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The Black Prism (Lightbringer #1)

by Brent Weeks (Goodreads Author)

4.21 of 5 stars 4.21 · rating details · 14,700 ratings · 955 reviews

THE BLACK PRISM begins a brand new action-packed tale of magic and adventure ...
Guile is the Prism, the most powerful man in the world. He is high priest and emperor, a man whose power, wit, and charm are all that preserves a tenuous peace. Yet Prisms never last, and Guile knows exactly how long he has left to live.
When Guile discovers he has a son, born in a far kingdom...more

Paperback, 739 pages

Published 2011 by Orbit (first published August 25th 2010)

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Feb 08, 2013 Jim rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

I've never read anything by Weeks before & was pretty impressed. His system of magic was interesting, albeit somewhat confusing at times. Actually, I just went with it when people did magic. Weeks tried hard for a rationale, but there were a few too many rules & ways it was used to make complete sense. I assumed he stayed within them, but doubted it at times. Still, that was minor.

Weeks really impressed me with the realistic aspects of the story. Not only did he have complex, imperfect c...more

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Apr 25, 2013 Eric Rhoads rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

http://www.wordtipping.com/2010/08/bl...

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Oct 10, 2012 Dana rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-epic, fantasy-scifi, fantasy-historical, magic, favorites

FrEEEEEk-in' fantastic!!! This is really all that must be said, but of course I will say more. Many people that review this book will take the time to recap the plot and give you some character intros, so I am taking the lazy man's road and skipping anything remotely informative about the book itself in my review.

Instead, I will tell of how I felt throughout the book. One of the main objectives in reading is to think and feel something, right? A good book will make you think in circles of confus...more FrEEEEEk-in' fantastic!!! This is really all that must be said, but of course I will say more. Many people that review this book will take the time to recap the plot and give you some character intros, so I am taking the lazy man's road and skipping anything remotely informative about the book itself in my review.

Instead, I will tell of how I felt throughout the book. One of the main objectives in reading is to think and feel something, right? A good book will make you think in circles of confusion or starbursts of inspiration. The Black Prism had me thinking and feeling to such extremes that medication was called for; valium, lithium, and aspirin in turn.

I had a love/hate, bipolar friendship with so many characters in this book that I would have finished it out of self defense even if it had been 1800+ pages. You don't purely love (or hate) real people, and the best book characters are the same. Gavin, Dazen, Karris, Liv, and especially Kip himself, had me either disgusted with one of their choices, or cheering for them like a fool.

* My only real complaint was that the 'simple-minded Kip' thing recieved one or two references too many. It bordered on annoying right before it stopped.*

The best thing to be said of this book is about the ending. This was one the the most inspired, creative, and HOLY $h!t!!! endings to a story that I have read in quite some time. Some authors con, wheedle, or seduce you at the end with just enough of the cliffhanger aspect to get you to pick up the next book. Good ol' Brent black-jacked me in the side of the head with the substantial weight of the hardcover of this book, kicked me in the ribs while I was down, and then jumped atop me and bellowed in my face, "You will buy the next installment of The Lightbringer Series, or suffer my wrath!"

**Warning: If you find that the sci-fi-ish basis for the luxin concept is confusing to you, you have only yourself to blame because you didn't listen to your chemistry teacher in high school. The premise of the magic in this world is really easy once you have read about 4 key pages out of a 100 level Chem book. Take the time to read it and you will feel like a genius! ;)**

On a side note:

I took some time and read a few of the reviews by others and I am really, Really, REALLY sick of everyone comparing this book to Weeks' Night Angel Trilogy! My friends, it is a new series; new characters, different flavor of writing, and in reality it is even a different sub-genre of fiction. Jeesh! If you liked Night Angel so much, read that again. Don't deduct stars just because it wasn't Night Angel. I'm almost sure you were aware of that when you read 'The Black Prism' on the cover. :)(less)

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Sep 19, 2012 Cathy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, everyone-says-i-should-read, good-for-gifts, humor, magic-users, read-in-2011, series-reminder, twitter-author

It started off seeming simple, a typical high fantasy novel. The easy style is reminiscent of Brandon Sanderson; like in his books, the characters felt real immediately, as did the world and system of magic. The characters are great. Kip is like a Glee kid, pudgy and awkward and super quick witted, impossible not to root for; watching him blossom into a wonderful man is going to be great fun. Gavin is charm and wit and intensity with a lot of secret insecurities. Karris is brave, Liv is determin...more It started off seeming simple, a typical high fantasy novel. The easy style is reminiscent of Brandon Sanderson; like in his books, the characters felt real immediately, as did the world and system of magic. The characters are great. Kip is like a Glee kid, pudgy and awkward and super quick witted, impossible not to root for; watching him blossom into a wonderful man is going to be great fun. Gavin is charm and wit and intensity with a lot of secret insecurities. Karris is brave, Liv is determined, Ironfist is sarcastic fun, etc., etc. All of the characters are very witty, but not in an unrealistic way. Their flaws keep them feeling very human and relatable.

