The Lady Company - A Review of the First Book in the Series

 In contrast to the Black Company, which serves the Lady's Empire in the North and the South, the Lady's Empire is less evil and more dystopian than the Domination. The Lady's Empire is peaceful, stable and doesn't allow any crime without its approval. It is connected to one of the worlds of this series, but it is actually a mix of power and shrewdness of the Company. If you're interested in reading about this world, start with the first book in the series.

The story begins with the introduction of a new characternamed Arkana. She has no characterization before meeting the Company and is later sexually assaulted. While Sleepy and her platoon leader are named after other characters, they have the same name. The Company knows that the Lady isn’t the only Company member with a peculiar surname. In fact, Company scribe Croaker has found her true name in the Annals which the Company keeps.

Lady's past has many connections with the Black Company. The Soulcatcher was hired by the Black Company to serve the Empire during the war, but she lost her sorcery power during the Battle of the Barrowland. She later married Captain Croaker and had one child with Croaker. However, she did not know her child was born with a deformed soul and left the empire to raise an orphan. The White Rose's main character is later created out of the child.

The Black Company has many different members. Croaker admits that the Black Company are not cherubim. She also mentions werewolves, werebears and other wild animals. The Old Father Tree, for instance, was summoned by an ancient age and killed thousands of people Dama Compañia Rancagua. As a potential ambitious character the Soulcatcher was suggested. The Black Company uses many different plans, and many of them result in Gambit Pileups.

The novel's first chapter is presented as excerpts from the archives of the Black Company. While the majority of the narration is by Croaker, the future leader of the Company however, the majority of the later novels are narrated by Sleepy, Murgen, and Lady, a former tyrant. It's worth going through the Black Company series if you haven't yet. If you're looking for an exciting adventure, you must check out this series.

Murgen's monologue from Bleak Seasons mentions that the Company has come to terms with the violence, including cannibalism and the destruction of battlefields. The Company is able to deal with such tragedies by using magic, like cloaks and voroshk. However, the majority of combats are in the city and in the jungle which is reminiscent of the Vietnam War. You will be completely absorbed throughout the book from beginning to the very end.