383:). He had made his way to the Barrowland and started doing odd jobs for the soldiers garrisoned there. Once he gained their trust, he received permission to live in Bomanz's old house, where he covertly searched for the old wizard's papers. What he found made him attempt something beyond his abilities; he used a spell to send his spirit to check on the Dominator. His worst fears were confirmed; the bloodthirsty tyrant was awake and actively working to free himself. Fleeing in panic, Raven made a mistake, allowing two of the lesser imprisoned creatures to free themselves and leaving him trapped.
32:
376:
mutt. Each messenger bears a letter for
Croaker, describing what some unnamed rebel spy has found out about Bomanz. The last letter claims that the wizard knew the Lady's true name. With the situation becoming increasingly desperate, the White Rose sends Croaker and wizards Goblin and One-Eye to retrieve that vital bit of information. Tracker volunteers to go with them as a guide.
391:
latter two. Unmasked as the escaped servants of the
Dominator, they try to kill the White Rose and the Lady, but Toadkiller Dog is driven off and Tracker converted into Old Father Tree's slave. Scorn and Blister, two of the new Taken, try to assassinate their mistress but fail and pay the ultimate price for their treachery.
407:
speaking for the first time in
Croaker's memory, truly names the Lady, rendering her powerless. Because the Lady had tied the Taken to her fate, the Taken are destroyed. The remnants of the Company, now led by Croaker as the highest ranked surviving officer, sneak away, taking the not-unwilling Lady with them.
144:
394:
Soon, both the Black
Company and the Lady and her minions travel back to the Barrowland to confront the Dominator, taking along a sapling, the offspring of Old Father Tree. There, both Bomanz and Raven are revived. Meanwhile, Toadkiller Dog lurks uncaptured, awaiting his chance to help his master.
375:
After several years of relative peace, the pace picks up. The Taken and their armies gather on the borders of the plain, threatening to swamp the vastly outnumbered rebels. Also, couriers begin arriving from the far eastern reaches of the empire, among them
Tracker and Toadkiller Dog, a man and his
367:
The Black
Company has taken refuge from the Lady in the Plain of Fear. Its magical, non-human denizens are powerful enough to daunt even her. Among them is Old Father Tree, a god manifesting itself as a tree planted in the exact center of the plain. From this sanctuary, the White Rose rebuilds and
341:
Centuries in the past, the
Dominator and his wife, the Lady, (both supremely skilled in the art of magic), had founded an empire legendary for evil. They were overthrown by a rebellion led by the White Rose, but even in defeat, they remained too powerful to be killed; the best the rebels could do was
398:
The final battle begins. The White Rose carefully approaches the burial mounds of each of the lesser minions, one by one, nullifying the spells that bind them. When they emerge, they are powerless within her zone of influence and relatively easy to kill. Finally, it is the turn of the
Dominator.
406:
In the aftermath, the Limper tries to utter the Lady's true name, but guesses the wrong one. His head is chopped off by
Croaker while he is helpless in the White Rose's vicinity. Then the Lady speaks the name of the White Rose, depriving her of her unique ability. Finally, Silent, of all people,
386:
Croaker's men search Raven's house, but they arouse the
Barrowland guardians' suspicions and are brought in for questioning. With their cover blown, they flee into the surrounding forest, taking Raven's vacant body and the papers he found. When they have trouble shaking their pursuers, Croaker
390:
With the imminent threat of the Dominator looming, she goes with Croaker to see the White Rose, to form an alliance against their common foe. Goblin, One-Eye, Tracker and Toadkiller Dog return shortly afterwards. They all gather in front of Old Father Tree, who recognizes them, especially the
342:
to imprison them and their most powerful minions in the Barrowland. A wizard named Bomanz awakened the Lady in an attempt to learn from her, but she used him to gain her freedom and rebuilt the empire. However, she betrayed her husband by leaving him where he was.
371:
No wizard in the world can rival the Lady's magical skill and power, but the White Rose is immune to magic and as she matures, the magic-free zone around her expands. (This explains how her former incarnation was able to defeat the Lady and the Dominator.)
486:
Raven - the rescuer of Darling and later deserter from the Company. He works in the Barrowland under the pseudonym of Corbie, while searching for the information that Bomanz uncovered.
