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R. Scott Bakker
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The Thousandfold Thought (The Prince of Nothing, Book 3) Paperback – January 30, 2007

by R. Scott Bakker (Author)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 974 ratings
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The Darkness That Comes Before, R. Scott Bakker's magnificent debut, drew thunderous acclaim from reviewers and fellow fantasy authors. Readers were invited into a darkly threatening, thrillingly imaginative universe as fully realized as that of any in modern fantasy and introduced to one of the genre's great characters: the powerful warrior-philosopher Anasûrimbor Kelhus, on whom the fate of a violently apocalyptic Holy War rests. Bakker's follow up to The Darkness That Comes Before, The Warrior Prophet enticed readers further into the richly imagined world of myth, violence, and sorcery. The startling and far-reaching answers to these questions are brought into thrilling focus in The Thousandfold Thought, the conclusion to The Prince of Nothing trilogy. Casting into question all the action that has taken place before, twisting readers' intuitions in unforeseen directions, remolding the fantasy genre to broaden the scope of intricacy and meaning, R. Scott Bakker has once again written a fantasy novel that defies all expectations and rewards the reader with an experience unlike any to be had in the canon of fantasy literature.
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Previous page
  1. Book 3 of 3
    The Prince of Nothing
  2. Print length
    560 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    The Overlook Press
  5. Publication date
    January 30, 2007
  6. Dimensions
    5 x 1 x 8 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    158567883X
  8. ISBN-13
    978-1585678839
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

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.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ The Overlook Press; 0 edition (January 30, 2007)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 560 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 158567883X
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1585678839
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.45 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5 x 1 x 8 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 974 ratings

About the author

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R. Scott Bakker

R. Scott Bakker

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My books are the sum of four decades spent wandering fantastic worlds and philosophical worldviews. In an age where algorithms sort everything, I belong nowhere. Some days I write in a three-piece suit, and others, in my underwear.

These are the characters closest to my heart, those trapped between warring tribes. I despise easy answers. I write of ancient wars and long-dead philosophers, extinct races and poets whose words crack walls as readily as hearts. I mourn the worlds I once believed in, and I fear the planet we have become. The themes in my books teeter on the radical edge of the most pressing issues of our day. Among other venues, my philosophical critiques have been featured on CBC Ideas and in The Journal of Consciousness Studies.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
974 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Brian Hawkinson
5.0 out of 5 stars A powerful book and series
Reviewed in the United States on February 10, 2006
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Bakker is a breath of fresh air in a genre where good authors are hard to come by. He doesn't drag things out. He is to the point and you know what is happening. He starts the third book so different from the norm, in that he doesn't spend the first 100 pages retelling everything as though you hadn't read the first two books. Best of all, he is a fantasy author who can actually finish his series in three books, rather than 10 or 12.

This his third book is amazing. Bakker writes with such grace that you want to keep reading late into the night, and the storyline is not predictable, it doesn't follow a scripted set of rules. The storyline follows a very succinct path, one that is complex and yet simple to follow. Bakker seems to have thought of everything, which leads to an altogether well rounded book. The last quarter of the book, particularly, is fast paced and well structured. We get to see the full might of the Scarlet Spires and the Cishaurim, a quick glance at the Saik, and of course of Achaimian and the Gnosis. This is perhaps something that sets apart Bakker from other fantasy authors. His "magic" is more real and powerful because he doesn't cheapen it by trying to explain it too much and, for the most part, doesn't use it too often (with the exception, of course, at the end, where it is inevitable). The battle at Shimeh is detailed and told amazingly, leaving over the feeling of a real battle, reminiscent of the crusades of course (Shimeh/Jerusalem, Swords/Christians vs. Scimitars/Muslims). Combine the sorcery with the battle and you have a finale to a book that is memorable.

Finally, all the storylines are wound up and completed, yet still Bakker was able to leave enough wiggle room to venture into a new series with the same world. Bakker, to me, has eclipsed Martin and Williams with this his final book of the trilogy. I would definitely recommend Bakker to everyone, no matter their genre preference. If you are looking for a great fantasy author, Bakker is your man.
14 people found this helpful
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J. Hulet
4.0 out of 5 stars Refreshing change of pace from your typical ending
Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2006
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This was well written and drenched in enough details that you truly could see the picture the author painted. The most amazing thing has been to watch the characters evolve through different influences and to see characters that you liked become characters you could hate.

My favorite part in it all was the fact that it didn't end happily. The ending left me thinking, "Wow! That sucks!" and yet it fit the mold and really summed up how things had evolved.
2 people found this helpful
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Vic Perotti
5.0 out of 5 stars who’s the good guy?
Reviewed in the United States on September 24, 2023
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Thoughtful and unpredictable characters (clearly I’m not a student of Logos) beyond your wizard. Philosophic and thought provoking . I want to see more of Drusas Achamian
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R. Guerrero
3.0 out of 5 stars Half George RR Martin, Half Steven Erikson, and Half as Good
Reviewed in the United States on September 10, 2008
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I just finished the series, and I must say that it leaves me unsatisfied. For those who haven't read George R.R. Martin or Steven Erikson, I would have to say that this review is not for you, as I will be referring to both series since they are the standards of fantasy literature.

