Well done, Sir. Your review is spot on and thorough. Aztec by Gary Jennings is one of my all-time favorite books for many of the same reasons you have mentioned.

Good production values for a small channel. I liked the Ubik-style introduction.

Reddit as a whole seems to loathe this series. Apparently books are not allowed to be inspired in any way by any other media. Also apparently having any Christian themes in your fantasy novel means you’re a MAGA conservative Nazi ….. gotta love Reddit. Also Hadrian “whines” the entire series .. apparently. I must have missed those moments somehow lmao

Love this! Thank you for making this video. It inspired me to continue on my reading journey. And love the channel. I hope it keeps growing. Cheers! ✌️

Nice review, but lose the music...

enjoyed you tale on the book

I absolutely agree with your review, both the good and the bad

Nice hearing you two talk about this trilogy! The Thousandfold Thought was also my least favorite of the three, but I felt more positive knowing there was more to come in the Second Apocalypse (I understand that not reassuring you, Jordan!). I have different views regarding iSamwise's question, and admittedly some of that is influenced by an interview I watched with Bakker and what I read in Aspect-Emperor. I validate anyone who feels this is too graphic and disturbing, and I don't widely recommend the series for that reason. I dislike the term "grimdark" as a genre term because there's too wide a spectrum for it to be a meaningful definition.

Whoa, too many spoilers in the non-spoilers section. Gonna save this one for much later. I got the original paperback release way long ago when I was way too immature to be reading something like this. It was highly recommended somehow long before booktube, lol.

I love the ending when Kellus basically says to Achamanian “next time we meet you shall kneel!” Something like that haha

Excellent chat. As referenced, Bakker kind of loses his way when he stops telling the story and overtly starts philosphizing. I also dont believe he had an editor for Aspect Emperor. Kellhus is a fascinating character. I just imagined Paul, or perhaps Leto II leading the Second Crudase. (Dune references even from the later books keep popping up). His outward actions seem noble, but his motivations, as Akka and Cnaiur figure out, are suspect. There is a lot more overt LotR in the next two books. Bakker also said he had the Bible and Blood Meridian, which I found underwhelming, on his nigjtstand while writing. The former is obvious just looking at the map names and the Inri. The latter is more later. I had to read them all straight through. Once I was in, I dont know if I would have come back later. It was really hard to find a book to read after as Mike said, you just keep thinking about it. I was quite shocked when Johanna's book of the year was White Luck Warrior.

The magic quote is Clarke, not Asimov.

Athenian was definitely my favorite character,and had the best arc.Seeing this man who was despised and ridiculed come into his full power and realizing he's a total badass was great.

Great conversation guys! I’m excited to read more of the trilogy. I think you both brought up a lot of good points about it. I find Bakker a fascinating author and I love that he expects his readers to be as adult/mature as he is and keep up with a lot of the heavy or complex things he’s covering. I doubt this will be a top ten series for me, but I haven’t read anything quite like it so far.

Sometimes I pick celebrities to visualize characters in books, based on the novel's description. To me, Achamian is Justin Vernon. 😂

Enjoyed the chat, my brother. Thanks for inviting me on!

I got the first book. I was sold by Mike saying the worldbuilding and lore was so good. Hoping to try it soon. I have a passing interest in philosophy, and I eventually want to read some, but I haven't read any before. Do you think this book could still hit for me?

Jordan, congrats on hitting 3K!!! You absolutely deserve it, and I can’t wait to see your channel continue to grow. I feel truly honored by all your shoutouts-you’re the nice ones here! It's just like what Brent said, Second Apocalypse fans are really cool with people disliking the series because we know how polarizing it can be with all its triggering elements. That being said, I really agree with what your sentiments on the sensitive topic's nature of selective outrage. Regarding comparisons between the series and The Hobbit/LOTR, that’s most evident in The Judging Eye-not so much in the rest of the series. As for The Thousandfold Thought, there’s very minimal resolution for most of the main characters, which ties into what Mike pointed out: people often mistakenly view TTT as the conclusion of PON rather than Book 3 of a 7-book saga. And while, as Jordan mentioned, being told to push through can be frustrating (believe me, I know exactly how it feels to hear that statement), I (personally) found it to be absolutely worth it with Second Apocalypse. Once again, thank you both for doing this. It's always great to hear people discuss Bakker's books.

