Shadow Games

Chronicles of the Black Company, Book 4

By: Glen Cook

Narrated by: Marc Vietor

After the devastating battle at the Tower of Charm, Croaker leads the greatly diminished Black Company south, in search of the lost Annals. The Annals will be returned to Khatovar, 8,000 miles away, a city that may exists only in legend...the origin of the first Free Companies.

Every step of the way, the Company is hounded by shadowy figured and carrion-eating crows. As they march every southward, through bug infested jungle; rivers dense with bloodthirsty pirates; and cities, dead and living, haunted by the passage of the Company north, their numbers grow until they are thousands strong. But always they are watched by the Shadowmasters, a deadly new enemy. They are twisted creatures that deal in darkness and death, powerful, shadowy creatures bent on smothering the world in their foul embrace.

This is the first round in a deadly game, a game that the Black Company cannot hope to win.

Listen to more in the Black Company series.©1989 Glen Cook (P)2010 Audible, Inc.

Best series and best voice... really good.

Best characters ever. Hands down. You should really read or listen. Many more books to go.

New Direction

This book takes what remains of The Black Company in a new direction. Intrigued to see what happens next.

New Life

This book yields new life to this series. It draws one back to this story with a vengeance and it is totally worth listening to.

Lots of Fun

I've been listening to a few audio books lately that while were good always felt like a bit of work to get through, that was not the case with Shadow Games.

First off let me say you really don't want to start your Black Company experience here. While Cook does a very good job of allowing this book to be an intro to the series it really will shine in it's proper place as #4.

Following Croaker from book 1 to now you really get a great feel for the guy and are either really interested in his journey or have given up before now. This books picks up right from 3 and does a good job of answering a lot of lingering questions you may have had.

It has as much action as the previous books and brings back enough of the past characters to keep you attached to the events while also adding in enough new gems to keeps things fresh.

Don't get me wrong there book is not perfect. My main gripe relates to the mystery surrounding the villains. It makes some sense but it also is annoying that Cook couldn't come up with better.

Vietor does a great job as always of voicing Croaker and I always felt his performance fit. I have more to add but I want to avoid spoilers even the most obvious ones.

All in all this is a fun read and if you are into the Black Company or this kind of military fantasy style you would really enjoy it.

just as good as I remembered

good book. good performance. lots of stuff I didn't remember going on so listening was almost like a brand new book.

the last of the free companies of khatovar is going home. whatever and wherever that is. don't get in the way.