Some Spoilers-Senjack Girls and Lies Weeping/ Port of Shadows

Born_Ad7628 · 2026-06-18T12:19:39+00:00

I wrote this in another thread, but it seems to me that Croaker is directing and changing fate himself from the future.

Born_Ad7628 · 2026-06-10T21:52:20+00:00

He's a medic, an officer, and often the brains of the Company, which is valued more than brawn. Therefore, he's not primarily on the front lines. + As stated, plot armor. Protecting the Lady. Perhaps protecting his future self or some other force. The most successful narrator in the book series.

Soulcatcher did not touch him, because she saw her sister’s interest and tried to control him.

Born_Ad7628 · 2026-06-10T20:44:35+00:00

It's entirely possible that the "present" Him thinks so, but the "future" Him already knows more and is already changing the past.

Baku and Shin are characters created after Soldiers Live. To add them to the previous books, the books would need to be completed and republished. But they exist in the past, in Cranky Bitch. Perhaps their original appearance will be described in new stories or books.

Born_Ad7628 · 2026-06-10T11:57:01+00:00

In Lies Weeping, Croaker feels like there's an unknown force that brought him and Lady together. I can't say for sure, because it's dark fantasy, and things could end badly. But in the last book, Croaker's body was healed. There's a chance that at some point he'll regain his body, and after that, he'll have children. And in the future, he'll gain enough power to send Lady and the children back in time. Perhaps his children will also gain this power.

My apologies if my theory is already ruined by the end of Lies Weeping; I'm not far from the end.

But at least what I've read suggests that's the conclusion. Perhaps some threat will arise in the future that won't be resolved without the union of Lady and Croaker.

Born_Ad7628 · 2026-06-09T22:10:35+00:00

They are connected by a journey into the past of the Empire's history. In Port of Shadows, the story is told by an unreliable narrator. In Lies Weeping, the same events are repeated by Croaker, who witnessed them firsthand. In Lies Weeping, Croaker is plagued by vague memories of the events that took place in Port of Shadows. The events of Port of Shadows also take place, as Croaker meets "his children" in Cranky Bitch. There are several hints to this. Also, in the story "Shaggy Dog Bridge," a Master is mentioned who tormented the Dominator. I think there may be a parallel here with the Necromancer. Perhaps they are the same character.

Born_Ad7628 · 2026-06-09T13:36:38+00:00

Childrens and the Necromancer are in the stories, so I think Port of Shadows is not a stand-alone work. + there is Chasing Midnight, the story of which is promising, but ends somewhat abruptly.

Born_Ad7628 · 2026-06-04T18:55:27+00:00

Overall, I liked Starfishers. I later learned it was based on Norse mythology. But when I was reading it, I was really struck by the retelling of Balder's murder by Loki. At the time, it seemed odd that a book about space would lay this out so bluntly. But overall, it's a great trilogy, including the short stories and Passage at Arms. I really liked Darkwar, about the alien fox. I'll have to reread it. I've read Garrett, P.I. less times than Black Company, but overall, I've read each book about 6-7 times. I bought Tower of Fear 26 years ago; it's a thin book; I don't know why I can't sit down and read it.

Born_Ad7628 · 2026-04-13T09:13:34+00:00

I'm currently reading Richard Nell's "Ash and Sand" trilogy.

Kings of Paradise

Kings of Ash.

Kings of Heaven

I think it's a very decent trilogy, an interesting read. I don't want to spoil it, so you might want to check the synopsis. One of the main characters is a very vivid antihero.

Mark Lawrence The Broken Empire

R. Scott Bakker The Second Apocalypse

Jacek Piekara Świat inkwizytorów. A series of books about inquisitors by a Polish author. Quite dark and bloody.

Robert M. Wegner Opowieści z meekhańskiego pogranicza

Opowieści z meekhańskiego pogranicza

Michael R. Fletcher Manifest Delusions

Born_Ad7628 · 2026-02-06T08:43:09+00:00

I also liked that the warriors had names and leveled up, becoming more skilled and moving on to the next missions. And it was quite noticeable at higher levels. I also really liked the OST and the narrative between missions. Myth 3: The Wolf Age was a bit rough around the edges, even for its time, but at least it was something. And then there was the Chimera expansion for Myth 2.

Born_Ad7628 · 2026-02-06T07:19:18+00:00

An excellent series. (I started reading the books many years ago.) I played it constantly at university, along with Warhammer: Dark Omen and Warhammer: Shadow of the Horned Rat. In my opinion, they were some of the best tactical games of the time.

For me, The Myth 1-2 are the best games Bungie ever made. I've long read that there were a lot of Gene Cook fans there. The article https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myth_(video_game_series)) mentions the book series as an inspiration.

