Prince of Nothing, general overview
2 Sep 2006 10:32 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
salineaI've finished reading The Thousandfold Thoughts by Bakker, third volume of the Prince of Nothing serie, which closes that trilogy but not the serie as the writer still plans two duologies. Grrr.
TTT closes two plots lines : the Holy War between the two main religions of the setting, and Kelhus' mission to find and kill his father. Which leaves us with an impeding Second Apocalypse to deal with.
I was very unsure at first whether I liked or not these books. They are very well written, the characterisation of most characters is deep, complex and coherent. The world building is extremely good and intricate, exotic and believably, with a rich and intriguing history and interesting magic metaphysics. The plotting could be at time made more smooth but is overall a very masterful epic story.
The Prince of Nothing's flaws are not so much flaws as features. Rather than recommend it, I'll describe it to you so you can know whether it's your cup of tea, or not.
The first feature is that the main protagonist, Anasûrimbor Kelhus who is basically an ubermensh set loose into the world. Raised in a strange sect, the Dunyan, who sees the world in pure determinism manner (what comes before conditions what comes after) and who seeks, in isolation, the mastery of the Logos, pure intellect, to free themselves from all the things that influence and condition men. Their studies allow them to identify emotions and masterfully manipulate everyone. Kelhus' father belonged to them but once went out then was judged too contaminated by the outside to come back. Thirty years later he seems to have send them dreams by sorcerous means and the Dunyan don't appreciate the intervention so they send Kelhus after him to kill him so he won't disturb them again.
Kelhus soon discovers that other men are as children to him, and soon enough he gains enormous influence and power among the Holy War which happens to be going in the same direction as him.
Kelhus isn't only over powerful as a character compared to the others, he also have very little emotions or sense of morality, which makes him greatly unsympathetic.
The second such feature is the plain grittiness of the world. Bakker obviously has a very good knowledge of History. The world he describes is cruel, bloody, unfair, deeply sexist. Most characters are not sympathetic. His outlook on them is starkly realistic and they're depicted with all their flaws. The most likeable characters can appear weak or foolish. The least are zealots, psychopathic generals with delusion of grandeur, barbarians who revel in murder and rape.
Pointing out who are the good guys is difficult to do, even thought a group of people and creatures, the Consult and the No-God, are an obvious antagonist. They were once responsible for the Apocalypse,a serie of war that saw slaughters and destruction on an unprecedented scale, and during the 11 years of which all babies conceived were stillborn.
The Consult hasn't shown itself for near 300 years at the beginning of the first book, and most people believe them gone for good, save the Mandate School of Sorcery. Founded by one of the Sorcerer who fought an survived the Appocalypse and wanted to prevent any reoccurence , the Mandate Schoolmen spend all their night dreaming episodes of the Appocalypse as lived by the founder of the School. Their obsession with the Consult makes them believed as fool by most of the population of the setting, thought their mastery of the Gnosis, a sorcery much more powerful than the other Anagogic Schools of Sorcery, makes them feared and occasionally pandered to. Like all Sorcerers, they are however considered as damned by the Inrithi faith.
Achemian Drusas, a Mandate Schoolman, is probably the most sympathetic character of the books, and arguably the second main character. He acts as a spy for his School, and was sent to follow the Holy War once it is sent by the Inrithi against the Fanim. A learned man with a lot of love for philosophy, he is also a deeply skeptical and doubting man by nature. He's taught many students, that he remembers fondly even when they don't. When he meets Kelhus, what he pays attention to is the name "Anasûrimbor", which was the name of a High King during the Apocalypse who prophecied the day he died that another Anasûrimbor would return at the end of the word. Is Kelhus the Harbringer of the second Apocalypse? And if he is, does Achemian dare tell his School, when he knows they would use him ruthlessly as they lately used and led to his death one of his favourite former student?
The other more important characters are Esmenet a whore and lover of Achemian who despite her ignorance is deeply curious, quite witty and intelligent; and Cnaiür a member of the Scylvandi, a monghol like desert tribe of redoubtable barbarians who worship a dead god. Thirty years ago Cnaiur met Kelhus' father when he was on his way. Taken as captive, Kelhus' father quickly manipulated and seduced Cnaiur and led him to parricide then disappeared. Having recognized his deception, Cnaiur lives on carving for himself the reputation of "Most Violent of Men", ruthlessly intelligent and brutal he's one of the most feared Scylvandi tribe leader... but he still can't erase his past shame. When he meets Kelhus, he recognized who he is, Dunyan, and they form an uneasy alliance so he can seek and finally kill Kelhus' father, grasping his vengeance at last.
