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frasersimons
2024 reread: it’s interesting going through this again knowing for sure what happens, rather than have a bit more than a feeling about what Bakker is doing, but still being along for the ride regardless of the kind of violence that takes place. Especially to women. But, thankfully, that is the actual point of the world and the antagonist. The “dark” in the fantasy is, essentially misogyny. It’s rightfully hard to read, and it permeates the world, is made manifest, quite slowly.
If there’s one flaw of these first three, it’s that they really feel like one novel, cut up to three. There is a resolution in each, but it really feels like the first book is all build up, and lots of the second, too. The soft world building doesn’t inundate the reader with how different the world is. And it is really different. From evocative, alternate words for most esoteric things, certainly the fantastical, it is a slow descent. So much so, I would say that not all that much actually happens, in terms of plot beats. But it’s immersive and, if you can extend some good faith while you enjoy it, there’s not really anything like it out there. People will say Read Malazan. I tried. The first book was boring—the opposite of what I got out of this, all the way through. It immediately has me pick up the next up. Even as it builds a sense of dread in the reader as to what may be happening. And he pulls it off twice. Once at the end of this trilogy, and again at the end of the whole series.
I really enjoyed this even though I found it to be quite dense around 150-250 pages in. It jumps around to different factions, which is always interesting, but it is a lot to remember sometimes. The nice thing about listening to audio book was the pacing the reader took. Because it was slower than reading it was easier to digest, I think.
It doesn’t read like typical fantasy, which I can’t usually get through. I like the prose, which don’t overstay their welcome but paint evocative details. The world is interesting, the characters complex. There are definitely no “heroes”. The only thing that stood out was sometimes the writing was a litttle cringe when it turned its eye to women in regards to characterizing other male characters, which is pretty eye roll worthy and tropey. Otherwise it was very novel for me and I will definitely continue on to the next book as well.
If there’s one flaw of these first three, it’s that they really feel like one novel, cut up to three. There is a resolution in each, but it really feels like the first book is all build up, and lots of the second, too. The soft world building doesn’t inundate the reader with how different the world is. And it is really different. From evocative, alternate words for most esoteric things, certainly the fantastical, it is a slow descent. So much so, I would say that not all that much actually happens, in terms of plot beats. But it’s immersive and, if you can extend some good faith while you enjoy it, there’s not really anything like it out there. People will say Read Malazan. I tried. The first book was boring—the opposite of what I got out of this, all the way through. It immediately has me pick up the next up. Even as it builds a sense of dread in the reader as to what may be happening. And he pulls it off twice. Once at the end of this trilogy, and again at the end of the whole series.
I really enjoyed this even though I found it to be quite dense around 150-250 pages in. It jumps around to different factions, which is always interesting, but it is a lot to remember sometimes. The nice thing about listening to audio book was the pacing the reader took. Because it was slower than reading it was easier to digest, I think.
It doesn’t read like typical fantasy, which I can’t usually get through. I like the prose, which don’t overstay their welcome but paint evocative details. The world is interesting, the characters complex. There are definitely no “heroes”. The only thing that stood out was sometimes the writing was a litttle cringe when it turned its eye to women in regards to characterizing other male characters, which is pretty eye roll worthy and tropey. Otherwise it was very novel for me and I will definitely continue on to the next book as well.
It certainly still feels like a book that would have been one large one, but also a middle book, since it also, much like the first, has slow world building and plot, and ends on a cliffhanger situation. The unease about the world ramps up as well, as The Consort moves from being unmasked, to being much more present.
Plus, the return of Aka! Hard won. I’m not sure anyone really bought he was killed last book but it’s still quite fun to have him back. Especially since he’s the closest thing to a hero, or sympathetic character, other than the women. But that’s kind of the point, and why it moves from a kind of tropey “evil”, into a much more comprehensive faction, or force. And it’s reinforced by the world building.
Because it’s dark fantasy, you can bet there’s mostly critiques of culture and society, and limitations of humanity, such as a very short memory. On the one hand you have Kellus, who has no real embodiment and whose powers come from philosophy and intellect, but is described as actually purging his personhood and any embodiment he once had in order to obtain it. On the other hand, The Consort is able to strive because they understand humanity in its animal form and outlast the memory of the generations that dealt with the primordial destruction of the larger evil force, possibly now tasked with rebuilding that ancient evil.
The narrative itself is written by Aka though. Itself a question, since the quotes in the book, and possibly the entire book, ostensibly, is the written record of an apocalypse. A second one. Bakker doesn’t really show what the answer to the philosophical questions are. He is more interested in showing the ways why there is no peace and why only terrible things happen with how culture, memory, and values are passed on. The nature of power interacting with those aspects are the “real” evil. Because otherwise humanity would be far more equipped to deal with these issues. Had they people like Nayoor, who learned of the Dunyain and grew from it, or people heeded the generational knowledge of the Consort, or paid attention to the philosophical aspects that Kellus was reared into, the Consort would be identified and much more easily dealt with.
But when either goes to an extreme, grow in power, they become monstrous rather than the tools people need to have some autonomy in the world.
Plot wise, more happens, but not so much as you’d expect in most books. Bakker is a slow burn kind of author. I already know from reading them all where it’s going, so I have a large sense of anticipation this time around. For first timers, I suspect, much like me, the strength of the prose and how novel the book is, probably will carry the reader through (or not).
Plus, the return of Aka! Hard won. I’m not sure anyone really bought he was killed last book but it’s still quite fun to have him back. Especially since he’s the closest thing to a hero, or sympathetic character, other than the women. But that’s kind of the point, and why it moves from a kind of tropey “evil”, into a much more comprehensive faction, or force. And it’s reinforced by the world building.
Because it’s dark fantasy, you can bet there’s mostly critiques of culture and society, and limitations of humanity, such as a very short memory. On the one hand you have Kellus, who has no real embodiment and whose powers come from philosophy and intellect, but is described as actually purging his personhood and any embodiment he once had in order to obtain it. On the other hand, The Consort is able to strive because they understand humanity in its animal form and outlast the memory of the generations that dealt with the primordial destruction of the larger evil force, possibly now tasked with rebuilding that ancient evil.
The narrative itself is written by Aka though. Itself a question, since the quotes in the book, and possibly the entire book, ostensibly, is the written record of an apocalypse. A second one. Bakker doesn’t really show what the answer to the philosophical questions are. He is more interested in showing the ways why there is no peace and why only terrible things happen with how culture, memory, and values are passed on. The nature of power interacting with those aspects are the “real” evil. Because otherwise humanity would be far more equipped to deal with these issues. Had they people like Nayoor, who learned of the Dunyain and grew from it, or people heeded the generational knowledge of the Consort, or paid attention to the philosophical aspects that Kellus was reared into, the Consort would be identified and much more easily dealt with.
But when either goes to an extreme, grow in power, they become monstrous rather than the tools people need to have some autonomy in the world.
Plot wise, more happens, but not so much as you’d expect in most books. Bakker is a slow burn kind of author. I already know from reading them all where it’s going, so I have a large sense of anticipation this time around. For first timers, I suspect, much like me, the strength of the prose and how novel the book is, probably will carry the reader through (or not).
Aside from the choreography of the final battle—of which I didn’t care about much, not particularly like granular details about fights, and even less so, war fiction—this ties up many knots and leaves the core concept open for the next books. As a slight spoiler, the next book implies that this trilogy is indeed written by Aka, as is pretty heavily implied. Though, of course what we consume is not the actual book, in the fiction the read a history of events solely from Aka’s perspective. But the tragedy sewn from the first is neatly reaped with the notion that the No God still comes, The Consort still out there perusing its ends, and really, the coming of a sociopathic literally “conditioned” man, hallowed out of personhood, driven mad with accrued power, leaves the world in a far worse way. All to simply achieve his mandate; although, how sane he is after the corruption of absolute power and the implication of his madness is debatable, the series is called The Second Apocalypse. So, as with this trilogy, the quadrilogy after retains the sense of immense dread.
