The Black Prism

Executive Summary: Overhyped and often very juvenile in places, this book wasn't nearly as good as I was promised, but is far from awful.Full ReviewI really enjoyed [b:The Way of Shadows 3227063 The Way of Shadows (Night Angel, #1) Brent Weeks https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327881551s/3227063.jpg 3261241] despite a protagonist I didn't care much for. Largely because of one of the other characters. The rest of that series was far less enjoyable as that character wasn't around as much, and I was forced to deal with a character I didn't like and too many juvenile wish fulfillment scenes.I found this book to suffer from the same problems as that series did. After thrashing [b:Beyond the Shadows 3754026 Beyond the Shadows (Night Angel, #3) Brent Weeks https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327881432s/3754026.jpg 3797890], I was told I had to give Mr. Week's another chance and that this series was much better. Well based on one book, I question that.I think Kip is meant to be a commentary/parody of the chosen one trope, but I just can't stand him. It makes any part with him as the POV hard to read, and the scenes where he is present less enjoyable.Gavin was kind of so-so at the start, but grew on me as the book went along. I liked Karis, but as someone in my group read pointed out, for a badass elite soldier she is awfully stupid and that made it lot harder for me to enjoy her parts.Then we have a bunch of mustache twirling villains. For me the best villains are the ones who aren't evil, but simply those whose goals conflict with the protagonists and are willing to do whatever it takes to accomplish them. The power/money hungry antagonist thing just really is tired and should be dropped from an author's toolbox.The magic system is quite interesting, but poorly introduced. I don't need/want some big info dump about the magic and how it works, but I don't like hand waving magic either that seems to be a plot device the author is making up as he goes along. The reality is that the magic system does have some well defined rules, but as a first time reader none of that is very clear until far too deep into the book in my opinion. Mr. Weeks goes a little too far in his efforts to show and not tell.I definitely warmed up to this book by the end. There are things to like here despite all my complaints. The magic system is a lot better once you know a bit more about it. The world building is interesting and makes for some good political conflicts.If Mr. Weeks didn't keep interrupting the main plot for what often felt like juvenile wish fulfillment scenes, I might have given this a 3.5 and rounded it up to a 4.I”m not sure if I'll continue on in the series, but the fact that one of my favorite narrators, [a:Simon Vance 5602 Simon Vance https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1240014151p2/5602.jpg] takes over reading duties for the next one, and that this book got better as it went along are all points in it's favor.