The easy style and pace at the beginning of the book were deceptive. This book has a lot of layers, to the characters, their histories, the politics, the complex magic system, and more. Many of the things that feel too coincidental to make sense are well explained (a pet peeve of mine). It spins out one reveal after another while always maintaining it's smooth style. I really dig the big twist, it changes everything in the book and sets the stage for so much interesting intrigue. Overall, it's just one of those books that feels effortless, but I know that making it seem that way was anything but. The ever increasing levels of complexity in the characters and story were just terrific. I also like that a lot of progress was made in the story. It doesn't feel like one of those books that was merely the introduction to a series. A big change of story happened here, which was satisfying and left me very eager to read the next book.

Edit - September 2012:

It was as much fun reading it the second time as it was the first. I remembered just enough of the twists to be intrigued and curious to see how he played it all out. I'm really glad I decided to do a rare re-read before reading book two, there is so much going on here with the characters, politics, history, system of magic and more that I'd have missed a lot if I hadn't re-familiarized myself with this world. (less)

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Jan 08, 2011 Crys Harris rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I am just less than half way through this book and I am not enjoying it. The writing is fine. In fact, Brent Weeks may have developed a bit more dexterity with his prose since the Night Angel trilogy. The problem, so far, is two-fold.

1) Nothing much is happening. I'm not intrigued, drawn in, excited, or even really interested. There is political intrigue at work, but it isn't compelling. There is magic afoot, but it is hard to be in awe of it. I don't even care where this is headed.

2) I don't c...more

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Oct 13, 2011 carriedaway rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, read-in-2011, library-books

Another first in a trilogy? Why don't I check these things before I pick them up? The second one isn't due out until Fall 2012. Gah. I might have lost all interest by then, happily for me. It's an interesting premise, magic based on the color spectrum but there's an awful lot of emphasis on color that gives me pause. It's not as if they're purple or green people.

So far, none of the characters are all that sterling either. I can't tell if they're working for good or evil or their own ends. Kip,...more

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Apr 03, 2012 Deb rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: own-it, favourite, it-s-so-pretty

'You gotta read this! No, really. C'mon, there's a maa-aap.'

Yes, I am one of the sad saps who read to the end of the acknowledgements.

OK, so I'm not entirely certain how I feel about some of the characters. But, I did feel rather attached to one in particular (and even him I'm not totally sure about how perfectly moral he is ... but, mostly he tries), and that counts for a lot. Would I like to read the next one? Yeah, I'd be tempted to give it a go. Only problem I see is if my fave character bo...more 'You gotta read this! No, really. C'mon, there's a maa-aap.'

Yes, I am one of the sad saps who read to the end of the acknowledgements.

OK, so I'm not entirely certain how I feel about some of the characters. But, I did feel rather attached to one in particular (and even him I'm not totally sure about how perfectly moral he is ... but, mostly he tries), and that counts for a lot. Would I like to read the next one? Yeah, I'd be tempted to give it a go. Only problem I see is if my fave character bows out too early. But, I can see a chance he might make it a bit longer. If so, then I'm sure I could go the whole trilogy.

I really like this idea of light magic - the visual imaginings were fun (picturing people with bright lights flashing out of their hands and the like). Yeah, it was cool.

It could have been a huge risk having a super powerful protagonist, but he has enough issues going on around him that he has the potential for everything to come crashing down any minute ... that's a pretty big weakness.

Kip, I didn't totally gel with. Don't know if I ever will. But, maybe his recklessness can be put down to his being a teen. I don't know. I think what bothered me most was how quick he went from "Poor me" to "Die you bastards" several times ... and it just seemed to happen. As the book progressed we got a little more internalization that let us see the switch, but there were a few times I missed it, and it threw me off kilter as far as Kip goes.

And, I wish that Dazen wasn't called Dazen. I can't pronounce it in a way that sounds sexy to me at all. And I so, so wanted to ...

95 relatively short chapters still adds up to a lot of words. But, there was a point in there where I didn't want them to stop ... and, yes, I am going to miss one or two of these guys while I wait on the next volume. So, I consider that a victory for Mr Weeks. Well done, that man.

