In my opinion, THE BLACK COMPANY (and the series that follows) is one of the ten best works in all of fantasy fiction. I don\'t say that lightly, but Cook\'s deft characterizations and unflinching look at combat are seldom matched. Forget winsome Elves and stoic Dwarves banding together to save the Fair Lands from the dark-lord-of-the-week. These are people fighting for their lives. They aren\'t good people. They aren\'t bad people (well, some are). They\'re both. I read this book more than 20 years ago, and Croaker\'s voice still sounds in the back of my mind. Read it. You won\'t be sorry.