The Great Ordeal is out today (well, 29 September, which is in an hour or so) in the UK and Commonwealth territories from Orbit. The book was previously released by Overlook Press in the United States in July.
The Great Ordeal is the third and penultimate volume of The Aspect-Emperor, and the sixth novel set in Bakker's Second Apocalypse mega-series. The next novel in the series, The Unholy Consult, is already complete and has a semi-firm release date of July 2017.
You can read my review of The Great Ordealhere and catch up on the History of Earwa with my five-part catch-up series here.
Pat's Fantasy Hotlist has interviewed R. Scott Bakker ahead of its release of The Great Ordeal, the third volume of The Aspect-Emperor. Bakker expands on the reasons for the splitting of the novel in two and the delays in publication.
The Great Ordeal will be published on 12 July 2016 (having been delayed a few days) in the United States and on 29 September 2016 in the United Kingdom. The Unholy Consult, the fourth and concluding volume of The Aspect-Emperor, will be published in July or August 2017.
The Great Ordeal marches onwards under the leadership of its Aspect-Emperor, Anasurimbor Kellhus. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers, drawn from all corners of the Three Seas, and hundreds of sorcerers haven been assembled in the greatest army to march for thousands of years. Its goal: to cross the vast, sranc-infested northern plains and reach fell Golgotterath, the resting place of the Ark of the Heavens. There the Ordeal will destroy the dreaded, unholy Consult and prevent the second coming of the No-God and the onset of the Second Apocalypse.
As the Ordeal marches, the New Empire Kellhus established to build it teeters on the brink of ruin. The fanatical Fanim have besieged the imperial capital at Momemn, but Empress Esmenet is distracted by the plight of her disturbed children. Sorweel, the Believer-King of Sakarpus, has been sent with Kellhus's daughter Serwa to establish an alliance with Ishterebinth, the last extant stronghold of the mighty Nonmen, but he is unprepared for what awaits him there. And in the Mountains of Demua, the wizard Drusus Achamian and Esmenet's daughter Mimara have located Ishual, the stronghold of the Dunyain and the birthplace of Kellhus. There Achamian hopes to find the information he needs to expose Kellhus as a fraud and determine whether he leads humanity to salvation or damnation.
The Great Ordeal is the third and penultimate volume of The Aspect-Emperor, itself the second of three great movements in a larger, over-arching series called The Second Apocalypse. If you are invested already in this series, then this is the easiest review in history: The Great Ordeal is a stunning addition to the series, go and buy it as soon as it is available. For those who remain unconvinced, it's rather unlikely this book will do anything to change your minds.
The Great Ordeal is ultimately a novel of change and revelation. The Great Ordeal and its participants have been tested before, but never as they are in this book. Dark horrors - psychological and physical - await the characters as fresh revelations about the Dunyain, the Nonmen, the Hundred Gods, the Judging Eye, the Logos, the nature of the No-God and Kellhus's own designs are made. Characters grapple with decisions: in the dark shadow of the looming confrontation with Golgotterath there seems to be little hope of salvation, only survival, and a path of least harm may be the best that can be hoped for. It is a dark novel where characters struggle against the fact that some of them are only chess pieces in a grander design set by the gods, the Consult or the Aspect-Emperor, but some of them also discover new ways of gaining agency and thwarting the grand designs that seek to enslave them.
As with previous Bakker novels, the novel mixes political intrigue with religious musings with philosophical insights with scenes of horror and warfare, the author moving smoothly between such elements with a skill and ease of prose that grows more enviable with each volume. There is also a formidable display of imagination, with new worldbuilding concepts and ideas being introduced into the narrative with assured confidence and ease. Characterisation is, as usual, very strong and Bakker seems to tacitly acknowledge the criticisms he has had in the past with a very limited roster of female characters by increasing the amount of screentime for Serwa, Kellhus's daughter and the most intriguing of the new generation of characters. Mimara's importance also increases dramatically in this volume, as it begins to appear that her Judging Eye may hold the ultimate answer to the questions so many characters hold about the Consult and Kellhus himself. The metaphysics of Earwa which seem to hold - on this world anyway - women as an inferior sex are also better explained and shown to be the fault of men and religious dogma (rather than some kind of deep-seated authorial problem) more explicitly than before.
The book is deeply concerned with such metaphysics and Bakker is forced to engage with longer musings on the nature of reality, damnation and salvation. These ideas are key to the storyline and plot of the novel, but are also complex and could risk slowing down the pace of the novel. However, Bakker keeps things moving briskly and (mostly) avoids getting bogged down in philosophy at the expense of the main narrative drive.
The Great Ordeal was originally the first half of a much longer book that had to be split for publication. The risk here was that it may only feel like half a novel, but this is not the case at all. Events are set in motion at the start of the book which culminate in the caverns of Ishterebinth, in the forests of Kuniuri, on the streets of Momemn and, most spectacularly, on the summit of Dagliash. This multi-stranded finale is epic and breathtaking, among the greatest convergences in modern epic fantasy, and the notion it was originally supposed to be a mid-novel climax makes you wonder what exactly Bakker is holding back for the second half. The problem with this climax is that only a couple of strands are firmly resolved, with the rest ending on a series of absolutely titanic cliffhangers (as in, Dance with Dragons levels of cliffhangers or greater).
For those who find Bakker's vision too bleak, his world too grim and his imagination too strewn with horror, The Great Ordeal will do little to reassure them. Occasionally the darkness gets a little too oppressive and the deployment of (mostly implied and off-screen) sexual violence (mostly by men against other men) risks feeling rote, but it does start to feel like there is a method in the madness of Earwa, and the first inklings that some may harbour ambitions to deliver the world not just from the Consult but from the actual darkness it is trapped in beyond that. Whether that is a deliverance to a better existence or something even more appalling remains to be seen.
The Great Ordeal (****½) fairly seethes with intelligence, action and revelation and is a worthwhile continuation of the smartest epic fantasy of our generation. It is also grim and challenging in a manner that won't do much to resolve Bakker's reputation as the most divisive author in modern fantasy. The novel will be published on 5 July 2016 in the United States and on 29 September 2016 in the United Kingdom. The Aspect-Emperor series will conclude with The Unholy Consult, which is already complete and will be published in early-to-mid 2017.
This excerpt catches up with Drusas Achamian and Mimara as they approach Ishual, the fortress-home of the Dunyain and the birthplace of Ansurimbor Kellhus. This is a pretty revelatory excerpt (the Dune influences can be seen here as well), ending on one hell of a cliffhanger.
The Great Ordeal will be released on 5 July in the US and 29 September in the UK.
Scott Bakker has released an excerpt from The Great Ordeal, the third and penultimate volume of The Aspect-Emperor. Grimdark Magazine has the excerpt here.
The Great Ordeal will be released in the United States by Overlook Press on 5 July 2016. Orbit Books in the UK have not yet confirmed a release date, although there is a tentative listing of 29 September for the UK ebook edition, which may indicate the print release date. The final volume in the sequence, The Unholy Consult, is already complete and will be released some time in 2017.
The Great Ordeal, the penultimate volume of Scott Bakker's Aspect-Emperor quartet and the sixth book overall in his Second Apocalypse mega-series, is out in July in the United States and September in the UK. The final volume, The Unholy Consult, is already complete and will be out in 2017. Ahead of these books' much-delayed release (five years after the last volume), a group of bloggers and fans are helping spread the word about the series and to drum up some pre-release excitement.
I reviewed the entire Prince of Nothing trilogy way back in 2007 here, followed by The Judging Eyehere and The White-Luck Warriorhere. The Prince of Nothing review is reprinted below in full, but I will also be trying to re-review the entire series over the coming months (probably not in time for The Great Ordeal's release, but I'll give it a go) to see how my opinions have changed over the years. Moreso than most, the Second Apocalypse books reward careful re-reading after the fact.
