end neared us the nether end broke loose. That whipped our way too fast for the eye to follow and in an instant screamed into Shadowspinner's bright diamond. Sun-brilliant flash splashed out of that sorcerous construct's far side like suddenly-flung barrels of burning oil.

Immediately the dark web overhead began to shrink back into the remnants of the diamond.

The air vibrated with the Shadowmaster's anger.

"Goblin! One-Eye! Talk to me, boys. Tell me what the hell just happened."

Goblin couldn't talk. One-Eye burbled, "I ain't got the faintest fucking idea, Kid. But we're downwind of one seriously pissed-off Shadowmaster who's probably going to blame you and me for his ulcers."

A tremor disturbed the night, more psychic than physical. I am magically deaf and dumb and blind, except for perceived effects, but I felt it.

One-Eye was right.

The pink light was gone. I saw no more sign of those bizarre riders. Who were they? What? How?

I didn't get a chance to ask.

Little brown fellows carrying torches so they could see where they were running burst out of the Shadowlander camp. That could not bode well for me, my pals, or anyone else inside the wall.

"Poor Spinner," I cracked. "You got to feel for the man."

"Huh?" Sparkle was the only man close enough to hear.

"Don't you hate it when some no-brain vandalizes a work of art?"

Sparkle didn't get it. He shook his head, grabbed a javelin and threw it down at a short person with a torch.

He missed.

Around where those Shadowlanders had gained a foothold on the wall, and on the earthen approach ramps, a big racket began to develop. The Shadowmaster, piqued, had told his boys to get back to work. And don't be so damned gentle anymore.

"Hey, Bubba-do," I shouted at a soldier, "who's got tonight in the pool?"

There is the Black Company for you. We've got a pool on what night the city will fall. I guess the winner gets to die with a smile on his ugly mug.


4 stars

[Lanko · Rating 2 out of 5]

The immediate comparison I had with this was with Feast of Crows and The Dance of Dragons. That's because this book's story runs parallel to the previous, Dreams of Steel (a magnificent book).

In ASOIAF, those two books were originally one that got split in two, with Feast leaving out most of our favorite characters and returning them in Dance.
With Glen Cook this happened in opposite. Dreams of Steel had our favorite characters doing amazing stuff and now in Bleak Seasons we have a POV from a new character who barely just joined the group, but instead of Dance and new stories from new characters, the bulk of this book is telling the same story from a different location.

Which is why this didn't quite excite me.

To summarize without spoilers: In book 5 we had a big battle. The Black Company is surrounded in a city. Character A is given for dead and B is missing, also given for dead. But they are both alive. A is held captive. B raises another army. A villain is killed. A and B find out the other is alive and well. The guy leading the Company in the besieged city is doing atrocities. A and B come back and save the Company.

In book 6... we have the same story, just told from the POV of a guy inside that besieged city. But there are no surprises. This character thinks A and B are dead and agonizes over them, but we already know they are alive and what's gonna happen. They keep a lot of time fighting the villain and thinking how he's going to wipe them out, but we already know how it ends. The guy currently in charge does atrocities in the city to survive the city. We are kept in suspense to what this could be, but from the previous book we already know what it was and how it ended. A and B come back.

Book 6 would be much better if the POV was in-between the other events in book 5, but then book 5 would have been 700 pages and the series has a pattern of short books. So it had to be split.

Murgen, the new narrator, does have a good voice. He meets a love interest, passes through some tough situations and is clearly with PTSD along magical epileptic episodes.

The book then have time jumps from the situations of the past book (that are the majority of the story) and then randomly pops back at present day (actually three years after the main events of book 5) and all these three years are barely mentioned and feels like a long time for the unexplainable reactions of some characters.

The writing is also pretty good and has some beautiful moments.

But basically this volume is a retelling of the previous from a different POV but with all suspense gone and plot twists already known coupled with very little new things to present.
Not to mention the better and most important characters are sidelined. Pretty much this is the Feast of Crows of the Black Company series.

