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The Black Company
- Chronicles of The Black Company, Book 1
- Narrated by: Marc Vietor
- Length: 10 hrs and 54 mins
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Publisher's Summary
Some feel the Lady, newly risen from centuries in thrall, stands between humankind and evil. Some feel she is evil itself. The hardbitten men of the Black Company take their pay and do what they must, burying their doubts with their dead - until the prophesy: The White Rose has been reborn, somewhere, to embody good once more.
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What listeners say about The Black Company
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Jefferson
- 03-18-11
Hard Boiled Morally Ambiguous Epic Fantasy
Glen Cook slaps a devastating battle magic spell on epic fantasy cliches (e.g., evil empire, virtuous rebels, dark lord, blasted wasteland around his headquarters, and clear division of good from evil). He writes a hard-boiled fantasy about the heroic feats of human anti-heroes in a world in which, as in our own, the historians of the victors determine good and evil. His novel is by turns funny or scary, horrifying or moving, grotesque or beautiful. It's enjoyable to watch the memorable members of the mercenary Black Company playing cards or pranks and suspenseful to follow them going on dangerous missions. Cook vividly captures the way that men working together in intense situations indulge in petty resentments even as they bond into a family through shared adversity. The short story chapters--without transitions between them--are narrated by the company's doctor and historian Croaker to make a single compelling tale.
I sympathize with the reviewers who find the novel too rawly written, but I liked most of the graphic similes and the in medias res openings of each chapter-story and appreciate how each new chapter adds a few more pieces to the dramatic situation of the fantasy world.
I can't understand why some reviewers dislike Marc Vietor's reading of the novel. I feel that he does a fine job, enhancing Croaker's hard-boiled exterior and sensitive interior, as well as modifying his voice appropriately for the other characters, from the hysterical high-pitched mage Goblin to the laconic Clint Eastwood-like killer Raven. Vietor's reading of each of the very different voices of Soulcatcher's different souls is fun, creepy, and impressive.
The novel, first in a long series of Black Company annals, feels complete enough at its conclusion and at the same time promises an eventful, long future for Croaker and his mercenary brothers. A vivid and satisfying audiobook.
102 people found this helpful
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- Peter
- 09-21-11
Great Story, Narrator Takes Getting Used To
A refreshing romp through a gritty yet colorful medieval fantasy setting that follows a mercenary company recruited by the arch villain. They'll stick it to the rebel "good guys" all the way, often with cheerful deviousness. The story follows the sole 1'st person perspective of the Black Company's annalist/historian/medic giving it a distinct grunt's eye view of a much bigger conflict. There's also no shortage of likeable characters to get attached to; it's neither too serious or too somber.
The narrator definitely takes some getting used to though. At first he sounded like he was channeling Captain Kirk or something and it was most distracting; you'll see some hate on that topic in the other reviews. However, I think he settles into the role eventually and about 1/3 in I didn't even notice anymore. He manages the few female voices there are well enough. Certainly not so cringe worthy as other male narrators I've heard trying the same.
50 people found this helpful
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- john
- 10-08-20
What the hell?
I had bought this book based on the recommendation of a youtube channel that propped it up as "A good, gritty dark fantasy novel". So I used a credit and got it...and then promptly stopped well after the first 3rd of it. It was utterly confusing. The constant jumping between characters with no break or pause, and a similar problem with story beats, not to mention the feeling that I should have read something else before this book, as if this was not the first one....but it is. I feel this book had potential, but the delivery leaves something to be desired.
10 people found this helpful
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- Toby
- 12-30-12
The origin of dark, gritty, epic fantasy
Would you listen to The Black Company again? Why?
Yes, it is a fantastic book with characters that are easy to love. Though the narration takes maybe a chapter to get used it really starts to work after that point
Who was your favorite character and why?
One-Eye and Goblin, they squabble like children are just very entertaining to read about
What about Marc Vietor’s performance did you like?
Marc Vietor perfectly embodied Croaker, the main character. His performance and delivery did justice to the dry wit and cynicism contained within the story. Most importantly he did not distract the listener from the story
If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?
Not sure it could be made into a film. Audiences would probably not appreciate main characters who are mercenaries...the whole raping and pillaging thing probably wouldn't go over well
Any additional comments?
