book 1 of The Black Company

by Glen Cook

isbn: 0812521390
subject: SF, Fiction and Literature
finished: 6/9/2002

The Black Company is a dark story about a group of mercenaries who find themselves used as pawns in, and probably on the wrong side of, a continent-wide power struggle between the Lady's Empire and a rebel army. When not in danger of being destroyed by the enemy, the Company must avoid stepping on the toes of one or more of the Lady's most fearsome servants: the Ten Who Were Taken.

Between 10 and 20 years ago, when I was 10 to 20 years old, I read quite a few sword-and-sorcery style fantasy novels. This is a fun genre that was probably, in hindsight, not all that rewarding in a literary sense. Even so, the Black Company series always stood out as a high point, and after rereading the first book I think I've identified some of the reasons why Cook succeeded in creating great genre fiction where so many like Robert Jordan, Terry Brooks, and David Eddings have failed. First, his book -- unlike some of the others' -- is not derivative of Tolkien to the point where the reader feels cheated and offended. Also, made-up words are explicitly avoided, there is genuine moral and ethical ambiguity, and since the story is told from a physician's point of view the unpleasant and lasting effects of battle are not entirely glossed over. Second, Cook's pacing is impeccable: the book moves along nicely and each episode advances the plot rather than merely adding to the page count. Third, the frame story is a winner: Croaker, the narrator, is the Company's doctor and annalist -- he fulfills the centuries-old roles of writing down events in Company life, and of not permitting the company to forget its past. By avoiding the omniscient viewpoint Cook effectively places the reader in the middle of a large conflict, and captures the terrifying lack of good information that would likely be the status quo in this sort of situation.