The Black Prism by Brent Weeks (4.1 Stars)

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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.

Premise: How compelling or unique is the overview of the story?
----- 8: The premise is broad, with a lot of action happening over a large area with several characters. It's actually pretty hard to nail down succinctly. There's nothing wrong with this, but it does make it challenging to summarize quickly and it takes some time to get into the story.

Plot: How well does the action of the story fulfill or even expand the potential of the premise?
----- 9: That said, the plot takes this broad premise and runs with it. There are enough twists and turns to always keep a reader interested, and the action is just plain cool. This is an original story that borrows enough from the genre to feel familiar. There was one part of the main twist that felt like a plot hole, but saying more would be a massive spoiler.

Characters: Overall feelings towards the characters. Are they memorable? Exciting? Human? Do we even like them?
----- 8: I loved all the characters, except for Kip. I'm hoping as the series goes on he develops, but in book 1 he didn't make sense - a wimp for most of the time and then busting out ill-advised bravery. The rest of the cast was fantastic though.

Pacing: How strong is the momentum of the story? Is it hard to put the book down?
----- 9: It was difficult to put this down, especially towards the end. The action is fantastic and I really cared for the characters' collective plight.

Prose: Does the author have strong writing skills? Is the text easy and enjoyable to read and not jarring or distracting?
----- 8: Some of the writing felt somewhat juvenile, which was appropriate at times but could also be considered heavy handed. I had a hard time following some of the longer descriptive text, but that could be my fault for listening rather than reading.

Depth: Do elements of the story combine to form an immersive setting? Is it easy to visualize and well thought out?
----- 8: Great world and magic that the book dives straight into! I had to consult the map a few times, but there's no harm in that. There's much more of the world to explore yet, so as the series goes along I expect to feel more immersed and bump this rating up. I do think a glossary explaining the magic a la Sanderson would be useful as I still don't completely understand the abilities of different colors.

Epic-ness: Are cool things happening? Are story elements used to creating plot action that is exciting and satisfying?
----- 8: The final battle was constant action that I couldn't put down. That said, I was a little confused with the details and felt like I was just along for the ride through the plot at times. Still, very cool action and use of the magic, characters, and world. Weeks is close to Sanderson's complete immersion into a realistic but fantastical works.

Total: 58/70: A couple minor plot holes were a setback, but don't taste much away from a solid introduction to a promising series.

Content warning: Some minor language and minor sexual content. Firmly PG-13

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