Fantasy Book Club discussion

So what does everyone think of Brent Weeks' magic system for The Black Prism? It is original at least, and much different from his last series, The Night Angel Trilogy.

It actually reminds me of the the Green Lantern. I know that the Green Lantern uses "will" and characters use colors in The Black Prism, but the fact that they can both use an energy-like substance to create objects made me think of the connection.

I do like the magic system too far. I like that he makes it limited (except for the Prism) and it causes physical/mental fatigue. Some stories allow characters use unlimited magic w/o any kind of consequences and I find that unrealistic.

I still haven't grasped all of the details of the system, but the more I read the more I understand.

I haven't thought of that before Jenny, and I just watched the Green Lantern last week! It is a really good comparison.

What I found different with this magic system so far from most other magic systems I have read about in other fantasy books is that the more magic you use, the quicker you die. Plus like you said, there are limits unlike in Harry Potter where you can keep casting spells again and again with no cost.

Super Violet, blue, green, yellow, orange, red and sub red. And with each of these colors, there are different states of mind.

I enjoy how overuse of magic results in not just mental insanity but also physical deformity. Those who overdraft begin to look like golems, elementals, or brightly colored insects.

Like some other readers, I did find the color system and all the different theories really complex at first. I was over a hundred pages into it, and I felt like I was still missing some really important pieces. But I was intrigued so I kept reading, and in the end it was worth it. If you actually paid attention and kept up with the explanations you caught things that weren't necessarily blatant. The fact that there is a finite amount of magic any one drafter can do is really interesting. Instead of just thinking 'oh he can just use magic to get out of this' I found myself worrying that different characters might burn themselves out.

*shoves fingers in ears* lalala I can't hear you... I'm denying that this book exists until the rest of the series is out there, I know how quickly I burned through the Night Angel books and I know if I have to wait, I'll be grumpy! :)

LOL

I was very fascinated by the way the different colors affected the personalities of the drafter; i.e. how you could tell someone was a "yellow" by the way they acted. It's also interesting how being overexposed to a color can affect moods. I can't wait to see how the green room affects our prisoner in the next book.

The magic system is unique, I'll grant that. The thing that *really* bothered me were the mental images of Drafters, engaged in epic magical battles, basically flinging rainbows at each other. Can you imagine what a battlefield full of Drafters must look like? I absolutely love Brent Weeks' writing, don't get me wrong, and 'The Black Prism' was, for me, a really good read. I enjoyed the Night Angel Trilogy far more, though, because I simply could not imagine a serious battle with mages that shoot rainbows.