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The Company
Hoping for a better life, five war veterans colonize an abandoned island. They take with them everything they could possibly need - food, clothes, tools, weapons, even wives. The colonists feel sure that their friendship will keep them together. But an unanticipated discovery shatters their dream and replaces it with a very different one. Only then do they begin to realize that they've brought with them rather more than they bargained for.
One of them, it seems, has been hiding a terrible secret from the rest of the company. And when the truth begins to emerge, it soon becomes clear that the war is far from over.
One of them, it seems, has been hiding a terrible secret from the rest of the company. And when the truth begins to emerge, it soon becomes clear that the war is far from over.
436 pages, Paperback
First published October 2, 2008
76 people are currently reading
1866 people want to read
About the author
K.J. Parker
134 books1,679 followersK.J. Parker is a pseudonym for Tom Holt.
According to the biographical notes in some of Parker's books, Parker has previously worked in law, journalism, and numismatics, and now writes and makes things out of wood and metal. It is also claimed that Parker is married to a solicitor and now lives in southern England. According to an autobiographical note, Parker was raised in rural Vermont, a lifestyle which influenced Parker's work.
According to the biographical notes in some of Parker's books, Parker has previously worked in law, journalism, and numismatics, and now writes and makes things out of wood and metal. It is also claimed that Parker is married to a solicitor and now lives in southern England. According to an autobiographical note, Parker was raised in rural Vermont, a lifestyle which influenced Parker's work.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 224 reviews
February 11, 2022
"The good of the company, and don't whine about the price."
I don't even know how to describe this book. It is such a Parker book, yet unlike any of the ones I've read. Such human evils, such amoral single-mindedness. This is a bleak book. It's a powerful book about shared experiences, secrets, and the dark side of friendship and loyalty. Parker does so much with so much nuance while so little of what seems significant is actually happening.
Finished the book rather than filming a video, I was so captivated.
Review to come.
I don't even know how to describe this book. It is such a Parker book, yet unlike any of the ones I've read. Such human evils, such amoral single-mindedness. This is a bleak book. It's a powerful book about shared experiences, secrets, and the dark side of friendship and loyalty. Parker does so much with so much nuance while so little of what seems significant is actually happening.
Finished the book rather than filming a video, I was so captivated.
Review to come.
July 18, 2022
My review on YouTube: https://youtu.be/LEXMd5FWMxA
Obviously 5 stars. This has got to be the most brutal book of Parker’s that I’ve read so far. The characters are irredeemable, the world is dark and bleak, and the deeper thematic work makes you question whether there are ever any good guys.
Incredible piece of writing. Now I need to go and watch something funny.
Obviously 5 stars. This has got to be the most brutal book of Parker’s that I’ve read so far. The characters are irredeemable, the world is dark and bleak, and the deeper thematic work makes you question whether there are ever any good guys.
Incredible piece of writing. Now I need to go and watch something funny.
March 22, 2025
My first Parker read, and it certainly won't be my last. This is a masterful exploration of characters who struggle to leave their war behind, chasing after a doomed utopia while their lives crumble around them.
I find that of the different elements of storytelling, atmosphere is the one I most rarely see done well. From the first page of The Company the bleak and foreboding atmosphere of the story was so palpable that it drew me into an almost instant immersion.
This is a story for the lover of a slow burn exploration of theme and character, who is willing to set aside time to simply walk alongside Kunessin and the rest of the Company, to hear their stories and judge for yourself what kind of people they are.
I love reading books that make me want to reread them immediately upon finishing the last page, and this one joins those ranks with ease.
The story of these characters and the burdens they carry with them was compelling and layered brilliantly by a master of character-focused storytelling. I look forward to my next Parker read.
I find that of the different elements of storytelling, atmosphere is the one I most rarely see done well. From the first page of The Company the bleak and foreboding atmosphere of the story was so palpable that it drew me into an almost instant immersion.
This is a story for the lover of a slow burn exploration of theme and character, who is willing to set aside time to simply walk alongside Kunessin and the rest of the Company, to hear their stories and judge for yourself what kind of people they are.
I love reading books that make me want to reread them immediately upon finishing the last page, and this one joins those ranks with ease.
The story of these characters and the burdens they carry with them was compelling and layered brilliantly by a master of character-focused storytelling. I look forward to my next Parker read.
July 23, 2018
Not the best of K.J. Parker's books, but that's like saying a glass of water isn't as cold as you like it, when you're already parched. It's still better than a lot of books on my shelf, and I still downed it in a few big gulps.
War veterans retire to their own private island, ostensibly to build a quiet life for themselves. What follows is a subtler Lord of the Flies. Nothing (and no one) is as it seems, in true Parkerian fashion. It says a lot about the ferocity and the emptiness we often find in our lives, the good intentions we have that so often suppress truth and goodness itself, what it means to know (or love) someone, and how surviving is never enough.
To judge by most of these reviews, it's tough to talk about this book without talking about the conclusion, and that's almost as infuriating as the ending itself. I didn't feel betrayed at the last page, as many others did; in fact, I can't really see it ending any other way. Of course, comments like that are just annoying if you haven't read the book, but you won't get it until you do.
War veterans retire to their own private island, ostensibly to build a quiet life for themselves. What follows is a subtler Lord of the Flies. Nothing (and no one) is as it seems, in true Parkerian fashion. It says a lot about the ferocity and the emptiness we often find in our lives, the good intentions we have that so often suppress truth and goodness itself, what it means to know (or love) someone, and how surviving is never enough.
To judge by most of these reviews, it's tough to talk about this book without talking about the conclusion, and that's almost as infuriating as the ending itself. I didn't feel betrayed at the last page, as many others did; in fact, I can't really see it ending any other way. Of course, comments like that are just annoying if you haven't read the book, but you won't get it until you do.
November 13, 2014
Alrighty. I'm calling it quits on this one. I just really can't muster up the interest in this to go ANOTHER half book. Nothing has happened... nothing IS happening... and from a lot of comments and reviews, it looks like the only happening to occur is at the very end, and I'm just not that patient.
So. Not that this is a bad book, but I just can't bring myself to keep plugging away at it for 48% more percent for maybe a little payoff. I just need SOMETHING more to keep me interested.
So. Not that this is a bad book, but I just can't bring myself to keep plugging away at it for 48% more percent for maybe a little payoff. I just need SOMETHING more to keep me interested.
April 10, 2020
Heart-wrenching, raw, poignant and deep. Quite a few shades darker than usual for KJ Parker.
Hollywood pitch for this book would probably go: “Three Musketeers” meet “Lord of the Flies”
If you enjoyed “Savages”, “Sharps” and “The Folding Knife” - chances are you’ll love “The Company” too. But If you are new to KJ Parker - don’t start here.
Hollywood pitch for this book would probably go: “Three Musketeers” meet “Lord of the Flies”
If you enjoyed “Savages”, “Sharps” and “The Folding Knife” - chances are you’ll love “The Company” too. But If you are new to KJ Parker - don’t start here.
April 4, 2013
K.J. Parker's "fantasies" make George R.R. Martin's Game of Thrones seem like happy tales full of rainbows, kittens, and shiny cheery people. If you want grit, grime, and loss of all hope in your "heroes," then this is the book smouldering on the shelf, waiting to suck you in, chew you up, and spit you back out with a satisfied hiss.