A common complaint about this book is that it is not descriptive enough. This may be true, but it is actually a strength. Rather than inserting a few hundred pages to add descriptions of every tree the company walk by the story focuses on characters and event. This book is only 350 pages, a mere short story in today's world of tomes. It includes whats necessary and not superfluous words added simply for the sake of being there.Also, in today's world of epic fantasy this book is good, but not quite as dark as the First Law Trilogy or aSoIaF. What makes it stand out is that it predates those series by decades. This was possibly the first book in the genre that did not have the ultra good vs the ultra bad, and in that way it was revolutionary. For this reason alone, let alone the great story and wonderful characters, this book is an important read/listen to any true fan of the genre
17 people found this helpful
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- Ryan
- 10-05-12
Lord of the Rings meets Platoon
The Black Company is gritty-as-can-be swords-and-sorcery fantasy, written years before that became a trendy idea. The “Company” of the book is a group of mercenaries that hires on with a powerful sorceress known as The Lady, and does various unpleasant jobs for her high command, a circle of grotesque and generally nasty wizards called The Taken. Imagine if the Lord of the Rings were told from the perspective of a group of Sauron’s hirelings, and you might have a sense of what to expect. Except, here, there isn’t much chivalry from anyone -- the “rebels”, while less defined, aren’t much more savory than the Lady’s minions.
The writing, accordingly, has a bracingly hard-boiled flavor. The story’s narrator is the Black Company’s chief medic and historian, a man named Croaker. He entertains few illusions that his brothers in arms are “nice people”, as they go from territory to territory, pacifying the inhabitants in the traditional manner, but there’s a sort of professional honor code that holds the company of rogues, fallen men, weirdos, and thugs together. They might be fighting for money, but they operate with discipline, take care of their own, and display occasional human decency. In a world where the unimportant often end up dead in piles as the armies sweep through, that’s better than nothing.
Overall, I really enjoyed the Platoon-meets-Lord of the Rings feel. The writing is a little choppy, though, often skipping past major events with a terse summary, or dropping in new characters with minimal introduction. But, the style fits well -- Croaker isn’t a guy who believes in the glory or righteousness of the cause and he’s patched up the wounded so many battles, he has little taste for describing what happens on the field, but, at the same time, he feels that what happens to him and his comrades ought to be recorded. I found the simple immediacy refreshing -- even in a fantasy world, the experience of ground soldiers might be universal, including their distance from the politics of everything. That said, some of the anachronisms got a little annoying: I wouldn’t expect someone in this world to know about biological evolution or use the term “sandbagging”. On the other hand, I suppose the use of spellcasters in the lines would enable soldiers to employ somewhat more “modern” tactics.
Other aspects of the book aren’t as ground-breaking. Once you get past Cook’s different take, the world-building and plot fall into familiar molds. But the action, initially aimless, begins to take on a purpose, and I got caught up in the story around the midpoint of the novel. The climax features an epic siege battle as good (and ghastly) as any in fantasy. I also enjoyed the endless bickering between two rank-and-file wizards, who seem to devote more energy to petty magical squabbles with each other than doing their jobs. I don’t know how well Cook maintains the strengths of his grunt-level perspective in subsequent books, but I’ll have to check out the next one. You can certainly enjoy this entry as a standalone work, if you choose not to go further.
Audiobook notes: I thought the narrator did a competent if uninspiring job. He sounds a little “older” than I would expect Croaker to be, but, then, it’s not clear how many years after the fact he’s supposed to be telling his story.
35 people found this helpful
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- lunaeclipse
- 09-22-20
Horrible
This book sounds like it was written by a 13 year old boy. The book had no real story just a few characters meandering here and there doing this and that. The characters had no substance whatsoever. The world had no substance. I didn't bother finishing it.
5 people found this helpful
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- Tory Thai
- 08-26-20
Doesn't translate well as an audiobook
This doesn't translate well at all in a audiobook format.
I really tried to listen but the style of the writing just makes it impossible to figure out what us going on.
The monotone narrator didn't help this either.
I returned it.
5 people found this helpful
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- Kim D Sabourin
- 09-03-10
Finally - The Ten who were Taken!
Glen Cook's The Black Company is one of the best series ever written. I've been waiting years for Audible to carry these books! The Black Company stories have been described as Vietnam War on peyote. The fantasy genre told by soldiers, sign up today to become a member of Black Company.
