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Darkwar
(Darkwar #1-3)
by
The world grows colder with each passing year, the longer winters and ever-deepening snows awaking ancient fears within the Dengan Packstead, fears of invasion by armed and desperate nomads, attack by the witchlike and mysterious Silth, able to kill with their minds alone, and of the Grauken, that desperate time when intellect gives way to buried cannibalistic instinct, wh
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Paperback, 512 pages
Published
December 1st 2010
by Night Shade
(first published 2001)
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Originally reviewed at Bookwraiths Reviews
As most of my friends know, I am a Glen Cook fan, have been since I was a teenager in the 1980s and read The Black Company. That quintessential grimdark fantasy (before there was even the term) blew my mind, turning me into a fan for life. Since then I’ve tried to read everything the man has written. Most of his novels I’ve enjoyed (though I obviously have favorites and some not so favorites), but one of his “underappreciated” series is Darkwar, which wa ...more
As most of my friends know, I am a Glen Cook fan, have been since I was a teenager in the 1980s and read The Black Company. That quintessential grimdark fantasy (before there was even the term) blew my mind, turning me into a fan for life. Since then I’ve tried to read everything the man has written. Most of his novels I’ve enjoyed (though I obviously have favorites and some not so favorites), but one of his “underappreciated” series is Darkwar, which wa ...more
2.5 stars
Darkwar is an omnibus edition of an older trilogy by Glen Cook, a science fantasy featuring a race of space-going felinoids. The story charts the meteoric and ultimately world-changing life and career of Marika, a pup of a backwater clan.
At the beginning, Marika's clan appear to be a medieval frontier society - iron weapons are prized, hunters and warrior rule the society and technology is usually a bow and arrow. As the world opens before her, though, Marika realizes she and her people ...more
Darkwar is an omnibus edition of an older trilogy by Glen Cook, a science fantasy featuring a race of space-going felinoids. The story charts the meteoric and ultimately world-changing life and career of Marika, a pup of a backwater clan.
At the beginning, Marika's clan appear to be a medieval frontier society - iron weapons are prized, hunters and warrior rule the society and technology is usually a bow and arrow. As the world opens before her, though, Marika realizes she and her people ...more
Trying to keep this spoiler free...
Originally published as three separate books Darkwar is Glen Cook at his terse yet powerful best.
This is the story of Marika a Meth pup of the Degnan Packstead living in the longhouse of her dam. Marika and her littermate Kiblin, who she loves despite the fact that he is a naturally weak and cowardly male, share a strange and taboo gift. Driven by hunger caused by the ever worsening winters nomads begin attacking and overrunning the Packsteads changing Markia’s ...more
Originally published as three separate books Darkwar is Glen Cook at his terse yet powerful best.
This is the story of Marika a Meth pup of the Degnan Packstead living in the longhouse of her dam. Marika and her littermate Kiblin, who she loves despite the fact that he is a naturally weak and cowardly male, share a strange and taboo gift. Driven by hunger caused by the ever worsening winters nomads begin attacking and overrunning the Packsteads changing Markia’s ...more
This book is uniquely appealing to people like myself that enjoy both the fantasy and science fiction genres. The story is more focused on plot than anything; the development of the main character is somewhat lacking and everyone around her is presented in a very WYSIWYG fashion: the manipulative people are predictably manipulative, the cowards are cowards, and no one moves or really grows beyond their prescribed roles (with the odd exception of a notable secondary character). The strength of th
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Enjoyed this one quite a bit. In hindsight I am gonna deduct a star for some repetitions... like the constant reminding that the Silth have a blind hatred of Marika, for example. Restated again and again. Yeah, got it. Characters telling her every couple pages that they hate and fear her. Yeah, got it. Friends and allies telling her that, in case she had forgotten, those individuals do indeed possess a blind hatred and fear of her. For her natural talent and power. Yeah, got it. Markia saying it
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Wow. I went into this boo knowing nothing about it. And i think that's exactly how this book should be approached.
