Reviews

The Black Company by Glen Cook

dwimblim's review against another edition

3.0

I've seen this on several book recommendation lists but I wasn't super into it. I remember that aspects were interesting but on the whole it was kinda slow and I didn't love any of the characters or... anything.

thomouser's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

kraigmhill's review against another edition

2.0

This was a rough read for me. I didn’t feel the stakes were high or well defined and I also didn’t care about what happened to the characters which made it a slog.

I get that I’m not supposed to exactly love the characters but I just flat out didn’t care what happened to them. They didn’t have any characteristics that made me want to root for them and the global stakes weren’t particularly interesting to me.

The ending was good and seems like it could lead to more intriguing stories, but this one just didn’t hook me enough to want to continue.

alesforz's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

bolgenhaar's review

adventurous dark mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

Glen Cook's The Black Company weaves an interesting tale, written from the perspective of a sell-sword chronicler, in the service of the forces of evil.

It's hard for me to say why I like this book. It just has some kind of spark.

But for all my benevolence towards the story, I cannot ignore the flaws it has. From having meandering parts, feeling like an introduction to a world, rather than a self-contsiend story in it, being altogether predictable and, of course, Raven, a character who is basically the protagonist of an edgier, worse fantasy book.

In the end though, somehow the sum equals more than the parts when it comes to this book.

jasonlee77's review against another edition

1.0

Utter crap! Weak writing, horrible character names and a uninteresting plot.

philigan's review against another edition

adventurous medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot

3.5

bunzen's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot

4.5

Wow, after having low expectations going into this based on ratings my mind was blown.  

A fantastic grim dark story following a company of mercenary soldiers from a very "boots on the ground " POV. 

The blend of humor and musings on morality pepper this story making it more than just a dark tale. I definitely recommend, but not for the faint of heart. 

sazzyrazzy's review against another edition

adventurous dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

totallylosingmymime's review against another edition

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0