The Darkness That Comes Before by R. Scott Bakker

The Darkness That Comes Before

R. Scott Bakker

Overlook · Paperback · September 2, 2008

A mysterious traveler intervenes in an epic holy war in this “impressive, challenging debut” of the critically acclaimed fantasy epic ( Publishers Weekly , starred review).

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Who it’s for
For when you want epic fantasy with a harder, darker intellectual pulse.
Genres
Epic Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, Military Fantasy
Published
Overlook, September 2, 2008

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For younger readers: Now I Rise, There Will Come a Darkness, The Cursed Queen's Daughter

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About this book

A mysterious traveler intervenes in an epic holy war in this “impressive, challenging debut” of the critically acclaimed fantasy epic ( Publishers Weekly , starred review). The first book in R. Scott Bakker's Prince of Nothing series introduces readers to a strikingly original and engrossingly vivid new world.

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With its language and classes of people, its cities, religions, mysteries, taboos, and rituals, The Darkness That Comes Before has drawn comparison to J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings and Frank Herbert’s Dune . Bakker’s Eärwa is 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, two men and two women are ensnared by a mysterious traveler, Anasûrimbor 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. The Prince of Nothing Series The Darkness That Comes Before The Warrior Prophet The Thousandfold Thought Read more

Dark, Dense Magic

For when you want epic fantasy with a harder, darker intellectual pulse.

Come here for

  • brooding fantasy gravity
  • philosophy-soaked edge

Expect

  • military-fantasy momentum
  • religion and philosophy in the mix

Where it sits

Dark Fantasy86%
Epic Fantasy81%
Military Fantasy58%

Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.

Publisher categories

  • Fantasy
  • Sci-Fi
Authors
R. Scott Bakker
Publisher
Overlook
Published
September 2, 2008
Format
Paperback
Reading lane
Fantasy