This book is a definite improvement from the last two books in the series, although Bleak seasons was a good book but I definitely thought that it lagged in some parts and main issue with it was our narrator i.e. Murgen just kept jumping from past to present and it was hard to identify where he was exactly each time, the previous book ends with a earthquake occurring which has devastating consequences especially for shadow masters side.Cook is on his own turf when he writes about soldering because he manages to capture the whole war is meaningless thing and the boredom associated with it as the soldiers have to do the same thing day in and out.This book is full of action from the start and especially the siege at overlook was really captured well.The book continues from the last in the sense that Croaker decides to crush the shadow masters once and for all and decides to march on overlook.Cook gives us in detail how large an arsenal this army basically requires.Also the company manages to keep one step ahead of the enemy due to the comatose wizard smoke. We find that murgen is hooked on traveling in dream world and is spending more and more time there he gets addicted a sort to it.His habit finally gets noticed by croaker and one eye and croaker finally confronts him with hard facts regarding uncle gota,mother doj and tie day. Murgen discovers some facts about about Sahri's murder which just blew my mind.The battle at charandaprash is also an exciting an battle with company going head on against mogaba at that battle we actually come to know what really is going on between blade and croaker. Also croaker finds his own shoes as captain in this book, this is not the croaker how we knew from first three books this basically a man who spends most of his time know determining strategy regarding how to get the company back to khatavar. Another important character in this book is definitely soul catcher the way she executes her strategy against the company in overlook as well as in taglios reminded me of Breaking bad episode where Bryan cranston execute 9 convicts scattered across different prisons in just 5 minutes. The cliffhanger at the end was one of the best I have read in a long time.Read this book if you want the answers regarding did the company manages to reach khatavar ?.The only annoying aspect of the book was regarding keena because it was difficult to exactly know what cook wants to convey in that scene except that this is book is a solid 4/5 stars and has bought the black company series back on track for me.
On paper, She is the Darkness is the weakest of the books of the south. In practice it is probably the strongest. The difference between those two points is all about Glen Cook's voice. Cook is a master story telling, and solidifies himself as one of the greatest ever with this book.The thing is, my job, and the places I go daily, and the rules of my world are all very mundane. I don't pause to consider the lampost I pass by on my way to work. I will admit that I don't understand how the light bulb function. I know someone else does, but I just count on it to light up.The world of the black company is not like mine. It is fantastical full of things that seem to make little sense, but to the characters of this book, these things are mundane. They can joke about ihabiting the soul of a comatose magician while scouting a military deployment in the way I can joke about hitting a pot hole on the way to work. It is the attitude of dismissal to the more fantastical elements of this novel that makes these characters relatable to me. They are the sort of people I would sit down and have a beer with. I'd invite them to play cards after work. Even most of the adversaries of the company are interesting enough to invite over to a dinner party.It is the characters not the plot of this book that you will love. And if you find them half as interesting as me, then you will love this book.I recommend this book to everyone I know. You should read it. It is a difficult starting point for the series, so if you are willing, you should instead start with "Shadow Games". If not, start with this book, and marvel at the wonder.
Finally finished this book! Sheesh. I am sick of Murghen's annals. It seems like any long series eventually goes downhill, and this is no exception. It's funny because Croaker (speaking presumably for the reader and/or author) complains to Murghen in the story about the quality of his annals. No one gives a shit about Murghen! Hear, hear! I miss the old Croaker annals. Hell, I even liked Lady's book or Case's (though his are the unofficial spin-off; whatevs). He got me though. Much like Goodkind used to pull when I slogged through his later shit, (and believe me, Cook is nowhere near as bad with his series as Goodkind is) Cook pulls off the boring book with a zinger ending. Right as I'm fed up with the book and series, bam! I get like an amazing end to string me along to the next book.Ah, two more to go in the series. Let's see how it ends.
—Michael Thorn
Me repito más que el ajo pero no tengo otra opción: me gusta la saga de la Compañía Negra y no puedo diferenciar la calidad de un libro a otro. EL ciclo de Murgen empezó de una forma un tanto extraña, provocando un sentimiento de confusión según avanzaba la lectura. Era imposible saber hacia donde se dirigía la trama más allá dela acción inmediata. Los saltos en el tiempo de Murgen en "Sueños de acero" formaban una imagen caótica. Con "Estación de penurias" las cosas fueron encajando y cobró sentido muchos detalles extraños que "Ella es la oscuridad" se asientan y normalizan la narración. Al completar el ciclo de Murgen todo encaja en sus sitio, un gran puzzle que marca una segunda etapa en al historia de la Compañía Negra. Porque los primeros cinco libros hablan de la Dama y la Rosa Blanca, los siguientes tres de la búsqueda emprendida por Matasanos de los orígenes de la Compañía. Del noveno en adelante ya hablaré más tarde, cuando los acabe.Si pienso en la calidad de la serie creo que tengo pocos ejemplos de sagas que soportan tan bien la evolución de los personajes y las vueltas del destino: Aubrey y Maturín, Sharpe, Bolitho, Battletech (al menos en los libros de Stackpole). Resumiendo: un buen libro dentro de una gran serie de un gran escritor. Espero que os guste.
—Xan
Buddy read with Athena & Gavin!"Darkness is our time. And darkness always comes."With the Siege of Dejagore a distant memory, the Black Company goes relentlessly on in the quest for Khatovar and the lost tales of its origins. And while all kinds of enemies rally against them, the Company marches on the fortress of Overlook, last stronghold before the mythic Plain of the Glittering Stone...She Is the Darkness is definitely the best Black Company book so far, beating even the spectacular Dreams of Steel. Even though I prefer Croaker's and Lady's points of view, the Books of Murgen are brilliant in their own right. Besides Glen Cook's masterful combination of eloquence and profanity, this book is filled with grand battle scenes, extraordinary plot twists, a villain rising up to become one of the greatest characters in the series, and the absolute best ending in the series so far.
—Markus
