War is dark, as black as pitch. It is not a deity that laughs or weeps. It neither rewards skill nor daring. It is not a trial of souls nor a measure of wills. Even less is it a tool for achieving some womanish end. It is merely the place where the iron bones of the earth meet the hollow bones of men and break them.

The first book in the Prince of Nothing trilogy is centered around war, specifically a Holy War. However, it is not just about a group of men laying siege to a fortress or people fighting against each other on the ground.

The book details how wars are first planted in the consciousness of men and how men are turned into fighters for a purpose. It encompasses the war from its inception and shows how it slowly develops into a full-blown conflict, like a tree growing from a seed.

Just as a tree has different branches, this war also has numerous factions, each trying to use the war for their own purposes. Everyone wants to control it and is willing to pay the price to gain that control.

Bakker starts the book strongly, showing the reader how the war takes root and introducing the different people and empires involved. However, unfortunately, he loses his way in the middle when he introduces a plethora of unnecessary characters. Reading about them and their motives becomes tiring, and I found myself taking breaks from the book and even falling asleep at times.

Although the middle part of the book is really exhausting, if you manage to persevere to the end, Bakker recovers the story slightly and it becomes fascinating again.

Some of the strong points of the book include Some memorable characters.

However, there are also some weak points. The first is Complicated names to remember and pronounce. It seems that authors these days have a trend of making character names as complicated as possible, which makes it difficult for an average reader like me to connect with the characters. The second weak point is that the story loses steam in the middle, mainly due to the introduction of too many secondary characters.

Overall, I felt this book was a bit of a hit and miss for me. While I liked the characters and the war-related story, I found it sometimes unreadable and boring. I would give it 3/5 stars.

This is a truly difficult one to review.

There is an abundance of elements here that one might initially think of as 'likable' if that were the appropriate term (but it most definitely isn't).

Bakker delves into character development and morality in a manner that is completely unique. His exploration of these aspects is so profound and intricate that it sets his work apart from others.

The complexities of the world he has created are truly astonishing. It feels very similar to the masterful writing found in Malazan.

This series is not just a collection of books; it is an experience. It challenges you as a reader, forces you to think deeply, and expand your perspectives.

For all these reasons, I have a deep love and appreciation for this book. It is a work of art that demands to be read and re-read, and its impact will stay with you long after you have turned the final page.

I had my fair share of ups and downs while reading this book. However, by the end, my overall impressions were more than positive.

The Darkness That Comes Before is an unusual high fantasy grimdark novel that centers around a massive religious war. And when I say around, I truly mean it. This is both its strongest point and perhaps its biggest flaw. It is a slow-paced book that, despite being about a major war, doesn't actually feature epic battles. Instead, it focuses on the logistics, intrigues, negotiations, and conflicted agendas that surround it. The world it creates is very well crafted and highly believable, with characters who, to borrow a phrase from Terry Pratchett, are not simply good or bad at their core but rather fundamentally human.

It all sounds great, and it could have easily been a 5-star read if not for one significant annoyance. There are certain parts of the book that add nothing to the story, the world, or the characters. And these parts usually involve one of the main characters, Achamian. He starts off as one of my favorite characters, but he and his love interest soon devolve into overdeveloped minor annoyances. There are sections in their chapters where you can skip a dozen or so pages without losing anything.

Grim, dark, bitter, and humorless - yet, this is one of the best first books I have ever had the pleasure of reading. The premise established here is truly enormous. I find it almost impossible to fathom how epic the Second Apocalypse might ultimately turn out to be. The world-building is nothing short of incredible. It is unparalleled, so dense and realistic, and at the same time, it is intricately weaved with lore and history that can be favorably compared to the likes of The Silmarillion. The world seems to materialize right in front of you, with all its ruins, landmarks, architecture, costumes, scents, flavors, accents, and people. Everything is vividly brought to life.

