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« on: August 20, 2017, 06:53:15 am »
I unreservedly love the books. War is not antiseptic and clean with the victory of the righteous preordained. It is, almost always, suffering and horror with the iron gears of circumstances chewing up men and nations. That Bakker can incorporate these terrible and frequently brushed over truths into his works while also including gripping action, awesome sorcery, and profound courage is one of his great strengths as a writer.
Victory was never assured. Ninety-five percent of fiction tells us that, but we all know that there is a finger on the scale. No noble sacrifice will be futile, no courageous deed will be easily undone, evil will not triumph over good, Sauron is always defeated, and fallen heroes always end up in the undying lands. Free will matters, the main characters are heroes, not pawns. That is the expectation. Normal, easy, safe. The lie that we want to be told.
Bakker dares to betray Proyas and show us that in the heart of the man who will save us from genocide there is room for only one other person. He dares to actually unleash the Second Apocalypse that is foretold. The savior is not merely hollow, he is a lie. Tremendous sacrifice results in heartbreaking failure and the unleashing of the very evil it sought to forestall. How often does fiction dare to walk that road? Forget all of Bakker's skills as a writer and world builder, how can you not admire the courage?
As for the Second Apocalypse, it should be heartbreaking. The tale of how it came to pass should be tragic and powerful. It would be obscene if it wasn't. But it isn't over. The First Apocalypse was over come. The success of the second is not assured. Drusas Achaiman walks in Seswatha's footsteps and with him is the Holy Empress and the true prophet. The Black Gate has opened and the army of Mordor has poured forth, but the White City has yet to fall.