Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Publication
New York : Tor Books, 1985.
Description
She is the last hope of good in the war against the evil sorceress known as the Lady. From a secret base on the Plains of Fear, where even the Lady hesitates to go, the Black Company, once in service to the Lady, now fights to bring victory to the White Rose. But now an even greater evil threatens the world. All the great battles that have gone before will seem a skirmishes when the Dominator rises from the grave.
User reviews
LibraryThing member Lman
The White Rose, the third novel in the chronicles of the Black Company offers a satisfying conclusion, of sorts, to the adventures of the brotherhood, within this chapter and from the previous two; but tantalisingly, as the finale unfurls, and the action moves apace, and the plot-line closes, also
Years have passed, and the company is much diminished and holed up in the Plain of Fear, guarding the new White Rose, while the Lady and her minions remain, outwardly, in stasis; and Croaker, sifting endlessly through reams of ancient documents, attempts to find the key to defeat them. Startling incidents, however, occur rapidly in succession in one day - ”the day of the first letter, the day of the Taken, and the day of Tracker and Toadkiller Dog” (p. 24) - until events, past and present, merge inexorably into a final battle; though shockingly, this culmination reveals unforeseen alliances waged against some unexpected protagonists!
As with the other books the story is expressed through the narrative Croaker delivers – with his usual gentle self–deprecation - in his dedicated recording of this latest history for the respected Annals of the company; and as such the viewpoint is his exclusively, with events outside his experience added from his perspective and opinion and observation alone. Thus it is apparent that our physician is a major player in the unfolding drama – as with the droll, amusing communications of the menhirs of the plains specifically aimed at him; to the enigmatic and, at times, frightening and continued personal interest by the Lady herself. This, in itself, provides the core to the outstanding skill of Glen Cook’s writing of this series; offering this solitary point-of-view allows the reader such a personal, intuitive interpretation that curiosity is continually piqued and interest maintained through a myriad of fast-paced, action-packed scenarios and plot twists.
There are so many fascinating aspects to these books: the colourful characters and their flawed but endearing foibles; the stunning and inventive fantastical beasts and dark creations the author inserts into this brilliant construct of a tale – the entities of the Plain of Fear, with the underlying basis for their existence and establishment, are truly magnificent; and the attention to detail within a brevity of words, and a sparseness of prose, ensures a subtlety and a bona fide to the whole composition. And a plot device that works - superbly! All this then, boldly epitomizes the ability of this author to write an exceptional epic, and in far fewer pages than is often the norm these days.
Give me quality over quantity any day – and the taste of more to come!
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reveals many new beginnings. Years have passed, and the company is much diminished and holed up in the Plain of Fear, guarding the new White Rose, while the Lady and her minions remain, outwardly, in stasis; and Croaker, sifting endlessly through reams of ancient documents, attempts to find the key to defeat them. Startling incidents, however, occur rapidly in succession in one day - ”the day of the first letter, the day of the Taken, and the day of Tracker and Toadkiller Dog” (p. 24) - until events, past and present, merge inexorably into a final battle; though shockingly, this culmination reveals unforeseen alliances waged against some unexpected protagonists!
As with the other books the story is expressed through the narrative Croaker delivers – with his usual gentle self–deprecation - in his dedicated recording of this latest history for the respected Annals of the company; and as such the viewpoint is his exclusively, with events outside his experience added from his perspective and opinion and observation alone. Thus it is apparent that our physician is a major player in the unfolding drama – as with the droll, amusing communications of the menhirs of the plains specifically aimed at him; to the enigmatic and, at times, frightening and continued personal interest by the Lady herself. This, in itself, provides the core to the outstanding skill of Glen Cook’s writing of this series; offering this solitary point-of-view allows the reader such a personal, intuitive interpretation that curiosity is continually piqued and interest maintained through a myriad of fast-paced, action-packed scenarios and plot twists.
There are so many fascinating aspects to these books: the colourful characters and their flawed but endearing foibles; the stunning and inventive fantastical beasts and dark creations the author inserts into this brilliant construct of a tale – the entities of the Plain of Fear, with the underlying basis for their existence and establishment, are truly magnificent; and the attention to detail within a brevity of words, and a sparseness of prose, ensures a subtlety and a bona fide to the whole composition. And a plot device that works - superbly! All this then, boldly epitomizes the ability of this author to write an exceptional epic, and in far fewer pages than is often the norm these days.
