The Black Company doesn't have the emotional richness of Robin Hobb's work, the narrative complexity of George RR Martin's, or the sheer scale of Robert Jordan's. It's a precursor to all of them: not so epic in scope but a fantastic, well-written story all the same.

This novel concludes the initial trilogy of the series. It takes a while to get going, and has a sometimes-confusing three-part plot where it jumps across years and POVs until they converge about halfway through. But from around that halfway point it picks up and moves at a rapid pace until the end of the novel. It's a satisfying conclusion on its own while leaving a clear path open for future stories.

Many people say this series is the first real "grimdark" series. I'm not sure that's strictly true, but all the trappings are here: complex, morally-dubious characters, violence, deaths of relatively major players, and a rather grim worldview. Croaker's complicated relationship with the Lady is one of the most interesting I've read in years. It feels like a modern novel - if you told me this came out in the 2020s rather than the 80s, I'd believe you.

The Black Company books aren't a massive time investment, either. Good stuff.