If you're a writer, then you will weep in sheer mad jealousy at Parker's ability to twist the knife and slowly build to a conclusion both inevitable and surprising. Like Company A, the author breaks through every barrier to achieve an ending both completely Parker and completely right.
If you're a writer, then you will weep in sheer mad jealousy at Parker's ability to twist the knife and slowly build to a conclusion both inevitable and surprising. Like Company A, the author breaks through every barrier to achieve an ending both completely Parker and completely right.
December 23, 2024
The banter’s sharp, the drama hits.
A crew of ex-soldiers reuniting to chase a big dream, basically trying to build a utopia on an island they claim for themselves. The dynamic between them is full of sharp banter and underlying tension, the kinda mess-ups you’d expect when you mix business and friendship. And there are many, many grudges simmering just below the surface. A slow-burn story. A good one.
A crew of ex-soldiers reuniting to chase a big dream, basically trying to build a utopia on an island they claim for themselves. The dynamic between them is full of sharp banter and underlying tension, the kinda mess-ups you’d expect when you mix business and friendship. And there are many, many grudges simmering just below the surface. A slow-burn story. A good one.
November 5, 2022
Master Class in writing flawed characters and their motivations.
Full review to come.
Full review to come.
February 19, 2020
Gosh, that was a tough book to read. Not because it was badly written, far from it. Some of it was just so raw. The relationships described here were sometimes as tortured as only truly close friendships can be. This wasn’t fantasy, but top rate descriptions of close human friendships when put to the test.
I’m a big fan of KJ Parker/Holt. Many of his books are leavened with a wry humour even when a little dark. This book stands out starkly from the others I’ve read. It is dark without much humour at all. It’s set in a completely non-magical pre-industrial world, not so much fantasy fiction as historical fiction in a parallel imaginary world. I found it fascinating for its exploration of human relationships (mostly without romance though) but in the end it gave a rather sad view of these closely bonded individuals. The problems close friendships can cause rather than the joy they can bring.
It’s the tale of the post army life of ‘A Company’, the toughest group of shock troops in the army, mostly originating from the same quiet farming village, trained to break the lines of opposing infantry. Some backstory of their service life shows why these now ex-soldiers are dedicated to each other such that when their leader calls them out of retirement for an adventure to set up their own farming community, far away, they unhesitatingly do so.
Most of the story shows how the relationships in this close band of brothers evolve during their attempt to set up their own community. A sort of Lord of the Flies, though without bullying, just coping with problems nature throws at them while they try to stay loyal to each other. Events get in the way, and there’s some truly amazing twists in the latter sections of the story.
Once again in a Parker story, many of the major male characters are ambivalent in their relationships with the women in their lives (usually kind but non-loving), with one particular incident close to the book’s ending showing a coldness that made me despise the character involved. Despite their heroism, comradeship and resourcefulness none of the Male characters gets close to being likeable, with perhaps some excuse of the PTSD that they probably suffer from. The author’s intent too, I believe, not to make them sympathetic.
Sounds a bundle of laughs, so why put yourself through this dark tale?! It’s certainly not the fantasy I normally read. If you want a raw well told story about human relationships between closely bonded but somewhat damaged people then I think it’s probably a pretty realistic attempt. Glad I read it but happy to finish it and move on....
I’m a big fan of KJ Parker/Holt. Many of his books are leavened with a wry humour even when a little dark. This book stands out starkly from the others I’ve read. It is dark without much humour at all. It’s set in a completely non-magical pre-industrial world, not so much fantasy fiction as historical fiction in a parallel imaginary world. I found it fascinating for its exploration of human relationships (mostly without romance though) but in the end it gave a rather sad view of these closely bonded individuals. The problems close friendships can cause rather than the joy they can bring.
It’s the tale of the post army life of ‘A Company’, the toughest group of shock troops in the army, mostly originating from the same quiet farming village, trained to break the lines of opposing infantry. Some backstory of their service life shows why these now ex-soldiers are dedicated to each other such that when their leader calls them out of retirement for an adventure to set up their own farming community, far away, they unhesitatingly do so.
Most of the story shows how the relationships in this close band of brothers evolve during their attempt to set up their own community. A sort of Lord of the Flies, though without bullying, just coping with problems nature throws at them while they try to stay loyal to each other. Events get in the way, and there’s some truly amazing twists in the latter sections of the story.
Once again in a Parker story, many of the major male characters are ambivalent in their relationships with the women in their lives (usually kind but non-loving), with one particular incident close to the book’s ending showing a coldness that made me despise the character involved. Despite their heroism, comradeship and resourcefulness none of the Male characters gets close to being likeable, with perhaps some excuse of the PTSD that they probably suffer from. The author’s intent too, I believe, not to make them sympathetic.
Sounds a bundle of laughs, so why put yourself through this dark tale?! It’s certainly not the fantasy I normally read. If you want a raw well told story about human relationships between closely bonded but somewhat damaged people then I think it’s probably a pretty realistic attempt. Glad I read it but happy to finish it and move on....
October 23, 2014
So how do I review this? Hmmm. I think I'll begin by warning off those that might want to read this without any expectations going in. I won't post spoilers per se, but I will be addressing the flow of this book, beginning to end.
That said,
What in the actual fuck? There, I feel better for having said that. Truth is, after finishing that I wanted to tear my copy to shreds, stomp on them, and kick the scraps into a firepit with the heat of a thousand hells blazing through it.
So yeah. What the holy fuck was that???
Let's start at the beginning. The premise looked interesting, a story about five war veterans getting together after the war and settling a new home on a faraway island. Rewards for their years of service, yada yada. Of course there will be a conflict of some sort to stir things up, etc. Good so far.
I love the writing. K.J. Parker has a real talent for storytelling and character development. She (or he?) uses the flashback method interspersed with the current story flow to get us to know how these characters click and how they got to be the way they are. Great.
Then the middle happens. Or, I should say, it's more "middle" than "happens". Long narrative that seems to go nowhere. Then it breaks through and starts to get interesting, mildly.
Then we get near the end.
Shit goes down. I'm really getting interested now.
Then. All hell breaks out.
And I'm left with...????? The fuck???
That ending. I'm sitting there going, for real??
Seriously. If the middle had been a little less boring and the ending had been a little less FUCKED, I might have given this book 4 stars. It was well written, (somewhat) engaging, and had good characters.
Oh, and for the record, I don't dislike fucked up endings. Sometimes I actually prefer them. But it needs to make fucking sense. It needs to be a reasonable end of the path that we walked along the journey.
I did actually like the last paragraph or so, but it really didn't fit into the context of the rest of the book.
I'll probably try more K.J. Parker, but she's (or he's) on notice. I won't be as forgiving if I run into another fucked up ending like that.
That said,
What in the actual fuck? There, I feel better for having said that. Truth is, after finishing that I wanted to tear my copy to shreds, stomp on them, and kick the scraps into a firepit with the heat of a thousand hells blazing through it.
So yeah. What the holy fuck was that???
Let's start at the beginning. The premise looked interesting, a story about five war veterans getting together after the war and settling a new home on a faraway island. Rewards for their years of service, yada yada. Of course there will be a conflict of some sort to stir things up, etc. Good so far.
I love the writing. K.J. Parker has a real talent for storytelling and character development. She (or he?) uses the flashback method interspersed with the current story flow to get us to know how these characters click and how they got to be the way they are. Great.
