My review mojo seems to be fizzing out a bit, so I'll just jot down a quick few words.

This story is by no means "over". There's a complete and tense build-up for those "oh shits" moments that are bound to happen. And believe me, they will!

It's a hefty book, clocking in at over 600 pages. There's tons of world building, and what a unique world it is. I have to admit, the very beginning was quite confusing. As I delved deeper into the book, I went back and re-read the beginning. There are a lot of strange names to remember. Thank goodness there's a glossary in the back to help out.

Of course, I'm personally in love with the brutal and violent barbarian. *sigh. It happens every time. There's action galore, with war, murder, magic, gods, and a plot that thickens with a sense of grimdarkness.

I already have the next two books (because, obviously) and I plan on jumping right into them... as soon as I get a chance. lol. I can't wait to see where this story takes me next.

Several years ago, I found myself in a drought of decent fiction. (This was my pre-GoodReads period; now I have an abundance of potentially good stuff and can't choose.) At any rate, I was saved by the discovery of not just one but two brilliant new series. The first was Steven Erikson's Malazan Book of the Fallen, whose virtues I have extolled elsewhere. The second was R. Scott Bakker's The Darkness That Comes Before, the first book in The Prince of Nothing trilogy.

In addition to being a really good, intricately plotted, and interesting story, the Prince of Nothing delves deeper to explore issues of faith, reality, and love. And, best of all, Bakker's work shows an author who has dedicated a great deal of thought and effort to creating the world of Earwa and the Three Seas. I know it's become a cliché, but the series is comparable to Tolkien's Middle Earth.

The Background: More than 4,000 years ago, the Nonmen (Cunuroi) ruled what would become Earwa and the Three Seas. Humans were primitive, skin-clad savages, and those living in Nonmen territory were their slaves. At some point, a vast "ark" fell from space in the northwest of the world, and the Cunuroi encountered the Inchoroi – a malevolent species bent on wiping out all life from the earth. This first encounter led to bloodshed and Inchoroi defeat, but the Inchoroi learned. They corrupted the Nonmen by offering them immortality, becoming their physicians. However, the Inchoroi's true aims were revealed when the Womb-Plague killed all the Nonmen females. The result was a catastrophic war that sealed the Inchoroi in their Ark. But the Nonmen were doomed, and when the human tribes that would become the kingdoms of the Three Seas migrated from the East, the Nonmen retreated to their underground Mansions.

During the first two millennia of the Years-of-the-Tusk, as the era is called, the highest civilization was achieved by the Men of the North, where they were tutored by the Nonmen. Yet, as always, the allure of forbidden knowledge was too strong, and a group of human sorcerers, led by corrupted Nonmen, breached the Ark and rediscovered the lore of the Inchoroi. Allied with the few surviving Inchoroi, some Nonmen, and the artificial races created by the Inchoroi (Sranc, Bashrag, Wracu), these humans (the Consult) brought about the First Apocalypse and the utter destruction of the North. Their ultimate creation was the No-God, whose very existence was so inimical to life that in the 11 years of its life, no child was born alive. But the No-God is destroyed in the end, and the Three Seas (the South) survives to rebuild. The Consult retreats to the Ark to plot a Second Apocalypse, the North is largely overrun by Sranc, and the South recovers. The last, and most powerful sorcerer of the North, Seswatha, creates the School of Mandate to guard against the Consult's return and ensures that they'll remain true by forcing them to relive his fight against the First Apocalypse every night in their dreams. They await the appearance of the Harbinger, the last of the ancient Anasurimbor Dynasty, to signal the coming Apocalypse.

Whew…that just brings us up to the opening of our story.

There are three intertwined plots and four main characters in our tale. The first plot concerns Anasurimbor Kellhus' quest to find his father, Moenghus, exiled thirty years before from Ishual, the Dunyain's sanctuary in the North. In order to succeed in his mission, Kellhus realizes he must control the Holy War.

Which brings us to the second thread in this book – The Holy War: In the 2,000 years since the First Apocalypse, two religions have developed in the Three Seas. Inrithism is a pantheistic creed; what classical paganism might have developed into absent Christianity. It's ruled through the Thousand Temples, led by the Shriah. Fanism is a monotheistic religion that has conquered much of the western Three Seas. In gross terms, its development parallels that of Islam. Maithanet, the current Shriah, calls a Holy War to recover the lost lands, particularly the Holy City of Shimeh, where Inri Sejenus, inrithism's prophet, ascended to Heaven. Over the course of the series, this story is essentially a retelling of the First Crusade with fantastical elements. There's a "Byzantine Empire" and even an episode lifted directly from the siege of Antioch.

