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The White Rose (The Chronicles of the Black Company #3)
by
Glen Cook
She is the last hope of good in the war against the evil sorceress known as the Lady. From a secret base on the Plains of Fear, where even the Lady hesitates to go, the Black Company, once in service to the Lady, now fights to bring victory to the White Rose. But now an even greater evil threatens the world. All the great battles that have gone before will seem a skirmishe
...more
Paperback, 317 pages
Published
April 15th 1985
by Tor Fantasy
(first published April 1985)
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Community Reviews
(showing 1-30)
4.0 stars. Good ending to a superb fantasy trilogy. The Black Company series is one of the most entertaining fantasy series out there. I loved the first two installments, The Black Company and Shadows Linger and thought they set the bar very high for this third installment. Given the expectations, I was a little disappointed (though only a little) with this finale and thought this book was the weakest of the three. That said, it is still an excellent book and well worth the read.
It's odd that a book about mercenaries who ride flying whales sometimes and struggle to contain an ancient wicked wizard called the dominator actually has some of the most human and engaging characters I can remember reading. Behind every character's mystical facade there is a real human who gets lonely, tired, and scared and wants a hug. I'm still at a loss to adequately express the experience reading these books has been. The characters, in their bizarre settings having bizarre experiences, ar
...more
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I will probably be roundly booed for saying this, but I liken this series to the Gaunt's Ghosts series by Dan Abnett. In both you follow a unique and roundly abused group of soldiers within a larger unit. in both, they are the last of their kind, and though they might disagree with each other, their bonds and loyalty are without measure. Also, it took me to the end of this third book in the series to finally give over to being "into it", and that is exactly what happened in the Gaunt's series. I
...more
I could have loved this one but the writting is so choppy at times it takes me out of the story to scratch my head. Regardless of the continuing execution problems with Mr. Cook's writing, this is a decent wrap for the first trilogy of this very long series. For me it's done. I can see that the choppy writing is being used as technique instead of poor editing. It feels like the writer just skips key aspects of the story by going with the 'it's first person so we don't learn what they don't see'.
...more
This is where this series really came through for me. The other books were very much building up to this, and they suffered for it, while this one -- for me at least -- was my favourite. I love the ending especially -- shades of grey all the way, and people actually dying, both things this trilogy is good at.
Not really tempted to read more by Glen Cook though, somehow. This trilogy was intriguing and sometimes exciting (though sometimes there were a few too many card games), but it didn't quite ...more
Not really tempted to read more by Glen Cook though, somehow. This trilogy was intriguing and sometimes exciting (though sometimes there were a few too many card games), but it didn't quite ...more
A fitting end to an enjoyable trilogy. This book, honestly, was the weakest of the three in my opinion. It lacked some of the "oomph" that the first two had, some of the grittiness and unique circumstances. It did, however, make up for it with many more fantastical elements, magic, and a larger involvement with The Lady and some more lore.
The writing was typical Cook - concise but elegant enough, readable, approachable, but not particularly fancy. He does not waste many words - the books are sh ...more
The writing was typical Cook - concise but elegant enough, readable, approachable, but not particularly fancy. He does not waste many words - the books are sh ...more
This was an audible book listen for me and I didn't realize when I bought it that it was part of series. I need to backtrack and read the first two books. It is a well written story with interesting characters and an interesting fantasy world build full of sorcery and sentient world beings. The timeline jumps back in a couple of places to the actions of a sorcerer named Bromans (not sure of the spelling). I didn't catch on immediately that the two story lines weren't running in the same time fra
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I had a hard start with the third part of this series - it needed 50 pages to get into the story. This seems to be a recurring problem with this series. I didn't think about lemming this book, but abandoning the series, because the first three books seem to be a mini-series within the larger 10 books series.
But then the story line and the characterizations took up speed and finalized into an epic showdown that is well deserved. There even was a dragon, an old god with an older story, a parallel ...more
But then the story line and the characterizations took up speed and finalized into an epic showdown that is well deserved. There even was a dragon, an old god with an older story, a parallel ...more
Chronicles of the Black Company (1-3) is a very unique, dark, violent, and engaging fantasy book. It follows a group of mercenaries, the Black Company, through an ongoing war with the Lady and the Rebles. Though the beginning of the book is confusing because the Company is really unaware of where they are fighting or who they are fighting for, they eventually follow the Lady and the book becomes easier to read (after a few chapters). The book is written in first-person in the form of annals by C
...more
That was an incredible ending! Of course for now! :-D
After a long time, an author could succeed to mislead me about the ending! Also it gave me a shock in the middle of the book... honestly i really believed Mr Cook don't mislead his readers but he made a situation (or something like that) in this book that i wanted to scream loudly :))))
Bravo Mr Cook. that's a kind of story i really love! Bravo! it's absolutely perfect.