48 people found this helpful
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- Evan Karns
- 02-21-11
Good Book Rough Start
So i'm not really that particular when it comes to fantasy books...I don't need the book to change my life...i'm okay with cheesy...i'm listening for the diversion. That said i'm a pretty easy grader...and my goodness I could not get into the first couple of hours and I really wanted too! i'm not sure if it was the narrator but i really couldn't follow what was going on. I listen to audio books all the time tend to follow them when i'm doing many activities driving, cleaning the house etc but i couldn't follow it! HOWEVER i'm glad that i ran out of credits and didn't have anything else to listen to because about 3/4 of the way into the 1st download I really started to get into it and now i'm hooked. When I finish the book i will probably start it over to try to put the pieces together on the first couple hours :)
13 people found this helpful
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- YL
- 01-03-21
Poor Mic Ruins Musing About Nothing
The kind of mic that turns every s into SSSSSsss (x too). The kind of story that tries to convince you rambling cynicism and vagueness is actually edgy and grim. I like grim. I like mercenary company tales. This is neither. At best it’s a child’s musings on demi gods.
2 people found this helpful
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Overall

- John
- 03-26-11
Captivating
This had been on my list of things to read or listen to for a long while before I found it on Audible. I was a bit put off by the reviewer who said it was not suitable as an audio book. Some books can be harder to follow than others if you don't have the text to refer to. I have never even sampled anything by Glen Cook in a bookshop so I wasn't sure what to expect. But since it had been on my list for so long I downloaded it impulsively and was very surprised to discover that it is one of the most captivating books I have listened to for a while. It is very easy to follow. The sentences are very short and the plot is very simple. Nevertheless the language is evocative and rich. The words are well-chosen and there is an admirable economy of style that is quite rare in fantasy writing. The background is interesting and quite possibly the unacknowledged inspiration for many more recent fantasy novels. The conception is seminal and bold. I am really enjoying it.
28 people found this helpful
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- Harlequin565
- 07-17-18
I really wanted to like it....
I really did.
But it was a dire story. I tried the books a few years ago and never got into them, so Audible finally gave me a chance to try a different format. It was better. but not enough.
I made it 6 hours in before giving up. On the positive side, the narration is fab. Vietor is almost June-like without being quite so dramatic, and this suits the gritty fantasy-noir story, bringing real life to Croaker - our protagonist. The characters are good, the world setting is also interesting, and Cook's dialogue is brief, to the point, and often very chucklesome. It's just the story. The story is the let down.
I'm 6 hours in and I have no idea what's happening and who's doing what to who and why. I think it's because I'm so bored by the pacing that I'm just drifting off at times. The plot lumbers along ponderously like that slow driver in front of you on a single track lane. You can enjoy the scenery for a while, but eventually you just want the guy in front to put his bloody foot down and get where he's going!
Maybe I'll come back to it in a few months, because I really wanted to like it. But my problem is that I can excuse a whole lot of bad stuff if there's a strong story. This was the reverse. Weak story - strong everything else. And it just wasn't enough to see me through to the end.
12 people found this helpful
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- Martin
- 03-25-11
Good book; narration not quite there for me
The Black Company is a hugely enjoyable book. It is not the best written nor is the plot the most sophisticated but in terms of capturing what's been called a 'grunt's eye' view of the fantasy battlefield it stands out. The story, of a company of hard-bitten mercenaries in the service of powerful and evil sorcerers could easily be hackneyed. It is to its credit that it isn't although it is no stranger to certain fantasy tropes. Where it wins is with a good yarn, engaging characters (heroes might be stretching it), undoubtedly villainous villains and a sense of humour.
For me though, there was an issue. I had read the entire series before coming to the audiobook and the moment I hit the start button I ran into a problem. The narrator's voice was not even close to the one I had in my head while reading the story. That is not a criticism of the narrator just one of those things that happens. The problem was - it wouldn't go away. So while I still enjoyed the story and will download more, I was left with a sense that the book hadn't quite been captured properly. This is probably compounded by the Black Company being written in the first person by Croaker, the Company's medic, and it just wasn't Croaker. There is no doubt the dissonance hurt the narration for me and because the voice was wrong, the narration just never quite came to life.
