The Black Company

Chronicles of The Black Company, Book 1

By: Glen Cook

Narrated by: Marc Vietor

Length: 10 hrs and 54 mins

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.

There must be a way for the Black Company to find her....

©1984 Glen Cook (P)2010 Audible, Inc.

Like listening to Mozart played on a cowbell

Great story, but the monotone inflectionless narration is remeniscent of a young William Shatner. The akward mid sentence pauses makes it clear that the narrator is reading the book for the first time.

A riveting story.

The story of the Black company is expertly told through the eyes of Crocker. The narration is superb.

Refreshing, so glad I listened to this book.

Very refreshing to listen to a story from the perspective of persons operating in those gray areas between good and evil. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

I noticed someone commented on the narrator

You might want to have your hearing checked, sir, or ma’am, Mark Vitor is one of the best narrators in the industry. The black company series is one of the most phenomenal storylines ever written within a few minutes of listening I become totally immersed in the story I have gone through the whole series at least 12 times and every time I read it I see new angles to the story I did not see before if you enjoy warfare, violence, sex drugs, and alcohol mixed in with the actions of a rogue, Roman legion, blessed and cursed by not only the black company‘s wielders of magic, but the interaction with some of the most powerful sorcerer‘s magicians witches wizards necromancers this book will keep you constantly looking for more, and fortunately for me and for the listeners that care the series continues. This will be my. 13th time, listening to the whole series from start to finish and it has yet to lose anything in the retelling.
It gets better and better like a good wine

Sgt A. Black US Army

A truly gritty series

The view of a massive war in a fantasy realm told from the view of a mercenary company. The black company is the villainous brotherhood that you didn’t know you needed to root for. Glen cook truly brings to life an amazing tale of war. Love this series. Own it print and audio.

Pretty good

Pretty good fantasy military story, with a lot of great descriptions of battles. Croaker is a good protagonist, and I really enjoy his role as company surgeon.

Everything grimdark should be.

The Black Company is a new favorite. This is a good story and I love the Black Company as character. I'll read all of them.

Superlative books, good narrator but WRONG.

Glen Cook's *Chronicles of The Black Company* are, bar Tolkien, some of the finest works of fantasy ever written. With exceptional atmosphere, a fascinating and tangled plot line, a bleak but abundant, trenchant, wit and an anti-hero narrator who I can relate too all to well... these books, especially the first three (particularly 1&2) are something special.

Sadly the narrator was, IMO, wrong for these books. He never seemed to get the feel for Croaker's voice, at least as I hear it in MY head. He brings plenty of drama and feeling to his readings, and that is the problem. Croaker, and his cohorts, call for a certain laconic quality this reader didn't seen to feel in the text. Maybe that's just my feel for the books (I've read them 20x, if that matters, and I am career Army Infantry, which also probably influences my ideas, for good and ill.) Veitor's Croaker is certainly hearfelt. It's just that really, most of the time, Croaker doesn't DO heartfelt, and since he's the predominant voice, it doesn't ring right. IMCO Real shame-- these are fantastic novels.

(shrugs shoulders)

i found most of the criticisms of this book posted by other reviewers are spot on. very shallow characters, ridiculous character names, no depth to the story, unrealistic dialogue

Over Rated Big Time.

Any additional comments?

I feel let down with the whole experience. The story is told by a character that seemed to rush though everything accept for a few points in the book. The narrator is sort of dull and gives the boring way the story was written the feel of a text book. Huge gaps in the war are explained in less than a page. I just don't understand why people love this series so much it is just dull.