The Warrior Prophet: The Prince of Nothing, Book Two Paperback – September 2, 2008

I stumbled on to this series by chance. As a reader of complex sci/fi and fantasy, I enjoy deliving deep into a story, getting to know the characters, understanding their world, etc. The Prince of Nothing series offers that in spades.The premise of a frictional world where varying types of magic are contained in insular 'schools' and not shared with other schools is interesting. Add to that the adaptation of a more recent religious fervor that condems magic as blasphemy, and you get a great frictional universe to run a story in. Set against a backdrop of a forgotten war from thousands of years ago against evil so black it can read like a horror story, you can feel the frustration of the single school that remembers the war (through nightly dreams in which the relive part of it) and tries to not only watch for the signs it will occur again, but tries to warn everyone of the potential. The characters are well developed and have all the strengths and weaknesses of real people. There is no clear cut 'good'. Instead the frailities and weaknesses of the characters involved help drive the book in ways you do not always expect. Warrior Prophet is the second book in the series. You should start with the first, as it will help you truly understand the individuals involved in the outstanding fantasy series.

The Warrior Prophet, book two of R. Scott Bakker's the Prince of Nothing trilogy, is something of a disappointment after its outstanding predecessor, the Darkness That Comes Before. The Prince of Nothing trilogy follows the events of a fantasy re-imagining of the Crusades. In particular, it follows Kellhus, a once unknown monk who, through hook or crook, has managed to gain a place of prominence in the holy war and has begun to dominate the war.The first novel, the Darkness That Comes Before, is one of the finest fantasy novels I have ever read. And the strengths of that novel return here in the Warrior Prophet. The problem is that the weaknesses of the Darkness That Comes Before also return here, but in greater force. First, the positives: Bakker has created a fascinating, unbelievably deep world. His world is incredible - it's one that I dove into and never wanted to leave. It is a cruel, harsh world that, even with the fantastical elements built into is including magic, demons, shape shifting, etc., manages to be remarkably realistic.With a few limited (but notable) exceptions, the characters seem like real people who act according to realistic emotions, such as fear, greed, love, hatred, bitterness, and so on. Some of them, such as Cnaiur, Achamian and Esmenet, are extremely sympathetic and likable. Although the story is an analog of the Crusades, the plot is neither derivative nor, generally, predictable. And, finally, Bakker's writing is excellent. He writes snappy, believable dialog and flowing, occasionally beautiful, narrative that usually adds to the reading experience, but more importantly, never detracts from it.My biggest complaint with the first novel of the series is the seeming infallibility of Kellhus. Although there are some guarded, cryptic explanations for Kellhus's abilities, it's simply annoying. He's great at, well, everything. He masters a subject like mathematics (and there is almost a whole chapter devoted to this) in a matter of hours. He masters the subject of warfare about halfway through his first real battle. He is a great warrior, a tremendous, speaker, etc. As I said, there are some workable, if vague, explanations for his talent, but I still find it darned irritating. It detracts from the suspense of the novel when you know that Kellhus is going to accomplish pretty much everything he sets out to and that things will pretty much always go his way. The only saving grace is that Kellhus is a somewhat mysterious character, so his goals and motivations are not always clear. But not only is Kellhus ridiculously good at everything, Bakker reminds us of it constantly. Indeed, about 100 of the first 250 pages are devoted to characters either fawning over how great Kellhus is or admiring how brilliant he is at everything. We get it, Mr. Bakker. Kellhus is awesome. He's better than everyone else at everything. You don't need to keep telling us.Speaking of which, Bakker must think that his readers have a terrible memory. He feels the need to remind us of different character traits or experiences constantly. For example, one character, Esmenent, is a prostitute. So naturally, Bakker reminds us, over and over again, that she has had sex with many, many men. He has page after page devoted to explaining to us that she has, indeed, had sex with many men. We get it, Mr. Bakker. We really do. Along similar lines, female readers may be put off by the Warrior Prophet, and the Prince of Nothing trilogy overall. There really are no strong female characters here. Every single one seems to serve no purpose other than to have sex with the male characters (or your random demon). Granted, it probably makes for a more realistic story given the time period that Bakker is trying to portray, but surely Bakker can find some role for a female character other than a sexual one.The Darkness That Comes Before held my attention like few novels I've ever read. I was enraptured with the novel, could barely put it down. The Warrior Prophet did not have that affect on me at all. Indeed, I found myself skimming parts of the book that became repetitious (such as the constant reminders of Kellhus's greatness or the repeated reminders of what a prostitute does). The novel could have, I think, have been about 100 pages shorter and would have made for a much tighter, much more engrossing read.But all that being said, the Warrior Prophet is still a really good book. It's a letdown after the near-brilliance of its predecessor, but I still enjoyed it and can't wait to read the third and final volume of the trilogy, the Thousandfold Thought. The series isn't for the prudish or weak of heart. If you haven't read the Darkness That Comes Before, pick it up and read it. You won't regret it. If you have, and are trying to decide whether to read this one, well, it's more of the same: the same qualities and the same faults. It is very much worth your time.

It's been years since I had read this grimdark masterpiece, and I'd forgotten at just how skilled a writer Bakker was. Enjoying this read through so much. Such an epic world, history, story, protagonists and antagonists. Wish Bakker would return to fantasy writing.

Just like the first one, this is such a great book. Couldn't put it down, and it stayed on my thoughts all day.Bakker is such a great writer. The characters are very well written and its easy to believe the realness of them. The story is great and keeps moving, doesn't lull or get slow. And the story takes off right from the beginning, which in my opinion can make or break a novel.If you read the first one and liked it book two isn't going to let you down.

Many of the male protagonists are despicable. But all of the female ones are. I get it, I get it. War is hell, and every crusade a folly. But just every kind of human ugliness here, even among the unhuman. Honestly, I preferred the first one.Well written in spite of that, though.

This book isn’t for everyone, but the story and elements are honestly unique and unlike anything I’ve read in the genre.The author makes it clear here that he isn’t willing to pull his punches at all.