Then the middle happens. Or, I should say, it's more "middle" than "happens". Long narrative that seems to go nowhere. Then it breaks through and starts to get interesting, mildly.
Then we get near the end.
Shit goes down. I'm really getting interested now.
Then. All hell breaks out.
And I'm left with...????? The fuck???
That ending. I'm sitting there going, for real??
Seriously. If the middle had been a little less boring and the ending had been a little less FUCKED, I might have given this book 4 stars. It was well written, (somewhat) engaging, and had good characters.
Oh, and for the record, I don't dislike fucked up endings. Sometimes I actually prefer them. But it needs to make fucking sense. It needs to be a reasonable end of the path that we walked along the journey.
I did actually like the last paragraph or so, but it really didn't fit into the context of the rest of the book.
I'll probably try more K.J. Parker, but she's (or he's) on notice. I won't be as forgiving if I run into another fucked up ending like that.
January 10, 2019
KJ Parker writes the best books I’ve ever read in which almost nothing happens.
So… context. This is only the second full length Parker novel I’ve read and I’m only just beginning to wrap my head around what (s)he’s* doing. Read Sharps a year ago and loved it, though the ending was a little underwhelming. Worked my way through Parker’s collection, Academic Exercises, which was amazingly good. And now this.
Like Sharps the ending of The Company is a bit underwhelming. The marketing description is misleading in my opinion and yet I can’t really say there’s anything untrue in it. Like Sharps, one can read long stretches of this book, compelling, page-turning stuff in my opinion, and yet if asked to sum up what had happened over that stretch, the answer would be a shrug, or “nothing much”. And yet, they’re thoroughly enjoyable.
Why?
I’m starting to think the answer is that Parker’s books aren’t actually about the things that happen. It’s perhaps unfair to say “nothing happens”. That stuff in the marketing description does technically happen. But because it’s not what the book is actually about, when those things do happen, they come off as a sort of background noise. They are peripheral to the real focus of the book and consequently not handled in a particularly suspenseful or dramatic manner.
Both The Company and Sharps are about character. And that character isn’t handed to you upfront on a platter. The draw, the thing that keeps me turning pages, is the slow reveal. The gradual unravelling of secrets as Parker bounces between the character’s present and past.
Note the word is character, and not relationships. Relationships take a back seat to individual character in The Company, though the five men's shared history and relationships in the war have shaped their character to varying degrees. Not all five get equal focus. Kunessin, the leader, is the most closely examined, but the focus does shift around quite frequently, moreso the further in you get.
The Company feels a little messier than Sharps. Both use loads of flashbacks and shift viewpoint a lot, but The Company’s handling of viewpoint just feels messier to me. I was often a bit disoriented. That aspect of the writing, along with the de-emphasis of the external plot might explain why Parker seems to have more of a cult following than a widespread popularity in the genre. There’s a certain wit in Parker’s writing though, and if it meshes with your sense of humor, I expect you’ll come back for more.
All in all, I’d probably not recommend this as a starting point for readers new to KJ Parker. Pick up one of the others first, come back to this one once you’re hooked.
*[K.J. Parker since revealed to be a pseudonym of Tom Holt.]
So… context. This is only the second full length Parker novel I’ve read and I’m only just beginning to wrap my head around what (s)he’s* doing. Read Sharps a year ago and loved it, though the ending was a little underwhelming. Worked my way through Parker’s collection, Academic Exercises, which was amazingly good. And now this.
Like Sharps the ending of The Company is a bit underwhelming. The marketing description is misleading in my opinion and yet I can’t really say there’s anything untrue in it. Like Sharps, one can read long stretches of this book, compelling, page-turning stuff in my opinion, and yet if asked to sum up what had happened over that stretch, the answer would be a shrug, or “nothing much”. And yet, they’re thoroughly enjoyable.
Why?
I’m starting to think the answer is that Parker’s books aren’t actually about the things that happen. It’s perhaps unfair to say “nothing happens”. That stuff in the marketing description does technically happen. But because it’s not what the book is actually about, when those things do happen, they come off as a sort of background noise. They are peripheral to the real focus of the book and consequently not handled in a particularly suspenseful or dramatic manner.
Both The Company and Sharps are about character. And that character isn’t handed to you upfront on a platter. The draw, the thing that keeps me turning pages, is the slow reveal. The gradual unravelling of secrets as Parker bounces between the character’s present and past.
Note the word is character, and not relationships. Relationships take a back seat to individual character in The Company, though the five men's shared history and relationships in the war have shaped their character to varying degrees. Not all five get equal focus. Kunessin, the leader, is the most closely examined, but the focus does shift around quite frequently, moreso the further in you get.
The Company feels a little messier than Sharps. Both use loads of flashbacks and shift viewpoint a lot, but The Company’s handling of viewpoint just feels messier to me. I was often a bit disoriented. That aspect of the writing, along with the de-emphasis of the external plot might explain why Parker seems to have more of a cult following than a widespread popularity in the genre. There’s a certain wit in Parker’s writing though, and if it meshes with your sense of humor, I expect you’ll come back for more.
All in all, I’d probably not recommend this as a starting point for readers new to KJ Parker. Pick up one of the others first, come back to this one once you’re hooked.
*[K.J. Parker since revealed to be a pseudonym of Tom Holt.]
February 6, 2015
This book could easily lead to disappointment for a reader who tries to take it too seriously. I obviously can't know Parker's intent, but for me the whole book ended up being one huge joke, with the final scene being the big punchline. After the punchline, I laughed. I literally turned the last few pages, set the book on my lap, and after about a one minute delay of staring off in to space, I began laughing my ass off; because the whole thing, the whole dang book, is absolutely ridiculous. Intelligent, clever, sarcastic, ironic... yes, all the typical things I've come to love in any KJ Parker book; but, on top of those things, it's a frickin ridiculous joke. The reader might be on the butt end of it, which could rub some people the wrong way; if however, like me, you're used to being on the receiving end of jokes from people more clever then you, well, like me you might enjoy this book too. :)
One thing I think worth mentioning is the odd assortment of publisher blurbs on the cover: Is the book a "dark, bleak and fiercely intelligent portrait of the human condition?" ... um, maybe but only if you try and take it too seriously. Will the book "Carry the reader on a headlong gallop to the powerful conclusion"? um... possibly, but I'm not sure what they mean by "gallop" and I predict people will have different adjectives for the ending besides "powerful." Oh, and whoever wrote that the book is "Lost meets The Italian Job" ought to be drug-out and shot, no disrespect.
By no means would I consider this to be KJ Parker's best book, but I think it is Parker's most lighthearted book (in an deranged, sociopathic way).
One thing I think worth mentioning is the odd assortment of publisher blurbs on the cover: Is the book a "dark, bleak and fiercely intelligent portrait of the human condition?" ... um, maybe but only if you try and take it too seriously. Will the book "Carry the reader on a headlong gallop to the powerful conclusion"? um... possibly, but I'm not sure what they mean by "gallop" and I predict people will have different adjectives for the ending besides "powerful." Oh, and whoever wrote that the book is "Lost meets The Italian Job" ought to be drug-out and shot, no disrespect.
By no means would I consider this to be KJ Parker's best book, but I think it is Parker's most lighthearted book (in an deranged, sociopathic way).
