Port of Shadows (The Chronicles of the Black Company, #1.5) in Sword & Sorcery: "An earthier sort of fantasy"

Aug 06, 2018 Markus rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, black-company

A welcome return.

The long-awaited addition to the series does appear to have become somewhat controversial, at least in my circles. I have several female friends whose reactions to the book were less than enthusiastic. While I can understand claims of misogyny in certain scenes, I must admit I did not find anything beyond what is almost a given in the crude military fraternity that the Black Company is (to the extent that I was wondering if sections were missing from my copy). I do, however, rec A welcome return.

The long-awaited addition to the series does appear to have become somewhat controversial, at least in my circles. I have several female friends whose reactions to the book were less than enthusiastic. While I can understand claims of misogyny in certain scenes, I must admit I did not find anything beyond what is almost a given in the crude military fraternity that the Black Company is (to the extent that I was wondering if sections were missing from my copy). I do, however, recognise that others found it to be so. And indeed, one could certainly include several trigger warnings tied to sexual violence, and as such it might be a tad worse than the less explicit older books, though for the most part the difference is extremely minor. But at the end of the day, we read books through our own lenses, genders, life experiences and attitudes while reading included.

Personally, I thoroughly enjoyed Port of Shadows as a chance to venture forth with the men of the Black Company once again, to see them on another strange mission for the Lady, and to peak into what in previous books has only been the mythic past. For this book provides glimpses of the history of the Domination, the making of the Barrowland and the developments between then and the Company’s present. Perhaps most intriguingly of all, it shows the Dominator and the Senjak family and their early scheme-ridden tense relationship.

All this is muddled up by the notion of voluntary repeated name-changing and potentially body-swapping. It is heavily implied that the now infamous Senjak Sisters from their early youth change names as a protective measure against the Dominator, each other, and anyone who could attempt to do them harm. We have seen the power of names in the series before. This means that anyone who is not familiar with the characters will have a hard time figuring out who’s who. But if you work at it, you get to enjoy the Postscript where in-world scholars fuck it up completely.

Even if left confused for large swathes of the reading experience, you can also take solace that Glen Cook’s writing is as good as ever. As one might reasonably expect, it has developed and changed, but just as in the main series, it seizes you and brings you in, deep into the twisted and gritty world, even after many years:

The night was silent but for the clop of hooves on wet cobblestones. A sliver of moon winked at the world from behind straggler wisps of cloud, silhouetting the grim spires of Grendirft. No light shone anywhere from that fortress.

The air was still and nearly chill now that the rain had gone away. A hint of corrupting flesh tainted the air of imperial Dusk.

Conclusively, while it certainly isn’t flawless, it certainly is a Chronicle of the Black Company.

Now it’s simply about waiting for A Pitiless Rain...

Series review from the beginning
Series review from the ending ...more

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Sep 26, 2018 Joseph rated it really liked it · review of another edition

So back in 1984, Glen Cook published The Black Company, the first in a series of (eventually) ten novels -- nine directly following the exploits of the Company (mercenaries, last of the Free Companies of Khatovar, very competent and not always very choosy about their employers) and one (The Silver Spike) telling a sort of side-story about some of the wreckage they left in their wake. And in 2000 came Soldiers Live, the final volume in the story of the Black Company.

And now, 18 years later, we ha So back in 1984, Glen Cook published The Black Company, the first in a series of (eventually) ten novels -- nine directly following the exploits of the Company (mercenaries, last of the Free Companies of Khatovar, very competent and not always very choosy about their employers) and one (The Silver Spike) telling a sort of side-story about some of the wreckage they left in their wake. And in 2000 came Soldiers Live, the final volume in the story of the Black Company.

And now, 18 years later, we have Port of Shadows, which actually falls chronologically between the first two books (The Black Company and Shadows Linger). And let me start by saying: It's pretty great!

And let me continue by saying: If you've never read any Black Company books before, this is probably not a great place to start (it presupposes a fair amount of familiarity with the Company and their associates); and, in fact, if you're reading the series for the first time, I might recommend holding off on this book at least until after you've read the initial trilogy because it will reveal things that are better learned over the course of the original books.

So having said all of that: As mentioned, this book takes place shortly after the events of the very first novel -- the Black Company is in service to the Lady (the Big Bad who, after being inadvertently resurrected by a not-very-bright wizard, hired them to rout the Rebels who oppose her because she is, in fact, not a nice lady, and the Resurrectionists, who oppose her because they want to bring back her husband, the Dominator, an even Bigger Bad still sleeping wrapped in chains and spells in his barrow). They have been sent to the city of Aloe, first to capture a Rebel general, Tides Elba; and then, when she comes back as the Taken Mischevious Rain, to deal with what appears to be a major Resurrectionist plot (the titular "Port of Shadows" being something or someone that would allow the Dominator to manifest).

Most of the book is written, as per usual, by our old friend Croaker, who is both the company medic and the company Annalist (responsible for writing & maintaining records of their action); although there are also interstitial sections (labeled "Once Upon a Time" or "Long Ago and Far Away") that tell of events that happened, well, long ago and far away but with impact on the events the Company is dealing with in the here & now.

And the entire story is a bit ... odd. It turns out that there are very good in-universe reasons why nobody seems to remember these events in subsequent volumes, and there are revelations (or are there?) that might cause some major rethinking of characters we thought we knew. But it takes place in such complete isolation that it's hard to say.

But still: I was very happy to hear more from Croaker -- he's still not nearly as cynical and world-weary as he pretends to be -- and to read about Goblin and One-Eye and Silent and the Lieutenant and the Captain and the rest, and to see the Taken doing their thing; it was a joyous sitting down with old but extremely disreputable friends. ...more

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Jul 24, 2014 Athena Shardbearer marked it as to-read

Shelves: fantasy, epic, high-fantasy, darkfantasy, do-want, war, not-out-yet-but-want

I need this more than air

I need this more than life

I need this more than anything in the world....

OH, HOW I NEED THEE!!!!!

I need my boys back, and I need them so bad!!!

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Feb 27, 2018 S.E. Lindberg rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed-by-se

This Black Company installment from Glen Cook (chronologically #1.5, but published >#10) will be enjoyed by long-term fans much more than newer folk reading the books in order. I came from reading only the first book and recommend skipping it (I am still intrigued to read Shadows Linger eventually). As part of group read in the Goodread's Sword & Sorcery group, series fans suggest reading the original trilogy first (Chronicles of the Black Company) and reaffirm that the other books are more enga ...more

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Oct 26, 2019 Richard rated it liked it

Shelves: fantasy

It's been nearly twenty years since I've last traveled with the Black Company. Their tale seemed to be definitively told and that was that. So a new Black Company book? Where does that figure? The events take place between books one and two, and as for how that works you can either read the book or let someone's review ruin it for you.

I went in with questions, and I have more than when I started. I really wish Mr. Cook would put this into perspective because I am at a loss.

There seemed to be mor ...more

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