30 January 2012: And this is where I admit... I would NOT have picked up this book if it had had the new cover... The cover *I* picked up (the one associated with my review) drew me in... But, I guess they want a different kind of reader...(less)

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Dec 02, 2011 Rebecca Lovatt rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Colour. Emotions. Light. Magic.

In a world where colour is the foundation of all magic, The Prism – Gavin Guile rules over all seven satraps as a religious and political figure and as the only one who can split light and draft the entire spectrum of colours. Gavin – knowing he has five years left to live and five great purposes set for himself – hopes to use his power to do something for the greater good.

When Gavin discovers he has an illegitimate son, Kip, in a northern satrapy called Tyrea. How...more

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Feb 06, 2013 Scott rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My review is taken from my website at fantasycomesfirst.blogspot.com

Boy do I wish I could draft superviolet. I would be the most mischievous drafter ever, tripping people left and right. That being said, I loved this book.

The characters were all very flushed out and well delivered. I had some issues with Kip at the beginning but he grew on me. I thought he would be the same lame whine ass throughout the whole book. Gavin was another one that surprised me. I really didn’t see any of the things th...more

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Feb 10, 2012 Maria rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: magic

4.5 stars

I’m not used to read high / epic fantasy and I didn’t believe that I would find this book so good! It’s not my usual reading material so I didn’t know what to expect, but I’m glad that I decided to read it.

In a world in which exist seven satrapies surrounding by a large sea, the people who rule are the White, the Colors and the Prism. Each Prism lose his life after seven, fourteen or twenty-one years of serving. In this world there are drafters, charismatic people who can draft one colo...more

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Jun 27, 2011 Mike (the Paladin) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

I originally set the rating of this book at 4 stars, but decided it needed to be moved up to the 5 star level. I don't find it as good as many of the books I rate 5 stars, but it drew me in and held me tells a story that beats 4 stars. So, without the much lamented 4.5 that so many of us here pine for, I've rated it 5.

So, I like the book and give it the highest rating possible here (albeit noting it's not at the top of my 5 star pile)...what's so good about it? And, if it's not at the top of the...more

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Feb 09, 2013 Fantasist rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: speculative-fiction, 2013

Finally! I am done and although I had to force myself to get reading a few times I did really like this book in the end.

My Problem with the book was actually one of the book's greatest strengths and it was probably cause I wasn't truly in the fantasy mood when I started reading. The Magic system was truly original and extremely well developed, even fascinating but I kept having the problem of suspending disbelief it kept nagging at me that what the characters were doing wasn't possible. I know,...more

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Apr 25, 2013 Lizzy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: on-my-real-bookshelf

This book was as addictive as Weeks last series. I read from 10 am till midnight, and I was not disapointed.

This book is filled with twists and turns, You question the morality of the characters. At times I was confused about who the good guys were.

This is a brilliant book filled with different characters with different goals and different aims, all colliding and interweaving. I CANNOT wait for the sequal.

However I cannot give this 5/5. I found some of the writing sloppy, and some of the spellin...more

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Apr 17, 2013 Sky Corbelli rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

So, by the end, I liked this book. I thought it was a little silly how (view spoiler), but it didn't break the immersion or anything.

My big problem with this book was the character development. Either I missed it or there just wasn't enough, because I found characters repeatedly making choices that seemed way way...more

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Mar 14, 2013 Alan Denham rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: f-sf-on-kindle

So its like this . . .
I came across a discussion on Goodreads that covered this book and the form of magic used (here) and I got interested, so I read the book.
Then when I tried to review it, I found myself writing a whole thesis on the forms of magic in F/SF. So I stopped and tried again. Here is the second attempt.
Let me say at the start that while many of the people in the discussion enthused about the magic, I found that it made the common mistake of being just a little too simple/powerful/u...more So its like this . . .
I came across a discussion on Goodreads that covered this book and the form of magic used (here) and I got interested, so I read the book.
Then when I tried to review it, I found myself writing a whole thesis on the forms of magic in F/SF. So I stopped and tried again. Here is the second attempt.
Let me say at the start that while many of the people in the discussion enthused about the magic, I found that it made the common mistake of being just a little too simple/powerful/unstructured for my personal taste. My co-author describes this as "The Superman Effect" - the magic user is just too powerful to really have much human appeal.
That said, this was only just the wrong side of that line, and my tastes are pretty strict in this context. This magic does have some of the boundaries, rules and restrictions that are essential for a good story, it does not go so far down the wrong road as to seem like a children's "Draw your wand and zap the baddies" book. It's good!
It is also fair to add that the methods by which the magic is achieved is new - new to me, at least - and I am middling impressed. (Not an easy thing to achieve!)
There are other items that are good, though not entirely to my personal taste. Like any Fantasy novel of this era, it spends a lot of time and wordage on world-building and the politics of the world scene (now why did I give up reading Game of Thrones, I wonder ...). Fair enough, the basic world-building is essential and is broadly consistent and rather well done, and some (most?) of the politics is necessary as well - but not too much, please?
And (sorry about this) there was one particular twist to character identities that left me with mixed feelings. By the end of the book it was understood and accepted - and I would go so far as to say that it was an unusual and promising twist that should develop very well in future books (I haven't read them yet) but when it was first introduced it was not handled so well - so much so that I almost abandoned the book! I am glad I didn't, now that I have got it sorted (I hope!) I can see it as a nice twist, adding some significant complexity to the world - but readers be warned, there is a problem at first, don't give up, it is worth pushing through to the later parts of the book.
Final conclusions? This one stays on the Kindle, on one of the 'good stuff' shelves, I shall probably read it again some day, and I shall one day read the sequels - but they are not going to jump the substantial 'To Read' queue that is already there.(less)

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Feb 16, 2013 Leonie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a book I've enjoyed thoroughly. It's my first Brent Weeks book, and I'm happy to say that I'll now go actively looking to see what else he's written.

I thought his characterisation was particularly good, and the story has enough twists and turns in it to make it intriguing. The point of view switches between characters, but it's not jarring at all, and gradually throughout the story, each of the characters has some of their back history revealed. I think that this is a particularly clever...more

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Jan 12, 2013 Yoon-Ji rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

http://www.theinkgobbler.blogspot.com/

I remember when I first read Brent Weeks' "Night Angel Trilogy" a couple years ago. My fantasy-loving friend (the one who recommended "The Name of the Wind" to me a while back!) lent me the first book of the trilogy, "The Way of Shadows", and I devoured the entire series in a couple of weeks--even downloading the PDF file (I know, I know, it's illegal...oops) because I just couldn't wait to read the next book! When I found out that Mr. Weeks had written anot...more http://www.theinkgobbler.blogspot.com/

I remember when I first read Brent Weeks' "Night Angel Trilogy" a couple years ago. My fantasy-loving friend (the one who recommended "The Name of the Wind" to me a while back!) lent me the first book of the trilogy, "The Way of Shadows", and I devoured the entire series in a couple of weeks--even downloading the PDF file (I know, I know, it's illegal...oops) because I just couldn't wait to read the next book! When I found out that Mr. Weeks had written another series, however, I don't know why I didn't immediately grab the first book and begin another journey when I'd loved his first trilogy. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that you're so accustomed to the first world and its characters that moving onto another totally different world is something of a betrayal. Or maybe I had some sort of premonition that it just wasn't going to be as good. Unfortunately, I think I was right...

Gavin Guile is the Prism, the most powerful man in the world. He is high priest and emperor, a man whose power, wit, and charm are all that preserves a tenuous peace. But Prisms never last, and Guile knows exactly how long he has left to live: Five years to achieve five impossible goals. But when Guile discovers he has a son, born in a far kingdom after the war that put him in power, he must decide how much he's willing to pay to protect a secret that could tear his world apart.

I hardly ever not finish a book. I hate it. Never knowing what ends up happening in the world or how the characters develop is akin to treachery. That's doing the book an injustice. But I don't know what just didn't do it for me in "The Black Prism". It just didn't pull me through its pages. I think it could do with the fact that the chapters jumped around different characters' viewpoints a little too much. It was hard to really become invested in the characters despite the fact that they were interesting and had their own backstories that unfurled as the book progressed, and, to me, a compelling narrative is a must for any book. It's disappointing because I think that the characters all have potential to be great, interesting people who change and do amazing things throughout the story, but I just never became interested in them, at least in the first half of the book that I did read.

Another thing that didn't quite cinch it for me was the slow pace of the plot. Maybe it again has to do with the fact that we jumped around too much from one point of view to the next, but too many things happened one after another, and the things that did happen didn't interest me much. Even now I'm not 100% sure what the overarching storyline is, without which the plot falls flat.

Don't get me wrong. "The Black Prism" does have a lot of potential, but I just never got hooked in the first half of the book, which is dangerous for any story. Who knows? Maybe it really does get better and super fun in the last half! I just felt like I was on this book for too long and wanted to move onto the huge stack of books that were recently released (on my birthday, no less!). I've read some good reviews on "The Black Prism", though, so maybe this is just me. My friend also remarked that this book is just "okay", but I'd check it out for myself and read the first few chapters--it just didn't really do it for me!