December 31, 2011
This book is tough for me to review. I've read so many mixed reviews prior to reading it and I wasn't sure what to expect. I'm pretty sure whoever provided the cover blurb or the book being a cross between LOST and Italian Job, hasn't actually read the book or watched the show or the movie. This is a story about war, about the bond between men and what it can and can't endure. It's very well written with vivid descriptions and realistic dialogue, this is also one of those books that really lets you see what's going on inside the characters' minds, which I always enjoy. The ending was terrific and summarized the story perfectly. Those are all the positives. The detractors were for one thing the names, I really didn't like the names, I don't normally read fantasy, so I haven't had a chance to get used to ridiculous names and honestly, aside from the names, this book could have almost read as historical fiction. Also, the writing (quite possibly due to its detailed vividness) was very dense at parts, so much so that reading almost felt like work. But really, I would say the positives outweigh by far. This is a really good study of human nature and of the consequences of war in times of peace. I would recommend it.
March 29, 2022
A cruel world that allows for wrongfulness to prosper, with characters that you'll learn to hate with a passion, and a plot that turns so bleak it might push you over the edge — all that on the backdrop of KJ Parker's characteristically intelligent prose and superbly intentional storytelling. That's The Company for you.
I have never read a book quite like this, and I don't know if I will ever fully come to terms with what it made me feel.
5 stars
I have never read a book quite like this, and I don't know if I will ever fully come to terms with what it made me feel.
5 stars
April 10, 2010
Like the Engineer trilogy, this novel is an ambitious failure: great opening, fascinating developments, a massively underwhelming ending. That being said, Parker excels (as usual) in examining the nasty interactions between men, formerly linebreakers of A Company, now devoted to fulfilling former general Teuche Kunessin's dream of a farm on an island. Sadly for Kunessin, he may have (for the moment) escaped the government, but he can't escape what he brought with him. Darkly cynical and depressingly believable.
Also suffers from some other of Parker's usual flaws, including the weird stylistic quirk in which zie refuses to call characters by name even when it would be deictically appropriate and helpful and comparatively weak female characters and relationships (even if Kunessin needs the women as broodmares, that shouldn't stop them from being interesting *characters*).
Still, I don't regret reading this and am trying to figure out where I can get the new one that's out.
Also suffers from some other of Parker's usual flaws, including the weird stylistic quirk in which zie refuses to call characters by name even when it would be deictically appropriate and helpful and comparatively weak female characters and relationships (even if Kunessin needs the women as broodmares, that shouldn't stop them from being interesting *characters*).
Still, I don't regret reading this and am trying to figure out where I can get the new one that's out.
December 27, 2009
Page turner that goes nowhere and you finish it with a feeling of pointlessness and why did I bother. Still an interesting read and worth for the suspense, but it could have been so much better...
Now on reread: getting used with KJ Parker' style, getting to love her (??) novels and reading and rereading all previous 9 plus the P&B novella brought me back to this one and this time I really loved it and fully appreciated it; I still think Scavenger is the best of her work overall and I would start either with that or with Fencer, but this one is an excellent addition to this powerful fantasy writer' wrok
Now on reread: getting used with KJ Parker' style, getting to love her (??) novels and reading and rereading all previous 9 plus the P&B novella brought me back to this one and this time I really loved it and fully appreciated it; I still think Scavenger is the best of her work overall and I would start either with that or with Fencer, but this one is an excellent addition to this powerful fantasy writer' wrok
May 13, 2011
“Other people help themselves to penknives and inkwells; if they’re feeling really daring, they might liberate a keg of nails or a few lengths of timber. You steal bits of geography.”—“The Company”
Throughout the course of English literature, islands have often been used as settings, mainly because they serve as the perfect microcosm for civilization and society. Jonathan Swift established this tradition in “Gulliver’s Travels,” using the various island inhabitants Gulliver encounters to satire the British government. The fact that Great Britain itself is an island likely had bearing on Swift’s choice of setting. But Swift also established an island as solitary and isolated, a perfect breeding ground for the unknown and fantastical. It is an author’s Petri dish, a blank canvas in which the psychology of society can be intimately explored.
Romanticism focused on islands as places to commune with nature, while leaving the hustle bustle of society behind. Other novels like William Golding’s “Lord of the Flies” took a more Hobbesian approach, watching as civilization inevitably disintegrated as the inhabitants embraced their animalistic impulses, finally resorting back to a state of nature. And it is this aspect which makes islands so fascinating; the ability to thrust characters into the state of nature and watch what unfolds. Do they choose to be human, or do they choose to be an animal?
K.J. Parker’s entry into the island mythos “The Company” breathes new life into the genre. Parker is clearly in Hobbes’s camp, and shapes the story to accelerate the island’s societal breakdown. But her twist is unique. Often the rules of society are what initially hold people in check on the island. They essentially take the societal rules they know and reestablish them on the island, often with deliciously disastrous results. General Kunessin’s ultimate motive in the novel is to escape a society which is hostile to his desires in order to form his own vision of civilization. However, Parker’s main characters are governed by a different bond, loyalty above all else to A Company. The novel concentrates on the question of whether military brotherhood is stronger than societal brotherhood. Does almost dying together make living together any easier? The strength of the Company’s interrelationships is constantly challenged within the story, as Parker piles more weight upon the bonds holding them together, searching for an elusive breaking point. It makes for a fascinating character study. “The Company” as a whole is an intricately developed and intelligent examination of the good and evil we find in humanity. It is human nature writ large, and it’s chilling for that fact.
The chapters are mainly separated into two sections. The first section focuses on historical anecdotes about the Company. The second follows the current narrative on the island. Most of the character development happens through the historical anecdotes, though there are a few flashbacks that become quite relevant to the main plot near the end. The flashback sequences are generally more enthralling than the main plot as the problems the group runs into on the island can be mundane. Much like an episode of the television series Survivor, it’s not survival tasks like the searching for shelter and food that are the most engaging aspect, but the characters plotting against each other in the background. And Parker doesn’t disappoint in this respect, thickening the intrigue chapter by chapter. It’s is at this point that “The Company” really hits its stride, as characters plot and counterplot after reviewing all the angles. The intellectual interplay between Kunessin and Aidi Proiapsen really stands out in this respect.
I thought the mundane nature of the obstacles the Company encounters could be attributed to Parker’s deemphasizing of civilization in the novel. Kunessin’s priorities are different than one would expect in his situation. At times, his attitude seems antagonistic towards using resources to build the best island society he can. He’s a slave to his vision, constantly emphasizing brotherhood over community. Also things like shelter and food are something I take for granted, so searching for them seems trivial to me, even though they are not in this situation.
I think Parker’s deemphasizing of societal bonds is evident in another aspect of the novel, the wives. The women are unapologetically chattel in the book. The men marry them because farmers need wives. The men’s bonds with their wives are quite secondary. Interestingly, women have often been viewed as the basis of society; they are the ones that traditionally make the nest, while men are the hunter-gatherers. I felt that the men’s attitudes towards their wives mirrored their views about society. By deemphasizing the women, Parker deemphasizes civilization’s grip on A Company.
Last Word:
Simply stated, “The Company” is an enthralling read. It is an astute observation on human nature which deeply explores the bonds of brotherhood. The historical anecdotes are fantastic, and K.J. Parker writes with a vision that is above most genre literature.
