Reviews

The Magician King by Lev Grossman

mitzyvee's review against another edition

4.0

These are not likeable characters--but if you'd read the first book, you'd know that. It's like Holden Caulfield goes to Hogwarts. I mostly like the cynicism of this--that you will never really be completely happy with getting what you've always wanted and happy moments are fleeting. The added perspective from Julia's POV was my favorite part of this novel--it was tough to read what happened to Julia once she tried to find her own way to "next level" magic and being confident in what they're doing but then realizing suddenly that they made a HUGE mistake. Then Julia realizing that there may actually be something worse than death.

aspectofchiron's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

ccarabello's review against another edition

adventurous medium-paced

4.25

jennieleigh's review against another edition

5.0

(cleaning up my goodreads with some long overdue updates) I enjoyed this entire trilogy, even though it's nothing like what I typically enjoy reading. They are great, frothy fun for anyone who needs something light and fast paced to read.

cleverchelle's review against another edition

Loved the show so I thought I’d read the books. Thank god the show took a different perspective with the story. Can’t stand this Quentin. 

dsizemore96's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

burghblakebooks's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny inspiring lighthearted tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

csmall73's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

The magician king 

 

Once again the breakbills are experiencing boredom. Even as kings and queens of Fillory, there is no challenge there is no economic crisis to rectify or classism. Effectively landing in a utopian system. 

 

Julia seems to have replaced Alice in the group. Still going through a bit of a mental breakdown even after going to breakbills later on. After becoming a mad hedge which first. Some ongoing depression from hell. 

 

Julia and Quentin stumble back into Jersey blindly. How to get back? Why were they returned? 

 

A strange back and forth between the present pursuit of a route back to Fillory and Julia’s flashbacks to what happened to her off page in the first book. Her spin into loosing her mind and finding the second class magicians that don’t get into breakbills. 

 

Penny resurfaces in the neither land and we meet some new characters. Learning the structure of the worlds and working to keep the loophole in the universe that’ allows them to have magic in the world. 

 

Frustratingly nonchalant throughout. Existential crisis through out. The title seems misleading in how things played out with the magician king. 

 

 

 

x0pherl's review against another edition

3.0

Didn't like this quite as much as The Magicians. For one thing, one of the major plot lines was based on [b:The Voyage of the Dawn Treader|140225|The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (Chronicles of Narnia, #3)|C.S. Lewis|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1343185059l/140225._SX50_.jpg|3349054], which is one of my least favorite Narnia books, and has a similarly vague and annoying "quest" in it. When a major plot point of your book is a quest to collect taxes, you're maybe doing something wrong. Just saying... For another thing the main character is bored and disaffected for most of the beginning, which had me bored and disafected right alongside him.
There is a very lovely backstory about Julia, which did much to rescue the book, and by the end it picks up and gets interesting.

paigiee10's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0