The Black Company Series
From Glen Cook Wiki
The Black Company series is the history of a roving band of mercenaries, comparable to the Foreign Legion. The Company is over four hundred years old, and has a strange past whose origins are clouded in mystery for most of the series. The series focuses on a history spanning several decades written by or involving Croaker, who is at the outset of the series the company Annalist (historian) and physician.
Broadly speaking, the books break down into two broad narrative arcs, though the publishers divide the books into three series.
Contents |
Books of the North
During this time the Company is campaigning in the Northern Empire, first for and then against the Lady of the Empire and the Ten Who Were Taken, her most powerful minions. The first three books are fairly self-contained and are considered by many fans to be the strongest part of the series. The fourth book, The Silver Spike, is somewhat anomalous in that it is the only book in the series which does not feature the Black Company as its center, though some of its former members are protagonists.
- Cook, Glen (1984). The Black Company. Tor Fantasy. ISBN 0-812-52139-0.
- Cook, Glen (1984). Shadows Linger. Tor Fantasy. ISBN 0-812-50842-4.
- Cook, Glen (1985). The White Rose. Tor Fantasy. ISBN 0-812-50844-0.
- Cook, Glen (1989). The Silver Spike. Tor Fantasy. ISBN 0-812-50220-5.
Books of the South
These are divided by the publishers into the "Books of the South" and "Books of the Glittering Plain," but in essence they are part of the same narrative arc leading up to the Company's return to Khatovar and face-off with the demon goddess Kina. In all of these books, the Company is either in the service of or fighting against the principate of Taglios.
- Cook, Glen (1989). Shadow Games. Tor Fantasy. ISBN 0-812-53382-8.
- Cook, Glen (1990). Dreams of Steel. Tor Fantasy. ISBN 0-812-50210-8.
- Cook, Glen (1996). Bleak Seasons. Tor Fantasy. ISBN 0-812-55532-5.
- Cook, Glen (1997). She is the Darkness. Tor Fantasy. ISBN 0-812-55533-3.
- Cook, Glen (1999). Water Sleeps. Tor Fantasy. ISBN 0-812-55534-1.
- Cook, Glen (2000). Soldiers Live. Tor Fantasy. ISBN 0-812-56655-6.
Books to come
In an interview interview published on the Strange Horizons newsletter/web site, Cook indicated he was planning the following volumes in the Black Company series. Since the ending of Soldiers Live was a pretty definitive conclusion to the narrative arc of the previous six books and the protagonist Croaker was permanently removed from play, so to speak, the direction these books may take is uncertain.
- Cook, Glen (TBA*). A Pitiless Rain.
- Cook, Glen (TBA*). Port of Shadows.
The Black Company Roleplay Game
Released by Green Ronin games in 2004, this 318 page hardcover manual contains advanced rules designed to simulate the epic battles of The Black Company, the style of writing, and the harsh rules of mortality. The Black Company Campaign Setting also features full stats for all of the important Black Company characters (including the Taken), various creatures native to the world of the Black Company, and suggestions for game styles. Glen Cook says Green Ronin "did their homework" and has faithfully assembled a comprehensive guide to the world of the Company. However, this wiki has been prepared using the books as source material, not the campaign setting.
What's in this Wiki
As with the other series profiled here, the entries on the Black Company series try to add up to a comprehensive guide to the series, comprehensively cataloguing all major characters, places, objects, and creatures. As many of the entries detail the life history of characters and events late in the series, there are spoilers throughout. Please click on the "categories" link below to access the primary index of all Black Company articles and article categories.