Even if reader don’t particularly get on with the prose, this is still doing something far more interesting than any other fantasy series I’ve read, so the attempt would still make it a five star read, for me. It does require a lot more from the reader, though. Hence, probably why Malazan is the more popular though considered similar. The philosophy is in the world itself and the character arcs. Especially with Aka and Esme. Both of whom are the heart of the book, and the ultimate powers both using humanity as nothing but children because of their short memory and inability to change their power structures and core tenants, ultimately make them, as most dark fantasy is centered on, incapable of retaining any agency in their lives. The “evil” uses people as puppets and manipulates like meat puppets, whereas the Dunyain pierce their beliefs and psychology and manipulate their every thought and feeling. Mankind is unprepared completely, despite suffering a first apocalypse.
All the while, of course, this extrapolation can be put onto modern day philosophy and power structures. Which similarly won’t ever change and constantly make an endless destructive cycle for every generation so far. A “hero” would just be another belief system that would either be inflicted or repelled by the population. Things aren’t looking too bright for what is to come beyond the manufactured holy war. But if you got this far, I don’t think you’re particularly looking for that.
Even if reader don’t particularly get on with the prose, this is still doing something far more interesting than any other fantasy series I’ve read, so the attempt would still make it a five star read, for me. It does require a lot more from the reader, though. Hence, probably why Malazan is the more popular though considered similar. The philosophy is in the world itself and the character arcs. Especially with Aka and Esme. Both of whom are the heart of the book, and the ultimate powers both using humanity as nothing but children because of their short memory and inability to change their power structures and core tenants, ultimately make them, as most dark fantasy is centered on, incapable of retaining any agency in their lives. The “evil” uses people as puppets and manipulates like meat puppets, whereas the Dunyain pierce their beliefs and psychology and manipulate their every thought and feeling. Mankind is unprepared completely, despite suffering a first apocalypse.
All the while, of course, this extrapolation can be put onto modern day philosophy and power structures. Which similarly won’t ever change and constantly make an endless destructive cycle for every generation so far. A “hero” would just be another belief system that would either be inflicted or repelled by the population. Things aren’t looking too bright for what is to come beyond the manufactured holy war. But if you got this far, I don’t think you’re particularly looking for that.
This is my third Christie and I think she’s fine, but not particularly interesting to me. The setting and character don’t grab me and the traditional setups make things easy to predict. Mystery wise I seem way more predisposed to Nordic noir these days.
2024 re read: Boy, this series pays dividends with a re read. So much of what I was unsure about I already know for certain, so it breeds anticipation, rather than unsurety. For instance, the more tedious sections with the child, I recall really not being into. The strength of the prose and how short they are, and the fact that I know they culminate into some really interesting developments, transform the sections into enjoyable diversions.
Afterall, the other side of what’s happening is so dang cool. The slog of slog, with Aka coming out of exile to find the Dunyain via a Mines of Moria type situation. I really enjoy which tropes Bakker hits and which he subverts or subtly alters. The trip is far more interesting than I remember. With the non man captain, the reveal of what they actually are, at least, kind of. The tear of god. The haunting, more sorcery, and the revelation of Aka’s altered dreaming playing into what we learned previously, as well as the path forward. The introduction of the white-luck warrior too. So many cool things happening.
There is just so much more lore and action packed things happening. It’s really no wonder that the Esme ruling along with her children being only in part Kels. I’m not wild about the idea of like genetics birthing people with abstracted “gifts” from the Dunyain breeding, mostly because it’s baseless than just saying they learned such things from their conditioning. Sure, it makes sense they would need to be smart, but the idea of their genetic inheritance being an impairment is abstract and tropey, let alone begs the scientific to be a conceit, rather than handwaved, which feels like a mistake in a fantasy novel with magic. I don’t really believe children, without proper study, could discern complex micro expressions, let alone formulate strategies to execute that knowledge such as Kelhus does. The ability to do so downplays the sections on how Kel was conditioned imo. But, really that’s the only nitpick I have, and it is, as I say, fantasy, so whatever, really.
Original review:
While the sections with Esme dragged a bit because her young child is boring, the Great Ordeal marching was much more interesting. The trek under the mountain and the reveal of the judging eye would have been enough to give this 5 stars. So much happened and so much was revealed. Riveting stuff.
