BLEAK SEASONS

From the author of Tower of Fear (1989), the first hardcover appearance for an established paperback military fantasy series about the Black Company, a sort of extended family of mercenary warriors. This particular adventure is narrated by their standard- bearer, Murgen, who has a problem: His awareness keeps jumping into the past, where he is forced to relive the siege of the stone city Stormgard by the evil wizard Shadowspinner and his forces. Within the city, the Black Company is split between the Old Crew—Murgen and friends—and the Nar, cannibals and death-goddess worshippers, whose leader, Mogaba, attempts to betray the Old Crew and claim the leadership of the entire Company. Allied with the Old Crew are the Nyueng Bao, a wandering band of pilgrims and expert swordfighters. In the present, meanwhile, the Black Company and the Nyueng Bao must battle the evil wizard Soulcatcher and her hordes of Strangler assassins—and also try to discover what's making Murgen jump about in time. Some good ideas, and intriguingly structured, but theatrical and with far too little action to attract readers unfamiliar with the series.