Fade to Black Pain Mage Trilogy

Fade to Black has some good and bad points. I found the city of Mahala to parallel present-day concerns about overexpansion and pollution. It's become the most powerful city in the world, but at a high cost to itself. Its plight drives the book forward, at first silently and then in a rush towards the end.

The idea of pain magic is interesting. Many fantasy worlds enact a cost for magic, but in Fade to Black the cost is much more immediate and difficult than in other magical systems.

Rojan Dizon, the protagonist, begins as a somewhat typical unlikable hero. He womanizes because of a need to avoid relationships and just wants to get the cash for whatever job he's taken. He undergoes a decent development of character over the course of the book, but his advancement is left to continue in sequels rather than finish here.

In terms of pacing, the book slows down a bit towards the middle. The last chapters pull you right back in though.

If you're looking for a decent trilogy to get into, I'd recommend Fade to Black. It has an intriguing magic system and world and engaging plot. The ending promises sequels that continue to develop the themes of over-expansion and trade. It's always good to see fantasy that goes beyond simple quests from point A to B.