The White Rose

The Chronicles of the Black Company #3

by Glen Cook

She is the last hope of good in the war against the evil sorceress known as the Lady. From a secret base on the Plains of Fear, where even the Lady hesitates to go, the Black Company, once in service to the Lady, now fights to bring victory to the White Rose. But now an even greater evil threatens the world. All the great battles that have gone before will seem a skirmishes when the Dominator rises from the grave.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Dark Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Military Fiction, High Fantasy, Science Fiction Fantasy

317 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published April 1, 1985

About the author

Glen Cook was born in New York City, lived in southern Indiana as a small child, then grew up in Northern California. After high school he served in the U.S. Navy and attended the University of Missouri. He worked for General Motors for 33 years, retiring some years ago. He started writing short stories in 7th grade, had several published in a high school literary magazine. He began writing with malicious intent to publish in 1968, eventually producing 51 books and a number of short fiction pieces.
He met his wife of 43 years while attending the Clarion Writer's Workshop in 1970. He has three sons (army officer, architect, orchestral musician) and numerous grandchildren, all of whom but one are female. He is best known for his Black Company series, which has appeared in 20+ languages worldwide. His other series include Dread Empire and and the Garrett, P.I. series. His latest work is Working God’s Mischief, fourth in the Instrumentalities of the Night series.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/glencook

Reviews

[Ahmad Sharabiani · Rating 4 out of 5]

The White Rose (The Chronicle of the Black Company, #3), Glen Cook

The Black Company is a series of dark fantasy books written by American author Glen Cook. The series combines elements of epic fantasy and dark fantasy as it follows an elite mercenary unit, The Black Company, through roughly forty years of its approximately four-hundred-year history. She is the last hope of good in the war against the evil sorceress known as the Lady. From a secret base on the Plains of Fear, where even the Lady hesitates to go, the Black Company, once in service to the Lady, now fights to bring victory to the White Rose. But now an even greater evil threatens the world. All the great battles that have gone before will seem a skirmishes when the Dominator rises from the grave.

تاریخ نخستین خوانش: دوازدهم ماه می سال2016میلادی

عنوان: سرگذشت گروهان سیاه‏‫؛ کتاب سوم: رز سپید؛ نویسنده: گلن کوک؛ مترجم: آیدا کشوری؛ ویراستار گودرز پایکوب؛ تهران، کتابسرای تندیس، سال1394؛ در487ص؛ شابک9786001821721؛ موضوع داستانهای نویسندگان ایالات متحده آمریکا - سده20م

گروهان سیاه، سربازانی مزدور در خدمت «بانو» هستند، که در برابر شورشیان «رز سپید» می‌ایستند؛ آنان مردانی سرسخت؛ مفتخر به محترم شمردن پیمان‌های خویش هستند؛ «بانو» شرور است، اما کسانی هم که به دروغ ادعا می‌کنند، از پیروان «رز سپید (تجسمی از قهرمانی که سده ها پیش نابود شده)» هستند، همانا به شروری «بانو» هستند؛ با اینحال اکنون برخی از افراد «گروهان سیاه» دریافته‌ اند، دختر کر و لالی که نجات و پناهش داده ‌اند، تولد دوباره و راستین «رز سپید» است؛ اکنون شاید راهی به سوی نور باشد، حتی برای کسانی هم‌چون آنها...؛ البته اگر بتوانند جان سالم به در ببرند...؛

تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 02/03/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ 05/01/1401هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی

[Matt's Fantasy Book Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Check out my new youtube channel where I show my instant reactions to reading fantasy books seconds after I finish the book.

A solid ending to an overall enjoyable trilogy of books.

While I did not enjoy this book nearly as much as I did the first one, I thought this book brought things back in a positive direction after a disappointing second book.

I enjoyed that the book was back to the central story of the Black Company instead of shooting off into different storylines, and that the main fight that these characters have been building towards through the first couple books finally came to a conclusion. It was a satisfying ending that left me hungry to pickup the next set of books. The fantastical elements involving magic and huge, mythical beasts brought a more epic scale to this that I appreciated.

The writing was what you would expect from Glen Cook - coming off more as a Vietnam war diary than a traditional novel. It's fun to read this after reading something like Malazan, that so clearly uses The Black Company as inspiration for their military units.

I did think this book lost a little focus at multiple times through the book, where characters go on needless detours that don't bring much to the story. It created some pacing issues that I thought could have been avoided. But with that being said, this was a satisfying book and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend these books to any fan of a more gritty fantasy series.

[✘✘ Sarah ✘✘ (former Nefarious Breeder of Murderous Crustaceans) · Rating 5 out of 5]

💀 The Black Company is Recruiting Again Buddy Rereread (TBCiRABR™) with the MacHalos and stuff 💀

Previous rating: 12 stars.
New rating: 15 stars. And a half.

