[Takoren]

Hey all.

I've just started reading Glenn Cook's The Black Company. I'd read many positive things about it. I'd heard that it was gritty, amoral with plenty of anti-heroes and moral ambiguity, and that all sounded like the kind of thing that appeals to me these days.

However, after the first chapter, I've debated reading the second. I've never been the type to throw down a book after the first chapter, but I seriously debated doing that very thing. It wasn't the story; as far as I can tell it's shaping up to be a good one, but it's the writing style.

First off, Cook seems to be writing from a standpoint that we already know the history of the world he's writing about, and very rarely gives us even a brief infodump. I don't like length infodumps that come at you right from the start, but it bugs me when authors hardly give us anything.

Second, I guess I'm going to have to get used to the idea that characters speak in 20th century vernacular (such as "get your butt back here") despite living in a midieval world.

So, I guess the question is, does it get any better? Does it start making more sense? Should I go on?

[Obtuse]

The style of dialog will remain modern, and throughout the series you will repeatedly be thrown into the middle of situations with little background. Cook will get you up to speed eventually, he just doesn't typically employ the info dump.

So I don't know if "does it get better?" is the right question. I think the books do get better as the series progresses, but the "problems" you describe, which are questions of style IMO, do not really change.

I would certainly suggest giving him more than one chapter before making a decision, but at the end of the day, if you don't like the style, then you won't like the book.

[Keyoke]

I thought the series was worth it, espically the first three books, plus the stand alone. THose were my favorite, after that, I found the series held little interest for me...and I have yet finished the last book.

Keyoke

[Priestvyrce]

I thought the series was worth it, espically the first three books, plus the stand alone. THose were my favorite, after that, I found the series held little interest for me...and I have yet finished the last book.

Keyoke

I agree. The first trilogy was fast,fun and furious. Croaker made a great narrator,but once he stopped being the narator in the second trilogy,I lost interest in the series.

[Rob B]

A lot of threads were floating around about The Black Company, the venerable Hobbit merged them all into this one not too long ago: Black Company (http://www.sffworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1396)

[FitzChivalry]

I loved the black company, all 10 books, one of my favorite series, but the problems you have with it will not go away.

How did they say "get your butt back here" in medieval times? because i'm sure the street language had enough expressions of that kind even in medieval times, street languages always do.
The language we know as "medieval" is mostly the language of works of scholarship, religion or literature that used higher language, but those expressions sure existed in some form.

[Lowlander]

For those new to the Black Company : Tor wil publish an omnibus in trade paperback called Chronicles of the Black Company which collects the first three novels. I believe this omnibus comes out in september.

A great buy, and the cover art for this edition is pretty good ! You can check this at :

www.tor-forge.com/chroniclesoftheblackcompany

[Zsinj]

[QUOTE=FitzChivalry;404196]

How did they say "get your butt back here" in medieval times? QUOTE]

Simple; "Get thee thy butt back here" :D

I haven't read the Black Company or anything by Cook yet for that matter, but I most assuredly plan to in the future. I'm currently ordering the collected omnibus editions of his "Dread Empire Series" through the SFBC. Right now I have the first collection, "A Cruel Wind", and I'm waiting for the second collection, "A Fortress in Shadow" to come in the mail. I also own the Black Company Books I-III (The Black Company, Shadows Linger, The White Rose), The Tower of Fear, and the Instrumentalities of the Night Book I (Tyranny of the Night) by Cook.
As for speaking in the medieval vernacular in a medieval world, you have to remember that this and about 90% of all other epic fantasies takes place in another dimension or on another planet, so just because they live in a medieval world, doesn't mean they have to use medieval speech.

[columbob]

I also thought Cook's style was a bit difficult to get into when I first started reading TBC, but eventually I hit my reading stride with him, and I didn't regret it at all. I liked the entire 10-book series, although some books were a bit uneven. I also took about a one year break between the first trilogy and the rest of them.

I can't say I really preferred the beginning trilogy, however, because I was wholly absorbed in the events of the South (which is the last 6 books really, the series breakdown is a bit confusing on this part, IMO).

The Black Company is good at showing switching loyalties, powerful magicians brought low by common soldiers, character flaws, and recurring villains. Not too many weird creatures in this series, as it focuses more on human interaction between mercenaries and their employers and long-term enemies, as well as a clash of cultures. Lots of magic, though few magical artifacts.

I'd say stick with it, at least until the end of the first book. You'll learn more as you go along.

[Takoren]

First, I would have accepted "get your ass back here" or "get your arse back here", but the word "butt" used to describe the posterior seems very anachronistic. I dunno, I mean they were already calling them "buttocks" at that point in history, so maybe it's just me.

Secondly, I've gotten farther into the book and I'm enjoying it a good deal more. I finally feel like enough backplot has been given to me so that I can at least keep the characters straight and the plot is thickening, so perhaps I was hasty in my first post.