| Title | : | She is the Darkness (The Chronicles of the Black Company, #7) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0812555333 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780812555332 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Mass Market Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 470 |
| Publication | : | First published September 1, 1997 |
At the heart of the plain stands a vast grey stronghold, unknown, older than any written memory. One ancient tower has collapsed across the fissure. From the heart of the fastness comes a great deep slow breath like that of a slumbering world-heart, cracking the olden silence.
Death is eternity. Eternity is stone. Stone is silence.
Stone cannot speak but stone remembers.
So begins the next movement of Glittering Stone....
The tale again comes to us from the pen of Murgen, Annalist and Standard Bearer of the Black Company, whose developing powers of travel through space and time give him a perspective like no other.
Led by the wily commander, Croaker, and the Lady, the Company is working for the Taglian government, but neither the Company nor the Taglians are overflowing with trust for each other. Arrayed against both is a similarly tenuous alliance of sorcerers, including the diabolical Soulcatcher, the psychotic Howler, and a four-year-old child who may be the most powerful of all.
She is the Darkness (The Chronicles of the Black Company, #7) Reviews
-
💀 The Black Company is Recruiting Again Buddy Rereread (TBCiRABR™) with the MacHalos and stuff 💀
➽ And the moral of this rereread is: go paranoid or go home.
That's the spirit!
➽ And the other moral of this rereread is: one can be three-quarters dead and yet still be five-fourths chickenshit. Yes, one indeed can.
➽ And the other, other moral of this rereread is: bamboo doohickeys and pinky nail pets for the win!
P.S. BRB dead. Again.
👋 To be continued and stuff.
[July 2018]
💀 Buddy reread with thecluelessnew 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: 18 stars.
New rating: 20+ million stars. And a half.
➽ And the moral of this reread is: there is a slight chance this might possibly be the best book in this series. And one of the bestest books I have ever read in the entirety of my entire life. And also one of my mostest favoritest books of all time. Maybe. Perhaps .
➽ And the other moral of this reread is: ghostwalking (not to be mistaken for that other glorious pastime commonly known as ♫
ghostdancing♫, just so you know) + my boyfriend Murgen (aka He WhoSnoresRoars Like A Starving Bear) being his usual, super hot self + severed heads +mercenariesmushrooms + treacherously treacherous everyone and everything + my boyfriend Croaker turning into a grumpy, harrumphing grandpa without losing an inch of his utter sexiness + ectoplasmic short hairs + grim brats in dire need of a good paddling + Machiavellian Twists R Us + the hottest couple the world has ever seen + paranoia maxima + the undying charm ofmy girlfriend Ladynasty old bitches + emergency flying carpets + the best aunteverthis side of the Plain of Fear + the most nerve wracking final chapters in the history of most nerve wracking final chapters =
And also:
P.S. I think I like this book. A little.
[Original review]
☠ Glen Cook Please Have Mercy on Us Buddy Read (GCPHMoUBR™) with my fellow mercenaries
Evasive,
Slowpoke and
Cleaver ☠
Actual rating: 18 freaking stars. Yes, intergalactic amazement is me again.
➽ A quick recap for theclueless peopleLittle Barnacles who had the terrible misfortune to miss the previous episodes:
❣ Glen Cook is a GENIUS.
❣ Glen Cook is inhumanly TALENTED.
❣ Glen Cook is a GOD.
❣ Glen Cook, I worship thee.
❣ Glen Cook, I am naught but a lowly barnacle in utter awe and complete amazement of your never-before and never-after equaled BRILLIANCE.
❣ This series is the best series EVER.
❣ The books in this series are some of the VERY best I have EVER read in the entirety of my entire life.
❣ Blah blah blah.
❣ Blah blah blah.
❣ Blah blah blah.
❣ And blah.
❣ And stuff.
You think I have nothing else to say here? Because there is no way anyone can review utter perfection for the seventh time in a row? Hahahahaha. You're so funny, my Little Barnacles. You should know by now that I ALWAYS have something to say. Admittedly, what I have to say is mostly pointless and uninteresting, but has it ever stopped me before, I ask you? No, you don't need to answer that. Because QED and all that crap.
So. She is the Freaking Darkness. I swear, Glen Cook nearly killed my fellow readingbuddiesmercenaries and my little self here. Most of our discussions about this book went something like this:
» Mercenary #1: "asdfadasfdrtwefjskhfbiyhuiw!!!!"
» Mercenaries #2 & 3: "we know!! We know!!"
» Evgeny, aka Evasive: this will be explained two books from now.
» Mercenaries #1, 2 & 3: "ARRRRGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!"
