Wednesday, March 11, 2015

The Black Prism by Brent Weeks

In general, I'm a fan of fantasy before I'm a fan of SF. I know that's sacrilege to some, but it's true. Don't blame me, blame Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. It's all their fault. I am also a fan of the Night Angel Trilogy. So when I found out that Brent Weeks was working on a new series, I flipped out. I am an unapologetic fanboy, so keep that in mind while you're reading this review. I may be a bit biased, but I think he's earned it. Stories like this are what keep bringing me back to the genre. What story? The Black Prism by Brent Weeks.

Our hero is Kip, a poor boy from the edge of town. The problem being that Kip is not very hero-like. He's short, fat, of average intelligence, is terrible with girls and is not exactly the bravest of souls. The closest he comes to "heroic" is He is, however, an enterprising young lad and the beginning of the book finds him scavenging for a substance called "luxin" when the invaders approach his hometown. What follows is a nightmare sequence with Kip running for his life, losing his mother, seeing his friends cut down and learning that he can draft.

"Drafting" is the form of magic that Weeks uses in his Lightbringer novels. In essence, a drafter can create luxin based on his abilities (most drafters can only use one or two colors) and the light that is available. So, for example, a green drafter has to see something green in order to use his magic. Different types of luxin have different properties. It takes a minute to get used to all of the permutations, but it's worth it, because in a world with luxin, a drafter can make just about anything at any time. It's both fascinating and frightening in its implications and Weeks does a good job of showing off the good, the bad and the ugly as far as the implications of the magic goes. Sometimes the characters find new things to invent using the luxin and sometimes they use it to recreate technological innovations in the real world. Either way, it's awesome.

The consequences of being a drafter are horrible. As a drafter uses his power, luxin begins to collect in their irises. As more power is used, more power collects. When the "halo" as it is called expands too far it breaks. Once a halo breaks, the drafter is expected to kill himself. Any drafter that fails to do so is hunted down and killed.

Kip, our young hero, is eventually thrust into a world of political intrigue at levels that few ascend to and even fewer survive. Kip himself is targeted. In general, I'm a fan of fantasy before I'm a fan of SF. I know that's sacrilege to some, but it's true. Don't blame me, blame Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. It's all their fault. I am also a fan of the Night Angel Trilogy. So when I found out that Brent Weeks was working on a new series, I flipped out. I am an unapologetic fanboy, so keep that in mind while you're reading this review. I may be a bit biased, but I think he's earned it. Stories like this are what keep bringing me back to the genre.

Our hero is Kip, a poor boy from the edge of town. The problem being that Kip is not very hero-like. He's short, fat, of average intelligence, is terrible with girls and is not exactly the bravest of souls. The closest he comes to "heroic" is keeping his drug-addicted prostitute mother alive. At the end of the day though, I like Kip. He got dealt a bum hand. He has nothing and no status but, through it all, he survives. He is also an enterprising young lad and the beginning of the book finds him scavenging for a substance called "luxin" when the invaders approach his hometown. What follows is a nightmare sequence with Kip running for his life, losing his mother, seeing his friends cut down and learning that he can draft.

"Drafting" is the form of magic that Weeks uses in his Lightbringer novels. In essence, a drafter can create luxin based on his abilities (most drafters can only use one or two colors) and the light that is available. So, for example, a green drafter has to see something green in order to use his magic. Different types of luxin have different properties. It takes a minute to get used to all of the permutations, but it's worth it, because in a world with luxin, a drafter can make just about anything at any time. It's both fascinating and frightening in its implications and Weeks does a good job of showing off the good, the bad and the ugly as far as the implications of the magic goes. Sometimes the characters find new things to invent using the luxin and sometimes they use it to recreate technological innovations in the real world. Either way, it's awesome.

The consequences of being a drafter are horrible. As a drafter uses his power, luxin begins to collect in their irises. As more power is used, more power collects. When the "halo" as it is called expands too far it breaks. Once a halo breaks, the drafter is expected to kill himself. Any drafter that fails to do so is hunted down and killed.

Kip, our young hero, is eventually thrust into a world of political intrigue at levels that few ascend to and even fewer survive. But through it all, he continues to either keep his wits or panic just right and get through it all. A revelation about who his father really is changes his life. That's all just the beginning.

Is this story perfect? No. The plot gets really Machiavellian in spots and it's not always easy to follow. Kip is mainly a likeable guy but he can be a little clueless in some areas and I wanted to shake him a few times. The concept of drafting is awesome, but it starts out as a bit confusing until the reader gets the hang of how it works. The mentor in the story is not a very nice guy either, which makes for a nice change of pace but can be grating if it's not what you're expecting. Despite all of that though, I really did enjoy this book.

Bottom Line: 4.5 out of five luxin bricks

The Black Prism
Brent Weeks
Orbit, 2010

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