This is a dark cross between fantasy and history. Set in a time that never was in places on no maps it's the story of a small group of soldiers and friends with a bloody past who set out, sort of, to have a better life in peace time in an island of their own. Well, that's how one of them thinks of it anyway, the others, they're not so sure. What caught me about this book is how well-written some of it is. The plot slowly builds to a painful and deadly (perhaps) climax. The characters are not as well-drawn as I'd like. Still, there's something engaging about the book and I'm glad I read it. I would have preferred another ending and, since in some ways it's up to the reader to decide how it ends, I'll chose my own conclusion. I picked this up because it was a stand alone book listed in the fantasy section and the blurb made it seem interesting. That being said, the only thing about this that qualified as fantasy in any noticeable way is the world; because it is not any version of our world. Aside from this it is just a drama that to be perfectly frank fell a bit flat. There was a limited amount of suspense and the end is fairly predictable. I suppose that it would still be an interesting read for some but for the time I invested I really didn't feel like there was any payoff, which is a rare criticism about a book coming from me.
What do You think about The Company (2009)?
Starting to find the characters in his books all very "samey".
—Libertylee1231
Not as good as the rest of K.J. Parker's books.
—faithj
Keeps you in suspense through the very end!
—Crystal14322
