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annorabrady's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.25
I read the Magicians years ago and finally decided to try my hands at its sequel. Maybe the flaws are more pronounced in this book or I've grown enough as a person since reading the first book that I'm more aware or the flaws but either way I could not like this book even if I tried.
The characters are all pretentious, self-righteous, judgmental people who don't grow out of those qualities. Rather they seem to prefer and seem to be giving the message that that's how one achieves greatness.
And even when they have the chance for the chance for any marker of true friendship (compassion, trust, respect, etc), it's only acted on when all other options are exhausted and only as a means to an end.
Also incredibly sensitive subjects like SA are handled so indelicately and with the obvious faults that derive from men writing women without input from women. The author even went so far as to say the victim enjoyed the violence against her and that without said violence she would have never achieved the level of greatness she did.
When it came to the actual plot, everything came too easily or resolved itself without any real character work. A lot of the real challenges seem to have occurred off-page and we the readers are just vaguely told about what happened. No one earned the keys or the saving of magic. There wasn't even a real representation of the magic being lost. Just a general idea that it could happen. We aren't even really given an example of why humans should even have magic since all of it is used for selfish reasons. I can't think of any moment in the book where magic was used for a purpose that was even a small benefit for the rest of the world.
The characters are all pretentious, self-righteous, judgmental people who don't grow out of those qualities. Rather they seem to prefer and seem to be giving the message that that's how one achieves greatness.
And even when they have the chance for the chance for any marker of true friendship (compassion, trust, respect, etc), it's only acted on when all other options are exhausted and only as a means to an end.
Also incredibly sensitive subjects like SA are handled so indelicately and with the obvious faults that derive from men writing women without input from women. The author even went so far as to say the victim enjoyed the violence against her and that without said violence she would have never achieved the level of greatness she did.
When it came to the actual plot, everything came too easily or resolved itself without any real character work. A lot of the real challenges seem to have occurred off-page and we the readers are just vaguely told about what happened. No one earned the keys or the saving of magic. There wasn't even a real representation of the magic being lost. Just a general idea that it could happen. We aren't even really given an example of why humans should even have magic since all of it is used for selfish reasons. I can't think of any moment in the book where magic was used for a purpose that was even a small benefit for the rest of the world.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Toxic friendship, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Violence, and Forced institutionalization
nytephoenyx's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I really, really enjoyed this (as expected). It got its hooks into me because I finished this over a week ago and I am *still* angry about the ending. It's a great ending in a writing sense - I was so wrapped up in everything else the possibility didn't occur to me. But it's strong and dramatic and sets up *so many* questions for the next book and in that way, it's brilliant. I haven't seen much of the show, so the content is still new and exciting for me!
My biggest qualm is the way Julia's story was handled. There's an aspect to the general journey that I understand, but her critical moment was absolutely unnecessary and could have been handled without sexual violence.
Otherwise, this book had a great sense of urgency, a lot of appropriately frustrating moments that kept me engrossed as a ready, and the right balance of magic and not to be compelling without feeling impossible (in its setting).
My biggest qualm is the way Julia's story was handled. There's an aspect to the general journey that I understand, but her critical moment was absolutely unnecessary and could have been handled without sexual violence.
Otherwise, this book had a great sense of urgency, a lot of appropriately frustrating moments that kept me engrossed as a ready, and the right balance of magic and not to be compelling without feeling impossible (in its setting).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, Death, Grief, Rape, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Misogyny, and Violence
Minor: Classism and Terminal illness
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