Throughout the course of English literature, islands have often been used as settings, mainly because they serve as the perfect microcosm for civilization and society. Jonathan Swift established this tradition in “Gulliver’s Travels,” using the various island inhabitants Gulliver encounters to satire the British government. The fact that Great Britain itself is an island likely had bearing on Swift’s choice of setting. But Swift also established an island as solitary and isolated, a perfect breeding ground for the unknown and fantastical. It is an author’s Petri dish, a blank canvas in which the psychology of society can be intimately explored.
Romanticism focused on islands as places to commune with nature, while leaving the hustle bustle of society behind. Other novels like William Golding’s “Lord of the Flies” took a more Hobbesian approach, watching as civilization inevitably disintegrated as the inhabitants embraced their animalistic impulses, finally resorting back to a state of nature. And it is this aspect which makes islands so fascinating; the ability to thrust characters into the state of nature and watch what unfolds. Do they choose to be human, or do they choose to be an animal?
K.J. Parker’s entry into the island mythos “The Company” breathes new life into the genre. Parker is clearly in Hobbes’s camp, and shapes the story to accelerate the island’s societal breakdown. But her twist is unique. Often the rules of society are what initially hold people in check on the island. They essentially take the societal rules they know and reestablish them on the island, often with deliciously disastrous results. General Kunessin’s ultimate motive in the novel is to escape a society which is hostile to his desires in order to form his own vision of civilization. However, Parker’s main characters are governed by a different bond, loyalty above all else to A Company. The novel concentrates on the question of whether military brotherhood is stronger than societal brotherhood. Does almost dying together make living together any easier? The strength of the Company’s interrelationships is constantly challenged within the story, as Parker piles more weight upon the bonds holding them together, searching for an elusive breaking point. It makes for a fascinating character study. “The Company” as a whole is an intricately developed and intelligent examination of the good and evil we find in humanity. It is human nature writ large, and it’s chilling for that fact.
The chapters are mainly separated into two sections. The first section focuses on historical anecdotes about the Company. The second follows the current narrative on the island. Most of the character development happens through the historical anecdotes, though there are a few flashbacks that become quite relevant to the main plot near the end. The flashback sequences are generally more enthralling than the main plot as the problems the group runs into on the island can be mundane. Much like an episode of the television series Survivor, it’s not survival tasks like the searching for shelter and food that are the most engaging aspect, but the characters plotting against each other in the background. And Parker doesn’t disappoint in this respect, thickening the intrigue chapter by chapter. It’s is at this point that “The Company” really hits its stride, as characters plot and counterplot after reviewing all the angles. The intellectual interplay between Kunessin and Aidi Proiapsen really stands out in this respect.
I thought the mundane nature of the obstacles the Company encounters could be attributed to Parker’s deemphasizing of civilization in the novel. Kunessin’s priorities are different than one would expect in his situation. At times, his attitude seems antagonistic towards using resources to build the best island society he can. He’s a slave to his vision, constantly emphasizing brotherhood over community. Also things like shelter and food are something I take for granted, so searching for them seems trivial to me, even though they are not in this situation.
I think Parker’s deemphasizing of societal bonds is evident in another aspect of the novel, the wives. The women are unapologetically chattel in the book. The men marry them because farmers need wives. The men’s bonds with their wives are quite secondary. Interestingly, women have often been viewed as the basis of society; they are the ones that traditionally make the nest, while men are the hunter-gatherers. I felt that the men’s attitudes towards their wives mirrored their views about society. By deemphasizing the women, Parker deemphasizes civilization’s grip on A Company.
Last Word:
Simply stated, “The Company” is an enthralling read. It is an astute observation on human nature which deeply explores the bonds of brotherhood. The historical anecdotes are fantastic, and K.J. Parker writes with a vision that is above most genre literature.
September 19, 2017
There were six boys from the village who all left (for one reason or another) to join the army. Naturally, being young men of no particular stature and with no particular connections, they were assigned to a unit performing particularly difficult duty with a particularly low survival rate; nonetheless, four of them came back.
Now, several years later, a fifth (Teuche Kunessin, who stayed in the army and rose to general) has also returned, and he has an Idea for the men in his old unit -- there's this island, see, just off the coast, that was abandoned, and wouldn't it be nice if all five of them got married, recruited some indentured servants to do most of the heavy lifting, loaded up a ship full of livestock and supplies, and went and settled on the island?
SPOILER: No. No, it wouldn't be nice at all.
So we spend part of our time in the present watching people make entirely reasonable decisions that turn out to have been exactly the wrong course of action, and part of our time in the past seeing how the members of the Company spent their time in the war. (SPOILER: They were not very nice at all. And do you think one or more of them might have deeply-hidden dark secrets that might be exposed at the very worst possible time?)
As with all the Parker I've read (the Fencer, Scavenger and Engineer trilogies), there's a quietly mordant wit to the writing, and a specificity of detail that makes you suspect that Parker has, e.g., actually taken a ship full of fractious livestock to an island and tried to get them down a too-steep gangplank in a filthy rain.
Now, several years later, a fifth (Teuche Kunessin, who stayed in the army and rose to general) has also returned, and he has an Idea for the men in his old unit -- there's this island, see, just off the coast, that was abandoned, and wouldn't it be nice if all five of them got married, recruited some indentured servants to do most of the heavy lifting, loaded up a ship full of livestock and supplies, and went and settled on the island?
SPOILER: No. No, it wouldn't be nice at all.
So we spend part of our time in the present watching people make entirely reasonable decisions that turn out to have been exactly the wrong course of action, and part of our time in the past seeing how the members of the Company spent their time in the war. (SPOILER: They were not very nice at all. And do you think one or more of them might have deeply-hidden dark secrets that might be exposed at the very worst possible time?)
As with all the Parker I've read (the Fencer, Scavenger and Engineer trilogies), there's a quietly mordant wit to the writing, and a specificity of detail that makes you suspect that Parker has, e.g., actually taken a ship full of fractious livestock to an island and tried to get them down a too-steep gangplank in a filthy rain.
September 19, 2015
Wow. My first 5 star novel of 2015. The mixed reviews are not surprising because KJ Parker's style is very divisive and not for everyone. This book knocked me on my ass. In less than 500 pages, he created multiple characters that are fully formed (Teuche, Aidi, Fly, Muri, Kudei, Enyo, Merin and Dorun) with their own identities, motivations and existential crises and as usual I never knew where we were headed. Each character and their path will stay with me for a long, long time.
There are a couple things to expect when reading a KJ novel:
1. An examination of one (or a couple) of the seven deadly sins
2. Mechanical Engineering
3. Micro & Macro Economics
4. A deconstruction of Human Memories
The permutations of these 4 themes in varying details is why KJ Parker in my opinion is one of the best writers in speculative fiction today. As dark as his works are, they are also absolutely hilarious and I swear I always learn something new about the wonders of building a civilization or destroying one. If you would like an introduction to his works I always recommend "the folding knife".
Long live A Company!
There are a couple things to expect when reading a KJ novel:
1. An examination of one (or a couple) of the seven deadly sins
2. Mechanical Engineering
3. Micro & Macro Economics
4. A deconstruction of Human Memories
The permutations of these 4 themes in varying details is why KJ Parker in my opinion is one of the best writers in speculative fiction today. As dark as his works are, they are also absolutely hilarious and I swear I always learn something new about the wonders of building a civilization or destroying one. If you would like an introduction to his works I always recommend "the folding knife".
