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R. Scott Bakker

The Darkness That Comes Before (The Prince of Nothing, Book 1) Paperback – June 1, 2005

by R.Scott Bakker (Author)

567 ratings

Book 1 of 3: The Prince of Nothing

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A score of centuries has passed since the First Apocalypse and the thoughts of men have turned, inevitably, to more worldly concerns...A veteran sorcerer and spy seeks news of an ancient enemy. A military genius plots to conquer the known world for his Emperor but dreams of the throne for himself. The spiritual leader of the Thousand Temples seeks a Holy War to cleanse the land of the infidel. An exiled barbarian chieftain seeks vengeance against the man who disgraced him. And into this world steps a man like no other, seeking to bind all - man and woman, emperor and slave - to his own mysterious ends. But the fate of men - even great men - means little when the world itself may soon be torn asunder. Behind the politics, beneath the religious fervour, a dark and ancient evil is reawakening. After two thousand years, the No-God is returning. The Second Apocalypse is nigh. And one cannot raise walls against what has been forgotten...

Print length

656 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Time Warner Books Uk
Publication date

June 1, 2005
Dimensions

4.49 x 2.01 x 7.01 inches
ISBN-10

1841494089
ISBN-13

978-1841494081
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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Time Warner Books Uk; New Ed edition (June 1, 2005)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 656 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1841494089
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1841494081
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13.1 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.49 x 2.01 x 7.01 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,559,515 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #2,569 in Military Fantasy (Books)
- #14,191 in Post-Apocalyptic Science Fiction (Books)
- #14,912 in Fantasy Action & Adventure

Customer Reviews:
567 ratings

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3 star		9%
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Simply one of the best books I’ve ever read

Reviewed in the United States on December 13, 2018

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"The thoughts of all men arise from the darkness. If you are the movement of your soul, and the cause of that movement precedes you, then how could you ever call your thoughts your own? How could you be anything other than a slave to the darkness that comes before?"

Well, this is simply one of the best books I’ve ever read. It’s actually pretty difficult for me to write a review that will capture the grandeur of this story - which is probably why I initially threw five stars at it and walked away - but I think it’s time to give it a go.

The Darkness That Comes Before is the first installment in The Prince of Nothing series and is an intelligent, ambitious and complex recount of the beginnings of the great holy war that threatens the lands of Eärwa. Throughout its pages we embark on a crusade and witness events unfold through the eyes of multiple characters of highly varying backgrounds and beliefs. While the people of the land are focused on each other, an ancient group of magi lurks in the shadows and tirelessly works to bring about the return of an evil most no longer believe in. Of all the mysteries draping over Eärwa, a strange and enigmatic monk travels to the Holy city of Shimeh, seamlessly intertwining himself in the lives of many, his true intentions hidden beneath a refined and charming mask.

This story is intense, unrelenting and unforgiving, immediately immersing you in a world with millennia of history, where cultures, factions, religions, rituals, and more are described in minute detail throughout. Told in a beautifully poetic and philosophical prose, it took me some time to fully grasp the gravity and brilliance, but once I finally did, I became completely absorbed until the very end. It’s haunting and intriguing and dark, brimming with palpable peril and disturbing encounters. We’re introduced to a cast of absolutely deplorable, yet extremely interesting and well-developed characters and the change of point of view smartly gives us insight into the current status of all different parts of the world.

I feel like I’ve dipped my toes into a deep and bottomless ocean and cannot wait to continue on this journey. I know nothing I say will give this book the justice it deserves, so please just go and give it a read.

29 people found this helpful

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Chandler Robinson

Finally, something to put on the top shelf!

Reviewed in the United States on April 29, 2020

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After a long hiatus, I have found myself reading fantasy again. Having finished reading a short novella to warm up my imagination, I thought to myself, why dip your toes in the water when you can just dive straight in?

So I bought Malazan Book of the Fallen.

By chapter three I realized the critical mistake I had made. Malazan was to big. To encompassing. A lifestyle, as much as a story.

Having already read the entire series of 'The Black Company' and 'The First Law' (unfortunately), I figured I would tackle the one other reputable, mature dark fantasy series I had heard of; perhaps the one with the most polarized reception. That would be 'The Darkness That Comes Before'.

Most people either despise or love this book. And here is why I think that is.

Bakker has written a novel that is unapologetically cynical. It ignores tropes, ignores hand holding. It is not a casual read. The reader must immerse themselves in this type of story and let it enter their mind. Let's be honest, many readers of fiction as of late don't want this type of reading experience, evidenced by the successes of authors such as Joe Abercrombie and Mark Lawrence. It is an absolute shame. This book also does not exactly put women in the most admirable or heroic positions, which while accurate for the alternate historical setting of it, does not bode well for many female readers. This largely removes positive reviews from the largest demographic of modern readers.

The story itself is heavily influenced by the Medieval Crusades, specifically the First Crusade. Bakker's prose is wonderful, atmospheric and engaging. It has interesting characters (although I think one less POV would have worked better for this first entry, as to give more screen time to a couple of them) that fill dynamic roles in the plot. The plot itself is solid and, while familiar, not quite conventional. That being said the first half of the book is slow, mostly world building, and lacking perspective from who I found to be the two best characters.

Overall, the two words I would use to describe this near masterpiece are criminally underrated.

13 people found this helpful

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ben farr

Maybe just put more work in....

Reviewed in the United States on November 2, 2020

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Don’t understand the one Star reviews.

This blows most novels out of the water and certainly most fantasy. If you want bright colors on a platter then there are plenty of series out there. Nothing wrong with that type of writing but this is a whole different league

Poetic prose that sound more like quotes from dead Germans and Greeks than fantasy in certain places. Found myself writing down and sending to friends without context

Yes, you’ll find yourself referencing the useful map and glossary a lot. Yes, this is half the fun and seems intentional.

