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Type of bind: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.6
EAN num: 9781585677283
ISBN number: 1585677280
Label: Overlook TP
Manufacturer: Overlook TP
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 624
Printing Date: October 25, 2005
Publishing house: Overlook TP
Sale Popularity Level: 61820
Studio: Overlook TP
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Rated by buyers 
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There weren't enough superlatives to describe the brilliance of R. Scott Bakker's very first volume in "The Prince of Nothing" trilogy, "The Darkness That Comes Before". After such an astounding debut, I wondered if the second volume could match the intellectual depth and overall intensity of the very first book. Well, "The Warrior-Prophet" more than lives up to the lofty standards set by the previous book, providing one of my favorite fantasy reading experiences ever.
Reading Bakker's work is like being deliciously overwhelmed, caught in a stunning sea of nuances and detail that boggles the mind. It is akin to gazing at a great painting and finding yourself lost in the minute details for hours on end. It is the rare work where I find after finishing a paragraph, I pause to reflect on what I have read, digesting the various ideas and philosophical insights in the book. In that regard, "The Warrior-Prophet" requires active thinking when reading, coaxing the reader to confront and discuss these ideas Bakker presents, an aspect I greatly enjoyed.
The Holy War started by Maithanet, the Shriah of the Thousand Temples, continues its march southward to the sacred city of Shimeh. Immense and bloody battles ensue throughout the course of the book between the invading Inrithi factions and the heathen Fanim. Anasûrimbor Kellhus, a mysterious Prince, gradually asserts a greater influence on the Holy War by offering indispensable counsel to the Great Names administrating the war. Furthermore, Kellhus' remarkably godlike actions and manner begin to transform him in the eyes of the Inrithi from a minor outlying figure into a larger-than-life prophet. But not everyone is pleased with Kellhus' seemingly divine transformation and the power it brings him.
Drusas Achamian is a Mandate sorcerer traveling in company with Kellhus and their two consorts, Esmenet and Serwë. Tortured by apocalyptic dreams that he believes are prophetic, Achamian is convinced that Kellhus is necessary to the sucess of the Holy War and must be helped. But in assisting Kellhus, Drusas may have to sacrifice everything he has.
Bakker crafts a dark and profound tale filled with magnificent battles, glorious world-building, and an immense depth to his characters unseen in fantasy. Kellhus, who is unbelievably godlike in his abilities, is stunning. His penetrating intellect and manipulation of the other characters would come off as ludicrous in the hands of a lesser writer. But with Bakker, Kellhus is a dominating success.
The world-building is incredibly deep and innovative with a tremendously imagined historical background. There are some twists and turns, but the plot is mainly straightforward, concentrating on the massive battles of the Holy War. And it is in these war scenes that Bakker does some of his best work, presenting fantastically descriptive and bloody battles that rank up there with some of the best in fantasy.
Last Word:
"The Warrior-Prophet" is a stunner of a novel, a dark, delicious and deeply engaging masterpiece featuring an incredible amount of depth and painstaking detail. R. Scott Bakker's "The Prince of Nothing" series is not just stupendous, it is becoming monumental.
Rated by buyers -
Well then friends, you'd have Kellhus, aka the Warrior Prophet. In the second installment of the Prince of Nothing series R. Scott Bakker takes an interesting and somewhat obvious approach to his theme. The central character Kellhus is drawn up as a Christ-like figure that excels in martial arts, possibly even to the point of being supernatural. But he is also a master manipulator and you have to wonder if Bakker is alluding that he thinks Christ could have been somewhat of a fraud himself (not that we even know Kellhus is yet).
Why do I think he's referring to Jesus? Well Kellhus preaches in the desert, has disciples, is sent by his father, has an extreme knack for guiding and teaching, performs miracles (finding water in a desert), says something to the effect of "they know not what they do", takes in the diseased and immoral, and well I won't ruin the ending but there's another clear parallel drawn.
At any rate, this to me was an extremely interesting read whether I buy into that philosophy or not. Bakker does a great job of creating dynamic relationships between his characters. Motivations are not always obvious, and intentionally vague in Kellhus' case, which I liked because it kept (and still keeps) me guessing.
