The Black Prism [Kindle Edition]

Brent Weeks (Author)

Book Description

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 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.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

With this complicated fantasy about family politics, bestseller Weeks (The Way of Shadows) moves into familiar territory. An unloved, orphaned boy is the offspring of someone important; twins assume each other's identities; an aged ruler clings to power. Weeks manages to ring new tunes on these old bells, letting a deep background slowly reveal its secrets and presenting his characters in a realistically flawed and human way. Gavin Guile is facing his final five years as leader of a magical college whose members turn colors of light into various materials. Seeking to rectify the lingering wrongs from the war against his twin, Dazen, he is instead forced to acknowledge a bastard son, face down a corrupt governor, and stop a challenge to the state religion. Frequent perspective shifts keep the reader guessing as to who is heretic and who is hero. Author tour.
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Review

I was mesmerized from start to finish ... non-stop action and the kind of in-depth storytelling that makes me admire a writer's work Terry Brooks on the NIGHT ANGEL trilogy A superb epic fantasy FantasyBookCritic on the NIGHT ANGEL trilogy A captivating page-turner TheBookBag on the Night Angel trilogy

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Product Details

• File Size: 980 KB
• Print Length: 788 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0316068136
• Publisher: Orbit; 1 edition (August 25, 2010)
• Sold by: Hachette Book Group
• Language: English
• ASIN: B003JTHY76
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Not Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,941 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
  • #12 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Men's Adventure
  • #25 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Fantasy > Magic & Wizards
  • #25 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Fantasy > Historical

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

126 of 136 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Best fantasy novel of 2010 August 30, 2010

By William Kerney VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

Excellent book. While I had issues with the Night Angel series (assassins were essentially supermen in that world), the plot, plot twists, and some of the characterization was good enough to add him to my list of authors to read.

The Black Prism, well, is even better. Fantastic world building, good magic system, and amazingly good plot. Best high fantasy novel I've read this year, hands down. Some parts of the plot figuratively floored me, and he definitely doesn't move the characters OR the plot in the direction that you anticipate after the first 150 pages. In this regard, it's similar to the Night Angel series: the reader builds up an expectation of how everything is going to pan out, and then he shakes it all around, and beats you over your head with your own expectation. It's frustrating not being able to talk about it here, but I hate people that blow spoilers for me.

I think it accomplishes a light-based magic system better than the one used in Brandon Sanderson's Warbringer - though that novel had an appeal all of its own as well.

Highly, highly recommended.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Colorfully Original (Spoiler Free Review) September 5, 2011

By Poisoned Blade

Format:Mass Market Paperback

An Original Story in a Very Original Fantasy Universe where magic is based on the color spectrum. Brent Weeks, author of The Black Prism and The Night Angel Trilogy, is known for his creative world building, twisting storylines, and characters who act like people, rather than generic fantasy adventure archetypes.

Story:
One thing is certain, this story is NOT FORMULAIC...

A generation ago, The Great Prism War was fought. Two brothers, both powerful mages, built armies and battled each other to become The Prism. The war ended when Gavin defeated his brother Dazen. Now, a count with grandiose, aspirations declares himself a king and builds an army. His first act is to destroy the small town of Rekton, who failed to supply men for his rebellion. Kip, a chubby farmboy, and Liv, a student at the magic academy, are drawn into the conflict. Just when you start to figure out what is going on, the story twists and turns...

World:
This is an original Medieval Fantasy Universe, that takes place in The Seven Satrapies. Each Satrapy functions as an independent country, but is under the watch of a central government. This government has three branches: The Prism, The White, and The Colors. The Prism, a religious figure and powerful mage viewed as an avatar for the god Orholam. The White and The Colors are like Senates, and they maneuver with each other for political power.

Magic:
Magic is based on Chromaturgy, the act of creating physical objects in the world based on light. (Similar to the Green Lantern) This substance is called Luxin. The magic users who create Luxin are called Drafters. Most Drafters can only use one color. A small percentage of Drafters are Bi-chromes and can use two colors.... An even smaller percentage of Drafters are Poly-Chromes. They can use 3 or more colors. The Drafters are powerless in the dark, more powerful in strong daylight, and even more powerful if they wear colored glasses to enhance the colors that they see.

