Book 3

The Great Ordeal

by R. Scott Bakker

Published 12 July 2016

'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 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

As Fanim war-drums beat just outside the city, the Empress Anasurimbor 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 Great Ordeal is the new novel in R. Scott Bakker's acclaimed Aspect-Emperor series, set in a vivid world of myth, war and sorcery. A series that stands alongside the finest in the genre, for its grand scope, rich detail and thrilling story.

Books by R Scott Baker:

Prince of Nothing Trilogy
The Darkness That Comes Before
The Warrior-Prophet
The Thousandfold Thought

Aspect-Emperor
The Judging Eye
The White Luck Warrior
The Great Ordeal
The Unholy Consult

Novels
Neuropath
Disciple of the Dog
Light, Time, and Gravity


The Judging Eye

by R. Scott Bakker

Published 15 January 2009

'"The Judging Eye" is an incredibly smart and smart ass title to a book that deceives in being Bakker's most straight forward read. How Bakker continues to move Kellhus in mysterious ways is something I can't wait to witness more of' - BookSpotCentral

'Exquisitely intelligent and beautifully written...this is fantasy with muscle and brains, rife with intrigue and admirable depth of character, set in a world laden with history and detail.' - Steve Erikson, author of Gardens of the Moon

A score of years after he first walked into the histories of Men, Anasûrimbor Kellhus rules all the Three Seas, the first true Aspect-Emperor in a thousand years.

Wielding more power than even the greatest sorcerer, Kellhus now leads a holy war deep into the wastes of the Ancient North, intent on destroying the stronghold of Golgotterath and preventing the Second Apocalypse.

Meanwhile his wife and consort, Esmenet, struggles to rule not only his vast empire, but their murderous children as well. And Achamian, who lives as a Wizard in embittered exile, undertakes a mad quest to uncover the origins of the Dûnyain.

But Achamian, of all people, should know that one must be very careful what one seeks . . .

First he was the Prince of Nothing, then the Warrior-Prophet. Now Anasurimbor Kellhus is the Aspect-Emperor. But is he a living god . . . or a demon from hell?

Books by R Scott Baker:

Prince of Nothing Trilogy
The Darkness That Comes Before
The Warrior-Prophet
The Thousandfold Thought

Aspect-Emperor
The Judging Eye
The White Luck Warrior
The Great Ordeal
The Unholy Consult

Novels
Neuropath
Disciple of the Dog
Light, Time, and Gravity


A score of years after he first walked into the histories of men, Anasurimbor Kellhus rules all the three seas, the first true aspect-emperor in a thousand years. As Kellhus and his Great Ordeal march ever farther into the perilous wastes of the Ancient North, Esmenet finds herself at war with not only the Gods, but her own family as well. Achamian, meanwhile, leads his own ragtag expedition to the legendary ruins of Sauglish, and to a truth he can scarce survive, let alone comprehend. Into this tumult walks the White Luck Warrior, assassin and messiah both, executing a mission as old as the World's making ...

The Unholy Consult

by R. Scott Bakker

Published 6 July 2017

'As the culmination of the vast tapestry of storylines that form The Second Apocalypse, [The Unholy Consult] is a great and fitting finale that closes the show with a massive exclamation point' - Pat's Fantasy Hotlist

'... it can at last be said that Bakker has written the epic fantasy series of the post-Tolkien era' - Speculiction

A score of years after he first walked into the histories of men, Anasurimbor Kellhus rules all the three seas, the first true Aspect-Emperor in a thousand years.

The Unholy Consult is the hugely anticipated final novel in R. Scott Bakker's acclaimed Aspect-Emperor series, set in a vivid world of myth, war and sorcery. It is a series that stands alongside the finest in the genre, for its grand scope, rich detail and thrilling story.

Books by R Scott Baker:

Prince of Nothing Trilogy
The Darkness That Comes Before
The Warrior-Prophet
The Thousandfold Thought

Aspect-Emperor
The Judging Eye
The White Luck Warrior
The Great Ordeal
The Unholy Consult

Novels
Neuropath
Disciple of the Dog
Light, Time, and Gravity