Rating: 1.5/5(less)

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Dec 15, 2012 Erin-Claire rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Very innovative magic, always appreciated. A few good characters, a few typical caricatures. The protagonist was a breath of fresh air, even if he was portrayed somewhat inconsistently as being both in awe of certain people AND constantly making inapproriate quips towards them. Fortunate that everyone he tried this on had a sense of humour.

On major problem - some fantasy authors know how to set a story in a sexist society without coming across as sexist themselves (or as not having the foggiest...more Very innovative magic, always appreciated. A few good characters, a few typical caricatures. The protagonist was a breath of fresh air, even if he was portrayed somewhat inconsistently as being both in awe of certain people AND constantly making inapproriate quips towards them. Fortunate that everyone he tried this on had a sense of humour.

On major problem - some fantasy authors know how to set a story in a sexist society without coming across as sexist themselves (or as not having the foggiest idea what 'sexist' is). Brandon Sanderson can do it, for example. Brent Weeks sadly cannot. This made the book very jarring - just as you are settling into the rhythm of the story, something would jump out at you - such as the horribly unforgettable moment when one of the main characters is confronted by one of the antagonists, who is a truly awful person having graphically murdered over a thousand people in the opening few chapters of the book. The antagonist comments that the (female) main characters shoulders are too unfemininely large. We are then meant to believe that her reaction to this is to think "the bastard! how did he know how much she hated her shoulders?" - Weeks seems to believe that female characters must constantly be worrying about their body image, even when they're fighting down the bad guys, which is frankly ridiculously insulting.

This is without getting into the broader problems of how Weeks totally fails to confront the incongruity of having a society where women are valued for (you guessed it) their looks and their virginityand are highly controlled by their families, but also have jobs in traditional male professions. It's like Weeks believes that allowing women to have jobs somehow makes the society they live in equal, and thus not requiring any subtle editorial comment on the sexist nature of such a society.

note - 'subtle editorial comment' can be as subtle as an approving mention of (even a minor) character who flouts the conventions or challenges the status quo. Weeks' failure to do this simply suggests that he hasn't even noticed the problem.

I applaud Weeks' inclusion of an overweight protagonist as opposed to the typical incredibly good looking one, and his imagination is prodigously wonderful, but it would be great if he had a bit more thought about how to write about women before he writes another book.(less)

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Oct 12, 2012 Katherine rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I love this book! The world is wonderfully crafted with enough actual facts thrown in that you can almost believe that it could have happened somewhere. And maybe I could draft luxin too if I had the will?... It has you rooting for all the main characters. Wanting to shake Liv (why can't she just see what is happening), follow the Prism and/or Danavis anywhere, smack Kip for how clever and clueless he is simultaneously. The author does a great job holding all the complicated story threads and th...more

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Oct 01, 2012 Nicolas rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Black Prism is the first book in the second series written by Brent Weeks, and absolutely one of the best books I have ever read.

It was written in 2010, but being a fantasy novel, its time period can't be compared to real life. His world is set in a place with seven "satrapies" and a religious capital called the chromeria. The chromeria also functions as a school for the magicians in this book who are known as drafters. Drafters are those with the ability to turn different lights into a phys...more

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Aug 30, 2012 Ruth rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: spec-fic

C2010. FWFTB: fragile, goals, son, secret, power.Another clunkster at 629 pages!This was a great traditional spec-fic read with a relatively original magic system that was explained well. A bit wordy for me at times but not unnecessarily so. I liked all the characters – the good ones – but the obviously mad king was rather “thin”, I felt. There was also a good exploration of the themes of good and bad! I also loved the humour. I laughed when I got to the end of the book and read the author’s ack...more

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Jun 26, 2012 Joe rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

After reading "The Night Angel Trilogy" I was about to give up on Brent Weeks completely, as well as fantasy as a genre and the planet Earth and all my fellow human beings. Alas, a wizard cast a spell on me when I was young and cursed me with "Benefitium-of-the-doubteus Maximus" that compels me to try and try again. So I found myself wrist deep in another one of Brent Weeks' droppings, searching for the West Indian Lilac that causes so many tummy aches in Triceratops.

Black Prism is over-descript...more

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May 20, 2012 Evie Byrne added it · review of another edition

Recommended. All that action-packed, world building goodness from the last series is back. I also love that the book is thick as a brick. Yay! Hours of total fantasy immersion!

