ABOUT THIS EPISODE
The Slog continues as our full-series reread enters the final book of The Prince of Nothing trilogy: R. Scott Bakker’s The Thousandfold Thought.
This week we're discussing Chapters 1–4, and after the battles and brutality of The Warrior Prophet, Bakker immediately shifts the focus back toward philosophy, character, belief, and the increasingly complicated consequences of Kellhus’s rise.
At the center of the discussion is Achamian. He knows what Kellhus is capable of, he's increasingly troubled by what he sees happening around him, and when he finally contacts the Mandate about Kellhus, their response isn't quite what he expects.
Meanwhile, Esmenet is changing. Her new position has given her access to knowledge and power she never imagined possessing, forcing us to reconsider her relationship with Achamian and the opportunities she was—or wasn't—given before Kellhus entered her life.
We also discuss Cnaiür watching Kellhus manipulate the Great Names, Conphas's humiliation, Proyas's transformation from one absolute conviction to another, the mysterious heart from the end of The Warrior Prophet, the Bashrag, Seswatha, the Consult, Moënghus, and plenty of details that become much stranger when viewed with knowledge of the entire series.
Underlying all of it is a question that seems increasingly important:
Does conviction have anything to do with truth?
As always, we're approaching these books knowing where the entire seven-book journey eventually leads.
⚠️ FULL SERIES SPOILERS: This discussion contains spoilers for all seven books of The Second Apocalypse.
Welcome back to the Slog.
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