I'm a huge fan of Glen Cook. Seriously. His epic storylines, military fantasy/sci fi, and flawed characters are STILL ahead of their time. If you are looking for super heroic characters with flowing hair and impeccable honor, look elsewhere. If you want relatable characters, with their own strengths and weaknesses, who aren't always sure of what the best thing to do is, but do it reg ...more
I'm a huge fan of Glen Cook. Seriously. His epic storylines, military fantasy/sci fi, and flawed characters are STILL ahead of their time. If you are looking for super heroic characters with flowing hair and impeccable honor, look elsewhere. If you want relatable characters, with their own strengths and weaknesses, who aren't always sure of what the best thing to do is, but do it reg ...more
Darwar is an omnibus that contains Doomstalker, Warlock & Ceremony. Written in the mid-1980's, after the initial Black Company trilogy, it is a story of a race of aliencs in their struggle for continued racial existence the the face of an impending planetarly ice age. While initally this comes across as fantasy, complete with magic, in reality it is magic and science, often at odds with each other, that drive the story line.
While not as strong as the Black Company books, they are still well eno ...more
While not as strong as the Black Company books, they are still well eno ...more
EPIC.
Fantasy cat/fox people transcend their rural traditions to progress into new Technology Zones and eventually travel the stars...using inate necromantic magic of sorts.
Wow.
I wasn't sure if I would like the book when I first started. A lot of the scenes that I was really interested in watching unfold were briefly summarized instead. Initially, this bothered me...a lot...but then I realized that in order to finish the story and not drag it out into a Robert Jordan-esque series, the brevity ...more
Fantasy cat/fox people transcend their rural traditions to progress into new Technology Zones and eventually travel the stars...using inate necromantic magic of sorts.
Wow.
I wasn't sure if I would like the book when I first started. A lot of the scenes that I was really interested in watching unfold were briefly summarized instead. Initially, this bothered me...a lot...but then I realized that in order to finish the story and not drag it out into a Robert Jordan-esque series, the brevity ...more
This books never run into a dead end with its plot. Friends die but that is the way of life on the cold and social class run planet. The concept of this books "magic" is presented in a whole different way and the group that maintains this people of power have a dark way of doing it. It has many scenes that leave you devastated with what the main character has to go through and what she is willing to give up to achieve her goal. The character development is massive! You see a shift in personality
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6/5. This book ripped my fucking heart into a million pieces and I don't know if I will even be able to look at it without crying. >.< There is far more of Marika in me than I ever want to believe. >.<
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This feels like it was written to be a single book instead of the original three. I enjoyed the world building and the different point of view at the end of the book. It did feel that Marika was never really in danger because she could do anything she tried better than anyone else.
AMAZING!!! SCI FI FANTASY CROSS UP
Doomstalker 4/5
Warlock 5/5
Ceremony 5/5
Warlock 5/5
Ceremony 5/5
Review excerpt links to full review:
Where Cook’s story and character worked to greater effect (than Karen Miller's Empress was the manner in which he did not beat the reader about the head with less desirable character traits of his protagonist. The unique milieu also sets Cook’s work apart, not just from Miller’s later novel, but from much of what was being published at the time and even some of what is on the shelves now (harsh female protagonist’s life story against a science fiction/fantasy ...more
Where Cook’s story and character worked to greater effect (than Karen Miller's Empress was the manner in which he did not beat the reader about the head with less desirable character traits of his protagonist. The unique milieu also sets Cook’s work apart, not just from Miller’s later novel, but from much of what was being published at the time and even some of what is on the shelves now (harsh female protagonist’s life story against a science fiction/fantasy ...more
Alas I could not finish this one. It started out very interesting and I liked the world that Cook created here, but at a little over halfway through this omnibus, I was just plain bored and didn't like the main character. She was selfish and arrogant and just not that fun to read about. It's a shame because there is a great story in here somewhere; it just took way too long to get to it and didn't keep me interested. It almost feels as if Cook ran out of story but had already committed to a tril
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**NO SPOILERS**
I love Glen Cook and I appreciate the depth and truly unique detail he uses to create the universe in this book, however, there were times I couldn't wait to finish this book. It took quite some time to get to the enthralling sections of the book which could drag at times. It truly is an epic tale and spans an entire lifetime of the legendary character the story revolves around. It was not everything I thought it would be. I'm glad I read it because it was like no other story tha ...more
I love Glen Cook and I appreciate the depth and truly unique detail he uses to create the universe in this book, however, there were times I couldn't wait to finish this book. It took quite some time to get to the enthralling sections of the book which could drag at times. It truly is an epic tale and spans an entire lifetime of the legendary character the story revolves around. It was not everything I thought it would be. I'm glad I read it because it was like no other story tha ...more
I really like the first two parts of the book, the whole science fantasy was intriguing. However the 3rd book seemed entirely too rushed. I understand what the author was doing, but it came across as he was just trying to finish the storyline and be done with it.
