As some of you might know, I'm am currently taking summer classes. While these do take up a fair bit of time and energy, I find that its never enough to stop me from sitting down with a good book. Having demolished my "Need to Read" list last summer, I went to Borders to try to find a book that could sate my literary lust.

What I found was "The Chronicles of the Black Company"

A gritty fantasy novel written by author Glen Cook back in 1984-85, it is actually a single bound copy of the first trilogy of the series. As well as "The Black Company," it also contains "Shadows Linger" and "The White Rose." It follows a mercenary group known as the Black Company and the struggles under the employ of the Lady, a centuries old sorceress bent on world domination.

This is perhaps the best fantasy epic I have ever read, even outstripping my previous favorites, "The Prince of Nothing" series by R. Scott Bakker and Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings." I think what drew it to me most was its down to earth nature. The characters don't presume themselves to be good or evil, they simply are. Events aren't blown out of proportion, they are retold with a humanism severely lacking in most fantasies. The characters are all people you feel you could sit down and talk with around the campfire.

The story itself is a tumultuous tale of twists and turns, triumphs and defeats, and none of it is poorly done. The ending (though it cant really be called that as this is still and ongoing series) tied up everything nicely while still leaving you yearning for the next book, which I will be purchasing tomorrow if all goes according to plan.

This is a must-read for anyone who enjoys fantasy, or reading for that matter.

So go out and get yourself a copy.