I am Brent Weeks. Best-selling epic fantasy author of Night Angel & Lightbringer. I don't have a movie deal. AMA!

[u/BrentWeeks]

Hi everyone. Long time lurker, though I more often frequent the excellent r/fantasy (books, really!). I'm here to answer questions about the Night Angel trilogy, follow-ups, writing, my yet-to-be completed Lightbringer Series (the final book, THE BLOOD MIRROR, will be out next fall), and... well, I guess you can ask me about car repair. But I don't know anything about car repair.

After this AMA, I plan to celebrate by finally pushing the button. I've been waiting so long. You guys do still have the button going, right?

I'll be here from 2pm PST to 8:30pm PST. I'll follow up tomorrow to hit the most popular questions I missed. Stragglers will have to come see me at my next AMA or any signing.

Proof: Twitter

UPDATE (final): Thanks everyone for participating! I hit as many more as I could, and did some follow ups to great comments... but I've run out of time. My 2-year-old just wrote in permanent marker all over her bedroom door, and I'm supposed to go to this thing called a Pumpkin Patch? And ... more things. It's been an honor to be here, and I loved your questions! Hope I can join you again sometime! THE BLOOD MIRROR, final book of THE LIGHTBRINGER SERIES is slated for late next year, I hope you love it!

Oh, and if you're interested in following me elsewhere, you can find more on my eponymously named website and on FaceBook and Twitter and irregularly on instagram. (No direct links b/c I'm not sure if that's against the decorum here.)

[u/ArsenoPyrite]

I've been following the Lightbringer series with great interest and enjoyment. One thing in particular I noticed in the third book is a rather strong shift in terms of how subtle the religious parallelism is, from a somewhat generic monotheistic system to something that feels more explicitly Judeochristian. I think that the general subject is of interest to a lot of hopeful writers in the genre, particularly to Christians or people of other faiths trying to find the right balance. On the one hand, some of the early founders of modern fantasy were quite direct in their parallels (Lewis or Macdonald, and Tolkein though more in the background material)--on the other hand, we can probably all name authors whose work ends up being hamfisted or preachy or even unreadable when they attempt to do the same. So far I think you've done a remarkably good job at this, and I'm curious what your philosophy and thought process is behind it.

[u/BrentWeeks → u/ArsenoPyrite]

Great question! And like all great questions, hard question, and like all hard questions, ill-served by exemplars at the extremes. (Exemplums? Exemplae? Darn, Latin, don't fail me now!) If--IF--you regard the metaphysical as as important to your secondary world's development as the physical, then at some point if you write a million word epic, you may well have to engage this question. I take an Aristotelian view in both my world's development so far: You decide physics (how things are), then metaphysics (what abstract truths arise from how things are), then ethics (how should one act because of how things are and that truths that arise from that), then politics (the wide-spread application of ethics--ha! how quaint that sounds!), and then rhetoric (how to get people to do what's ethical and true), and then poetics (how to make art that moves people in the direction of what is true through the unique properties of art, literature, and drama). The thing is, at some point, you have to decide what your work means. Or avoid that question altogether, which is an answer and an abdication itself. I delve into this in book 4, but it it is not by accident that in Lightbringer, book 1 sets the world and characters and conflict, book two widens the conflict, book 3 deepens the conflict, and book four XXXs??? the conflict. (Resolves? Throws back to readers? Denies?) Fantasy is hard, especially if you think literature need bear any relation to truth. Tread here at your peril. Also at your fun. (Not a linguistically parallel construction, but hey, screw linguistics sometimes!)

[u/TheLegNBass]

Hi Brent! Thanks for taking the time to do this!

A couple questions:

1. Where did you get the idea for using light as magic?! That's such a cool concept, and the lightbringer series is one of my absolute favorites. We're there any specific things that inspired you to use that system?

2. How do you manage to write politics so well? LightBringer and Night Angel both had some very thick political stories to them, with many different characters with very different motivations. How did you keep them all straight?

3. Finally, 9-kings. Can we get a real version of that? It sounds like such a cool game, do you have all the rules and things thought out in your head already? I'd love to play, it sounds awesome!