While I find this an overall great introduction to Humes thoughts, I think you may have a slight misinterpretation of Humes “reason is the slave of the passions” idea. The way you put it implies that Hume was just making a commentary on how humans tend to care more about retroactively justifying their emotionally driven biases rather than pursuing what’s true, but that’s not what he was getting at. My understanding is that he was instead saying that reason is a tool to achieve certain ends, but those ends we see as worthwhile is entirely dependent on our passions. There are no reasonable ends or unreasonable ends, only ones you are motivated by passions to promote, and ones you are motivated by passions to oppose. He has some quote along the lines of “it is not contrary to reason to prefer the destruction of the world, to the scratching of my finger.” You and I would (hopefully) use reason to determine that we ought to promote social structures and systems which prohibit murder, but why is that reasonable for us? Hume (and I, agreeing with him) would say reason only guides us to that conclusion because of our anti-murder sentiments, or passions. If someone lacked anti-murder sentiments, reason would not dictate that they support such systems.

I like it that Bakker doesn't do traditional character arcs. So I was mostly positive on TTT ending. But I do agree with Mike on Conphas being wasted as a character after the first book.

(Note to say I am so unqualified in what I am discussing) - also just finished the trilogy Also just finished the trilogy and I find it so curious how much gnostic ideas seem to be in this series? From a seeming rejection of morality but a concept of basal and enlightened, to even the Dunyain primary goal being to achieve the "absolute", which sounds so much like how Gnostics believed reaching enlightenment would bring about "salvation" While reading the trilogy I also have been questioning how I can abide by a character such as Cnauir, and I feel it really comes down to how Bakker has successfully brought about an amorale world, there also is the fact of Cnauir seemingly being a counter revolutionary force to the "logos", which is explored with his decent into madness, and as humans I think its just natural to revolt against such a dogmatic school of thought that strips away much of what brings meaning to our existence. The exploration of madness is fascinating in and of itself with Khellus who kind of veers into orthodox ideas of God existing in subjectivity within all our minds, this kind of is shown in how Khellus thinks of the world moving around him while he himself is unmoved. I am SUPER unqualified to speak on this, and if you had any input into the idea I'd love to hear it in Khelus - Magic and Hegel's ideas? "But for the few who glimpse many angles, sorcerry must reek of incompleteness......where the God's voice speaks to the totality of angles, the few are contrained by the murk and imperfection of their recollections, the can conjure facades only" It then goes into how the "mark" sorcerers see is this divide between the god's true voice and their own, how the world they see or the world in which they actualize through magic is an outside unknowable one - kind of echoing Cnauir's skylvendi view of the world being false, with the stars being holes in that. For sorcerrors the stars are the mark in which they see. Khellus in this book seemingly has bridged that gap and has become godlike? Where he is able to actualise halos to form about him, for him to glow and for people to see this. There then is a lot of discussion about ideas of our souls, and Khellus getting into ideas of negation of negation. I've just started reading on it and honestly have no idea what I am saying lol, but the ideas are very prevelant and there. I’ve been rambling a lot but I will quickly say the same way in which sex/love/violence are depicted is so fascinating to me. Ideas of the dual sided coin where our other represents another face in which to see ourselves. For example how akka always questions how esmenet would be with (a self-deprecating) old man like him. Or cnauir and his use of serwe to both self flagellate and to reject his sexuality. Even sex scenes very much feel like an “exchange”? I do have a LOT of thoughts on the inchoroi and their perverse depiction of love/sex/passion as I find it curious how we aknowledge the rape that occurs to esmenet by the consult where they use phermones. Yet there is not nearly the same reaction to khelus employing the logos to seduce a mourning esmi into becoming a child bearer for his genetics??? As sex/passion/hunger are basal animalistic (not saying they are bad) characteristics, it does seem Bakker uses these scenes to truly break down our strongest most passionate emotions and shows them to us in a perverse light. Such as where the sperm from the consult is black? Just curious as to how he is going to follow up on this. Character wise esmi is traggic in her acknowledged lack of agency no matter what conditioned ground she stands on be it inrithi or now the thousandfold thought. Her body, her image, her hungers are continuously not hers. And she accepts that.

