Tuesday 26 October 2010

Review: The Black Prism - Brent Weeks

 Lightbringer, book 1

Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 626
Published: Aug 2010

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. 

The plot:
Truth be told, Gavin as powerful as he sounds there. His power by now is more religious, but he is still feared because he is the prism and he has magic. But others control the "real" things. He is young, handsome, and he fought his brother and together they lay waste to cities. Now he sees to that the 7 satrapies are under control, and he hunts those that have gone mad from magic. But then he learns he has a son and goes to find him, a son born after that terrible war. That son is Kip and he has just discovered his magic after something terrible happened. The world stands still, a man crowns himself, and renegade mages are at work.

My thoughts:
Wow, I am just aching to spill it all, but I will not. The secrets, I can't even start to explain my shock at some, and the confusion that followed. That together with a question, whom to like? Weeks has woven a masterful plot. I do applaud that.

The magic in this book is new too, and I like the thought that has gone into it. People have different powers depending if they draft one colour, or more. The Prism can draft all. You can't use magic just like that, you have to see the colour you can use, so most use glasses with coloured lenses so that they will not find themselves without. The magic is shown in the eyes, and the magic will drive you insane in the end so most want to die before that. The colours also represent different things, and some places have more mages from certain colours, for example it is better to draft green if you live in a forest, it makes it easier. It was fascinating.


I liked Gavin, and could not help myself, he was just so, powerful, and set on his goals to make the world better. Kip, a chubby 15 year old was fun to get to know too, and he is bound to be really powerful. Then there was Karris, now one that guards the mages, and a Gavin's former fiancée´, I do have to like a woman that can kick ass. Liv, from Kip's village, a mage too, and someone I was unsure about. All in all some great characters.

Recommendation and final thoughts:
Yes! Where was Night Angel was rather dark and depressing to read, this one is lighter, and more complex in a way. It was great fantasy and I would recommend it to other fantasy fans and to the rest too. I am looking forward to book 2 because the lies and misunderstandings are sure to make for a lot of drama.

Great fantasy keeps me on my seat, and this is one that I had a hard time putting down. And the shock, oh the shock!

Cover: meh...edit 2 days later: Now I suddenly really like it

Quiz! :D


I'm a green magic drafter!

Take the quiz at Brent Weeks.com

                       


20 comments:

  1. Your comments will make any reader of this genre want to jump and get the book!

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  2. wow, this one sounds awesome!! i haven't heard of it before. i totally love the cover!

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  3. Ooh this does sound good. The Prism sounds really interesting. It does sound like you have found a good fantasy series here.

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  4. Never heard of this before but you made me curious! I like the cover too.

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  5. I'm in love with the cover AND the premise of this story! Brilliant review! I'm adding this to my TBR pile now :D

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  6. Ooh, I've really been wanting to read this one. I actually haven't read any of Weeks's books although I've heard great things about them. Though this one sounds even better than the others. I'm glad to see that you enjoyed it.

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  7. The whole magic connected to color thing sounds really fascinating. You've definitely piqued my interest.

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  8. This does sound good and I'm not usually a fan of fantasy. Nice review!

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  9. Sounds just great - another book on my TBR list! I love colours and magic so it seems to be just my thing! Thanks for your review.

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  10. Mystica
    That is sure what I wanted :D

    Carrie
    It was, I just loved his worldbuilding

    Vivienne
    I sure hope he hurries with that next one, the wait always kills me

    Elysium
    Everyone else seems to go for that cover, well it's ok, and that dagger is cool

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  11. Melissa
    Yes yes go add!! :D

    Simcha
    The NA books were excellent, but perhaps a bit to dark for me in the end. Therefore I liked this one a tiny bit more.

    Carol
    It sure was, it just have to be read

    Patti
    The best genre ever ;)

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  12. Ana
    I am sure you would enjoy it then, such a great story and the surprises, wow

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  13. A new one for me, I think I will pick this up.

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  14. this one sounds like a winner for sure!!!!!!

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  15. Hi B!

    Sounds really good, excellent review!! I was at first put off by the page count, but when fantasy is that good, the pages fly by... I haven't read anything by Brent Weeks yet, but that will have to change!

    Thanks for the recommendation...

    Dottie :)

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  16. Naida
    It was :D

    Inked
    I do recommend it, but then I adore fantasy

    Staci
    The magic just pulled me in.

    Dottie
    Fantasy books do tend to be huge! But that's never a problem cos I get sucked into that world and never want to leave

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  17. I was kind of waiting for the entire series to come out and read them all in one go... I don't know how long I can hold out though :)

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  18. I don't mind the cover myself. :) I have one of his books on my tbr.. I'll have to see if it is this one. Yes, I'm this "organized". Heh. Anyhoo.... glad to know this one is a good read. :)

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  19. Cherry
    That is the way to go..but then I hate waiting for a series to end, and if I have started it I hate waiting for the next, an evil circle

    Melissa
    It's ok, I guess I am too used to hooded men, lol.
    Ahh organized, I know about that. I am sure that I got a book last week, but now I can't find it

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