Pat beat me to this, even though I checked as recently as 24 hours ago on Amazon and on Tor's site ;-) Tor has announced January 5, 2010 as the release date for The Many Deaths of the Black Company, which compiles Water Sleeps and Soldiers Live. This completes the series, until the promised follow up volumes eventually appear. I'm glad there's more kick-ass Raymond Swanland artwork, this omnibus series has a fantastic look.
I'm fortunate to have the individual books in their original version, but I'll still be getting the last two omnibuses to put on my shelf next to the first two. They're
just so attractive and compact! So get those Xmas gift cards ready, if this interests you, as business on it will be brisk in the new year...
4 comments:
I started reading these about a year ago after a friend suggested them. They are by far some of my favorites in the genre. The present a mood that I just haven't ever felt from another book.
I've read the first two collections and I am eager for this one, however I'm a little sad that apparently the AMAZING cliffhanger ending of 'Dreams of Steel' is, thus far, not followed up by Cook. When I got to the end of that one, I couldn't wait to start 'The Silver Spike'. I figured the book would explode in my very hands from the sheer amount of crazy stuff that would go down in that one...and it wasn't really the follow-up I expected. I enjoyed it but...well, you know =).
I'm hoping he will write the proper follow-ups one day but I've yet to see any such news. Perhaps I'm looking in the wrong spots.
I'd actually been reading your older "Return of the Black Company" post and was going to let you know about the last omnibus that I just learned about, but clearly you are already on top of it =).
Hi Dach,
Cook actually wrote The Silver Spike BEFORE Dreams of Steel. At least, The Silver Spike was published first. I think Tor should have made The Silver Spike the first book in the Books of the South omnibus, to avoid reactions like you are having.
The story picks up in Bleak Seasons, the first book in the Return of the Black Company omnibus. Bleak Seasons is partially concurrent with Dreams of Steel, but shows some events from Murgen's perspective (for example, when he meets Lady in Dreams of Steel, she tells of the encounter differently than he does in Bleak Seasons, Lady may not have been completely candid).
The Return of the Black Company officially comes out on Tuesday the 15th, but I saw copies available at a local Barnes & Noble already this weekend, so I suggest you take a look around asap, if you have such stores near you. Happy reading!
I would do that but I preordered from Amazon quite a long time ago so it will be shipping out soon.
Interesting...that makes me more eager to read them, re: the different view we'll get of events. I still want the true follow-up though! =)
The Silver Spike taking place first makes a lot more sense. Some of the timing felt off in the book when trying to match it up with the timeline and where the Black Company was at that time. Thanks for the information!
I started Cook's "A Cruel Wind" but I have a feeling I won't be able to finish it before the omnibus arrives.
The Dread Empire books get better and better as the series continues. The start of A Cruel Wind is a little rough, but I love the final book it contains (All Darkness Met).
The prequels, collected as A Fortress in Shadow, were written next, and are really good. Then, the story like from All Darkness Met continues in the sequels. That's where, IMHO, a good story becomes great! But the third sequel was never published due to the manuscript being stolen by a visitor to Cook's house, many years ago. With the recent success of the Dread Empire reprint program, Cook has gone back to rewrite that third sequel and give the series some closure. So it will be published in the sequels omnibus, probably in 2010 (Nightshade hinted on their message board that they will make an announcement sometime fairly soon).
Between the various omnibus editions and some new books, it looks like you and I have plenty to look forward to!
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