Following the Great Ordeal

For all of the pomp of chapter ten, only the outlines of things stand out. Perhaps this is because Bakker doesn't keep as tight a focus as he does when he's writing about Achamian and Mimara. Instead, when Bakker's following the march of Aspect Emperor Kellhus' Great Ordeal, he follows Sorwa, or Kellhus' son Kayutas, or Kellhus' Exalt-General Proyas. He covers just about as many when he's writing about Achamian's band, but the miles between those marching in the Great Ordeal shows more readily than the space between two people in the same party and the creature stalking them. Nonetheless, the glimpses into Kellhus' thought and action are indeed curious, and well pulled off for their relative non-humanness. But I can't help but feel like I'm missing something not having read the Prince of Nothing trilogy before coming to The Aspect Emperor. I feel almost as though there's some clue in those books as to whether or not Kellhus is a god or a demon. Sorwa's ongoing interactions with Yatwer are like stone reliefs, so striking is their detail. Though the chapter's final development holds the most promise as it sounds as if he, Kellhus' beautiful daughter and leader of the Swayali witches, Serwa, and Kellhus' son Kayutas are going to be held by the Nonmen. All as part of the pact that Kellhus has formed with them for the sake of security and trust. Putting those three into such close quarters is bound to lead to some very interesting moments.