[Sadra Khalaf · Rating 4 out of 5]

بررسی به زبان فارسی در قسمت انتهایی کامنت

The book largely narrated by Murgen the banner man of the Black Company during the siege of Dejagore and taking place in part with the last book (Dreams of Steel).
Croaker and Lady were largely absent from this book and we see the other side of the story involving of the people who were trapped inside Dejagore during the events of the last book.
The book was full of flashbacks cause Murgen were lost in time and we could not understand the reason of his blackouts and it was somehow complicated to follow his narration.
Unfortunately the following books are not translated to Persian just yet and i have to wait for several months to continue the stories of The Black Company.
.
.
.
فصل حزن، ششمین کتاب در مجموعه گروهان سیاه هستش. راوی این کتاب، مورگن پرچمدار گروهان سیاه هستش و بیشتر روایت داستان همزمان با کتاب رویاهای پولادین هستش و به داستان محاصره دژاگوره توسط افراد اربابان سایه و رویدادهایی که اعضای به دام افتاده گروهان سیاه در حال تجربه اون بودن، اشاره میکنه.
کتاب پر از فلش بک و بازگشت به زمان حال هستش به خاطر اینکه بنا به دلایل نامعلوم که تا پایان کتاب هم پرده چندانی ازش برداشته نمیشه، مورگن دچار بیهوشی‌هایی میشه که باعث میشه رویدادهای گذشته رو مجددا تجربه بکنه و به یاد بیاره
طبیب و بانو عمدتا حضور چندانی در این کتاب ندارن مگر در معدود قسمت‌هایی که مورگن دچار بیهوشی نشده و در حال تجربه مجدد رویدادهای گذشته نیستش.
متاسفانه کار ترجمه کتاب‌های آتی هنوز در حال انجام هستش و به نظر نمی‌رسه با توجه به گفته‌های خانم آیدا کشوری، زمان معلومی برای انتشار جلدهای بعدی باشه
فکر کنم باید تا نمایشگاه کتاب بعدی صبر کنم تا در حالت خوشبینانه 2 جلد روی قفسه کتابفروشی‌ها رفته باشه

[Fantasy boy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bleak Seasons has an interesting difference that compares to previous two books: Shadow Games and Dreams of Steel. Croaker and Lady have strong voices(especially Lady ) in The Chronicles of the Black Company; The distinct voices of the two narrators spice or darken the stories not only about in battlefields also in the mythology of the world. The cults, the various religions and unseen force and the outside worlds that even beyond the knowledge of Lady etc, so that I have easily immersed myself in Shadow Games and Dreams of Steel until started reading Bleak seasons, the way of the narrator, Murgen told the stories in Bleak Season bewilders me a lot. I hardly concentrated on following what is going on, new cast of characters or previous characters recounted previous or later events. I don't mind narrators have told a story in a befuddling way, however, in Glen Cook's military fantasy, The Chronicles of the Black Company that would be difficult to track the developments of events; and Murgen had been using Smoke's body looking for the answers, when it jumps to this sort of Murgen's experiencing that I had no clues what's happening until near the end of the chapters.

I like The Chronicles of the Black Company, but it was a challenge to follow the stories which were told by Murgen. It is a novel thing to do by Glen Cook also I appreciate that, especially in a fantasy series contains many installments. Still, I hope It could have been easier for me to follow up what transpired in Bleak Season.

[Athena Shardbearer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is immortality of a sort but the price is paid in silver of pain.


Oh the pain that Murgen and all the others go through in this book. This one was such an improvement from Silver Spike. I have a few of my favorites back and Murgen was such a better Annalist than Case. It was much better but not the best. I still miss Croaker and The Lady, and hope for narration from them in the future..which I think will be unlikely.

What I really enjoyed was Murgens spells. You never knew where he would wake up and if those "spells" were real or not. I'm actually looking forward to the next book.

[Robin Wiley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wasn't I just bitching about how I wanted to get back to this storyline? I didn't even want to read Silver Spike because it took me away from the group that went south with Croaker.

What the hell happened?

Mergen is narrating. Mergen starts out entertaining, but is my least favorite narrator of the bunch. We're back in Dejagore during the seige WHICH ALREADY FINISHED in the last book. Croaker is dead, Lady is dead, city going down, etc.