خب.... در یک کلام هر کی نخونه بدجوری ضرر کرده. گلن کوک همونطور که بارها گفتم ...more
After a long time, an author could succeed to mislead me about the ending! Also it gave me a shock in the middle of the book... honestly i really believed Mr Cook don't mislead his readers but he made a situation (or something like that) in this book that i wanted to scream loudly :))))
Bravo Mr Cook. that's a kind of story i really love! Bravo! it's absolutely perfect.
خب.... در یک کلام هر کی نخونه بدجوری ضرر کرده. گلن کوک همونطور که بارها گفتم ...more
The best book in the series. A fine tale of the Black Company reduced to guerilla warfare in desolate places. Also, the narrative of this book, with three stories from three different periods of time, was amazingly well done. It did not end as I had hoped, or even as I had expected, but it still was a satisfying conclusion to a great fantasy trilogy.
Series review from the beginning
Series review from the ending
Series review from the beginning
Series review from the ending
This was the conclusion to the first Black Company trilogy and concluded the battle for power between The White Rose, The Lady, and The Dominator. I was very pleased by how it all played out. The story was exciting and packed full of twists and turns. I was surprised but very happy with the ending.
Croaker is as likable a character here as he was in the previous two books. It was great to catch up with the rest of The Black Company guys. They are as morally ambiguous and funny as ever. Boamaz an ...more
Croaker is as likable a character here as he was in the previous two books. It was great to catch up with the rest of The Black Company guys. They are as morally ambiguous and funny as ever. Boamaz an ...more
This book is last in the series of Chronicles of black company and cook has done a good job wrapping up the story which began in the book one.The style followed by cook is different thought all the three books but he basically shines in this book where he handles the story through pov of 3 characters namely
1.Croaker - Present
2.Corbi - Present
3.Bomanz - Past
The story progresses with Croaker in the form that he is basically holed up in the plain of fear with darling, the plain of fear is another ...more
1.Croaker - Present
2.Corbi - Present
3.Bomanz - Past
The story progresses with Croaker in the form that he is basically holed up in the plain of fear with darling, the plain of fear is another ...more
What can I say? This was surprisingly fast and enjoyable read! Third book in series, The White Rose was a culmination for all the secrets and mysteries, as well as for the paths chosen by our protagonists in earlier books. Cook also surprised me with some fresh ideas in this one, although I was always ready to admit his capability to create fantastic scenery and characters with magic powers. I don't want to spoil, so I'll just say it was great. 5 stars!
May 01, 2015
Skaistė
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
lop-2015-yearly-challenge-aeiouy
Pagaliau, pagaliau turėjau užtektinai laiko perskaityti iki galo. Šita knyga sužavėjo labiau nei pirma ir antra knygos, istorija nuo pat pradžių sudomino, įtraukė, intrigavo skaityti toliau ir spėlioti, kas slypi už įvairių paslapčių, kas nutiks toliau, kaip baigsis ši istorija, kas išliks gyvas, kas nugalės ir taip toliau. O į knygos pabaigą netgi pajutau, kad imu po truputį pamėgti Valdovę. Ir istorija dar nesibaigė.
I will give five stars if for nothing then for maturity in its writing. Everything finally settled with the last book.
Personally I found it the best in the trilogy and very satisfying read. The story lead us to final battle between the Lady, White Rose and Dominator and also was written from three points of view or to be exact, three stories entangled in one. We followed Bomanz from the past and his liberation of the Lady, stories by Corbie who followed Bomanz's steps and of course from Croaker ...more
Personally I found it the best in the trilogy and very satisfying read. The story lead us to final battle between the Lady, White Rose and Dominator and also was written from three points of view or to be exact, three stories entangled in one. We followed Bomanz from the past and his liberation of the Lady, stories by Corbie who followed Bomanz's steps and of course from Croaker ...more
the heart wants what the heart wants
even if what it wants is a mass murderous bitch
even if what it wants is a mass murderous bitch
Aug 11, 2016
Eric
rated it
it was amazing
Shelves:
horror,
action,
war,
adventure,
drama,
dark-fantasy,
romance,
mystery,
epic-fantasy,
suspense-thriller
”Are there gods, Croaker? I never believed in gods.”
“I don’t know, Lady. No religion I ever encountered made any sense. None are consistent. Most gods are megalomaniacs and paranoid psychotics by their worshippers’ description. I don’t see how they could survive their own insanity. But it’s not impossible that human beings are incapable of interpreting a power so much greater than themselves. Maybe religions are twisted and perverted shadows of the truth. Maybe there are forces which shape the w ...more
“I don’t know, Lady. No religion I ever encountered made any sense. None are consistent. Most gods are megalomaniacs and paranoid psychotics by their worshippers’ description. I don’t see how they could survive their own insanity. But it’s not impossible that human beings are incapable of interpreting a power so much greater than themselves. Maybe religions are twisted and perverted shadows of the truth. Maybe there are forces which shape the w ...more
The ending to this trilogy was AMAZING!!!