399:
Even without his magic, he is practically immortal and immensely powerful, but eventually he is overcome, though at the cost of the Lieutenant and Elmo. His body is burned, his
379:
When they reach the end of their journey, they soon discover that the letter-writer was Raven, a former Company stalwart (who had staged his death at the end of
53:
545:
439:
Darling - believed to be the White Rose reincarnated. When she was a young girl, she had been rescued and adopted by the Company. She is surrounded by a
660:
518:
104:
76:
395:
While preparations are being made, the Lady, emotionally vulnerable due to her growing fear of the outcome, and Croaker grow closer.
258:
123:
694:
83:
538:
387:
deliberately allows himself to be captured as a distraction. He is taken to the Lady, who has unexpectedly grown fond of him.
57:
345:
A rebellion broke out against the Lady's new empire; the Black Company played a key role in putting it down (as detailed in
90:
689:
684:
72:
20:
531:
575:
359:
but it was forced to flee her wrath when she discovered that it had unknowingly sheltered the reborn White Rose.
347:
699:
42:
352:
Later, the Company also assisted the Lady in preventing her husband from escaping his prison (as recounted in
61:
46:
489:
Tracker and Toadkiller Dog - a warrior and his dog, or rather two creatures in the shape of a man and a dog
97:
143:
603:
333:
unit, The Black Company, through roughly forty years of its approximately four hundred-year history.
296:
624:
504:
555:
400:
317:
265:
253:
182:
596:
403:
infused into a silver spike which is driven into the trunk of the scion of Old Father Tree.
172:
610:
582:
354:
283:
678:
638:
617:
226:
631:
483:
Bomanz - the wizard responsible for freeing the Lady from centuries of imprisonment
326:
322:
196:
192:
523:
31:
512:
560:
462:
The New Taken - Whisper, Journey, Blister, Scorn, Benefice, Learned, Creeper
330:
312:
237:
206:
154:
459:
Limper - the last of the surviving original Taken who remained in the North
272:
480:
Old Father Tree - a deity in the form of a tree on the Plain of Fear
527:
25:
430:
Silent, Goblin, One-Eye - moderately talented Company wizards
266:
653:
567:
291:
278:
264:
252:
244:
232:
222:
212:
202:
188:
178:
168:
160:
150:
467:Case - a young soldier stationed at the Barrowland
539:
8:
427:The Lieutenant - leader of the Black Company
424:Croaker - the Company's doctor and historian
136:
60:. Unsourced material may be challenged and
546:
532:
524:
142:
135:
124:Learn how and when to remove this message
443:, a field in which magic does not work.
519:Internet Speculative Fiction Database
7:
436:Otto and Hagop - veteran mercenaries
58:adding citations to reliable sources
321:. The series combines elements of
14:
73:"The White Rose" Cook novel
30:
1:
21:White Rose (disambiguation)
716:
18:
509:at the Internet Book List
141:
695:American fantasy novels
368:directs the rebellion.
329:as it follows an elite
16:1985 novel by Glen Cook
311:is the third novel in
517:title listing at the
690:1985 American novels
54:improve this article
19:For other uses, see
685:Novels by Glen Cook
664:(role-playing game)
625:She Is the Darkness
433:Elmo - the Sergeant
315:'s ongoing series,
138:
672:
671:
662:The Black Company
576:The Black Company
556:The Black Company
419:The Black Company
401:malevolent spirit
348:The Black Company
337:Plot introduction
318:The Black Company
304:
303:
223:Publication place
183:The Black Company
161:Cover artist
134:
133:
126:
108:
707:
597:The Silver Spike
548:
