Review by Booklist Review
Do you want another Black Company novel? Of course, you do! Enter Cook's new chronicle of adventure by that most mighty of mercenary troops (who first appeared in The Black Company, 1984). Though loosely based upon earlier short works from various anthologies, Port of Shadows is its own novel and is a fitting return to that gritty world of constant battle and endless war. Croaker, the company historian, recounts tales new and old, letting happenstance meetings put together pieces of the past and fill in the gaps from the future. Dark and desperate forces struggle to erase the deeds of the past and prevent new accords from being written down, which may leave readers with more questions about those missing years than when they started. The story is gripping and fast-paced; longtime fans of the series will love every disreputable, loutish oaf; every troubled, mischievous scamp; and every world-weary, dismal soul to associate with Black and Croaker and take pay from the Lady to fight her wars.--Terry Goosey Copyright 2018 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
After more than 17 years, Cook returns with a murky and ephemeral addition to his Chronicles of the Black Company grimdark fantasy series. Chronicler Croaker and the rest of the mercenary band are in service to a mysterious and powerful sorceress known as the Lady, but as they get comfortably dug in at their new posting, begin to realize that things are a little too quiet. They're sent to capture a supposed rebel leader who turns out to be an innocent-seeming young woman, and things begin to get strange. Small acts of sabotage crop up in the camp, doubles of the young woman begin to appear, and someone or something is affecting the memories of the Company. Cook's convoluted style is in full flower, and between the forgetting and the fact that Croaker is often kept in the dark, the plot can be somewhat hard to follow. With no lasting impact on the Company or their over-arching story, this makes for a pleasant diversion for fans of the series. Agent: Russell Galen, Scovil Galen Ghosh Literary. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
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