Long live A Company!
March 15, 2025
After loving The Folding Knife, I thought KJ Parker could be a new favorite author for me. The Company worked far less for me, though. It takes too long to get to the island, there are too many characters that aren't introduced in the best way, both these aspect preventing me to settle into the story - which isnt a traditional plot structure - and grow attached. It still was interesting, I just couldnt form a connection.
January 19, 2009
The Company by KJ Parker
Published by Orbit UK, October 2008
448 Pages
ISBN: 9781841495095
(ARC copy received.)
So: the war’s over, the soldiers return home – what happens next?
K J Parker’s latest standalone novel examines such a situation, not often looked at but one clearly relevant in a Fantasy world: what happens to soldiers after the war is over?
The basic story here (though to be fair, KJ’s stories are rarely basic) deals with a company of men, skilled in their wartime efforts, who all (or nearly all) have gone back to their homes and their civilian lives. As you might expect, life outside the army is quite different. The impression given here is that after the war, despite the company’s heroism, non-combatants either know little or are unimpressed now that things are returning to normal seven years after. There is a return to the relative simplicity of civilian life and the mundane actions of small village communities. Bravery counts for little.
One of those returning, admittedly later than some of the others in this tale, is recently-retired Colonel (or at times General) Teuche Kunessin, commander of A Company. He has plans. Having leased the island of Sphoe upon his stand-down (decommissioning?), he plans to use the abandoned facilities there and create his own colony with all of his ex-comrades-in-arms. He returns to the village of his birth to recruit his compatriots – cattle farmer Kudei Gaion, defence school teacher Thouridos (nicknamed ‘Fly’) Alces, shopkeeper Aidi Proaipsen and tanner Muri Achaiois - and make good on a promise they made when in the army.
His compadres, realising the strength of the bonds of wartime friendship, rather conveniently drop everything, sell up, buy resources and get hitched in order to make their future life of self-sufficiency a reality. Unfortunately, despite Colonel Kunessin’s reputation for being methodical and meticulous, (and being a KJ Parker novel) things do not go as planned.
This is KJ Parker’s first standalone. For those who found The Engineer Trilogy too long and slow, this might be a better option. It has many of those signature touches of Parker – the slow delivery, the detached narrative, the details of how to make and build things, which this one does. It wouldn’t be a KJ Parker story unless it told us of such activities as how to build a boat, rebuild burnt-down buildings, go panning in a river, build cranes, herd cattle and smelt metal. As ever, KJ’s tale is an education as well as an entertainment, which can, in equal measures, intrigue and annoy.
It also has that slow, yet painstaking, unravelling of a dark tale which KJ has achieved so well in previous books. Again, here it starts slowly but builds cleverly to its conclusion. It is an unsettling story, one which deals with the basest of human actions rather than holds the moral high ground. To some extent the novel subverts the usual Fantasy clichés to suggest some enigmatic ideas that may make the unwary reader uncomfortable. Strangely, despite initial appearances, it is not a tale of heroism, though the protagonists are wartime ‘heroes’. Instead, being KJ Parker at the author’s most cynical, it deals more with the darker values of avarice, greed, snobbery, deception, murder, adultery and cowardice. Though it tells tales of bravery it is more about survival, both in wartime and peacetime.
We also see here another recurrent theme in Parker’s books, that of the importance of gender in this quasi-agrarian situation. There are very different roles for the sexes here, with wives that are bought and relationships are forged in a variety of logical yet rationally unemotional ways. The two are not always compatible. Without giving plot revelations away, their interactions and positions in this micro-society are an important part of this novel and Parker emphasises here how and why those differences between the soldiers and the soldier’s wives are important.
On the SFFWorld forums I’ve précis’ed the book as ‘imagine Lost meets The Italian Job’. At its simplest, it is a survivalist tale combined with a meticulously designed if not executed crime caper. Not all is what it appears to be and much of the fun is watching unexpected things unfold. Though not as extraordinary as some might suggest, it is a very good book, though Parker’s singular worldview may not be for all.
As has been said at times of Parker’s previous work, it is a bitter, dark, cynical tale, yet also a masterfully planned and executed book, one that builds on ever-revealing characterisation and back-story, leading slowly yet inexorably to its final conclusion. Many readers may not like the ending, and although you may not feel happy about it, it is, like Parker’s previous efforts, knowingly and coldly logical.
September 2008
Published by Orbit UK, October 2008
448 Pages
ISBN: 9781841495095
(ARC copy received.)
So: the war’s over, the soldiers return home – what happens next?
K J Parker’s latest standalone novel examines such a situation, not often looked at but one clearly relevant in a Fantasy world: what happens to soldiers after the war is over?
The basic story here (though to be fair, KJ’s stories are rarely basic) deals with a company of men, skilled in their wartime efforts, who all (or nearly all) have gone back to their homes and their civilian lives. As you might expect, life outside the army is quite different. The impression given here is that after the war, despite the company’s heroism, non-combatants either know little or are unimpressed now that things are returning to normal seven years after. There is a return to the relative simplicity of civilian life and the mundane actions of small village communities. Bravery counts for little.
One of those returning, admittedly later than some of the others in this tale, is recently-retired Colonel (or at times General) Teuche Kunessin, commander of A Company. He has plans. Having leased the island of Sphoe upon his stand-down (decommissioning?), he plans to use the abandoned facilities there and create his own colony with all of his ex-comrades-in-arms. He returns to the village of his birth to recruit his compatriots – cattle farmer Kudei Gaion, defence school teacher Thouridos (nicknamed ‘Fly’) Alces, shopkeeper Aidi Proaipsen and tanner Muri Achaiois - and make good on a promise they made when in the army.
His compadres, realising the strength of the bonds of wartime friendship, rather conveniently drop everything, sell up, buy resources and get hitched in order to make their future life of self-sufficiency a reality. Unfortunately, despite Colonel Kunessin’s reputation for being methodical and meticulous, (and being a KJ Parker novel) things do not go as planned.
This is KJ Parker’s first standalone. For those who found The Engineer Trilogy too long and slow, this might be a better option. It has many of those signature touches of Parker – the slow delivery, the detached narrative, the details of how to make and build things, which this one does. It wouldn’t be a KJ Parker story unless it told us of such activities as how to build a boat, rebuild burnt-down buildings, go panning in a river, build cranes, herd cattle and smelt metal. As ever, KJ’s tale is an education as well as an entertainment, which can, in equal measures, intrigue and annoy.
It also has that slow, yet painstaking, unravelling of a dark tale which KJ has achieved so well in previous books. Again, here it starts slowly but builds cleverly to its conclusion. It is an unsettling story, one which deals with the basest of human actions rather than holds the moral high ground. To some extent the novel subverts the usual Fantasy clichés to suggest some enigmatic ideas that may make the unwary reader uncomfortable. Strangely, despite initial appearances, it is not a tale of heroism, though the protagonists are wartime ‘heroes’. Instead, being KJ Parker at the author’s most cynical, it deals more with the darker values of avarice, greed, snobbery, deception, murder, adultery and cowardice. Though it tells tales of bravery it is more about survival, both in wartime and peacetime.