The best Drusas Achamian scene was at the end when he walked out to face down the army of Ikuri Conphas. What did Esmi say from her POV. "There he went not as the teacher or the fool but as what he truly is; Drusas Achamian a mandate schoolman and he began to sing and the world burned." paraphrase

My list of note’s & references (2/2) “Rage Goddess!”: The Opening of the Iliad The Sagas: Mix of the Iliad, the Norse Sagas, the Bhagavad-Gita of the Hindu Mahabharata Epic and the Silmarillion The Ancient Shigeki Relief of a defeated Skylvendi: The Reliefs of the defeat of the “Sea Peoples” by Pharaoh Ramesses III from the 12th Century BC Bronze Age Collapse In addition to Paul from “Dune”, and various religious leaders, Kellhus seems also partly inspired by Alexander the Great Nau-Cauyati & Seswatha: Frodo & Sam entering Mordor fused with Achilles of the Iliad and Arthurian Merlin The Ark-of-the-Skies: 10x the measurements of Noah’s Ark: 300(0) Cubits in length, 50(0) Cubits in breadth/width and 30(0) in height/depth The Siege & Conquest of Shimeh: Obviously the Conquest of Jerusalem in the First Crusade, but also the Germans during WW2 (“Blonde Wolves” “clearing” their conquests…) and allied D-Day Landings (with the Conriyan having heavy losses akin to the Americans at Omaha Beach and the Airborne Elements at Utah Beach (and the Scarlet Spires as the Soviets at the Eastern Front), while the Ainoni & Thunyeri are virtually unopposed akin to the (relatively) low losses of the British & other Allied Forces at Sword & Gold Beach), and the US during both the Vietnam War (Scarlet “Magic Fire” against Chorae “Snipers”, saffron-cloaked monks and hidden underground warriors) and the (then ongoing) Iraq War (setting combined with a “multi-national coalition” with overwhelming “firepower” and “rapid” conquest surprising the native opposition, plus hidden geopolitical reasons for a war with religious imagery?), as well as a reversed seige of Minas Tirith (white walls, mastodons attacking from OUT OF the City, wizards fighting and (first) the Ce Tydonni Knights & (secondly) Saubon’s relief forces akin to the Rohirrim) The Nonman Mansion at Kyudea: Indian design, with water works and ritual bathing as well as “suggestive” art? The Ciphrang Demons: The Balrogs, the Demons of Conan the Cimmerian, as well as reversed role of Gods and Men in the Iliad (& possibly the demons in the Manga “Berserk”) Fight a river: Achilles kills the River God Scamander in the Iliad Moënghus: “What visions?” So much for “Mr. Determinist”, Part Deux! 😄 “And my half-brother?”: Oh, the Soap Opera/Telenovela Drama! 😆 The Nansur “Spear in the Back” of the Men of the Tusk: Accusations of the Byzantines by the Crusaders, as well Hagan slaying the Germanic Hero Siegfried in the Nibelungenlied Epic Poem and the German “Dagger in the Back” Myth that the German Army lost WW1 not due to their own mistakes, but by a betrayal by the Socialists and the Jews… Achamian’s renunciations: Yeah, he is very much a John le Carre Spy Protagonist, indeed! 😅

My list of note’s & references (1/2) Esmenet: Empress Theodora, low class actress wife of Byzantine Emperor Justinian (and a bit of Simone de Beauvoir?) Cnaiür chasing the (Skin Spy) Serwe: Riffing on Conan chasing the Ice Giants Daughter! Man, Poor Zin… The Book of Traders: The Latter Prophet in exile, hidden from his enemies by merchent, akin to the Muslim Prophet Muhammed (a former Merchant)’s exile to Medína The Middle Lands fought over by the Northern Kings of Shigek and the Southern of Old Nilnamesh: Reversed of the Levant/Holy Land being fought over by the Pharaohs of Egypt (from the Bronze Age to the Hellenistic Ptolemaic Dynasty of Antiquity) and the Hittites of Anatolia/Babylonians & Assyrians of Mesopotamia/the Seleucid Greeks of Syria Gedea: Judea + Ged (Main Character of Ursula K Le Guin’s “Earthsea”)? Plains of Heshor: Hastur, the King in Yellow in the Lovecraftian Cthulhu Mythos? Xerash: Sodom & Gomorrah? Conphas as the “Lion”: The Lion of Judah in the Old Testament, used as an image of Jesus in the New Testament, and King Richard Lionheart Threesies, older veteran Nansur Imperial Soldiers: The Veterans of the Roman Republican Army, the Triariaii Conphas: Patrick Bateman from “American Psycho”, looking at his own mirror reflection during, eh, “coupling”! 😅 The Men of the Tusk vs the Nansur: The 4th Crusade Cnaiur vs Conphas: Strong Conan vs nobility vibes The Herotic Way: Pun on «Heroic» and King Herod, who built several monuments as King of Judea Athjeari’s Pilgrimage and the Kian destruction of the Shine at Musela: Contrast to Tancred( later Prince of Galilee)’s capture of Bethlehem and the Church of Nativity and the Fatimid Governor of Jerusalem, Iftikhar al-Dawla’s poisoning of wells and forced expulsion of local Christians Gerotha: As in a “Garrot”, the strangulation execution device?

