I remarked recently, in the show you’re presented with Quentin as a miserable, privileged boy in a way that points to the remarkably pathetic nature of his character, in the book, however, we’re supposed to believe wholeheartedly in his “nothing is ever good enough” facade. If we look past the glaringly obvious copy-cat of The Chronicles of Narnia, we’re still confronted with an author who wields the trope of a miserable, privileged teenage boy as if it’s a blazing sword of originality. One only needs to be compelling, and Lev Grossman writes stories that are nothing if not compelling.

It’s already a bit of a strange review, attempting to review a series rather than each book individually, but I found the stories blended so seamlessly, I could have been reading from one enormous book.ĭespite plowing through this series in under a week, I chose to rate these books with ultimately 50% because I’ve found, particularly in more recently popular fiction, one does not have to be a great writer to turn pages. I’ve struggled to find ways to review this series without also reviewing the show, continuously finding ways to compare what was done in the show to what was written in the book, seeking out plot holes between the two, and being somewhat marveled by the apt characterization of each person in the show vs the book. It wasn’t until this year, though, that I realized the show was originally a book series so without much thought I dove right in. It was compelling, I was immediately struck by what a massive budget the show must have had, and I was completely sucked in by the quality effects and overall put-together-ness you often miss with fantasy and sci-fi shows. Review: To fill you in on a little background, I found The Magicians through a show on the SciFi channel appropriately named The Magicians. No one who as escaped into the worlds of Narnia and Harry Potter should miss this breathtaking return to the landscape of imagination.” The Magicians is one of the most daring and inventive works of literary fantasy in years. The land of his childhood fantasies turns out to be much darker and more dangerous than he ever could have imagined…. But his newfound powers lead him down a rabbit hole of hedonism and disillusionment, and ultimately to the dark secret behind the story of Fillory. When Quentin is unexpectedly admitted to an elite, secret college of magic, it looks like his wildest dreams may have come true.

A high school math genius, he’s secretly fascinated with a series of children’s fantasy novels set in a magical land called Fillory, and real life is disappointing by comparison. Synopsis: (from The Magicians) “Quentin Coldwater is brilliant but miserable. Book: The Magicians, The Magician King, The Magician’s Land

The magicians book series