A dark and epic tragedy, The Prince of Nothing trilogy reaches its perfect conclusion. This story has truly left me breathless. The revelations are timed to perfection, with the plot, characters, and ideas slowly building up in the first half. And then, in the second half, it all becomes mind-bending and explosive, making this a masterpiece of fantasy literature. The detailed world-building, the complex characters with their own motives and flaws, and the thought-provoking themes all contribute to the greatness of this trilogy. I find myself completely immersed in this dark and fascinating world, and I can't wait to read the second series to see where the story will lead. It's as if I'm on the edge of my seat, eagerly anticipating what's to come next. This is the kind of story that stays with you long after you've finished reading it.

In 2010, I came to the realization that when I encounter a truly terrible third book in a series, it has the strange effect of making me eager to read the first novel in the next series. This is because I am left almost completely unsatisfied.

Fast forward to 2015, and my experience with a particular work was even more disappointing. It was a 17-hour audiobook, but upon closer inspection, there was only approximately 3 hours of truly good content within it. This represents a significant step down from the previous books in the series, which were mostly excellent, with just a few short passages that were a bit of a letdown.

For a more in-depth review, be sure to check out my podcast, SFBRP episode #270. There, I will discuss this work in greater detail, exploring its strengths and weaknesses and sharing my overall thoughts and impressions.

What a tremendous letdown!

This book appears as if it was penned by a five-year-old. The political intrigue and personal drama that characterized the first installment are nowhere to be found. The coherency of the large-scale battles and the seamless flow of the story as a whole have vanished. There were extended stretches during which I was extremely bored. However, I persisted, hoping for something extraordinary, given how much I adored the first two books and the trust I was cultivating in the author. But seriously, that ending was as anticlimactic as it could be. After 1800 pages of buildup, I was left exclaiming, "Really?!?! That's it?"

It's truly disappointing to see a series that started so promisingly take such a nosedive. The author seems to have lost the magic that made the earlier books so captivating. One can only hope that future installments, if any, will manage to recapture that essence and bring the story back to its former glory.

This book can be the slog of slogs in some places.

However, the action is truly remarkable. The character development by the end is outstanding, the reveals are excellent, and as always, the world building is a perfect 10/10. The sense of wonder and scale, while also making it feel small enough to understand, is like the work of a genius. I'm completely immersed.

Mechanically, the book is very well-written. Bakker has a way with words that even puts Rothfuss' poetic prose to shame. The POVs really place you in the scenes and bring you right to the center of all the action.

My only real complaint is that it is quite slow in some parts, and the foreshadowing and the slow progress of the story really prevent you from being surprised by anything. Which, I'm not saying is necessarily a bad thing in general, but for me, I wouldn't mind an unexpected twist here and there. That and the representation of women is still not very good, and sexual violence is quite prevalent. But, from what I understand, this was an artistic choice by the author, so I'm not really criticizing it since now that I've read the whole first trilogy, I understand that it's making a comment on the subject and the strange expectations around it, and not including it just for the sake of including it.

That being said, if it were an option, I would probably give a rating of around 4.4 stars. But since I've rounded up before, I'll round down this time. However, 4 stars does by no means imply that it was bad. It has been good enough that instead of taking my planned break from the second series, I'm just going to dive right into it with enthusiasm.

Full review on my YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/Eb_SOoKXkb8


I just finished this trilogy and I have to say it's been an absolute wild ride. I'm giving it a 4.5, rounded up. There's so much to unpack here that I need some time to fully digest it all. The story was filled with twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. And that ending, it was just insane! I'm still trying to wrap my head around it. Once I've had a chance to really think about everything, I'll be sure to write my more detailed thoughts on my YouTube channel. Stay tuned!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Bakker's style has numerous strengths that were prominently displayed in this, the final book of the first of three planned trilogies in the world of Earwa. Firstly, the Homeric large-scale battles were vividly depicted, similar to those in The Warrior-Prophet. However, towards the end, I grew a bit weary of the phrase "death came swirling down". Secondly, Bakker's non-Kellhus characters continued to develop in authentic and believable ways. Although I was slightly surprised by his relatively non-lethal approach to the main characters. In this gritty style of fantasy, I always somewhat expected one of the main characters to meet their end, and I was certain that Cnaiur would be the one, mainly because he's completely crazy. Lastly, Bakker's encyclopedic historical approach to world-building finally had its moment to shine. The appendix was extremely extensive and quite interesting. It's rare for me to spend the time reading an appendix in a fantasy novel, but I did with this one and enjoyed it!

I also really appreciated the depth he gave to his magic system. Although not fully explained, it had enough detail to assist the reader in understanding the differences between the various styles of magic. I believe the magic requires some more elaboration, but perhaps he does that in subsequent novels.

Achamian's dreams of Seswatha's life were once again a highlight for me. I find everything about the No-God, the First Apocalypse, and Golgotterath so cool and ominous that the dream sequences were among my favorite parts of this book. I also liked Achamian's transition from sorceror to wizard.

I've read some reviews that complained about how badass Kellhus is. And indeed, he is extremely badass. In fact, he's the most badass character in these books. I just don't fully understand why this is an issue for so many people. Fiction is filled with unbeatable characters, from Conan to Tarzan, Kvothe to Rand al'Thor, Achilles to Beowulf. I think what Bakker is doing differently here is asking, "What if the superhero... isn't truly a hero?" This take on the so-called "Marty-Stu" archetype is fresh and interesting to me. I suspect that what some people may not like about this is that it eliminates a certain degree of wish-fulfillment for them, as they don't want to envision themselves as someone who is so selfish and completely lacking in conscience. Unfortunately, a conscienceless character is far more realistic than a pure-hearted, noble paladin. I can understand that this may not sit well with some people.

