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For the character of the same name, see: White Rose

The White Rose by Glen Cook is the third novel of the Black Company series. Published in April 1985, it is the last novel of the Books of the North trilogy. The novel begins 6 years after Shadows Linger, and chronicles the Company's travails as the backbone of Darling's New White Rose Rebellion.

The short stories of the On The Long Run arc all take place during the first 4 years of the 6-year gap between Shadows Linger and The White Rose.

Plot summary[]

The nucleus of the New White Rose Rebellion[]

After the Battle of Juniper and the 4-year-long flight of the Black Company from the service of the Lady, the Company has taken up residence in a warren of stinking caves called the Hole beneath the Plain of Fear. For two years after their arrival, they have formed the haggard core of the New White Rose Rebellion. Ironically, their Rebel predecessors had previously been hunted to near extinction by the Company themselves. Their only real asset is that the inhabitants of the Plain of Fear itself (massive unseen windwhales and their attendant mantas, talking stones called menhirs, and others) have tacitly agreed to protect the rebels from incursions by the Lady's Empire.

Corder, the captain of Darling's Rebel cell in Tanner, arrives and reveals intelligence from Sir Tucker that the Lady has surrounded the Plain at strategic points with new Taken. Except for Whisper and Journey, the Takens' names are unfamiliar: Benefice, Blister, Scorn, Learned, and the Creeper. The worst news by far is the revelation that the Limper is their overall commander. Croaker was absolutely certain he had killed the Limper in a vicious ambush outside Meadenvil 6 years prior (Shadows Linger). The Limper's hatred for the Black Company was notorious, even when they were in service to the Lady. His return is utterly shocking and the spiteful revenge they know he will seek brings despair.

Arrival of the Bomanz narratives[]

Croaker continues to scour through 80 pounds of documents originally recovered from Whisper during the Company's first campaign in the Lady's service. Within them, he hopes to find the Lady's true name, enabling the Company to rob the sorceress of her powers and thereby topple her Empire. Inexplicably, Croaker begins receiving mysterious packets that contain the tale of Bomanz, the wizard blamed for unleashing the Lady back into the world more than 50 years ago. Darling, the leader of the New White Rose movement, deciphers some bizarre scribbles at the bottom of the last packet. They are a written form of the finger speech which she (as a deaf-mute) and her followers use to communicate. The unknown sender is summoning Croaker north, right into Imperial lands. After weighing the risks, Darling gives him permission to go.

Infiltrating the Barrowland garrison[]

Deeply interested in both the Bomanz narrative and its mysterious writer, Croaker leads a scouting expedition northward with One-Eye and Goblin, and also the rebellion's newest followers, a strong but strange man called Tracker and his mangy hound named Toadkiller Dog. Riding a soaring windwhale, the expedition survives a frightening change storm and then witnesses Darling's dramatic, successful attack against Whisper's headquarters at Spit.

After spending an uneventful night in the Windy Country, the windwhale deposits Croaker's small group north of the Forest of Cloud, about 15 miles south of Roses. They pass through Roses, and then Oar. At the Barrowland, they discover that the source of Bomanz's story was actually Raven, a man who deserted the Company roughly 15 years ago, who has recently slipped into a coma after trying to enter the Great Barrow in spirit-form using unfamiliar sorcery. More significantly, the rebels discover that continuous rainfall has caused the Great Tragic River to flood and the floodwaters are eroding the Dominator's prison away. The group is uncovered by the Monitor of the Eternal Guard, Colonel Sweet, and they are imprisoned for a brief time beneath the Guard headquarters. After One-Eye and Goblin put on a bizarre and hideous show of sorcery illusions, the Guardsmen surrender and are trapped in the basement; Croaker and the others flee.

The common threat[]

Attempting to leave the Great Forest, the group is accosted by more Imperial forces. Croaker and the unconscious Raven are captured. When Croaker awakens, he is at the fortress at Deal, in the custody of the vile and grotesquely deformed Limper, as well as Whisper. They plan to torture him extensively before killing him. Luckily for Croaker, the Lady intercedes and reprimands them harshly, and has Croaker transferred to her own custody in the Tower at Charm. While there, the Lady has Croaker resume writing the Annals, continuing to insist that she wants an unbiased chronicle of her rule. Croaker warns her about the danger posed by the erosion at the Great Barrow. The Lady is far more concerned with the possible return of the Dominator than with the rebellion, and she asks Croaker to take her to meet with Darling.

