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Mark's Reviews > Shadow Games
Shadow Games (The Chronicles of the Black Company, #4)
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Another Buddy Read with Sarah and Elena, along with our captain Evgeny!
The fourth installment of the excellent Black Company series, this novel immediately follows the events of The White Rose (it also takes place concurrently with #3.5 in the series, The Silver Spike).
As anyone who read The White Rose is aware, the Black Company has disbanded, and is now down to only a handful of former members. Croaker, The Lady, One-Eye, Goblin, Murgen, and a few others head south in search of Khatovar, to fulfill Croaker's obligation of returning the annals to their rightful place.
Of course, it's not as simple as a leisurely afternoon stroll. Along the way, they pick up some new recruits and battle some new enemies. Par for the course.
One thing I noticed is how much Glen Cook's prose has improved since the earlier books. It's still sparse and easy-to-read (which is a good thing), but his descriptions are generally better. Whether we are led through an exotic jungle, a mysterious swampland, or a chaotic field of battle, I truly felt immersed in this world. In fact, when it comes to setting a tone and atmosphere in relatively few words, I would say Cook is entering the league of Robert E. Howard with this book.
Another important point to mention is Glen Cook's humor! Even though he is often hailed as the "father of grimdark", one of the highlights of this series are the hilarious moments. Typically these involve resident sorcerers One-Eye and Goblin. But there are also some emotional scenes here, along with the continued character development of Croaker and Lady.
This novel is a slow build, and does have a few boring/purposely-cryptic chapters, but it's worth it when everything starts to come together. Unlike the previous three volumes, which each worked in a more episodic manner, Shadow Games is clearly the introduction to a larger, more epic story; be aware that it does not stand on it's own, and not all plot lines are neatly resolved. In fact, it ends on a shocking cliffhanger, so be ready to read Dreams of Steel soon after you're done with this book!
The fourth installment of the excellent Black Company series, this novel immediately follows the events of The White Rose (it also takes place concurrently with #3.5 in the series, The Silver Spike).
As anyone who read The White Rose is aware, the Black Company has disbanded, and is now down to only a handful of former members. Croaker, The Lady, One-Eye, Goblin, Murgen, and a few others head south in search of Khatovar, to fulfill Croaker's obligation of returning the annals to their rightful place.
Of course, it's not as simple as a leisurely afternoon stroll. Along the way, they pick up some new recruits and battle some new enemies. Par for the course.
One thing I noticed is how much Glen Cook's prose has improved since the earlier books. It's still sparse and easy-to-read (which is a good thing), but his descriptions are generally better. Whether we are led through an exotic jungle, a mysterious swampland, or a chaotic field of battle, I truly felt immersed in this world. In fact, when it comes to setting a tone and atmosphere in relatively few words, I would say Cook is entering the league of Robert E. Howard with this book.
Another important point to mention is Glen Cook's humor! Even though he is often hailed as the "father of grimdark", one of the highlights of this series are the hilarious moments. Typically these involve resident sorcerers One-Eye and Goblin. But there are also some emotional scenes here, along with the continued character development of Croaker and Lady.
This novel is a slow build, and does have a few boring/purposely-cryptic chapters, but it's worth it when everything starts to come together. Unlike the previous three volumes, which each worked in a more episodic manner, Shadow Games is clearly the introduction to a larger, more epic story; be aware that it does not stand on it's own, and not all plot lines are neatly resolved. In fact, it ends on a shocking cliffhanger, so be ready to read Dreams of Steel soon after you're done with this book!
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Diane
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Jun 22, 2018 10:41AM
Great review, Mark!
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What I like about his prose is that even tailored to the simple soldiery way of telling things, it shows glimpses of depth, surprising wisdom or even poetry. And vocabulary too. I call that a talent.