I did have to laugh, though, when I compared it to the last series. A talented young protagonist whose name starts with a K meets up with a morally complicated and morally compromised father figure of amazing charisma and superhuman talents and seems destined to follow in his footsteps? Huh. Working something out, Mr. Wee...more

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Apr 30, 2012 Jacob Santos rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I should clarify that prior to reading this book, I was unaware of any other book using a magic system consisting of light (Read Warbreaker after), so that was part of my satisfaction with reading it. I will also say that Brent Weeks has to be one of the most frustrating authors. Not to rail against him, but he creates such a diverse and expansive world and then only graces you with a tiny sliver of what exists. He did it with Night Shadows series and it is doing it again with this series. Very...more I should clarify that prior to reading this book, I was unaware of any other book using a magic system consisting of light (Read Warbreaker after), so that was part of my satisfaction with reading it. I will also say that Brent Weeks has to be one of the most frustrating authors. Not to rail against him, but he creates such a diverse and expansive world and then only graces you with a tiny sliver of what exists. He did it with Night Shadows series and it is doing it again with this series. Very compelling, but I'm fairly certain after the third book, I'll be wanting more and that desire won't be fulfilled.

Brent Weeks strength are as always the world building. The world is relatively small geographical area, kind of like the Meditarren Sea, big, but still not the entire world. The territories around the sea don't agree on much, but they are formed by the Ruler called the Prism, whose task is to balance the world.

The main focus of the conflict is blah blah, one of the countries that the others fought on and practically razed to the ground do not feel loved and absolutely are mistreated like crazy. It hits the fan and a lot of secrets come spilling out and there is a brief Harry Potter moment. Drives me crazy, I think he could have spent a book or two drilling into the interactions of the school, its politics, the characters, etc. However, just when the school was getting interesting, you are knocked out of that world and brought back to where it all started... well not quite.

You never actually see the city where the final conflict is resolved during the beginning. To say of another of Brent's strengths, he doesn't have much dead time, similar to Jim Butcher, except Jim tends to leave you wanting more without frustrating you like crazy.

The book ends with a bang that was pretty freakin' epic and was well worth the wait.

Overall, the book is certainly one of Brent's best. I will say that he is an author to look forward to. Certainly not as gritty as his first series, but still pretty epic in the fight scenes. Not as complex as his first series (which is to say there is complexity and secrets, just not as many as in the Night Shadow series.(less)

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Mar 06, 2012 Jake rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: magic

While I thought that the story line and magic were not only original but entertaining, I could not help but be bothered by the fact that Weeks is a master of almost building up suspense. In the battle scene, almost every chapter is a change in perspective, and the change is right before something interesting is about to happen, not after, as a result, I almost stopped reading on several occasions. My other major complaint is that certain things were described in great detail, what could often ha...more

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Mar 05, 2012 Weston Ochse rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Dear Brent,

How's it going?

I'm doing pretty well. You know, working hard, but looking forward to coming home to read some good books. At the end of the day, no matter how bad it was, if there's a good book waiting for you how bad can it be? Oh yeah, and wine. Can't forget that. Good book and good wine.

So I read your Night Angel Trilogy in 2009. Tremendous stuff. It made me a big fan. And that's no small thing. I'm very picky about my fantasy. As far as I'm concerned, my friend Steve Donaldson's w...more