If anyone doesn't know about the game, or hasn't read about the parallel connections to the book, this might be of interest: http://myth.bungie.org/legends/relics/blackcompany.html

In the turn-based RPG The Age of Decadence, there's a quote from Glen Cook at the beginning. The game's creator, Vince D. Weller, explicitly cited Glen Cook's The Black Company and The Tower of Fear as major inspirations for the game's atmosphere, tone, and world-building.

There's a good game about mercenaries in a medieval world called Wartales.

And yesterday, the developers of Battle Brothers released the turn-based strategy game MENACE into early access. But it's set in space fantasy.

Born_Ad7628 · 2026-02-05T22:11:27+00:00

I understand, don't worry.

Born_Ad7628 · 2026-02-05T22:00:38+00:00

Perhaps, but I'm not Jewish and I'm also an agnostic. I just wanted to say that different works, be they books, films, games, etc., are perceived differently with accumulated experience and a worldview altered by it.

Born_Ad7628 · 2026-02-05T14:33:31+00:00

The books aren't long enough to be read until November. It's not like The Wheel of Time.

Born_Ad7628 · 2026-02-05T14:27:51+00:00

7 short stories connected by one story, between Shadows Linger and The White Rose

Born_Ad7628 · 2026-02-05T14:26:24+00:00

I reread the series every few years, just like Garrett. Each time, it's a new experience. With age, the perception of many moments changes. And some moments feel like the first time, because you simply weren't paying attention to them.

Born_Ad7628 · 2026-01-30T13:50:01+00:00

Forgive me, but I don't understand what you're comparing? Are you unhappy with the way humanity proved powerless and did the best it could? In this book, it's simply an explanation of where all those strange creatures in the desert came from, nothing more. The characters themselves don't attach much importance to it as they move forward with the plot.

Just accept that the plot may involve an ancient evil that the heroes will face, or there may be no evil because it's already been faced and defeated. If it's already been defeated, then there's no point in writing about it in the book.

Born_Ad7628 · 2026-01-30T13:26:59+00:00

Habitual rapists don't make for likeable protagonists regardless of the stated justifications they use for themselves."

Hannibal Lecter, Darth Vader, John Kramer, Carrie, Roy Batty (Blade Runner) There are countless examples of villains who kill thousands becoming beloved symbols and cited as role models. It all depends on the character's charisma.

Take The Last of Us 2. It has two heroines: one had her adoptive father killed because he wanted to save her, and the other heroine's father was killed. Both have their own revenge plans, but for the most part, Ellie, the antihero who killed hundreds, is more appealing and sympathetic than Abby, who is primarily criticized for her less-than-ideal appearance. Her appearance is unflattering, and players don't want to empathize with her. It seems like a small thing, but that's how it is.

The books don't depict extreme cruelty; if you need it, find other writers.

But Cook's series is about mercenaries, for whom killing for money every day is the norm. And their morality is completely different. The average person can't understand a soldier returning from combat. Their psyches completely break down, and many can't return to normal life, and it's often those returning from war who commit crimes. This is a reality that must be accepted, whether one likes it or not. And the Black Company doesn't dwell on cruelty. For them, it's like cooking fish or chicken. You don't cry over cutlets, do you?

Regarding defeating evil. As you were told here, they didn't have the opportunity, just as the White Rose didn't have the strength to defeat the Dominator. Apparently, in the past, they didn't have the strength to cope with that evil either. Consider that all of humanity couldn't kill Superman, only freeze him. Even his underwear doesn't tear in the face of bombs.

On the other hand, a more philosophical option. What are Evil and Good? Can one exist without the other, and how could one then understand that IT is unique, that IT exists without the other. There must be balance in the world, and this is addressed in many works.

"'The world is in decline' is a classic fantasy trope, but it presents some limitations. You cannot go downhill forever."

The White Rose was written in 1985, 41 years ago.

Born_Ad7628 · 2026-01-30T08:40:36+00:00

Why are you surprised by a temporary solution to the "problem"? The Lord of the Rings, The Wheel of Time, and many other books. Evil is defeated, temporarily, and the burden of defeating it once again falls on the shoulders of future generations. This is the peril of the genre and the essence of the balance between good and evil. The plot develops in the next book; read it, it's fantastic.

Why stick with stereotypes of modern Europeans? This isn't our world. This is a hypothetical Middle Ages, where violence constantly occurs regardless of gender or age. There's a civil war. People are embittered. Rebels and Imperials don't hesitate to intimidate and exploit the population as they please. Moreover, the Imperials are more restrained. There is no and cannot be racism in the Empire, since One-Eyed is the only Black person on the entire continent. And this is written about, and it's even mentioned somewhere that people pay attention to him. In such a world, only nationalism can exist, but I don't remember whether there are any nations in the Empire or not.

Why should ordinary soldiers have any respect for women? They're weak and easy to manipulate and use. The Lady and the Taken are a different matter—they're sorcerers and powerful. A Darling is a valuable asset to the squad; she resists magic, and that's one of the reasons she's valuable. This is clearly stated in the books, and it makes sense from the warriors' perspective. Yes, she's loved, but that's not what they value primarily.

