jmschomers's review against another edition
4.0
I love Akka. I think he is such a well written character. Some of the marches dragged for me during this book but the last 100 pages have a great setup for the final installment.
farleighelse's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Index of names and terms is needed to make sense of the story. Switches between characters interactions and overview of events. Ancient evil is reborn. Thinking monk starts to hijack crusade to fit his needs. Domination and adoration. Mental. names are a headache. Spying and magic schools, end of world. Possibilities.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Torture, War, Murder, Death, Genocide, Gore, Colonisation, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Slavery and Pregnancy
Minor: Physical abuse
gkolocsar's review against another edition
5.0
Cada vez se pone mejor esta saga. En el futuro va a ser un clásico.
galath's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Warrior Prophet is where Bakker really comes into his own. It was my favorite book in the series until Unholy Consult and I still think its probably the most solid throughout in the series. Never a dull moment, always fascinating, and we see Bakker's true strength for the first time: putting massive military campaigns through the blender.
Not only does this book contain unrelenting pacing, intriguing plotting, but we also see much tighter focus on our characters now that they are all together. Achamian and Esmenet take their rightful place as the best characters in the narrative, each having fantastic moments throughout their harrowing journey to Shimeh. Kellhus makes for an amazing anchor, becoming something the characters must confront, bringing things out about them that would never have come to light otherwise. Its also tense seeing as our beloved duo are seduced by what we know is a monster, but they only see a miracle. Every conversation in this series between Kellhus and Akka are amazing, and this book sets the stage for the context and meaning behind each one. You can still feel these moments and their effects deep into the series.
The Crusade and its journey is a character unto itself. Never have I seen such attention to the pure logistical nightmare that is transportation of large numbers of soldiers as we see in the works of Bakker. I am not lying when I say over one hundred pages are purely dedicated to the descriptions of the Crusades slow degradation through sickness and famine. That final confrontation where the men-of-the-Tusk fight as ghoulish reminders of what they once were will always stick with me. It may seem like too much to give so much attention to suffering, but it drives home the effects of ideology and belief like no other work that I've seen, read, or heard. It is utterly brutal, and yet you cannot stop reading.
I also have to give a shout out to Conphas. I love having a character whose a narcissistic piece of shit, and can back it up, but then to put him up against a Dunyain? Fantastic. He's utterly outmatched, yet his sheer ego is a strength in the face of Kellhus. Its a beautifully done contrast, and it makes for a believable hurdle for Kellhus' domination.
Speaking of, we get to see the true power of the Dunyain in this novel. It is horrifying seeing how effortlessly Kellhus manipulates and possesses the men-of-the-Tusk. It is not just face reading that are the purview of the Dunyain. Cnaiur is proved oh so right as Kellhus's every word, every action is a knife that cuts his shortest path. Bakker does an excellent job showing just how deep the manipulations run. I will always love when Kellhus mimics the habits of friends in order to endear himself. Deliciously awful.
Cnaiur is of course stealing the show. Holding the secret of war from Kellhus makes for an interesting dynamic and plot point, but I think it makes for a weaker version of the opposition between Conphas and Kellhus. It feels a little cheesy, but I do ultimately like its resolution and it does the job of making Cnaiur have to constantly question everything and agonize over Kellhus, which is just his best state of being. Also there's the hole in the ground scene. truly iconic.
I can't say much more without heavy spoilers, but I have barely covered the most fascinating parts of the book. We get an increasing lens into the fantastical and horrifying elements that lay behind the veneer of the crusade. The magic is explored more thoroughly, though luckily not in the way of obtuse magic system exposition. There is some excellent use of Checkov's Gun and we get some reveals that are both obvious and shocking. These become a Bakker classic, and are a sign of not only his skills at plotting, but just narrative chops in general.
Warrior Prophet is the highlight of Prince of Nothing, and it sets the bar for the rest of the series. I could not put this book down, and I think its the greatest look at what's to come in the future. What comes before determines what comes after.
Not only does this book contain unrelenting pacing, intriguing plotting, but we also see much tighter focus on our characters now that they are all together. Achamian and Esmenet take their rightful place as the best characters in the narrative, each having fantastic moments throughout their harrowing journey to Shimeh. Kellhus makes for an amazing anchor, becoming something the characters must confront, bringing things out about them that would never have come to light otherwise. Its also tense seeing as our beloved duo are seduced by what we know is a monster, but they only see a miracle. Every conversation in this series between Kellhus and Akka are amazing, and this book sets the stage for the context and meaning behind each one. You can still feel these moments and their effects deep into the series.