No. Wait. Mergen is shifting back, forth and across time like a JJ Abrams television show. Now Croaker is alive, Lady is alive, but we don't get to spend any time with her (after we just came to like, maybe even love her). Their kidnapped daughter is a reincarnated goddess of death and destruction. Wait. Mergen is married??? Oops, no he's not - because his wife is dead.

And at the end of the book, the long list of bad guys who need to die has only shortened by one?

Huh? Whaaaa???

I guess it happens for alot of writers who have a huge series. Jordan had a couple of stinkers in his Wheel of Time series. Martin's Feast of Crows was my least favorite so far. Diana Gabaldon lost me after they went to America (book five?). I'm sure there is a Harry Potter book considered to be "off the mark". If you are going to put out that many books following the same characters, it's tough to have them all be the same level of GREAT.

I'll be honest, I skimmed the last third of the book. I even had to restart the book because I was sure I must have been too sleepy, or I picked up the wrong one (the last four are on my nightstand). But no. This book is just trippy. I don't know what happened. I'm sure somebody out there gets the why of it all, but I don't.

Cool stuff - some interesting battle strategy, a couple of classic Black Company moments

Not so cool - starting, stopping, starting and eating a half bottle of Tylenol to keep the headaches at bay.

Glen Cook, that sucked, but I forgive you. Please don't do that ever again.

Book 8 awaits.

[Tannaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

تاریخچه ها بارها و بارها نشان داده اند که ترس،حاصلخیزترین خاک برای خیانت است.

[Nariman · Rating 5 out of 5]

از نظر شیوهٔ روایت و لحن‌های متعدد به کار رفته، متفاوت‌ترین کتاب این مجموعه تا به اینجا بود.
به عنوان چهارمین راوی اول شخص این مجموعه، از لحن خاص مورگن واقعا خوشم اومد. هر چند جاهایی هم رفتار و تصمیم‌گیری‌های شخصیت‌ها روی اعصاب بود.

[Aida · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe 4.5

خب فکر کنم با دور دوم خوندن یه‌کم نظرم عوض شد و روی همون ۵ ستاره رفت! کلاً حس عجیبی نسبت به این جلد دارم. هم دوستش دارم هم ندارم. هم ساده بود هم پیچیده.

و چقدر دوست داشتم یه دور دیگه هم بخونمش ولی حیف که فرصتش رو نداشتم دیگه و به خوندن صفحات رندوم برای بار سوم اکتفا کردم.

[Oleksandr Zholud · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the sixth novel of the Black Company grimdark military fantasy series, the first of the Glittering Stone arc. As with the previous volumes, each book tries a new sub-genre, from mil-fantasy to horror mystery to multiple interlaced intrigues to almost computer game grand strategy… this one isn’t different.

This time, we once again get a new narrator/writer of the Company’s annals. It is Murgen, the relatively young (compared with millennia-old Lady, century-old One Eye and Goblin, and even Croaker, the original Company’s annalist, who is a septuagenarian) member of the Black Company and its standard bearer, even if he lost a standard two books ago, when Croaker and Lady supposedly perished. Readers know from the previous volume that they survived, but this book is roughly parallel in time with Dreams of Steel; it supplies the view from the besieged city.

There is a conflict between the besieged and Shadowlords and within the city between the ‘old guard’ of the Black Company, who came from the North with Croaker and local descendants of the Company before they moved North, headed by Mogaba. Each group has its own ideas on how to proceed, including who should head the Company.

As if it isn’t enough, Murgen has visions. These visions are both mythic, like with a figure on a throne, and ‘real’ of the days and weeks past, for he has a way to travel as an invisible spirit. These visions make the book quite hard to follow (and make re-reading helpful).

I have to admit that I like the author’s experiments and trying new genres in each book, they became even more interlaced and harder to follow (say Murgen in the previous 5 volumes appeared but only marginally). However, I like the initial trilogy most, where each book could have been the last and sowing of hints for future stories was less plentiful.

