If there’s one fantasy series built for deep dives, heated conversations, and big-brain theories, it’s R. Scott Bakker’s The Second Apocalypse. This is a world packed with philosophy, prophecy, and enough unsettling questions to keep any discussion thread buzzing. So for this group read from 2002 – 2003 with Daniel and Katerina we’re treated the series the way it begs to be explored together, conversation style.
Throughout this readalong, we’ll break down the wild worldbuilding, untangle the timeline, dig into character motivations, and talk through the themes Bakker threads into every chapter. Think of it like a book club that leans heavily into analysis, speculation, and the kind of back-and-forth you’d normally hear on a good podcast episode. Follow the links below to listen to the episodes in order as you read, or pick and choose the episodes that most interest you.
Whether you’re rereading or stepping into Earwa for the first time, pull up a chair. Let’s crack open these books, compare notes, and see what meaning, if any, we can wrestle out of Bakker’s beautiful, brutal masterpiece.
Page Chewing can be found on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your podcasting platform of choice. Help keep Page Chewing ad free by donating or use the Amazon Affiliate book links in this post. All help is appreciated:
The Darkness That Comes Before
The Darkness That Comes Before
The Darkness That Comes Before Part I SPOILER Discussion
The Darkness That Comes Before Part II SPOILER Discussion
The Darkness That Comes Before Part III SPOILER Discussion
The Darkness That Comes Before Part IV SPOILER Discussion
The Darkness That Comes Before Discussion
The Darkness That Comes Before Discussion
The Warrior Prophet
The Warrior Prophet by R. Scott Bakker Chapters 1-4 Discussion
The Warrior Prophet by R. Scott Bakker Chapters 5-8 Discussion
The Warrior Prophet by R. Scott Bakker Chapters 9 – 13 Discussion
The Warrior Prophet by R. Scott Bakker Chapters 14 – 17 Discussion
The Warrior Prophet by R. Scott Bakker Chapters 18 – 21 Discussion
The Warrior Prophet by R. Scott Bakker Discussion
The Thousandfold Thought
The Thousandfold Thought by R. Scott Bakker Chapters 1-4 Discussion
The Thousandfold Thought by R. Scott Bakker Chapters 5-8 Discussion
The Thousandfold Thought by R. Scott Bakker Chapters 9-13 Discussion
The Thousandfold Thought by R. Scott Bakker Discussion
The Judging Eye
The Judging Eye Chapters 1 – 4 Discussion | The Aspect-Emperor Series
The Judging Eye Chapters 5 – 8 Discussion | The Aspect-Emperor Series
The Judging Eye Chapters 9 – 12 Discussion | The Aspect-Emperor Series
The Judging Eye Chapters 13 – 16 Discussion | The Aspect-Emperor Series
The White-Luck Warrior
The White-Luck Warrior Chapters 1-3 Discussion | The Aspect-Emperor Series
The White-Luck Warrior Chapters 4 – 6 Discussion | The Aspect-Emperor Series
The White-Luck Warrior Chapters 7 – 9 Discussion | The Aspect-Emperor Series
The White-Luck Warrior Chapters 10 – 12 Discussion | The Aspect-Emperor Series
The White-Luck Warrior Chapters 13 – 15 Discussion | The Aspect-Emperor Series
The Great Ordeal
The Great Ordeal Chapters 1 – 3 Discussion | The Aspect-Emperor Series
The Great Ordeal Chapters 4 – 7 Discussion | The Aspect-Emperor Series
The Great Ordeal Chapters 8 – 11 Discussion | The Aspect-Emperor Series
The Great Ordeal Chapters 12 – 13 Discussion | The Aspect-Emperor Series
The Great Ordeal Chapters 14 – 17 Discussion | The Aspect-Emperor Series
The Unholy Consult
The Unholy Consult Chapters 1 – 5 Discussion | The Aspect-Emperor Series
The Unholy Consult Chapters 6 – 10 Discussion | The Aspect-Emperor Series
The Unholy Consult Chapters 11 – 13 Discussion | The Aspect-Emperor Series
The Unholy Consult Chapters 14 – 16 Discussion | The Aspect-Emperor Series
The Unholy Consult Chapters 17 – 20 Discussion | The Aspect-Emperor Series