As I said the world building is very good and original. We're thrown in it with very little introduction, at first, so it all look very exotic and complex (the many weird looking names don't help, though they look more genuine than your average funky-looking names in sf/f books). Bakker is very good at showing how religion shapes everyone's outlook of the world, even when they're outcast by force to the religion (such as Achemian or Esmenet, damned to the eyes of the Inrithi because of their respective occupations). There's nothing modern to the point of the view of any character (except possibly Kelhus) and that's very refreshing.
The magic has a lot of cool stuff about it. It's quite powerful - especially used in battled - but checked by the existence of Chorae, stones that immune their beare to Sorcery and kill all Sorceres when put in contact with their skin.
Most of the glimpses we have of the Consult, the No-God and their creatures give an efficient weird and alien feeling. Bakker uses a lot sexuality in a rather upsetting and obscene way to accentuate that. The No-God isn't your average overlord evil entity either, in case the wording gives that impression. It may even have been a creation of the technology of a space-faring specie that once crashed onto this world. At least that looks like one of the best hypothesis given what we're given.
The general atmosphere of the book is pretty epic, huge dramatic historic impacts and deadly intrigues. However there's not ever any glamorizing of the events. Philosophy features in a big way, but not in a way that ever disturbed me (then again I'm not annoyed by it in Erikson's books either) The books are fast-paced and eventful.
The writing style is very decent and efficient without being beautiful or entrancing by itself. The best lines usually relate to Philosophy or characterization.
It's a great serie, but one that doesn't sweep you inside. You want to watch it from afar, like a train wreck unravelling. Enjoyable, intriguing, fascinating even, but it doesn't grip you emotionally.
TTT closes two plots lines : the Holy War between the two main religions of the setting, and Kelhus' mission to find and kill his father. Which leaves us with an impeding Second Apocalypse to deal with.
I was very unsure at first whether I liked or not these books. They are very well written, the characterisation of most characters is deep, complex and coherent. The world building is extremely good and intricate, exotic and believably, with a rich and intriguing history and interesting magic metaphysics. The plotting could be at time made more smooth but is overall a very masterful epic story.
The Prince of Nothing's flaws are not so much flaws as features. Rather than recommend it, I'll describe it to you so you can know whether it's your cup of tea, or not.
The first feature is that the main protagonist, Anasûrimbor Kelhus who is basically an ubermensh set loose into the world. Raised in a strange sect, the Dunyan, who sees the world in pure determinism manner (what comes before conditions what comes after) and who seeks, in isolation, the mastery of the Logos, pure intellect, to free themselves from all the things that influence and condition men. Their studies allow them to identify emotions and masterfully manipulate everyone. Kelhus' father belonged to them but once went out then was judged too contaminated by the outside to come back. Thirty years later he seems to have send them dreams by sorcerous means and the Dunyan don't appreciate the intervention so they send Kelhus after him to kill him so he won't disturb them again.
Kelhus soon discovers that other men are as children to him, and soon enough he gains enormous influence and power among the Holy War which happens to be going in the same direction as him.
Kelhus isn't only over powerful as a character compared to the others, he also have very little emotions or sense of morality, which makes him greatly unsympathetic.
The second such feature is the plain grittiness of the world. Bakker obviously has a very good knowledge of History. The world he describes is cruel, bloody, unfair, deeply sexist. Most characters are not sympathetic. His outlook on them is starkly realistic and they're depicted with all their flaws. The most likeable characters can appear weak or foolish. The least are zealots, psychopathic generals with delusion of grandeur, barbarians who revel in murder and rape.
Pointing out who are the good guys is difficult to do, even thought a group of people and creatures, the Consult and the No-God, are an obvious antagonist. They were once responsible for the Apocalypse,a serie of war that saw slaughters and destruction on an unprecedented scale, and during the 11 years of which all babies conceived were stillborn.
The Consult hasn't shown itself for near 300 years at the beginning of the first book, and most people believe them gone for good, save the Mandate School of Sorcery. Founded by one of the Sorcerer who fought an survived the Appocalypse and wanted to prevent any reoccurence , the Mandate Schoolmen spend all their night dreaming episodes of the Appocalypse as lived by the founder of the School. Their obsession with the Consult makes them believed as fool by most of the population of the setting, thought their mastery of the Gnosis, a sorcery much more powerful than the other Anagogic Schools of Sorcery, makes them feared and occasionally pandered to. Like all Sorcerers, they are however considered as damned by the Inrithi faith.
Achemian Drusas, a Mandate Schoolman, is probably the most sympathetic character of the books, and arguably the second main character. He acts as a spy for his School, and was sent to follow the Holy War once it is sent by the Inrithi against the Fanim. A learned man with a lot of love for philosophy, he is also a deeply skeptical and doubting man by nature. He's taught many students, that he remembers fondly even when they don't. When he meets Kelhus, what he pays attention to is the name "Anasûrimbor", which was the name of a High King during the Apocalypse who prophecied the day he died that another Anasûrimbor would return at the end of the word. Is Kelhus the Harbringer of the second Apocalypse? And if he is, does Achemian dare tell his School, when he knows they would use him ruthlessly as they lately used and led to his death one of his favourite former student?
The other more important characters are Esmenet a whore and lover of Achemian who despite her ignorance is deeply curious, quite witty and intelligent; and Cnaiür a member of the Scylvandi, a monghol like desert tribe of redoubtable barbarians who worship a dead god. Thirty years ago Cnaiur met Kelhus' father when he was on his way. Taken as captive, Kelhus' father quickly manipulated and seduced Cnaiur and led him to parricide then disappeared. Having recognized his deception, Cnaiur lives on carving for himself the reputation of "Most Violent of Men", ruthlessly intelligent and brutal he's one of the most feared Scylvandi tribe leader... but he still can't erase his past shame. When he meets Kelhus, he recognized who he is, Dunyan, and they form an uneasy alliance so he can seek and finally kill Kelhus' father, grasping his vengeance at last.
As I said the world building is very good and original. We're thrown in it with very little introduction, at first, so it all look very exotic and complex (the many weird looking names don't help, though they look more genuine than your average funky-looking names in sf/f books). Bakker is very good at showing how religion shapes everyone's outlook of the world, even when they're outcast by force to the religion (such as Achemian or Esmenet, damned to the eyes of the Inrithi because of their respective occupations). There's nothing modern to the point of the view of any character (except possibly Kelhus) and that's very refreshing.
The magic has a lot of cool stuff about it. It's quite powerful - especially used in battled - but checked by the existence of Chorae, stones that immune their beare to Sorcery and kill all Sorceres when put in contact with their skin.
Most of the glimpses we have of the Consult, the No-God and their creatures give an efficient weird and alien feeling. Bakker uses a lot sexuality in a rather upsetting and obscene way to accentuate that. The No-God isn't your average overlord evil entity either, in case the wording gives that impression. It may even have been a creation of the technology of a space-faring specie that once crashed onto this world. At least that looks like one of the best hypothesis given what we're given.
The general atmosphere of the book is pretty epic, huge dramatic historic impacts and deadly intrigues. However there's not ever any glamorizing of the events. Philosophy features in a big way, but not in a way that ever disturbed me (then again I'm not annoyed by it in Erikson's books either) The books are fast-paced and eventful.
The writing style is very decent and efficient without being beautiful or entrancing by itself. The best lines usually relate to Philosophy or characterization.
It's a great serie, but one that doesn't sweep you inside. You want to watch it from afar, like a train wreck unravelling. Enjoyable, intriguing, fascinating even, but it doesn't grip you emotionally.
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no subject
Date: 3 September 2006 12:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 3 September 2006 12:34 pm (UTC)There's canon gay but you couldn't be farther than slash than that.
no subject
Date: 14 April 2007 12:51 pm (UTC)I've always felt comfortable reading story stories- works that are, at bottom, a tale about someone or some group or whatever. Despite the exquisite worldbuilding and great writing, I just couldn't bear to go on. The way I saw it, that was my free time I was spending, fairly torturing myself by reading this stuff. I feel like this series isn't so much a story in that sense- the story part is wrapped around the rest of it by necessity, and skillfully done, but the real stuff going on is the realistic, gritty portrayals of stuff, and the philosophy. Which is why I let it go. If I'm going to read philosophy, I'll read philosophy. But when I want a story, I want a goddamn story, and I'm frankly sick of reading ones I can't relate to in some (healthy) way.
*sighs* Sorry about the rant, but this book/series/thingy really got to me.
no subject
Date: 14 April 2007 01:37 pm (UTC)I had violent reaction to work of art I thought were good before. Lars on Trier's Dancer in the Dark to name one. It was a good, efficient movie. And I hated it from the bottom of my heart nor do I ever want to watch any of his movie again. So I totally understand your rant XD
no subject
Date: 14 April 2007 03:04 pm (UTC)The worst, most annoying thing about it, I think, was how I went onto the forums created for/by the author to see if I was hearing the same stuff from anyone else. One of the bigger threads I came across was all about how to get women to read the series, and full of guys wondering why they weren't. To be sure, there were one or two women along in the thread, but still. It should have been clear that women are far less likely to read a book in which all of the (few) main(ish) female characters are described or pictured as whores, stupid women, and all the rest of it. Considering the rising market of sci-fi/fantasy books that portray women better or have kickass female characters, who's going to spend their time reading very well written material that doesn't follow that trend?
Ah well. *sighs* Reading the wiki entry for Dancer in the Dark, I think I can half understand why you'd never want to watch it again XD
no subject
Date: 14 April 2007 03:35 pm (UTC)no subject
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