We also see here another recurrent theme in Parker’s books, that of the importance of gender in this quasi-agrarian situation. There are very different roles for the sexes here, with wives that are bought and relationships are forged in a variety of logical yet rationally unemotional ways. The two are not always compatible. Without giving plot revelations away, their interactions and positions in this micro-society are an important part of this novel and Parker emphasises here how and why those differences between the soldiers and the soldier’s wives are important.
On the SFFWorld forums I’ve précis’ed the book as ‘imagine Lost meets The Italian Job’. At its simplest, it is a survivalist tale combined with a meticulously designed if not executed crime caper. Not all is what it appears to be and much of the fun is watching unexpected things unfold. Though not as extraordinary as some might suggest, it is a very good book, though Parker’s singular worldview may not be for all.
As has been said at times of Parker’s previous work, it is a bitter, dark, cynical tale, yet also a masterfully planned and executed book, one that builds on ever-revealing characterisation and back-story, leading slowly yet inexorably to its final conclusion. Many readers may not like the ending, and although you may not feel happy about it, it is, like Parker’s previous efforts, knowingly and coldly logical.
September 2008
January 31, 2012
(Re-posted from http://theturnedbrain.blogspot.com.au/)
This book was ruined for me by an offhand comment I saw after reading it. ‘Hey,’ the comment said, ‘wouldn’t The Company have been a really awesome horror story?’
And damn it. Because, yes, The Company would have made a truly awesome horror story. Now, instead appreciating it for what it was, all I can think about is what it could have been. Which is stupidly unfair of me. It’s like going to a Chinese restaurant and then getting upset because the food isn’t French enough. It’s not like Miss Peregine’s House of Peculier children which openly promised creepy goodness and delivered nothing of the sort. At no point does The Company claim to be a horror novel, and nowhere have a seen it marketed as such.
And yet… what a horror novel it could have been!
Five guys who were close knit when they fought side beside in a war but have since drifted a part reunite with an ambitious plan to settle on an abandoned island. They hire some servants, find some wives, and set off. We get a few hints about a hurriedly and mysteriously abandoned colony, and seemed a reasonable assumption to make that whatever made the original inhabitants clear out would also come for our heroes.
Except, no. It’s just not that kind of book. The Company is a close study of the relationship between the five men, who were once closer than brothers and have now barely spoken for a decade. They have secrets (of course they have secrets, this is KJ Parker book after all), and it's not long before these secrets start to make things complicated.
Anyone who had read anything by K.J.Parker knows that characters are her strong suite. She excels at creating realistically flawed men and women who are rarely wholly good or wholly bad. And while the five men are the focus of the book, Parker also devotes a lot of attention to their wives, only one of whom was courted and married in the traditional sense. The others were acquired in much the same way as the grain, boots and other things needed for the trip. It makes for some diverse and interesting viewpoints.
But the best part about this book is learning who these men are, what they’ve done and what they mean to each over. Which makes it hard to review because most everything I could discuss is a spoiler. Plot wise not a whole lot actually happens in The Company. It’s split between the present as the men struggle to establish a liveable colony and flashbacks of the war. It was fascinating to see how the dynamics between the men have changed and what has stayed the same over the years. The slow reveal of various secrets and events added more suspense to the book than you might have expected from the thin plot, and there’s a real sense of impending doom that hangs over the whole thing. (*cough* Not unlike as in a horror novel *cough*).
I will say that given the slow build of this novel I thought the ending was way too rushed. It reminded me a bit of Stephen King in that respect, great start great middle, disappointing finish. It wasn’t enough to ruin the book for me though, and if I can ever forgive it for not being a horror novel I’m sure I’ll remember it most fondly.
This book was ruined for me by an offhand comment I saw after reading it. ‘Hey,’ the comment said, ‘wouldn’t The Company have been a really awesome horror story?’
And damn it. Because, yes, The Company would have made a truly awesome horror story. Now, instead appreciating it for what it was, all I can think about is what it could have been. Which is stupidly unfair of me. It’s like going to a Chinese restaurant and then getting upset because the food isn’t French enough. It’s not like Miss Peregine’s House of Peculier children which openly promised creepy goodness and delivered nothing of the sort. At no point does The Company claim to be a horror novel, and nowhere have a seen it marketed as such.
And yet… what a horror novel it could have been!
Five guys who were close knit when they fought side beside in a war but have since drifted a part reunite with an ambitious plan to settle on an abandoned island. They hire some servants, find some wives, and set off. We get a few hints about a hurriedly and mysteriously abandoned colony, and seemed a reasonable assumption to make that whatever made the original inhabitants clear out would also come for our heroes.
Except, no. It’s just not that kind of book. The Company is a close study of the relationship between the five men, who were once closer than brothers and have now barely spoken for a decade. They have secrets (of course they have secrets, this is KJ Parker book after all), and it's not long before these secrets start to make things complicated.
Anyone who had read anything by K.J.Parker knows that characters are her strong suite. She excels at creating realistically flawed men and women who are rarely wholly good or wholly bad. And while the five men are the focus of the book, Parker also devotes a lot of attention to their wives, only one of whom was courted and married in the traditional sense. The others were acquired in much the same way as the grain, boots and other things needed for the trip. It makes for some diverse and interesting viewpoints.
But the best part about this book is learning who these men are, what they’ve done and what they mean to each over. Which makes it hard to review because most everything I could discuss is a spoiler. Plot wise not a whole lot actually happens in The Company. It’s split between the present as the men struggle to establish a liveable colony and flashbacks of the war. It was fascinating to see how the dynamics between the men have changed and what has stayed the same over the years. The slow reveal of various secrets and events added more suspense to the book than you might have expected from the thin plot, and there’s a real sense of impending doom that hangs over the whole thing. (*cough* Not unlike as in a horror novel *cough*).
I will say that given the slow build of this novel I thought the ending was way too rushed. It reminded me a bit of Stephen King in that respect, great start great middle, disappointing finish. It wasn’t enough to ruin the book for me though, and if I can ever forgive it for not being a horror novel I’m sure I’ll remember it most fondly.
September 12, 2021
Worst misleading cover blurb of all time. Nothing akin to THE ITALIAN JOB outside the word 'con' (which in this case is pulled entirely on you the reader), but do remember how pissed you were at the end of LOST, about the futility of it all and all the wasted involvement, time, energy, thought, as it is exactly like that. Here's the summary: About 400 pages of a diary from a pilgrim coming to a new land, a la,
Day 3: sacrificing all for a new home, heading to sea.
Day 15: terrible waves, just pushed the last of the horses overboard. We can do this.
Day 23: been becalmed for 4 days. Sailors just killed the last dog for dinner.
Day 38: eaten the soles of our shoes. Lost two more overboard in the storms. We can make it.
Day 41: wrecked on shoals, land ho!
Day 44: so cold can't get a fire started in this rain. Only have the rags we're wearing and this stupid journal.
Day 48: gathered all the refuse salvaged from the wreck, wood and surplus metal army parts and artichoke hearts. We might make it.
Day 50: eating bugs isn't so bad. Met a friendly native who is sharing roots and mushrooms with us.
Then 20 pages of
Day 57: oooh, aug, argg, owwww, we're dying, the native poisoned us.
Day 57: what?! You betrayed us?! And you've been backstabbing us for decades?! And you're stupid?!
