The NCO is literate in six languages, prides himself on his cooking, shows that he's a skilled engineer, and is able to stitch up wounds as well. The main character, a former senior NCO, remarks that to become a soldier in his country (he's not telling the locals he's from the Dread Empire) requires an education comparable to that of a priest elsewhere.

Cultured Badass: The novella 'Soldier of an Empire Unacquainted with Defeat' mentions that all the soldiers of the Dread Empire, Shinsan, are required to be literate in at least two languages.

This process is clearly indicated by the fact that after spending the first book referring to him as Else, the narration switches to calling him by the pseudonym he's using. Pushed along by the fact that the Evil Chancellor responsible for sending him on the mission is trying to have him killed, he starts questioning his loyalty.

Becoming the Mask: In the series Instrumentalities of the Night, protagonist Else Tage is sent on a mission to spy on the west for the kingdom of Dreangor.

Their silence had unnerved men more experienced than Torfin.' They're not under any kind of enchantment, or with tongues cut out they're just that disciplined.

Battle Cry: Averted by the legions of Dread Empire: 'The soldiers of Shinsan fought, and died, without a word or cry.

His comrade Bragi Ragnarson, described as a giant of a man, flinches when Mocker threatens him.

Acrofatic: In the Dread Empire books, Mocker is noted for being very fat - and one of the deadliest swordsmen alive.

Other works by Glen Cook contain examples of: His latest work is Working God’s Mischief, fourth in the Instrumentalities of the Night series.Works by Glen Cook with their own trope pages: His other series include Dread Empire and and the Garrett, P.I. He is best known for his Black Company series, which has appeared in 20+ languages worldwide. He has three sons (army officer, architect, orchestral musician) and numerous grandchildren, all of whom but one are female.

He met his wife of 43 years while attending the Clarion Writer's Workshop in 1970. He began writing with malicious intent to publish in 1968, eventually producing 51 books and a number of short fiction pieces. He started writing short stories in 7th grade, had several published in a high school literary magazine. He worked for General Motors for 33 years, retiring some years ago.

Navy and attended the University of Missouri. Glen Cook was born in New York City, lived in southern Indiana as a small child, then grew up in Northern California.

The silver spike glen cook