We return to our familiar narrator, Croaker, as he leads the Company south, back into the history of the Company, trying to find its place of origin. It's not bad, tying up some more loose ends, getting a better view of the world the Black Company lives in, and introducing some new dangers for the Company to deal with, most of which are tied up with the troubles of a pacifist city and militaristic Shadowmasters to the south, powerful sorcerers that command disturbing undead shadows.

My biggest co More...

I started this one feeling a little tired of the Black Company, but it took only a few paragraphs to remind me why I enjoy this world so much.

It's never easy continuing a series after a successful trilogy, and I think the fourth—mostly unrelated—book shows that. This one, with most of the old timers back, and Croaker in the role of narrator, manages to be a nice change of direction for the series. And after that ending I can't wait to know what happens next.

Shadow games wasn't quite as good. The book felt a little clumsy. It felt more like "traditional" fantasy. There was a lot of travelling. The first half really seemed kinda aimless, but I suppose this fitted with the characters as they also felt kinda purposeless. As much as I loved Croaker in the other novels this one he does a few, while very human, almost unforgiveable, things. He has taken on the role of the Captain and the book is basically him making a huge mess of everything. The setting More...

Someone else said this in their review and I totally agree - by the time I had finished the last book before this one, I had pretty much had enough of The Black Company and needed a break. But o be fair I had just devoured all the books and read them back-to-back in a very short and intense period, so no wonder I was fatigued. They are pretty dense in the sense that a lot happens and many events and characters are packed into each one. So coming back to this one after a break seems to have done More...

Series: 11/27/2005 5/10

The Black Company series' premise was very interesting - a gritty dark take on the ins and outs of a military company in a fantasy world. It didn't really live up to expectations though. I would've preferred to see more of the company rather than the focus on one individual. The series definitely has it's ups and downs. Some books are decent and others are pretty bad - it seemed to get worse as it went on. The plotting was pretty poor and the characters were one-dimensiona More...

My favorite of the Black Company books so far, though that could just be because Croaker's the narrator again. (I read The Silver Spike before this one -- a move I recommend, as this book drops some hints that would have driven me crazy had I not known they wouldn't be resolved in the series proper.) A number of surprises in this book, mainly some unexpected returns, and the revelation of the Shadowmasters' identities.

The narration is quite enjoyable, and I found myself often chuckling out loud More...

After each of these books I wonder how is there another one. There doesn't seem to be a way to continue the story. Then I am pleasantly surprised.

The 1980's was mostly required reading for me. But when I had time, I was really disappointed with fantasy. Shitty covers, Lord of the Rings quest knockoffs, and dragon rider stories. Anyway, I made my way into Sci-Fi and am a more complete and happy human because of it.

But this series waited patiently for me to find it. This is Band of Brothers with l More...

Shadow Games was fine. There was more hinting and dancing around the interesting larger mystery of the origins of the Company than actual info, and I was a little disappointed that the villains were retreads of earlier villains (and not for any obvious reason, really,) but it was fine.

I don't love the ongoing romance between Croaker and the Lady, mostly because she whipsaws between terrifying and helpless too often to really develop any sort of character. I liked her better when she was unapolog More...

In this book we follow Croaker and Lady, along with the ragged remnants of the Black Company (barely two wizards and a couple other guys) after the events in the Barrowlands. We get to see what's happening with these characters at the same time of the events in "The Silver Spike" and it lays the foundation for the next plot arc. After all the Dominator stuff, this one's a bit less "epic" but it's interesting to see the Lady as just a human woman after the events in the last book.

After dealing with the threat of the Dominator, the Lady and the Taken in the North, the remnants of the Black Company turn around and begin an epic journey South. Marching thousands of miles into lands long forgotten, ostensibly to discover the origins of the Free Companies of Khatovar, they run smack into the territory of the mysterious Shadowmasters.

I love Croaker's Annals, his writing belies his nature as a cynical, tired old man. Plenty of military strategy, bloody battle, and gallows humor More...

The Company goes South. The story initially provides Croaker's perspective on some of the events in Silver Spike, then introduces a new setting for the series as well as some old acquaintances. Riveting. IMO, Cook manages to balance personal story-arcs and the clash of armies far better than George R.R. Martin.

On pensait la compagnie dissoute à la fin du tome 3, mais une poignée de survivants décident de faire perdurer son souvenir le temps d' un ultime retour aux sources. La compagnie retourne chez elle, en quête de son passé... Un nouveau cycle qui, à l' instar du précédent maintient le lecteur en haleine.

I love the Black Company series. I unwittingly stumbled upon them in 6th grade, with no real idea what I was getting myself into, and have been a fantasy geek/nerd ever since. It's great to come back to it again and discover all of the things that I missed before as an unexperienced reader.

After the devastating battle at the Tower of Charm, Croaker leads the greatly diminished Black Company south, in search of the lost Annals. The Annals will be returned to Khatovar, eight thousand miles away, a city that may exists only in legend...the origin of the first Free Companies.

A good continuation of the Black Company saga. However, more than any other of the Black Company series, it begs for the reader to pick up the next book right away. Should be named "the Taken Strikes Back", but i guess that would give a lot of it away. Seems I felt the same way after the Empire Strikes Back also - can't wait to get into the next book.

More excellent Dark Fantasy, Military Fiction. I read this after I read The Silver Spike... oops. It didn't spoil it, so it was fine. At this point I've read more books from this series than any other fictions series, ever. (Non-fiction would be D&D rulebooks.)

The Black Company returns! Cook can write when he wants to. Good stuff. You can really see where Erikson learned his trade here. Rated M for violence, more violence and supernatural themes. 4/5

Finally picking up the rest of this series. Still enojoying the exploits of Croaker, One-Eye, Goblin and the rest as they rebuild the Black Company from the ground up.

While I love Cooks writing, I found this book a little depressing (for the company) and have been putting off reading the next book in the series.

Another action packed fantasy book. I do not think I enjoyed this one as much as the first three but still loving the series

I can definitely understand why some people consider the Books of the North to be the only "true" Black Company books, and often look down upon these later books with disdain. There's a definite tone change that happens, and Croaker and Lady almost seem like completely different characters.

Well, they are. Both have been thrust into different circumstances than they were in in the previous books, so a shift was definitely in order.

All around this is a good book, as usual Cook likes to take a more More...

A good continuation of the Black Company, though a little picaresque to have the impact of the original.

Nice. Not as good as beggining but still very nice.

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Great read can't wait for the next one AGAIN.

I'm finally finishing this series. I like it because the main characters are not your typical heros. In fact, they're vicious.

Très addictif pour l'instant...

not as good as the others, but only by a little bit.