If you’re listening on audible you’ll find the change in narration jarring. The guy who narrated The Prince of Nothing trilogy was amazing, where this new fellow is like James T Kirk and Vincent Price overdramatizing everything. The good news is that if you can bear it, the narrator improves tremendous amount. Just passed the halfway mark, if I remember correctly, that all stops and he reads it without that weird cadence and is much more enjoyable.
Afterall, the other side of what’s happening is so dang cool. The slog of slog, with Aka coming out of exile to find the Dunyain via a Mines of Moria type situation. I really enjoy which tropes Bakker hits and which he subverts or subtly alters. The trip is far more interesting than I remember. With the non man captain, the reveal of what they actually are, at least, kind of. The tear of god. The haunting, more sorcery, and the revelation of Aka’s altered dreaming playing into what we learned previously, as well as the path forward. The introduction of the white-luck warrior too. So many cool things happening.
There is just so much more lore and action packed things happening. It’s really no wonder that the Esme ruling along with her children being only in part Kels. I’m not wild about the idea of like genetics birthing people with abstracted “gifts” from the Dunyain breeding, mostly because it’s baseless than just saying they learned such things from their conditioning. Sure, it makes sense they would need to be smart, but the idea of their genetic inheritance being an impairment is abstract and tropey, let alone begs the scientific to be a conceit, rather than handwaved, which feels like a mistake in a fantasy novel with magic. I don’t really believe children, without proper study, could discern complex micro expressions, let alone formulate strategies to execute that knowledge such as Kelhus does. The ability to do so downplays the sections on how Kel was conditioned imo. But, really that’s the only nitpick I have, and it is, as I say, fantasy, so whatever, really.
Original review:
While the sections with Esme dragged a bit because her young child is boring, the Great Ordeal marching was much more interesting. The trek under the mountain and the reveal of the judging eye would have been enough to give this 5 stars. So much happened and so much was revealed. Riveting stuff.
If you’re listening on audible you’ll find the change in narration jarring. The guy who narrated The Prince of Nothing trilogy was amazing, where this new fellow is like James T Kirk and Vincent Price overdramatizing everything. The good news is that if you can bear it, the narrator improves tremendous amount. Just passed the halfway mark, if I remember correctly, that all stops and he reads it without that weird cadence and is much more enjoyable.
2024 reread:
I had forgotten quite a bit of the developments in this one, and thought a plot beat that happened in another one, happened here instead. Fitting, since this one features ruminations on memory pretty heavily, when focused on the slow of slogs. Aka’s journey, along with the great ordeal, have problems of scarcity. Starvation and sustenance, coupled with the non man’s identity being kept by someone else in the party. Reminding him of who he is and what he has done. A really interesting take on a species that is so long lived, they unravel the thread of their memory.
Then, another trope with a bent, with a wild and strange dragon and an epic fight. The development of the judging eye and the fall and rise of Esmenet as empress, and the continued development of the white luck warrior. Evil is predominately featured and explored. From incest to withholding nourishment of many, many kinds, to the depravity mankind corkscrews into when, and sometimes because, they do not understand their nature or their mind. Man as an animal is on display, and civilization has sorely lacked in humanity’s development.
Things of the past begin to repeat too. It’s 20 years later and “fate”, as well as the fickle, weak memories of humanity are showing an awful cycle on display, cheerfully nudging that pit you had developed in your stomach from the previous trilogy, into something larger. Or maybe not. I’ve read some reviews blindsided by the ending of the series. I’m not sure what they thought they were reading, though.
So much happens in this second book! Lots of reveals, twists and turns, and epic battles. The slower section from the previous book with Esme was groundwork for a much more interesting story, which was the only so-so parts of the previous novel.
In the recorded books version on audible I find the narrator fairly inconsistent. Sometimes great, other times lapsing into this weird dramatic voice. Maybe he thinks he’s making slower sections more interesting or something but it’s annoying. Luckily the story is so good the annoyance of the narrator didn’t matter to me much.
I had forgotten quite a bit of the developments in this one, and thought a plot beat that happened in another one, happened here instead. Fitting, since this one features ruminations on memory pretty heavily, when focused on the slow of slogs. Aka’s journey, along with the great ordeal, have problems of scarcity. Starvation and sustenance, coupled with the non man’s identity being kept by someone else in the party. Reminding him of who he is and what he has done. A really interesting take on a species that is so long lived, they unravel the thread of their memory.
