Type of bind: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.6
Format: Bargain Price
Label: Overlook TP
Manufacturer: Overlook TP
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 608
Printing Date: May 31, 2005
Publishing house: Overlook TP
Sale Popularity Level: 742334
Studio: Overlook TP
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Rated by buyers 
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I just finished the series, and I must say that it leaves me unsatisfied. For those who haven't read George R.R. Martin or Steven Erikson, I would have to say that this review is not for you, as I will be referring to both series since they are the standards of fantasy literature.
The series approaches the complexity of the George R.R. Martin's characters, dozens of complicated individuals, each with his or her own convictions and views of the world. Initially, one cannot tell who is right and who is wrong, as every person's view of the world has always been the right view. As I progress through the novels, the characters mature and evolve. However, unlike Martin's amazing character development, Bakker's is left half-baked. Kellhus. The all-knowing Kellhus is the asteroid that wipes out the evolution of Bakker's characters. It's so frustrating to see what could have been great multi-faceted characters like Proyas, Esmenet, Cnaur, and others obliterated into two-sided paper figures whose only conviction is to believe or not believe the greatness of Kellhus. Even more frustrating is most of the main characters: the great names, knights and thanes, serve no purpose but to die. Like clockwork, someone with a name must die in every battle. When one of George R.R. Martin's character die, it creates a shudder through the storyline - not only because it often so unexpected, but because one feels so much for the character, whether it's admiration or hate, of things left unaccomplished. Death leaves a hollow space in GRRM's world.
The Prince of Nothing also bears great similarity with Erikson's Malazan series, particularly Coltaine's long march from Seven Cities. The desperation and hopelessness of that retreat is so palpable that it left the taste of gritty desert sand in my mouth. In some ways this novel is very similar, although Inrithi's armies are attacking, not retreating. The toll of the battle road is comparable in both books. However, while Erikson's story progresses smoothly, Bakker's journey suffer innumerable rest stops. Every chapter is inundated with, as another reviewer wrote, "unending explanations of the greatness of Kellhus". By the third book, I actually found myself skipping sections of "the greatness of Kellhus", something unthinkable in a GRRM or Erikson book lest you miss an important part integral to the plot. After reading "the greatness of Kellhus" dozens and dozens of times, I find that it is not necessary, there was nothing that was not already stated.
Thus, I find Bakker's book somewhat combination of both GRRM and Erikson. It aspires to Martin's characterization and Erikson's plot progression, but falls short in both. However, since GRRM is taking decades between books, and Erikson's latest is not out yet, I recommend this series as a decent substitute to satisfy some of your cravings. Just be warned, it will not leave you hungering for more bread from Bakker's bakery. RG
Rated by buyers 
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Bakker has created something of a rarity with his very first entry into the Prince of Nothing saga - a truly immersive fantasy world that sets itself apart from the rest by trading in a world of elves and orcs for one of a more middle-eastern feel. The cultures represented are unfamiliar to the high fantasy genre, and thus Bakker's creation feels new and exotic, while his language and impeccale writing bring the world alive and give it a sense of realism, even as it describes great and terrible wonders.
His characters are often less developed than some readers would like to see - Kellhus and Achamian walk through his world with an almost single-minded outlook, Cnaiur unflagging in his brutality, and the emperor unwavering in his scheming. Nevertheless, the book is never boring, nor is it ever predictable.
The heavy, mature themes - holy wars, ancient gods - all give a gravity to this work that makes the characters as well as the events seem larger than life. Where another writer would have simply described a battle, Bakker manages to steep it in the hatred of thousands of years, fully lending credibility to the meaning of the event within the context of his work. The lines between good and evil blur in the beginning of this sprawling epic - perhaps there are no lines at all, but merely a handful of different viewpoints in this exciting, intelligent dark fantasy.
Rated by buyers 
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I wanted to like this book. It came highly recommended, complete with comparisons to "A Song of Ice and Fire." But while Martin's series presents the broad spectrum of human behavior, Bakker sees all through the spectrum of strength and weakness.
At the center of this amoral universe is Kellhus, an emotionless blond-haired superman who manipulates and discards those around him. The character is clearly based on a superficial interpretation of Nietzsche, and I can't say which aspect of him I find more annoying: his "Mary Sue" mastery of all physical, mental, and social contests, or the supremely unrealistic nature of his psyche. I know it seems odd to talk about realism in a book that includes magic, but even fantasy characters must adhere to some recognizable psychology. Kellhus is not a man, he is philosopher's thought experiment.
Another aspect of the book which I found disturbing was the portrayal of women. The two primary female characters are shown to be little more than needy sex objects with no self-esteem and little willpower. It's my understanding that Bakker defended this as a realistic interpretation of female social roles in medieval societies. This is a gross generalization, and does not excuse the inherent weakness and semi-delusional nature of the female characters.
If there is one character whom we the reader can truly root for, it is Drusas Achamian, the spy and sorcerer. Achamian alone promises some humanity throughout the series, but I'm not sure I have the patience to suffer through the whole series for it. I'm quite certain horrible, horrible things will befall Achamian before this series is done. Why? Because he seems a decent man, and decent people get trampled in the brutal world of R. Scott Bakker.
Rated by buyers -
I loved the title of this book, and the series title... However, the content I found confusing, way way too detailed, and nothing about the characters that really peaked my interest and had me wanting to know what happened to them. Added to that, each time a new character was introduced, I got more and more confused as to where in the world the story was headed...not a clue, nor did it intrigue me to find out where the story was headed.
The set up took way too long.. I got to page eighty five, and the set up still wasn't finished, and I was bored outta my mind.
I'd recommend Robert Jordan, Lorna Freeman, Greg Keyes, or E.E. Knight
Rated by buyers 
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Bakker's fantasy series was years in the making which is apparent to anyone who manages to read through the (currently) 3 novels in the series. With the exception of the prologue, the reader is thrown mind-first into a the largely realized world of Eärwa where factions, theories, philosophies, histories and dogma abound.
Bakker does not treat his reader delicately. Very little in the book is simplified or overexplained. Those looking for a book with introductions and pages of explorative narration would best turn elsewhere; Eärwa is on the verge of an Apocalypse, it has no time to accommodate the reader.
Bakker himself has admitted the book is almost meant to be twice read and that if he could do things differently, he would have offered more chapters for the reader to associate themselves with Kellhus, the central figure the trilogy revolves around.
Despite the complexity and shadows thrown long across the narrative, Bakker is a deft hand at bringing personal feelings and drama through the mouths and minds of his characters.
If you're willing to check the appendix and maps on occasion, you'll find yourself quickly immersed in this wild and wondrous world.
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