Yes, there are lots of #BRBdead moments in thisseriesbook. Because Glen Cook is more devious, more vicious and more ruthless than all the villainous villains in this series put together. I'm telling you, this guy is almost as heartless as I am. And that's saying something. The man is out to get us. But before he does, he will revel in watching us suffer endlessly. It is absolutely glorious.
Yes, Glen Cook is actually a freaky cat in real life. Who would have thought you could write the best series in the history of best series using only freaky kitty cat's paws?
Why so many #BRBdead moments, you ask? Because this book is Backstabbing Paradise. Diabolically Duplicitous Double-Crossing (DDDC™) is a Glen Cook trademark, but treachery and betrayal and manipulation reach unprecedented levels in this instalment. Knives in the back are the ultimate fashion accessory here! Backstabbers being backstabbed by the backstabbers they thought they were backstabbing while those were being backstabbed by the backstabbers they thought were backstabbing! From the very first to the very last page! And when I say the very last page, I mean it, Little Barnacles! And what goes hand in hand with Backstabbing Paradise, I ask you? Paranoia Heaven! YESSS!!!!! You can trust no one in She is the Freaking Darkness! NO ONE and NOTHING!
Oh yeah, that's right. Not even rocks can be trusted here.
Things get so heavenly paranoid in Paranoia Heaven you even start having doubts about the Mostest Awesomest Holy Trinity (MAHT™), aka MY Murgen, Grumpy Croakie, and Impaling Fangirl Lady! Yep, that is just how heavenly paranoid and deliciously suspicious things get in this book. You can trust NO ONE and NOTHING, I tell you! Not even the love of your life, the ex-love of your life, or your future girlfriend! It's wicked yumminess and yummy wickedness perfection!
Now. I could go on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on about this Glorious Object of Utter Perfection (GOfUP™), but today seems to be Lucky Little Barnacle Day (LLBD™) so the crap is about to get cut. BUT. But. But. But. I wouldn't dream of letting you resume your desperately boring, Cook-less life without mentioning a few of the Glorious Things that makes this GOfUP™ utterly glorious. So here goes:
Bamboo tubes. Freaky kids, aka grim midgets. Problematic in-laws getting drunkenly down and dirty with grumpy-insane wizards on wood pallets (life will never be the same). Reformed-yet-not-so-reformed raving lunatics. Little shits everywhere. Ghostbustingwalking . Mystic parasites. Mushrooms kept in the dark and fed a diet of horseshit. Ectoplasmic spies. AND WHO THE BLOODY HELL THE FREAKING DARKNESS IS SHE????!!!!!
{please insert sigh of utter, absolute bliss and complete total contentment here. And you might want to throw in a tiny little bit of subdued excitement, too}
Oh please don't act surprised and pretend you didn't know this was coming! Actually, you should feel really lucky I was able to keep my inner fangirl in check up until now. So stop whining, you big babies.
We only have two instalments left to read in this series. We shall return. We shall get revenge on all the devious, treacherous bastards and go all Lady-Kina-Deceivers on them. There will be blood. There will be beheadings. And garrotings. And impalements. Limbs shall get deliciously severed. And our interiors shall be redecorated with our enemies' body parts. Because that's how we roll in Glen Cook Heaven (GCH™).
"Even Water sleeps, but Enemy never rests."
· Book 1:
The Black Company ★★★★★
·Book 1.5:← I have no idea where this book came from, or what it's about. Pretty sure I never read it.
Port of Shadows ★
· 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 6:
Bleak Seasons ★★★★★
· Book 8:
Water Sleeps ★★★★★
· Book 9:
Soldiers Live ★★★★★ -
Buddy read with
Athena &
Gavin!
"Darkness is our time. And darkness always comes."
With the Siege of Dejagore a distant memory, the Black Company goes relentlessly on in the quest for Khatovar and the lost tales of its origins. And while all kinds of enemies rally against them, the Company marches on the fortress of Overlook, last stronghold before the mythic Plain of the Glittering Stone...
She Is the Darkness is definitely the best Black Company book so far, beating even the spectacular Dreams of Steel. Even though I prefer Croaker's and Lady's points of view, the Books of Murgen are brilliant in their own right. Besides Glen Cook's masterful combination of eloquence and profanity, this book is filled with grand battle scenes, extraordinary plot twists, a villain rising up to become one of the greatest characters in the series, and the absolute best ending in the series so far. -
3.5
“La piedra tiembla. La eternidad se mofa mientras devora su propia cola. Este frío banquete casi ha terminado.
Hasta la muerte está impaciente”.
Seguimos con las aventuras de La Compañía Negra por las tierras sureñas. He de admitir antes de comenzar con esta reseña que he sido un poco idiota porque no me fijé que este libro contenía el doble de páginas que sus predecesores (600 páginas) y yo no entendía que por mucho que leyese no avanzaba nada en la historia. Después de un cuarto de historia ya me di cuenta. En fin, que se puede decir, cuando no te da por mirar el número de páginas en los libros digitales es lo que pasa.
