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warden43's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
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? Yes
3.5
midici's review against another edition
4.0
This book starts with usual recap of the last book, but then quickly gets down to business with some action. On the one hand, it's satisfying to read something where there is fast-paced action, but it meant less world-building than the first book, and I honestly love the world-building stuff. So the switch off between what was happening with Julia and Quentin when they go in search of the seven magical keys and Julia's mysterious back story works well for me.
The present story is told from Quentin's point of view as we get his impression of being a king of Fillory. Quentin likes being a king, but he wants to do some actual good in the world, and living in a fairly utopian fantasy-land surprisingly doesn't provide a lot of opportunities. His decision to take a day trip out to a little island sets him off on a quest to find seven keys. What started out as an amusing way to pass the time becomes much more serious when Quentin and Julia accidentally fall back to Earth, with no way to return to Fillory.
In the first book we got a good view of the magical elite: genius level students, accomplished magicians, all attending Brakebills (or other accredited schools), learning magic in a fairly structured way. The return to Earth brings about a discovery of how the other half lives. Julia's life spiraled out of control when she first failed the Brakebills exam. She eventually finds her way back to magic in a fashion that Quentin wasn't aware existed. Across the continent hedge witches gathered in safe houses to teach ech other whatever magic they could get a hold of. While most were content with doing magic on the side, Julia dropped everything to learn as much as possible. The more she learned the more frustrated she became - unlike Brakebills, most of the hedge witches were playing around with magic, and as Julia quickly became the most accomplished around her she struggled with the knowledge that others were better, with better access to what she wanted to know and she couldn't find a way to get what she wanted.
Julia doesn't learn until later that her progress is being watched by a group of magicians who were exactly like her. They failed the exam, but were determined to become magicians. When she learns enough, they invite her to stay with them and explore magic. Specifically, they want to know where magic comes from and if it's possible to "level-up" their own abilities.
Julia is a vicious character. She's unpleasant, competitive, and unsympatetic in many ways. She considers the Brakebill kids soft for learning the 'easy' way. But the Brakebill kids, including Quentin, know better than to delve into the sort of thing Julia and her group got caught up in specifically because of their education. Their encounter with the Beast taught them that there were many beings more powerful than them, and their teachers warned them that trying to get to the root of magic would lead to disaster. The disaster that falls on Julia and her group not only leaves most of them dead and Julia stripped of her humanity, but brings unwanted attention to Earth.
As the Dean speculated in book one, magic is a cheat. It's available on Earth, but Earth itself isn't magic. Magic leaks into Earth from other realms, Fillory specifically. Julia's actions led to the actual gods, beings of immense power, to start correcting the "mistake" and removing magic from the places it "shouldn't" be.
While Quentin still has moments of being unbelievably stupid and selfish, he grows up a lot in this book, almost as much in the first. He's able to keep himself together in the crises, he is determined to try and do the right things for his friends, even if he isn't always certain of what that may be. While Eliot seems to have flourished as High King, and Julia finds peace within herself through her transformation into a dryad, Quentin is starting to learn to use his own traits as a means of strength and stability, and satisfaction. Which he is going to need now that he's been kicked out of Fillory, the price for allowing Julia to be absolved of her part in the catastrophe that almost allowed for the destruction of Fillory, the Neitherlands, and all magic on Earth.
The present story is told from Quentin's point of view as we get his impression of being a king of Fillory. Quentin likes being a king, but he wants to do some actual good in the world, and living in a fairly utopian fantasy-land surprisingly doesn't provide a lot of opportunities. His decision to take a day trip out to a little island sets him off on a quest to find seven keys. What started out as an amusing way to pass the time becomes much more serious when Quentin and Julia accidentally fall back to Earth, with no way to return to Fillory.
In the first book we got a good view of the magical elite: genius level students, accomplished magicians, all attending Brakebills (or other accredited schools), learning magic in a fairly structured way. The return to Earth brings about a discovery of how the other half lives. Julia's life spiraled out of control when she first failed the Brakebills exam. She eventually finds her way back to magic in a fashion that Quentin wasn't aware existed. Across the continent hedge witches gathered in safe houses to teach ech other whatever magic they could get a hold of. While most were content with doing magic on the side, Julia dropped everything to learn as much as possible. The more she learned the more frustrated she became - unlike Brakebills, most of the hedge witches were playing around with magic, and as Julia quickly became the most accomplished around her she struggled with the knowledge that others were better, with better access to what she wanted to know and she couldn't find a way to get what she wanted.
Julia doesn't learn until later that her progress is being watched by a group of magicians who were exactly like her. They failed the exam, but were determined to become magicians. When she learns enough, they invite her to stay with them and explore magic. Specifically, they want to know where magic comes from and if it's possible to "level-up" their own abilities.