➽ And the moral of this rereread is: THAT. ENDING.



P.S. Thou shalt never underestimate Old Trees. No, thou shalt not.
P.P.S. Keeping my pincers crossed that the next time Spoiler Spoiler Spoiler (not the character's real name) spoilers spoilers spoilers it will be for good.

👋 To be continued and stuff.



[March 2018]

💀 Buddy reread with the clueless new mercenary recruits Elena and Maria over at BB&B. Under the wicked supervision of our Ever-Stalking Black Company Overlord (ESBCO™), of course 💀

Previous rating: 5 stars.
New rating: 12 stars. Obviously.

➽ And the moral of this reread is : I might perhaps have maybe previously mentioned wanting to be the Bloody Shrimping Lady of Scrumpalaciously Delirious Awesomeness (BSLoSDA™) when I grew up. Well either that or her girlfriend. Or both (yes, that could possibly prove a little complicated, but she and I are such cunning geniuses, I'm sure we'd manage to work something out and stuff). Anyway, now I've decided I want her to be my evil mommy, too. Then again, I could live with being her ruthless daughter, as well (I think my most delightful nefariousness would be somewhat pleasing to her). Or her devious granddaughter, come to think of it. But hey, being her homicidal great-great-great granddaughter would work, too. Or maybe her malevolent fourth cousin five times removed. Bloody stinking fish, I'm so desperate I'd even accept to be her feral pet crustacean on a leash or something.



Yes, I am even willing to get my pincers all tied up and stuff. See how kinky desperate I am?

"Anything else," you ask? Why yes, of course, my Little Barnacles. My Grumpy Grumbly Sarcastic Croaky (MGGSC™) is still and forever will be one of my Top Three Mostest Delicioucest Boyfriends Ever (TTMDBE™) and stuff.

Also, I want to have a talking pet menhir when I grow up. The more aggravating, the better.

Also, also, the ending of this book nearly killed me deadly dead. Again. I kinda sorta lurves it and stuff.





[Original review]

This book in a nutshell:



#BRB DEAD is me. Bye now.

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HAHAHAHAHA, you are so naïve sometimes. Did you honestly think you were going to get out of this one so easily? You don't know me at all, do you? Do you think the fact that I seem to be unable to write non-crappy reviews for this series is going to stop me? HAHAHAHAHA. Time to wake up and smell the bacon, people. I keep reading crappy books lately, so it would only be fair that I put you through crappy reviews of awesome books when I miraculously come across them. What? You don't see the logic behind that? Oh come on, use those two little grey cells for once. No? Still don't get it? Oh well.



► Welcome to The White Rose Crappy Crash Course! ◄

① Characterization heaven:
Glen Cook should teach Complex Characters 101 classes. So many authors could benefit from them *waves at [named removed], [named removed], [named removed], [named removed], [named removed], [named removed], [named removed]…[BEEEEEEEEEEEP]* ← I know, not naming these Pathetic Authors is very unlike me and desperately politically correct. The thing is, the List of Shame is frightfully long, and I'm afraid the Pathetic Authors in question will unleash their Evil Army of Wicked Trolls (EAWT™) on me the minute I post this review. So, in a desperate attempt to save my pretty ass, I shall refrain from naming names. Anyway, where were we? Oh yes, characterization heaven. Let's do a crash course within the crash course, shall we?

❣ The Lady: I want to be you when I grow up. I originally wanted to marry you, but I don't want your wannabe boyfriend (aka Markus) to go all homicidal maniac on me, so I'll settle for being your awesome-amazing-wicked-ass-kicking-awe-inspiring self. Wait. Let me think about this for a minute. Would being you make me Markus' girlfriend? Bloody hell. Hadn't thought about that. I am SO doomed.

❣ Croaker: no, you're not getting any younger. Yes, you're pretty much at the end of your rope. Yes, you're the resident grumpy cat. Yes, you're desperately slow in the please-romance-the-hell-out-of-my-knickers department. But YES, you rock. YES, you're awesome. And YES, I'M IN LOVE.

💀 Corbie: well, I'll be damned. You know what? I no longer want to go all [BEEP] on [BEEP] and [BEEP] you in my [BEEP]. I might be a huge [BEEP] fan, but even I have my limits. Bye bye, you [BEEEEEEEEEEEP].

❣ One-Eye and Goblin (aka Maggot and Guano): you're the resident freaky clowns. You're pretty awesome when you do your magic thing. You're pretty funny in a delightfully batshit crazy kind of way. And you can be trusted to act like stupid airheads at the most inappropriate times. Can I adopt you?

❣ Darling: well, well, well. Aren't we full of surprises?

❣ Silent: well, well, well. Aren't we full of surprises?



