The Darkness that Comes Before

"'He is less. And he's more.'" This line of dialog from Chapter Twelve perfectly sums up R. Scott Bakker's debut novel, The Darkness That Comes Before.

Bakker's knowledge of ancient languages and his doctorate in philosophy give his epic fantasy a unique flavor. His world exudes a harsh authenticity, imbued with feudal politics and religious fervor. Competing factions of sorcerers and theologians debate philosophical quandaries. Character and place names stumble with accent marks like diaereses and circumflexes.

The novel begins with whispers of a two-thousand year old apocalypse and the emergence of the eerily manipulative Kellhus. Then it shifts to the sorcerer Achamian and bogs down in scholastic debates. The pace quickens in the political intrigue around the Emperor, then slows again in Esmenet's section. The plot finally awakens when Kellhus returns, after a 300 page absence, and the main characters converge on the Holy War. The political machinations reach a crescendo, interrupted by philosophical flashbacks from Kellhus's youth, and an ancient evil resurfaces.

Darkness mixes three major struggles -- Kellhus searching to find his father, for unknown reasons; Achamian and the Mandate hunting for the ancient evil; and the political machinations surrounding the Holy War. Any two of these could have anchored the plot, but the inclusion of all three leaves the novel jumbled. All the main characters are ignored for long stretches. The spy murdered in Chapter One isn't mentioned again for 500 pages. Esmenet features prominently in the first three sections, then fades into a foil for gratuitous drama. Serwe appears as a new character in Part Four, slowing the plot with her backstory. The unresolved ending leaves the novel feeling like a 600 page introduction to the trilogy.

Bakker seems caught between depicting a non-human evil, like most fantasy does, or focusing on the evil that humans can visit upon each other, like George R. R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire. He ends up doing both, and his plot meanders between them. The non-human evil is frighteningly portrayed, but it makes so few appearances that the human conflicts steal most of the attention.

In many descriptive passages, Bakker's prose drips with lyricism. However, at many moments of tension or confrontation, the sentences crumble into awkward fragments. The narrative spends most of its time inside the characters' heads, winding through philosophical discourses. This type of argument is essential to establishing Bakker's three main conflicts. However, once these conflicts have been established, the repeated discourses feel like ponderous doubletalk. The philosophical tone, the poetic language, and the political conflicts combine to give the novel an erudite feel that occasionally borders on snobbish.

Bakker aims high with Darkness, a novel of complex language, intrigue, and plot. However, the complexities end up overwhelming the characters and the story. Excellent popular fiction should contain multiple levels, but it should also provide an easy entry point for readers who don't want to delve into such complexities. Bakker plunges straight into deep waters, which leaves many readers sputtering on the surface.

Other Reviews of works by R. Scott Bakker

The Warrior-Prophet - Jan 29, 2007

The Thousandfold Thought - Jan 28, 2006

Interview with R. Scott Bakker

On the Spot at Fantasybookspot: R. Scott Bakker - May 30, 2005