The Prince of Nothing is a series of three fantasy novels by the Canadian author R. Scott Bakker, first published in 2004, part of a wider series known as "The Second Apocalypse". This trilogy details the emergence of Anasûrimbor Kellhus, a brilliant monastic warrior, as he takes control of a holy war and the hearts and minds of its leaders. Kellhus exhibits incredible powers of prediction and persuasion, which are derived from deep knowledge of rationality, cognitive biases, and causality, as discovered by the Dûnyain, a secret monastic sect. As Kellhus goes from military leader to divine prophet, Drusas Achamian, the sorcerer who mentored Kellhus, comes to realize that his student may well be the harbinger of the Second Apocalypse.
The key feature distinguishing the Prince of Nothing series from its contemporaries is the importance of philosophy to the work. The plot, characters, setting, and metaphysics of the Prince of Nothing are intertwined with philosophical positions unique to the series.
Bakker has mentioned that this series was primarily influenced by the works of Tolkien and Frank Herbert.

i've just finished reading the trilogy of books that make up the series and although i have no real enthusiasm for fantasy books this was a brilliant concept, remarkably executed and although very demanding and challenging well worth the three weeks it took to read. here bakker plays with ideas of Nietsche and Kant with some zen type concepts along the journey, i lost myself in the complex characters and rich world particularly his use of magickal schools and their branches of magick, thank god for the glossary at the back of the third book which is about half the thickness of the actual book. i won't be diving into fantasy again as books like these are very rare but i certainly feel the genre has come a long long way since the hobbit.