Chronicles of the Black Company by Glen Cook
Review by Joe Sherwood
You ever want to spend some time with an old friend or visit a place you’ve been before? That’s the way I felt a week ago or so, and I picked up Glen Cook’s, Chronicles (Annals) of the Black Company (the first 3 books in one volume) and sat down to have a rollicking good time. It’s a classic sword and sorcery epic tale with love and hate, politics, and maybe just a little romance…
It’s a straightforward quick read, but yet, I keep coming back every few years and reading it again and enjoying it every time.
So what’s it all about?
A hard-bitten, experienced mercenary company is recruited by “the Lady” to take part in her war to create a new empire. This mercenary company uses mis-direction, trickery and a little sorcery to do everything they can to avoid stand up fights, although when they have them, they show their quality… This is the story of that company.
Other readers who have served in various military organizations say the dialogue is on target for the mentality and way they remembered it really being. There’s not a ton of ‘battle scenes” or honestly a tremendous amount of sorcery. What the books really do well, are to be outstanding character studies of people and Machiavellian political intrigue twists to keep the reader interested.
If you pick it up, I hope you enjoy… I did, visiting an old friend again.
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About the reviewer: Once the director of the Tredyffrin Township Libraries, Mr. Sherwood is now the executive director of the Chester County Library System.
