Digital Chum - Virtual fish guts and other nonsense

Narnia

Review: The Magician King

The Magician King The Magician King by Lev Grossman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a wonderful follow-up to The Magician. Grossman continues the story of Quentin and his friends as they continue their magical adventures, but this time, Julia, his friend who never got into Brakebills, gets equal billing with Quentin, as we head back in numerous flashbacks to see her progression through the magical world that exists outside the academic structure of Brakebills.

Moving deftly between the gritty world of Julia’s past to the present day where Quentin and friends are adventuring, Grossman reunites old friends, introduces some new friends, unloads multiple surprises and twists, and captivates… but never disappoints. The Magician King is possibly (dare I say it) better than what came before.

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Review: The Magicians

The Magicians The Magicians by Lev Grossman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Magicians is an absolutely wonderful book that un-selfconciously references Harry Potter, Narnia, Tolkien, and other fantasy works somehow without being plagiaristic at all. The main characters are wonderfully developed… distinctively different people who complement each other and keep the story racing along without a single dull moment.

Grossman ties the entire book together with articulate grace, weaving seemingly insignificant events at the beginning of the book into key points of the entire over-arching storyline. The Magicians is a truly satisfying read that left me wanting more.

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