I the beginning I really wasn’t sure what to think of this series. It started being told in a way that was pretty different. However now that I’ve finished the first trilogy in the series I’m amazed at how much I’ve enjoyed it and how surprised I was at the end of this book specifically.
One of the best things about this series is that it has two very strong and very different heroines competing against each other. The Lady is a completely scary megalomani ...more
I the beginning I really wasn’t sure what to think of this series. It started being told in a way that was pretty different. However now that I’ve finished the first trilogy in the series I’m amazed at how much I’ve enjoyed it and how surprised I was at the end of this book specifically.
One of the best things about this series is that it has two very strong and very different heroines competing against each other. The Lady is a completely scary megalomani ...more
Another great installment by Mr. Cook!
The first half was quite slow, but after the three separate storylines converged, the twists just kept coming and coming. The lesser evil triumphs, but there is no HEA anywhere in sight.
Most amazing place: the Plain of Fear
Biggest surprise(s): the alliance. And the end of it...
Favourite character: I cannot pick just one, as all of them were memorable! In no particular order:
- Tracker and Toadkiller Dog: although I figured out what was going on a few chapters before the official reveal, I was st ...more
Most amazing place: the Plain of Fear
Biggest surprise(s): the alliance. And the end of it...
Favourite character: I cannot pick just one, as all of them were memorable! In no particular order:
- Tracker and Toadkiller Dog: although I figured out what was going on a few chapters before the official reveal, I was st ...more
The remaining part of the Black Company is stuck in a very weird place. Sufficient to say the local talking stones keep bugging Croaker with mysterious messages
walking trees
and flying whales
look practically normal compared to other things and phenomenon of the appropriately called Plain of Fear.
The Company gathers strength to fight evil guys.
Sounds straightforward? Fear not, nobody ever accused Glen Cook of writing straightforward plots. Everything is not what it seems and a lot of betrayals ...more
walking trees
and flying whales
look practically normal compared to other things and phenomenon of the appropriately called Plain of Fear.
The Company gathers strength to fight evil guys.
Sounds straightforward? Fear not, nobody ever accused Glen Cook of writing straightforward plots. Everything is not what it seems and a lot of betrayals ...more
Oct 03, 2016
✘✘ Sarah ✘✘ (former Nefarious Breeder of Murderous Crustaceans)
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
kindle,
books-i-own,
fantasy,
kick-ass-heroines,
series,
favourite-series,
absolute-favourites,
buddy-read,
br-2015,
read-2015,
magic,
male-lead,
bbb,
antidote-to-tstl-heroines,
blood-and-gore-yay,
gloriously-fucked-up-characters,
assholes-and-liars-everywhere-yay,
welcome-to-the-zoo,
good-ol-testosterone,
bring-soulcatcher-back,
grimdark,
it-s-war,
black-company,
brb-dead,
the-awesome-bunch,
cool-chicks-harem,
darker-is-cooler,
this-is-perfection,
mostest-awesomest-villains
Buddy read with the BBB mercenaries
This book in a nutshell:
#BRB DEAD is me. Bye now.
HAHAHAHAHA, you're so naïve sometimes. Did you honestly think you were going to get out of this one so easily? You don't know me at all, do you? Do you think the fact that I seem to be unable to write non-crappy reviews for this series is going to stop me? HAHAHAHAHA. Time to wake up and smell the bacon, people. I keep reading crappy books lately, so it would only be fair that I put you through crappy reviews o ...more
This book in a nutshell:
#BRB DEAD is me. Bye now.
HAHAHAHAHA, you're so naïve sometimes. Did you honestly think you were going to get out of this one so easily? You don't know me at all, do you? Do you think the fact that I seem to be unable to write non-crappy reviews for this series is going to stop me? HAHAHAHAHA. Time to wake up and smell the bacon, people. I keep reading crappy books lately, so it would only be fair that I put you through crappy reviews o ...more
Dec 09, 2015
Choko
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
advanture,
fantasy-grim
*** 4.45 ***
Read with the buddies from BBB and loving every second of it!
This third installment wrapped up the story arc of the North, The Lady and the White Rose. And what a wrap-up it was!!! Loose ends get tided up, 3 timelines converge in a battle for a balance between good and evil, and old friends undergo changes which will determine not only their own, but the lives of most of the creatures in the world...