The Crusade and its journey is a character unto itself. Never have I seen such attention to the pure logistical nightmare that is transportation of large numbers of soldiers as we see in the works of Bakker. I am not lying when I say over one hundred pages are purely dedicated to the descriptions of the Crusades slow degradation through sickness and famine. That final confrontation where the men-of-the-Tusk fight as ghoulish reminders of what they once were will always stick with me. It may seem like too much to give so much attention to suffering, but it drives home the effects of ideology and belief like no other work that I've seen, read, or heard. It is utterly brutal, and yet you cannot stop reading.
I also have to give a shout out to Conphas. I love having a character whose a narcissistic piece of shit, and can back it up, but then to put him up against a Dunyain? Fantastic. He's utterly outmatched, yet his sheer ego is a strength in the face of Kellhus. Its a beautifully done contrast, and it makes for a believable hurdle for Kellhus' domination.
Speaking of, we get to see the true power of the Dunyain in this novel. It is horrifying seeing how effortlessly Kellhus manipulates and possesses the men-of-the-Tusk. It is not just face reading that are the purview of the Dunyain. Cnaiur is proved oh so right as Kellhus's every word, every action is a knife that cuts his shortest path. Bakker does an excellent job showing just how deep the manipulations run. I will always love when Kellhus mimics the habits of friends in order to endear himself. Deliciously awful.
Cnaiur is of course stealing the show. Holding the secret of war from Kellhus makes for an interesting dynamic and plot point, but I think it makes for a weaker version of the opposition between Conphas and Kellhus. It feels a little cheesy, but I do ultimately like its resolution and it does the job of making Cnaiur have to constantly question everything and agonize over Kellhus, which is just his best state of being. Also there's the hole in the ground scene. truly iconic.
I can't say much more without heavy spoilers, but I have barely covered the most fascinating parts of the book. We get an increasing lens into the fantastical and horrifying elements that lay behind the veneer of the crusade. The magic is explored more thoroughly, though luckily not in the way of obtuse magic system exposition. There is some excellent use of Checkov's Gun and we get some reveals that are both obvious and shocking. These become a Bakker classic, and are a sign of not only his skills at plotting, but just narrative chops in general.
Warrior Prophet is the highlight of Prince of Nothing, and it sets the bar for the rest of the series. I could not put this book down, and I think its the greatest look at what's to come in the future. What comes before determines what comes after.
evan98's review against another edition
Coming back here after finishing The Thousandfold Thought I must say: The Warrior Prophet is the best in the trilogy. It's the only book that feels structurally complete. The entire identity of the series was defined in this installment, and it will be judged on the rule of its achievements. Bakker's character writing is hits hard simply because he doesn't fall for self-aggrandizing moralism or psychological cliches. Here Fantasy Literature is shown in raw form: the physicality of the constructed world as a reflection of the writer inner self.
peter_xxx's review against another edition
3.0
This book took me quite some time to finish. In this second book of the prince of nothing series we follow the holy war on their march to free the city of god. This whole story is told through three big battles. And therein lays the problem with this book. Where the more character driven passages are very interesting as are the underlying themes and ideas, the big battles are very confusing. There is a bit bird eye view on these battles with lots of faction names. Halfway through I was not sure anymore who was fighting on which side, or what names were actually important. Also lots of people die in battles or due to harsh climate or disease, but none of the main characters is really affected by it. (not that the main characters have an easy time though. This is a grim book after all)
R. Scott Bakker creates a tale that makes you think of a darker grimier version of Tolkien. Inspiration wise he clearly thought of the Crusades, the bible, Greek and Persian History and philosophy. Very dense book that requires some attention, and has some big drawbacks. But I would recommend enduring them since there is a lot of good and interesting ideas in here.
R. Scott Bakker creates a tale that makes you think of a darker grimier version of Tolkien. Inspiration wise he clearly thought of the Crusades, the bible, Greek and Persian History and philosophy. Very dense book that requires some attention, and has some big drawbacks. But I would recommend enduring them since there is a lot of good and interesting ideas in here.
mrphotoaz's review against another edition
4.0
As the first one I loved this book--the world that Bakker creates feels so real! The only thing that is really keeping me from giving this a 5 star is his naming convention. For me, it is hard to keep track of who is who because of the unusual names Bakker gives to both places and people. It definitely doesn't hinder the storytelling at all, hence the 4 stars. Can't wait to start the next one!
bnart's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
andy_jenkins's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
5.0
zaboomafoo's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25