Battle outside Horse[]

Before the meeting, the Lady decides to make a show of strength outside the village Horse. With her new engines of war (heavily-modified flying carpets and various armaments for them) she takes on Darling's windwhales as well as a large force of New White Rose soldiers. In the end, Darling is turned back, but the Lady orders her forces not to pursue. She and Croaker depart into the Plain of Fear on foot, with the Lady pretending to be simply Croaker's traveling companion and document translator. During the journey, the two grow closer, relating more as humans and equals than as Empress and Rebel. Inside the Company stronghold, the Lady helps Croaker translate old documents, this time prioritizing the Dominator's true name over all else.

Father Tree intervenes[]

Sometime later, Tracker, Toadkiller Dog, and the Company wizards finally return from the wilderness, having escaped from the Lady's troops at last. It is revealed that Tracker and Toadkiller Dog are actually ancient demons of the Dominator who had been interred in the Barrowland alongside him, but were freed by Raven's foolhardy tinkering. Toadkiller Dog attempts to attack the Lady, but is battered by Father Tree, who is now exposed to be a sentient, godlike entity that commands the menhirs. Toadkiller Dog flees but Tracker remains, now under Father Tree's control. The Tree also intervenes spectacularly during an assassination attempt by Scorn and Blister. Afterward, the Lady and Darling meet, and hammer out a truce. Soon, the White Rose's forces mobilize in full, and are joined by the new Taken and her imperial army, and the entire alliance advances to the Barrowland.

Preparing to confront the Dominator[]

At the Barrowland, the Lady and her Taken manage to revive not only Raven but Bomanz as well. The Taken attempt to stop the flooding, but it is learned that the Dominator's escape is now absolutely inevitable. The Lady resigns herself to battle the Dominator, and, though she will do everything within her power to make his release happen on her own terms, she does not believe that she will win. She turns to Croaker for a measure of platonic comfort, and their relationship deepens again. Croaker begins to have second thoughts about the Company's ongoing plans to assassinate the Lady. He still believes she must be toppled for the good of the world, but no longer fears or despises her as a person.

Battle of the Barrowland[]

Main article: Battle of the Barrowland

Finally, the Lady and Darling work together to battle the Dominator. The Great Comet, which has somehow broken its 37-year cycle, hangs ominously overhead.

They choreograph the release of the Dominator's demons from the Barrowland, one at a time, exterminating them all until only the old evil is left. He finally escapes his centuries-old prison, but within Darling's null, he cannot use his unbeatable powers. When two windwhales misjudge the boundaries of the null, the Dominator is briefly free to use his powers, and he unleashes sorcery explosions of staggering destructive power. Toadkiller Dog arrives with a horde of savages from the Great Forest, and they clash with the Eternal Guard and the new Taken. Bomanz, recently restored after half a century in stasis, steps up to battle the same towering dragon he had confronted more then 50 years ago.

Even when the Dominator is forced back into the null, he still proves unfathomably strong. He shrugs off terrible wounds and kills many of his attackers, including the Lieutenant and Croaker's best friend Elmo, before finally succumbing during a ferocious brawl with Tracker. Meanwhile, the Limper turns on the Lady, shooting her with a crossbow bolt imbued with what he believes to be her true name. However, he is mistaken, and she survives. Croaker, in a fury, beheads the Limper and reduces his already-wrecked body to shreds of flesh and bone.

One-Eye and Goblin hammer a specially-prepared silver spike into the Dominator's head, trapping his awful power, and the spike is driven into the trunk of the Sapling, the powerful son of Father Tree.

With the Dominator beaten, the Lady quickly betrays her alliance and names Darling's true name, destroying her null forever. In retaliation, Silent speaks his only words in all of the Annals and names the Lady, eliminating her abilities as a sorceress as well. Raven, seeing an opportunity to get back in the good graces of Darling, attempts to finish the Lady off, but Croaker shoots him in the hip and demands an end to any further bloodshed.