Give me quality over quantity any day – and the taste of more to come!
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LibraryThing member iayork
Grave Doings: This is the third volume of the first of four segments of the 10 volume story of the Black Company (whew!) Unlike many long series, Glen Cook has the knack of always being just inventive enough to maintain a high level of interest without over-amping on any one volume and then running
Their only secret advantages are Darling herself, who is a Null - magic doesn't work around her - and the Plain itself a vast desert populated with a host of strange and intelligent life forms. Giant whale like creatures sail the skies, giant talking menhirs wander the dunes, stopping only to mutter "There are strangers on the Plain," and an ancient tree guards an even more ancient evil. Life is not good in the tunnels beneath the sand. And someone, somewhere, keeps sending Croaker pages from Bomanz's Diary - the self same wizard who worked the release of The Lady and The Taken, and who no lies trapped in the Barrow Lands in the tangled net that still guards the Dominator and some of his darker friends.
The story continues to alternate between past and present (a favorite Glen Cook device). Gradually we realize that The Dominator is still working on escape and that something evil has worked its way free as the result of Raven's interference in the guardian spells. This time the risk is even worse than that in Shadows Linger. So dire, in fact that The Lady convinces Croaker to get her acess to The White Rose in order to work out a tactical treaty until the big threat is past. This is a Black Company novel, so if you are intuiting a serious blowout, you're right. Everyone gets into the act - rocks, whales, monsters, you name it.
This is a transition volume, bringing most of the loose ends together as preparation for moving into the next phase of the story - the Black Company's ride back into its own history. Much will change, but it is one of Cook's strengths that he can work changes without breaking the reader's concentration. This is one of the few series where neither the writer nor the reader seem to get overtired.
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out of plot at a critical moment. The story opens on the final series of conflicts with The Empire, with The Black Company on the side of the good guys for a chance. Hidden away on The Plain of Fear, the last of The Black Company, and other supporters of Darling, The White Rose, carry out what remains of the rebellion. Life is harsh as harsh can be, and they all know that The Lady and her Taken will soon appear and try to squash them like bugs. Their only secret advantages are Darling herself, who is a Null - magic doesn't work around her - and the Plain itself a vast desert populated with a host of strange and intelligent life forms. Giant whale like creatures sail the skies, giant talking menhirs wander the dunes, stopping only to mutter "There are strangers on the Plain," and an ancient tree guards an even more ancient evil. Life is not good in the tunnels beneath the sand. And someone, somewhere, keeps sending Croaker pages from Bomanz's Diary - the self same wizard who worked the release of The Lady and The Taken, and who no lies trapped in the Barrow Lands in the tangled net that still guards the Dominator and some of his darker friends.
The story continues to alternate between past and present (a favorite Glen Cook device). Gradually we realize that The Dominator is still working on escape and that something evil has worked its way free as the result of Raven's interference in the guardian spells. This time the risk is even worse than that in Shadows Linger. So dire, in fact that The Lady convinces Croaker to get her acess to The White Rose in order to work out a tactical treaty until the big threat is past. This is a Black Company novel, so if you are intuiting a serious blowout, you're right. Everyone gets into the act - rocks, whales, monsters, you name it.
This is a transition volume, bringing most of the loose ends together as preparation for moving into the next phase of the story - the Black Company's ride back into its own history. Much will change, but it is one of Cook's strengths that he can work changes without breaking the reader's concentration. This is one of the few series where neither the writer nor the reader seem to get overtired.
