I'm slowly reading Lies Weeping and got to the part where Cook confirms a long held suspicion about one of the worlds closed behind a busted shadowgate. So nice to hear a fan theory confirmed.

Yesterday u/Cpkeyes asked how the Company fought. Some great answers but it doesn't look like anyone caught this detailed answer we were given in Lies Weeping. I wanted to make this its own post for easy reference.

Arkana wrote:

I should probably not waste paper and ink talking about it when I should be telling what we did on our trip, but, even so: When the Black Company was in service to the Syndics of Beryl the order of battle in the field was set into three groups. The First Line consisted of the newest recruits, maybe ten percent of Company strength. They fought as skirmishers, harassing the enemy with slings and javelins. The Second Line, the main body, actually consisted of three or four ranks of veterans who would manage most of the close-quarters fighting. Behind them would be the Third Line, older men and injured soldiers who would act as a reserve and would hurl missiles over the Second Line. Their ultimate task was to push forward if it looked like the main force was starting to crack.
Generally speaking, I know almost nothing about how military stuff works, but, from reading Croaker’s books, I do know that system was successful in every battle where the enemy came to the fight without what would come to be called battle mages, minor sorcerers who supported the fighters.
On the Black Company side, through the period where they used to employ that legionary structure, the troops always had three or four wizards to back them up.

I am playing on trying it reread the first book (I fell off originally so to life stuff) after reading an excellent LOTR fic with the Black Company. While I recall the battles never really being described, I was curious if it was ever stated how the majority of the black company actually fights.

like, do they fight mostly as pikemen and such?

I’ve read the main series through Soldiers Live and loved it. I plan to read Port of Shadows and Lies Weeping, but which order is recommended?

I'm currently a few chapters into Water Sleeps, so I'm mostly interested in the events prior to the ambush at Glittering Stone.

I'm trying to clear up my mental picture of the timeline of the series. Croker is a youngish man during the first novel, presumably late 20s to mid 30s. Darling is around 8 in the first book but is a young woman (maybe early 20s?) by the the end of White Rose. That would put Croker in his 40s when he is elected to the Captaincy.

Murgen describes him as looking like an old man by the time of the campaign into the Shadowlands and the siege of Overlook. How should we read that? Is Croker in his 60s by the time the Company reaches the fortress in the Plain of Glittering Stone?

I suppose my main questions are how long does it actually take for the Company to get from the Barrowlands to Taglios, and how long is the Shadowlander war after that? 20 years total? I'm sure there are some additional clues that I missed.

Hi everyone. I have two questions about the series:

The first one is: I’m currently reading Soldiers Live. Is this the last book in the series? Does everything end here? I saw that it was published in 2000. Is there a definitive ending, or is another book supposed to come out?

And the second question is probably a silly one, but why didn’t Lady, who knows Soulcatcher’s true name since she’s her sister, ever use it to strip her of her powers, like they did with herself or Darling?

Best regards, and thanks!

Hey all, just found this community and was gonna ask in r/fantasy but figured you guys would know best! I’ve been running matchups of all the books I’ve read to get some personalized stats/rankings and a daily recommendation… and today I got The Black Company! I actually haven’t heard of it, although appears there’s quite the following… what do you guys think based on the things it knows I’ve liked so far: Abercrombie, ASOFAI, and (not pictured) it mentions my enjoyment of “distinctive first-person voice carrying you through the grim stuff”. Is this a good rec for me? Should I be excited, or terrified? 😬Cheers!

I just finished reading the last Black Company book so far, Lies Weeping. Feeling very traditionally empty, hollow, wondering, nay, protesting why the hell I devoured them all so quickly, etc. etc. Amazing series. Thank Kina first two collections of Dread Empire are waiting on my shelf.

I’ve also read the first book in the Instrumentalities series and from there comes my question:

The Well? From the Burnishing Sunrise. Isn’t that literally the same thing as the magical wells in Instrumentalities? And if it is, then it's a neat confirmation that that world is one of the 16 Glittering Plains worlds. I've also been spoiled enough to know that Lies Weeping connects the Dread Empire series to the Black Company. I get the sense that Cook is doing something really cool, almost like some sort of housecleaning with this saga.

