Rating: 
Summary: Here it is.
Review: Another great book about the Black Company.
Rating: 
Summary: Better than the first
Review: Better than the first.
My second adventure with the Black Company was better than the first; centered around the reprehensible barkeep, Marron Shed, a weak man in heavy debt to money-lender gangs. We watched one of his only patrons, a slumming 'hero' named Raven as he "slipped farther into the darkness--for the highest of motives." Gain the "pragmatic amorality of a prince of Hell" all for the side of 'good'.
And Shed, a murderer, robber, sex addicted seller of corpses (some not yet dead)--become something worthy.A twister and turner of the concepts of morality, "Shadows Linger" had me re-read the "The Black Company" and between the two books, going back and forth, the characters finally gained more substance. And despite themselves, infighting maneuvers oh the higher-ups shifted the pillaging and raping mercenary, Black Company from their current patron over to the side of 'good'.
Hum. The general background and story plot was decent and imaginative.
Rating: 
Summary: Grim, Engrossing Fantasy
Review: Glen Cook's "Black Company" certainly isn't for everyone, but for those who enjoy unusual characters who are not so much "heroes" as they are the "lesser" of two evils, then this is the series for you. There are times when his writing gets a little complicated, and it can be hard to follow, but you can forgive this flaw because the story and the characters are unique and engrossing. Highly recommended for fans of noir fiction, Roger Zelazney, dark humor, or Steven Brust.
Rating:
Summary: Grim, Engrossing Fantasy
Review: Glen Cook's "Black Company" certainly isn't for everyone, but for those who enjoy unusual characters who are not so much "heroes" as they are the "lesser" of two evils, then this is the series for you. There are times when his writing gets a little complicated, and it can be hard to follow, but you can forgive this flaw because the story and the characters are unique and engrossing. Highly recommended for fans of noir fiction, Roger Zelazney, dark humor, or Steven Brust.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: I began this series as a filler between Jordan episodes, but its really growing on me. The characters are great. The story would flow more smoothly with a map or two, but the complicated nature of the good vs evil struggle is very compelling. I highly recommend it. Its much better than Path of Daggers.
Rating: 
Summary: Simply uninteresting
Review: I don't understand how anyone can find the Black Company books fun. Personally, I couldn't wait to finish the thing... and thanks to it's short 300 pages, that wasn't too much of a chore. The back of the book promises a story of the Black Queen and the rise of the White Rose, her enemy who has been reborn as a young girl. It promises that the Black Company, the battlehardened soldiers from the first book, would be caught in the middle and their very lives would be in jeopardy! So where was that story? Instead we are treated to some guy who double-crosses his wife, some guys who steal urns from an underground cemetary and some mentions of the black company. It took 200 of the 300 pages to even mention the White Rose. After reading the disappointing first book in the series, I was hoping that this one would shed some light on what that first one was lacking. It just confused me more. There is absolutely not a single interesting or well-developed character in 'Shadows Linger'. At least the first had Croaker, but even he is cast aside as a second string character. The names flit right past the reader, without anything to hook the reader in. Perhaps the characters themselves are the 'Shadows' that 'Linger'... shadows that would be fortunate to be called one-dimensional. That aside, the story itself was just uninteresting. There's more plot development on the back cover blurb than there is in the actual novel. Some of the plot elements had absolutely no motivation behind them. It was as if Glen Cook was purposely leaving out details like "Why on earth are they doing this?" ... Meanwhile, I'm going to highly suggest fantasy fans stay away from this directionless time-waster.
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful...
Review: I have no idea what some of these reviewers are talking about when they call the plot in this book "thin" or not fully realized. This is one of my favorite Cook novels...period. The first time I read it, I literally could NOT put it down. The whole plot line with Marron Shed and his struggle with the morality of what he's doing...I was captivated by it. And this is in addition to the intertwining plots involving: Raven & Darling and what he's up to, the black castle and the purchase of the dead, the return of the Dominator and the Barrowlands, the Limper and his hatred of the Company, etc etc etc. It is true that Cook's style is unlike many in the fantasy genre. He doesn't spend page after page describing fantastical scenery or expounding upon ancient history to make his world seem full of depth. He's too busy describing what's going on NOW. And there's a lot going on...Another masterpiece in my opinion.
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful...
Review: I have no idea what some of these reviewers are talking about when they call the plot in this book "thin" or not fully realized. This is one of my favorite Cook novels...period. The first time I read it, I literally could NOT put it down. The whole plot line with Marron Shed and his struggle with the morality of what he's doing...I was captivated by it. And this is in addition to the intertwining plots involving: Raven & Darling and what he's up to, the black castle and the purchase of the dead, the return of the Dominator and the Barrowlands, the Limper and his hatred of the Company, etc etc etc. It is true that Cook's style is unlike many in the fantasy genre. He doesn't spend page after page describing fantastical scenery or expounding upon ancient history to make his world seem full of depth. He's too busy describing what's going on NOW. And there's a lot going on...Another masterpiece in my opinion.
Rating:
Summary: My personal favorite of the whole series
Review: I LOVE the Black Company series. But Shadows Linger is easily my favorite novel in the whole series. Here's why: The Black Company is one of the great creations of modern fantasy. In a genre in which most stories are starkly black and white--really great good guys and really bad villans--the Black Company (contra its name) lives in grey. In a genre in which heroes are all-knowing and all-powerful, the Black Company is filled with fallible, vulnerable humans. Yet, they nevertheless are the baddest outfit around. Remember how we reworked Psalm 23 back in the '60s? "Yea, though I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, I shall fear no evil--for I am the baddest SOB in the valley!" That could be the Black Company motto. One of the things I like best about Cook's novels is that the story line is more important than the individual characters. Yet, in Shadows Linger, my favorite characters take center stage. Croaker leads a Company detachment to the town of Juniper (which itself is a great location that is fully realized.) Raven is in town contributing his unique brand of honor and violence. Eventually they meet in a wild climax. One of the striking things about the Black Company is Cook's notion of honor. The Company's code of ethics is focused almost wholly inwardly. Honor vis-a-vis the outside world consists of keeping one's contracts. Otherwise, honor is focused on one's relationships within the Company. This is both the Company's greatest strength and also its greatest weakness. A critical element of the series is the Company's gradual coming to grips with the nonsustainability of its ethical structure. Shadows Linger is a critical plot point in this line of plot evolution. In it, the Company must decide whether honoring its contract with Lady is worth its collective soul.
Rating:
Summary: A second dose of the Black Company
Review: In his follow-up book to The Black Company, Glen Cook continues the story of this mercenary unit in the service of the Lady. Once more they are the elite unit she sends to trouble spots within her empire, sometimes helped by The Taken, creatures who were once mortal. More often than not, those creating trouble for The Lady are the rebels who believe that the White Rose, a legend come true, will save them from her domination. In this book, however, it isn't the rebels who must be subdued. The Lady's husband, long buried but not forgotten, has plans to return and once more dominate the world and his wife. His plans involve the catacombs of Juniper, a tavern owner, a homeless man, and one of the Black Company's own. To make matters worse, Croaker and others of the Company possess a secret those in power must get back. Once more, the action is intense. The overall story seems very different from the first book. In both, however, the ultimate goal is survival. The characters stay pretty much the same and are as likable (or not) as they were in the first book. They still struggle with their own senses of right and wrong. In their business, nothing is black and white. Well, maybe some things are, but that's part of the story. This is a quick read. The action draws the reader forward, almost against your will. The plot is a bit thin, but the book doesn't suffer much from that. Be sure to read The Black Company before taking on this one.
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