Thanks again!

[u/nosnivel]

I am laughing at the "I don't have a movie deal." but

Are you working on one? Would you be amenable to one?

[u/cymric]

Mr Weeks thank you for doing this AMA

1.) Given how much exercise Kip was put through (tortured with) in the last book. Would you now rate him as being in much better shape than his first introduction? Do you plan to write the characters realization of his new body? I ask this because i was very much like Kip when younger. Pudgy, Intelligent and not confident in myself, but a summer of roofing and football practice changed this and when i realized the changes in myself i felt pride. I have been pseudo disappointed that Kip has not experienced this yet.

2.) If you could meet one person from your novels to have dinner with who would you choose ?

3.) If you could team up to write a novel with another Speculative fiction author (like good omens with Prachett and Gaiman) who would you choose?

4.) If you could name one inspiration for your works who would you cite?

[u/MarkLawrence]

Hi Brent - I enjoyed The Way of Shadows a lot. We have the rest, I just need to find the time to burn through them too.

My question: have you ever eaten a raw clove of garlic? To research the book? If not, what's the bravest/most stupid piece of book research you've done?

[u/KindCollusion]

One of the things you do best is build tension and angst while keeping the action constant. How do you do this while still writing heroic characters with god-like powers?

I've heard it said that the hero should have some profound weakness to create a sense of vulnerability but you write great narratives without this.

[u/[deleted]]

[u/tracyerickson]

Since each of your books gets bigger than the previous one, how big should we expect 'The Blood Mirror' to be? Will it be longer than 'Words of Radiance'? If so, I may need to reinforce my bookcase a little bit.

[u/Phantine]

Got a question about something before the books started. Let me walk through the logic real quick.

1. Some animals seem to be capable of drafting

2. Breaking the halo seems to be based (in some extent) on your level of sapience

3. Cetaceans are very intelligent.

4. Gavin blew off a lot of his duties as a prism to go on safari with his skimmer

So, my question is... did Gavin go sail 'round the Horn, round the Norway Maelstrom, and round perdition's flames itself, in pursuit of an elusive Wight Whale?

[u/subange]

Hello Brent. I am am old (nearly 60) SciFi and Fantasy geek. Have been reading the best of the genre since the dawn of time. Your stuff has absolutely blown me away. My question is how do you write two such different series at the same time. Do you find it difficult to keep the fantastic world's you create separate? Also, as a woman, I love you portrayal of females. Can't wait for the next book to come out. Thanks so much!

[u/TwelveGates]

Brent,

My friends and I regard you as a master of character crafting and development. Particularly, in both Kip and Gavin you've made the two most sympathetic yet demonstratively human characters I have ever encountered in any story telling medium. This sentiment seems to be echoed by each person who I introduce your book to as well, so it's definitely not just me.

That being said, how do you form your characters? Do you have prepped back story and their respective arcs mostly planned out or do you have loose ideas of their progression and they come to life as you continue writing? If the latter, how do you ensure that they grow to become so real?

Also, out of my own personally curiosity. I know that you are a gamer and that you studied many different types of card games going into making Nine Kings. I am an avid Magic the Gathering player myself, so when you looked into Magic particularly did you like anything particular about it? What was your favorite color to play?

Thanks, Jeff

[u/[deleted]]

[u/ccousins100]

Hi Brent,

I'm a writer myself and I just wanted to ask you how you keep the motivation going when you're in a lull with regard to your writing? I assume money helps but what was it like before you got published?

Thanks,

Chris

[u/Asmor]

Hi Brent! Huge fan, the Night Angel trilogy basically got me back into reading as an adult.

Spoilers for Lightbringer series

[u/Phantine]

Got some magic system questions

First, I'm a little confused about what protection mirror-polished armors offers against luxin. Can you explain that a little?

Second, you know how Epcot has bright pink sidewalks, so the retina negative-image makes Disney's grass look even greener? Does that sort of negative-image stuff work for drafting? Stare at something red until you can't perceive it, then stare at a white wall so you can draft the green frequencies from it?