Then, another trope with a bent, with a wild and strange dragon and an epic fight. The development of the judging eye and the fall and rise of Esmenet as empress, and the continued development of the white luck warrior. Evil is predominately featured and explored. From incest to withholding nourishment of many, many kinds, to the depravity mankind corkscrews into when, and sometimes because, they do not understand their nature or their mind. Man as an animal is on display, and civilization has sorely lacked in humanity’s development.
Things of the past begin to repeat too. It’s 20 years later and “fate”, as well as the fickle, weak memories of humanity are showing an awful cycle on display, cheerfully nudging that pit you had developed in your stomach from the previous trilogy, into something larger. Or maybe not. I’ve read some reviews blindsided by the ending of the series. I’m not sure what they thought they were reading, though.
So much happens in this second book! Lots of reveals, twists and turns, and epic battles. The slower section from the previous book with Esme was groundwork for a much more interesting story, which was the only so-so parts of the previous novel.
In the recorded books version on audible I find the narrator fairly inconsistent. Sometimes great, other times lapsing into this weird dramatic voice. Maybe he thinks he’s making slower sections more interesting or something but it’s annoying. Luckily the story is so good the annoyance of the narrator didn’t matter to me much.
2024: re read. I’m not sure this is my favourite of the series anymore, but it’s pretty incidental with these books on a re read. Probably, The Judging Eye takes the cake these days, just because it’s the introduction of the more interesting themes and has the slanted take on both dragons and elves, along with the eye itself. This one still has so much going for it as well. Plus it’s nice to see Mimara coming into her own. And again, kind of another slanted take on hordes of what? Goblins/orcs, something like that. When you read books with them in it they just Are. This, though, spends time on showing how such a thing could (kind of too easily really) become that, and continue the cycle of these things, as men are want to do, as ever.
You would think that, maybe if Kellhus wasn’t mad maybe, in like two decades they could have prepared better. Surely you could have muster points for each faction with literal farms established and labouring purely for the ordeal, no? But the thousand fold thought is inherently flawed and immoral, so why bother with all that, I suppose. Certainly though, this is where Evil gets more nuanced, kind of a feat, considering it’s also in absolutes after the degrees are established until the eye. It’s very gratifying to see the previously seemingly merely annoying child beginning to pay off as well.
———————
Wow, this is my favourite book so far. You can tell this was going to be the finale but it had to be split up. There are a lot of awesome lore and more galaxy brain reveals, particularly going more into the philosophy and paralleling it with the actions of the various factions. More non-man wickedness, new creatures, and lots more action. The book hits the ground running as opposed to a bunch of setup that pays off like the other books. It was so good.
If you’re listening on audible the narrator got a lot better. Go figure, since he had 4 years to get better since the first two in the series! His pronunciation is still worse than the narrator for The Prince of Nothing narrator, but that guy is just incredible, probably the best performance I’ve yet to hear on the format. I recommend cutting his slow delivery by setting it to 1.25x or 1.5x speed. Even at the faster one, he still sounds like he’s reading normally. You’ll cut out 5 hours of the 21 that way. Well worth it.
You would think that, maybe if Kellhus wasn’t mad maybe, in like two decades they could have prepared better. Surely you could have muster points for each faction with literal farms established and labouring purely for the ordeal, no? But the thousand fold thought is inherently flawed and immoral, so why bother with all that, I suppose. Certainly though, this is where Evil gets more nuanced, kind of a feat, considering it’s also in absolutes after the degrees are established until the eye. It’s very gratifying to see the previously seemingly merely annoying child beginning to pay off as well.
———————
Wow, this is my favourite book so far. You can tell this was going to be the finale but it had to be split up. There are a lot of awesome lore and more galaxy brain reveals, particularly going more into the philosophy and paralleling it with the actions of the various factions. More non-man wickedness, new creatures, and lots more action. The book hits the ground running as opposed to a bunch of setup that pays off like the other books. It was so good.