The plot, which is based on the Crusades, feels historical, but there is so much more that emerges from the background. Along with the characterization, it reminded me strongly of both ASOIAF and Dune. The story is a profound study in human drama, delving into themes such as vanity, insecurity, fears, ambition, religion, tragedy, triumph, and manipulation. It is written in a dense prose that is full of gravity, introspection, and at times, even philosophy. I understand why many people might not take a liking to these books. There is much violence, injustice, and sexism, but nothing is silly or cheesy. It offers a very realistic portrayal of pseudomedieval times. There are not many likable characters, and certainly none are flawless. However, if you can tolerate such a context and渴望 to experience a dark, grand-scale epic, then these books are an absolute must!

P.S: On 25/11/2019, I reread it and found it even more satisfying. All that foreshadowing, and the knowledge of what is being built here. Also, there is actually much more humor than I had initially remembered. It is a terrific entry into a great tale, offering so much more than the typical classic fantasy stories and tropes.

This is a beautifully written book,

and it is also very intelligent.

It's the kind of book where you savor every line,

truly taking the time to appreciate the craftsmanship and thought that went into each word.

The plot does move a bit slowly throughout the book,

with some parts being slower than others.

This deliberate pacing allows for a more in-depth exploration of the story and its themes.

It also takes a bit of time to become comfortable enough with the characters and the world that you are fully immersed in the story.

But once you do, it's as if you've stepped into a whole new realm,

one that you don't want to leave.

The author has done an excellent job of creating a rich and detailed world,

along with complex and relatable characters.

Overall, this is a book that is well worth the time and effort it takes to fully appreciate it.

Its jacket is covered with hyperbolic praise, which makes this book extremely intriguing to me. So much so that I borrowed it from our local library. Reviewers, in an ecstatic manner, compare it to both the Song of Ice and Fire and the Lord of the Rings, even claiming that in some aspects it surpasses both. Well, comparisons to LotR seem almost mandatory for any fantasy novel that wants to be taken seriously. But why compare this to GRR Martin's series? For the first hundred pages, the comparison appears nonsensical. However, as the story progresses, it starts to make a rather twisted sense.

"The Darkness that Comes Before" attempts to take certain aspects of "The Song of Ice and Fire" - largely, many of the more unpleasant ones - and go beyond them. The book follows multiple characters, but it doesn't follow the clear chapter break delineation that GRRM does. It's more like an MTV jump-cut version of character POV, as Bakker switches abruptly between characters from one section to the next without warning. Thankfully, much of the time, which character is speaking can be inferred from the context of the location or setting. Sadly, each of the characters is rather reprehensible, as if "The Song of Ice and Fire" had been rewritten with only Lannister characters (excluding Tyrion - he's too sympathetic).

Worst of all is the series' titular character, Anasurimbor Kellhus, later jokingly referred to as "the Prince of Nothing." He is such an unabashed villain that throughout most of the novel, I built up a crazy hope that the author would kill off the character in a suitably nasty way. As a result, the most sympathetic and relatable character is the insane barbarian Cnaiur. Although he is a horrible piece of work himself, he earns the gratitude of the readers by being the only character to recognize what an inhuman monster Kellhus is. By the end of the novel, if you're like me, you'll be rooting for Cnaiur to get the better of Kellhus and save the world from his madness.

The setting is quite interesting. Magic is a taint that manifests in random individuals, who are then found and trained by one of the many Schools of magic. Such sorcerers are tremendously feared by everyone else due to their completely out-of-reason powers to destroy multitudes. Between the Schools, there exists great rivalry and political machination. The Mandate School gets the least respect. It's called that because their first grandmaster, at the end of his life of fighting the inhuman monsters called the Consult, cast a spell on his deathbed so that everyone indoctrinated to the School would dream the grandmaster's life at night as if it were their own. When the story begins, more than 2,000 years after the grandmaster's death, the threat of the Consult is real and present to everyone in the Mandate, but to everyone else, the sorcerers are cranks and lunatics (though still possessed of dread arcane powers), fearing what they believe to be the imaginary "threat" of the Consult. All of this is pretty compelling, but the problem lies in the main character, who is a monk descendant of the grandmaster's first liege lord. The monks have isolated themselves in the far north for the last few millennia, studying the Logos. The Logos is a logic based on the premise that everyone's actions are predetermined by what has happened previously (hence, the "darkness that comes before"), and that by completely accepting and occupying one's powerlessness over events, one actually gains the ability to effortlessly predict and manipulate events. For the whole novel, we see Kellhus wandering the earth, manipulating and charming everyone to his own inscrutable ends, with a contempt for everyone else's lack of awareness of Reality. He's like an evil robot, undefeatable in battle, wits, love, and hate. It may be that we are meant to like the character, but I doubt it, as he has no endearing qualities.

