The Great Ordeal: The Aspect-Emperor: Book Three
Description
“Terrifying and astonishing.xa0 Here is world-building on the grand scale it should achieve.xa0 Here are emotions and stakes driven to a pitch that will squeeze every reader breathless.” - Ian C. Esslemont, author of Dancer's Lament “With The Great Ordeal , the penultimate book in The Aspect-Emperor series, Bakker begins to betray the final mysteries of his cosmos, feeding and goading readers more than in any of the preceding novels… Page for page, this volume was a most haunting pleasure to read.” - Bakkerfans “The worldbuilding is once again top notch. Bakker’s richly detailed narrative creates an imagery that virtually leaps off the page. The Middle Eastern setting of the western Three Seas remains a welcome change from the usual generic medieval environments found in most fantasy sagas… Indeed, Bakker’s creations remain head and shoulder above all other SFF settings on the market today… A compelling read that sets the stage for everything Bakker fans have been hoping for for so many years!” - Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist “ The Great Ordeal is a stunning addition to the series, go and buy it as soon as it is available. Seethes with intelligence, action and revelation and is a worthwhile continuation of the smartest epic fantasy of our generation.” - The Wertzone R. Scott Bakker is a student of literature, history, philosophy, and ancient languages. His previous books include the Prince of Nothing trilogy: The Darkness that Comes Before, The Warrior Prophet , and The Thousandfold Thought . The Aspect-Emperor series is a sequel series that includes The Judging Eye, The White-Luck Warrior, The Great Ordeal , and The Unholy Consult . He lives in London, Ontario.
Features & Highlights
- 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 penultimate 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 Anasûrimbor 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.