② How do I get Plain of Fear citizenship?
What is the Plain of Fear, you ask? It's the too-awesome-for-words place where the Black Company & friends hide from the I-want-to-be-you-when-I-grow-up Lady. Why do I want citizenship? You do ask silly questions sometimes. I hope you're aware of it. But anyway. Here's why:
· Talking stones. No. Make that aggravating talking stones.
· Flying windwhales and their manta friends.
· Walking trees.
· Change storms that distort reality.
· Old Father Tree. Wanna know about him? Read the book and learn, young Padawan.
· Coral that has a life of its own.
· Wild human tribes.

→ If that isn’t beyond awesome, I don't know what it. So get me a Plain of Fear passport. NOW.



③ The greatest battle that ever was:
Team Lady vs. Team Plain of Fear = Tolkien has nothing on Cook. Seriously. Because an army of Flying Carpets 2.0 (new and improved! Now with real seats! And ballistas! And Spears! And Pedals! And lots of other awesome stuff!) + an army of windwhales + the Plain of Fear menagerie + flower pots (yes, you read that right) + things that leap and hop and glide and flop and fly = "So gruesome and wondrous a sight". Bloody hell yes. This. Is. Perfection.

④ Those last few chapters. That. Ending:



Yeah, even Caesar is #BRB dead. That should tell you something right there.

►► And the moral of this Crappy Crash Course is: I am omniscient, all-knowing and pretty much perfect ☢ sarcasm alert ☢ but I have to admit I, for once, was wrong. I realize how disappointed you must be. I mean, you all pretty much worship me, and you must be quite depressed now that you know I'm not as perfect as you thought I was ☢ sarcasm alert ☢ I hope you get over it, and I promise it's the very last time I let you down. But I digress. Where was I? Oh yes, I was wrong. In fact, I was very wrong. Because I thought I would never, ever, find a series as bloody awesome/mind-blowing/amazing/fantastic/insert all that apply as Kate Daniels. Please forgive me, IA Gods, for I have sinned. There is indeed a series that I love almost as much as I LOVE KD. Almost. Because The Chronicles of the Bad Company desperately lacks hot tubs. And that's quite a hindrance, if you ask me.

· Book 1: The Black Company ★★★★★
· Book 1.5: Port of Shadows ★ ← I have no idea where this book came from, or what it's about. Pretty sure I never read it.
· Book 2: Shadows Linger ★★★★★
• Book 2.2 (short story): Shaggy Dog Bridge ★★★★★
• Book 2.3 (short story): Bone Eaters ★★★★★
· Book 2.4 (short story): Letha of the Thousand Sorrows ★★★
· Book 3.5: The Silver Spike ★★★★
· Book 4: Shadow Games ★★★★★
· Book 5: Dreams of Steel ★★��★★
· Book 6: Bleak Seasons ★★★★★
· Book 7: She Is The Darkness ★★★★★
· Book 8: Water Sleeps ★★★★★
· Book 9: Soldiers Live ★★★★★

[Mayim de Vries · Rating 4 out of 5]

“It is only slightly less difficult for us to extinguish the light within us than it is for us to conquer the darkness.”

The black, the white and all shades of grey. The White Rose takes us first of all to the Plain of Fear, where the Black Company is hiding from the Lady’s minions. We will also learn the tale of Bomanz, the infamous sorcerer who released the Lady. The action buildup takes a long time, but when things get into the flow, so to speak, the current is overwhelming. There is a lot of surprising threads, and twists, and turns. From book to book, the Author retains his ability to surprise me, particularly in the way he manages to tie the events to things you’d believe mentioned and forgotten. Those themes and motifs emerge and resurface in the least expected way.

“There were dreams once upon a time, dreams now all but forgotten. On sad days I dust them off and fondle them nostalgically, with a patronizing wonder at the naivete of the youth who dreamed them.”

The plot is divided into three threads that interweave in a very interesting way. The first, of course, is Croaker, writing the Company’s Annals as if it was his own diary. The second is the “omniscient” narrator retelling the story of Bomanz, and the third POV is a mysterious person who sends letters to Croaker. These three separate stories in time begin to overlap (and make sense), and thanks to different narratives, we have the opportunity to look at the main story from a different perspective and see different protagonists in an entirely new light.

“Appearances deceive, of course. And the Lady’s essence is illusion.”

The action focuses in two main locations: the Plain of Fear and the Barrowland; both are fascinating. On the Plain, weird is the order of the day with forty intelligent species inhabiting the wilderness, including stones speaking high sarcasm, flying whales and moving trees. The Barrowland is magical ground zero, a lodestone for destinies. But aside the new world building snippets, the most impressive thing about the White Rose is an amazing character development. It’s as if protagonists you thought you knew and loved (or hated) are created anew with such mastery that you can do nothing but follow shaking your head in amazement. This book, without a doubt, is a study in contrasts.

I was, however, disappointed by a conspicuous absence of Darling. I mean, she does feature in the story, but the title suggests her being central to the tale, this is far from being true. In a sense, she remains just like the comet, visible and symbolic but far removed what is happening on the ground. You could perhaps say that it is difficult to do more with a deaf and mute protagonist, but I don’t think such constraints pose any hindrance for a writer as fine as Mr Cook. And he shows his mastery in this volume pushing his character through difficult hoops, facing them with impossible choices, and forcing them to consider them issues far more complex than the next prank in the never-ending war between One-Eye and Goblin.

Of course, the Author made sure that the reader, even slightly tired of the plot intricacies, is compelled to find out what is going to happen to the Company next. After such ending, you simply cannot NOT read the next book.

Last but not least: Croaker, you had it coming.

---

The other Chronicles:

1. The Black Company ★★★★☆
2. Shadows Linger ★★★ (and a half, Goodreads!)
3.5 Silver Spike ★★☆☆☆
4. Shadow Games ★★★★☆
5. Dreams of Steel ★★★☆☆
6. Black Seasons ★★★☆☆
7. She is the Darkness ★★★★☆
8. Water Sleeps RTC
9. Soldiers Live RTC
10. A Pitiless Rain RTC

[Eon ♒Windrunner♒ · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

An excellent ending to this trilogy.

The Lady is finalizing her end game. The Black Company & the White Rose are waiting it out on the Plain of Fear, planning their own strike. Unfortunately, there is that saying about the best laid plans…

The Dominator is stirring.

Where book two was a different type of story, book three returns to familiar grounds and reads much like the first book. As stated The Black Company and the White Rose have made their headquarters in the Plain of Fear and have been hiding out there for some time, occasionally striking at The Lady and her dark forces. They seem to be holding out, but are of course vastly outnumbered. And the timing of prophesied events are still many years away.

But then Croaker starts receiving packages from an unknown sender, containing an incredible story that might just hold the key to turning the tide of the war. That is, until the last message does not arrive.

And so Croaker is sent on a quest to the Barrowlands, to discover what he can about the message and its writer.
In the shadow of the Dominator’s tomb.
With the Lady always lurking.

Highly recommended.

[Elena Rodríguez · Rating 4 out of 5]

II LECTURA
“Es solo ligeramente menos difícil para nosotros extinguir la luz dentro de nosotros de lo que es conquistar la oscuridad”.

Lo juro. Esta relectura me ha dado la vida, maldita la hora (por no decir algo muchísimo más obsceno) de no haberme leído esta novela con calma el noviembre pasado.

“Yo nunca he comprendido por qué, en un universo tan vasto, un dios debería ocuparse de algo tan trivial como un destino humano”.

Como he dicho en otras reseñas, este es un libro “extraño”. Muchas veces te cuesta seguir la narración del autor, así como los capítulos no son cronológicamente lineales. Vayanse haciéndo a la idea…

La narración sigue siendo un poco una odisea. Me falta el wordbuilding y un sistema de magia mejor desarrollado. Pero, no puedo pedir más porque todo está escrito en forma de diario del medico de la compañía, Matasanos. Personaje que amo con todo mi corazón, junto con la Dama.

"Curioso, pensó. ¿Por qué nos sentimos tan intrigados por el mal?".

Sin embargo, a pesar de todos los problemas que le veo a la novela. Tiene un “algo” que me chifla y me hace seguir las aventuras de estos mercenarios que no tienen nada que perder ya salvo la vida. A por el siguiente.

"-Tu muerte puede ser muy desagradable, médico.
-La muerte es la muerte".

I LECTURA

3.5
“Esos hombres eran mis amigos. Habíamos estado juntos durante toda mi vida adulta. No podía decirles que se mataran ellos mismos. Y yo no podía matarles tampoco.
Pero tampoco podía permitir que fueran capturados”.

Me lo he leído a contrarreloj. No debería haberlo hecho, pero sabía que si lo leía mas lento me iba a estancar. La primera parte me pareció muy confusa. Siento que faltaba un libro de por medio. Si había algún 2.1 o algo y no estaba traducido, entonces no es culpa mía. Mi nivel de inglés no llega a estos niveles tan grandes. Bastante hago con leerlo en español.

Creo que ha sido el libro que menos me ha gustado. Ha habido escenas que se me han hecho confusas que he necesitado procesar la información. Sin embargo, me alegro mucho de haber terminado la primera trilogía y de haberla seguido. Además, tiene citas muy buenas.

