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The Black Prism
Unavailable
The Black Prism
Unavailable
The Black Prism
Audiobook21 hours

The Black Prism

Written by Brent Weeks

Narrated by Simon Vance

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

4.5/5

()

Currently unavailable

Currently unavailable

About this audiobook

The first book in the blockbuster fantasy epic from New York Times bestselling author Brent Weeks.

THE BLACK PRISM begins an 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.
Dive into this incredible, New York Times bestselling fantasy series with THE BLACK PRISM.

Lightbringer
The Black Prism
The Blinding Knife
The Broken Eye
The Blood Mirror

For more from Brent Weeks, check out:
Night Angel
The Way of Shadows
Shadow's Edge
Beyond the Shadows

Night Angel: The Complete Trilogy (omnibus)
Perfect Shadow: A Night Angel Novella (e-only)
The Way of Shadows: The Graphic Novel
LanguageEnglish
Release dateAug 25, 2010
ISBN9781607882527
Unavailable
The Black Prism

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Reviews for The Black Prism

Rating: 4.2560466221851545 out of 5 stars
4.5/5

1,199 ratings71 reviews

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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Kip is the son of a drug-addicted mother and absent father, a nobody from nowhere (a village called Rekton). Gavin Guile is the Prism, a man of incredible power and prestige but who holds a terrible secret. And Karris is his former betrothed, now a woman in the elite Blackguard that serves the Prism. Their land, where magic is wielded by some who can bend light of certain colors to their will, is in jeopardy when one of the seven satraps makes himself King over a land that has been trampled every since the Prism War sixteen years before.This sprawling, epic fantasy has it all: world-building, great characters, complex history and storyline, and a unique magical system. Though it's a massive tome, the pages read quickly and I was entirely invested in what happened to the characters. It is pretty violent - this is war, and the author doesn't hesitate to describe what happens in battle - but I found myself so immersed in what was happening that most of the time I was able to overlook or skim gruesome details.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Unique magic system, awesome twists, very cool.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I loved this book. The Black Prism has everything needed for a great and compelling fantasy series. Brent has a new fan.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The Prism War is over. Gavin Guile emerged the victor and became the Prism after killing his brother, the False Prism. Most of the land was torn apart. Now an uneasy peace reigns. Gavin knows his life is running out. Five more years to live, five great goals to accomplish. Then Gavin hears that he has a son. Born in the final days of the war in a kingdom that put Gavin on the throne, Gavin must decide how far he's willing to go to protect a secret that could cost him everything.The Black Prism is the first in The Lightbringer series by Brent Weeks. The story gets off to a slow and confusing start. Many new terms are immediately thrown at the reader and it takes a little while to puzzle out their meaning. I wish I had discovered earlier that there is both a glossary and an appendix at the end, which helped out immensely! The story meanders a bit and eventually we're introduced to the four main characters. Gavin Guile is the Prism, the most powerful man in the world. He thinks he has five years left to live and has five great goals he wants to accomplish. Kip, Gavin's supposed son, spent most of his life living with his mother who did nothing but revile and neglect him. Karris White Oak, once Gavin's love interest, belongs to the elite fighting force called the Blackguard, a group that has sworn to protect the Prism. Finally there is Liv, a child of a military general on the wrong side of the war, who partially grew up with Kip before heading off to the Chromeria to become a drafter.The magic system is the highlight of the book, complex and well thought out. It is based on the color spectrum as light splits through a prism. Each color has it's own basic properties, which can then be enhanced by the user's imagination and will. The more colors you can manipulate, the more powerful you are. The more powerful you are, the faster you burn out. Magic is partially powered by a persons own life force and using too much magic can literally cause a person to break. The only exception to the rule is the Prism. There is one Prism in a generation, one person who can sense the balance of the world's magic, rebalance that magic and split light within themselves. Once they come into their power a Prism's life is measured in multiples of 7 - they live 7 or 14 or 21 additional years. It took me a while to get into the story. Normally a slow build doesn't bother me. This time I had a harder time getting to know the characters. It seemed that there was a lot of staging before the character development really started. It took a while but Gavin and Karris finally grew on me. Kip and Liv a lot less so. Once things got going, it ended up being a fun read. The story telling is lively and the story started to fly along by the end. I plan on continuing this series at some point, though after the author finishes the last book which is currently in progress.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I have been told that once you get through the first third of this book, you'll really get into it.I liked it from the beginning. Of course there is going to be a back story in a series and many characters to learn. There are so many twists and turns and this book kept surprising me.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This book was recommended for me during the SantaThing 2015. And I have to admit, I enjoyed The Black Prism more than I thought I would. The story is fast-paced, filled with magic, intrigue, and lots of cloak and dagger scenarios. A fun read!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Best book I've listened to since Red Rising. Can't wait to finish the series!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I'm not usually a fantasy reader; I stumbled on this by accident, and I'm so glad I did! Kip is a likeable hero, the plot is epic without being overly complicated, and the world/system of magic is cool and very well developed. I also really enjoyed the narrator in the audiobook version. Overall, a great read. Now, on to book 2!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Great story! Once picking up momentum difficult to stop listening
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Everything you want and more. At first I was unsure if I was going to enjoy this novel, but it quickly it became one of my favorites.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    So good! Can't wait to start on the next in the series!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Great concept- fun and adventurous! Will read net book!
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This book seemed to focus more on the magical system than anything. Some great twists but overall I was not invested in any of the characters.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Fun story, it is really tough not to compare this whole genre to GOT. 7 kingdoms, old gods/new gods, battles for throne, etc.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Great story, well told. The reader is amazing! Next book now. I can’t wait
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I like that this is a different type of story. I always love when an Author creates a new world. This is a great read however, I had some issues. I wish that Kip would have started his training sooner and that his powers would have been more Awe worthy. He is a non-typical character and I don't love him. I fell in love with the Prism. :) Be prepared to immediately start reading the next book. ;)
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This book was excellent! The characters are introduced in rapid succession, the motivation and ambitions of each teased out in believable tidbits until each of the main characters make for substantial protagonists. The world crafted here is fascinating, though I as of yet don't have a clear grasp of it. However, the magic system here is AWESOME! I highly recommend this book.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Solid, Political and Descriptive. You'll be immersed in the lives of the powerful and poor, shown the careful path in which a leader threads among friend and foe. Feel powerless as people die and a surge of victory when the beaten rise up and win. A good start to what I'm hopeful is a great series.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    If you’re a fan of Brian Sanderson Books, I highly recommend this series!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Good book starts off slow but once it gets going it's action packed
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Excellent book, though it didn't sink in fast in the beginning, it really hooked me halfway till the end.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Wow. I style I don’t think I’ve heard before. This is an engaging book with many twists and changes. I t kept me hooked!
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    tedious plot, great reading by narrator couldn't finish it, boring
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    An intriguing magical system unfolds slowly as we see the world through the eyes of those seeing it and experiencing it for the first time or those who’ve witnessed it their whole lives. The idea of what makes someone a hero or a villain is challenged throughout as our protagonists make choices they think is right or know to be wrong.