The quality of the writing - the syntax, word choice, and how phrases are formed - is good. However, the characters are all so base that this is a hard book to read. I will likely read the second book, though, just for the chance that someone, somewhere, will enact revenge on Kellhus for his crimes against, well, everyone.

“That’s the horrible fact of sinners. We’re indistinguishable from the righteous.” This powerful statement sets the tone for a truly captivating fantasy series. It has been quite some time since I have been so completely and utterly enamored by the beginning of a fantasy series. Bakker holds nothing back as the reader is immediately thrust into this world. The vivid descriptions and rich history make it feel as if this world truly exists and has been lived in. With clear influences from The Crusades, the dialogue between the characters and their actions raise thought-provoking questions about how people from different cultures and faiths can unite for a common goal. All of these elements are expertly brought together by the creation of compelling characters, as well as deep philosophical meditations on humanity, faith, history, and myth.

This series is truly beautiful, dark, and epic in scope. It promises to be one that I will return to again and again, eager to explore the complex and fascinating world that Bakker has created. “Faith is the truth of passion. Since no passion is more true than another, faith is the truth of nothing.” This final line leaves the reader with much to ponder and sets the stage for what is sure to be an unforgettable journey.

I hope that this review will appear early on in someone's search for an honest opinion of this series.

It is actually horrible. I am an avid reader of speculative fiction and love philosophical forays into deeper questions of existence. The Prince of Nothings series, however, fails miserably at constructing either a coherent story, a single likable character, philosophical significance, or even an enjoyable read.

The plot is mangled with endless references to other places and cultures that are never explained through plot or exposition. This leaves the reader to search the appendix for perspective. While this may work well in other series, in The Prince of Nothing, it didn't take long for me to realize that I just didn't care who the Kuniuri were and simply plod on. Additionally, many of what should be big payoff scenes were not cohesive in any way. For example, in one scene, a character is described as pulling out their own heart, but a few sentences later, when they set it on fire, it was actually someone else's, without a real believable way of how this was achieved. There are literally too many of these disappointments to list.

Next, the abysmal characterizations are a major drawback. There is rarely ever a believable motivation for any action in the entire series. It seems as if the characters are as empty as they feel. One character travels an incredible distance, some of it with bare feet after their shoes wear out, just to get to someone they may or may not love. Then, when they finally see them, they actually leave and go whore themselves to a whole camp full of soldiers. Really! The sex scenes, of which there are many, aren't even any good. I often found myself trying to figure out "why did they do that?" only to realize that I flat out didn't care. There was not one single redeemable character that I could feel anything about whatsoever. If the author had developed despicable characters that were interesting or clever, I could have enjoyed hating them, but in the end, there was nothing.

Lastly, and most irritatingly, is how this series is somehow touted as an intellectually stimulating or philosophical work. That is just complete B.S. The attempts at deep truths about humanity fail so miserably that it almost made me angry at the pretense. The main character, Kellhus, who is perfect at everything and can learn anything in the blink of an eye, can manipulate all human beings just because he understands cause and effect. All he has to do is spout any flowery cliche, and every human tears up and worships his insightful wisdom, becoming his puppets. The problem is that there are no arguments made here that feel in the slightest bit profound or even stirring.

If you like deep ideas but prefer them in the form of fiction rather than straight from the great body of purely philosophical works, try Hermann Hesse's The Glass Bead Game (It won the Nobel Prize for Literature). It delivers. Or if you prefer complicated, engrossing speculative fiction, try Dune, Malazan Book of the Fallen, Song of Ice and Fire, Wheel of Time, or any of the several works by competent authors in this genre. I cannot, however, recommend any book in this series to anyone, and unfortunately, I read them all.