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LibraryThing member Skribe
Ending the first trilogy, the chapter in the annals is brought to an interesting end. Pacing is start and stop, as would be true in war. All in all Cook really captures the feel of soldiers in the trenches. The Black Company is decimated by the end and heading South. What does the future hold? I'll
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be there. Show Less
LibraryThing member JeremyPreacher
After three books, I have decided that there's only one character I actually like. And that is, of course, the Lady. The evil conqueror in whose name countless atrocities have been performed, who murdered her own sisters and tortures people without batting an eyelash. But girl has her eye on the
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ball, and it finally becomes clear what her motivations are - and frankly, they're much more interesting and sympathetic than anyone's in the Company. "Well, we signed the contract" doesn't really do much for me. Show Less
LibraryThing member AshleyMiller
hronicles of the Black Company (1-3) is a very unique, dark, violent, and engaging fantasy book. It follows a group of mercenaries, the Black Company, through an ongoing war with the Lady and the Rebles. Though the beginning of the book is confusing because the Company is really unaware of where
The novels are more character detailed than scenery detailed due to the writing style. As a result, many of the characters (probably about ten) surrounding Croaker are very well developed, and the others are pretty vague. The characters have distinct personalities and are extremely fascinating. A couple of the characters are even hilarious. After the first book there are a few more details about people and places because there are a few extra people telling their stories as well.
The interesting aspect of these novels is that the main characters are bad guys (due to their actions) instead of the good guys that many fantasy novels follow. I think Glen Cook is a talented writer because he makes me fall in love with these characters even though I know how cruel some of them are. I also enjoyed the unpredictability of the novels. I could rarely guess what was going to happen and when I did I usually ended up being wrong. There are many twists throughout each book,which really kept me interested, and the ending of the third book was a huge surprise. I never saw that coming! There is also the non-existence of the typical fantasy stereotypes such as fairies, dragons, swords, or the boy who becomes a wizard, that make this book even more interesting. Instead there are just normal war-going men with a few of them who know how to do a little magic. It brings the story down to a more human level.
Due to the writing style there are some gaps in the knowledge about some of the characters in the story on the other side of the war. Since we only follow the black company, very little is said about the history of Rebles, the White Rose, or the Circle of Eight that are mentioned throughout the books. Another critique I have is that there is no map to follow while reading. There are so many different places that the Company travels it is hard to keep it all straight and I believe that a map would really help in following the story.
Overall, I really enjoyed these novels and I cannot wait to continue the second volume! I would recommend reading the entire volume, and to anyone who loves fantasy, a bit of magic, and is over 18 years old.
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they are fighting or who they are fighting for, they eventually follow the Lady and the book becomes easier to read (after a few chapters). The book is written in first-person in the form of annals by Croaker, the Company’s physician and annalist. After the first book you get to read from Croaker’s point of view, as well as a few others.The novels are more character detailed than scenery detailed due to the writing style. As a result, many of the characters (probably about ten) surrounding Croaker are very well developed, and the others are pretty vague. The characters have distinct personalities and are extremely fascinating. A couple of the characters are even hilarious. After the first book there are a few more details about people and places because there are a few extra people telling their stories as well.
The interesting aspect of these novels is that the main characters are bad guys (due to their actions) instead of the good guys that many fantasy novels follow. I think Glen Cook is a talented writer because he makes me fall in love with these characters even though I know how cruel some of them are. I also enjoyed the unpredictability of the novels. I could rarely guess what was going to happen and when I did I usually ended up being wrong. There are many twists throughout each book,which really kept me interested, and the ending of the third book was a huge surprise. I never saw that coming! There is also the non-existence of the typical fantasy stereotypes such as fairies, dragons, swords, or the boy who becomes a wizard, that make this book even more interesting. Instead there are just normal war-going men with a few of them who know how to do a little magic. It brings the story down to a more human level.
Due to the writing style there are some gaps in the knowledge about some of the characters in the story on the other side of the war. Since we only follow the black company, very little is said about the history of Rebles, the White Rose, or the Circle of Eight that are mentioned throughout the books. Another critique I have is that there is no map to follow while reading. There are so many different places that the Company travels it is hard to keep it all straight and I believe that a map would really help in following the story.
Overall, I really enjoyed these novels and I cannot wait to continue the second volume! I would recommend reading the entire volume, and to anyone who loves fantasy, a bit of magic, and is over 18 years old.
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LibraryThing member nnschiller
I can't seem to love Glenn Cook as much as some of my friends, but I did enjoy this enough to keep reading. I think I like Cook better the more realistic and less fantastical he becomes, but he does do an excellent job of keeping his fantasy stories human.
LibraryThing member ladypembroke
Great finale to the trilogy.
LibraryThing member Sarah_Gruwell
This was a fascinating look at an area of WWII history I haven't read up on much. Highly dramatic and engrossing, the story of Lilya and her Alexei drew me in something fierce and didn't let me go until the very end.