Como dije hace un momento, seguimos con las aventuras de La Compañía. Sin embargo, esto no es del todo cierto, sino más bien la segunda parte de la historia de Murgen, que, como el propio Matasanos comentaría de sus escritos, los anales sirven para escribir la historia de la Compañía y de la gente que la compone, no solo la historia del analista.
“La muerte es eternidad. La eternidad es piedra. La piedra es silencio.
La piedra no habla, pero recuerda”.
En general, siento que esta parte, a pesar de ser la más larga en cantidad de páginas, ha sido, a su misma vez, la que menos acontecimientos ocurren. Me ha dado la sensación que no he avanzado nada en la historia, como si se quedase estancada con respecto a los tomos anteriores. Sin embargo, esto no quita el hecho que no me haya gustado, al contrario, me ha encantado como el resto de las novelas. Amo esta saga y me alegro de haberla descubierto en este momento de mi vida. Probablemente la vuelva a releer una vez la acabe y me compre en físico los tres primeros libros en físico, (porque si estuviesen también el resto lo haría, sin lugar a dudas).
“-La muerte y la desesperación es lo que padecemos toda la vida. Este mundo es un mundo de dolor y perdida, iluminado solo brevemente por momentos de felicidad y admiración. Debemos vivir para esos tiempos, no lamentemos que pasen.
-Debemos vivir para la venganza, viejo estúpido”.
Por otro lado, sé que lo he dicho en varias reseñas de esta saga, pero es que es inevitable. Cada libro que pasa veo más elementos que utilizaría Steven Erikson para crear Malaz. Hay algunas veces que me he empezado a reír porque son muy cantosos. Pero bueno, no está nada mal como luego lo refleja Erikson en su obra y Gleen Cook ha hecho un gran trabajo. Su obra es magnífica.
“Un cuervo grazna.
No hay silencio. La piedra está rota.
Donde haya tan solo una grieta la vida echará raíces.
La luz encontrará una forma de entrar”.
Por último, pero no menos importante, el final me ha dejado loquísima. Pensaba darme un mini descanso de un par de libros para seguir la saga, ahora que se acerca una temporada mala para mí, pero no voy a ser capaz. Me ha dejado con muchas ganas de saber que pasa.
“Ella es la oscuridad”. -
این جلد ناامیدم کرد. راوی این جلد هم مثل قبل مورگنه، اما مثل قبل اصلا جذاب نیست. خیلی زیاده گویی داره و همین حجم کتابو الکی برده بالا. در حالی که میتونست خیلی راحت تو نصف همین صفحات داستانو روایت کنه.
روحگردی های مورگن هم این جلد رسما بازیچه دست گلن کوک شد تا دستش مثل دانای کل باز باشه در حالی که راوی اول شخصه. خیلی تقلبکاری جناب کوک.
و پایان کتاب که یهو شاهد افت آیکیو شخصیت ها هستیم. 80 درصد اولیه کتاب خیلی خوب و منطقی پیش میره اما اخرش یهو تصمیمایی میگیرن که انگار نه انگار آدمای باتجربهای هستن.
فقط امیدوارم جلد بعدی که راوی عوض میشه یکم این تلخی رو بشوره ببره. -
اول میخواستم چهار بدهم بعد دیدم جز کینهی شخصی نسبت به حجیم بودن کتاب دلیل دیگری ندارم پس پنج نصیبش شد.
هنوز ویرایش و شخم زدنش مانده!
-----------
آپدیت خوانش دوم:
و تمام! خدا عمر و عزت به گلن کوک بدهاد و به ما صبر و استقامت! :-D -
"In normal times," Longshadow said, "I would go out to the Shadowgate personally and employ the traps there to collect the shadows I want to use. To obtain the best effect they have to be trained. Once they are properly trained they will leave their friends alone. The skrinsa can employ them without troubling me. But these are not normal times."
No. They were not. And when he mentioned the shadowweavers I began to wonder if he knew just how bad off he was when it came to followers. At no time had he ever had much contact with those who managed the daily business of his fortress. He gave orders. They got executed. Only a handful of his people had survived Lady's last attack. They continued to care for him. Howler had seen to that.
He no longer had any shadowweavers to manage any trained shadows he might have.
On the other hand...
At one time there had been a crystal chamber atop a tower every seventy feet along Overlook's southern wall. Inside each was a mirror that could be used to cast the light there in a beam onto the ground surrounding the road down from the Shadowgate. It had taken a couple of men to aim each mirror.
Longshadow did something by moving small figurines in a collection on a table, as though making multiple moves in a board game. He said a single word.
