Reading Time: 2 Mins.
I was describing the flavour notes of my current work in progress and this book was mentioned as being in a similar vein. Interested in reading a comp title to what I’m currently working on, I picked it up and was quickly engrossed and absorbed into this new world I did not even know existed.
Three books from over a decade ago, 5 seasons on SyFy and I had never even heard of it before.
The Magicians is what kids who grew up reading Harry Potter in grade school should be reading as they prepare to leave high school. Playful with the tropes of Narnia, Hogwarts etc., the book overlays the life we experience every day in a big city on top of these worlds. Drugs, alcohol, sex, relationships – there is a grittiness to this world of magic I have never read before and I very much enjoyed it. It took two months to read only because life has been, with the recent wedding, obviously, quite busy. 🙂
The main thing I like about this book is that it moves fast. Book One alone has enough plot points to carry through three Potters and four Narnias and enough throwaway observations in the world of Fillory to fill up another seven.
When the magical world is depicted as both wondrous and blasé, sometimes in the same sentence, it is an engaging place to be as you are constantly smirking at your own previously held assumptions and guilty pleasures.
Looking forward to reading the next two books in the series and seeing as how the show has a 91% on Rotten Tomatoes, may just check that out once the books are done as well. Highly recommend for anyone looking to scratch that fantasy itch as an adult and revisit that nine year old inside of them who always just wanted to get out there and explore.
The Magicians
Lev Grossman
One Word Blog Rating: 5 Stars
Amazon Review: Submitted – 5 Stars
Amazon Link: Click here for other reviews, a full description and sample
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Author Website: levgrossman.com
Further Support: I have also purchased the other two books in The Magicians trilogy, The Magician King and The Magician’s Land and am looking forward to following the story further.