“Sí. Argumentaba que todos somos dioses, que creamos nuestro propio destino. Que lo que somos determinará en lo que nos convertiremos. En un lenguaje campesino vernácular, todos nos pintamos en rincones de los que no hay escapatoria simplemente siendo nosotros mismos e interactuando con otros egos.
-Interesante.
-Bien. Sí, Pero hay una especie de dios, Matasanos. ¿Lo sabías? Sin embargo, no es un motor y un sacudidor. Simplemente es un negador. Un terminador de historias, Tiene un hambre que no puede ser saciada. El propio universo de deslizará hasta el fondo de sus fauces.
-¿La muerte?
-Yo no quiero morir, Matasanos. Todo lo que hay chilla contra la injusticia de la muerte. Todo lo que soy, fui y probablemente seré está modelado por mi pasión de evadir mi final. Construí un mundo en el cual me sentía segura. Y la piedra angular de mi ciudadela fue la muerte.
-Comprendo.
-Quizá. Todos somos iguales en la puerta oscura, ¿no? La arena se desliza para todos nosotros. La vida no es más que un destello gritando en las fauces de la eternidad ¡Pero parece tan malditamente injusto!”.

Para aquellos que dudan de empezar esta saga, yo les aconsejo que lo hagan. Yo le doy un aprobado general. Los personajes y el mundo tan oscuro que crea se les coge cariño y no creo que sea un derroche de tiempo intentar leerla.

“No creo que seas malvada. Creo que simplemente lo intentas. Creo que, pese a todas las maldades que has cometido, parte de la niña que fuiste permanece sin mancillar. Todavía queda un destello, y no puedes extinguirlo”.

[Zahra · Rating 4 out of 5]

بالاخره کتاب شمال این مجموعه هم تموم شد و باید بگم پایان بندی خوبی برای بخش اول مجموعه بود. این کتاب هم سه تا خط داستانی داره، دوتا خط داستانی حال و یکی هم تو گذشته، هم اکشنش خوبه هم المان های فانتزی هم توییست هاش و هم حجم کتاب کاملا مناسبه ولی خب بازم دل من برای old Taken ها تنگ میشه.
توضیح خاصی نمیتونم بدون لو دادن کل داستان بدم جز اینکه بعد تموم کردن این کتاب نمیشه بیخیال ادامه خوندن مجموعه بشم ولی اگه کسی هم نخواد ادامه بده پایان کتاب جوری نیست که خواننده رو بین زمین و هوا ول کنه جامع و راضی کنندس‌‌.

[Robin (Bridge Four) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The ending to this trilogy was AMAZING!!!

I the beginning I really wasn’t sure what to think of this series. It started being told in a way that was pretty different. However now that I’ve finished the first trilogy in the series I’m amazed at how much I’ve enjoyed it and how surprised I was at the end of this book specifically.

One of the best things about this series is that it has two very strong and very different heroines competing against each other. The Lady is a completely scary megalomaniac and at the same time I really like her and totally want to hang out with her more and see what makes her tick. Then there is the White Rose who is cruel in her own way even if she is on team good. When you run an army of men there is no room to be soft.

I love how this series progresses. In the first book there was only really one PoV, that of the annalist Croaker. In the second book there were two, Croaker again and then the innkeeper in the town Raven and Darling were in. Now in this third installment there are 3 different storylines going. That of Croaker and the White Rose’s Army on the plain of fear set in the present. Then there is Corby a soldier in the Barrowlands that is a few months prior and finally Bozman the wizard who accidentally released The Lady so many years ago.

As all the story lines catch up to one another and converged things I thought I knew totally flipped and characters I was sure I loved in the first two books came into a different light while others I was sure I hated became more humanized and I desperately wanted to find a way for everyone to win. But it is a war and we all know in that there really are no winners.

The Plain of Fear was spectacular. The Lady might have carpets and fallen to fight for her. But The White Rose has wind whales, talking rocks, walking trees and some other crazy creatures in her court.



The aerial battles were more intense with wind whales against flying carpets. Croaker as always seems to be caught in the middle. I’m just going to say that I might have a huge crush on Croaker, even if he doesn’t know how to capitalize on a romantic moment to save his life. I also now have a huge soft spot for Silent and really hope he gets the girl he pines for in the end. But this is Glen Cook so it is more likely that he will die a horrific death in an attempt to save her.

There were some HUGE surprises in this. A few were about Raven, some about Darling but most were about The Lady herself. Like I said above I didn’t expect that end battle and all the happened. It does make things so interesting going forward though.

This ends in a great place where you can walk away from the rest of the books in the series, pfft, or continue on and delve into this strange magical world even more. I’m totally continuing on because every book has been better for me so far how could the end books be anything other than phenomenal?

