Rating: 
Summary: Water Sleeps - But Time Marches On
Review: "Water Sleeps" is the Eigth Chronicle of the Black Company (the ninth book in the series if you count the Silver Spike). A Series known for its writing style as much as for its gritty "anti-hero" perspective on High Fantasy, Cook returns the reader to the characters and events following the treachery at the end of the Seventh Chronicle, "She is the Darkness".The novel introduces us to the new Annalist, Sleepy, who took over the position in the Black Company when the three former Annalists were entombed in magical stasis beneath the plain of Glittering Stone. Fifteen years has passed since the "core" of the Black Company was Captured by Soulcatcher. The remnants of the Company remain in Taglios, in hiding, plotting their revenge against their enemies and planning the rescue of their comrades. A few things are different in the novel. A new Annalist, once again, is introduced to the reader. Sleepy is revealed to us as a woman who prefers to keep her female gender unknown to most outsiders. But, despite her change in gender, she writes in the first person sarcastic style of all of Cook's Annalists. There are a few differences, however. Sleepy is easily the smartest Annalist so far and free of self doubt. Sleepy also manages to avoid hubris. Th reader soon recognizes that while Sleepy is "only" an Annalist, it becomes increasingly clear that she is the de facto Captain and the mastermind of all the machinations of the Company. One of the elements of the novel which make it different from earlier Black Company exploits is that under Sleepy's command - everything more or less goes as planned. Sleepy makes no mistakes. She is patient, balanced, quick-thinking and humble. Perhaps Sleepy is less honest than Croaker or Murgen and recounts to the reader only her successes and not her mistakes - but never has the Black Company had such an easy time of it. The plans of the Company go so well that we are left wondering why it took the Company fifteen years to execute its plans for revenge and rescue. The novel answers far more questions than it poses and manages to set up the next novel quite well at the end, if perhaps a little too neatly. If I have a complaint with the direction of the series, it is that it is more or less clear that Cook himself does not really know where he is going with any of this. Most writers have a *clue* as to what is going to happen and where the plot of the series is headed. I don't think that Cook does. It was clear that after Dreams of Steel the series lost direction and Cook has lost patience with most of his characters. In Water Sleeps, time has marched on and claims two or our most beloved memebers of the Black Company. They aren't killed off with quite the same disrespect as Mocker in the Dread Empire series was, but it comes closer than we would like with one of them. Fans should take note: this series is winding down and either the ninth or perhaps the tenth Chronicle of the Black Company is likely to be the last.
Rating: 
Summary: Was it really necessary?
Review: "Bleak Seasons" was a let-down for me, but things were looking up with "She is the Darkness," despite its funky self-conscious title. I loved the ending of SD, and applauded Cook for making such a bold move with his plot. I should've waited for "Water Sleeps" before I made up my mind on that front. The disappointment I felt with "Bleak Seasons" was back, tenfold. After a while, I had the urge to just skim to the parts of the story with Goblin, since he's the only character in the story that was even remotely interesting... and that's really saying something. My sincere hope is that Cook ditches the current protagonist/narrator and gets us back to the truly unique Black Company of old. But I'm not holding out much hope. Mostly, I'm waiting for it all to end, so I can put the Black Company behind me.
Rating:
Summary: 400 pages of filler, 80 pages of plot
Review: "Water Sleeps" is definitely a page turner. The plot is nicely constructed and seems to have more direction than "She Is the Darkness". Sleepy, the new annalist, keeps the company spirit alive as she pulls some tricks truly worthy of the Black Company's style. As someone else noted, Cook definitely seems to be getting into saga mode. I don't think one more book will wrap up this series. Count on at least two. Now the gripes (SPOILERS AHEAD! Skip the rest if you haven't read the book): It would have been nice to have some dialogue with Croaker and Lady, at least at the end. I also noticed some inconsistencies in the story. For example, when Soulcatcher's sabotaged carpet gives way, she sees the words 'Water Sleeps' written in the sky. Later, Cook writes that she didn't know the carpet breaking was sabotage until she checked her other carpet and saw that it too was sabotaged. Somehow I think 'Water Sleeps' as she fell would have been a good clue. As for someone's comment wondering why the Company hasn't gotten Soulcatcher's true name, I'd go further than that. Why the heck did they leave her alive anyway? In "She Is the Darkness", they dragged around Howler and Soulcatcher for no good reason. 'They might come in handy' is not a compelling reason to keep two incredibly dangerous enemies alive. I don't recall any better reasons being given (someone enlighten me, by all means, if there was). I couldn't believe that an outfit that can be as ruthless as the Black Company would let those two live when they caught them unless it was VERY important. Sorry, this just drove me nuts as I read 'She Is the Darkness'. Now Cook may be doing it again at the end of 'Water Sleeps', though not quite as badly, with Narayan and Longshadow. Maybe we can chalk up Narayan's continued life to Kina's subtle influence on his captor... maybe. Okay, my rant is over. 'Water Sleeps' is quite good, certainly better than 'She Is the Darkness'.
