The Magicians by Lev Grossman
A Fantasy, 2009 by Viking, 409 Pages
What I Didn’t Like:
- Personally, I felt like the start of the lessons took a slow turn which was unfortunate. Just when you should be getting excited to learn magic along with this character, it felt like it was dragging instead.
- This book spans SO MUCH! It’s a ton of events, a long time. This could’ve easily been a six book series. Quite a few times I found myself thinking it was too much all at once and it did affect the pacing.
- The focus on sex, while realistic for the teenage/young adult main male character, was a bit much sometimes. It felt heavy handed and overdone in a few spots.
What I Did Like:
- EXCELLENT opener. I was instantly hooked on this character and his group of friends. His personality really came through. If you’re on the fence about this one, I recommend reading the little sample available from most retailers … it’ll speak for itself!
- The discussion and consideration about where Magic comes from, whether they should ever have messed with it, and what sorts of Magic are beyond that expectation was amazing. Fans of Magical worlds and Magic restrictions in books will adore this one for that ALONE.
- Well written fight scenes.
- The characters are realistic for their age and struggles. In some other Magical series, the struggles are out of touch for real people. This book features real characters who go through real struggles … they just happen to be at a Magic school.
- Ending that lingers in your mind. In my opinion, these are the best endings.
Who Should Read This One:
- Fans of Magical books who often think they’re aged down and want something for a more grown or mature audience.
- Really, this is sort of a crossover of HP and Narnia … if the characters were grown and did real high school and college things.