Quote Originally Posted by Iolaus
Quote Originally Posted by Rob Wright
I liked Eragon but hated Eldest, he lost me with that one I won't be finishing the series.

I'm picky about my fantasy, love The Black Company books by Glen Cook, Charles de Lint's work, Neil Gaiman's writing, LOTR is good ,but nothing beats the original Conan stories by Robert E. Howard. Or most of his writing. Soloman Kane, Kull, Cormac Mac Art, Bran Mac Morn,etc. The man could write.


Rob
Must...resist....hijacking.....
Well, as long as we've gone this far...

The Black Company series has got to be one of the most intense fantasy series I've read since the Thomas Covenant stories. It's nothing like the Garrett P.I. stuff he writes; that stuff's just fluff & pulp for the teens.

The Black Company stories totally immerse you in the dark world of the last of the mercenary "Free Companies of Khatovar", The Black Company, which is fighting on the side of "Darkness" but still lives by its own particular code of honor. They are anti-heroes, trying desperatly to survive as a Company and still make good on the mercenary contracts they live on, and totally unaware that they are major players in the fate of their world.

The characters feel real - not black and white, but many shades of gray; as one amazon review said: "Some of its members honestly seem like they want to do the right thing. Some simply try to survive. And others will pillage, rape, or murder on occasion. This reminded me of some of the better Vietnam War films I've seen. Such harsh circumstances can lead to diminished morals in some men, and I enjoyed that element of realism."

The twists in the story line really keep you engaged. People die, people that you've come to know. If you're the type of person that really enters a story, you'll feel anger and tears, as well as the occasional grim satisfaction of revenge. It is, at times, an emotional rollercoaster.

I cannot recommend this series enough!!!