Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
11th out of 66 books
—
14 voters
The Silver Spike (The Chronicles of the Black Company #4)
by
Glen Cook
...embedded in the trunk of the scion of the godtree, it contains the essence of the maddest of the Ten Who Were Taken...The Dominator. Defeated by the Lady and cast from this world, all that was left of him was a foul trace of lingering evil. But the graveyard that was once the Barrowland contains more secrets than dead. All who would possess the power of the Dominator ar
...more
Paperback, 320 pages
Published
September 15th 1989
by Tor Fantasy
(first published September 1989)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
3,000)
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
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
The Black Company series, as envisioned by Glen Cook, was supposed to be a fantasy plot and world done with gritty, realistic characters. Personally, I think he hit the mark, especially with the first half of the series.
The Silver Spike is not technically part of the series, as all the action takes place after the Black Company exits the scene, but it is contiguous with the third book of the series, and most of the characters are old Black Company members.
Despite the fact that it isn't technica...more
The Silver Spike is not technically part of the series, as all the action takes place after the Black Company exits the scene, but it is contiguous with the third book of the series, and most of the characters are old Black Company members.
Despite the fact that it isn't technica...more
"I told myself it had been an exiting past year and now it was time to die."
- Case
For Book Six, we return to the Barrowlands (from Book Three), where evil just won't stay buried. After parting ways with Croaker and Company at the end of that book, Darling and company now have to return to wipe up the mess.
I started off pouting and protesting. In Book Five, we had just left Lady and Company back in the south, not necessarily on a cliff hanger, but certainly with a fat ton of unfinished business....more
- Case
For Book Six, we return to the Barrowlands (from Book Three), where evil just won't stay buried. After parting ways with Croaker and Company at the end of that book, Darling and company now have to return to wipe up the mess.
I started off pouting and protesting. In Book Five, we had just left Lady and Company back in the south, not necessarily on a cliff hanger, but certainly with a fat ton of unfinished business....more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
For some very odd reason this book came third in the trilogy I bought. Which basically ruined my enjoyment of it a little (through no fault of the author!) because books 5 and 6 are related and have the same story arc, so it was a bit of a shock to finish book 6 and then start book 4 which basically takes place after the events of book 3 (and presumably contemporaneously with the beginning of book 5). So it left me more than a little disoriented and a little disappointed as I had been hoping tha...more
...embedded in the trunk of the scion of the godtree, it contains the essence of the maddest of the Ten Who Were Taken...The Dominator. Defeated by the Lady and cast from this world, all that was left of him was a foul trace of lingering evil. But the graveyard that was once the Barrowland contains more secrets than dead. All who would possess the power of the Dominator are drawn to the spike. A foolhardy band of thieves is the first to reach it, and a rapacious and malign spirit is unleashed on...more
OK, so you've read the first three books of The Black Company, and you find yourself staring at this book's godawful cover. Relax. While this book is an odd-ball of the series, it has redeeming qualities enough that you should like it if you liked the others.
There is no Croaker, et al. This is an adventure starring characters best described as many of the original BC trilogy's extras. It is strange at times, but highly readable. I never discuss plot in my reviews as I hate when things are reveal...more
There is no Croaker, et al. This is an adventure starring characters best described as many of the original BC trilogy's extras. It is strange at times, but highly readable. I never discuss plot in my reviews as I hate when things are reveal...more
I was turned off by the first couple chapters because I thought this was going to end up a pointless detour from the main thread of the story and I wanted to see what Croaker & Lady were going to do about the big off-screen dramatic moment at the end of Dreams of Steel. But in the end it was a fun detour from the main thread of the story. And I think most of my disappointment has to do with the fact that I read it in the Books of the South collection, which has it as #6 in the series, when i...more
While there are many, many things to like about this book, I'm forced to admit that it's my least favorite of the Black Company novels so far. Probably because the Black Company isn't in it.
The Silver Spike is a coda of sorts to the original Black Company trilogy, which ended with the Dominator defeated and buried in the Barrowland and the remaining survivors of the Company riding off into the sunset. This book opens up with a gang of scummy bastards digging the Dominator's soul back up again an...more
The Silver Spike is a coda of sorts to the original Black Company trilogy, which ended with the Dominator defeated and buried in the Barrowland and the remaining survivors of the Company riding off into the sunset. This book opens up with a gang of scummy bastards digging the Dominator's soul back up again an...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Glen Cook as always is a genius when it comes to fantasy. All the characters are painfully realistic as is the world they live in. This particular edition was almost too dark for my taste, but that is more of a testament to Cook's way of honestly describing war in a still fascinating way than anything else. This is the 6th book in the Black Company series and serves as a fitting zenith to many great character arcs.
Stand-alone novel of sorts, set in the North of the Black Company series after the first trilogy ends. Multiple focus characters and no Croaker. This book finishes the stories of the members who departed the Company and stayed behind. Forget Han Solo--Old Man Fish is the real heroic scoundrel, likable even as he does terrible things. This one is bleak like Shadows Linger, but oddly hopeful.
