Reading order · 11 books · 1984 to 2018 · Set in an invented world
The Black Company Books in Order
The Black Company is a band of mercenaries, the last of the Free Companies of Khatovar, whose annals are kept by its physician, Croaker, in the plain, wry voice of a soldier. They take service with the Lady, a sorceress empress, and her terrifying servants the Taken. Gritty, morally grey fantasy that helped shape the genre.
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Series facts
- Books
- 11
- Published
- 1984 to 2018
- First book
- The Black Company
- Latest
- Port of Shadows (2018)
- Setting
- Set in an invented world
The reading order
Every The Black Company book in publication order. Choose a title for its cast and summary.
11 books · Set in an invented world
- 1The Black Company1984With CroakerThe Black Company, a band of hard-bitten mercenaries, takes a commission from the Lady, the sorceress who rules the north, to fight a growing rebellion.Buy on Amazon
- 2Shadows Linger1984With CroakerIn a northern town called Juniper, a black castle is growing on the hill above the city, and the Black Company is sent to deal with it.Buy on Amazon
- 3The White Rose1985With CroakerThe Black Company, now on the run, finds itself fighting beside the White Rose, the champion the rebels have long awaited, as an older and greater evil stirs.Buy on Amazon
- 4The Silver Spike1989The essence of the Dominator lies trapped in a silver spike, and when a band of thieves sets it loose, rival powers gather to seize it.Buy on Amazon
- 5Shadow Games1989With CroakerCroaker leads what is left of the Black Company south, towards the legendary land of Khatovar, where the Company was born.Buy on Amazon
- 6Dreams of Steel1990With The LadyWith the Company scattered after a disastrous battle, the Lady rebuilds a fighting force in Taglios, aided by a murderous cult, as the Shadowmasters scheme and dark dreams trouble her.Buy on Amazon
- 7Bleak Seasons1996With MurgenMurgen, the Company’s standard bearer and annalist, records the siege of Dejagore, as the Company’s commander loses his grip, ancient powers stir and Murgen glimpses a dark design behind events.Buy on Amazon
- 8She Is the Darkness1997With MurgenServing an uneasy alliance with the Taglian government, the Company marches towards the plain of glittering stone, where a powerful alliance of sorcerers stands against it.Buy on Amazon
- 9Water Sleeps1999With SleepyThe remnants of the Company regroup in Taglios and set out to free their imprisoned comrades, at a terrible price.Buy on Amazon
- 10Soldiers Live2000With CroakerCroaker now rules the Taglian territories, but old enemies return, and the Company is driven to the brink in the final book of the Glittering Stone cycle.Buy on Amazon
- 11Port of Shadows2018With CroakerThe Company’s favoured status draws the attention of the Taken, and Croaker becomes a target, wary above all of one Taken who bears a striking resemblance to the Lady.Buy on Amazon
Do you need to read them in order?
Read in publication order, starting with The Black Company. The first three books form a complete story; The Silver Spike is a side story, and the later books follow the Company south.
Who appears in which book
The series’ main characters, book by book. Lead means the book is told around them; minor covers cameos.
| Book | Croaker | Murgen | The Lady | Sleepy | Soulcatcher | Goblin | One-Eye | Raven |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 The Black Company | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | MMajor | MMajor | MMajor | ||
| 2 Shadows Linger | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | MMajor | MMajor | MMajor | ||
| 3 The White Rose | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | MMajor | MMajor | MMajor | ||
| 4 The Silver Spike | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor | MMajor | MMajor | MMajor | ||
| 5 Shadow Games | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | MMajor | MMajor | MMajor | ||
| 6 Dreams of Steel | MMajor | MMajor | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | MMajor | ||
| 7 Bleak Seasons | MMajor | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | MMajor | MMajor | ||
| 8 She Is the Darkness | MMajor | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | MMajor | MMajor | ||
| 9 Water Sleeps | MMajor | MMajor | MMajor | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | MMajor | |
| 10 Soldiers Live | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | MMajor | MMajor | MMajor | MMajor | |
| 11 Port of Shadows | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | MMajor | MMajor |
Characters in the The Black Company books
9 characters from Glen Cook’s chart, with the number of The Black Company books each appears in.
| Character | Books | First in this series |
|---|---|---|
| CroakerCompany physician and annalist | 11 | The Black Company 1984 |
| MurgenStandard-bearer and later annalist | 6 | Shadow Games 1989 |
| The LadySorceress who rules the north | 11 | The Black Company 1984 |
| SleepyAnnalist in the later books | 2 | Water Sleeps 1999 |
| SoulcatcherOne of the Taken | 11 | The Black Company 1984 |
| GoblinSmall wizard of the Company | 11 | The Black Company 1984 |
| One-EyeOld wizard of the Company | 11 | The Black Company 1984 |
| RavenFormer Company man | 4 | The Black Company 1984 |
| DarlingThe White Rose | 3 | Shadows Linger 1984 |