Book · 1984
The Black Company
by Glen Cook
A mercenary company's own physician keeps its journal through the Vietnam War on peyote, one contract and one dead wizard-lord at a time.
What does Reddit think of The Black Company?
r/Fantasy carries this one almost alone: 829 of the 1156 tracked mentions, with r/printSF (240) and r/suggestmeabook (87) filling in the rest across seven years of threads. The pitch that keeps circulating, at ↑242, calls it "Vietnam War on peyote" — a mercenary company's physician narrating from the ranks, no magic-system lecture, no throne-room politics. Comparisons cluster around Malazan, The First Law, the Witcher, and Guy Gavriel Kay, usually in the same breath ("all for different reasons," ↑266). One ↑259 comment gets specific about the prose itself: the Chronicler's style stays sparse early because he doesn't expect anyone to read it, then thickens once a later Chronicler actually cares. A ↑246 thread recalls adaptation talk that stalled before Covid and never resurfaced. The recurring surprise, per a ↑242 poster, is that it isn't recommended more often given how frequently it gets namechecked.
Community feedback & reader fit
Themes
- · War narrated by the medic, not the general
- · A Chronicler whose prose style shifts as the pen changes hands
- · Mercenaries who outlast the wizards they work for
- · The unglamorous ancestor Reddit places ahead of Malazan and The First Law
Common praise
- + The "Vietnam War on peyote" line (↑242) gets requoted because it nails the medic's-eye view better than any back-cover copy would.
- + r/Fantasy keeps working it into recommendation threads as the book "missing" from other people's lists (↑237), which functions as its own kind of endorsement.
- + Readers group it with Malazan, The First Law, the Witcher, and Guy Gavriel Kay in the same sentence (↑266) without much argument about whether it belongs there.
- + The shifting Chronicler narration gets treated as a feature once someone lays out how the style thickens as later narrators start caring (↑259).
Common criticism
- − The opening entries read deliberately thin, since the first Chronicler assumes nobody will bother reading the accounts, so the payoff (per the ↑259 breakdown) only lands once a later Chronicler takes over.
- − A ↑237 poster hedges that it "might not quite fit the bill" for straight mercenary fantasy once the Company's leadership rotates and the point of view rotates with it.
- − The rumored series adaptation was already old news before Covid (↑246), and nobody in these threads has heard anything since.
Who it's for
Read this if you want war fantasy narrated by the medic, not the general — the closest comparisons in these threads are Malazan and The First Law, and Reddit treats it as their unglamorous ancestor. If a rulebook magic system is what you're after, look elsewhere; the sorcery stays background noise here. Prior grimdark fatigue doesn't disqualify you, since the tone runs wry and tired rather than nihilistic. Come back to it after Malazan wears you out: several of these threads exist because someone finished the Book of the Fallen and wanted less homework.
Mentions over time
Top subreddits
Which Reddit comments matter for The Black Company?
Top-upvoted quotes across the subreddits where this book is mentioned. Click through to read the full thread.
“*The Black Company* by Glen Cook. Nothing quite like snarky military veterans.
“Black Company by Glen Cook! Can’t believe that hasn’t been posted already
“I'm pretty sure The first law, Malazan, Black Company and Witcher would scratch that itch. And Guy Kay. All for different reasons.
“The thing about Black Company is that is written in the style of the Chronicler, who changes over time. The initial Chronicler has a very sparse style because he doesn't think anyone will care enough to read the Chronicles. Later, the style changes because the Chronicler actually cares.
“Some years ago there was news of a Black Company series in the works. I believe that was pre-Covid though and I haven't heard any more about it. That series could definitely have an impact with proper adaptation. It wouldn't even need a huge budget other than a few magic sequences like the battle…
“I’m surprised I only saw The Black Company only recommended once. Give it a shot. It’s “Vietnam War on peyote” told from the perspective of a jaded medic in a mercenary company. He possesses no magical powers, and gives the story from a soldiers POV as he’s shipped from front to front. Very good.
“The Black Company series by Glen Cook
“Missing the grand-daddy here, Black Company. Starts off as mercenary, goes full "dark lord Sauron" and then becomes more anti-hero. I'd say it's mostly single POV, but as the books progress, other people take over the Company and the story is told from their POV. Might not quite fit the bill because…
Convinced? Pick up The Black Company
Readers also mention
All books like The Black Company →Books that share discussion threads with The Black Company — counted from the comments, not curated.
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The Lord of the Rings
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A Game of Thrones
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The Eye of the World
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The Black Company — frequently asked
Is The Black Company as good as r/Fantasy makes it sound?+
Yes, per the volume alone: 829 of the subreddit's mentions over seven years, more than r/printSF and r/suggestmeabook combined. The recurring case, at ↑242, is that it's "Vietnam War on peyote" told from a company medic with no magical powers of his own, a war story that skips the throne room entirely.
How does The Black Company compare to Malazan or The First Law?+
Reddit lumps them together constantly. A ↑266 comment names Black Company, Malazan, The First Law, the Witcher, and Guy Gavriel Kay in one breath as scratching the same itch, "all for different reasons." It's shorter and more grounded than Malazan, without Malazan's cast size or reading homework, and several r/Fantasy threads recommend starting here first.
Is The Black Company getting a TV or movie adaptation?+
Not that anyone in these threads can confirm. A ↑246 comment recalls hearing about a Black Company series in development, but notes that was "pre-Covid" and nothing has surfaced since. Another poster adds it wouldn't need a huge budget beyond a few magic sequences, but that's speculation, not news.
Who is The Black Company for?+
Readers tired of political-council fantasy who want the grunt's-eye view instead. The company physician narrates, the sorcery stays background noise, and the tone (per the ↑242 framing) reads closer to war reportage than epic quest. Without a rulebook magic system on offer, readers who need one up front will bounce off fast.