The lights in the surviving tower tops waxed brilliant. Light beams reached out across the night. Like accusing fingers they swung to point in the general area of Croaker's Old Division. They did not light up the slope nearly as well as they had in former times but I was impressed. They did their jobs without the aid of one human hand.
The others there were impressed, too. Narayan seemed a little troubled, the Howler suddenly restless. Longshadow did not notice. He moved on to his next step. He said, "The lights are unnecessary to coming events. I just thought it would be amusing if our enemies watched one another scream their lives out."
He giggled.
Howler sat up straight as a spear, suddenly alert. He did not like the way things were going.
Maybe Longshadow was not as big a fool as everyone thought.
I spent a moment too long watching the girl for a reaction. Smoke did his she is the darkness reaction and started to back off. I held him. We were about to witness some excitement.
Longshadow stepped up to the big crystal sphere standing on a pedestal at the center of the chamber. His audience watched carefully, nervously. This was not something he had done in front of witnesses before. I doubted they knew what the sphere was.
The globe was four feet in diameter. What looked like little tunnels followed wormtracks in to a hollow place at its center. As Longshadow stepped closer shimmering light rippled over its surface, like oil on water but much more intense. Snakes of cold fire wriggled through the channels inside. It was a hell of a show.
Longshadow raised his spidery hands. Carefully, he removed his gloves and pushed up his sleeves. The skin he revealed seemed both translucent and pus-colored, with speckles of blue beneath, like cheese. He had a fine crop of liver spots. There was almost no flesh on him at all.
The Shadowmaster rested his hands on the surface of the sphere. The lights inside became excited. The surface shimmer climbed his fingers, covered his hands. His fingers sank into the globe like hot rods slowly melting their way into ice. He grabbed the worms of light and began twisting.
He began to talk in a conversational sort of voice, of course using a language that nobody recognized-though the Daughter of the Night frowned and leaned forward as though she was able to puzzle out a word here and there.
The Shadowmaster summoned a shadow. I could not see it. It was inside the pedestal supporting the globe. But I felt it. There was not much to it but it was very, very cold.
The Howler dropped to the floor and leaned closer to watch. Narayan and the Daughter of the Night stared, bemused. The kid took a few steps forward. Singh moved closer to the door, for a better angle of view.
Longshadow spoke for several minutes, his eyes closed tightly. As he finished the brightness inside the globe began to fade. He opened his eyes and stared out southward as he had done ten thousand times before, watching the area illuminated by the mirrors.
She is the darkness!
I was not looking at the brat...
Not that darkness.
A very special darkness. A surprise darkness that should not have caught me that far off guard, considering.
4 1/4 stars -
“When all the rest is said and done we’re still the Black Company. We get the other guys to do the dying.”
I am very glad I have returned to the Back Company. And that statement carries some weight when we are into the 7th book of the series.
From the start one thing shines through the darkness of this volume, which is so different in style from the Black Seasons. There seem to be several narrators in Mr Cook, for the change in the way the individual books are narrated is astounding; it is almost too great a range for one man. A different style characterises the chronicles by Croaker, a very different style characterises the notes of Lady, and Murgen has been a narrator for whom I have harboured serious reservations as a chaotic and exotic persona. Naturally, the unevenness in style lends credibility, as if one is really reading notes from completely different authors who encapsulate parts of their own personalities, their own problems, into the narrative. However, it also means that if you are not a fan of the narrator, you might have problems with pushing through. That was me in Black Seasons. To my surprise, in the present instalment, Murgen develops and matures; he is less self-obsessed, more coherent, and learns to wield sarcasm pretty well.
“Obviously you have me confused with somebody who thinks he’s a hero.”
She is the Darkness is no longer the chaos caused by the plunge into the past hours of Dedjagore, but it still deviates from Croaker’s tidy notes and Lady’s impassionate account and focuses mainly on Murgen and the things that are related to him personally. Here, Lady and the Captain are withdrawn and secretive in their deliberations and schemes, not sharing their plans with anyone. And so, we are left the dreaming Murgen in full swing. But it is not a delirious, incoherent wreck. He is normal when awaken and only spiritually checking every now and then what is going on here and there, which allows the reader to be firmly anchored in a particular place of action and time.
Despite being the longest volume so far, I have to say that there were relatively few moments where I found the reading dreary. Nothing that we know and love from the previous volumes is missing here: intrigue in abundance, while scheming and misleading the enemy reign supreme.
“Everybody was doing something to somebody.”
There are a lot of twists and turns in this volume, some of them painfully predictable, especially one , but they are also others which are quite good (well hello, Sleepy!). The whole sleeproaming lends a lot of dynamics to the whole story, and following the actions of the other characters is more interesting because the density increases exponentially.