[HaMiT · Rating 4 out of 5]

از نظر روند داستان از جلد دوم قشنگتر بود ولی عناصر فانتزیش بعضی جاها از کنترل خارج میشد و حقیقتا که قدرت تصور آدم رو به چالش میکشید
چیزی که توی این سه تا کتاب متوجه شدم این هست که گلن کوک خوشش نمیاد برای بعضی قسمتها توضیح زیادی بده. در واقع به خواننده میگه گور بابات. خودت چندبار و با دقت بیشتر بخون که بفهمی چی به چی شد
مثلا داستان ردگیر و اینکه چی بوده و از کجا اومده و چه اتفاقهایی براش می افته خیلی گنگه
در کل مجموعه ای نیست که بخواید سرسری بخونیدش که وقت بگذرونین و باید صبر و حوصله به خرج بدین

[Hossein · Rating 4 out of 5]

این کتاب فوقالعاده بود
دقیقا همون چیزی که میخواستم
یه جاهایی تخیل گلن کوک به سیم آخر میزنه و یکم(فقط یکم)زیاد میشه
شخصیت پردازی ها فوق العاده ست و داستان گیرایی داره. پر از لحظات هیجان انگیز و نبرد های به یاد موندنی
ترجمه های این کتاب هم فوق العاده ست
یکی از بهترین کتاب های فانتزیه که هرکی نخونه از دستش داده.

[Choko · Rating 4 out of 5]

*** 4.45 ***

Read with the buddies from BBB and loving every second of it!

This third installment wrapped up the story arc of the North, The Lady and the White Rose. And what a wrap-up it was!!! Loose ends get tided up, 3 timelines converge in a battle for a balance between good and evil, and old friends undergo changes which will determine not only their own, but the lives of most of the creatures in the world...

The book started up a bit slow, but it was good, since it let us soak-up the mood of the company 6 years after the devastating losses which occurred in the previous book. They are a pretty pathetic bunch, but they have taken on the cause of the White Rose and reside in a valley fool of really cool magical talking and walking trees, rocks and flying creatures... Their enemy and target - The Lady and her Taken. Since their main weapon, sorcery, is useless in the vicinity of the Rose, they have been going back and forth, finding themselves in somewhat of a stalemate.

Time is not their friend and when Croacker begins receiving packages from an anonymous sender of a story connected with his search for the true name of the Lady, things get jostled and zoom into fast-foreword... The story messes a bit with the perception of time, but it gets clearer as we go. The Lady gets involved and... yea, you will have to read it to get the rest, but it is so absolutely wort it!!! I personally have a bit of a thing for The Lady, but that is me being insane:):):)

As a whole, this series is addictive and very satisfying and I would recommend it to all who like military and evil sorcery mixed in with their fantasy! Have fun reading!!!

[Gavin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the conclusion to the first Black Company trilogy and concluded the battle for power between The White Rose, The Lady, and The Dominator. I was very pleased by how it all played out. The story was exciting and packed full of twists and turns. I was surprised but very happy with the ending.

Croaker is as likable a character here as he was in the previous two books. It was great to catch up with the rest of The Black Company guys. They are as morally ambiguous and funny as ever. Boamaz and Corby, the other two new POV characters, were interesting in different ways.

Rating: 4 stars. It would have been 4.5 stars, but for some reason the book had a strangely slow start.

Audio Note: I like Marc Vietor. He seems to understand the tone of the series.

[Maria Dimitrova · Rating 5 out of 5]

Buddy read with the seasoned mercenaries and a few new recruits of BB&B.



If I could rate this higher than 5 stars I would. 5 measly stars just can't do TWR (or the Black Company as a whole) justice. A great many things have been said by people more eloquent than me about this series so I'll just add that every fan of the fantasy genre should read it.

I'll start with my only complaint about The White Rose and it has to do with the audio. The narrator has awful diction with no regard to punctuation which led to some of my confusion in the beginning of the book. I had to switch to the physical book a few times and reread some passages to grasp what's happening.

The White Rose nicely wraps up the overall story arc and opens up the possibilities for exploring the world further. I enjoyed Croaker's storytelling, got torn on whether I want Darling or the Lady to win the struggle and laughed my head off at some of the antics of Goblin and One-Eye. I was also glad that I do not live in their world ;) And now I can't wait to see how the BC will continue on.

[Markus · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best book in the series. A fine tale of the Black Company reduced to guerilla warfare in desolate places. Also, the narrative of this book, with three stories from three different periods of time, was amazingly well done. It did not end as I had hoped, or even as I had expected, but it still was a satisfying conclusion to a great fantasy trilogy.