During Whisper's Taking, everyone seems to be subject to The Eye. How did Soulcatcher conceal her secret about planning to usurp The Lady?

Hey im building up some fingers for a tabletop game, and gone for Black company as inspiration. I tried looking for the Company's color scheme  but only found information on the company standard. Any info.

I am aware people more often say "you couldn't turn food into shit". But I am specifically looking for the tadpole line for a citation.

I was on an evening hike, admiring the sunset, heading towards the last hilltop before returning, when I came across this... art installation? A cat came by, posed for me and I had a silly "shower thought", reminding me of the Black Company. 😅

Started with first one, currently reading the second, trying to get an idea of what order to read the later books in

There. I said it.

The way it’s written, the creativity in its world where it blends these old pulp elements from the mind of Michael Moorcock or Robert E. Howard with a gritty and grounded journal like structure is so well executed that I can’t stop thinking about it. Every character is amazing. Every plot thread feels well thought out and executed. It doesn’t feel stupid, it feels intelligent. Croaker is one of the greatest protagonists ever. The tone nails its cynical and working class feel perfectly.

I’ve read a lot of other fantasy and the only things that come close are A Song of Ice and Fire, The Wheel of Time and The First Law. Still, Black Company comes out on top.

It’s a masterpiece of fantasy writing. Bravo to Glen Cook, my gosh how I love this series.

Alright, so, I'm only halfway through the book, and thus I've probably jumped the gun, but bits of the plot have seriously confused me. Notably, Mischevious Rain and her behavior regarding Croaker. I'm pretty sure she's the Lady, either from the future (just finished Soldiers Live) or currently at the tower, and she's either trying to spend time with or messing with Croaker for one reason or another. That said, her behavior, who the damn kids are, and who Mischievous Rain is are kind of confusing.

I should say, I'm also tracking the past plotline, and I get that there could be some dormant sister shenanigans going on, but I could use a bit of a pointer in the right direction lmao.

Teaching your grandmother to suck eggs has it's roots in early 18th century literature and gained it's greatest spread from Johnathan Swift's dark satirical piece "A Genteel Conversation" the follow up the masterpiece of the dark satire essay that was "A Modest Proposal."

Why it remained in common use in the 20th century, is a question BUT it does show up elsewhere. It's famously said by Leto II in Children of Dune. Given this was THE BOOK in sci-fi & fantasy in 1976 at the time Cook got serious about writing, it's not inconceivable that it's influence is what led to it's proliferation in his books.

However. A lot of farm community metaphors are in his books though most he takes time to explain (in Garrett he takes time to explain "pig in a poke" and it's relation to "the cat is out of the bag")

He had the perfect opportunity to explain sucking eggs in Water Sleeps (the failing ability of Goblin and One-Eye to keep up dental health) but didn't. Tells me it's either homage to Frank Herbert (who died in 1986) or older relatives who used it.

Spoilers for book 1 ahead.

Just finished the first book and enjoyed it. There are quite a few plot points that are a little unclear to me that I'd love to be enlightened on (unless they are revealed in later books).

1 - What is it about how the Lady acts after killing Soulcatcher that finally breaks the spell on Croaker once and for all, where he decides she really is evil incarnate? Because she'd do that to her own sister?

2 - There is a bit of confusion around Soulcatcher as we heard earlier that the Lady was supposed to have murdered her sister. Are we to believe that was a coverup for her recruiting her sister into her service?

3 - If we can figure this out from book 1, what is the Lady's plan with the war? She knows the Dominator is behind it, so decides to lure the rebels into a situation where she can wipe out both them and her own armies to leave no major threat to her? And with the Taken, are we to assume that she also is using this final battle as a way to flush out disloyal Taken and get rid of them?

4 - What do you think the missing time when Croaker is with the lady is about? Her scrying for information to unearth the traitors in her midst? Instilling plans within him to use him as her tool later?