The third strand in the narrative is the overarching machinations of the Consult, which has been manipulating events to bring about the Holy War and the end of Man. Their secret weapons are "skin-spies," doppelgangers capable of impersonating anyone but undetectable by any means except the special perceptive powers of the Dunyain.

All this revolves around four central characters:

Cnaiur urs Skiotha: A Scylvendi, a barbarian of the steppes and former chieftain of the Utemot. Thirty years ago, he was seduced by Moenghus as that man traveled south, and has spent the last three decades consumed by hatred for the Dunyain and what Moenghus did to him. He rescues Kellhus and ends up accompanying him to the Holy War as it's the only way he can reach Moenghus and exact vengeance.

Anasurimbor Kellhus: Kellhus is the son of Moenghus and a scion of the Anasurimbor Dynasty. A survivor of the family found refuge with the Dunyain. The Dunyain are a monastic sect that has repudiated history and animal appetite in the hope of finding absolute enlightenment through the control of all desire and circumstance. For two thousand years, they have bred their members for both motor reflexes and intellectual acuity. Kellhus is brilliant and quickly realizes how easy it is to manipulate and control the "children" he encounters in his travels. He also realizes that his father has had thirty years among these people to establish himself, which is why the Holy War must succumb to his control. Kellhus' only flaw is that he (and the Dunyain, in general) is completely amoral. He uses people without regard for the price he exacts.

Esmenet: A former prostitute, wife/lover of Drusas Achamian, and eventually wife of Kellhus. She's an intelligent, courageous, and beautiful woman trapped by her sex in the misogynistic world of the Three Seas. She lives vicariously through her customers but seizes the chance to do more when Achamian is swept up into the Holy War. Like everyone else, she is used by Kellhus, who makes her fall in love with him to supply children for his line, but she accepts it as the price she must pay to matter.

Drusas Achamian: Achamian is my favorite character. Apart from Esmenet, he's the most human and sympathetic of the four. He is a Mandate sorcerer. The Mandate is the only sorcerous school to survive the North's destruction. Their lore derives directly from that of the Nonmen and is, consequently, much more powerful than the southern schools. He's tortured by the demands of his school, Esmenet, his friends, and the knowledge that Kellhus is the Harbinger of the Second Apocalypse.

There is, of course, much more to this novel and its fellows, but I hope this relatively brief glimpse of its complexity will prompt a reader to pick up Bakker's work – it's well worth the effort.

This is one of those things that you either love or hate.

I can't dispute that writing might not be bad, or that it lacks imagination, or that the world is dull. It's all there, and don't mind me, it could potentially be good for you, perhaps even great.

So, if it's so great, why only 1 star?

It's simple, really...

Because I detested it!

I find that the way he deliberately makes things difficult to understand and constantly muddies the waters makes me angry. I forced myself to read it just to see what it was all about. And in the end, I can say that it didn't have to be so painful.

So, that's why it gets 1 star.

There are many far more complex, subtle, and imaginative tales that are told in a much clearer way. Obscuration for its own sake is not necessary.

Malazan: Book of the Fallen meets Dune.

I never thought it was possible, but The Prince of Nothing seems to truly scratch my Malazan itch. What's even more astonishing is that it does so while being extremely approachable and far easier to read than Erikson's infamous epic.

I've postponed writing this review for far too long. In fact, I've done the same with all the books I've finished in the past few months. The reason is that I already completed this one and was very satisfied with my recap of thoughts on this phenomenal book. But then Goodreads didn't save it, and I was frustrated. So here I am again, a bit messier than usual (wow, that's a low bar haha), but it has to be done. I finally need to catch up with these reviews.

As I mentioned at the beginning, Prince of Nothing felt like an easier yet equally complex and dense version of Malazan for me. It's a Dune-like story written by someone with a similar approach to Erikson when he wrote his epic. However, I don't want to constantly compare Prince of Nothing or R. Scott Bakker with Erikson's epic in these reviews. Yes, it's a comparison that will come up because these books share similar approaches and will likely please the same audience. But The Darkness That Comes Before is more than that. It can stand on its own. It doesn't just exist in Malazan's shadow; it can hold its own against it. And that's probably the highest compliment I can give when judging the pure literary quality of a novel. Because there's more to discover here. Something that might even make this book accessible to readers who couldn't connect with Malazan yet - but I'll get to that part later.

First of all, the title. Oh boy. The first book is The Darkness that comes before, the first trilogy is The Prince of Nothing, the whole series is The Second Apocalypse, and the second tetralogy is The Aspect Emperor. Just from these titles alone, you can see how much storytelling there is, how much depth and how many things are implied. This trend continues throughout the entire novel, in all the naming, all the terminology, and even in the writing style and narration itself.

The pure literary quality in this book is astounding. I would always rank Bakker's writing as one of the best I've ever read, up there with Erikson, Ruocchio, Martin, and Rothfuss - and this is one of his first published works, if not his debut. If I told you how much ground this single volume covers in terms of lore, characters, and worldbuilding - and it's a relatively short one, with just over 600 pages - you probably wouldn't believe it. There's depth in every sentence, layer upon layer of meaning and theme. Implications and details can be found everywhere you look. And the best part? It's not nearly as hard to follow as it sounds. In fact, it's pretty easy if I'm being honest.

Descriptions like the ones I just gave are often applied to the infamous Malazan series. Many people get frustrated with these aspects of that series, feeling overwhelmed or simply finding it exhausting to constantly work for every page. But this isn't like that. Sure, you need to pay attention, and I'd recommend not just rushing through each chapter and missing or glossing over details and the beauty of the writing. But you could also do without and still be okay. And in my opinion, there are three main reasons for this:

1. The writing style is simply amazing. It's unbelievably smooth and completely soothes you with its flow and rhythm. So even if a passage is super dense or philosophical - which might be off-putting in other books - Bakker manages, through his narrative voice alone, to make you forget about it or at least not mind.

2. The structure and POV are restricted to only a few characters. So unlike, say, Malazan, you don't follow an endless number of POVs, never really get direct characterization for long periods of time, and need to keep up with constant continent-switches and entirely new casts of characters. Instead, you're introduced gradually, starting with one POV after the other, until at the end, it builds up to 7 POVs. And that's it for now. Oh, and if that sounds like too much, note that three of these are only occasionally dropped in. Only three to four characters are definitely the main focus for now. That might of course change in the future, but it still illustrates my point of a more gradual and approachable introduction to the world and story.

3. (Maybe this argument is just a continuation of (2), but I wanted to put it up as its own point since I can see many people looking for this specific confirmation) The characterization itself is written to be emotionally gripping and engaging. Ideology, philosophy, and all the other good stuff are laid underneath. So again, it's different from what many readers feel towards the characters/characterization in Malazan. Bakker achieves similar things and follows a pretty much the same approach, but does so in a different way. Every one of these characters gets such deep characterizations, so much narrative focus, that it's pretty easy to latch onto them. To achieve this, Bakker uses clever mechanics for each and every one of them, which he ties to the characterization and introduction to the inner workings of his characters. These elements might simply be extremely unique and interesting narrative voices, abilities that directly connect to exciting revelations or concepts in both characters and the world, instant stakes through almost bluntly phrased goals & struggles, or many more. There's always at least one element in place from the get-go that's interesting enough to make you want to read at least a few pages into the POV for it alone. And by that point, Bakker has most likely already introduced you to the character in different ways and has you engaged or at least interested on a more personal level. It's simply great storytelling.

But what about the rest of the novel? Plot, worldbuilding, etc. Well, in this first book at least, there hasn't been as much direct plot as you might expect. Similarly to something like the first book in Abercrombie's First Law, it felt more like an introduction to the world and especially the characters. Also, this might be what the focus of the series lies on, but I'll see in the future. That doesn't mean there's no plot in this book. In my opinion, it's just not at the forefront. There's a lot happening - battles, intrigues, wars, betrayals, tragic romance (oh my god, I can't take this any longer lol), raids, scheming, etc. But for now, this feels like the stepping stone for the later events in the series or the next book. The Darkness That Comes Before, so to say.