If you’re listening on audible the narrator got a lot better. Go figure, since he had 4 years to get better since the first two in the series! His pronunciation is still worse than the narrator for The Prince of Nothing narrator, but that guy is just incredible, probably the best performance I’ve yet to hear on the format. I recommend cutting his slow delivery by setting it to 1.25x or 1.5x speed. Even at the faster one, he still sounds like he’s reading normally. You’ll cut out 5 hours of the 21 that way. Well worth it.
2024 reread:
As much as I love the entire series, overall—this does still feel like the weakest instalment. But I think that mostly comes from the last plot beats with the battle especially, feeling very heavy metal and less like the fantasy it purports to be until that point. And it does feel like the last two books would have flowed together better as one, but it also would have been massive then, I suppose.
I’m every other way I think this does meet the expectations of the series, other than the fact that it’s obviously setting up the next few books as well. Thankfully I knew that. And I also looked at the table of contents before starting it the first time, so I wasn’t caught flat footed when the last hundred pages were appendixes and what not. Apparently a lot of people felt robbed, thinking there was much more when pacing their reading. The ending really does fit the series well. That sinking feeling I had from the start is confirmed. Loads of terrible, terrible things happen. So many people die. For me, as I said, it built up to what I suspected. A wild battle, with betrayal, loss of agency of the peoples’ who put their faith in people they shouldn’t have, and characters getting what’s coming, for the most part. After all. It is dark fantasy. And this is far darker than the previous books (which is saying something).
As I see it, the ultimate “evil” that isn’t embodied is misogyny itself, which is a great reveal across the series because it aptly demonstrates how is actually destroys everyone. Men and women both. Despite their being absolute evil, and the gods actively judging people, sending them to hell, basically just reaping souls for ostensible sustenance? (and the implication that paradise isn’t exactly stellar either), a through line in every culture was that belief in something non patriarchal and more sane, could have saved people. From a plan to actually get the host to the battle in a better way, to the systems erected by the people who literally damn their souls, to putting faith into a being who is “correct” because he does only the logical and rational thing, skewed because of his beliefs (and blinded by them)—everyone is screwed forever and ever because they were subjugated from the start by inherently misogynistic systems.
By far the most interesting dark fantasy, and one of the top fantasy reads, for me personally. So many cool takes on fantasy tropes, such as the “elves” long-life, hordes of creatures coming to be, how the magic system works, the judging eye, the dragons. It all feels really unique but accessible. And then it’s all dressed up in fantastic prose work, for the most part. I think this book falls down a little bit on that last part when the battle happens, mostly because of the heavy metal bits. But throughout the series, certainly a high watermark is the prose.
There’s still a lot of questions that are really interesting, so I’m looking forward to more, whenever that might be.
—spoilers from this point on—
For instance, Kellhus, though dead, was unseen by the gods. So I wonder if he’s, you know, dead dead, or what. Was the child invisible the entire series because he was turned into the no god, and time being different for gods, allowed for him to screw up the other gods plans?
While I don’t really like the addition of technology in the setting now, it does open up interesting things that could be explored. Right now I think there’s just too little information for it to really feel “cool” to me, as the rest of the world does.
——————
It does feel like the third and fourth would have been one book but was juuuuust a bit too long. I think, though, if some portions of the journey of the Ordeal has been abridged, specifically their transformation and back again, it would have been more satisfying as one volume. I am glad that the annoying kid has a larger role in the story as I mostly saw him as an inconvenience until the very end.
It was surprisingly satisfying to have the suspicions I had since the Prince of Nothing trilogy answered, in one form or another. By far this is the most interesting, intellectual, and impactful fantasy series I’ve ever read. I consumed all 7 books like a fever dream and am sure I’ll revisit them again.
As much as I love the entire series, overall—this does still feel like the weakest instalment. But I think that mostly comes from the last plot beats with the battle especially, feeling very heavy metal and less like the fantasy it purports to be until that point. And it does feel like the last two books would have flowed together better as one, but it also would have been massive then, I suppose.