Each Color has different properties, physical and emotional.
Superviolet Luxin is nearly invisible and used for traps or secret messages. Superviolet Drafters are often sarcastic.
Blue Luxin is hard, strong, and smooth. Blue Drafters are very orderly.
Green Luxin is flexible and springy. Green Drafters are wild and free.
Yellow Luxin is an unstable liquid that becomes light. Yellow Drafters are clear thinkers.
Orange Luxin is slick. Orange Drafters understand the emotions of others and become artists or manipulators.
Red Luxin is sticky and flammable. Red Drafters are hot headed and like destruction.
Sub-Red Luxin can create flame crystals. Sub-Red Drafters are Passionate.

But being able to draft has its consequences. The more a Drafter creates Luxin, the more it contaminates their bodies. This is most noticeable in the iris of the eyes. The iris changes color of the magic used by the Drafter. So, Red Drafters have bright red eyes. However, if they draft too much, the iris will break and the color will leak out into the whites. When this happens, the Drafter is on its way to become a Color Wight. Their bodies begin to take on the physical properties of the Luxin (Blues get a hard shell) and the mental properties to the extent of madness. Having the most powerful mages running around like crazy people is not a good thing, so Color Wights are exterminated.

Characters:
All of the characters have some personality and a sense of humor, which is exceptionally rare in medieval fantasy. Many of the characters would be right at home in a movie like Superbad. They're kind of funny, often sarcastic, and you still want to cheer for them.

Writing Style:
On one end of the spectrum, you have Robert Jordan, who is incredibly poetic and verbose. On the other end, you have Brent Weeks. His writing style is pretty informal / casual. But it's fast paced and entertaining. You're going to want to read this book for the events that happen in the story, rather than the telling of the story.

Action:
This book is full of action. There are battles, cavalry charges, sieges, sword fights, muskets, cannons, pirates, and lots of original Luxin Battles.

Maturity: Teens
There's some swearing and some... boobs... teehee... and of course fantasy violence. Where The Night Angel Trilogy was excessively Brutal, The Black Prism would seem somewhat tame... but still action packed.

Overall:
This is a very fun and original book. You'll laugh, you'll be entertained, and your mind can imagine an entire new type of magic system. It's very entertaining.

Buy this book if you like plot twists.
Buy this book if you like originality.
Buy this book if you want to envision creative magic battles.
Avoid this book if you like poetic prose like 'The Wheel of Time' Books or "Fantasy Literature." This is not for you.

A word of caution to those who loved 'The Night Angel Trilogy.' This is an entirely different story, in a new world, with new characters. The story is not nearly as dark. You'll probably still enjoy it though, but you need to reboot your expectations. Read more ›

39 of 49 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Not in the Shadows August 26, 2010

By MollyKanHas

Format:Hardcover

For the unawares, this is the start of a new series from author Brent Weeks, who wrote the highly acclaimed Night Angel trilogy. (The trilogy has my own personal acclaim as well. Hmm, that doesn't sound right.) I know some of us (ahem, me) were excited at the possible prospect of a new series that followed old and new characters a couple of decades later in the timeline. And when I first heard about the release of a new book, I immediately assumed this was the case. I admit to a big wave of disappointment when I heard it was in an all-new world with all-new characters. I even sulked a bit. (Okay, a lot.)

But guess what isn't a disappointment? Go ahead. Guess.

Well, that's true, but I was actually referring to The Black Prism.

The Black Prism follows the Prism Gavin Guile (the Prism is the religious leader-like the Pope) as he attempts to complete five great purposes before his death in five years. The world is composed of the Seven Satrapies, and the Chromeria where drafters-magic-users-are trained in service of the Satrapies, the Prism being the most powerful drafter of all. Sixteen years ago, the Prism fought and defeated his brother in a civil war to attain his title, and now the satrapy Tyrea, who sided with the losing brother, is attempting to declare independence. In Tyrea, Kip's hometown is destroyed by the cruel new king, and the ungainly, hapless young man becomes a part of the powerful events that are about to shatter the Seven Satrapies.

It would be too easy, too uncomplicated to say that this book is awesome, and it wouldn't do justice to Weeks' craft. But I'll say it anyway. This book...IS AWESOME!! There have been too many times where I have opened a new series in a new world by an author well-known for one particular fantasy world.... And I have been disappointed. If the characters are well-done, the world almost never is. Or both. It reads palely in comparison to that other world I loved. And I can say, reading the first chapter from the online excerpt, I feared the same lackluster results. The world seemed uncomfortable and awkward, and I didn't even feel like continuing the next two chapters included in the excerpt. It's not that the events of the beginning don't fit with the rest of the book; the writing itself doesn't seem as smooth. I suspect this is in part my sulkiness at the lack of more Night Angel books. The other part is probably that Weeks really writes his characters, and Kip is an awkward character, especially at first.