That's also the only reason I instinctively "only" gave this one 4 out of 5 stars. Looking back, I don't really stand behind this anymore and might raise it. I'm not sure. I just know that when I finished the book, I hoped for some more plot or big events - things that I'd get in a Malazan or something like that. But then again, this isn't Malazan and shouldn't be treated as a simple "itch-scratcher". Also, it just proves how much I'm already invested in everything going on, wanting to see things unfold. And judging from the beginning of book 2 alone - which I'm currently reading - things do unfold. Big things.

One last thing before I finally wrap this up, I want to talk about the elephant in the room. The names. The "absurd" naming of characters, locations, and cultures. I talked about the delicious naming in this book before, but that didn't mean these "direct names". Bakker created a very distinct-sounding naming convention with this series. But yes, I can't deny that they can be seen as ridiculous. It's a cliché of Fantasy with all its almost unpronounceable, long, and convoluted names, tons of symbols on letters, and stuff like that. It does need some adjusting, but in general, it didn't bother me too much. It creates immersion over time and actually fits this world and style pretty well. A lot of it is derived from ancient cultures and linguistics - Babylonian, Assyrian, etc. But yes, it also gets pretty funny.

I'd now also conclude with some naming highlights for you; some of them because of how absurd they are at first glance, some because I freaking love them. Cnaiür urs Sciötha... Golgotterath... Anasûrimbor Moënghus... Arithau... Momemn... Carû-Ongonean... Khuniüric... Shimeh... Cinganjehoi ab Sakjal... That kind of stuff. I can especially see Americans being confused with all these "Umlaute" (ü, ö, ä, etc.), but as a German myself, it was more strange to see them in English sentences haha. It sounds like all the ancient sites and terms from history books, and I love this series for it.

Well, as it stands: Masterpiece. Phenomenal, and I can't wait to get deeper into this series, which I find vastly underrepresented in the SFF debate.

Ha! I truly love the reviews for this book. If you are older than 14 and have ever read anything that doesn't have embossed gold lettering and a fire-breathing dragon Goddess on the cover, you will love it. However, those who don't understand the'show' vs 'tell' distinction but use it anyway, those with the vocabulary of a 12-year-old, and those who are unwilling to put in any effort at all hate it. I don't read much fantasy because I can't tolerate too much description in prose, especially the stilted and turgid style that seems to prevail in this genre. But that's not an issue here.

Simply put, this book is beautifully written, extremely intelligent, and suitably imaginative. Reading it is a pleasure due to Bakker's style; it's engrossing because of the characters and the story; and it's funny if you can identify all the historical references. These references range from the first Crusade (Xerius = Alexius I; Maithenet = Urban II) to a whole variety of philosophical schools from both the Eastern and Western traditions.

Most of the book is written in varying degrees of free indirect style, and occasionally Bakker's need to cram information into a scene is a bit too obvious. But considering how much information the reader requires to understand the world they are being thrust into, it's not overly excessive. Sometimes Bakker has too many fragments, but they weren't too intrusive. The real problem, as pointed out by another reviewer, is that all the women in the book are either whores or shrews. I don't mean in general. I mean there are only three women in the book, and they are either whores or shrews. I'll give Bakker the benefit of the doubt and assume that he is trying to highlight a fact about our world's (deplorable) treatment of women by showing how poorly they are treated in the world of the novel - the narrator is definitely sympathetic to Esmenet, at least. I hope he has something clever in mind when writing those characters; otherwise, it's more than a little offensive.

DNF @25%.

This book and series really should have been right in my wheelhouse. I mean, I'm a big fan of complex fantasy worlds with deep lore and interesting characters. But honestly, I just couldn't bring myself to care.

There were simply too many names, characters, sects, and religions to keep track of. And the writing style was so clunky that it made it a real struggle to get through each page.

I've read and enjoyed Nietzsche, and I recently read Beyond Redemption, which was a 5-star book full of philosophy and religious content. But this book just didn't have the same appeal for me.

Keep in mind that I'm a huge Malazan fan and was never lost reading Gardens of the Moon. I don't mind looking up characters and putting in the work to understand the story. I can even tell you all about different surges, heralds, and the like from Stormlight Archives. But this book just didn't do it for me.

Maybe it's because I was in the wrong mood when I started reading it, or maybe it's just not the right book for me. Either way, I'm sad to say that I had to DNF it at 25%.

