Port of Shadows by Glen Cook, Book #1.5 of the Black Company series
Introduction
Port of Shadows by Glen Cook occurs between the events of The Black Company (Book #1) and Shadows Linger (Book #2). The Black Company is a mercenary group hired by the Empress, the Lady. Croaker is the Black Company physician and Annalist. The Black Company searches for rebels but finds dozens of girls between age 3 and 20 who look identical. Can Croaker unravel the mystery before the rebels open the Port of Shadows and free a powerful sorcerer?
Summary
The chapters in Port of Shadows follow a pattern in groups of three. First, a chapter labeled Once Upon a Time occurs in the past from the viewpoint of an unnamed necromancer. Second, a chapter labeled Long Ago and Far Away occurs in that same past and is from a different viewpoint. Third, a chapter labeled In Modern Times occurs in the present from Croaker’s viewpoint as the Annalist of the Black Company. The author repeats the pattern.
The story from the past shows how a necromancer brings a dead girl back to life. He calls her Laissa and tells her she is his daughter. She doesn’t remember her past. Her sister who calls herself Bathdek searches for her.
In Modern Times, The Black Company is on garrison duty for the Lady’s Empire in the conquered city of Aloe. The Lady orders them to defeat the Rebel leader Tides Elba. Tides Elba might open the Port of Shadows and free the Lady’s husband, the Dominator, from his prison. If the rebels free the Dominator, then he will take the Empire from the Lady and she doesn’t want him to. In the main Aloe temple, they find a young woman who looks like the Lady in her youth and sends her to the Lady’s tower. She comes back as the Taken named Mischievous Rain. The Taken are sorcerers the Lady converted into her minions and are her highest leaders. Croaker becomes involved with her and her boy and girl.
The events of the past connect to the current story. Croaker must solve the mystery before he loses his memory.
Recommendation
I thought Port of Shadows was a great book. It was fun revisiting my favorite Black Company characters. Using the pattern in the chapters was smart. Chapters 3, 6, and 9 occur In Modern Times and published before as short stories. The author wove the short stories together with the story from the past and continued the novel to its ending. There was a reason Croaker did not mention the events of this novel in the other series’ novels and this novel shows that reason. A Pitiless Rain is the next book in the series and will be book 10 in the chronology. They have not published it yet. I believe that the author will feature the events of Port of Shadows in A Pitiless Rain and look forward to reading it.
Links
This is the link to the Goodreads page of Port of Shadows by Glen Cook.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37534877-port-of-shadows
I have reviewed six Black Company novels. Links follow the book title.
Chronicles of the Black Company by Glen Cook
Omnibus edition including Book #1 The Black Company, #2 Shadows Linger, and #3 The White Rose of the Tales of the Black Company Series
The Books of the South by Glen Cook
Omnibus edition including Book #4 Shadow Games, #5 Dreams of Steel, and #3.5 The Silver Spike of the Tales of the Black Company Series
I have not read the last four novels (#6, #7, #8, and #9) grouped under the title Books of the Glittering Stone. I plan to read them soon.
A Pitiless Rain will be Book #10 of the series. It does not have a scheduled release date.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10793800-a-pitiless-rain