Which means if the Taken catch wind of it, it will be all over for him and Darling. As they do their detective work, they realize that Raven is involved, and might still be around. Raven brings Shed into the fold on a money-making scheme that he has been exploiting, although neither seems to realize the actual ramifications of their actions.Īnd this causes a huge problem for Croaker & Co. Yes, this is the same Raven who fought alongside with the Company, and who had to desert when he realized exactly who Darling is (the fabled White Rose) and how much danger she was in so near to the Lady). Promise of help shows itself in the form of his mysterious boarder, a quietly dangerous man named Raven, who watches over his beautiful charge Darling. Meanwhile, in the Buskin section (skid row, essentially) of Juniper, Marron Shed, owner of a local dive known as the Iron Lilly, is having trouble with loansharks. This brings them to the city of Juniper, where an odd death cult holds sway, and a mysterious black castle looms on the horizon, owing.

While the bulk of the Company undergoes the arduous trudge, Croaker and a select circle are whisked to the area by some of the Taken to do some more digging around, trying to sort what is what. Crossing to the Barrowland means a journey over more than four thousand miles for the weary Company, across the Plain of Fear where whales fly and other horrors occur. A job that entails them returning to the Barrowland, to participate in fending off an attempt to resurrect the Dominator, the Lady's still-entombed husband. A general feeling of malaise permeates the Company, a residual discomfort of working under the banners of the Lady. As a result, morale within the Company is at an all-time low.Ĭroaker and company find themselves ferreting out pockets of Rebels in the small town of Tally. Six years since, and eight in total service to the mysterious Lady.

That battle that crushed the Rebel, and left both sides decimated. It has been six long years since the climactic battle in Charm. Also, this review might contain more spoilers than usual, as it is the only way to properly recount the events of this book.

I tried to keep spoilers to a minimum for the first book review, but events from that book will be brought up here. HachiSnax Note: The Great Black Company Read of 2014 continues! Just a heads-up before getting into the review: if you have not read Book 1 of the Black Company, you may want to skip this post.

The black company shadows linger