...if you are a fan of intense, complex fantasy then this Book is for you. -- Lesley Mazey, The Eternal Night
For readers who enjoy being challenged, or those looking for epic fantasy that explores beyond the typical tropes and themes, it's very much worth seeking out. -- Victoria Strauss, SF Site
In 'The Darkness That Comes Before', R. Scott Bakker has begun something extraordinary. -- Martin Jenner, SFCrowsnest
A stunning first Book, brilliant setting and characterisation, and if this was just a warm-up then the entire Series is going to set a new standard for fantasy writers everywhere. -- Matthew Whitaker, The Alien Online
Bakker proves quite a talent with The Darkness That Comes Before and I'm looking forward to what comes next in the Series. -- James Schellenberg, Challenging Destiny
I heartily recommend this novel and eagerly await the next installment of The Prince of Nothing. -- Rob H. Bedford, sffworld.com
"Intelligent" is a term trotted out so often by publishers that it has become almost worthless - which is hard for the likes of Bakker, whose first novel truly is intelligent, and original, and all those other overused words. -- Jon Courtenay Grimwood, The Guardian
...Bakker has produced a politically complex world full of intrigue and treachery as well as the usual fantasy fare of prophecy and magic. -- Cheryl Morgan, Emerald City
An exceptional Book and an exceptional debut. Here begins a Series of Books that is an answer to why it's important that fantasy be read at all.) -- Inchoatus