Despite his awkwardness, however, Kip develops into a fantastic character. All of them, even the secondary and tertiary characters, are tantalizingly near real. In this regard, I found TBP to surpass the NAT. In fact, as much as I love the NAT (and that's quite a gigantonormous amount), Weeks has obviously grown as a writer and TBP is more polished and more well-paced than the NAT. Though at first I had trouble getting into the story, once I really got into it (about 200 pages in) I was an addict. Almost a color wight. About to break the halo. (Not ready to be Freed, though.) Okay, enough Black Prism references. Anyway, there are many things about this world, especially the Chromeria and drafting, that are somewhat hard to explain. In fact, any dedicated in-book explanation would amount to boring, excessive exposition and I might have never finished the book. But this, I think, is what made it difficult for me to become engrossed; I wasn't addicted until I had a firm grasp on the idea of chromaturgy. So, if you're not as slow as me, you'll become engrossed within the first page or three.

One really frustrating aspect for me was the excessive difficulty the competent and incompetent characters alike had with the challenges that arose to meet them. Sure, nobody wants the protagonist to march in and save the princess because he brought an anachronistic tommy gun to a Really Big Stick fight. Unforeseen difficulties and a character's lack of experience add real tension to the narrative. But after a certain point it becomes too frustrating when seemingly nothing goes according to plan. Ever. I'm not complaining too much, because it does up the excitement factor and it removes easy predictability of events, but it also creates a semi-predictability in its own way.

Speaking of irony, there is some serious dramatic irony in this book. Just sayin'. It adds to the humor sparkled throughout. As was pointed out to me just now, it may be ironic that it sounds as if I found too much fault with this book. But I truly, immensely enjoyed it. It's well-paced, well-written, well-characterized...er, full of great characters. Kip is a unique character in many ways yet exceptionally relatable, and the magic (luxin) and magic system (chromaturgy) stands out from magic systems I've seen in other fantasy worlds. The fight scenes are some of the best I've ever read, as with the NAT. They are somehow easy to follow, yet not so simple as to be boring. Ultimately, this book takes it to another level that even the NAT didn't reach, and for all my trepidations and small qualms, I expect this to be a new favorite series. It's well worth the time, long or short, it will take you to read the 640 or so pages. (So is the NAT if you have yet to read it because you're a blind kangaroo.)

Oh yeah, it ends on something of a cliffhanger.

And I don't expect the next book will be released anytime soon. Read more ›

18 of 22 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Was expecting more November 13, 2010

By Micah J. Hill

Format:Hardcover

I guess I am a victim of my own expectations for this novel. I loved the first two books of Night Angel, but felt the trilogy lost strength in its finale. Weeks was brilliant when writing a small number of characters in gritty, brutal situations. However, as the story progressed to the typical epic fantasy level of kings and kingdoms and more complex magic/world building, Weeks writing lost steam. And unfortunately this is where Black Prism continues.

Strengths: Gavin Guile is a very interesting character. In one chapter you will like and admire the man and in the next those feelings turn to loathing. His protrayal is highly dichotamous but believable. It will be interesting to see who he really is as the series unfolds. Kip on the other hand is less likeable. He is the fantasy cliche of small village boy who is really more than he seems. However, he is not the fantasy cliche in that he is fat, awkward, not all that smart, and lacks much of any quality to make you root for him. I cant decide if this is refreshing or if I really didnt enjoy his chapters.

Weaknesses: the magic system. People called prisms have abilities to take various colors of light and turn it into luxin, a plastic like substance. Different colors of luxin have different properties. Its not that the idea isnt creative, it just felt that the execution was lacking. For some reason, I wasnt able to suspend belief and buy into the magic. Instead it was awkward and distracting. Pages are spent delving into the "magic" of luxin rather than delving into characters and plot. I prefer the magic system to be subservient to the character development and plot of a novel, not the other way around.

I admit I may have enjoyed this book more if I didnt go into it with such high expectations.... I dont think Weeks is playing to his strengths with this novel. As a big fan, I sincerely hope Weeks leaves the epic and magical focus of fantasy and writes the desparate, gritty, character focused fantasy I so enjoyed from him. Read more ›

More About the Author

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 or wear a ponytail.

Amazon Author Rankbeta 

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#40 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Action & Adventure

#52 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Fantasy

#60 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Fantasy

#93 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy

#40 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Action & Adventure

#52 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Fantasy

#60 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Fantasy

#93 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy