[ 3 / biz / cgl / ck / diy / fa / ic / jp / lit / sci / vr / vt ] [ index / top / reports ] [ become a patron ] [ status ]
2023-11: Warosu is now out of extended maintenance.

/lit/ - Literature

View post   
File: 35 KB, 308x500, The Black Company.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
2743796 No.2743796 [Reply] [Original]

Hi /lit/
Anyone has read these series? What do you think of it?

While the author has his weak points, I enjoyed the series and they are of my favorites. I like the perception of morality, shown in the narrative. Can anyone recommend a similiar book where it wouldn't be the typical good vs evil?

>> No.2743800

Could you expand on that series? Pro et contra?

>> No.2743815

The setting is a fantasy world but not the orcs/elves bullshit.
The book follows a band of elite mercenaries as they fight for their contract while trying to survive the world that is against them. That's basically the summary
Pros:
-Interesting take on magic. Not the regular fireball vs lightning strike crap
-First person narrative
-The portrayal of war from the perspective of an army who recognize evil, but are bound by their contract. Plus the whole good/evil is very relative
cons:
-lack of actual descriptions of characters
-too much description of terrain and other stuff I found unnecessary
-I felt luck was too often on the main characters side
-some inconsistencies through the book

>> No.2743820

>>2743815
This sounds good, I think I'll read it.
I hear that the The Wticher novels by Andrzej Sapkowski are great for grey morality/characters but I haven't read them personally.

>> No.2743825

>>2743820
It is a good read, and I recommend it. But as I read it, I couldn't shake of the feeling that the author just wanted to end the series. Besides, the next book in the series hasn't come out in about 12 years.
Also, thank you for the recommendation

>> No.2743863

>>2743825

I'd be really surprised if Cook carried on with the series. I know Wikipedia says there are planned future books but I don't put much faith in that. There are a couple of recent shorts though, which aren't bad even if they're not spectacular.

The nearest thing to TBC is probably the Malazan saga. Erikson acknowledges Cook's influence (there's that blurb on the omnibus editions of TBC) and Malazan is very much a sort of military-fantasy saga.

There's a lot more to it than that and there are big differences between the two series as well but it's worth dipping your toe in to the Malazan universe and seeing what you think. Although it's a huge saga my advice is try the first book. If you like it, you'll like the others. If you don't like it, you won't like the others. Don't think the series massively changes or improves or gets worse over its course (though I'm only half way through all the many Erikson and Esslemont books).

>> No.2743874
File: 10 KB, 240x200, 1310571199396.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
2743874

>>2743863
Was lurking for news on the BC series and found that Erikson was influenced by Glen Cook. So yeah, I'm going to give it a try
>tfw somebody said in a review that the names of the characters in BC were written by a 10 year old

>> No.2744434

>>2743863
Well, Cook has said he'll write more only this April, but he did add the caveat "assuming I survive long enough to complete them". And yeah, the Bridgeburners are total Cook.

>> No.2744437

The First Law is a fucking amazing fantasy trilogy

>> No.2745819

>>2743796
So you want fantasy with no Pure Good vs Pure Evil?
I suggest The First Law trilogy by Joe Abercrombie. None of the protagonists are conventionally good.

If you like them read the two stand-alone books in the same vers: Best Served Cold and The Heroes.

>> No.2745831

>>2744437
I'd only recommend it to someone who has already read a lot of traditional fantasy and become sick of its conventions.