The Books of the South: Tales of the Black Company [Paperback]

This collection of three Black Company novels tells the story of the Company's journey out of the North, into the South, and how the Company came to fight the Shadowmasters. For several reasons, this isn't as cohesive a volume as "The Books of the North," but it still represents some of the best work done in military sci-fi/fantasy. Fans of the Black Company should pick this up for their bookshelves. Newcomers will also find a lot to like, but I'd recommend starting with "The Books of the North" or skipping straight to the Glittering Stone storyline.

"Shadow Games" is set-up book, telling about the mercenary Black Company's flight from the North after its near-destruction at the end of "The White Rose." Still narrated by physician/historian/Captain Croaker, it feels very much like the first three books. The story is very episodic, in keeping with the storytelling mechanic of having Croaker tell the Company's history in the Annals. As with the previous three novels, a lot happens here, and there's not a single paragraph you can afford to skip.

"Dreams of Steel" shifts the narration to Lady, who is either your most or least favorite character. Either way, there's no denying that she's fascinating, and telling the story from her perspective was a great way for Cook to compress events. Instead of Croaker's style of telling a three-month tale in the space of a single chapter, Lady provides more detail, and this novel covers a lot less territory as a result. This is the only novel Lady narrates, and it sets up the events of "Bleak Seasons" (which, I hope, will come out soon in a "Glittering Stone" collection).

A previous reviewer named "The Steel Spike" as her personal favorite, and I'm glad to hear I'm not alone there. It's a "by the way" story, following some of the characters who left the Black Company after the events of "The White Rose." Many are our old favorites, and this book is their swan song. This is the last we see of Raven, Silent, and Darling. It's narrated by a new character, someone from outside the Company, and I actually found Case's narration to be a lot more engaging than any of the others Cook has used; it's a lot more conversational and personal, and gives us an outsider's perspective on the culture of the Black Company. "The Steel Spike" doesn't strictly follow the story of the Company's transition to the South, but it fits with this collection as a way of tying up the last of the story threads from the first volume.

Overall, this is not The Black Company at its best, but it's still miles better than most other fantasy fiction. The gritty realism and themes we expect from Glen Cook are all here, as is the persistent refusal to classify any of our protagonists as "evil" or "good." (This is most obvious when we see the world through Lady's eyes in "Dreams of Steel.") It's still the story of soldiers, sorcerers, and the people caught in the midst of a struggle they don't even try to understand. Highly recommended for fans of engaging, realistic fantasy.

"Shadow Games". The Black Company took heavy losses at the battle of the Tower of Charm. Croaker leads what is left of his comrades in arms on a quest to find the lost Annals in order to bring it to the free companies' birth city Khatovar that may not exist outside of ancient history or perhaps mythos. The expedition is dangerous from the natural predators, but they must deal with shadowmaster wizards who believe humans are expendable at a time the squad still hurts.

"Dreams of Steel". Following another devastating battle at Degajore, Croaker is missing and probably dead. A former brutal wizard-empress, Lady is in charge of those members of the Black Company that escaped the city's death trap. She struggles to rally her force as they must make a desperate attack on the seemingly invincible shadowmaster wizards.

"The Silver Spike". As much of the Black Company survivors trek south in search of legendary Khatovar, some depart. Darling rejects Raven, who becomes bitter and an alcoholic until Philodendron Case begins to help him. Darling and Silent return to their underground haven. Others are also in retreat and hiding.

This omnibus contains books 4-6 and is a natural follow-up to the first omnibus reprint (see CHRONICLES OF THE BLACK COMPANY containing the first three tales - The Black Company, Shadows Linger, and The White Rose). The fine military fantasy saga holds up well through books 4 and 5 and the twists appear plausible as Glen Cook provides the full impact of war on people. However, the Omnibus edition enhances flaws as Lady seems to have the same command voice as Croaker that is blatantly obvious when reading Shadow Games and Dreams of Steel and The Silver Spike is a fascinating sidebar tying up some dangling threads, but feels out of place (though it is my personal favorite). Still the Black Company remains strong military fantasy.

Harriet Klausner

I found The Chronicles of the Black Company quite by accident at my local bookstore, and loved it. It's one of those books that doesn't follow the typical literary trends, and once you settle in, you're in the middle of a terrific fantasy story. It's gritty, unrelenting, and told from a very engaging world-weary perspective.

So I purchased The Books of the South from Amazon and enjoyed it just as much as the first collection. I enjoyed the change of annalists from Croaker to the Lady. I thought she was a great character in the first collection, and to have the story told by her was fascinating...her nonchalance to brutal discipline and the other harsh realities of war, which are given to us in a manner that I've not read anywhere else.

The Silver Spike was an interesting story which wrapped up some loose ends that didn't necessarily relate to the current travels of the Black Company **SPOILERS** However, I was disappointed by the body count of some great characters, which means they won't be showing up anytime soon in the South. No matter, Glen Cook is a top writer and I'm looking forward to finishing the Black Company stories.