The Prince of Nothing is a series that also forms the opening three books of a much longer sequence (at least seven volumes in length) called The Second Apocalypse.
As the title hints, the books revolve around - once again - the return
of an ancient evil to a world that no longer believes in it. However,
Scott Bakker writes in a manner far more reminiscent of Frank Herbert
than say Robert Jordan, mixing philosophical ruminations with explosive
action sequences and machivellian politicking. The
setting is Earwa, a continent which resembles Europe in the Hellenistic
era, although the technological level is more reminiscent of the
Crusades. The new Sharia of the Thousand Temples of Inrithism has called
a Holy War against the heathen Fanim, vowing to drive them out of the
Holy City of Shimeh and recover it for the Faithful. The Nansur Emperor,
Ikurei Xerius III, is determined to mould the Holy War to his design.
The plot of the Holy War is essentially that of the First Crusade transported to a much colder and more brutal secondary world. The Prince of Nothing
is a somewhat pitiless series. Like George RR Martin, Bakker has no
qualms about killing major characters or showing the ugly, horrific side
of war. Enormous battles, particularly in the second volume, are
described with enormous skill, but they aren't the focus of the trilogy.
Instead, the focus is squarely on the characters.
Ansurimbor Kellhus is the Prince of Nothing of the title. A member of an ancient
and forgotten order called the Dunyain, Kellhus is a master manipulator
of human thought and emotion, able to bend people's wills to his design
by knowing their histories: what has come before determines what
follows. This aids him on his quest to find his father, Moenghus, who
long ago fled to Shimeh and 'went native', to the Dunyain's disgust.
Along the way, however, Kellhus discovers that the evil Consult, the
powerful force that served the No-God in the First Apocalypse two
thousand years earlier, has returned. The non-human Consult and their
skin-spies stand outside Kellhus' experience and knowledge, representing
a challenge he cannot ignore.
The other main principal character
is Drusas Achamian, a member of the Mandate. The Mandate knows that the
Consult and the No-God will return and have stood guard against them
for millennia, but their order is mocked throughout the Three Seas. Only
their knowledge and mastery of the Gnosis, the most powerful form of
sorcerery known to mankind, ensures their survival in the face of
jealous rivals such as the Scarlet Spires or the Nansuri Saik. Like all
members of the Mandate, Achamian, or Akka, is visited each night by
terrible nightmares of the First Apocalypse, a warning left behind by
their founder Seswatha so that may never forget their duty. Achamian's
lover, the prostitute Esemenet, is another key character. Although her
significance is perhaps unclear at the start of the series, she
eventually moves into a key position and she is one of our main POVs on
events in the series.
Cnaiur is a Scylvendi barbarian warlord,
chieftain of the Utemot and a warrior beyond compare. The
self-proclaimed 'most violent of all men' is haunted by memories of
Ansurimbor Moenghus, who passed through the Scylvendi lands decades
earlier, and for the chance to destroy Moenghus he eagerly sides with
Kellhus and the Holy War. Meanwhile, Ikurei Conphas, nephew of the
Nansuri Emperor and one of the most gifted generals alive, battles to
seize control of the Holy War and direct it on the course his uncle has
chosen.
The Prince of Nothing
is not a fluffy epic fantasy full of farm boys saving the world and
virtuous princesses cooped up in their towers. It is dark and it is
often brutal. There are rays of light penetrating the gloom - moments of
good humour and fellowship - but these are few and far between. Yet it
is compellingly readable. Bakker has a superb prose style, easy to
follow yet packed with information that rewards careful reading and
re-reading. In this sense he is very similar to Frank Herbert, and
indeed The Prince of Nothing often feels like an epic fantasy version of Dune,
reinforced by the fictional quotations that open each chapter and the
absolutely massive glossary that makes up nearly a fifth of the third
volume. Bakker is interested in philosophy (indeed, his masters' degree
in the field was put on hold whilst he worked on this trilogy) and this
comes through in the books, with characters frequently pondering the
nature of life, of war and of thought. The shadow of Nietzsche lies
heavily on the books in particular. Whilst it never overwhelms the plot
(the philosophical interludes are delivered in bite-sized chunks rather
than massive info-dumps), some may find that this slows down the
proceedings. I can say I didn't, and tore through all three books in a
matter of days.
The Darkness That Comes Before
opens proceedings well, but it is a somewhat slower book that
introduces the concepts and the characters. The main focus of the book
is on the build-up to the Holy War, on the political strife between the
kingdoms contributing to the crusade and on Akka's discovery of the
first evidence in two millennia that the Consult is on the move. There
is a huge, fascinating battle sequence that establishes key character
motivations and relationships for later events in the trilogy, but
generally this is a set-up book, as first volumes usually are.
The Warrior-Prophet
is the story of the Holy War as a third of a million soldiers traipse
south through burning deserts and across dry rivers, their eyes fixed on
distant Shimeh. Akka and Esme come to the fore in this book as the
battle for control of the Holy War rages amongst the higher echelons
and, almost hidden from view, Kellhus slowly weaves himself a new
identity and purpose. Whilst The Darkness That Comes Before was a powerful work, The Warrior-Prophet
is an astonishing one, eliminating many of the first book's minor
problems (the slower pace, the slightly longer musing on philosophy) and
delivering an avalanche of intrigue and action. Individually, it is one
of the best fantasy novels published in the last decade.
The Thousandfold Thought
sees the Holy War finally arrive at Shimeh and begin the final battle
against the Fanim. As the action unfolds outside the city's walls,
Cnaiur and Kellhus must seek out Moenghus and learn the final revelation
of the Thousandfold Thought, a secret which puts Kellhus on a very
different road to the one he was pursuing before. Whilst Bakker
successfully and somewhat elegantly resolves the story of the Holy War,
the stories of our main characters is very much left open. For that
reason the book suffers somewhat, although this problem will fade when
the next part of the overall sequence is released.
The Prince of Nothing
is a major, key work of modern fantasy that deserves to be read by all
with an interest in the genre. It divides opinion massively between
those who think it is too cold, too brutal and too dark to read, and
those who think it borders on genius. I quite happily fall into the
latter category.
The Darkness That Comes Before (2003, ****) is published by Orbit in the UK, Overlook in the US and Penguin in Canada. The Warrior-Prophet (2004, *****): UK, US, Canada. The Thousandfold Thought (2005, ****): UK, US, Canada.
A few other notable reviews of the series or the first book in it:
Pat's Fantasy Hotlist - "So if you are looking for a new voice, an original series, set in a
world that is fascinating and different than what is currently the norm
in the fantasy genre, populated by deeply realized characters and
societies, then The Darkness that Comes Before is definitely for you!"
I Hope I Didn't Just Give Away The Ending - "Taken as a whole, The Prince of Nothing series is a true masterpiece of
speculative fiction, the most enthralling trilogy fantasy has been
gifted with since 1959, and I envy all who have the opportunity to read
these words for the first time."
Sandstorm Reviews - "This series distinguishes itself with a very dark and serious take on
the subject, and is a long way from being by-numbers fantasy froth, for
all that the landscape looks familiar."
The Atlantic - "These are brutal stories, with complex and often unsympathetic
characters thrown together in a harsh and unforgiving world. For serious
readers, Bakker's work is also quite a lot more philosophical than many
of his contemporaries. Between fierce battles and sometimes truly
chilling violence, there is plenty to keep you thinking."
Nethspace - "The Prince of Nothing trilogy stands apart as the single best completed fantasy series that I have read to date."
Mark Lawrence - "A book with depth, complexity, written with skill, and well worth a look."
George R.R. Martin - "I have read and admired his first trilogy." (GRRM's usual measured enthusiasm at work here)
John R. Fultz - "I’ve been singing the praises of Bakker’s fantasy work for awhile now.
His is a fantasy on the scale of Tolkien without stealing any of the
usual tropes that go with that scale. His work is brilliant,
illuminating, and challenging. In short, it is literary fantasy…i.e.
fantasy with literary qualities. “What exactly does that mean?” I hear somebody asking. Well, here’s what I tell my students on the first day of any literature class: Literature is a written work of art that explores what it means to be human."
Victoria Strauss - "To properly appreciate the scope, sweep, and power of this series, not to mention its complex thematic structure, it must be read from the beginning. And it should be read. Violent, passionate, darkly poetic, seethingly original, these are books that deserve attention from all true connoisseurs of fantasy."
Steven Erikson - "Exquisitely intelligent and beautifully written, R. Scott Bakker’s first novel in The Prince of Nothing
series inspires both confidence and anticipation–this is fantasy with
muscle and brains, rife with intrigue and admirable depth of character,
set in a world laden with history and detail. Take note, one and all,
something remarkable has begun here.…"
John Marco - "The Darkness That Comes Before introduces
a vast and richly detailed world for lovers of good fantasy. Bakker’s
imaginative creation is an impressive addition to the genre."
The Toronto Star (print review) - "One of the finest new fantasy creations in recent memory, a dazzling
epic that breaks utterly free of the conventions of its genre."
The Globe & Mail (print review) - "Bakker has been praised by fans and critics around the world for his
thoughtful, complex and meticulously detailed world, his colorful and
credible characters, and his deviously intriguing, action-packed
plotting."
Seattle Post-Intelligencer - "A fine example of the new anti-epic fiction at its best . . . This is
one of the more brilliant pieces of writing that you’re liable to read
for a long time."
Blogcritics - "A journey unlike any other you have experienced. Part Dante’s Inferno and part Conrad’s Heart Of
Darkness, this is fantasy literature like you’ve never read before."
January Magazine - "What Bakker does that his contemporaries do not and that those SFF luminaries did was
completely imagine — from the ground up — a universe so satisfyingly detailed you felt as though you
could slip inside."
Edmonton Journal (print review) - "It is a profound and massive
achievement, a work of both narrative and philosophical imaginative sweep."
The Guardian (print review) - "Intelligent is a term trotted out so often by publishers that it has become almost
worthless – which is hard for the likes of Bakker, whose The Darkness That Comes
Before truly is intelligent, and original, and all those other overused words."
Here's also a video of Scott Bakker chatting with George R.R. Martin at a literary festival in Spain:
And yes, I am trying to secure a review copy of The Great Ordeal as well, ahead of its July release date.
R. Scott Bakker has released a trailer for The Second Apocalypse series, as well as providing an update on the next book in the series.
As related previously, the concluding volume of what was formerly The Aspect-Empire Trilogy had grown too large for Overlook Press to release in one volume so it has now been split in two: The Great Ordeal and The Unholy Consult. After numerous delays, a release date was given, but further concern emerged when it appeared that the book had still not undergone the editorial process.
Fortunately, Bakker has now confirmed that The Great Ordeal has been edited and he is now going over the final revisions. This makes the release date of 7 July 2016 (yes, just over three months from now) look pretty firm at this point, for both Overlook in the States and Orbit in the UK.
The above book trailer, created by Scott's brother Bryan and his video production company Bizbio Creative and using the excellent artwork of Jason Deem (aka SpiralHorizon), is actually a taster for a longer version which will be released next month.
R. Scott Bakker has posted the map that will accompany The Great Ordeal, the forthcoming third and penultimate volume of his Aspect-Emperor trilogy. Unfortunately, it comes with the caveat that the third book in the series may be facing a delay.
As is well-known, Bakker completed the then-final volume in the Aspect Emperor series well over a year ago, but there were substantial delays at his publisher Overlook. It took a concerted letter and email campaign by fans to get Overlook to finally schedule the novel. Finding the book too large, they decided to split it in two, with The Great Ordeal scheduled for July 2016 and The Unholy Consult for early 2017.
