This is the official 6th book in the Chronicles of the Black Company series, by Glen Cook. It's a little confusing, because you would think that The Silver Spike was the 6th book, (or possibly the 5th), as that is where it is chronologically, but it actually doesn't have a number. I'm not sure as to the publication order, but I assume it was an add-on book or something, since it gives us information about what is happening in the north during books 4 and 5, while we are following our characters actions in the south.Anyway, now to my actual review for Bleak Seasons. I give it 3.5 stars. I read a lot of reviews where people who didn't like it because of the narrative style. But it didn't bother me. The narrator in this one is Murgen, the company's Standardbearer, and de facto leader of the "Old Crew" while they are under siege in Dejagore.The siege in Dejagore was also mentioned in book 5, Dreams of Steel. However, we never really got an inside look at what was happening. Up until now, we only saw the siege from the eyes of those who were outside. This book takes place chronologically after the events in Dreams of Steel, but Murgen has something wrong with him, and keeps having blackouts during which he travels back in time and relives his past. So for some parts of the book we get to relive the siege of Dejagore through Murgen's eyes. Croaker and One Eye are quite worried that Murgen is having these episodes, but cannot find any suitable explanation for their occurrence.So the narration goes back and forth between Murgen in Dejagore, and Murgen back in Taglios, after the siege has ended. And although Murgen did keep annals of his own during the siege, those are not what we are reading. We are in Murgen's dream/time-travel, and he narrates to us what is happening on the fly, as he experiences it. We find out later why we aren't reading from the Book of Murgen (at least for the events that occur in the past). We get to learn a lot of interesting details that we didn't know were happening (including events with Mogaba, and some brand new players in the war, the Nyueng Bao.)I like Murgen as narrator, he has the same dry humor as Croaker, and it's nice to see things from a different perspective sometimes. Although I hope in some of the later books we get to hear from Croaker again. (Although I'm not sure if that will happen...Croaker has now named Murgen the official Annalist, since he is too busy being the Captain to keep up with the workload).I'm off to read the next book now, I'm getting closer & I can't wait to see what awaits the company in Khatovar!
Buddy read with Athena & Gavin!Once more we’re brought back to the siege of Dejagore, where the Black Company faces the armies of the Shadowmasters in battle. But this time our point of view is from within the city. With Murgen, the Standardbearer of the Company who aspires to take over Croaker’s role as annalist. Croaker and Lady are thought dead, Mogaba tries to seize power in the Company and the city both, and Murgen’s dreams are haunted by strange visions, bringing him back and forth between past, present and future.Bleak Seasons was a drastic improvement after the spectacular disappointment that was The Silver Spike. However, this book also has its problems. Taking place simultaneously with Dreams of Steel, this book adds little new to the overall storyline of the series. The absence of all the most fascinating characters also had a rather negative impact on my experience with the book.Even so, Bleak Seasons is another enjoyable addition to the Chronicles of the Black Company, despite not being as good as previous instalments like The White Rose and Dreams of Steel. The most interesting part is the insight the reader gets into the events occurring within the walls of Dejagore while war rages outside them, and also a lot of revelations surrounding Mogaba and the Nar, the mysterious warrior class of Gea-Xle inspired by the Company’s ancestors.Last, but not least, it has to be said that when referring exclusively to the writing, this book may very well be the best book Cook has written so far. I will leave off by quoting a particularly interesting passage:Within that fastness nothing moves, though at times mists of light shimmer as they leak over from beyond the gates of dream. Shadows linger in corners. And way down inside the core of the place, in the feeblest throb of the heart of darkness, there is life of a sort.A massive wooden throne stands upon a dais at the heart of a chamber so vast only a sun could light it all. Upon that throne a body sprawls, veiled by shoals of shadow, pinioned by silver knives driven through its feet and hands. Sometimes that body sighs softly in its sleep, impelled by bitter dreams acrawl behind its sightless eyes.This is survival of a sort.In the night, when the wind no longer licks through its unglazed windows, nor prances along its untenanted halls, nor whispers to its million creeping shadows, that fortress is filled with the silence of stone.
What do You think about Bleak Seasons (1997)?
This book is going over old territory to give us more detail of the Siege of Dejagore and other goings on through Murgen. This would be great if this additional information was entertaining. It felt to me like an entire book of exposition, it's here to give future stories solid ground. The book wants to be a good addition to the series in and of itself but outside of a few, mostly tragic, events it was hard to attach myself to it. It's like a history book that also has a few glimpses into a more interesting present.
—Colateral Damage
This book was a slog. It introduces a new narrator, the new Annalist and standardbearer, Murgen. The author is obviously experimenting with an odd narrative style, connected to some strange, sorcery-induced fits Murgen is having. However, since these fits cast him into the past, they push him back into plot points already covered in Dreams of Steel, albiet with more detail.This detail becomes important in later books, including establishing the wired swamp-dwelling people that Murgen marries into, but it's still a slog. A lot of the detail is redundant and makes me go: "Yes, okay, seiges suck. Okay already!"While there are plot points in this book, it felt mostly like filler to me. It doesn't help that I find Murgen a bland protagonist, not nearly as interesting as Croaker. I appreciate the author being willing to experiment, but I don't think the experiment turned out very well.
—Kirt
The Black Company series is really easy reading. Small words. Short sentences. Consistant Narrator. Linear story telling. Bleak Seasons changes that a bit. There is a new narrator, Murgen. Murgen is 1/2 crazy, and undergoing a very stressful situation, so the story is fragmented and disordered. Some people are going to be turned off by these narrative choices. I admit I was taken aback for a bit. But once you are into this book, you will find that it is akin to the other stories of the black company. One thing that this book does well is cultivating a situation that is so terribly hopeless. Trapped in a city with few supplies. Surrounded by a huge army. Then Things keep getting worse. Still, it is the weakest book of the books of the south, and the story isn't essential to enjoy the rest of the series.I recommend this book to those who love the Black Company. Do not let this book derail your enjoyment of the rest of the series. Don't start here, you should start reading at Shadow Games.
—Troy G