Rating:
Summary: An entertaining read with a little disappointment
Review: "Water Sleeps" is definitely a page turner. The plot is nicely constructed and seems to have more direction than "She Is the Darkness". Sleepy, the new annalist, keeps the company spirit alive as she pulls some tricks truly worthy of the Black Company's style. As someone else noted, Cook definitely seems to be getting into saga mode. I don't think one more book will wrap up this series. Count on at least two. Now the gripes (SPOILERS AHEAD! Skip the rest if you haven't read the book): It would have been nice to have some dialogue with Croaker and Lady, at least at the end. I also noticed some inconsistencies in the story. For example, when Soulcatcher's sabotaged carpet gives way, she sees the words 'Water Sleeps' written in the sky. Later, Cook writes that she didn't know the carpet breaking was sabotage until she checked her other carpet and saw that it too was sabotaged. Somehow I think 'Water Sleeps' as she fell would have been a good clue. As for someone's comment wondering why the Company hasn't gotten Soulcatcher's true name, I'd go further than that. Why the heck did they leave her alive anyway? In "She Is the Darkness", they dragged around Howler and Soulcatcher for no good reason. 'They might come in handy' is not a compelling reason to keep two incredibly dangerous enemies alive. I don't recall any better reasons being given (someone enlighten me, by all means, if there was). I couldn't believe that an outfit that can be as ruthless as the Black Company would let those two live when they caught them unless it was VERY important. Sorry, this just drove me nuts as I read 'She Is the Darkness'. Now Cook may be doing it again at the end of 'Water Sleeps', though not quite as badly, with Narayan and Longshadow. Maybe we can chalk up Narayan's continued life to Kina's subtle influence on his captor... maybe. Okay, my rant is over. 'Water Sleeps' is quite good, certainly better than 'She Is the Darkness'.
Rating:
Summary: Water Sleeps - But Time Marches On
Review: "Water Sleeps" is the Eigth Chronicle of the Black Company (the ninth book in the series if you count the Silver Spike). A Series known for its writing style as much as for its gritty "anti-hero" perspective on High Fantasy, Cook returns the reader to the characters and events following the treachery at the end of the Seventh Chronicle, "She is the Darkness". The novel introduces us to the new Annalist, Sleepy, who took over the position in the Black Company when the three former Annalists were entombed in magical stasis beneath the plain of Glittering Stone. Fifteen years has passed since the "core" of the Black Company was Captured by Soulcatcher. The remnants of the Company remain in Taglios, in hiding, plotting their revenge against their enemies and planning the rescue of their comrades. A few things are different in the novel. A new Annalist, once again, is introduced to the reader. Sleepy is revealed to us as a woman who prefers to keep her female gender unknown to most outsiders. But, despite her change in gender, she writes in the first person sarcastic style of all of Cook's Annalists. There are a few differences, however. Sleepy is easily the smartest Annalist so far and free of self doubt. Sleepy also manages to avoid hubris. Th reader soon recognizes that while Sleepy is "only" an Annalist, it becomes increasingly clear that she is the de facto Captain and the mastermind of all the machinations of the Company. One of the elements of the novel which make it different from earlier Black Company exploits is that under Sleepy's command - everything more or less goes as planned. Sleepy makes no mistakes. She is patient, balanced, quick-thinking and humble. Perhaps Sleepy is less honest than Croaker or Murgen and recounts to the reader only her successes and not her mistakes - but never has the Black Company had such an easy time of it. The plans of the Company go so well that we are left wondering why it took the Company fifteen years to execute its plans for revenge and rescue. The novel answers far more questions than it poses and manages to set up the next novel quite well at the end, if perhaps a little too neatly. If I have a complaint with the direction of the series, it is that it is more or less clear that Cook himself does not really know where he is going with any of this. Most writers have a *clue* as to what is going to happen and where the plot of the series is headed. I don't think that Cook does. It was clear that after Dreams of Steel the series lost direction and Cook has lost patience with most of his characters. In Water Sleeps, time has marched on and claims two or our most beloved members of the Black Company. They aren't killed off with quite the same disrespect as Mocker in the Dread Empire series was, but it comes closer than we would like with one of them. Fans should take note: this series is winding down and either the ninth or perhaps the tenth Chronicle of the Black Company is likely to be the last.
Rating:
Summary: Not worthy of Glenn Cook's authorship
Review: A friend got me started on Black Company, although I had already been reading the Garrett series. I had begun to lose interest in the Black Company, but this book brought it back! I've been recommending it to all my friends, and have already ordered a copy of the next one (release August 2000. Hardback but I'm hooked again).
Rating: 
Summary: Water Sleeps
Review: A friend got me started on Black Company, although I had already been reading the Garrett series. I had begun to lose interest in the Black Company, but this book brought it back! I've been recommending it to all my friends, and have already ordered a copy of the next one (release August 2000. Hardback but I'm hooked again).
Rating:
Summary: THE ELVES LIKE THIS BOOK
Review: A RUN THROUGH THE FIELDS OF TIME TRAVE
Rating:
Summary: Another GREAT Black Company novel.
Review: Another great novel in the Black Company series! Unlike some series which become predicable or worn out after 9 novels, the Black Company keeps on rolling. Water Sleeps introduces enough new plot threads and characters to ensure more Black Company books to come.
Rating: 
Summary: Unsatisfactory
Review: Cook has written a bad ending for some interesting people. It was unsatisfying and banal. I got the feeling that he is sick of this milieu and is killing it off by degrees. It appears that there is to be another book. The question is why ?
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