FINAL VERDICT: Complete waste of time, money, and paper.

Holy shit!

It is truly incredible. This is an amazing read that had me completely hooked from the very beginning.

Not only did it keep my attention throughout, but it also challenged me on many levels.

The author's writing style is engaging and thought-provoking, making it a pleasure to read.

I found myself constantly reflecting on the ideas and concepts presented in the book.

It has opened my eyes to new perspectives and made me think about things in a different way.

So impressed was I that I have already ordered the next book in the series.

I can't wait to see what else the author has in store for us.

I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a stimulating and enjoyable read.

This highly anticipated book is truly among the best fantasies of all time!!!

Just to give some coordinates, take the epic and raw realism of Martin, the brutal and brutalized characters of Abercrombie, a stratified and complex world-building with the unique thousand-year-old breath of Malazan, with a philosophical magical-religious system like that of Dune, all declined in Middle Eastern-like atmospheres and you will have an idea of what Bakker has created...

Of course with his distinct originality and personality!

The basic plot is perhaps the simplest thing: there is a holy war that is about to be engaged.. and this first volume has the duty to gather and prepare the ground for this war..

The quality of Bakker's writing emerges right from the start,描绘出 a dark and gloomy world, brutal and violent, populated by numerous ethnic groups and cultures, each with its own religious fanatics, with its own holders of magic, philosophical and related to concepts of Logos and thought.. gradually it introduces the various characters, each characterized with art, human, imperfect, powerful and broken, each pulled by a thread greater than him.. all seasoned with a thick dose of mystery and dark threats that are revealed on the horizon..

What can I say, even if in this first volume at the plot level not much happens, in reality a lot happens.. I haven't found anything sloppy, but everything is very successful!! For me, along with Martin, Erikson and Abercrombie, Bakker is already up there among the Olympus of fantasy!!

I had a truly complex experience with this book. On one hand, it was extremely difficult for me to get through, yet on the other hand, I also found myself having a certain level of appreciation for it. That is to say, there were aspects of it that I really hated. Some parts were so boring and overblown that I almost gave up. However, there were also other parts that were quite delightful and pushed the boundaries of my imagination.

So, the question remains: did I like it?

To be honest, I didn't like it much at all. The portrayal of women in this book was rather disappointing. They were all depicted as weak and most of them were whores. Although it has to be said that in the context of the story, many of them actually were. Long sections of the book were told from the perspective of a whore, which was rather strange. But that's not all. The story also involves a prince of a kingdom who is a military genius, plotting and scheming everything. There's a holy war going on, with many important personages vying for power and trying to rule the world. And there's a great evil, the No-God, coming back from the deep past, bringing with it the threat of an apocalypse.

Is there violence for the sake of violence? Yes, indeed. This is a Grimdark novel through and through. It has its own unique charm, and a lot of people really love this kind of thing. It's also very similar to the Malazan series in many ways. The worldbuilding is extremely complicated, and the magic system is full of mysteries and surprises. Generally speaking, it's very difficult to understand what's going on.

Unless, of course, you're using cheat sheets.

But there was one character who really stood out for me. He was a sociopathic philosopher-monk, mostly a dry Machiavelli. He stole the show with his clear thoughts and bloodless personality, which belied his true gift for causing chaos and bloodshed. I really liked him. But unfortunately, he's just one character in a long list of epic Grimdark characters in this novel.

Do I feel up for the challenge of continuing?

Not really. Maybe someday in the future, but not today. At this time, the amount of work required to get through the book seems to outweigh the payoff.

I have a deep affection for this particular work.

Even though it has a few minor imperfections, it still holds a special place in my heart.

The first series is truly one of my all-time favorite fantasy trilogies.

I am planning to post a comprehensive review later in 2016.

This review will delve into my detailed appreciation for the profound philosophy that lies behind it.

I will explore the complex characters such as Kellhus, Cnaiür, Esmenet, Achamian, Conphas.

I will also discuss the various Schools and the mysterious Consult.

There is so much to uncover and analyze in this captivating fantasy world.

I can't wait to share my thoughts and insights with you all.

Stay tuned for my full review!