Comparing an Epic Quality

Bakker continues to weave an excellent tale. Though I'm left wondering why the sections from Mimara's viewpoint are all in the present tense (at least in chapter two). Maybe this tense choice is meant to give a sense of immediacy, or to really throw the reader into the perspective of the one with the judging eye.

It's pretty clear though, that Mimara is not marked for death - otherwise the skin-spy amongst them would have let the Sranc range right over her. Instead, he revealed himself to save her, making me think that the judging eye will need to be turned onto Kellhus to reveal that he is indeed some sort of demon rather than a god. Though Achamian's trek to find the hidden Dûnyain settlement from which Kellhus came will likely work to the same end. 

And that's really it for the plot. Comparing this series to a Song of Ice and Fire may be what happens in every entry, but I think that simplicity is another strike against Bakker's series becoming as popular as Martin's. The scope remains too narrow. For, even though Bakker has multiple viewpoint characters, they're all marching along the same plot line, just at different points, or from different angles.

A Song of Ice and Fire on the other hand is like a guitar - multiple threads are present, and each is plucked and twanged in a certain sequence to produce a melody. What's curious about its plurality of plot lines, though, is that A Song of Ice and Fire has yet to be about saving the world as it's known and yet it's more epic than The Aspect Emperor - which takes as its focus the classic world-changing conflict.

After all, It's not without reason that reading The White-Luck Warrior brings Christopher Lee's voice to mind and has me imagining Final Fantasy VI sprites acting out some of the book's scenes.