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Feb 28, 2012 Asaviel rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Schon im Vorfeld habe ich viel von diesem Roman erwartet und meine Hoffnungen, die ich in die neue Trilogie von Brent Weeks gesetzt habe, wurden belohnt.
Der Autor erschafft eine neue, eine ganz eigene Welt, die von Menschen bevölkert wird. Diese Menschen unterscheiden sich untereinander und auch von uns oft in Haut und Haarfarbe. Außerdem gehört Magie für sie zum Alltag, denn es gibt Wandler. Wandler können Licht in Macht wandeln. Blauwandler brauchen dafür blaues Licht, Rotwandler rotes Licht....more Schon im Vorfeld habe ich viel von diesem Roman erwartet und meine Hoffnungen, die ich in die neue Trilogie von Brent Weeks gesetzt habe, wurden belohnt.
Der Autor erschafft eine neue, eine ganz eigene Welt, die von Menschen bevölkert wird. Diese Menschen unterscheiden sich untereinander und auch von uns oft in Haut und Haarfarbe. Außerdem gehört Magie für sie zum Alltag, denn es gibt Wandler. Wandler können Licht in Macht wandeln. Blauwandler brauchen dafür blaues Licht, Rotwandler rotes Licht. Bichromaten haben zwei Farben und können zum Beispiel Rot und Infrarot wandeln. Natürlich ist nicht jeder Mensch ein Wandler und natürlich hat das ganze einen Haken: Man kann nicht ewig und nicht so viel wandeln wie man möchte. Irgendwann übernimmt die Farbe die Kontrolle. Man verliert den Verstand und wird ein sogenannter Farbwicht, der nicht mehr zwischen Feind und Freund oder gut und böse unterscheiden kann. In jeder Generation gibt es einen Wandler, der davon nicht betroffen ist. Er kann jede Farbe wandeln und es besteht nicht die Gefahr, dass er zuviel wandelt: Das Prisma.
Gavin Guile ist das Prisma dieser Generation und einer der Protagonisten, aus dessen Sicht Teile der Geschichte erzählt werden. Wie das üblich ist, steht der Leser zu Beginn sofort auf Gavins. Die Loyalität des Lesers wird aber in Frage gestellt, nachdem offenbart wird auf welcher Lüge, die im Klappentext angesprochen wird, Gavins Leben fußt. Ab jetzt muss sich der Leser neu entscheiden, wem er seine Sympathie schenkt und wem nicht.
Kip, Gavins Sohn, ist ein Anti-Held. Er ist nicht nur dick, sondern auch noch ängstlich und wurde in seinem Heimatdorf gemobbt. Außerdem musste er mit ansehen, wie sein ganzes Dort abgebrannt, seine Freunde und seine Mutter getötet wurden. Dafür hat er eine ziemlich große Klappe, die er kaum halten kann.
Es kommen noch weitere Charaktere dazu, die ab und zu die Aufgabe übernehmen aus ihrer Sicht, die Geschichte zu erzählen. Die Geschichte an sich ist gut. Die Handlung ist verzwickt, man muss aufmerksam lesen, damit man die Details nicht überliest. Dabei ist sie politisch nicht zu verworren, dass es anstrengend wird, sondern durchgehend spannend. Aber es sind am Ende die Charaktere, die dieses Buch zu etwas einzigartigem machen. Sie alle sind keine Helden. Sie haben ihre schwachen und vor allem auch ihre dunklen Seiten und nein, es sind auch nicht diese Seiten, die sie besonders liebenswert machen. Ich hatte mehr als einmal das Gefühl, dass ich manche Charaktere für das, was sie getan haben, verachte. Trotzdem muss man, wenn man einmal begonnen hat, ihrer Geschichte folgen. Sie lässt einen nicht mehr los.
Durch die sarkastische Ader von Gavin, Kip und manch anderem ergeben sich immer wieder sehr humorvolle Dialoge, die mich auflachen ließen. Dies gelang nur, weil sie nicht erzwungen komisch wirken, sondern es sich aus den Charakteren ergibt.
Eine neue Art der Magie zu erfinden weckt natürlich das Interesse jedes Fantasylesers. Brents Magie wirkt auf den ersten Blick kompliziert und verworren, aber lässt sich sehr schnell durchschauen, denn es gelingt ihm sie mit kurzen einfachen Worten zu erklären und ihr damit nichts der Faszination zu rauben.
Sein Schreibstil ist dem Genre angemessen. Es ist kein All-Age- oder Jugendroman. Es ist High-Fantasy für Erwachsene. Daher ist die Sprache gehoben, aber nicht abgehoben. Die Sätze unter Umständen länger, dabei aber nicht unverständlich in die Länge gezogen. Man muss sich Zeit nehmen für dieses Buch und kann es sicherlich nicht genießen, wenn man nur jeden Abend drei Seiten vor dem Schlafen gehen ließt, aber wenn man einige Tage hintereinander ein paar Stunden Zeit hat, kann man in eine wunderbare Welt eintauchen und danach sehnsüchtig auf Band zwei warten, denn das Ende beinhaltet einen kleiner böser Cliffhanger.

Fazit: Jeder, der einen High-Fantasy-Roman mit jeder Menge Magie, vielen spannenden Charakteren und ganz ohne die üblichen Verdächtigen wie Elfen, Drachen oder Orks sucht, wird hier fündig. Purer Lesegenuss!
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Jan 15, 2012 kamelin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"Wissen ist ein logischer Prozess. Angst funktioniert schneller" [German Review]

Gavin Guile ist der Hohe Lord Prisma, und damit Herrscher über sieben Satrapien. Als Prisma ist er der einzige Mensch, der alle Anteile des Lichtspektrums beherrscht, und somit sämtliche Farben in Materie wandeln kann. Doch seine Herrschaft fußt auf einer Lüge, einem Kartenhaus, das jeden Augenblick einstürzen kann.
Als er erfährt, dass er einen Sohn hat, dessen Leben in Gefahr schwebt, muss er eine schwere Entscheid...more "Wissen ist ein logischer Prozess. Angst funktioniert schneller" [German Review]

Gavin Guile ist der Hohe Lord Prisma, und damit Herrscher über sieben Satrapien. Als Prisma ist er der einzige Mensch, der alle Anteile des Lichtspektrums beherrscht, und somit sämtliche Farben in Materie wandeln kann. Doch seine Herrschaft fußt auf einer Lüge, einem Kartenhaus, das jeden Augenblick einstürzen kann.
Als er erfährt, dass er einen Sohn hat, dessen Leben in Gefahr schwebt, muss er eine schwere Entscheidung treffen. Am Ende sieht Garvin sich nicht nur mit seinem Spross konfrontiert, sondern mit seiner Vergangenheit, und einem Reich, das in einem aufziehenden Krieg zu zerbrechen droht.