In many ways I became dependent on Croaker. He was the core of the Black Company stories to me. Croaker isn't in this book. The suprising thing is I didn't really miss him.
The universe that the company exists in is populated with so many interesting and original characters, and Cook has a way of making them relatable even if they do things we think of as wrong or stupid.
The plot of this book is somewhat secondary to the chance to get to know some old characters better, and meet some new ones....more
The universe that the company exists in is populated with so many interesting and original characters, and Cook has a way of making them relatable even if they do things we think of as wrong or stupid.
The plot of this book is somewhat secondary to the chance to get to know some old characters better, and meet some new ones....more
This book starts off pretty rough, with the introduction of a lot of new characters who aren't particularly personable. Whenever they came on stage early in the book, I had to grit my teeth. It improves by the end of the book, particularly in the last 100 pages or so when everything comes together. The result is an enjoyable read, but not as good as any of the past Black Company novels.
I was hesitant about starting this book because it lacked Croaker and Lady, and contained my least favourite characters, Darling and Silent. However I was engrossed within the plot and had gorwn fond of other characters long before the White Rose gang made it's appearance. Smeds, Old Man Fish, Case, and Toadkiller Dog was all enjoyable characters to read about, and I found myself wishing there was a way they could all win by the end. The only criticism I have of the book is the ending. It seemed...more
This may have been more fun if I'd read it immediately after the previous trilogy, but it wasn't great. It follows some minor ex- and non-Black Company members and wraps up their dangling plotlines, and it's as well-executed as any of Cook's works, but the big threat is dreadfully contrived and the characters really never rise above their minor status.
Book can be read as a part of the books of the south series either first or last. Focuses on the story of raven, the white rose and the silver spike which holds the Dominators essense and power. A bit hard to get into and a anti-climatic ending with the demise of a few choice charactors that doesn't do them justice. Still a good read for any black company fans who have read everything else and want more.
IN which Glen Cook goes back North to tie up some loose ends he left up there when he took the Black Company south. I don't think we'll return there, given that pretty much everyone dies. Not grim, but he does just tend to throw the characters away. Rated M for violence and supernatural themes. 3/5/5
Enjoyed this book but the series is not as enjoyable as the first three books. This is a side story from the main plot but I rather enjoyed viewing the world through other people. Still recommend reading these next series of books if you really enjoyed the first three like I did
As with all three previous volumes, the characters are a strange but fun mix of fantasy archetypes and modern thinking. People in Cook's novels tend to act very matter-of-fact despite being in the middle of some weird shit all the time. Just as good as the three first novels.
I read this before reading the rest of the series and enjoyed it quite a bit. No need to read this one last in the series (in fact, I liked it better than the first and second books).
It is refreshingly different than the typical fantasy.
It is refreshingly different than the typical fantasy.
I actually accidentally read this out of order. But it didn't spoil anything, because it takes place the same time as Shadow Games. You're supposed to read Shadow Games before this (if reading books in order publication matters.)
This book serves as an interesting semi-standalone capstone to the first three books.
I say "semi-standalone" because while a lot of the action is started and finished in the book, it also ties up some loose ends from the first three books. So, it's enjoyable on it's own, but is more enjoyable if you're read the first three Black Company books.
I liked it a lot. The author stretched beyond his usual literary devices -- or, more accurately, used some of a higher-order version of some of his earlier...more
I say "semi-standalone" because while a lot of the action is started and finished in the book, it also ties up some loose ends from the first three books. So, it's enjoyable on it's own, but is more enjoyable if you're read the first three Black Company books.
I liked it a lot. The author stretched beyond his usual literary devices -- or, more accurately, used some of a higher-order version of some of his earlier...more
I like Cooks writing and the Black Company chronicles, but found this particular story depressing enough (for the company) that I have been putting off reading the rest of the series.
That was not the Raven I had come to expect. Still, it was nice to revisit with the Black Company....
This book, so far of any in the series, reminds me most of Steven Erikson. I can see the early influences here.
Glen Cook usually has a more interesting tale to tell. This one never got going.
Le meilleur opus de la série ! Bon, pour être honnête, c' est à la deuxième lecture que j' en ai fait le meilleur de la série... La première fois, j' avais plutôt été décontenancé par ce retour dans le nord... Ben, et la compagnie ? On l' oublie ? Puis finalement, l' histoire est bien tournée, haletante, grave... En fait, on peut je pense lire ce tome entre le troisième et le quatrième avec plus de profit, cela évite de se perdre dans les souvenirs du tome 3 et évite la frustration de l'attente...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Glen Cook aka Greg Stevens is a contemporary American science fiction and fantasy author, best known for his fantasy series, The Black Company. Cook currently resides in St. Louis, Missouri.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/glencook
More about Glen Cook...
http://us.macmillan.com/author/glencook
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
“I was never really a girl, or a woman, or a human being to Raven, Case. Even though he did awful things for me. I was a symbol, an expiation, and when I insisted on becoming a person he did the only thing he could do to keep on serving the symbol and not have to deal with a flesh-and-blood woman.”
—
1 person liked it
More quotes…
