In this second volume of the Chronicles of the Black Company saga, A Pitiless Rain, Arkana and Shukrat return to An Abode of Raven imbued with powerful magic that they've barely begun to grasp. These powers allow them to do things they’ve never imagined, but have also opened them up to intrigue and murderous plots—both political and supernatural—that only they can contend with. The Land of Unknown Shadows has truly lived up to its name. Meanwhile, the new Steadfast Guardian's boundless curiosity has stretched him near his limits, putting at risk the demigod-once-known-as-Croaker’s remaining humanity. The only thing keeping him anchored are the misadventures of his adopted daughters, and the scheming Soulcatcher, doing all she can to escape her prison, or failing that, annoy him into releasing her. Something dark and dangerous is brewing on Hsien, with powerful forces making moves against the Black Company that would change the balance of power on this plane and beyond. And the only ones who could stand in their way are a distracted demigod and the self-proclaimed "Wild Witches" and their shadowy friends. The future of the Black Company has never been more uncertain.

Udgivet af TOR 

Glen Cook
Glen Cook's love of writing began in grade school, and in high school he wrote the occasional article for his school's newspaper. After high school, Cook spent time in the United States Navy and later worked his way through college, leaving little time for his writing endeavors. Cook began to write in earnest while working for General Motors at an auto assembly plant. Cook claims that his job was simple enough to leave him ample time to write while at work; in fact, Cook admits to having written as many as three books per year while working at the plant. It was during this time that Cook wrote his first novel of The Black Company, a gritty fantasy series that follows an elite mercenary unit through several decades of their history. The series, currently 10 novels long, has become something of a cult classic, especially among current and former members of the military. When asked about the series' popularity among soldiers, Cook replied: "The characters act like the guys actually behave. It doesn't glorify war; it's just people getting on with the job. The characters are real soldiers. They're not soldiers as imagined by people who've never been in the service. That's why service guys like it.". Cook is also well known for his Garrett P.I. series, which tells the haphazard adventures of hardboiled detective Garrett, and his Dread Empire series, which highlights Cook's earlier published work. Cook is currently retired from his job at GM, living with his wife, Carol, and children (Justin, Chris, and Mike) in St. Louis, Missouri. Although he can now devote himself full-time to his writing career, he feels he was actually more productive while he was still employed at his old job.