Series review from the beginning
Series review from the ending

[Abdollah zarei · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5
یه مقدار این جلد کش دار شد. تا نصفه های کتاب فقط نامه به دست طبیب می رسید که هنوز مشخص نبود چی به چیه. ولی یکی دوستا شک و سوپرایز خوب داشت. پایانش پایین تر از توقع من بود. ولی ماست مالی هم نکرد. منطقی و درست بود.
و اما شخصیت مورد علاقه ی این جلدم سایلنت. با تمام بی حرفی ها و حضور کمش. کلا شخصیت دلنشینی بود

[Shirin T. · Rating 5 out of 5]

tc

[Pranav Prabhu · Rating 4 out of 5]

The White Rose is the final Book of the North, providing a very satisfactory conclusion to this first arc of the series. I liked this about as much as Shadows Linger, though for slightly different reasons.

The banter between the Black Company members and Croaker’s wry, cynical, and terse narration remains a highlight, and so does the military action and strategy. These aspects have become staples and the main strength of the series after the first book. The plot involves the Black Company’s role in the conflict between the Lady’s Empire and the White Rose rebellion, while the Dominator seeks to rise from the Barrowlands once more. While I prefer the more cohesively compelling plot of Shadows Linger, this is still an excellent and engaging story.

What I loved about this book, however, was the setting. Cook really seems to have gone all out with his imagination crafting the Plain of Fear. A desolate landscape populated with all sorts of weird and crazy entities, flora, and fauna: sentient animals with their own councils, walking trees, menhirs and boulders that spew cryptic phrases, massive flying whales, and in the centre of the Plain the ancient, grumpy Old Father Tree. This setting was taken advantage of to the fullest, and I really enjoyed how the Black Company made use of the flying whales in their battles.

Bomanz the Wizard’s story is the secondary plotline, just like Marron Shed in Shadows Linger, though I prefer Shed’s arc of cowardly courage a tad more. The tale of his illicit research into artefacts of the Dominator and Lady’s previous Empire and the following family drama leading to the realisation of what he has wrought was great to read, and I liked the way it all tied into the central thread of the Black Company’s investigations. There was another side story, that of Philodendron Case and his friendship with the secretive Corbie, which was also pretty cool. All three converged near the end and revealed various pieces of information necessary for everyone involved to deal with and wrap up the overall story.

The Lady continues to be a fascinating character. Her insistence on recording the truth of the matter and her nuances besides just being an evil ruler are very intriguing, hinting at unknown depth the more is revealed about her. Her complicated and tumultuous relationship with the Black Company, and Croaker especially, are explored more. It comes to a head at the climactic battle, which was very satisfying in how it paid off many small things that had been built up over the three books. I do wish it had been longer or lingered more on the weight of everything that was going on, but what we got was great nonetheless. Overall, an excellent book that continues the surprisingly compelling story of the Black Company, concluding the first arc of the series that leaves a lot of interesting directions for the story to go in.

[Caro the Helmet Lady · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can I say? This was surprisingly fast and enjoyable read! Third book in series, The White Rose was a culmination for all the secrets and mysteries, as well as for the paths chosen by our protagonists in earlier books. Cook also surprised me with some fresh ideas in this one, although I was always ready to admit his capability to create fantastic scenery and characters with magic powers. I don't want to spoil, so I'll just say it was great. 5 stars!

[Sina · Rating 4 out of 5]

چهار نیم درواقع.
اون نیمی هم که ازش کم کردم برای این بود که یجاهایی دیگه واقعا مرز تخیل رو میشکست.
وافعا الان که تمومش کردم خیلی چیزی ندارم بگم.فقط میتونم بگم حیریت انگیزه.
و این که گلن کوک واقعا جسارت بیش از حدی داره.یجورایی من رو یاد طبیب میندازه.تا یکم تحویلش میگیری شروع میکنه به بهم ریختن همه چیز.

جدایی بین ادمایی که سال هاست باهم رفیقن و شکست پیمان هایی که سالهاست به بخشی از زندگی ادم تبدیل شدن
و برداشته شدن نام گروهان سیاه که به نوعی نام خانوادگیشون شده دل ادمو به درد میاره.
و شخصیت بانو که هنوز موندم این همون بانوی کتابای قبلیه؟و اینکه قرار چه برچسبی روش بذارم؟ خیر؟شر یا کمتر شر؟

.
|:مثلا خیلی چیزی نداشتم که بگم

[OhWell · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first half was quite slow, but after the three separate storylines converged, the twists just kept coming and coming. The lesser evil triumphs, but there is no HEA anywhere in sight.