I really must commend the author on their historical research. This entire book was
I adored Alexei's and Lilya's romance. It just shines with so much warmth and passion in such a dark atmosphere. They were wonderful together, both in the cockpit and out of it. I think they complimented each other nicely, Lilya stopping Alexei from diving into a pit of despair and Alexei giving Lilya some realism of war to compliment her ideals. They're able to have horrible arguments and then make up with just as much fervor; to me, that made them all the more realistic and relatable to me. I loved reading them together.
There were times where Lilya seemed a bit too perfect. I can't think of any instances, really, where she displayed a negative quality. But overall, that didn't bother me too much nor did it ruin the story any. I still loved her. There was also an overuse of certain descriptive words that I growled at a few times. I'm pretty sure that by the end of the novel, the reader had "Lilya was beautiful" and "Alexei was handsome" branded into their foreheads. We were definitely not allowed to forget those facts!
What we have here is an outstanding novel of WWII on the Eastern Front. The reader is introduced to a world of war, tragedy, loss, and love through the window of Lilya, Alexei, and their flying family. And while there are a few dings in the works with overuse of certain words and at-times a too perfect heroine, I still found this novel extremely enjoyable. Definitely highly recommended for anyone looking for a WWII drama to enjoy!
I really must commend the author on their historical research. This entire book was
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placed so strongly within the historical narrative that I felt like I was living the breathless times of WWII aerial combat and the tragedy of lost friends. And yet, the book wasn't bogged down in endless facts and figures. The author was able to balance the two beautifully into a very moving and powerful novel.I adored Alexei's and Lilya's romance. It just shines with so much warmth and passion in such a dark atmosphere. They were wonderful together, both in the cockpit and out of it. I think they complimented each other nicely, Lilya stopping Alexei from diving into a pit of despair and Alexei giving Lilya some realism of war to compliment her ideals. They're able to have horrible arguments and then make up with just as much fervor; to me, that made them all the more realistic and relatable to me. I loved reading them together.
There were times where Lilya seemed a bit too perfect. I can't think of any instances, really, where she displayed a negative quality. But overall, that didn't bother me too much nor did it ruin the story any. I still loved her. There was also an overuse of certain descriptive words that I growled at a few times. I'm pretty sure that by the end of the novel, the reader had "Lilya was beautiful" and "Alexei was handsome" branded into their foreheads. We were definitely not allowed to forget those facts!
What we have here is an outstanding novel of WWII on the Eastern Front. The reader is introduced to a world of war, tragedy, loss, and love through the window of Lilya, Alexei, and their flying family. And while there are a few dings in the works with overuse of certain words and at-times a too perfect heroine, I still found this novel extremely enjoyable. Definitely highly recommended for anyone looking for a WWII drama to enjoy!
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LibraryThing member Foghorn-Leghorn
The 'Chronicles of the Black Company' just got better and better until the final 'The White Rose'. Very engrossing.
LibraryThing member krazykiwi
I'm not going to write as long a review of this as the first two, but it's a satisfying if somewhat unexpected denouement to the tale. It felt like a faster read than the others, though this is perhaps just my own comfort with the characters and the world Glen Cook has built. And besides, nobody
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reads the long reviews anyway :)Again we skip many years, miles and events, and are plunged instantly into a setting more fantastic than any we've met before in this series. For which we will come to find there is a good reason, of course. Darling is no longer a shy happy orphan, or a teenage bar wench, she's grown up and into her destiny, and what remains of the Black Company are her faithful companions and protectors still. The setting here grows more otherworldly, but the plot of the main narrative is fairly straightforward and clear. And really, it ends the only way it could have. Like in Shadows Linger, the first person narrative of Croaker is only part of the book, but this time there are two other stories going on instead of one, all three intertwined in almost Cloud Atlas fashion. One character is detailing his exploits (or is he?) while another is writing about the first in letters, while attempting to recreate his footsteps, and all being read by a third. As always, layers upon layers, everywhere you look. Show Less
LibraryThing member Lucky-Loki
It didn't quite match the momentum of the second volume or the idiosyncracies of the first, but "The White Rose" is still a satisfying and engaging read. The conclusion feels both earned and fulfilling, with the torn loyalties and moral quandries that are part of what makes the protagonist and
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books stand out once again coming to the forefront, perhaps more than ever. Excited to see where the story will go from here. Show Less
LibraryThing member Tikimoof
Every time I start a Black Company book, I spend the first several chapters wondering why I've come back to this universe. It's bleak, it's mean, and every character has massive flaws. It's dark fantasy to the point where I find myself imagining every scene is at night, or in a poorly-lit room (and
But slowly, you get a feel for the world. Everybody is flawed, but they also have a kernel of goodness somewhere in there. They're human, after all. The kernel may be tiny, and it may not work out for the side of 'good', but it gives me something to grasp onto for relatability.
