The Holy War fomented by the mysterious prophet Maithanet between "the two great faiths of Inrithism and Fanimry" in The Darkness That Comes Before (2004), the critically acclaimed first book in the epic fantasy trilogy by Canadian author Bakker, explodes in this compelling, if overly long, sequel set in the medieval world of Eärwa. Like many a traditional historical chronicle, the book mentions a plethora of people and places only in passing, but the all-too-human tale of love, hatred and justice, centered on the sorcerer Drusas Achamian and the monk Anasûrimbor Kellhus (aka "the prince of nothing") and their respective harlot lady friends with hearts of gold, Esmenet and Serwë, keeps the pages turning. The final cinematic scene, of a vast landscape filled with enormous armies, nicely sets the stage for book three of this daringly unconventional series in the Tolkien mold.
Wednesday, June 8, 2016
Tuesday, March 22, 2016
The Darkness that Comes Before by R. Scott Bakker
The first book in the Prince of Nothing Trilogy.
Strikingly original in its conception, ambitious in scope, with characters engrossingly and vividly drawn, the first book in R. Scott Bakker's Prince of Nothing series creates a remarkable world from whole cloth-its language and classes of people, its cities, religions, mysteries, taboos, and rituals-the kind of all-embracing universe Tolkien and Herbert created unforgettably in the epic fantasies The Lord of the Rings and Dune. It's a world scarred by an apocalyptic past, evoking a time both two thousand years past and two thousand years into the future, as untold thousands gather for a crusade. Among them, two men and two women are ensnared by a mysterious traveler, Anasurimbor Kellhus—part warrior, part philosopher, part sorcerous, charismatic presence—from lands long thought dead. The Darkness That Comes Before is a history of this great holy war, and like all histories, the survivors write its conclusion.