The start of something truly grand is upon us.

The Bakker hype is not just a passing fad; it is indeed fully warranted.

Bakker has shown remarkable potential and promise in various aspects. Their innovative ideas and unique approach have caught the attention of many.

Whether it's in the field of technology, business, or any other domain, Bakker is making waves.

The anticipation surrounding Bakker is palpable, and for good reason.

Their track record and the quality of their work speak volumes.

As they continue to grow and evolve, the possibilities seem endless.

It will be exciting to see how Bakker shapes the future and leaves its mark on the world.

The stage is set for something truly remarkable to unfold, and all eyes are on Bakker.

The Prince of Nothing trilogy by R. Scott Bakker is a remarkable work of epic fantasy that stands out for several reasons. The world-building is outstanding, with a rich and detailed history that informs the present. The magic system is unique and balanced, adding an extra layer of depth to the story. Bakker's writing decisions, such as the use of chapter-opening passages and a glossary, also enhance the reading experience.

The characters are complex and flawed, which makes them all the more interesting. Khellus, the sociopathic Dûnyain monk, Cnaiür, the tortured steppe barbarian, Drasas Achamian, the broken Mandate Schoolman, and Esmenet, the strong but vulnerable whore, all have their own motivations and desires that drive the story forward. While the lack of significant female characters is a drawback, Bakker does seem to be using Esmenet as a window into one of the main themes of the series: control.

The book is filled with political maneuvering, philosophical musings, and vivid descriptions of battles and magic. The writing is engaging and thought-provoking, and the themes explored are relevant to our own world. Overall, The Prince of Nothing trilogy is a must-read for fans of epic fantasy who are looking for something a little different.

August 2021 update: Sometimes you just need to re-read an old favorite. Glad I did, it has been a while since I last dipped my toe into this series and I will likely finish all of them by the end of the year. The below review still holds up.
Observational aside: I will rarely reread books. Once I finish a book it is usually off to the next one, with few exceptions. In this case the sixth book in the series, The Great Ordeal, is coming out soon, a book I have waited nearly five years for, and I wanted to give myself a refresher on the entire series before it was released. I don't recall the first time I read "The Prince of Nothing" trilogy but Goodreads assures me it was before I joined this website. Since then I have read literally hundreds of books and grown as a reader thanks to those books as well as thinking through those books when I write reviews. Over that time my sensibilities and critical eye has changed as well (I'd like to think for the better) so it was a rather enlightening exercise this return to a time in my reading life from before Goodreads (BGR?). With that rambling out of the way on to the review.

2024 reread: It's truly fascinating to go through this once more, now that I know precisely what occurs, rather than merely having a hunch about what Bakker is up to. Despite the rather violent nature of the story, especially towards women, I'm still along for the ride. Thankfully, this is the very essence of the world and the antagonist. The "dark" aspect in this fantasy is essentially misogyny. It's understandably difficult to read, and it pervades the entire world, manifesting itself quite gradually.

If there's one shortcoming of these first three books, it's that they really give the impression of being one novel chopped into three parts. There is a resolution in each, but it feels as if the first book is mostly build-up, and a significant portion of the second is as well. The soft world-building doesn't overwhelm the reader with how distinct the world is. And yet, it is truly different. From the evocative, alternate words for the most esoteric and fantastical things, it's a slow descent. To the extent that I would say not a whole lot actually happens in terms of plot beats. However, it's immersive, and if you can approach it with an open mind while enjoying it, there's really nothing quite like it out there. Some people will recommend reading Malazan. I gave it a try. The first book was dull - the complete opposite of what I got from this series throughout. It immediately makes me eager to pick up the next one. Even as it instills a sense of dread in the reader regarding what might be happening. And Bakker manages to pull this off twice. Once at the end of this trilogy, and again at the end of the entire series.

I really enjoyed this series, although I found it to be rather dense around pages 150 - 250. It jumps around to different factions, which is always interesting, but it can be a lot to remember at times. The nice thing about listening to the audiobook was the pacing set by the reader. Since it was slower than reading, I think it was easier to digest.

It doesn't read like typical fantasy, which I usually struggle to get through. I like the prose, which doesn't linger too long but paints vivid details. The world is interesting, and the characters are complex. There are definitely no "heroes" in the traditional sense. The only thing that stood out was that sometimes the writing was a little cringe-worthy when it focused on women in the context of characterizing other male characters, which is rather eye-roll inducing and tropey. Otherwise, it was a very novel experience for me, and I will definitely continue on to the next book.

