The Black PrismThe Black Prism
Score Modern
What it's about
Gavin Guile is the Prism, the most powerful man in the world, high priest and emperor, whose power, wit and charm preserve a fragile peace. But Prisms never last, and Gavin knows exactly how long he has left to live: five years to achieve five impossible goals.
Why it's worth reading
It opens Brent Weeks' Lightbringer series, with one of fantasy's most inventive magic systems, based on color.
You'll love it if you liked
The Way of Shadows
Mistborn
The Lies of Locke LamoraGood to know
It's the first of five books. The twists build across the series.
By the numbers
- Readers73 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller34 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #183 of the 459 fantasy books we rank
- #673 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #1268 of the 2,816 books we rank
Reads as
Adventurous, Epic
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Quick answers
Is The Black Prism worth reading?
Yes. It opens Brent Weeks' Lightbringer series, with one of fantasy's most inventive magic systems, based on color. It ranks #1,268 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 70.2 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Black Prism about?
Gavin Guile is the Prism, the most powerful man in the world, high priest and emperor, whose power, wit and charm preserve a fragile peace. But Prisms never last, and Gavin knows exactly how long he has left to live: five years to achieve five impossible goals.
How long does it take to read The Black Prism?
About 18 hours (739 pages), or about 5 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Black Prism?
If you liked it, try The Way of Shadows by Brent Weeks, Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson or The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch.