The Darkness That Comes Before

Scott Bakker has built a rich and vibrant new world. The Darkness That Comes Before is the first in the Prince Of Nothing trilogy. Anasurimbor Kellhus , a young monk with unusual abilities sets out on a mission to kill his father. Drusas Achamian, a sorcerer from the Mandate School, is on the hunt for the Consult - followers of the No-God, who brings death and destruction. The Consult has not been heard of for centuries and the world thinks it extinct, but Achamian and his Mandate brothers believe different. Cnaiur urs Skaith is a barbarian chieftain with a secret shame. They are in a time of chaotic change - Holy War, secret enemies, political intrigue, and forces that seek to push or pull. Nothing is what it seems to be. In the beginning, the reader is swept away by the new and different - dropped right into the story, without any knowledge of what came before. I like books where I am initially out of depth with new names and places and philosophical viewpoints and such, and I enjoyed this book immensely. Reminded me of The Malazan series, but this is much more introspective. The reader sees more of what passes through the minds of the characters. An epic - raw and powerful, but one that does not allow an emotional attachment to the characters.