Eigentlich bin ich schon länger von der High Fantasy zur Urban Fantasy gewechselt, sodass ich dem Roman zunächst etwas unmotiviert begegnet bin. Doch der Autor hat es geschafft, mich sukzessive in seine Welt, in Garvins Welt, hineinzuziehen, sodass ich diesen 800 Seiten Klopper nach dem ersten Viertel nicht mehr aus der Hand legen konnte.
Den Inhalt dieses Backsteins von einer Story zusammenzufassen würde den Rezensionsrahmen sprengen, darum nur so viel: Die Geschichte wird abwechselnd aus drei Perspektiven erzählt, wobei der Hauptfokus auf Gavin Guille liegt, dem Herrscher der sieben Reiche.
Neben Gavin erleben wir die Handlung zudem aus Kips Sicht, seinem Sohn. Er ist ein pummeliger Fünfzehnjähriger, der in der Hölle der Pubertät steckt. Außerdem ist er auf der Flucht, denn sein Dorf wurde dem Erdboden gleich gemacht.
Der dritte Blickwinkel beschreibt Karis Leben, eine Elite-Kriegerin der Schwarzen Garde, die nebenbei bemerkt Gavins große Liebe ist - und er ihre. Karis ist eine BiChrome Magierin, d.h., sie kann zwei Farben bändigen.
So dreht sich die Geschichte zum einen um Gavin und seine Beziehung zu Karis, dem drohenden Krieg und die Lüge, die das Prisma gesponnen hat um zu herrschen und seine Ziele zu erreichen.
Darin ist auch Kip involviert, um dessen Wandlergaben noch ein Geheimnis gemacht wird. Er ist der Underdog-Held, weil er so gar nicht zum Helden taugt, und doch über sich herauswächst, um an den kommenden Herausforderungen nicht zu zerbrechen.

Die Geschichte ist grandios erzählt, und hält ein Feuerwerk an Ideen bereit, sodass mir beim Lesen ein paarmal der Mund aufgeklappt ist. Dazu kamen immer neue Wendungen, mit denen ich nicht gerechnet habe, und einem unerträglichen Spannungsbogen, der es mir unmöglich gemacht hat, das Buch aus der Hand zu legen. So war ich über die Feiertage an mein Sofa getackert, überwältigt von der erzählerischen Wucht, einer intensiven Bildsprache, sowie der Komplexität der Erzählstränge. Brent Weeks jongliert wie ein Akrobat mit den ineinander verwobenen Beziehungen, und bettet diese in ein Gesamtwerk ein, bei dem mir am Ende die Spucke weggeblieben ist.
Zum Schluss lag ich die halbe Nacht wach, und habe über das Ende nachgegrübelt. Wenn ein Buch bei mir solche Spuren hinterlässt, ist ihm die volle Punktzahl sicher.

Fazit:
Black Prism ist ein spannungsgeladener, kraftvoller Roman mit komplexen Charakteren auf unterschiedlichen Handlungsebenen. Genial erzählt und fesselnd bis zur letzten Seite.
Kurz gesagt: Ein Hammer!

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Dec 12, 2011 Cameron rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Those who enjoy epic fantasy and adventure

This book was excellent and highlighted the progression that Mr. Weeks has made as an author. While I enjoyed his Night Angel trilogy, it left me with a rough feeling. The foremost of this was that I felt many times like I was why I should care about a few of the characters and how they tied into the story.

By the length of the book, it is obvious to see that Mr. Weeks has learned patience. Each chapter gives you a morsel of what is to come and makes you want to nibble a bit more. Even better are...more

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About Brent Weeks

Brent Weeks was born and raised in Montana. After getting his paper keys from Hillsdale College, Brent had brief stints walking the earth like Caine from Kung Fu, tending bar, and corrupting the youth. (Not at the same time.) He started writing on bar napkins, then on lesson plans, then full time. Eventually, someone paid him for it. Brent lives in Oregon with his wife, Kristi. He doesn’t own cats...more

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The Night Angel Trilogy (Night Angel, #1-3)

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