I’m every other way I think this does meet the expectations of the series, other than the fact that it’s obviously setting up the next few books as well. Thankfully I knew that. And I also looked at the table of contents before starting it the first time, so I wasn’t caught flat footed when the last hundred pages were appendixes and what not. Apparently a lot of people felt robbed, thinking there was much more when pacing their reading. The ending really does fit the series well. That sinking feeling I had from the start is confirmed. Loads of terrible, terrible things happen. So many people die. For me, as I said, it built up to what I suspected. A wild battle, with betrayal, loss of agency of the peoples’ who put their faith in people they shouldn’t have, and characters getting what’s coming, for the most part. After all. It is dark fantasy. And this is far darker than the previous books (which is saying something).
As I see it, the ultimate “evil” that isn’t embodied is misogyny itself, which is a great reveal across the series because it aptly demonstrates how is actually destroys everyone. Men and women both. Despite their being absolute evil, and the gods actively judging people, sending them to hell, basically just reaping souls for ostensible sustenance? (and the implication that paradise isn’t exactly stellar either), a through line in every culture was that belief in something non patriarchal and more sane, could have saved people. From a plan to actually get the host to the battle in a better way, to the systems erected by the people who literally damn their souls, to putting faith into a being who is “correct” because he does only the logical and rational thing, skewed because of his beliefs (and blinded by them)—everyone is screwed forever and ever because they were subjugated from the start by inherently misogynistic systems.
By far the most interesting dark fantasy, and one of the top fantasy reads, for me personally. So many cool takes on fantasy tropes, such as the “elves” long-life, hordes of creatures coming to be, how the magic system works, the judging eye, the dragons. It all feels really unique but accessible. And then it’s all dressed up in fantastic prose work, for the most part. I think this book falls down a little bit on that last part when the battle happens, mostly because of the heavy metal bits. But throughout the series, certainly a high watermark is the prose.
There’s still a lot of questions that are really interesting, so I’m looking forward to more, whenever that might be.
—spoilers from this point on—
For instance, Kellhus, though dead, was unseen by the gods. So I wonder if he’s, you know, dead dead, or what. Was the child invisible the entire series because he was turned into the no god, and time being different for gods, allowed for him to screw up the other gods plans?
While I don’t really like the addition of technology in the setting now, it does open up interesting things that could be explored. Right now I think there’s just too little information for it to really feel “cool” to me, as the rest of the world does.
——————
It does feel like the third and fourth would have been one book but was juuuuust a bit too long. I think, though, if some portions of the journey of the Ordeal has been abridged, specifically their transformation and back again, it would have been more satisfying as one volume. I am glad that the annoying kid has a larger role in the story as I mostly saw him as an inconvenience until the very end.
It was surprisingly satisfying to have the suspicions I had since the Prince of Nothing trilogy answered, in one form or another. By far this is the most interesting, intellectual, and impactful fantasy series I’ve ever read. I consumed all 7 books like a fever dream and am sure I’ll revisit them again.
Dnf. Told through poetry prose in comic style, it just didn’t feel like it was engaging, despite the nice art. Wasn’t interested enough to continue, even though there’s very few words per page.
Two twins in their early twenties seem aimless. When their strange mother goes to the house across the way, seemingly haunted and dilapidated, the kids are brought into a world of dark mystery at the same time as the parents story is doled out incrementally.
This is probably, what, dark fantasy, with mythological overtones. Near the end it really picks up, but the first three issues are very plodding. A lot of attention is paid to cultivating the initial mysteries around the house and the enigma that is their mother, primarily. And the later works pretty well, since that arc parallels a universal kind of parenthood of a distant mother. Without that through line this would be semi-boring.
It does finally reveal enough that I’d probably pick up the next volume from the library when it drops, but think the pacing issues would have bugged me even more, had I purchased it myself.
This is probably, what, dark fantasy, with mythological overtones. Near the end it really picks up, but the first three issues are very plodding. A lot of attention is paid to cultivating the initial mysteries around the house and the enigma that is their mother, primarily. And the later works pretty well, since that arc parallels a universal kind of parenthood of a distant mother. Without that through line this would be semi-boring.
It does finally reveal enough that I’d probably pick up the next volume from the library when it drops, but think the pacing issues would have bugged me even more, had I purchased it myself.