Day 57: found this book among all these dead guy's stuff. Think I'll keep it. Bye y'all.
It did end differently than anticipated, but that is so underwhelming it matters neither here nor there. Though it could piss you off if you had any energy or heart left to care.
Monumental waste of time.
Day 3: sacrificing all for a new home, heading to sea.
Day 15: terrible waves, just pushed the last of the horses overboard. We can do this.
Day 23: been becalmed for 4 days. Sailors just killed the last dog for dinner.
Day 38: eaten the soles of our shoes. Lost two more overboard in the storms. We can make it.
Day 41: wrecked on shoals, land ho!
Day 44: so cold can't get a fire started in this rain. Only have the rags we're wearing and this stupid journal.
Day 48: gathered all the refuse salvaged from the wreck, wood and surplus metal army parts and artichoke hearts. We might make it.
Day 50: eating bugs isn't so bad. Met a friendly native who is sharing roots and mushrooms with us.
Then 20 pages of
Day 57: oooh, aug, argg, owwww, we're dying, the native poisoned us.
Day 57: what?! You betrayed us?! And you've been backstabbing us for decades?! And you're stupid?!
Day 57: found this book among all these dead guy's stuff. Think I'll keep it. Bye y'all.
It did end differently than anticipated, but that is so underwhelming it matters neither here nor there. Though it could piss you off if you had any energy or heart left to care.
Monumental waste of time.
January 14, 2010
Brilliant writer, intriguing premise, and a "fantasy" novel that includes no magic or supernatural components. The fantasy is simply the abandoned island that a group of war veterans colonize in hope of building their own personal utopia. Unfortunately, each of their visions is not quite on the same page and the "situation" is a breeding ground for each of their true natures to be fully realized. KJ Parker has probably the grimmest view of the human soul I've yet to encounter. This is not for anyone who wants a light, fun read. The book is slow and methodical at many points and the painstaking detail about how they set themselvews up (tools, clothes, weapons, etc.) can drag you down even further, but at the same time, the anticipation of their eventual doom keeps pulling you through the muck. I have about 20 pages to go on this, and I will be glad when I'm done.
May 22, 2020
Very good dark and gritty fantasy novel by Parker. The Company concerns a band of 5 solders, the leader of which (the 'general') finally retires and hooks up with his old mates (now veterans) who are all back in the same town they originally came from. The general proposes to colonize a small island that was formerly a military base/staging area, but now deserted. The novel oscillates between the here and now on the island and flashbacks from the war. As usual with Parker, there is no magic, making him somewhat unique in the fantasy realm.
Parker's prose leads you along nicely, and the grim details from the war gradually emerge, fleshing out the characters one by one. There are no heroes here, and no happy endings either. Nonetheless, Parker does probe the human condition in some detail and that makes it a rewarding read.
Parker's prose leads you along nicely, and the grim details from the war gradually emerge, fleshing out the characters one by one. There are no heroes here, and no happy endings either. Nonetheless, Parker does probe the human condition in some detail and that makes it a rewarding read.
January 22, 2022
Although structure of The Company's story line is not as solid and coherent as The Fording Knife. It still a excellent masterpiece I have seen.
Even if you were retired from war, It's hard to get rid of the effect of warfare. at first 5 soldiers, as Linebreaker gathered together. Treason, forged transfer deed, arson etc.. Those sins in The pass would drove LineBreakers into conflicts, eventually they would confront the pass they had with each other.
From the earlier story has implied the story has a gloomy ending, so be prepared the story would be leaded to a tragedy ending.
Even if you were retired from war, It's hard to get rid of the effect of warfare. at first 5 soldiers, as Linebreaker gathered together. Treason, forged transfer deed, arson etc.. Those sins in The pass would drove LineBreakers into conflicts, eventually they would confront the pass they had with each other.
From the earlier story has implied the story has a gloomy ending, so be prepared the story would be leaded to a tragedy ending.
October 13, 2016
This was my first K.J. Parker book, and although I'd heard that he was a writer I should check out, I'd been able to stay away from any remarks on what his writing was actually like. So I went into this without any expectations or even idea of what I was in for. I think that helped my experience.
The book starts off as a kind of idealistic reunion/retirement. A group of army buddies re-connect with each other when their leader comes back home and they are able to put their old retirement plan into motion: move off to a secluded island by themselves and start a small colony, enjoying the honest work and good company. That's what the first bit of this book is about. But then things start shifting, changing, and there are some small shadows that fall across their bright and happy plans. Then some of their history is revealed, and some twists and turns on the island throw their plans out of motion.
And then the real story starts. Underneath it all, there's darkness and vengeance and intrigue and betrayal, and these loyal friends...unravel a bit. I don't think I can talk too much more about it, because giving anything away would ruin the way it's all revealed. Slowly. Subtly in some cases. Brashly in others.
But it's really great. I loved it.
All in all, it kind of reminded me of some of the ways that Joe Abercrombie writes...he takes what we expect to happen and kind of flips it on its head. That happens a bit here, too, but not necessarily in the same way that Abercrombie does it.
Turns out this was a really great book for me to start with K.J. Parker. It hit all of my buttons and the ending was really well done. I can see how some people might not like it, but it really worked for me.
The book starts off as a kind of idealistic reunion/retirement. A group of army buddies re-connect with each other when their leader comes back home and they are able to put their old retirement plan into motion: move off to a secluded island by themselves and start a small colony, enjoying the honest work and good company. That's what the first bit of this book is about. But then things start shifting, changing, and there are some small shadows that fall across their bright and happy plans. Then some of their history is revealed, and some twists and turns on the island throw their plans out of motion.
And then the real story starts. Underneath it all, there's darkness and vengeance and intrigue and betrayal, and these loyal friends...unravel a bit. I don't think I can talk too much more about it, because giving anything away would ruin the way it's all revealed. Slowly. Subtly in some cases. Brashly in others.
But it's really great. I loved it.
All in all, it kind of reminded me of some of the ways that Joe Abercrombie writes...he takes what we expect to happen and kind of flips it on its head. That happens a bit here, too, but not necessarily in the same way that Abercrombie does it.
Turns out this was a really great book for me to start with K.J. Parker. It hit all of my buttons and the ending was really well done. I can see how some people might not like it, but it really worked for me.
March 21, 2022
Bleak.
A retiring commander tracks down his old war buddies from a legendary elite squad and convinces them to leave their lives to risk it on their dream of creating and owning a new village together. Unfortunately they are bound together not only by their unbreakable ties of combat brotherhood but also by the traumas they have inflicted on each other.
I think this is a well written book but I would recommended starting anywhere else with K.J. Parker other than this. Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City seems to be the most popular.
A retiring commander tracks down his old war buddies from a legendary elite squad and convinces them to leave their lives to risk it on their dream of creating and owning a new village together. Unfortunately they are bound together not only by their unbreakable ties of combat brotherhood but also by the traumas they have inflicted on each other.
Aidi frowned, then said, “That was different. That was in a war. It’s like swimming. If you’re in water, you swim, you’ve got to, or you drown. On dry land, though, swimming’s completely out of place, it’ll get you nowhere and you’d be stupid to try. The war’s over, Teuche. We don’t have to do that sort of thing any more.”
I think this is a well written book but I would recommended starting anywhere else with K.J. Parker other than this. Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City seems to be the most popular.
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