Julia is a vicious character. She's unpleasant, competitive, and unsympatetic in many ways. She considers the Brakebill kids soft for learning the 'easy' way. But the Brakebill kids, including Quentin, know better than to delve into the sort of thing Julia and her group got caught up in specifically because of their education. Their encounter with the Beast taught them that there were many beings more powerful than them, and their teachers warned them that trying to get to the root of magic would lead to disaster. The disaster that falls on Julia and her group not only leaves most of them dead and Julia stripped of her humanity, but brings unwanted attention to Earth.
As the Dean speculated in book one, magic is a cheat. It's available on Earth, but Earth itself isn't magic. Magic leaks into Earth from other realms, Fillory specifically. Julia's actions led to the actual gods, beings of immense power, to start correcting the "mistake" and removing magic from the places it "shouldn't" be.
While Quentin still has moments of being unbelievably stupid and selfish, he grows up a lot in this book, almost as much in the first. He's able to keep himself together in the crises, he is determined to try and do the right things for his friends, even if he isn't always certain of what that may be. While Eliot seems to have flourished as High King, and Julia finds peace within herself through her transformation into a dryad, Quentin is starting to learn to use his own traits as a means of strength and stability, and satisfaction. Which he is going to need now that he's been kicked out of Fillory, the price for allowing Julia to be absolved of her part in the catastrophe that almost allowed for the destruction of Fillory, the Neitherlands, and all magic on Earth.
canaanmerchant's review against another edition
4.0
This book is able to build on the strengths of The Magicians while completely adding in a new story at the same time about the sacrifices others have made just to feel whole.
Part of Quentin's problem in the magicians is that he is never satisfied with what's in front of him even as he is threatened with losing everything in TMK he still struggles with this but he is at least more aware of the costs. Meanwhile we learn about the price Julia had to play as she learned magic not in the academic confines of Brakebills but rather on her own and often without guidance. Julia's schooling is much more intense and visceral than anyone at Brakebills but this allows Grossman to tell a much more compelling story and allows him to simultaneously build the magical and fantastic world on earth while as fillory becomes more mundane to the characters as they learn more about their new home. In this novel there are more talking animals featured on earth than fillory.
Much like The Magicians the real quest isn't revealed until well into the book but it works better here as it gives time for Quentin to really work out what it is that he wants. In the magicians he never really finds out because of the price he pays for his mistakes but TMK allows him the maturity to see and plan what it is he means to do and by the end of the book he is able to reflect more clearly. It's the same for Grossman who was able to write a book that does an excellent job deconstructing how we typically view fantasy and narrative at large while writing an even more compelling story that is able to show real growth in its returning characters.
Part of Quentin's problem in the magicians is that he is never satisfied with what's in front of him even as he is threatened with losing everything in TMK he still struggles with this but he is at least more aware of the costs. Meanwhile we learn about the price Julia had to play as she learned magic not in the academic confines of Brakebills but rather on her own and often without guidance. Julia's schooling is much more intense and visceral than anyone at Brakebills but this allows Grossman to tell a much more compelling story and allows him to simultaneously build the magical and fantastic world on earth while as fillory becomes more mundane to the characters as they learn more about their new home. In this novel there are more talking animals featured on earth than fillory.
Much like The Magicians the real quest isn't revealed until well into the book but it works better here as it gives time for Quentin to really work out what it is that he wants. In the magicians he never really finds out because of the price he pays for his mistakes but TMK allows him the maturity to see and plan what it is he means to do and by the end of the book he is able to reflect more clearly. It's the same for Grossman who was able to write a book that does an excellent job deconstructing how we typically view fantasy and narrative at large while writing an even more compelling story that is able to show real growth in its returning characters.
rafaglz18's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
dphillips's review against another edition
3.0
While I enjoyed the story, the writing seemed like it was trying too hard. I've heard the final book is exceedingly better. Looking forward to it.
muckl3t83's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I really enjoyed the first book of the series. The sequel was a bit boring in comparison. It had its moments that I enjoyed but most of it just seemed kind of pointless and I just never cared about any of it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Violence
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Death, and Alcohol
hellodorkness's review against another edition
3.0
I really don't know how to feel about this. To be fair, I didn't really know how to feel about the first book either. I don't enjoy being in Quentin's head at all, but what's revealed towards the end of the book that happened to Julia also left a bad taste in my mouth.
I'll finish the trilogy most likely. Then try not to think about it anymore.
I'll finish the trilogy most likely. Then try not to think about it anymore.
mrbear's review against another edition
3.0
In the end, I can't say I know what the point of this book was. It slides carelessly from one deus ex machina to the next, and when you're done, you cant help but wish you'd done something else with your time.