However, the editor at Overlook who was handling the novel has since departed and Overlook have not assigned Scott a new one. With publication only five months away and the full editorial cycle not yet begun, the novel hitting that date is starting to look doubtful.
Overlook's lacklustre handling of what is apparently one of their biggest-selling novel series is rather strange, and boosts the feeling that this series should really have moved to Orbit USA, who have much greater clout and the ability to get the books on shelves and promote them better. Overlook have done a splendid job getting Scott to this point but, as I've said before, it's clear they can't take him to the next level. Hopefully they can get moving and we'll see The Great Ordeal in its original publication slot or as soon as possible afterwards.
R. Scott Bakker has provided an update on his forthcoming books. He has confirmed that the final book in the Aspect-Emperor series has been split, as was anticipated from Overlook Press's schedules a few weeks ago.
The first of the two books, The Great Ordeal, will be published in July 2016. The second, The Unholy Consult, will be published at some point in 2017. Apparently the expansion of the series from three to four volumes necessitated a redrawing of the some of the contracts.
In previous comments, Bakker confirmed that his intention is still to write a further duology in the world but that, at a push, the series can end with The Unholy Consult.
Overlook Press have released the cover art for R. Scott Bakker's The Great Ordeal.
The book is currently scheduled for release on 5 July 2016. It will be followed an unspecified amount of time later by the fourth and concluding volume of The Aspect-Emperor, The Unholy Consult.
Overlook have confirmed that the concluding volume of R. Scott Bakker's Aspect-Emperor series, itself only the second of three series in the Second Apocalypse mega-series, has been split in half due to length. The two new volumes, entitled The Great Ordeal and The Unholy Consult, will conclude the Aspect-Emperor series.
Bakker himself voiced this possibility a few months ago, when disclosing that the novel clocked in north of 300,000 words even before he added a substantial appendix to it. After a lengthy and odd delay after he submitted the novel for publication, Overlook finally confirmed they were moving ahead with publication plans three months ago.
The Great Ordeal will be published on 5 July 2016. The Unholy Consult will follow, likely between six and twelve months later.
The PR blurb follows:
The much-anticipated third installment of R. Scott Bakker’s acclaimed series, The Aspect-Emperor
Praised by fans and critics worldwide, R. Scott Bakker has become one of the most celebrated voices in fantasy literature. With The Great Ordeal, Bakker
presents the long-anticipated third volume of The Aspect-Emperor, a
series that stands with the finest in the genre for its grandiose scope,
rich detail, and thrilling story.
As Fanim
war-drums beat just outside the city, the Empress Anasurimbor Esmenet
searches frantically throughout the palace for her missing son Kelmomas.
Meanwhile and many miles away, Esmenet’s husband’s Great Ordeal
continues its epic march further north. But in light of dwindling
supplies, the Aspect-Emperor’s decision to allow his men to consume the
flesh of fallen Sranc could have consequences even He couldn’t have
foreseen. And, deep in Ishuäl, the wizard Achamian grapples with his
fear that his unspeakably long journey might be ending in emptiness, no
closer to the truth than when he set out.
The Aspect-Emperor series follows Bakker’s Prince of Nothing saga, returning to the same world twenty years later. The Great Ordeal follows The Judging Eye and The White-Luck Warrior,
and delivers the first half of the conclusion to this epic story.
Returning to Bakker’s richly imagined universe of myth, violence, and
sorcery, The Aspect-Emperor continues to set the bar for the fantasy
genre, reaching new heights of intricacy and meaning.
Just got back to find there’s been some developments! I’d resolved to say nothing anticipating anything–it
just makes me feel foolish anymore. Until we have all the details
hammered out, there’s not much I can say except that Overlook’s July
2016 date is tentative. I fear I can’t comment on their press release, either. Things seem to be close, though.
I know it’s been a preposterously long haul, folks, but hold on just a
bit longer. The laws of physics are bound to kick in at some point,
after which I can start delivering some more reliable predictions.
