Rating: 
Summary: Still Good But The First 5 Books Were Better
Review: This series peaked with Shadow Games and has been interesting, but rather meandering and lacking focus ever since. It's interesting to note that Glittering Stone was originaly intended to be one book (the 3rd Book of the South) following Steel Dreams, but Cook decided to expand it into 4. I think he would have been better off sticking to his first idea.I agree with everything Patrick said below me. There is actually one other plot hole that is even bigger and more irritating than those he pointed out. Namely: After capturing the Black Company leadership with some spell at the end of She Is The Darkness (an event that was never really explained very well), why the heck doesn't Soulcatcher just kill them? Instead, she goes to the great bother of dragging them all down into that cave to enter some suspended animation. Seems to me the only reason she would do this is so Cook can write more books about the Black Company. Even more puzzeling is where Cook writes that Soulcatcher thinks the company is all dead rather than asleep. Excuse me? She hauled them all down there thinking they would die, despite the fact that everyone else down there was in suspended animation? As I stated before, if she wanted them dead she would have just stuck a knife in each one before she left and end of story. I hate to belabor the point, but Cook ought to fire his editor, and then maybe fire himself for thinking his readers wouldn't notice these gaping holes in his plot. I'm still giving it 3 stars because Cook still has a knack for making us care about his characters, even though almost all of the old ones are dead now or strangly sidelined (Lady and Croaker). I've even pre-ordered Soldiers Live to see how it all ends. Maybe he'll redeem himself at the end...
Rating: 
Summary: WOW!
Review: True to form, Glen Cook has hit another home run. The Black Company is back with a vengenance!
Rating:
Summary: Another great Black Company book
Review: Water Sleeps is a worthy successor to She is the Darkness
Rating:
Summary: My Favorite Novel in the Series
Review: Water Sleeps is easily my favorite Black Company novel, but for what may be an unusual reason: I really like the character of Sleepy! Glen Cook has generally had a tradition of including strong female characters in his novels -- the Lady, the White Rose, Soulcatcher, Sahra, the Daughter of Night, etc. However, most of them (exceptions: the Radisha and maybe the White Rose) were somewhat stereotyped in that they were seductresses, impossibly (unrealistically, were it not for sorcery in several cases) beautiful women. None of that is true for Sleepy. An aging, celibate career transvestite who makes a living as a deadly tactician? What's not to like? I think Glen Cook has finally created a female character I can identify with -- someone who trades on ability rather than a habit of manipulating men sexually to get what she wants. In the real world, most women are not Ally McBeal/Britney Spears/Seven of Nine/any of the highly cosmetically or surgically altered fashion plates the media spews at us every day. Many of us would not want to be! Historically, a number of female movers-and-shakers have not been unnaturally beautiful. It's nice to see a character in the series who finally reflects this.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic.
Review: While the last two (Bleak Seasons and She Is The Darkness) were still good, I felt that they were not *quite* as good as they could have been. WATER SLEEPS shows that Mr. Cook has returned to top form. Secrets are revealed, more are hinted at, and we are given much to think about. A worth addition to the ANNALS OF THE BLACK COMPANY.
Rating:
Summary: I envy thee!
Review: You know, one of these days I'm going to get a job in the review business. All these guys have the first dip on the books! I envy you. ;) I hope this book is better than the previous two. Glen Cook skill is coming back to him. I was not impressed with the "Bleak Season" but was rather pleased with "She is the Darkness". I hope he recaptures the mystique that made the Black Company series so great.
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