    At the heart of the story are those who deep down just want to find out and then become who they really are and are meant to be. The foundation is more then laid in this first book of a series I’m excited to dive deeper into. Choose the audiobook to be further mesmerized by the narration as it truly pulls you in just as much as the story itself.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Overall great coming of age story set in a fantastic universe. Some of the dialogue is a bit cringe-y and the pacing isn't perfect, but this is still an excellent introduction to an even better series.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Imagination and story telling at it's finest. The evolution of characters is a culmination of excitement and curiosity. This is a epic story is so expertly thought out and written that you can almost see the actual story as it is told. A new day and now I am a new fan. Keep writing, keep dreaming.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Amazing listen, Kip is a relatable hero for anyone who feels that heroes have been too godlike, inhuman.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Great (but complicated) book. I started this book while waiting for another book from a different series to become available. Honestly, I almost gave up on this book three or four times in the beginning, not because it was bad, but because it is the most complicated book I've ever had to follow. I ended up having to download a list of definitions for words in this book. the important terms are not words I knew, I don't even think most of them are really words at all, but things the author made up. And several times I had to Google questions the book or the plot. it wasn't easy to follow for a bit. That is actually the reason why I gave it 4 stars instead of 5. Once I got past all of that, I did enjoy the book and will continue with the series.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Took me a little while to understand some of the premise of this book. A brief explanation of the theory and terms would have helped but nonetheless, this was a great book to have read to me :) It’s full of magic, deception, intrigue, battles, some twists, a great lead character and underdog. I’m immediately searching for the next book in the series, if I can find it. I highly recommend if you are into that kind of book.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    What a fantastic book!
    You look at the story from everyone’s perspective yet you are in clouds about the truth, left to speculate and ponder as intricate tale unfolds before you across time and colors.
    What a wonderful book.