Aftermath[]

The Black Company has been reduced to merely 10 men. At the Blue Willy inn, Croaker is elected Captain by the few survivors. Silent and the three Torque brothers accept Croaker's offer to be discharged from the Company. Now the group is reduced to only six: Croaker, One-Eye, Goblin, Otto, Hagop, and Murgen the young standard-bearer. They agree to follow Croaker south, toward the Company's fabled origin of Khatovar. To mixed reactions, Croaker elects to escort the Lady along as well for return her to her Tower.

In the subsequent days, the limping Toadkiller Dog emerges from the Great Forest to cautiously paw at the earth, digging for something near the ruined Great Barrow. The Sapling scares it away with its power, but the demon hound returns night after night.

From the back cover[]

She is the last hope of good in the war against the evil sorceress known as the Lady. From a secret base on the Plains of Fear, where even the Lady hesitates to go, the Black Company, once in service to the Lady, now fights to bring victory to the White Rose. But now an even greater evil threatens the world. All the great battles that have gone before will seem a skirmishes when the Dominator rises from the grave.

Global publication and translation history[]

In addition to the editions listed in the infobox at the top of this article, The White Rose also appeared in the following formats and translations.

Gallery of omnibuses and boxed sets[]

All of the omnibuses and boxed sets in which The White Rose is known to have appeared are shown in this gallery. See Books of the North for more details. The two Russian omnibuses from 2008 are atypical arrangements: they contain the 3 Books of the North as well as Shadow Games, which is the first Book of the South.

Single volumes and novel pairs[]

The White Rose was also published in the following single-volume editions, novel pairs, translations, and formats. They are listed in order of publication, earliest first; some reappearances of the same translation may be grouped together.

English (USA)[]

White-rose-glen-cook-paperback-cover-art
  • Title: The White Rose
  • Page shown: Front cover
  • Author: Glen Cook
  • Language: English
  • Translator: (none)
  • Publisher: Tom Doherty Associates (Tor Books imprint)
  • Pub date: April 1985
  • Cover art by: Keith Berdak
  • ISBN: 9780812508444, reprint 9780812533743 (mass market paperbacks)


English (UK)[]

British Roc The White Rose
  • Title: The White Rose
  • Page shown: Front cover
  • Author: Glen Cook
  • Language: English
  • Translator: (none)
  • Publisher: Roc, imprint of Penguin Books, United Kingdom
  • Pub date: 30 July 1992
  • Cover art by: Keith Berdak
  • ISBN: 9780140165555 (mass market paperback)


Polish[]

Polish The White Rose 2002 front
  • Title: Biała Róża: Dalsze losy Czarnej Kompanii
  • Page shown: Front cover
  • Author: Glen Cook
  • Language: Polish
  • Translator: Beata Jankowska-Rosadzińska
  • Publisher: Rebis
  • Pub date: 1995; republished 2002 (shown)
  • Cover art by: Oliviero Berni
  • ISBN: 9788371201196 / 8371201192 (1995 paperback); 9788373012738 / 8373012737 (2002 paperback)


Russian (1997 AST Dragon Age Chronicles)[]

Russian series Век Дракона The White Rose 1997 front
  • Title: Белая Роза
  • Page shown: Front cover
  • Author: Глен Кук (Glen Cook)
  • Language: Russian
  • Translator: Данизля Смушковича (Danizlya Smushkovich)
  • Publisher: АСТ (AST) and Terra Fantastica
  • Pub date: 1997
  • Cover art by: Luis Royo
  • ISBN: Hardcovers: 5-7841-0326-1 (ACT); 5-7921-0126-4 (TF)


Lithuanian[]

Lithuanian The White Rose front
  • Title: Baltoji rožė
  • Page shown: Front cover
  • Author: Glen Cook
  • Language: Lithuanian
  • Translator: Reda Adomavičiūtė
  • Publisher: Eridanas
  • Pub date: 1997
  • Cover art by: Luis Royo
  • ISBN: 9789986360346 (paperback)


German (1999 Blanvalet)[]

The German translation published in 1999 by Blanvalet is out-of-print.

