Writing on Reading: The Darkness that Comes Before

I consider myself fairly knowledgeable when it comes to epic fantasy authors, but, for some reason, Canadian author R. Scott Bakker (pictured here) has been off my radar. I picked up a used copy of The Darkness that Comes Before because I wanted a nice, think fantasy to take with me on a long plane trip. Since I was not familiar with Bakker, it felt like a bit of a risk trying a new author while trapped in a cigar box, but hey--I can be an adventurous guy sometimes.

I'm happy to report that The Darkness that Comes Before did not disappoint. I loved the detailed and original fantasy world, the interesting variety of characters, and the intelligent bits of philosophy strewn throughout. The prose was well-written, and the plot multifaceted. My only real criticism of the book was the ending. I did not feel that Bakker had resolved enough plot threads when I reached the "end" of the book. Still, I'm interested enough to go on to the next book in the series when I get a chance.