The book started up a bit slow, but it was good, since it let us soak-up the mood ...more
Read with the buddies from BBB and loving every second of it!
This third installment wrapped up the story arc of the North, The Lady and the White Rose. And what a wrap-up it was!!! Loose ends get tided up, 3 timelines converge in a battle for a balance between good and evil, and old friends undergo changes which will determine not only their own, but the lives of most of the creatures in the world...
The book started up a bit slow, but it was good, since it let us soak-up the mood ...more
4.5 Stars
An excellent ending to this trilogy.
The Lady is finalizing her end game. The Black Company & the White Rose are waiting it out on the Plain of Fear, planning their own strike. Unfortunately, there is that saying about the best laid plans…
The Dominator is stirring.
Where book two was a different type of story, book three returns to familiar grounds and reads much like the first book. As stated The Black Company and the White Rose have made their headquarters in the Plain of Fear and ...more
An excellent ending to this trilogy.
The Lady is finalizing her end game. The Black Company & the White Rose are waiting it out on the Plain of Fear, planning their own strike. Unfortunately, there is that saying about the best laid plans…
The Dominator is stirring.
Where book two was a different type of story, book three returns to familiar grounds and reads much like the first book. As stated The Black Company and the White Rose have made their headquarters in the Plain of Fear and ...more
I loved this third installment in the Black Company series. It's ironic how I often find myself speechless when trying to write glowing reviews! But here go a few thoughts:
This book brings together a few threads from both previous stories, and makes sparks when it smashes them together. I loved learning more about the sorceror Bomanz and his part in returning the Lady to power. And speaking of the Lady, I especially enjoyed learning more about her. I also really appreciated getting to see Darli ...more
The White Rose (The Chronicle of the Black Company, #3), Glen Cook
عنوان: سرگذشت گروهان سیاه؛ کتاب سوم : رز سپید؛ نویسنده: گلن کوک؛ مترجم: آیدا کشوری؛ ویراستار: گودرز پایکوب؛ تهران، کتابسرای تندیس، 1394؛ در 487 ص؛ شابک: 9786001821721؛ ؛ ...more
عنوان: سرگذشت گروهان سیاه؛ کتاب سوم : رز سپید؛ نویسنده: گلن کوک؛ مترجم: آیدا کشوری؛ ویراستار: گودرز پایکوب؛ تهران، کتابسرای تندیس، 1394؛ در 487 ص؛ شابک: 9786001821721؛ ؛ ...more
It took me a while to slog through this one, many distractions having presented themselves over the course of the read. Things really picked up about two thirds of the way through however, and it became very hard to put down.
The White Rose is, again, a change of pace from the first two Black Company chronicles. It begins without too much complexity, and with Croaker and the company almost in a place of rest, before gradually increasing in interest. There's less overt "action" in The White Rose w ...more
The White Rose is, again, a change of pace from the first two Black Company chronicles. It begins without too much complexity, and with Croaker and the company almost in a place of rest, before gradually increasing in interest. There's less overt "action" in The White Rose w ...more
The fact that I breezed through this in less than 48 hours says it all--it's perfect. There were a few details that felt a bit unsatisfactory (hence the 4 stars), but overall, the story was really, really good. The pacing is just right and I was thoroughly entertained from beginning to end. This book is definitely worth a read, especially if you've already gone through the first two in the saga.
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| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Let's play the dream-casting game! | 1 | 2 | Aug 20, 2016 10:03AM | |
| Fantasy Book Club...: The White Rose, Chapters 30-59 (The Chronicles of the Black Company #3) | 10 | 43 | Dec 08, 2013 03:53PM | |
| Fantasy Book Club...: The White Rose, Chapters 1-29 (The Chronicles of the Black Company #3) | 24 | 45 | Aug 03, 2013 07:20AM |
Glen Cook was born in New York City, lived in southern Indiana as a small child, then grew up in Northern California. After high school he served in the U.S. Navy and attended the University of Missouri. He worked for General Motors for 33 years, retiring some years ago. He started writing short stories in 7th grade, had several published in a high school literary magazine. He began writing with m
...more
More about Glen Cook...
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The Chronicles of the Black Company
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“No religion I ever encountered made any sense. None are consistent. Most gods are megalomaniacs and paranoid psychotics by their worshippers' description. I don't see how they could survive their own insanity. But it's not impossible that human beings are incapable of interpreting a power so much greater than themselves. Maybe religions are twisted and perverted shadows of truth. Maybe there are forces which shape the world. I myself have never understood why, in a universe so vast, a god would care about something so trivial as worship or human destiny.”
—
25 likes
“I do not want to die, Croaker. All that I am shrieks against the unrighteousness of death. All that I am, was, and probably will be, is shaped by my passion to evade the end of me.”
—
11 likes
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