The Black Prism (Lightbringer Book 1)

The Black Prism (Lightbringer Book 1)

by Brent Weeks

4.5 (12,794)

4.5 stars from 12,794 reviews. One of the highest rated Fantasy books we track.

486 pages~8.1 hr readPublished by Hachette UKPublished 2010-08-26

$2.99Deal70% off peak

Last checked: Apr 29, 2026

Price history: $2.99 $9.99

Full price — consider adding to your watchlist for a better deal.

Price range: $2.99 $9.99

Buy on Amazon - $2.99

0 readers are tracking this book's price

Fans of these authors will like this...

  • Patrick Rothfuss
  • Brandon Sanderson
  • Joe Abercrombie

Fans of these books will like this...

  • The Name of the Wind
  • The Way of Kings
  • The First Law

Perfect for you if...

  • You want epic fantasy with genuinely high stakes where the protagonist's power is both his greatest asset and a ticking clock counting down to his death.
  • You loved the intricate magic system in the Night Angel trilogy and want more of Brent Weeks' ability to build worlds where magic has brutal, exhausting costs.
  • You're drawn to stories about powerful men in impossible positions, forced to sacrifice the things they love most to maintain fragile peace.

Maybe not for you if...

  • You prefer straightforward good versus evil narratives without moral ambiguity or characters making genuinely terrible choices for understandable reasons.
  • You want self-contained standalone stories rather than the first book in a long series that demands you commit to multiple volumes.
  • You're looking for lighter fantasy fare with humour and levity rather than darker, grittier worldbuilding and political intrigue.

About this book

In a world where magic is strictly controlled, Guile holds the position of Prism—high priest and emperor. His power, wit, and charm maintain a fragile peace, though he knows Prisms do not endure and is aware of how much time remains to him. When Guile learns he has a son born in a distant kingdom following the war that brought him to power, he faces a difficult choice: decide how much he is willing to sacrifice to keep this secret hidden, as its revelation could destabilize his entire world. This is the first book in the Lightbringer series.

Get the best deal every time

We track price drops, sale patterns, and predict when this book will go on offer next.

Price History

Kindle price over time. Green zones = periods when the book was free.

Sign up to unlock
Free$5.00$9.99Mar '20Oct '22Mar '24Apr '26
$2.99$9.99

Currently on sale at $2.99 — 70% off peak. Price has dropped 21 times over the last 6 years. Goes on sale roughly every 109 days. Typically stays discounted for 22 days.

Sales Rank

Amazon sales rank: lower number = better selling book. #1 is the bestseller.

Sign up to unlock
#3,052#45,759#88,465Apr '18Jun '23Nov '24Apr '26

Currently around #40K in the Kindle store — a steady mid-list seller. Climbing the charts — 29% improvement recently.

Rating & Reviews

Purple line = star rating over time. Blue area = total review count growth.

Sign up to unlock
4.0★4.5★5.0★May '23Jan '24Sep '24Apr '26RatingReviews

Currently 4.5★ from 12,794 reviews

Gaining approximately 38 new reviews per month. Steady word of mouth growth. Rating has remained stable at 4.5 over the tracking period.

Sale Prediction

Sign up to unlock
Free$5.00$9.99Mar '20Oct '22Mar '24Apr '26PredictedApr '26

Actual Predicted

This book is currently discounted at $2.99. It typically returns to around $9.99.

Prices shown in USD from Amazon US. We continuously pull new data to improve tracking. If dates look old, it usually means there has been no significant change since the last data point.

Never miss a deal on this book

Create a free account to unlock full price history charts, sale predictions, and get notified instantly when the price drops.

Brent Weeks

1 book on Vagrant Press

View all books →

More Fantasy books you might like

View all Fantasybooks →

Today's Best Deals

View all deals →
Pachinko (National Book Award Finalist)
Pachinko (National Book Award Finalist)

by Min Jin Lee

$1.99DealMust ReadHighly rated with thousands of reviews. A proven favourite.
4.5 (84,684)
$1.99$11.99
The Family Upstairs: A Novel
The Family Upstairs: A Novel

by Lisa Jewell

$2.99Deal
4.3 (101,947)
$2.99$13.99
To Die For (6:20 Man)
To Die For (6:20 Man)

by David Baldacci

$1.99Deal
4.6 (37,570)
$1.99$14.99
A Calamity of Souls
A Calamity of Souls

by David Baldacci

$1.99Deal
4.6 (34,590)
$1.99$14.99
Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know about the People We Don’t Know
Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know about the People We Don’t Know

by Malcolm Gladwell

$1.99DealMust ReadHighly rated with thousands of reviews. A proven favourite.
4.4 (24,236)
$1.99$15.99
From Crook to Cook: Platinum Recipes from Tha Boss Dogg’s Kitchen (Snoop Dogg Presents)
From Crook to Cook: Platinum Recipes from Tha Boss Dogg’s Kitchen (Snoop Dogg Presents)

by Snoop Dogg

$2.99DealMust ReadHighly rated with thousands of reviews. A proven favourite.
4.8 (40,463)
$1.99$14.60
Buy The Black Prism (Lightbringer Book 1) on Amazon - $2.99

Affiliate link. We may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.