541:
534:
525:
292:Followed by
279:Preceded by
268:
214:Publication date
146:
139:
129:
122:
118:
115:
109:
107:
66:
34:
26:
715:
714:
710:
709:
708:
706:
705:
704:
700:Tor Books books
675:
674:
673:
668:
649:
645:Port of Shadows
611:Dreams of Steel
563:
552:
501:
496:
474:
450:
421:
416:
365:
339:
233:Media type
215:
137:The White Rose
130:
119:
113:
110:
67:
65:
51:
35:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
713:
711:
703:
702:
697:
692:
687:
677:
676:
670:
669:
667:
666:
657:
655:
651:
650:
648:
647:
642:
635:
628:
621:
614:
607:
600:
593:
590:The White Rose
586:
583:Shadows Linger
579:
571:
569:
565:
564:
553:
551:
550:
543:
536:
528:
522:
521:
514:The White Rose
510:
506:The White Rose
500:
499:External links
497:
495:
492:
491:
490:
487:
484:
481:
478:
473:
470:
469:
468:
465:
464:
463:
460:
454:
449:
446:
445:
444:
437:
434:
431:
428:
425:
420:
417:
415:
413:The White Rose
411:Characters in
409:
381:Shadows Linger
364:
361:
355:Shadows Linger
338:
335:
308:The White Rose
302:
301:
293:
289:
288:
284:Shadows Linger
280:
276:
275:
270:
262:
261:
256:
250:
249:
246:
242:
241:
234:
230:
229:
224:
220:
219:
216:
213:
210:
209:
204:
200:
199:
190:
186:
185:
180:
176:
175:
170:
166:
165:
162:
158:
157:
152:
148:
147:
132:
131:
38:
36:
29:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
712:
701:
698:
696:
693:
691:
688:
686:
683:
682:
680:
665:
663:
659:
658:
656:
652:
646:
643:
641:
640:
639:Soldiers Live
636:
634:
633:
629:
627:
626:
622:
620:
619:
618:Bleak Seasons
615:
613:
612:
608:
606:
605:
601:
599:
598:
594:
592:
591:
587:
585:
584:
580:
578:
577:
573:
572:
570:
566:
562:
558:
557:
549:
544:
542:
537:
535:
530:
529:
526:
520:
516:
515:
511:
508:
507:
503:
502:
498:
493:
488:
485:
482:
479:
477:The Dominator
476:
475:
471:
466:
461:
458:
457:
455:
452:
451:
447:
442:
438:
435:
432:
429:
426:
423:
422:
418:
414:
410:
408:
404:
402:
396:
392:
388:
384:
382:
377:
373:
369:
362:
360:
358:
356:
351:
349:
343:
336:
334:
332:
328:
324:
320:
319:
314:
310:
309:
300:
298:
294:
290:
287:
285:
281:
277:
274:
271:
269:
263:
260:
259:0-8125-0844-0
257:
255:
251:
247:
243:
239:
235:
231:
228:
227:United States
225:
221:
217:
211:
208:
205:
201:
198:
194:
191:
187:
184:
181:
177:
174:
171:
167:
163:
159:
156:
153:
149:
145:
140:
128:
125:
117:
106:
103:
99:
96:
92:
89:
85:
82:
78:
75: –
74:
70:
69:Find sources:
63:
59:
55:
49:
48:
44:
39:This article
37:
33:
28:
27:
22:
661:
644:
637:
632:Water Sleeps
630:
623:
616:
609:
604:Shadow Games
602:
595:
589:
588:
581:
574:
554:
513:
505:
440:
412:
405:
397:
393:
389:
385:
380:
378:
374:
370:
366:
363:Plot summary
353:
346:
344:
340:
327:dark fantasy
323:epic fantasy
316:
307:
306:
305:
297:Shadow Games
295:
282:
197:Dark fantasy
193:Epic fantasy
164:Keith Berdak
120:
111:
101:
94:
87:
80:
68:
52:Please help
40:
654:Adaptations
568:Main series
207:Tor Fantasy
679:Categories
494:References
456:The Taken
448:The Empire
218:April 1985
84:newspapers
561:Glen Cook
331:mercenary
313:Glen Cook
238:Paperback
203:Publisher
155:Glen Cook
114:July 2013
41:does not
453:The Lady
273:43005218
169:Language
236:Print (
173:English
98:scholar
62:removed
47:sources
472:Others
299:
286:
248:310 pp
179:Series
151:Author
100:
93:
86:
79:
71:
245:Pages
189:Genre
105:JSTOR
91:books
441:null
325:and
267:OCLC
254:ISBN
77:news
45:any
43:cite
559:by
56:by
681::
357:),
350:).
195:,
547:e
540:t
533:v
240:)
127:)
121:(
116:)
112:(
102:·
95:·
88:·
81:·
64:.
50:.
23:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
