The Darkness that came before by R. Scott Bakker is the first book in a series of unknown length (probably a trilogy). It was published by Penguin books in 2004. It is a classical fantasy novel wherein the theme is man versus man.
The classical fantasy pits one or more nations against each other with religion and magic as supporting characters. This setting underlines the theme and the author uses several characters to show, not only the state of events amongst the nation, but the predominant religion as well, in the general study of humanity.
The story begins with a society fleeing a cataclysmic battle. They have lost and now hide in a stronghold in the mountains. The stronghold is gripped by plague, and only a boy survives. The stronghold is then found by another group fleeing the aftermath of the battles. They find the boy and raise him as one of their own. Two thousand years later, Anasurimbor Kellhus leaving the only home he's ever known (a monastery deep in unsettled lands) seeking is father. Anasurimbor is a man of special training and philosophy; with the ability to understand cause by studying effect. Unbeatable in combat, he can control and manipulate any he meets as he understands not only what they are doing, but why they are doing it and how to make them do something else. His ability to predict human behavior and amazing speed at learning languages is mystical, although the book points out several times that he does not use magic.
The story splits, detailing the state of a holy war between the Thousand Temples and the Faraim, a cultural group that has inhabited the holy city for a long time. The holy war is seen through the eyes of the Emperor (Xerius), the chief priest (Mathanet), and a lowly schollman and mage, Achamian; who are all separated by space, background and belief. We watch as Achamian looses a spy in Carythusal and is recalled home only to be sent to the Thousand Temples to learn more about the holy war for his school of magic. Xerius sends his cousin (and inheritor), Conphas to remove the tribal threat of the Scylvendi, to the north on the Jiunati Steppe. Meanwhile, as the combatants of the Holy war gather in the Empirical capital, the Emperor feeds them only enough to survive and not to march unless they sign his edict - promising any lands taken during the Holy War will remain in the control of the Empire. Xerius promises to grant stewardships to the conquerors, but not much else. Few are willing to sign until starvation sets in.
The first group to sign the edict leave the Empirical capital long before the majority of the army is assembled; They and their followers flow across the land like a plague, taking what they need and continuing in the name of all that's holy. The Fanim beat them easily sending heads of their heroes back to the Empire; thus ending the Vulgar Holy war.
The next group is held longer as their leader, Proyas (a student of Achamian), is more cagey than those that came before. As Achamian seeks high and low for his schools' great enemy, few believe they even exist. The Scarlet Spires hate Achamian's school (the Mandate) and believe their war with the Consult is folly. The Holy War is declared against the Cishaurim; the Scarlet Spire's secret enemy and assassins of their grandmaster.
As politics embroils all members, Anasurimbor meets up with Cnaiur, a survivor of Conphas' destruction of the Scylvendi, and together they go to kill Mahtahet. Eventually they meet up with Proyas in the Empire's capital, and join forces; at the end of the book the army can now march and Conphas goes with them.
The Darkness that came before is a fantasy novel steeped in its own history and embroiled in politics that almost allows me to forgive the bad characterization and amazing - yet non-magical powers of Anasurimbor. The mysticism in the book is deep with unexplained horrors (that in true Lovecraftian fashion are met but not detailed), non-men and the Sranc. Religion is a motivating force, but the politics behind it are the true driving power of the Empire and its religious factions.
The author uses only two female characters of note; both become whores both for their survival as well as money. While both are strong characters, it is a sad fate the author depicts for women in this world. All the other characters are male and there is no mention of women in power (other than the aging Emperor's mother - who once used her beauty as a weapon; a whore of a different bent). All the women are brutalized, traumatized and weak; while they do show intelligence - it is more like watching an intelligent pet play tricks. No one stands up for these women; all objectification is accepted outright or at least ignored by the lead characters.
Anasurimbor's ability to predict all things, at all levels - and to manipulate and control everyone around him is an interesting effect; although it is totally foiled by Cnaiur; who even among his people is considered mad. Cnaiur is crazy like a fox and only through great effort is able to keep Anasurimbor at bay. Their partnership is odd, but explained as Anasurimbor wants to kill the one man Cnaiur wishes dead most of all. Anasurimbor's ability makes him practically undefeatable and poses a major problem - for if the effect can be studied to understand the cause; where then is randomness? Where is chance? The ability is described with a certainty that seems to counter any chance of randomness occurring to foil the calculations involved. The only way I could continue reading was to ignore the author's protests and believe Anasurimbor's ability was clairvoyant; magic of a sort. Just a magic not understood by the schools.
The author's depiction of empires and internal politics was interesting, if a bit simplified for space and characters. We are told a fair bit about the past and current motivations of the main characters; with the exception of Mathanet. But we know almost nothing about the enemies of the holy war and even less about the Consult; both of which should play an important part in the story. This being book one, it can be assumed that they will become more prominent in subsequent books.
Anasurimbor is definitely the prince of nothing, although the title could also be passed to any of the characters already mentioned, as each seems to loose a lot as the story progresses. The author stresses the dirtying of the idea of a holy war as each character is forced to compromise high ideals to deal with petty concerns such as food, lodging and loyalty.
Being a fantasy novel, it is difficult to stipulate if the situations provided are possible. While there is a lot of similarity to the Byzantine empire with the setting the author chooses, the Scylvendi of the north are more reminiscent of a mix of Arabians and Mongols. The politics are, to me, the most interesting aspect--and without more from Mathanet's point of view, the story is rather one-sided. The author hints at the depts. of politics being played, but has not yet revealed his hand.
The politics in this book are not as thick as in even one book of the Fire and the Ice series by George R.R. Martin, and are more akin to Kathrine Kurtz Derani series; but they are not as well written. The book bogs down in sections where the author tries to show us more about Anasurimbor; primarily dealing with his mysticism and training.
The author's background is both heavier and harder to read than in most classical fantasy novels where the enemy tends to be another race than humanity. The only other author who presents similarly detailed politics without providing a lot of background information on all the players is Glenn Cook's Black Company novels, but there the focus is on the company; here the focus is not the war - but several characters of different political and moral motivations; none of which we can really understand by the end of book one.
Faith, the primary theme, is well defined by the author. "Faith is the truth of passion, ... and no passion is more true than another ... " (p470, The Holy War: Momemn). It drives every character, although passion and faith are used interchangeably by some characters. The novel is about a holy war; about finding out the truth behind the war as well as puzzling out individual parties motivations. What stake does each character (and the group they represent) have in the holy war, and how can they get more?
Overall this is not a book I would have chosen. I was able to finish it, but at times it was a struggle. I have great difficulty sympathizing with most of the characters. I don't know enough about Mathanet. Xerius is a power-hungry paranoid emperor with a taste for torture and self-delusion. His cousin, Conphas is certainly smarter - but we don't see enough of him. Their mother/aunt is an old and bitter woman that we only see through Xerius' eyes. Akka is fallible, likable and torn. Esmenet is both weak and strong and her failure of character along with long periods of inaction makes her very hard to like. Cnaiur is depicted as truly barbaric (taking and using Serwe as a prize) and vicious. Anasurimbor willingly manipulates and uses people. None of these characters have values even similar to mine and all but Akka show a mercenary side that is very hard for this 21st century woman to stomach. If the story was entirely from Akka's point of view, maybe the book would have been easier to read -- but a lot of the detail would be lost.
Favorite character: Akka.
Least favorite character: Cnaiur.
Would I recommend the book: No.
Would I read the rest of the series: I'd borrow it, just out of curiosity and probably read them if I had them; but I'd not shell out $12.00 CDN a book based on what I've read thus far.
Things to change to make it more to my liking: Anasurimbor's abilities - call them magical and have done. Stronger female characters. Less sex and violence combined (love scenes rather than rape would be nice). More characters I can empathize with.
What I liked: Akka. Political intrigue. Religious and magical mix.
What I hated: Rape. Threats of violence. Lovecraftian horrors.
My Reading Guide Questions:
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* When you read the prolog, what was your first impression of the book? Did it change as you continued reading?
The book starts out very very slowly. About 180 pages in, it begins to delve into politics and world lore - which actually helped. The author is in love with Anasurimbor and spends as much time as possible on the character. At first I thought I could empathize with the character, but as I watched him twist and kill people enthralled to him - that changed. I began to hate him. By the end of the book I could not abide the character and stopped caring about what he did or why.
* What do you think of Anasurimbor's abilities and his quest? Did the author's description of his abilities cause you any problems? How would you overcome these problems?
At first I was curious and accepting of Anasurimbor's abilities; but through the prologue I quickly realized the character had no limits. This was disturbing. As I continued reading I ran into limits on Anasurimbor's abilities; this sudden change only made sense only as a plot device. It contradicts the rules the author set up in the beginning; the way the author deals with it struck me as bad writing.
I had to believe that Anasurimbor's abilities were purely magical; ignoring the author's protests as I went.
* What does the title mean to you? To whom do you attribute the book's title: Anasurimbor? Xerius? Mathanet? Achamian? Conphas? or Cnaiur?
All the characters can relate to the title. Considering how much I hate Anasurimbor - I hope the title is his. The title relates to the coming apocalypse (a recurrent theme in Akka's dreams).
* Did you find Esmenet or Serwe to be primary or secondary characters? Why?
Secondary, at best. They were not the focus of the story (as most of the male characters were). At best they were plot devices, means to introduce tertiary characters and give a general feel to locations. They were weak and driven from without; even Esmenet's decision to leave home seemed somehow forced upon her. Her meeting with Akka (after several hundred pages) was so weak and dis-illuisatory that I actually thought she was being manipulated by a lovecraftian horror -- admittedly to think that her character failed her just then would be enough to make me stop reading the book.
* The Empire's edict is a ploy within a ploy. Did you understand it before or after Istriya details her understanding to Xerius?
Better and worse. I was wrong on several points; believing Xerius wants to remove power from the 1000 temples and become the leader of a holy war that would restore land to a failing empire. I was half right. Xerius would never lead an army; not when there's a cousin that might rival an offspring of Xerius for the thrown.
* Sex in the novel is often hinted at. At times it is mixed with violence. Did this improve or reduce your enjoyment of the book? Why?
It destroyed my enjoyment. These are supposed to be things that bad people do. I read to escape and enjoy; I do not enjoy reading about men subjugating women (with no one complaining). Worst of all it was so very casual. Serwe was just a prize - to be used and abused; it served no purpose except to show just how barbaric Cnaiur was and how manipulating Anasurimbor was.
* What did you make of the magical schools, or the description of magic - that sorcery created a stain that only the gifted could see. Did you understand how Achamian's dreams worked? Did he get them because of the school he joined, or did he join the school because of the dreams?
I liked the magical schools such as they were, but do not understand how Akka's school is so much more powerful than all the others; that Akka seemed to have dreamed the dreams before joining is contradictory; for when the author describes one of his pupils, the dreams came later, after he joined the order.
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okay
contemplative
amused
bouncy