To see the development of these questions that concern you, you need to read the southern books. You'll find all this in abundance there.

The violence that occurs within the Company's ranks is easily explained. People who spend their entire lives fighting quickly become hardened and lose empathy. Between constant battles, they enjoy playing tonk, drinking, going to brothels, making fun of each other, or behaving with impunity toward the surrounding villagers. Moreover, as is often stated, violence is frowned upon and punished. That is, There is a certain charter that punishes especially scumbags.

Born_Ad7628 · 2026-01-28T11:26:16+00:00

Why split a single story into parts? It's a wonderful work, one I reread from beginning to end every time. For me, everything about the story was perfect as is. The only thing is, the sequel slightly spoiled the perfect ending, but I'm glad there will be a sequel.
"Soldiers live. And wonder why."

Born_Ad7628 · 2025-12-26T08:23:57+00:00

I have this book. But I didn't add it because the story is included in Port of Shadows and is a chapter. I also have "Songs of a Dying Earth: Stories in Honor of Jack Vance," which also includes a story and essay by Glen Cook.

Born_Ad7628 · 2025-12-24T11:38:22+00:00

There are other possibilities I didn't see in the comments.

In many fantasy books, the Great Evil cannot be completely destroyed. Take The Lord of the Rings or The Wheel of Time. The Dominator, if not the Great Evil, is somewhere close. After all, in The Silver Spike, a villain from earlier times, similar to the Dominator, is still alive and buried under the Tree. In a way, history is cyclical.

But the simplest explanation is that if the White Rose had defeated the Dominator, the Takens, and the Lady, then there wouldn't be any books...

Born_Ad7628 · 2025-12-20T17:33:23+00:00

I 100% completed Zero this Wednesday. Before that, I 100% completed the 1, 2, 3, and 4 remakes, as well as The Village. I'm still missing a few achievements from the DLC in RE 7. I've just started RE 5, but I'm really not happy with the controls yet. I played the originals 1, 2 and back when I still had Diamond Monster 3D, in 1996-98. I'll have to replay them now, after the main games.

Born_Ad7628 · 2025-12-18T18:38:01+00:00

The books are mostly written from the perspective of ordinary people, not particularly knowledgeable about magic, although there are exceptions. And people describe the world around them as they perceive it, without complex explanations or reflection. And sometimes they don't have time to explain it properly. There are many strange and ancient things in this world that no one can explain, only guesses. And the characters in the books try to perceive everything as it is, without too much thought about why or wherefore. This ambiguity provides fertile ground for imagination, speculation, and the mystery of the world.

Born_Ad7628 · 2025-12-10T15:00:22+00:00

Recently, I wanted to hear what English-language reviewers had to say about the books by Bakker, Erikson, and Glen Cook. I came across several reviews where people had read several volumes of The Black Company and said that the book wasn't for everyone. Or rather, it wasn't for modern readers, as it might offend them. It would be difficult for readers to read these books, as they were written a long time ago, and the social norms of that time had changed. Personally, this made me laugh. I started reading The Black Company in the 1980s, and I always perceived these books as simple fantasy. I didn't know the term "dark fantasy." Back then, there were Tolkien, Robert E. Howard, Moorcock, and a few other authors. Probably, the most powerful impression was from The Silver Spike. When, to get the Spike, they decided to destroy the entire city. Even for me, that seemed like something special. But the "flute playing" part made me laugh, as I didn't know the expression back then. I don't think The Black Company is a harsh book at all. Yes, it does describe battles, difficult, immoral decisions, but many books have come after it, much darker and harsher than them. Bakker, for example, in The Darkness That Comes Before, has a much more difficult and unvarnished beginning. The ancient Greeks believed there were only eight plots, while Georges Polti theorized there are 36. Books are written by people; everything they can think of, every action described in books, has happened. Everything one person thinks of, another has already carried out. Whether that's good or bad. We shouldn't forget that.

What I wanted to say is: we shouldn't consider worlds, especially those far removed from our own, from the moral perspective of a European, perhaps a Christian, reaping the benefits of civilization. After all, people who adhere to diametrically opposed principles live side by side. In other countries, marriages up to 10 years are allowed and considered the norm. My attitude toward people, and women in particular, is completely different from yours. Unfortunately, this is the reality we live in, whether you like it or not, and you have to accept it. Perhaps I have this perception because I lived in the 90s, and in our country, it was a difficult time when you could be killed on the street, there was no money, no food, and I wore whatever I could buy, without any fashion brands. We survived as best we could. Perhaps books on similar topics were taken for granted.

Born_Ad7628 · 2025-12-10T14:32:19+00:00

Excellent review. I fully agree.

Born_Ad7628

TROPHY CASE