Most amazing place: the Plain of Fear
Biggest surprise(s): the alliance. And the end of it...
Favourite character: I cannot pick just one, as all of them were memorable! In no particular order:
- Tracker and Toadkiller Dog: although I figured out what was going on a few chapters before the official reveal, I was still amazed.
- Bomanz: hats off to him, all said and done. And I just have to mention Besand, even if he had a minor role.
- Raven: surprising what lurked beneath the surface. And I still don't think I understand what he hoped to accomplish by entering the Barrowland. Just to check if the Dominator was truly trapped in there? Doesn't seem like a good enough reason. And Case, poor guy, just taken advantage of.
- The Lady: hard as I tried, I could not see her as evil. Or, to put it another way, she was no better or worse than Darling. Both of them vulnerable, too.
- Croaker: as much as I liked him, he would have deserved a smacking for being so clueless! Even in the end, this is what he says: It was almost amusing, the two of us there, like twins, standing guard over women whose hearts we could never have. That might be true for Silent, but Croaker? Wake up, buddy!:)
- Goblin and One-Eye: they took a break in Shadows Linger, but they went back to their antics here
- Silent: so sad for him
- Elmo: oh no...

[Eilonwy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this third installment in the Black Company series. It's ironic how I often find myself speechless when trying to write glowing reviews! But here go a few thoughts:

This book brings together a few threads from both previous stories, and makes sparks when it smashes them together. I loved learning more about the sorceror Bomanz and his part in returning the Lady to power. And speaking of the Lady, I especially enjoyed learning more about her. I also really appreciated getting to see Darling as an adult woman, strong and serious.

The setting was the best yet. The Plain of Fear was truly fantastic, with its dry-land under-water ecology. And Old Father Tree ... wow, that story is going to stick with me.

And the ending of this ... was perfect, but brrrr, also deeply disturbing and creepy.

I highly recommend this series for any fantasy lovers who have not yet gotten to it. Yes, it's grim and dark, but in the best way possible.

An expanded review may follow. But for the moment, this is all my stunned and admiring brain can manage, even after giving myself a day to digest everything.

[Krell75 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sono sicuro che questo terzo romanzo tra qualche giorno lo avrò già dimenticato.
Troppo Cerusico e poco spazio per gli altri personaggi in una storia conclusiva con poco mordente che devia dal tono crudo dei primi due romanzi e si abbandona al suo lato più comico.

Il romanzo rimane in bilico tra l'aspettativa del temibile evento catastrofico in arrivo e la inconsistente bizzarria della Piana della Paura che finisce per ridicolizzare tutto con pietre parlanti, balene volanti, alberi che camminano e uomini cammello al contrario...

Anche se l'idea che sta alla base della Piana della Paura è strepitosa e anche drammatica (idea ripresa poi da Erikson...) viene resa in modo comico e demenziale. Completamente distante dai precedenti romanzi.

La trama è molto semplice, tuttavia arranca e gira su se stessa per arrivare al finale scontato.
Il personaggio della Dama perde completamente il fascino che la circondava nei romanzi precedenti finendo a fare picnic nel deserto...

Mi aspettavo molto di più.

[M Hamed · Rating 4 out of 5]

the heart wants what the heart wants
even if what it wants is a mass murderous bitch

[Layla ✷ Praise the sun ✷ · Rating 5 out of 5]

RTC once I'm back home.

[Sadra Khalaf · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant finale for the first part of the Black Company story known as the The Books of the North.

The first half of the book was more about the things that happened in the past and the writer tried to give more background information about the story and the characters but the 2nd half was without a doubt: breathtaking.

it was simply the best book of the series so far and a prize for anyone who was a follower of the story and tolerated the difficulties in the past books that made so many reader withdraw from finishing the books.

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best so far.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.0 stars. Good ending to a superb fantasy trilogy. The Black Company series is one of the most entertaining fantasy series out there. I loved the first two installments, The Black Company and Shadows Linger and thought they set the bar very high for this third installment. Given the expectations, I was a little disappointed (though only a little) with this finale and thought this book was the weakest of the three. That said, it is still an excellent book and well worth the read.

[Igor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will give five stars if for nothing then for maturity in its writing. Everything finally settled with the last book.
Personally I found it the best in the trilogy and very satisfying read. The story lead us to final battle between the Lady, White Rose and Dominator and also was written from three points of view or to be exact, three stories entangled in one. We followed Bomanz from the past and his liberation of the Lady, stories by Corbie who followed Bomanz's steps and of course from Croaker and actual timeline.
There was lot of twits and unexpected turns as well as guerrilla warfare, magic from its roots with Gods well forgotten but still there (Malazan style), fantastic! I loved the end and hoped for something like that and it left me dreaming of what would come next. Excellent trilogy, most recommended.

[Jake Bishop · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall another book I really enjoyed, although not as much as Shadows Linger.

This had a bit of a weak start, especially for the PoVs not following Croaker. What Cook did with the PoVs here was very clever though, and while the last third had some stuff I found confusing, it did deliver.

8.1/10

[Jarek "the Mistborn" Dąbrowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great ending to the first trilogy of the black company series. The writing style is still a bit tough for me to read but this was the best out of the 3 books. Great action scenes and some interesting twists with an ending promising more to come. Ill give it 4 stars. One star i took away for the tough writing style. Other then that...awesome:)