The Black Company Books in Order: Where Does They Cry Fit?

They Cry follows Lies Weeping and is Book Two of A Pitiless Rain, Glen Cook’s latest Black Company story arc.Tor also lists it as Volume 13 of the wider series. Its U.S. publication date is November 3, 2026.

If you are starting the series, begin with The Black Company. If you have already read through Soldiers Live, the forward continuation is Lies Weeping, followed by They Cry.

The complication is that Cook’s books do not all march neatly along the same timeline. There is a parallel story, a later novel that revisits an earlier period, and omnibus editions that collect several books under one title. Here is a spoiler-light guide to navigating them.

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The Black Company Books in Recommended Reading Order

For a first read, I recommend the following sequence. It keeps the opening trilogy together, finishes its northern aftermath before the southern campaign, and saves Port of Shadows for readers who know the original sequence.

These numbers indicate this guide’s recommended order, not the publisher’s volume numbering or strict publication order.

The main choice here is The Silver Spike. You can also read it after Dreams of Steel, which is where it appears in The Books of the South omnibus. Both routes work; I prefer it immediately after The White Rose so that its connections to the northern story remain fresh.

Where Does They Cry Fit?

The essential sequence is Soldiers Live → Lies Weeping → They Cry. Port of Shadows can be read before Lies Weeping as a return to the earlier Company, but it does not move the post–Soldiers Live storyline forward.

Tor identifies They Cry as the second installment of A Pitiless Rain. The first installment, Lies Weeping, was published on November 4, 2025; They Cry is scheduled for November 3, 2026. Those are the publisher’s U.S. dates, checked November 2, 2026.

That distinction matters if you encounter “Book Two” on a retailer’s page. It means Book Two of the new arc, rather than the second Black Company novel. The second novel in the opening sequence is Shadows Linger.

For established readers, the attraction is a continuation beyond the earlier saga. For newcomers, my recommendation is to build toward it: relationships, accumulated history, and the Company’s own record of events are central to the appeal of a long series like this.

Should You Start With Lies Weeping or They Cry?

Start with The Black Company for the full experience. Start with Lies Weeping only if you deliberately want to enter at the beginning of the newer arc and accept that its setup draws on earlier events.

I would not recommend They Cry as an entry point. It follows Lies Weeping directly, and even its publisher description discusses developments that newcomers may prefer to discover in the preceding books.

For readers returning after a long break, revisit the end of Soldiers Live before opening Lies Weeping. Avoid reading the newest book’s full synopsis until you are comfortable with spoilers for the older sequence.

Where Does The Silver Spike Go?

The Silver Spike is the book most likely to disrupt an otherwise straightforward checklist. It follows consequences of the northern storyline while Shadow Games takes the Company south.

There are two practical options:

• Read it after The White Rose to keep the northern story together. This is this guide’s recommendation.
• Read it after Dreams of Steel if you are following the contents of The Books of the South omnibus.

Neither choice changes the progression through Bleak Seasons, She Is the Darkness, Water Sleeps, and Soldiers Live. Choose the route that best fits your edition and reading momentum.

Where Does Port of Shadows Go?

Port of Shadows was published in 2018, long after the original ten-novel sequence. Its central Company storyline takes place between The Black Company and Shadows Linger.

That makes it an interquel: a later book returning to a gap in an existing story.

Although you can insert it between those first two novels, I recommend saving it until after Soldiers Live on a first read. That lets the opening trilogy establish its own pace before you return to the earlier period with more context.

The distinction is simple: chronologically early does not automatically mean best read early. My placement is an editorial recommendation rather than a claim that the events occur after Soldiers Live.

The Black Company Omnibus Editions Explained

An omnibus collects existing novels. You do not need to buy the individual books again if you already own them in one of these volumes.

These four collections cover the original ten novels. To continue through the later novels, add Port of Shadows, Lies Weeping, and They Cry.

There is also an ebook bundle called Annals of the Black Company. Macmillan lists the original ten novels in that bundle; it does not include the three later novels named above. Check an edition’s contents before buying, since similar series and collection titles can make duplication easy.

What About The Long Run?

The Long Run is a separate Black Company collection scheduled for May 25, 2027. The publisher says it contains nine stories set between Shadows Linger and The White Rose, including two new novelettes.

Its place on the timeline is therefore within the early sequence. It is not the next installment after They Cry and should not be labeled Book Three of A Pitiless Rain.

For now, keep it on an optional companion-reading list rather than treating it as a book you need to read before the November 2026 release.

Why Start With The Black Company?

The opening book introduces a mercenary company serving the Lady, with Croaker recording its history. That perspective gives the series its distinctive appeal: enormous conflicts filtered through people whose immediate concerns include surviving their orders and understanding the powers that employ them.

For readers exploring what grimdark fantasy means, Cook offers a useful starting point. The interest lies in how loyalty and compromised choices coexist inside a fighting company.

My advice is to try the opening novel before committing to the whole sequence. If the Company’s voice and perspective work for you, the first trilogy provides a natural next step. Readers drawn to capable veterans can also explore these fantasy books where experience matters more than raw power.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Black Company novels are there?

There are 12 published novels as of November 2, 2026, with They Cry scheduled to bring the total to 13 on November 3. This count includes The Silver Spike and Port of Shadows and excludes omnibus reprints and story collections.

Is They Cry a standalone?

It is the second book of A Pitiless Rain, following Lies Weeping. Read those two in sequence.

Is Soldiers Live still the last Black Company book?

It concludes the four-book Glittering Stone sequence. The later A Pitiless Rain arc continues beyond it, beginning with Lies Weeping.

Do I need the individual books and the omnibuses?

No. The four omnibuses listed above collect the original ten novels. Choose the format you prefer and add the later books separately.

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