The Darkness That Comes Before

[edited from original to expand into fuller review] Proper epic fantasy - in fact, it’s dark fantasy written before the grimdark explosion, in a truly well developed world. We we follow the tale of three people who are instrumental in arranging a holy war reminiscent of The Crusades; one sorcerer, one warrior and a monk who’s trained in being able to perform miraculous feats of psychological manipulation.

We’re literally dropped right into a world that has so many religions, philosophies and political factions, and it’s difficult to get through the first chapters as there’s no exposition at all - I even had to find a version of the map online with dates on because it hangs together better if you at least follow the locations of the places referred to.

But if you persevere, there’s so much reward. Sure it’s dense and intense, especially with the hefty doses of philosophy that our characters indulge in.

I find it remarkable that the world is assembled them in a way where philosophies and cultures that are diametrically opposed can make sense together.

There isn’t really any complexity to the plot, this first book is just about the political machinations involved in the instigation (yes/no) of holy war, but I always enjoy political fantasy.

Our three main characters are well realised - but none of them are at all likeable, two of them are absolutely sociopaths. The sorcerer (Achamian) is the most interesting - he’s trying to find his place in the world but, partly because he’s being tortured by dreams of an apocalyptic past event, has a difficult path.

However, saying it’s weaker when it comes women characters doesn’t come close. There’s only three women characters of any note, and despite it being a facet of setting, it would have been so much stronger if the book could have any women that weren’t just the whores that every male character denigrates them as. I suspect the author just can’t write women.

I've learned to trust the man who hates openly, and to fear only those who hate in secret.

I really wanted to enjoy this book. I was excited to get in to a new fantasy series but I found it difficult to get in to the story. The worst parts of my "Malazan Book of the Fallen" series attempt (7 months in 2015 and I made it halfway through book 7) were found here. I don't mind being dropped in to the middle of the story and having the expectation to pick it up as I go, but I need something to keep me reading.

Learning about events that happened elsewhere or discussing a complicated history when characters are going between locations is a turn off. I don't need to be spoonfed the story but it could have had a smaller scope to make the story easier to pick up. I was willing to abandon the book several times but thought I should stick through it in the hope of some improvement, and that came in the form of a few characters.

Achamian wasn't enough to carry the story, but thankfully Cnaiür and Kellhus appeared and made their chapters the more enjoyable of the book. I'll stop the series here, even if the next story books have a higher rating it's probably not enough motivation for me to carry on with something I'm not fully committed too.

Amazing! I picked this book up at random based on it's cover art and couldn't put it down. The number one thing that I most appreciated about this book is that it is told by so many perspectives that right when you are starting to hate a character you fall in love with them. It got off to a fast start by assuming you have some knowledge of the world that isn't explained, which for some might be uncomfortable, but I thought it skipped a lot of the boring introduction that many large scale fantasy books seemed to be bogged down with. Much to the surprise of everyone I am also a huge fan of the Game of thrones series. Just as the marketers assured me, lol.

It also comes as no surprise to me that Bakker is a philosophy student. He brings up some interesting ideas without overcrowding the story.

Anyway, I fell in love with this book and I consider it and the rest of the series to be in the top five all time fantasy books I have read. I would recommend this book to anyone and have on many occasions.