Book description
The Darkness That Comes Before is the first book in R. Scott Bakker’s epic fantasy trilogy The Prince of Nothing. Set in a world scarred by an apocalyptic past, four people are swept up in the launch of an imminent crusade, during which they are ensnared by mysterious traveler Anasûrimbor…
Why read it?
2 authors picked The Darkness That Comes Before as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
I picked this book up as a lark at the SeaTac Borders Bookstore while waiting to fly down to my grandparents' 50th wedding anniversary celebration. I can't really say why I bought it, but I have never had a book series that challenged me more.
The philosophy and metaphysics of this world had me thinking like no other books did. It pushed me to write far more gray characters and to see a human as a flawed yet beautiful amalgamation of strengths and weaknesses. Bakker is fearless in his subject matters, and I try to be as well. I write…
From JMD's list on fall in love with fantasy.
Authored by a former philosophy lecturer, this novel was inspired as much by the works of H. P. Lovecraft as J. R. R. Tolkien. It follows a warrior monk named Anasûrimbor Kellhus as he attempts to seize control of a fermenting holy war in order to find his lost father.
Metaphysics plays a key role in the text and subtext of this story. Unlike the traditional fantasy hero, the main weapon Kellhus wields to complete his quest is not his sword but his mind: he is able to judge the cognitive biases of everyone he meets and then subtly shift…
From Duncan's list on The best philosophical fantasy novels.
If you love The Darkness That Comes Before...
These Blue Mountains
A moving story of love, betrayal, and the enduring power of hope in the face of darkness.
German pianist Hedda Schlagel's world collapsed when her fiancé, Fritz, vanished after being sent to an enemy alien camp in the United States during the Great War. Fifteen years later, in 1932, Hedda…
Want books like The Darkness That Comes Before?
Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 69 books like The Darkness That Comes Before.
Share your top 3 reads of 2025!
And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.
1,340
readers submitted
so far, will you?
📚 If you like The Darkness That Comes Before, you might also like...
Foxfire in the Snow
It's a time of change, between magic and alchemy.
Born the heir of a master woodcutter in a queendom defined by guilds and matrilineal inheritance, nonbinary Sorin can’t quite seem to find their place. At seventeen, an opportunity to attend an alchemical guild fair and secure an apprenticeship with the…
The Main Gate
Dr. Elise Marquette has spent years burying the past—until the past refuses to stay buried.
Hired to join Earth’s first interstellar contact team, she hopes the vastness of space will finally offer distance from the ghosts of war and the wounds left by a mother who never let her be…