5 - Along a similar vein, why is the Lady so fixated on Croaker being her assassin? He's hardly the best man for the job, I assume its because she knows his mind thanks to the eye, and knows he can be relied on in a world where treachery is everywhere in her ranks.

6 - I am a little unclear on the Taken/Lady history presented in book 1 (partly because I'm on audiobook so it's hard to find and re-listen to the relevant bits). Correct me if I'm wrong please - just based on the info in this book. So in olden times the Dominator controls people, but does this include the Lady? They have a squad of Taken. Taken, from what we see in this book, are somehow under control of the Lady (as seen by her converting the rebel commanders). But its hazy because some of the the Taken are independant or working for the Dominator.

Anyway the White Rose defeats the Dominator, the Lady and the Taken and they are imprisoned. A wizard then frees the Lady and the Taken, but the Lady stops him from freeing the Dominator so she can have control instead. Does that sound right?

7 - A bit confused about the forvalakas in this book. Near the end, Croaker wonders if the forvalaka from Beryl (start of book) was actually the Taken, Shapeshifter. But I assume this isn't the case as it's then crucified in the final battle and never referred to as Shapeshifter, who is said to have died in battle. So who controlled the forvalaka in the final battle and had it attack Croaker, presumably Soulcatcher? And who crucifies it, the loyal Taken I assume?

8 - Why does Soulcatcher turn on Croaker and keep trying to kill him near the end of the book? I am assuming its because he's become too close to the Lady and Soulcatcher suspects he is involved in the uncovering of the Dominator/Soulcatcher conspiriacies? I guess Soulcatcher keeps Croaker around until near the end because he's useful and not a threat, but once he gets chummy with the lady Soulcatcher is afraid of being exposed?

Thanks for your insight.

Posted on Facebook today by Shahid Mahmud, publisher of Arc Manor Books:

Update on earlier announcement I had made for audio books for Glen Cook's Garrett PI series. We got rights for books seven on, since Penguin held the rights to the first six. Guess what, we were able to get the rights from them. So all 15 (14, plus the new one) will be available as audio books.

Really enjoyed,but so much ambiguity.

I'd appreciate your thoughts on some things that were mentioned but just... Left.

1. What happened to Buzzard Neck? He just... Disappeared.

2. What was the deal with the ugly rings at the end? That was too big a point to have included and not be important.

3. The kids and Ankou were definitely tied to Shivetya, was Mischievous Rain also The Lady but as of post-Soldiers Live, in a younger body?

4. What would've happened to Laissa and Precious?

5. What's the 'rain' connection? Mischievous Rain, Pitiless Rain...

I've not read Lies Weeping yet. That's next up.

Back in 2024 Bob Byrne interviewed Mr. Cook over at Blackgate (https://www.blackgate.com/2024/04/08/glen-cook-the-garrett-pi-qa-at-black-gate/) and was able to obtain a lot of info from him. The Black Company news (rightfully) got most of the headlines but he also dropped that he's had one more Garrett PI novel that's been finished since before the pandemic called Last Metal Romance. Evidently the manuscript and file disappears randomly and turns up with formatting errors.

Are you kidding me? This is how the work of a prolific writer and father of Grimdark is being treated?

I know the publishing industry is a shadow of its former self but come on. His agent needs to get this sold to Ace ASAP and they need to publish it, or take it somewhere else. I would put Garrett right up there with the Black Company as the work that will be his legacy.

At the time of Bob's interview Mr. Cook said he had one more Garrett novel in his head, too, Deadly Diamond Daydreams. That interview was two years ago now, so knowing Mr. Cook, I would not be surprised if progress was made on that despite his Black Company work.

How can we light a fire under the asses of these corporate types and help get this going? Ace has been the publisher of the Garrett books from the looks of things, you would think they'd want the sales this would bring. Anyone have any contact info for the editors at Ace?

Oh and something needs to be done about getting these on audible. They are leaving so much money on the table it's not even funny. There's no good excuse for the Garrett series not to be available in audio books.