I'd therefore recommend this as warmly to the die-hard fan as I would warn off a casual reader expecting more of the same as was on offer in the rest of the series.

The story is erratic and episodic, and when it finally does start building towards a climax, the viewpoint character is so uninformed and out of the loop - as well as having had his mind and memories magically muddled - that it likely will feel anti-climactic to the reader.īut as an entry to the larger character arcs and mythology of the Black Company universe, this is quite a treat. On re-read of the series as a whole, though, it will likely benefit from being read exactly where it takes place.Īs a novel, it's a bit weak. I personally read it after 'Dreams of Steel', and found this to be a good spot, as having read a book narrated by Lady before reading this helps me care and understand about the person who more than anyone else shapes the events in the world of The Black Company. In spite of being set between books 1 and 2 of this series, therefore, it should be read much later - it will be off-putting and impossible to follow if read in its place in a strict chronological order. This makes for an unusual reading experience, and if you're not prepared going in, it's likely to sour most on the book.

Be warned: The entire point of this novel is that it is collected by in-universe fragments and viewpoints that have both been meddled with and modified by characters whose agendas are not stated, and can only be guessed at with information found in the rest of the 'Black Company' novels.

Port of shadows glen cook