That said, the Black Company story and its perspective has had a big influence not only today's fantasy writers but also game designers - many of whom have acknowledged the debt. Try it. You will probably end up listening to or reading the entire series. I don't think you will be disappointed
9 people found this helpful
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- Chris Martin
- 02-03-20
Terrible
No background. No world building. Just rambling stream words. Gave up after 30 mins
3 people found this helpful
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- Christopher
- 02-14-14
Give a decent try...you will not regret it
One of the first gritty fantasy novels published, and it is a treat to read/listen to
Story – 4/5
The story does throw you in at the deep end. I found myself struggling to catch who was who and what was happening to start with, where most books introduce the setting and characters more slowly and smoothly (the only thing stopping it getting 5/5 stars). After about an hour, this settled into something a lot simpler and I began to care about each of the characters; I didn’t have to work hard at it. Give it until at least 90 minutes in before deciding to give up.
If you do stick with it, you are in for a huge treat. This is a mixture of gritty, dark and military fantasy – and it is very addictive for those who love these sub-genres. It is told with simple short sentences, but Glen Cook’s use of the English language and prose is superb. Nothing is said or described for the sake of it, so the whole story is concise and fast paced (not surprising at 10hrs long though)
There is plenty of action if you like that sort of thing, with a fantastically told epic battle at the end (and I love a good battle scene). There is plenty of sorcery, grey moral areas, brutality and humor, exactly what a good fantasy book is made of. You can definitely tell that a lot of popular modern fantasy novels have been influenced by Glen Cook’s work.
Give it a go, I assure you, you will not be disappointed. I can’t wait to get stuck into the sequels
Performance – 3.5/5
Marc Vietor grew on me more and more as the story went on, but this may be because I got used to his style. At first, he was just satisfactory – nothing amazing, but also not bad at all.
His voice acting is good enough to distinctly recognise the characters, but I found he could have enhanced the performance by acting out the exhales, whimpering etc rather than reading the verbs from the book, like most good narrators do.
His dark and dramatic tone of voice did suit the style of the story quite nicely, they are after all a company of mercenaries working for the evil side of the war and constantly outnumbered.
Overall – 4/5
2 people found this helpful
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- Andrew
- 11-29-20
Narrator clear but drains drama and emotion
An interesting and well written story, somewhat drained of emotion by the narrator. While not bad per se, the telling is distant, as if by an old man telling something they heard from someone else a long time ago. Given the strong emotions in the story, theres somewhat of a mismatch there, which detracts alot.
1 person found this helpful
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- Peter Sutherns
- 01-24-18
Good
Starts out slow but gets a lot better throughout. The narrator’s style fits the book well, too.
1 person found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 06-16-22
Epic series of books
I've lost count how many times I've read these books.
Great characters and story, mark does a fantastic job at narrating croaker, goblin, one eye, soul catcher and the exploits of the Black Company.
It seems other reviewers have missed the point that the book is croaker writing the annuals not telling a story. Pretty clear they have zero imagination. The writing and storytelling changes with each annualist, this is a true testament to Glenn Cook's writing abilities.
Literally my only issue is that these books end.
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- Kari R
- 04-29-22
kinda hard to follow
Events are sometimes hard to follow. Places, happenings, characters change too fast. not much is said about the world and the main character.
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- WitherVoice
- 03-24-22
Dark fantasy in Norse Edda prose style
This book is severely compact, yet doesn't feel like it is. I enjoy the style, the plot and the casual depth of it.
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- Tegan H.
- 07-15-19
Great Story
I found the prose confusing to start, but I stuck with it and I'm so glad I did.
1 person found this helpful
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- Damian La Peyre
- 09-16-19
Stunning
Excellent reading. Thoroughly enjoyed this 1st rmtale of The Black Company. Some dark shit in this.
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- David
- 07-09-15
I also don't get it
I got this book with the view to read the series as it appears on some recommended book lists I follow.
Looking more closely at the reviews on here it appears people fall into two camps either loving or hating it.
After listening to more than half the book I have to admit I just could not get into it.
I'm distracted by the narrator and poor voice acting in my opinion, bad writing, poorly developed characters, story that jumps all over the place and is difficult to follow.
Personally I just put it down to the fact that it was written in the 80s and we've moved on.
The just pales in comparison the the Joe Abercrombie books I just finished listening to.
I just can't recommend this.
4 people found this helpful
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- Alice
- 02-26-17
Couldn't finish it
Honestly not really worth it, I can appreciate it's importance in defining a certain sub-genre of fantasy, but I really didn't enjoy it. The plot is so choppy, the characters unrelatable, and the pacing awkward. I found myself zoning out then having to go back and re-listen to sections, and still not really getting what was going on.
3 people found this helpful