A sorceress/empress makes an uneasy alliance with one enemy to face a greater threat to both. The White Rose concludes the first trilogy about Glen Cook's Black Company (many more books follow).
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Darling, the reincarnation of the White Rose, leads the rebellion against the Lady's empire. Darling is a magical null point: active magic will not work within a region around her, though any spells already in place are not affected. The mercenary outfit the Black Company has, due to circumstances beyond its control, become the core of the rebellion.
However, the Lady's armies and enslaved magicians are tightening their noose around the Black Company's refuge. Croaker, the company's doctor and annalist, is sent on a desperate mission with a few companions to try to learn the Lady's true name, which can be used to render her powerless. What he discovers instead is horrifying: the Dominator, the Lady's husband, is close to breaking free of his tomb. While the Lady can be ruthless, she is but a pale shade of gray compared to his black evil and madness.
When the Lady's soldiers capture Croaker, she learns of her peril (she left her husband buried when she herself escaped). She negotiates an alliance with Darling to deal with their mutual, much more dangerous enemy. They defeat the Dominator, once and for all, but then there is treachery on both sides, which strips both Darling and the Lady of their powers.
Best part of story, including ending:
Most of the characters are not cardboard black or white, with one or two exceptions. They are much more rounded than what you find in your average fantasy.
Best scene in story:
The Lady, whose magical prognostications indicates she probably won't survive the coming battle with her husband, shows an unexpectedly vulnerable and touching side of her personality to Croaker the night before the showdown
Opinion about the main character:
Croaker is a believable character. He doesn't possess any superhuman talents.