This book is not as good as the previous one.

However, this series is still unique compared to any other fantasy series I have read.

The writing style is dark, challenging, and captivating.

If you are brave enough, it is definitely worth checking out.

I am looking forward to the next installment in this universe.

It will be interesting to see how the story develops and what new adventures and challenges the characters will face.

Overall, despite not being as excellent as the last book, this series still has its own charm and吸引力.

I highly recommend it to fans of the fantasy genre.

A great end to a great trilogy.

It is filled with plenty of action, which keeps the readers on the edge of their seats. There is also more character development, allowing us to get to know the characters even better. Additionally, we gain more knowledge of the world, which adds depth and richness to the story. Everything in this book is exactly what I've come to expect from this series.

The very last scene between Achamian and Kellhus is a particular highlight. It is a powerful and emotional moment that ties up many loose ends and leaves a lasting impression.

I can kind of understand some of the negative reviews here, but honestly, if you enjoyed the previous books, I don't see why you wouldn't still enjoy this one. People seem to have a problem with Kellhus, but I don't understand their issue. Some are calling him a Marty Stu, but I don't see how that's the case. He is not the hero of this story. He is not a good person, but he's not a bad person either. He's a pragmatist who is doing everything for his own gain. The fact that he can manipulate everyone to do as he wishes would be a Marty Stu trait if he was a cliched hero, but he is far from that. In the negative reviews, a lot of people say they hate him because he's not a good person. He manipulates and controls, but isn't that the point? He's not supposed to be likable. In fact, I think we as the readers are actually supposed to kind of hate him. That's what he represents. And that's the genius of him. We read the book and, like the other characters in the story, we forget who he is and what he is, and we cheer for him. Then we remember what he's done, who he's hurt, and all he's sacrificed to get what he wants, and we feel sick for being manipulated again. If you read this series and hate Kellhus, that's good. That's the point. Maybe what he's doing is right from a logical point of view (at least in this series), but we, as moral humans, don't see it that way. So hate away, but calling him a Marty Stu like he's a Z-grade Tolkien rip-off is just dumb.

This series is great, and I am looking forward to more. I can't wait to see what the author has in store for us next.

This is the kind of book that truly demands a second analysis in order to fully grasp all the ramifications and all the possible effects it can have. It belongs to a great, great series that concludes in a very open-ended manner.

Upon finishing it, I find myself with a strong sense of curiosity and anticipation. I can't help but think that I definitely need to read the next series. And this is indeed a great thing.

The open-ended conclusion leaves room for my imagination to run wild, and it makes me eager to explore what lies ahead in the subsequent installments. It shows the author's skill in creating a story that engages the reader on a deep level and keeps them hooked even after the final page.

I look forward to delving into the next series and seeing how the story continues to unfold, and I'm sure it will be just as captivating and thought-provoking as this one.

Incredible journey! There are just too many things to say. This series truly stands in a category of its own.

In the end, I penned down 6,000 words about what is not in the book, mainly delving into the realm of metaphysics. I will only provide a link to it, as it is one massive spoiler and would make no sense without first-hand knowledge.

What is in the book, on the other hand, simply requires being read.

This book really couldn't be rated with "stars" because the stars are a lie.

https://loopingworld.com/2023/10/28/t...

Hmm,

I took a significantly longer time to read this book compared to the previous two, and yet The Thousandfold Thought is actually shorter than its predecessors. Let's just say that I grew tired of the all-powerful Kellhus. Right from the start of this book, my disillusionment with him set in very quickly. Every time he appeared on the page, I would simply stop listening. I found myself rooting for the Fanim, hoping to find just one person who could stand up to Kellhus, match him, or even outmatch him and bring him down a notch. Frankly, it was exhausting.

Now, while I have to admit that Bakker's writing is excellent, I also think that at times he can be too vague and long-winded. This made some passages rather dull and dreary, especially during Kellhus's points of view (and here we are back to that again). I absolutely despised his meeting with his father in the last section of the book. I don't understand why they both had to explain to each other exactly what they had been doing since they left Ishuäl. They were telling us things that we already knew. It wasn't revealing anything new - except for the bit about Maithanet being Kellhus's half brother - it was repetitive and, quite frankly, a bore. And that really hurts because I had been eagerly waiting for that confrontation. Looking back now, I should have seen this coming. Even Cnaiur's big encounter with Moënghus was a letdown and anticlimactic.

Achamian still remains my favorite point of view, although he did become a bit too whiny and despondent with self-pity for my taste.

The world-building, of course, remains Bakker's greatest strength. The world he has created feels so real and tangible, despite the fantastical elements that are woven into its core. The world of Eärwa is so rich in history and has a believable depiction of the rise and fall of empires and civilizations that it could easily be our own world. I found it truly fascinating.

The last chapter was clearly set up for a second series, but it was extremely anticlimactic. Suddenly, Maithanet is crowning Kellhus as Aspect-Emperor? From where did this come? I'm still undecided about whether to continue the series because I really want to see what Achamian gets up to. I'm just dreading having to endure another round of Kellhus's self-indulgent points of view.

I felt that it was truly worthwhile to read the complete trilogy.

Although at times it gave the impression of a history book, meticulously explaining the events that occurred before the Aspect-Emperor series, which could be quite overwhelming to take in.

There were no particular characters to cheer for, and everything seemed rather bleak. However, that is simply the nature of this world, and nobody seems out of place because of it. They all exist as they should in this dark and unforgiving realm, despite the occurrence of events that were difficult to endure.

It is indeed challenging to recommend this series, and yet I firmly believe that everyone who has an interest should make an attempt to read it.

It offers a unique perspective and a different kind of literary experience that may not be to everyone's taste but is still值得exploring for those who are willing to venture into its complex and often disturbing world.