The series approaches the complexity of the George R.R. Martin's characters, dozens of complicated individuals, each with his or her own convictions and views of the world. Initially, one cannot tell who is right and who is wrong, as every person's view of the world has always been the right view. As I progress through the novels, the characters mature and evolve. However, unlike Martin's amazing character development, Bakker's is left half-baked. Kellhus. The all-knowing Kellhus is the asteroid that wipes out the evolution of Bakker's characters. It's so frustrating to see what could have been great multi-faceted characters like Proyas, Esmenet, Cnaur, and others obliterated into two-sided paper figures whose only conviction is to believe or not believe the greatness of Kellhus. Even more frustrating is most of the main characters: the great names, knights and thanes, serve no purpose but to die. Like clockwork, someone with a name must die in every battle. When one of George R.R. Martin's character die, it creates a shudder through the storyline - not only because it often so unexpected, but because one feels so much for the character, whether it's admiration or hate, of things left unaccomplished. Death leaves a hollow space in GRRM's world.

The Prince of Nothing also bears great similarity with Erikson's Malazan series, particularly Coltaine's long march from Seven Cities. The desperation and hopelessness of that retreat is so palpable that it left the taste of gritty desert sand in my mouth. In some ways this novel is very similar, although Inrithi's armies are attacking, not retreating. The toll of the battle road is comparable in both books. However, while Erikson's story progresses smoothly, Bakker's journey suffer innumerable rest stops. Every chapter is inundated with, as another reviewer wrote, "unending explanations of the greatness of Kellhus". By the third book, I actually found myself skipping sections of "the greatness of Kellhus", something unthinkable in a GRRM or Erikson book lest you miss an important part integral to the plot. After reading "the greatness of Kellhus" dozens and dozens of times, I find that it is not necessary, there was nothing that was not already stated.

Thus, I find Bakker's book somewhat combination of both GRRM and Erikson. It aspires to Martin's characterization and Erikson's plot progression, but falls short in both. However, since GRRM is taking decades between books, and Erikson's latest is not out yet, I recommend this series as a decent substitute to satisfy some of your cravings. Just be warned, it will not leave you hungering for more bread from Bakker's bakery. RG
16 people found this helpful
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Mougrim
5.0 out of 5 stars Great
Reviewed in the United States on November 8, 2023
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I've enjoyed it through and through. Can't wait to see what comes after the darkness which comes before... And what of Consult?
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Kindle Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars A fitting end
Reviewed in the United States on April 18, 2014
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This book nicely wraps up the trilogy and hints at what must be the next book. Although these books are entirely to wordy for my taste, I can appreciate the author s beautiful writing style. I will recommend was the next book, but I definitely need a break from this style of writing. The story, characters and world are all first rate and can definitely appreciate the creativity put into this story. I will definitely recommend this to others
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Top reviews from other countries

Mark Steinmann
2.0 out of 5 stars A Terrible Conclusion
Reviewed in Spain on November 25, 2022
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I don't think the author was even trying on this one. Probably just fulfilling the contract. The characters went flat, the descriptions were formulaic and boring. Such a plummet from what was a good first book.
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Jan
5.0 out of 5 stars Conclusion to a great journey
Reviewed in Germany on April 23, 2020
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The thousandfold thought concludes what has been build upon in the last two books. I really liked the conclusion, although I am dying to know more about the deep lore, the consult and its motivations, the inchoroi and so on. I am glad this series is continued in the aspect emperor series and I will read it next.

This is as good as grimdark gets!
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Debdip Chakraborty
5.0 out of 5 stars R. Scott Bakker take a bow!
Reviewed in India on October 18, 2018
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R. Scott Bakker take a bow!
I have literary too much to gash about this book and this series in particular. Probably, the most concise, and one of the best series ever written- I give Malazan and Prince of Nothing at equal step. But, I won't go in a detailed review, and will just say thank you to Mr. Richard Scott Bakker. The author who can move my soul with his mere words.
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Kindle Customer
2.0 out of 5 stars An unsatisfying end to a complex story
Reviewed in Australia on August 11, 2023
Verified Purchase
Multilayer rich fantasy worlds are to be celebrated, but they run the risk (as is the case here) where the complexity overrides the story. The desire to show the in universe history (which almost borders on novels in their own right and perhaps should be) over come the contemporary story being tols
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Freighnos
5.0 out of 5 stars A nice cap-off to the trilogy
Reviewed in Japan on December 12, 2019
Verified Purchase
Expands significantly on the lore, resolves all of the threads in a (mostly) satisfying way, and sets up the sequel series. I also appreciated the extended 100+ page glossary with lots of juicy info about the lore and world. Especially the account of the First Apocalypse.
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