Michael Llaneza wrote:
Apropos my earlier comment about my mother's reading habits, others by Cook you'll like right off are Shadows Linger and The Silver Spike. They are the 2nd and 3.5th books in the Black Company series. She's happy reading just those, others may want to bite the swords and sorcery bullet and just start with The Black Company, or better yet pick up the paperback omnibus of the first three.
I've read the entire Black Company series, as well as all the Dread Empires published (and I curse the anonymous fan who stole the unpublished manuscript for the series), and, well, most of what Cook has written. But I can't see starting with The Silver Spike - I mean I know it's a stand alone book and all, but I can't see getting the same enjoyment from it without having watched Darling grow from a preteen rape victim to the Rebel General who compromises with evil (i.e. makes a deal with Lady to cap the Dominator), reading about all her issues with Raven, and get the same "Damn, they're making her give the order" reaction after Raven picks up the spike. If she hadn't had to do that, I don't think she would have become a potato farmer... And without the first three Black Company books, would we really believe Mr. "I'm just a Head, but I'm pissed off one" Limper doing what he did?
If the summary on the wiki isn't better than that, I'm editing it.
It would be nice to see more on the Wiki. Richard