The story has been interesting up to this point. However, the writing is just mediocre. It manages to keep the story moving forward, but that's about all it does.

I have decided to abandon this series. The writing style is all about telling and very little showing. I understand that Bakker has developed, perhaps even over-developed, a huge backstory for all of this. But instead of letting it gradually seep into the trilogy, he bombards the reader with it right from the first page. Just flip through this book and look at the numerous proper nouns on each page. It's absurd. None of the information is integrated organically, and very little mystery is maintained. I'm not a reader who avoids complexity or even a large amount of fictitious information, names, dates, etc. that I need to deal with to follow the story. But that information has to be incorporated organically, not just randomly scattered all over each page as it is here.

I can see the reason why something like this would be published. The level of planning and execution is slightly higher than what you would consider throwaway genre fantasy, but only slightly. I have no doubt that Bakker is a smart person and a lot of effort has gone into this complex story. But no matter how meticulously you plan everything, if you can't write it well, it won't succeed.

The Darkness That Comes Before is a remarkable and complex novel that defies easy categorization. It is Richard Scott Bakker's debut, published in 2004, and it introduces readers to a vivid and unique world.

The story is set in a world on the brink of an apocalypse, with an unfolding religious war at its core. Told from multiple points of view, it features a diverse cast of characters, all of whom are morally grey. This adds depth and realism to the narrative, as no one is simply good or evil.

Bakker has created a whole new world with its own magic system, characters, names, and religions. The magic system, in particular, is both complex and fascinating, based on abstractions and allowing powerful sorcerers to create lines and curves out of energy.

However, the novel is not without its flaws. The pacing can be slow and confusing, especially at the beginning, and the names of the characters can be difficult to pronounce. Additionally, some of the themes, such as the treatment of women, may be offensive to some readers.

Despite these issues, The Darkness That Comes Before is a must-read for fans of epic fantasy. It offers a unique and engaging story, with memorable characters and a richly detailed world. Bakker's writing style is dense and philosophical, which may take some getting used to, but it adds depth and meaning to the narrative.

Overall, I highly recommend this novel to anyone looking for a challenging and rewarding read. It is a prelude to an exciting series, and I can't wait to see where Bakker takes the story next. 4.5/5

After delving deep into the reviews of this series, my anticipation skyrocketed. I was eagerly seeking a work that would truly revolutionize the fantasy genre. Alas, my hopes were brutally dashed.

The book commenced splendidly, leading me to firmly believe that it would indeed fulfill the glowing reviews I had perused. However, the moment the introduction concluded, the narrative devolved into a tiresome, plodding pace. It bored me to tears. The story seemed to fall into a predictable rut of interminable, drawn-out conversations that inevitably led to a pivotal climax, only to break right before said climax. Suddenly, it would leap to other matters, restarting the cyclic drivel.

To be fair, it wasn't entirely devoid of interest. There were moments that elicited an exclamation of "Finally!" from me, leading me to think that I just needed to traverse the sluggish marsh presented initially to reach the "real deal." Sadly, this seems to be an all-too-common device in many books. And as soon as it got good, it would promptly revert to its usual slow-paced tedium.

About halfway through, I almost abandoned it and let it sit for two or three weeks before reluctantly returning. I kept telling myself, "It's going to get better." Oh, if only it had. I'm truly undecided about whether to bother with the rest of the series. I really wanted to love this book, having read so many positive things about it. But in the end, I simply didn't care for it.

Despite all this, the scenes that piqued my interest did so enough that the book could have potentially scraped by with a 3-star rating. However, then we come to my biggest gripe with Bakker: his writing style. Good heavens! While I'm all for unconventional writing styles, with what appears to be a 10 to 1 ratio of fragments to sentences, this book drove me crazy. If he could have simply converted half of those periods into commas or semicolons, perhaps I could have awarded this book 3 stars.

In conclusion, I consider it yet another fantasy book to avoid. Then again, perhaps the other two books in the series are better and pick up the pace. At least, that's what I've read. But I'm not sure. Given the way this book was, if I do decide to continue the series, it will be a very long time before I bother to pick up anything by this author again.