Reviews
The worldbuilding is once again top notch. Bakker's richly detailed narrative creates an imagery that virtually leaps off the page. The Middle Eastern setting of the western Three Seas remains a welcome change from the usual generic medieval environments found in most fantasy sagas... Indeed, Bakker's creations remain head and shoulder above all other SFF settings on the market today... A compelling read that sets the stage for everything Bakker fans have been hoping for for so many years!, 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., Terrifying and astonishing. Here is world-building on the grand scale it should achieve. Here are emotions and stakes driven to a pitch that will squeeze every reader breathless., 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., Terrifying and astonishing. Here is world-building on the grand scale it should achieve. Here are emotions and stakes driven to a pitch that will squeeze every reader breathless.