This review contains spoilers for the first book in the series. 
 Way, way back, when the Domination was aborning, centuries before the foundation of the Lady's empire, the Dominator overpowered his greatest rivals and compelled them into his service. He accumulated ten villains that way, soon known as the Ten Who Were Taken. When the White Rose raised the world against the Dominator's wickedness, the Ten were buried with him. She could destroy none of them outright. Centuries of peace sapped the will of the world to guard itself. A curious wizard tried to contact the Lady. The Lady manipulated him, effected her release. The Ten rose with her. 
 Within a generation she and they forged a new dark empire. Within two they were embattled with the Rebel, whose prophets agreed the White Rose would be reincarnated to lead them to a final victory. For a while it looked like they would win. Our armies collapsed. Provinces fell. Taken feuded and destroyed one another. Nine of the Ten perished. 
 The Lady managed to Take three Rebel chieftains to replace a portion of her losses: Feather, Journey, and Whisper-- likely the best general since the White Rose. She gave us a terrible time before her Taking. The Rebel prophets were correct in their prophecies, except about the last battle. They expected a reincarnated White Rose to lead them. She did not. They did not find her in time. She was alive then. But she was living on our side of the battleline, unaware of what she was. I learned who she was. It is that knowledge which makes my life worthless should I be put to the question. 
 After reading the first book I would have expected this to be another military fantasy, but it was actually more of a thriller. A pretty well written one, at that, and the writing here is more approachable than in the first book. 
 It is six years after the events of the first book and the Company's morale is low. 
 Some of the Company, Croaker among other people, are sent from the nethermost east to the farthest west, to Juniper to investigate a magical connection between the Barrowland and Juniper, where a mysterious black castle is growing. 
 Shadows Linger adds a second perspective to Croaker's as we accompany Marron Shed, a cowardly innkeeper and inhabitant of Juniper, who is not absolutely evil at heart, but circumstances drive him to commit horrible villainies. 
 Soon the two plotlines connect, the fun begins, and the book becomes unputdownable. 
 One of the really interesting things about Cook's books is in my opinion the insights it gives into human nature and its degrees of evilness, when characters who are not plain evil commit some of the most terrible crimes that one can think of and Cook lays their reasons out for you. 
 Another thing I really enjoy about these books is the character writing. It's fantastic and... 
 What are you still doing here? Go read this series. 
 (view spoiler)[Raven cannot be dead. I just know it. (hide spoiler)] 
 "I believe in our side and theirs, with the good and evil decided after the fact, by those who survive." 
 "It is an absolute demanding absolutes in a world with a preference for relatives."