I do have to say there was a little too much pondering in the book and sometimes we were subject to page after page of Esmenet's uninspiring deep thought, but I just skimmed those parts. Also, I'm not overly sensitive to graphic violence or sexual detail but even I found the epilogue a little over the top.
If you liked the very first book it is hard to say you won't like this one. It is satisfying my anticipation for Steven Erikson's Toll the Hounds so for that I am thankful.
Rated by buyers -
I have now read the very first two books of the Prince of Nothing trilogy and find it to be a very intelligent reflective read that touches on many different areas of interest, but doing it well all at the same time. The only negative I find in these books is the sex, too graphic, strange disturbing descriptions, and it seems the author has an enfactuation with the male genitals.(strange) However, The Warrior Prophet is a great follow up to the astounding very first novel The Darkness That Comes Before. It picks up right where the last left off and embarks on a war march across the land in the name of the Holy War.
Much of the book is just this, several different accounts of wars that occurred during this procession across the land of the heathen. However, instead of being just an account it is written in a way that you feel you are reading actual history with the flashbacks, scripture and the characters emotions being spoken about stepping onto land of their ancestors. This is one of the areas of interest Bakker touches on. If you like great historical fiction Bakker does a great job at describing the battles, the formations, the war chants, the unit types and the feeling that the soldiers have before, during and after the battle. The battles are not all that is well done, the journey between the battles are also very well done.
This is interest area number two, the journey fantasy fans. If you like seeing the start to finish of a great journey, coming into great power and conquest with a great evil to eliminate it is here for you as well. Bakker does a beautiful job writing the trials, the victories and even the tension of the journey the Holy War faces. The desert with the troops dehydrated and beaten had to be the gritiest portion of the novel for me, very emotional and engaging. The dialogue between characters during the journey is deep and keeps you emersed allowing you as the reader to care for the characters and their outcomes.
Brings us as the reader to Bakker's third area of interest characterization. All the elements are here, warriors, sorcerors, kings, princes and of course the savior. Each character is very different, each with their own personality and position on the war and its meaning. Each character also has their inner self the intimate one that is not on the surface to others. All of these are explored, dialogued and developed in a way real life does for our personalities. Some characters initial stand on the Holy War may be completely different by the end of the book because they have changed an outlook or belief and have become something more or have matured beyond a shallow belief.
This is where Bakker really shines, the deeper meaning of the book. Bakker is a philosopher and with that in mind the book is written at by very first glance a dark fantasy, but at a deeper look an underlying revelation is revealed. The accounts of the novel are reflective of our society, our struggles, our personal gods and of the things that control us. Bakker expounds on our personal struggles in society and insecurities each of us feel day in and day out. Ultimately, Bakker is writing how to combat these, how not to fall into the mold you were poured and to become more. He writes a novel where not only are the characters being touched by the prophet messenger, but the reader as well. With this you are pulled into the journey and are one of the troops walking to Shimeh.
Highly recommended for the deep thinker to its entirety; or for the masses if you are good at skimming some of the philosophical tangents the author takes. Whichever you fall into it is an enjoyable read, probably one of the best works written, can easily be put on the top 100 best fantasies of all time.
Rated by buyers 
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After reading this book I have read well over a thousand pages of this series and even though I am always looking for a good read I find I do not want to read the third book. There are no characters to root for or get involved with because they are all really really bad people who become uninteresting in their one sidedness. Who cares if one of the main characters dies? They all deserve bad ends like the ones they have dished out in abundance. Averting an apocolypse? Could there be a worse society than the one these people have already created for themselves? Where are the women characters? They are prostitutes or so subordinate that it is grating to read and again boring. This author had a lot of potential but these books fall flat.
Rated by buyers -
I read the very first two books in the trilogy; will not read the third. After awhile it palls to read a never-ending series of rapes, murders, and wholesale slaughters, including children thrown onto swordpoints or gang-raped to death in front of their parents. To be fair to the writer, I suspect he is using real-life descriptions from the crusades -- but in the end it was simply too sickening for me. Also: Every major character but one or possibly two (Achamian, maybe Esmenet) is a monster of one sort or another. In particular, the Prince-of-Nothing title character is technically human, but he is as vicious, manipulative, and alien as the "Consult" portrayed as the hidden enemy of humanity.
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