It's Been Years Since Weeks

It has been more than a decade since I last read a book by author Brent Weeks. So long, in fact, that I'd forgotten I'd read him before. (And that's probably a good thing; if I'd remembered what I thought of the final book in his Night Angel trilogy, I almost certainly never would have given him another chance.) But if you read enough fantasy books (and log them in places that track your tastes), it's inevitable that Weeks will show up in your recommendations at some point.

That's how I came to The Black Prism, book one of five in his Lightbringer series. It's a fantasy setting in which "drafters" harness their magical powers from light itself, each specializing in just one or two colors from the spectrum, and thus possessing different powers associated with a given color. One special drafter is different: a "prism" capable of drafting all colors, but otherwise constrained by a political system and lofty expectations of what they'll accomplish in their (often shortened) life.

Against this backdrop, young Kip is thrust into the magical world beyond his experience when his entire village is razed in a rebel uprising. The Prism himself, Gavin Guile, soon takes an interest in Kip. But the secret behind that interest is only the lesser of two secrets Gavin harbors. And neither can be Gavin's foremost concerns, as the uprising that destroyed Kip's village escalates toward a broader conflict.

The magic system at play in the Lightbringer world was one I found rather interesting, and Brent Weeks does a fairly good job of parceling out information about it in organic ways that fit with the narrative. (There aren't too many "exposition dumps" where the plot is paused to explain the rules of magic to you.) It's an interesting "if this, then that" system that leads to magic users wearing colored spectacles to tint the light they see toward their powers, rare magic users with ultraviolet and infrared abilities, interesting contrasts between "bichromes" with powers in adjacent colors as opposed to separated colors, and more.

The characters have their moments too. An uncharitable take would see Kip only as a too-typical protagonist in an expected "hero's journey," or Gavin as the overpowered wizard who too-conveniently solves plot problems. But also, Kip seems equally inspired by fantasy sidekicks (Samwise of The Lord of the Rings, Samwell of A Song of Ice and Fire, and others). Gavin has a fascinating back story with his brother Dazen that complicates any simple read of the character. And then there are two prominent female characters in Karris and Liv; though neither really drives the plot much here, they're often more interesting to read about than the "main characters" (and I hope for their roles to expand as the series continues).

The Black Prism does occasionally stall on the narrative highway a little. It's a long book, and the plot does lag a few times along the way. A middle section set at the world's "magic academy" runs uncomfortably long, and the final act is a protracted siege that starts off strong but grows repetitive before it resolves. Overall, though, the story moves and builds, and pieces are certainly put into place that make me want to know what happens in the next books.

I'd give The Black Prism a B+. I won't jump straight into book two, but I'm putting it in the reading queue. It's been a decade; hopefully Weeks has grown as an author, and (looking back at my criticisms of his Night Angel trilogy) learned more about crafting good endings and vital female characters. We shall see...