German Blanvalet The White Rose 9783442248964
  • Title: Die Rückkehr des Bösen. Die Schwarze Schar 3.
  • Page shown: Front cover
  • Author: Glen Cook
  • Language: German
  • Translator: Heiko Langhans
  • Publisher: Blanvalet
  • Pub date: 1999
  • Cover art by: (unknown)
  • ISBN: 9783442248964 (paperback)


French (1999 L'Atalante)[]

The White Rose (L'Atalante 1999) Cover

See also the back cover art

  • Title: La Rose blanche
  • Page shown: Front & back covers
  • Author: Glen Cook
  • Language: French
  • Translator: Alain Robert
  • Publisher: L'Atalante
  • Pub date: 30 November 1999
  • Cover art by: Didier Graffet
  • ISBN: 9782841721191 (paperback [broché])


Russian novel pair (2000 AST Golden Fantasy)[]

This single hardcover containing both The White Rose and Shadow Games was part of the publisher's Golden Fantasy series (Золотая серия фэнтези / Zolotaya seriya fentezi). The cover of the first printings is shown here. For the 2008 reprint with an alternative cover, scroll farther down.

Russian series Zolotaya fentezi TWR SG pair 2000 front
  • Title: Белая Роза. Игра Теней (The White Rose & Shadow Games)
  • Page shown: Front cover
  • Author: Глен Кук (Glen Cook)
  • Language: Russian
  • Translator: Данизля Смушковича (Danizlya Smushkovich) The White Rose only
  • Publisher: АСТ (AST) and Terra Fantastica
  • Pub date: 2000
  • Cover art by: Rodney Matthews (left); Gary Ruddell (upper); Luis Royo (lower)
  • ISBN: All hardcovers:
    year 2000: 9785170010035 [5-17-001003-6] (АСТ); 9785792103054 [5-7921-0305-4] (TF)
    year 2001: 9785170109319 [5-17-010931-8] (АСТ); 9785792103054 [5-7921-0305-4] (TF)
    year 2003: 9785170109319 [5-17-010931-8] (АСТ); 9785792103054 [5-7921-0305-4] (TF)


Czech[]

Czech The White Rose front
  • Title: Bílá Růže: Cyklus Kroniky Černé legie, díl třetí
  • Page shown: Front cover
  • Author: Glen Cook
  • Language: Czech
  • Translator: Alexandra Dědicová
  • Publisher: Brokilon
  • Pub date: 2000
  • Cover art by: Jan Patrik Krasny
  • ISBN: 9788086309118 (paperback)


Spanish (2002 La Factoria)[]

The novel was translated into Spanish by the famous Domingo Santos, and was published first by the fantasy publisher La Factoría de Ideas in Madrid in 2002.

Spanish The White Rose (La Factoria) front
  • Title: La Rosa Blanca. La Compañía Negra - Libro III
  • Page shown: Front cover
  • Author: Glen Cook
  • Language: Spanish
  • Translator: Domingo Santos
  • Publisher: La Factoría de Ideas
  • Pub date: 2 September 2002
  • Cover art by: Luis Royo
  • ISBN: 9788484215370 (paperback)


Bulgarian[]

Bulgarian 3 The White Rose front
  • Title: Бялата роза (Хрониките на Черния отряд III)
  • Page shown: Front cover
  • Author: Глен Кук (Glen Cook)
  • Language: Bulgarian
  • Translator: Елена Павлова (Elena Pavlova)
  • Publisher: Лира Принт (Lira Print)
  • Pub date: 2003
  • Cover art by: Rowena Morrill
  • ISBN: 9789548610667 (paperback)


French (2005 J'ai lu)[]

The same French translation previously published by L'Atalante (seen above) was republished by J'ai lu in smaller paperback format [poche]. The first reprints featured cover art by Johan Camou (left), which was replaced years later by the more abstract art of Slava Gerj (right) when the publisher did a cover refresh.
The White Rose (J'ai lu 2005) Cover Slava Gerj Jai lu The White Rose front

  • Title: Les Annales de la Compagnie Noire 3: La Rose Blanche
  • Page shown: Front covers
  • Author: Glen Cook
  • Language: French
  • Translator: Alain Robert
  • Publisher: J'ai lu
  • Pub date: 10 October 2005
  • Cover art by: Johan Camou (left); Slava Gerj (right)
  • ISBN: 9782290330685 (small paperback [poche])


Hungarian (2006)[]

Hungarian The White Rose front
  • Title: A Fehér Rózsa
  • Page shown: Front cover
  • Author: Glen Cook
  • Language: Hungarian
  • Translator: Sellei György
  • Publisher: Szukits Könyvkiadó
  • Pub date: 2006
  • Cover art by: Avalon Stúdió
  • ISBN: 9789634970927 (paperback)


Serbian[]

Serbian The White Rose front
  • Title: Bela Ruža: Treći letopis Crne čete
  • Page shown: Front cover
  • Author: Glen Kuk
  • Language: Serbian
  • Translator: Ivan Jovanović
  • Publisher: Magnet
  • Pub date: 2008
  • Cover art by: Dejan Mandić
  • ISBN: 9788685279317 (paperback)


Russian novel pair (2008 AST Golden Fantasy)[]

This single hardcover containing both The White Rose and Shadow Games was part of the publisher's Golden Fantasy series (Золотая серия фэнтези / Zolotaya seriya fentezi). This is a reprint with an alternative cover. To see the original cover which first published in 2000, scroll farther up.

Russian series Zolotaya fentezi TWR SG pair 2008 front
  • Title: Белая Роза. Игра Теней (The White Rose & Shadow Games)
  • Page shown: Front cover
  • Author: Глен Кук (Glen Cook)
  • Language: Russian
  • Translator: Данизля Смушковича (Danizlya Smushkovich) The White Rose only
  • Publisher: АСТ (AST) and АСТ Москва (AST Moscow)
  • Pub date: 2008
  • Cover art by: Ciruelo Cabral (left); Gary Ruddell (upper); Luis Royo (lower)
  • ISBN: Hardcovers: 978-5-17-051363-5 (ACT); 978-5-9713-8027-6 (АСТ Москва)


Russian novel pair (2008 AST Dragon Age 2)[]

This single hardcover containing 2 novels was part of the publisher's Dragon Age 2 series (Век дракона 2 / Vek Drakona 2).

Russian series Vek drakona 2 TWR SG pair 2008 front
  • Title: Белая Роза. Игра Теней (The White Rose & Shadow Games)
  • Page shown: Front cover
  • Author: Глен Кук (Glen Cook)
  • Language: Russian
  • Translator: Данизля Смушковича (Danizlya Smushkovich) The White Rose only
  • Publisher: АСТ (AST) and АСТ Москва (AST Moscow)
  • Pub date: 2008
  • Cover art by: Luis Royo
  • ISBN: Hardcovers: 978-5-17-049168-1 (ACT); 978-5-9713-7308-7 (АСТ Москва)


Brazilian Portuguese[]

Brazil A Rosa Branca front
  • Title: A Rosa Branca: Volume 3 Da Série Companhia Negra
  • Page shown: Front cover
  • Author: Glen Cook
  • Language: Brazilian Portuguese
  • Translator: Domingos Demasi
  • Publisher: Editora Record
  • Pub date: 2014
  • Cover art by: Ilustrarte Design e Produção Editorial
  • ISBN: 9788501102362 (paperback); 9788501064226 (e-book)


Persian[]

Persian The White Rose cover
  • Title: سرگذشت گروهان سياه (کتاب سوم) رز سپيد
  • Page shown: Front cover
  • Author: Glen Cook
  • Language: Persian
  • Translator: آيدا کشوري (Aida Keshvari)
  • Publisher: نشر کتابسرای تندیس، (Tandis Publishing)
  • Pub date: 2015
  • Cover art by: Center image adapted from photo © Angela Waye
  • ISBN: 9786001821721 (paperback)


Finnish[]

The White Rose (Vaskikirjat 2017) Cover
  • Title: Valkoinen ruusu (Musta komppania #3)
  • Page shown: Front cover
  • Author: Glen Cook
  • Language: Finnish
  • Translator: Markus Harju
  • Publisher: Vaskikirjat
  • Pub date: 2017
  • Cover art by: Petri Hiltunen
  • ISBN: 9789525722390 (paperback); 9789525722406 (ePub)


German (2017 Mantikore)[]

The German translation published in 2017 by Mantikore is still available and is also on sale in e-book format.

The White Rose (Mantikore-Verlag) cover
  • Title: The Black Company 3 - Dunkle Zeichen
  • Page shown: Front cover
  • Author: Glen Cook
  • Language: German
  • Translator: Andrea Blendl
  • Publisher: Mantikore-Verlag
  • Pub date: 2017
  • Cover art by: Kiss László (cover design)
  • ISBN: 9783945493625 (paperback); 9783945493632 (e-book)


Chinese[]

Chinese The White Rose front
  • Title: 白玫瑰
  • Page shown: Front cover
  • Author: 格伦·库克 (Glen Cook)
  • Language: Simplified Chinese
  • Translator: Suida Liu Ce
  • Publisher: Jiangsu Phoenix Literature and Art Publishing House
  • Pub date: September 2017
  • Cover art by: (unknown)
  • ISBN: 9787559410009 (paperback)


Spanish (2019 Montena)[]

Montena (Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial) picked up the rights to the Spanish translation that was originally published by La Factoría (seen above). It was republished in 2019 with new cover art by Adam S. Doyle.

Spanish The White Rose (Montena) front
  • Title: La Compañía Negra. La Rosa blanca: Libro III
  • Page shown: Front cover
  • Author: Glen Cook
  • Language: Spanish
  • Translator: Domingo Santos
  • Publisher: Montena (Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial)
  • Pub date: 5 September 2019
  • Cover art by: Adam S. Doyle
  • ISBN: 9788417671716 (Spain paperback); 9788417773632 (Spain e-book); 9786073190961 (Mexico paperback)


European Portuguese[]

Portugal A Rosa Branca front
  • Title: A Rosa Branca
  • Page shown: Front cover
  • Author: Glen Cook
  • Language: European Portuguese
  • Translator: Renato Carreira
  • Publisher: Saida de Emergência
  • Pub date: 25 September 2020 (paperback); 16 December 2020 (ePub e-book)
  • Cover art by: Maria do Mar Rodrigues (design); Lorado (woman); Stephen Mulcahey (background)
  • ISBN: 9789897733079 (paperback); 9789897733734 (ePub e-book)


Hungarian (2024 Tuan)[]

Hungarian Tuan The White Rose
  • Title: Fehér rózsa
  • Page shown: Front cover
  • Author: Glen Cook
  • Language: Hungarian
  • Translator: (info forthcoming)
  • Publisher: Tuan
  • Pub date: February 2024
  • Cover art by: (info forthcoming)
  • ISBN: 9789635890965 (paperback)



Audiobooks[]

English audiobook[]

Audible The White Rose
  • Title: The White Rose
  • Author: Glen Cook
  • Language: English
  • Narrated by: Marc Vietor
  • Length: 11 hours 40 minutes
  • Format: Audible digital audiobook
  • Publisher: Audible Studios
  • Pub date: 31 August 2010
  • Cover art by: Keith Berdak
  • ISBN: (ASIN: B0041JIHMY)


Polish audiobook[]

Polish audiobook The White Rose
  • Title: Biała Róża
  • Author: Glen Cook
  • Language: Polish
  • Narrated by: Robert Jarociński
  • Length: 11 hours 57 minutes
  • Format: MP3 download
  • Publisher: Parlando
  • Pub date: 14 February 2019
  • Cover art by: (unknown)
  • ISBN: 9788395100529


Russian audiobook[]

Russian audio Soyuz The White Rose
  • Title: Белая Роза
  • Author: Glen Cook
  • Language: Russian
  • Narrated by: Всеволод Кузнецов (Vsevolod Kuznetsov)
  • Length: 10 hours 21 minutes
  • Format: MP3 download
  • Publisher: СОЮЗ, Покидышевъ и сыновья (Soyuz, Pokidyshev and Sons)
  • Pub date: April 2022
  • Cover art by: (unknown)
  • ISBN: 4066338834256; 8905067484874
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