Cook's style is still very compact. They aren't speed-reading books and the chapters look deceptively short on my Kindle (235 pages? I can knock that out in an afternoon!), but because he doesn't spend paragraphs describing something, I have to read closer than other books.
I read Shadows Linger back in February or March, and I could not figure out what was going on at the beginning of the White Rose - I thought I was missing some setting that appeared in the last chapter or something. But after that initial wash of confusion, Cook started explaining the Plains and things settled down. I don't think I like that very much - the characters have had years in that setting, so it's not like the reader needed to mirror their feelings. Maybe it was meant to be a hook, but I found it more frustrating (do I need to go reread the second book?) than anything. I think this has happened in the two previous books - I read the first one three years ago and it's fuzzy, but it definitely happened in the second.
So the plot becomes a lot less obtuse as you go along. I guess there's a bit of a mysterious component to it - do you want to figure out what's going on before Croaker does - but again, it makes the beginning of each book really hard to get through. You gotta figure out who Raven's posing as, of course, but the story becomes so straightforward by midbook that I wonder why Cook does it.
Since I don't have the next omnibus, I have to ask - why are so many names and towns normal nouns (i.e. Horse, Croaker, Goblin), but then you have people from the past with names that sound completely foreign (Bomanz, Stancil, Men fu) but aren't described as appearing foreign? One-Eye being noticeably black is a minor plot point in this book so people are obviously aware of different cultures, but it seems to break with the setting established in the first book.
I don't think I'll be continuing on to the Books of the South, but it was an interesting journey. I don't regret it, but it was a lot of work.
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to be fair, a lot of scenes are explicitly set there).But slowly, you get a feel for the world. Everybody is flawed, but they also have a kernel of goodness somewhere in there. They're human, after all. The kernel may be tiny, and it may not work out for the side of 'good', but it gives me something to grasp onto for relatability.
Cook's style is still very compact. They aren't speed-reading books and the chapters look deceptively short on my Kindle (235 pages? I can knock that out in an afternoon!), but because he doesn't spend paragraphs describing something, I have to read closer than other books.
I read Shadows Linger back in February or March, and I could not figure out what was going on at the beginning of the White Rose - I thought I was missing some setting that appeared in the last chapter or something. But after that initial wash of confusion, Cook started explaining the Plains and things settled down. I don't think I like that very much - the characters have had years in that setting, so it's not like the reader needed to mirror their feelings. Maybe it was meant to be a hook, but I found it more frustrating (do I need to go reread the second book?) than anything. I think this has happened in the two previous books - I read the first one three years ago and it's fuzzy, but it definitely happened in the second.
So the plot becomes a lot less obtuse as you go along. I guess there's a bit of a mysterious component to it - do you want to figure out what's going on before Croaker does - but again, it makes the beginning of each book really hard to get through. You gotta figure out who Raven's posing as, of course, but the story becomes so straightforward by midbook that I wonder why Cook does it.
Since I don't have the next omnibus, I have to ask - why are so many names and towns normal nouns (i.e. Horse, Croaker, Goblin), but then you have people from the past with names that sound completely foreign (Bomanz, Stancil, Men fu) but aren't described as appearing foreign? One-Eye being noticeably black is a minor plot point in this book so people are obviously aware of different cultures, but it seems to break with the setting established in the first book.
I don't think I'll be continuing on to the Books of the South, but it was an interesting journey. I don't regret it, but it was a lot of work.
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Language
Original publication date
1985-04
ISBN
0812508440 / 9780812508444