The whole feeling at the end of the book with the main character was a lack of caring and finality, which he played out well. But it left me detached from the story, and i lost the drive to finish it.
The whole feeling at the end of the book with the main character was a lack of caring and finality, which he played out well. But it left me detached from the story, and i lost the drive to finish it.
I really enjoyed this book. I have enjoyed Glen Cook's other books and his style of writing in the past and the story entertained me greatly. If you are not a fan of Cook you may not enjoy the way the characters and plot develop. The book, though classified as science fiction, is more of a science fantasy. A very refreshing read, gritty and not given to easy solutions - actions taken by characters have consequences. Very very good!
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Probably only for Glen Cook completists. The worldbuilding is fascinating, but the main character is unlikeable (and grows more so as the work progresses) and the final story gets very very talky. Still has it's grim charms and some interesting things to say about tradition, leadership, iconoclasm, technology and gender relations. But not likely to be a high priority for most readers.
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Think 30 Seconds to Mars "This is War" except the band is composed of highly evolved female dogs that stand on their hind feet. Inventive use of dog-related vocabulary though. And - SPOILER ALERT! the aliens are us! PS - can someone please tell me why the cover art is clearly a cat woman? Yep - that about sums it up.
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Sic-fi type of book. It was different that the "time period" shifts. I.e. story starts in the same setting as most fantasy novels but, this is really almost a zoo type of attraction managed by much more technologically advanced people. The analogy of the European destruction and involvement with the Native Americans rings true.
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Really liked how the story started in a sword & sorcery world, then evolved through various stages until it became a science fiction story with a space battle climax. A few mysteries from the first book went unanswered, but overall I enjoyed the read.
A very good read, and after starting it I had to check the original publication date. This is a very old book, repackaged, and you can tell how both Cook's writing and the fiction market in general have changed since it was penned, but it still had a solid story that engaged me as a reader.
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Wow, just wow. I already knew that I love Glen Cook as a writer having read the Black Company series, but I can explain in words how much I love this set of books. Read it, you have no choice, its that good.
Doomstalker - 3/9/15 - 3 Stars
Warlock - 3/10/15 - 3 Stars
Ceremony - 3/10/15 - 3 Stars
Weird book, or 3-in-1, rather. Not my favorite out of his books, though I definitely recommend all 3 since there's no ending between books. ...more
Warlock - 3/10/15 - 3 Stars
Ceremony - 3/10/15 - 3 Stars
Weird book, or 3-in-1, rather. Not my favorite out of his books, though I definitely recommend all 3 since there's no ending between books. ...more
Great older series re-released. It starts off like a fantasy, moves into sci-fi, and finishes like Arthurian legend. Only Glen Cook could do it.
An enthralling novel. It starts one way then veers off in another direction and then doubles back, like a fisherman pulling in a large whopper. It will hook you if you let it.
it's a good book ... well, actually, three books collected into one volume. he is my favorite (living) author of fiction, and while this isn't his best work, it's enjoyable.
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Liked it, refreshing point of view
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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
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Darkwar
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