Great chat fellas. Can't believe you didn't talk about Achamian's mic drop on Kellhus at the end, considering both of you named him your favorite character. This was personally my least favorite of the three because the whole sequence cutting between Shimeh and Kellhus with his father just didn't work for me. It felt very disjointed compared to all that came before (ha). I will probably read all of Aspect Emperor this year.

We aren't mad when people dislike it because we always kind of assume everyone will bounce off of it lol. Seriously though it's pretty obvious that it's a quintessential "not for everyone" series so we just like when people try it.

Now this is some good video to find. Kinda bad for me that I've red most of them, but ques that's the cost of being dino freak. But I would like to add some of my favourites althought they might be a little difficult to get into but still. There used to be a sci-fi British TV series named Primeval that had a really cool concept of randomly generating time portals known as Anomalies and group of scientists that had to deal with dinosaurs that came to our time and keep it all secret. The series had a 4 novels that are their own separate stories but it's better to watch the series to better understand characters and setting. But still. Novels The Lost Island and Extinction Event are just the best Dinosaur books that I've red excluding original Jurassic novels. Both incredibly greatly written and fast reading and don't make me start to Dinosaur variety because you will be spoiled to choose. But to shade it at least a little. The Lost Island revolves around teams mission on one very politically fragile island that is being covered by mysterious thunderstorm and big bunch of anomalies. Book is mostly like survival thriller and works really good. The second is Extinction Event and oh boy oh boy. Basic point of the book is that after badly covered up anomaly incident when one creature was running loose trough the streets of London, mysterious Russian Army fraction kidnaps main trio of characters and drag them to Siberia where they explain that they need... help. Because there is full blown cretaceous infestation happening and they don't know what is causing it.

Good review.

I watched the film and enjoyed it, but have not read the book. I heard the film follows the book fairly well, but it sounds like the book goes into a lot more depth.

She's not the first woman translator. Caroline Alexander translated Homer before her. And this interviewer sits down to piss.

As a Brazilian I must say that the description of America in Atlas shrugged sounds just like Lula's Brasil

6:24 synopsis

DOCTOR... 🤣

To each their own, but I wouldn't rate Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep in the top 5 PKD books (so far my favorite by far is Ubik). While the concepts are fascinating, the story is written in a disjointed way that is difficult to get into, there is very little character development, and I felt that the whole Mercerism element should have either been expanded or left out.

Read Green Rider a few months ago, and started book 2 this week. Great series. I had been looking for a more old-school fantasy series, like the older Dragonlance or Shannara books.

The closest adaptation to Dracula was BBCs 1977 Count Dracula. Slower, shortened in many ways, but it also showed a lot more than you almost never see in any other iteration. There, there also combined a few characters, but all in all, that movie follows more closely to Stoker's original novel.

Just finished the series and going through the exultation of experiencing such a great story, and being sad that it's over. Your reviews have been an excellent companion piece to going through it after each book. Thank you 🙂

Fair review. I read the Empire trilogy by Wurts & Fesit prior to reading this and the quality difference is significant. However, it is Islington's debut novel. Since I was gifted all three books I've decided to continue to the second book and there is definitely an improvement.

Can’t wait to hear Dr Wilson’s review of Christopher Nolan’s 2026 epic film “The Odyssey.”