Finally, what type of crazy crossover stuff could happen if you mixed the magic between Chromaturgy and Awakening?

[u/Voidrith]

I had a theory about some things from the night angel tirlogy and was wondering if you could shed any light on them (if it isn't going to be covered in potential future books in that universe):

There is a bit of a lack of explanation as to how Durzo gets resurrected again after losing the Ka'Kari. I noticed that, before Kylar died the first time (as far as i remember), he had killed durzo. That would be the first 'loved one' who died since he had bonded the black, even though he hadn't actually died yet. That got me thinking. Jorsin died moments after Durzo bonded the black, before durzo himself had first died.

My theory: bonding the black causes a loved one to die, and sort of 'pre-pays' for your next resurrection. That is why durzo got resurrected, because after the previous death, his next loved one to die paid for his next resurrection, even though by then the black had unbonded him.

That means: if Jorsin had been a kakarifer (explains his power, partially, and that the ka'kari bonded durzo on Jorsin's command), he is currently, like durzo had been, in 'credit' - so to speak - one life. But, he had been sealed by the black barrow magic, preventing him from coming back. Those seals were broken, and now he could come back.

spoilers for anyone reading the thread who hasn't read the trilogy

Am i on the right track in any significant way?

[u/a_guile]

Hi! Big fan.

Can you give some major spoilers for the next Lightbringer book? I won't read them because I want to enjoy the book as written, but I like making people angry on the internet and I think spoilers are a great way to accomplish that.

[u/mundanername]

Heya Brent.

1. Have you killed any poor innocent kobolds lately?

2. As the best looking writer I know, please help me solve: d^2y/dt2 +15y= cost4t + 2sin t initial conditions y(0)=y'(0)=0

3. Exactly how much would it cost me to get Mags back? 3b. Assuming I can not afford #3, how much will it cost to get Blue to be a main character?

4. Any plans for a cool limited edition hard cover? (i.e http://grimoakpress.com/2015/07/03/announced-the-broken-empire-by-mark-lawrence/)

[u/yettibeats]

Where do you think Gavin and Kip would rank in a Fantasy Tag Team Tournament? Top Five? Ten? I remember asking who would win between them and Vin/Kelsier from Mistborn. You'll be happy to know your characters were the heavy favorite, so you have that going against u/mistborn.

[u/elquesogrande]

Hey Brent!

What is your favorite weapons-based award and do you have any pictures of you holding it?

What's up next for you? Will you be writing in any new worlds / universes or exploring the ones you have already created?

[u/aborted_godling]

Hey Brent, do you have any plans on returning to Mydcryu? Possibly for the prophecy? Pretty please?

[u/Samhettinger7]

Hey Brent, I'm a big fan, as I suppose all of us responding to this thread are. Here's a two-fer:

Do you know how many books of yours have been sold?

Also, You have some obvious Christian themes in your books that add much depth and a redemptive aspect that is rare (and beautiful to read). What have been some important Christian influences in your life?

[u/boxian]

Hi Brent,

Spoilers for everyone else below:

Can you explain why you broke up the blinding of Gavin with that chapter of Tia's? Was that your decision or your editor? Because to me, it really destroyed all the flow you had in the story and irritated me as a reader. At 900 pages in, an author doesn't need to rely on cheap cliffhangers after a previous 900 page build up (especially in this scenario, with so much previous build up of his torture).

For more understanding, I was driving and listening to the audio book and actually turned it off when the narrative shifted because that decision. I came back later on in that car ride, but your goal shouldn't have been to make me so annoyed with a layout decision that I stopped reading and I hope you don't say "well at least you felt something!" because the only things I felt were meta textual annoyance at a layout decision - it wasn't a big draw on the characters or how much I was emotionally invested, it was "okay, I literally cannot deal with yet another cliffhanger with a generally expected outcome with a few twists on exactly how it happens".

So anyways, if you could explain how I'm missing the point and it was really important for it to be there rather than after the conclusion of the blinding scene, I'd appreciate it.

Thanks!

[u/Senetas]

Hi Brent,

How would you classify the relationship between Gavin and Kip? That of student teacher, Lord and vassal, or Father and Son?