We feel all the dirt and grime of numerous battles, we feel the fatigue of the protagonists; we also have epic moments, shocks and surprises, and above all, the mystery built up from the beginning of The Books of the South (#3.5-5) grows ever thicker. At times, the whole plot devolves into a nightmarish dream, in which not only do we not know whether the action is taking place in the dreamscape or is actually leaking into the waking world, but also whether the protagonists are the sole masters of their own thoughts and behaviour. For strange forces are increasingly manipulating and influencing the people we know so well. The dark mystery is the greatest asset of this part.
No one trusts anyone, everyone is scheming with everyone else, and therefore there is no much-needed resolution; instead, once more we see a lot of “going around in circles” with the antagonists. However, the level and scale of the quid pro quos increases to a crescendo in the final chapter.
What a mess!
Such is the charm of this series.
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 ★★★☆☆
6.
Black Seasons ★★★☆☆
8. Water Sleeps RTC
9. Soldiers Live RTC
10. A Pitiless Rain RTC -
This installment of the Black Company series was the most enjoyable since the original trilogy. The likable Murgen is back as narrator and a host of familiar faces reappear as the Black Company continues their relentless march towards Khatovar.
I continue to like Murgen's "voice" and his ability to ghost walk is also pretty interesting as it gives the reader a glimpse at the happenings of all the parties involved in the story.
The villains are plentiful, and each has their own valid motivations for their actions. They also hold real threat and menace. If I had to pick a favorite villain of the bunch it would be the enigmatic and unpredictable Soulcatcher.
The ending was a real shocker. I'm eager to move onto Water Sleeps and discover what happens next.
Rating: 4 stars.
Audio Note: Johnathan Davies continues as narrator and gives his strongest performance so far. -
Buddy read with the mercenaries of BB&B.
She is the Darkness is one of those books that a reader needs breaks every once in awhile from. Not because of high handed writing or ridiculous characters but because the tension can be felt like an oppressive blanket smothering you. I just knew that this will end badly, that at the end I will be screaming and sobbing and demanding justice. I could feel the trap coming from about a third of the book in and two days later I still can't think of a way for the Black Company to have avoided it (other than never setting foot in the Southern parts of their world).
I didn't want to finish this book. I wanted to just put it off indefinitely but at the same time my curiosity was killing me. Is this the book in which we reached the fabled Khatovar? Do we finally learn what's in those old annals? Or how the Free Companies came to be? What is Kina planning? And who the hell is the She in the title? At some parts of the book I was convinced She is Lady, then that it's Lady and Croaker's kid, then Kina, then Soulcatcher then (for a very little time) I was even entertaining the idea that She is Mother Gota (I know weird theory but Glen Cook manages to get me all tangled up).
Talking about Ky Gota I'm really mad at the Nyueng Bao. Well not all Nyueng Bao just Murgen's in-laws. they're dicks and while I was told by the more seasoned mercenaries in our little buddy-reading company that they have their reasons for what they did, I'm still pretty pissed. And the fact that Murgen is aware of what they pulled off and the current situation makes the ending all the more frustrating and heartbreaking. Seriously, can't the Black Company catch a break? Just for once I would like them to have a couple of years of peace and quiet so they can just live a little! Is that too much to ask for?
Now I'm facing a dilemma. I both want to start the next book immediately and I'm scared of doing so because there'll be some major changes dictated by the ending and I'm not sure I'm ready for them. Decisions, decisions... -
The Black Company doesn't get very far in this installment of their tale. They're stuck outside Longshadow's Overlook for the vast majority of the book, wallowing in mud, barely making do for food, hunkering down during earthquakes, and defending themselves from the shadows turned loose by one of their least favourite wizards. But despite this lack of movement, I found it involving reading. If you, like me, have made it this far in the series, you're pretty invested in the Company, it's quest, and it's future.
Murgen, our standard-bearer and narrator, has his own struggles to deal with—the pain of losing his wife, the annoyance of her uncommunicative and ever-present family, and the odd duties that his strange talents have saddled him with. Actually, Murgen's ability to *walk the ghost,* apparently a form of astral projection, is an ingenius way for Cook to show us what is happening away from the Black Company without having to change narrator. Some folks are more difficult to track than others, leaving enough uncertainty to make things interesting. Plus, one man can't be everywhere at once, so some things will remain unseen. Murky enough to produce the necessary plot tension.
The title of the book, although apt, is a bit nebulous until the last pages. There are plenty of women with dark designs involved in the action, so the reader has choices. Lady, Kina, Soulcatcher, or the Daughter of Darkness. These women haven't been held back by their gender! They are powers to be conjured with.
There are interesting revelations and setbacks, as well as forward movement. All the paranoid, back stabby plotting that we expect from Croaker and Lady. It's reassuring to know that some things don't change.
Book number 364 of my Science Fiction & Fantasy Reading Project -
Hindsight: Dropping the score slightly, for the same reason as Bleak Seasons.
I am slightly conflicted.
On one hand this had some of the best stuff in the series. On the other hand a large part of it had a certain narrative frame, that made me feel like the character I was following was not really that active.
Overall, middle of the pack. Think it was really good, but not among my favorites.
7.7/10 -
Buddy Read
Gavin &
Markus
In the night, when the wind no longer whines, through a fortress that was there before the plain that was there before the first Free Company marched, stone whispers. Stone sprouts. Stone grows. Stone buds and stone flowers. A thousand pillars rise where no-pillar has stood before. Moonlight sweeps the plain, setting aglitter the characters taking form, remembering a few of the fallen.
It is immortality of a sort.
SOOOOOO much better than the last..I need the next book. I had a feeling it would have a cliff hanger ending. -
Wow! What an ending! Dark and haunting - just perfect for Halloween! :D
Much more positive book than Bleak Seasons. If that one invited to the House of Pain - this one is all about paranoia. Just as I felt my interest is starting to dwindle due to too many mysteries and hidden plots and agendas - twists started unravelling. Few I could see coming and few were pleasant surprises. Second half of the book doesn't lack in action and has some good scary moments with the shadows. I have to say shadows reminded me a lot of Shades in Fever series and I think it's quite possible K.M.M. borrowed the idea from Cook.
This book is a must read if you've read Bleak Seasons. It doesn't give all the answers but certainly unravels quite a few mysteries set out in the previous book. And that ending!! Some might see it as a cliffhanger. To me it was awesome and could just be - The End. But of course then it would leave some questions unanswered. -
*** 4.75 ***
A buddy read with the mercenaries at BB&B!!!
Holy-Glittering-Balls, What the Hell Happened???? WTF?!?!?!
Another Black Company adventure on the road to Khatovarm and another absolutely insane ending!!! What, How, Who, all of those are questions that flashed like a disco ball in a club in the 70's through my mind, as the book got closer to its ending... So many people back-stabbed one another, that I am not sure if all the main players were not stabbed by a different blade dozens of times!!!! The closer they come to their final destination, the more unseen and unexpected dangers assail the mercenaries of the Black Company. Despite the warnings, planning, and secretive manipulations the Captain Croacker and his Lady come up with, the closer they get to the mythical Plain of the Glittering Stone, the more unfortunate events befall them... No one wants to speak of the Plain and no one has ever returned from there... The ominous signs that arise at every corner are not enough to discourage Croacker from continuing his quest to reach the land where the Black Company and the other Free Companies were born.... According to legends, they were nothing like the Black Company of today, but something born of nightmares and slaughter!!!! The lost tales of its origins sing their siren song and Croacker is determined to follow!!! Meanwhile, enemies rally against them, brothers are perishing, and scariest of all, One Eye is probably hooking-up with Mother Gota!!!! THE HORROR!!!
There is no way for anyone to describe the plot in a satisfying fashion without giving something up, and I am not about to do so, because I want all other readers to become as paranoid as I was by the time I was half done!!! This book got to me, making me jump at noises and expecting anyone to have an agenda and plan some type of betrayal!!!! I will be lucky if by the end of the series I do not develop some kind of Combat Post Traumatic Disorder!!! We are the company, after all, and we go through all the horrors with them!
I LOVED Murgen's point of view, although I agree with Croacker that he is a bit self-centered and one sided while writing the annals... Despite that, he gives us one hack of a psychedelic trip!!! I CRAVE MOREEEEE!!!!
As you all can see, I have been obviously already damaged by the relentless march to Khatovarm and the only hope of salvation is to get there in one piece, disembowel all of the Company's enemies, and find a clean bed and a pillow to lay my head on... This is the only way, the one hope for releasing the insanity which digs its claws deeper and deeper the closer we get to the Plain of the Glittering Stone.... Are we there yet????
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بیشتر داستان کتاب حول پیشروی گروهان سیاه به سمت جنوب و تلاش برای رسیدن به مبدا اولیه گروهان، یعنی کاتووار بود و در این بین، عمده تمرکز اصلی روی روحگردی پرچمدار فعلی، مورگن بود
شاخ و برگای کتاب بیش از حد بود و خیلی از جاها لحنای مرموزی داشت که شاید توی صفحات آخر یه بخشی از اسرار حین روح گردی فاش شد، ولی در مجموع بیشتر برای پر کردن صفحات بود
با وجود پایان غیرمنتظره و جذابی که داشت، ولی انقدر طولانی و کشدار بود که به نظرم میتونست حتی 200 صفحه کمتر باشه بدون اینکه آسیبی به جریان اصلی داستان زده بشه -
This is the longest book of the series so far, clocking around 450 pages (others are around 300-320). And there's really a lot to cover with numerous possible conflicts and schemes going on. Suffice to say, I wasn't disappointed. Not until the very end, at least.
Military tactics and plans are pretty well described, as is the paranoia of the people leading an army. The conflicts, betrayals, plans and everything else unfolding are pretty great overall.
The only issue I had was about the ending. Croaker is a 20+ year veteran and Captain of the army, was the previous Annalist and extremely suspicious and paranoid, always thinking of every possible situation. Lady commanded an empire that span half the world for centuries, is an extremely powerful sorceress and also extremely clever.
However, these two had to swallow a huge dose of the Stupid Pill for the convenience of the plot. It was so unbelievable I almost dropped the whole book to a 2* star, but a day later realized it wouldn't be fair because the vast majority of the book was excellent. But this does deserve a mention.
Despite my rant, the rest of the book was really good and only this ending spoiled it. -
Definitely five stars, even though at the moment I'm not sure what hit me with the ending. My brain is still squawking "What? What?! WHAT?!" I think I may need to reread the last few chapters when the shock wears off.
I'm not sure what I can say about this installment without spoilers. But wow, it's clear now just which "She" is the Darkness, and the reveal was utterly chilling. I'm still shaking. The imagery and atmosphere of the final fifth or so of this book are just amazing -- incredibly creepy and evocative. I'm going to be walking a shining black road across a barren and glittering plain in my head for a while, I think.
The amount of backstabbing in this story has left me wondering why I trust anybody. The twists were big and surprising, and I am (as always) completely in awe of Glen cook's ability to keep doing this to me. Seven books into a series, and everything happening still feels fresh and inspired.
I can't wait to get to the final two books. And yet I am already afraid of how barren my reading life will feel once I'm done with this twisting, mind-screwing series. -
At the beginning of and throughout the entire previous Black Co. book,
Bleak Seasons, I was not too impressed that Murgen, the Standarbearer, had taken over for Croaker as the new company Annalist. I had been very attached to Croaker, long time Black Co. Annalist and overall narrator for the reader, since the very 1st Black Company chronicle. Very shortly into this installment I finally accepted the fact that Murgen now filled the position and grew almost as fond of him as I had been of Croaker. After all, Croaker is still in the story so Cook hadn't completely taken him away from us.
Without getting into the plot, I adored this particular Black Co. excursion and would put it right up there with my top couple Black Co. books. It may sound strange but I kinda love the realness of these books- subtract the mystical bits and it could almost be true-war non-fic. accurately representing the struggles faced by the individual soldiers
These books have, weirdly, probably been the source of one of my biggest reading revelations concerning tastes- that maybe 'I' don't even know what I like. Anyone who knows me would not expect me to be the type of person to read a militaristic mercenary-filled fantasy- especially not 7 or 8 of them. Despite that, I have come to especially love this series and am going to be sad when it's over. Only 2 more books left -
Not quite as good as Bleak Seasons, but still a solid enjoyable book. It has all the other strengths the series is known for, but events here feel a little more drawn out than usual. I know drawing it out is kind of Glen Cook's thing since the focus is more on the characters and what it's like to be a soldier, but the character development felt stagnant here too. There are some fantastic sequences in here though, and the ending is super good.
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This book is a definite improvement from the last two books in the series, although Bleak seasons was a good book but I definitely thought that it lagged in some parts and main issue with it was our narrator i.e. Murgen just kept jumping from past to present and it was hard to identify where he was exactly each time, the previous book ends with a earthquake occurring which has devastating consequences especially for shadow masters side.Cook is on his own turf when he writes about soldering because he manages to capture the whole war is meaningless thing and the boredom associated with it as the soldiers have to do the same thing day in and out.This book is full of action from the start and especially the siege at overlook was really captured well.
The book continues from the last in the sense that Croaker decides to crush the shadow masters once and for all and decides to march on overlook.Cook gives us in detail how large an arsenal this army basically requires.Also the company manages to keep one step ahead of the enemy due to the comatose wizard smoke. We find that murgen is hooked on traveling in dream world and is spending more and more time there he gets addicted a sort to it.His habit finally gets noticed by croaker and one eye and croaker finally confronts him with hard facts regarding uncle gota,mother doj and tie day. Murgen discovers some facts about about Sahri's murder which just blew my mind.
The battle at charandaprash is also an exciting an battle with company going head on against mogaba at that battle we actually come to know what really is going on between blade and croaker. Also croaker finds his own shoes as captain in this book, this is not the croaker how we knew from first three books this basically a man who spends most of his time know determining strategy regarding how to get the company back to khatavar. Another important character in this book is definitely soul catcher the way she executes her strategy against the company in overlook as well as in taglios reminded me of Breaking bad episode where Bryan cranston execute 9 convicts scattered across different prisons in just 5 minutes.
The cliffhanger at the end was one of the best I have read in a long time.Read this book if you want the answers regarding did the company manages to reach khatavar ?.The only annoying aspect of the book was regarding keena because it was difficult to exactly know what cook wants to convey in that scene except that this is book is a solid 4/5 stars and has bought the black company series back on track for me. -
I am finally done! It took me forever to read this book...
OK, Im going off topic for just a second here...
See, I am a Libra, the Cardinal air sign. In most people this doesn't matter, but I seem to be the epitome of a cardinal air sign. I flit around, I have trouble focusing, I always want to be in the next place...I can even dreamfly.
So in this book, Murgen slips back in forth in time, learns to dreamfly, and basically runs around not focused on anything....So I liked it (what's not to like?) but it would just serve to remind me of my own life, and I would get back to it! lol
So I had a lot of problems with the narrator, but they were all personal and I quite enjoyed the book anyway, it just made it that much harder to focus... -
3.5 star(s)
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Murgen is some kind of spirit flier now, spying on every major player on the southern continent at will. It makes for an awfully handy exposition device.
Four books into the second Black Company trilogy and there's no end in sight, as we lurch from one whopper of a cliffhanger to another. I continue to enjoy Murgen's external POV of Croaker and Lady but I despair of receiving any kind of narrative closure. I'm starting to have Robert Jordan flashbacks.
Plot points: -
The first book in the series to really showcase Glen Cook's brillaince since the original trilogy!
A fast paced novel that really gives off a dark sense of foreboding from beginning to end that doesn't let go.
Murgen has really come into his own as the narrator of the Annals of The Black Company. After finishing The Books of The South trilogy, I almost gave up on the series. They just didn't have the feel of the first three books.
I'm glad I soldiered on, because this book blew me away! Five stars and I'll be reading the next installment soon. -
the last third of this book is sooo good and the lead up to the next book *chef's kiss*
I'm sure anyone's looking at reviews this far into the series has a pretty good idea of what to expect but MAN THAT ENDING -
یکی از بهترین کتاب های مجموعست که مرتب به خواننده رودست می زنه و غافلگیرش می کنه.البته این روح گردی های مورگن انگار ابزار نویسنده برای روایت داستانه و می خواد با همون اول شخص روایت کنه و یک جورهایی تو ذوق می زنه ولی خب این قدر روند داستانی عالی بود که بهش نمره ی کامل رو می دم.
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I just can't get into Murgen as the POV narrator. His ghosting/time warp ability feels arbitrary and gimmicky.
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Much easier to follow along than the previous couple books. Another good story with the Black Company.
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DNF at 85%.
It's really rare for me to not finish a book, and there were times I really tortured myself to read on. I thought about quitting around the 25% mark, then again around 50%, but I forced myself to push on. There's supposed to be a big cliffhanger by the end. But ... well ... I just gave up.
All the issues I had with the previous novels are here, but it's not only that.
Instead of being roughly 300 Pages like all the predecessors, "She is the Darkness" is a lot longer. Thing is, I don't really see any justification for it. The Story is actually thinner and more compact this time around, dealing mostly with a couple of battles and schemes to defeat Longshadow. I would've hoped that the increased length would be used to improve and overhaul the dreadful prose, but that is not the case.
My biggest problem with this story, however, was the protagonist. I don't have anything against Murgen as a Character, but what he does in this conflict is just annoying the f**k out of me. Most of the book is about him entering a ghostrealm that allows him to travel to any place at any time and thus being able to oversee all the politics, all the schemes and all the fighting from a safe distance. It's very rare that he is personally (i.e. in the flesh) involved in any of this. As a result, it has all the tension and excitement of watching a Let's-Player on Youtube playing a videogame.
At some point, the routine just became tedious. Murgen dreams himself into the ghostworld, discovers some minute piece of information (or none at all), reports it to Croaker or Lady, spends some time in Camp, then goes of dreaming again. He speculates a lot about the schemes that all the leaders of the various factions are spinning, but he is mostly left on the outside. After a while, this gets heavily repetitive.
Everything gets repetitive after a while here. One-Eye complains about every joke made on his behalf, Mother Gota complains in general, Company Brothers exchange the same platitudes over and over without having much in terms of character development. Croaker is moody most of the time, Lady is secretive and stressed out. It's repeated over and over and it just feels tiresome.
There is stuff happening here, and it is actually not that bad. However, the way it is told has to be among the most boring and unexciting ways to tell a story, period.
I'm done with the series. I regret it, because I got seven books in and there are only two left. I had hoped that the series would at some point click with me, but it never happened. The storytelling is interesting, but overall just too haphazard and fragmented, and Cooks writing style is driving me nuts, if it goes on for more than 300 pages.