[Hella · Rating 3 out of 5]

در دو کلمه میشه این جلد توصیف کرد:
حوصله سربر و گیج کننده
تا اواسط کتاب اصلا هیچ ایده ای نداشتم که داره چه اتفاقی می افته و چرا داستان ادامه کتاب قبل نیست تا اینکه رفتم تو نت سرچ کردم و فهمیدم این جلد همون جلد پنجه ولی از دیده یه شخصیت دیگه داستان یه گروهی از شخصیت ها که تو کتاب قبلی شرح نداده شده بود اینجا گفته شده بود و خب اگه از اول میدونستم کمتر گیج میشدم. خود خط داستانی هم نسبت به کتاب های قبلی جذابیت کمتری داشت که اگه دلایلش بگم اسپویل میشه پس چیزی نمیگم. نحوه روایت داستان هم نسبت به جلد های قبلی عجیبتر و گیج کننده تر بود حتی به نظرم از جلد یک هم گیج کننده تر بود و یکی از ستاره ها رو به همین دلیل کم کردم. و اون یکی ستاره هم به خاطر این ندادم که یه جاهایی حوصله سربر شده بود و جذابیتش کم شده بود که خب نصفیش تقصیر شخصیت راوی بود. با وجود همه این دلایل بازم دوستش داشتم ولی کمتر از جلد های قبلی به سوی جلد بعد باشد که جلد بعدی بهتر بشه.

[Sarah (Ceekayy) Rains · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 I have no clue what I read but I had a good time while I was there

[Artavazdah · Rating 2 out of 5]

The weakest book so far in the series. a lot of stuff I didn't really get plus not being with Croaker or Lady was weird.

[Björn · Rating 5 out of 5]

If the previous book demonstrated Cook's uncanny ability to change his voice, then this volume firmly establishes him as a master of the craft. I have read many books with changing POVs, but Cook's change in voice when there's a new narrator is immense. That's not to say that it's heavy handed. Both Murgen's and Croaker's books are clearly told by soldiers, and they share that practical cynicism mixed with a healthy dose of levity.

One thing that I like about the Black Company is how Cook isn't afraid of experimenting with new story structures. This isn't a series like so many other genre novels - a literary equivalent of the verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus song structure. Not in the slightest. Apart from changing the annalist, Cook has also shown tremendous variety in the entries he has released so far, and so far I don't think any two of his novels have followed the same story structure. And this volume is no different, as it jumps between two time periods: the Siege of Dejagore, and the events taking place a few years later in Taglios.

The shifting between the two time frames is masterfully done. Some of the shifts are abrupt, and in one of them past-Murgen straight out greets the reader when we return to the past (plus, I'm sure there's a metaphor in there somewhere). Others are subtle to the point where you can't even point to the paragraph where the switch happened. The voice that Cook employs in the past is also my favourite that he's used so far. The tone of those sections and how casually it treated the insanity happening reminded me strongly of Apocalypse Now, and that's not the first time these books have reminded me of that excellent film.

With half the book taking place in a time we've already been through, the story does take a bit of a backseat in this entry, but considering it's primarily preparation for the coming finale I think that's perfectly acceptable. I expect this is something that many readers would balk at however, but personally I think that's their loss.

[Kirt · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was a slog. It introduces a new narrator, the new Annalist and standardbearer, Murgen. The author is obviously experimenting with an odd narrative style, connected to some strange, sorcery-induced fits Murgen is having. However, since these fits cast him into the past, they push him back into plot points already covered in Dreams of Steel, albiet with more detail.

This detail becomes important in later books, including establishing the wired swamp-dwelling people that Murgen marries into, but it's still a slog. A lot of the detail is redundant and makes me go: "Yes, okay, seiges suck. Okay already!"

While there are plot points in this book, it felt mostly like filler to me. It doesn't help that I find Murgen a bland protagonist, not nearly as interesting as Croaker. I appreciate the author being willing to experiment, but I don't think the experiment turned out very well.

[Maggie K · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was too confusing for me....The story is good but too hard to figure out with Murgen going back and forth in time...