As far as it’s darker elements, this makes GOT feel like the Wizard of Oz. Not just in terms of violence but in its sheer honesty about the less desirable elements of statecraft, religion, mob stupidity and human nature

The characters feel real and compelling. Another area where you need to read between the lines and put in the work. Not enough authors do this; no ones inner monologue goes “I’m a bad person”. Bakker delivers his character development though subtle contradiction....like in the real world. No tropes here, sorry.

Last but not least it actually shows the darker side of the “Nobel savage” barbarian fantasy archetype which is a deeply needed effort. Bakker understands what holds together honor cultures and gets much further into the shadows than most

Highly, highly recommend

3 people found this helpful

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Florin

Astonishing book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 13, 2020

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Again and again I gently shake my head in incredulous appreciation of the book. I read little, but I can distinguish between rich and sophisticated and dull and revolting the same way a repentant glutton can tell you the difference between exquisite cake and cheap sponge with icing on top or a former drunkard now wine taster can palate some wine and tell you the year and the place.

A few years ago it was “Dune” of Frank Herbert that made me respect the intellect and craftsmanship required to present a world in a chapter and a universe in a volume. Now it is the Prince of Nothing that takes me on a series of mesmerising beauty. The same way iron is folded and beaten again and again into itself until all impurities come off in flakes, all scabs clear and shining perfection remains, so have these pages been scrutinised and cleansed and bled of all the unnecessary and unimportant and left only as the true and entrancing gate towards suffering, glory, joy, understanding and the start of a search within the book and within yourself.

To be a good actor you have to be schizophrenic, to mumble the words as Anthony Hopkins does ahead of any role, to FEEL the anger of John Hurt in “I, Claudius” when the ingrates COULD NOT SEE the grandness of being presented with the spoils of Old Neptune. To be a good writer you have to be in full all your characters and at the same time none; to be just the wind that brushes clouds, places, faces, but possesses none, merely passing through, merely giving a gentle nudge, chipping the sand of a wall, persistently pushing aside clothes and hair to slowly reveal curves, colour and minds.

2 people found this helpful

Braythor

Amazing.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 11, 2015

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After branching off into some other fiction, I felt the itch to come back to fantasy and, after a bit of looking around, stumbled upon this and thought I'd see if it was any good. I have not been disappointed, this is nothing short of amazing.

The plot follows a handful of characters as their threads become entwined in an overall arc. If you were to break this down to its very core you'd find standard fantasy elements - a sorceror, a barbarian, a forgotten prince etc, all joining a war with the ever present (but not really believed by most) threat of an ancient demon-god coming back to threaten the world with darkness. However, as average as that sounds, the writing is of such an incredibly high standard that Bakker could throw in any type of character and you'd still read it. Each character is overwhelmingly deep in substance, and this is an almost constant exploration of the various aspects of humanity; there are phrases and passages in here that you read several times, then shut the book and contemplate for a time.

I won't attempt to summarise the characters or the story, as even a summary would take too long and not do this justice. Sufficed to say that if you love high/epic fantasy, this is for you. It is a little tricky to start with, but nothing too difficult, and my main (and only) slight niggle is that some of the character and place names are very complicated. I often find myself simply recognising the shapes of the words rather than attempting to pronounce them. But that really is the only criticism I can offer, and it's a very subjective one. This is the start of what will surely be one of the best fantasy novels I've read in a long time.

13 people found this helpful

ZhuaZi

Stunning start to a mind-blowing series

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 12, 2017

Verified Purchase

I think many recovering fantasy fans like myself have been forcibly dragged back into the realms of fantasy by R. Scott Bakker, and have been half- regretting it ever since.

The Darkness that Comes Before introduces us to a plethora of amazing characters: Kellhus, the superhuman who has mastered himself, body and mind, to such an extent that the rest of the world seem as children to him; a brilliant, if deeply troubled, tribesman named Cnaiur, an old sorcerer and teacher, Achamian and the whore, Esmenet. Kellhus is simply fascinating, a simple concept, but beautifully created; Cnaiur evokes all my teenage fascinations with muscle-bound, insane anti-heroes; Achamian always seems a bit like a projection of the author, a philosopher and thinker, plagued by dark dreams and conflicting responsibilities; Esmenet is a bit of a male-fantasy, but she's a strong female character as well.

We get sucked into the factions of Earwa, who are exceptionally complex on a first reading, the memories of a past apocalypse, which will make more sense after finishing the series to date.

The world is very historical in some senses, with references to medieval European and Middle-Eastern culture throughout, including some lovely anthropological detail, and there is a detailed and technical magic system working alongside it, which manages to break with the fashion of creating unexplained, mysterious magic systems.

I don't really have any criticisms: the writing style really grew on me and, despite the near impossibility of writing high-fantasy without a few cliches, Bakker manages to make the book feel exceptionally original, injects a sense of reality, includes genuinely evocative philosophical ideas and excites the fantasy-obsessed mind as well as any other book I can think of.

4 people found this helpful

sals85

It’s not often I give up on a book...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 30, 2018

Verified Purchase

It’s not often I give up on a book but, after getting a third of the way through this epic tome, I had had enough.
I didn’t have clue what why anything was happening, who was whom, and more importantly did not care. The narrative is confusing, a lot of back story which doesn’t knit together particularly well with the present & leaves the reader confused. Reading became a chore and that was the death knell; I didn’t finish it.

3 people found this helpful

Cleever

A story with scope

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 8, 2017

Verified Purchase

Massive story, with its own history embedded within it.
Excellent characters - you root for some, hate others. A number of protagonists are followed, meeting and leaving the main story.
Politics, battles, magic, mysterious skills. Complicated but worth the effort.

2 people found this helpful

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