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luneary's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars. I enjoyed it a bit less but I still really liked the characters
catalogthis's review against another edition
4.0
[b:The Magician King|10079321|The Magician King (The Magicians, #2)|Lev Grossman|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1316177353s/10079321.jpg|13362064] begins a few months after the spectacular ending of [b:The Magicians|6101718|The Magicians (The Magicians, #1)|Lev Grossman|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1313772941s/6101718.jpg|6278977], in which Quentin is rescued from his mundane, non-magical life in the real world by fellow Brakebills alumni and the mysterious Julia. The four are now installed as the kings and queens of Fillory, and Quentin is bored out of his mind by the perfection of it all. He yearns for the next adventure (even considering that the last one was pretty terrifying, and ended in the death of another classmate), and decides that a sea voyage to collect taxes from a tiny island community in a far-flung corner of Fillory might be just the thing.
I couldn't quite get into this, and abandoned it after two chapters. I might pick it up again someday, because I am sincerely curious about Julia's story. We didn't see much of her in the first novel after she flunked the Brakebills entrance exam.
Recommended for fans of fantasy classics (i.e. Narnia), which I am not.
I couldn't quite get into this, and abandoned it after two chapters. I might pick it up again someday, because I am sincerely curious about Julia's story. We didn't see much of her in the first novel after she flunked the Brakebills entrance exam.
Recommended for fans of fantasy classics (i.e. Narnia), which I am not.
daisyfriesen's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this book more than The Magicians. Quentin matured and was actually likeable in this one. He wasn't perfect and content, but he didn't hate himself so much that he did terrible things to his loved ones.
vickeyfoggin's review against another edition
3.0
Lev Grossman loves the youth fantasy genre and obviously grew up in books: he knows the worlds, he knows the mythos. There are plenty of adventures that draw you back to your experiences falling into a fantasy world when you were hopeful enough to think it might happen to you. He can write beautifully and I wish I could like these stories more. The world is wonderful but the characters are broken miserable people coping with their misery with indifference and cruelty to others--they are not pleasant to spend time with.
kairosdreaming's review against another edition
4.0
Ok, I won't say Quentin is quite fully redeemed in this book, but at least he was more tolerable, which I'll take. In all truth, I enjoyed this book much more than the first one. There's something about fantasy novels that take place on ships that just make them so much better. Maybe I should have been a seafarer...
This book is the second in the Magicians series. A very grown-up, somewhat dark story about magicians/wizards/whatever you want to call them in the modern world. With even allusions to popular other fantasy novels (Harry Potter, etc), it tells a fantasy story while at the same time making subtle jokes at the themes and tropes of the genre.
Tasked with quests, being that they are Kings and Queens now, life is a little more adventuresome for Quentin and company. However, this quest is a little more important, and can affect them all greatly if they do not complete their adventure in time. Add in the ship, a fearless swordsman, and a mapmaker, and you've got the makings of a good time. Add in your earthbound friends and their trials as well, well, that just adds detail.
I like the writing style. While it was as dark and moody as the first one, the characterization was better. You could sympathize (even if you didn't like them) with the characters a little more and daresay even root for them a bit.
I'm eager to see what the third book holds.
Review by M. Reynard 2022
This book is the second in the Magicians series. A very grown-up, somewhat dark story about magicians/wizards/whatever you want to call them in the modern world. With even allusions to popular other fantasy novels (Harry Potter, etc), it tells a fantasy story while at the same time making subtle jokes at the themes and tropes of the genre.
Tasked with quests, being that they are Kings and Queens now, life is a little more adventuresome for Quentin and company. However, this quest is a little more important, and can affect them all greatly if they do not complete their adventure in time. Add in the ship, a fearless swordsman, and a mapmaker, and you've got the makings of a good time. Add in your earthbound friends and their trials as well, well, that just adds detail.
I like the writing style. While it was as dark and moody as the first one, the characterization was better. You could sympathize (even if you didn't like them) with the characters a little more and daresay even root for them a bit.
I'm eager to see what the third book holds.
Review by M. Reynard 2022
toc's review against another edition
4.0
An excellent companion to The Magicians. Me. Grossman has a definite for making magic seem part of our world. I almost find myself wanting to search the Internet for actual spells…
Not only is the integration of magic a lot of fun but the characters act and react in realistic ways. And they grow as individuals. If you enjoyed The Magicians then you *must* read this sequel. If you didn't enjoy The Magicians then there's probably something wrong with you.
Not only is the integration of magic a lot of fun but the characters act and react in realistic ways. And they grow as individuals. If you enjoyed The Magicians then you *must* read this sequel. If you didn't enjoy The Magicians then there's probably something wrong with you.
audreypalz's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
It’s hard to decide how to rate this book. On the one hand, I found it really engaging and interesting, better than the first book, and Julia’s point of view was a nice refreshing change from Quentin’s POV. HOWEVER the author’s weird sexist inclinations (and yes, I say author, not character, because this stuff was present in both Quentin and Julia’s POV), which were present in the first book, felt especially bad in this one, and then you have a culminating rape scene at the end, which made me have the thought, hey, maybe men shouldn’t be allowed to write about women being raped anymore. Maybe we need to be done with that. . Anyway, a very interesting, very flawed book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Sexual assault
sams84's review against another edition
4.0
This is less gritty and feels much more like Narnia and LOTR than the first book did and I'm not sure whether this is a good or a bad thing as I really liked the grittiness of the first one. I did also find Quentin somewhat more annoying than the first book, he never seemed to be happy no matter what happened. Having said that though the flashbacks of Julia's story were superb and I thoroughly enjoyed these and the other characters managed to tide over Quentin's downfalls. Grossman still has an excellent way with words, despite the occasional long winded, over explained sections, and this brings the story and the characters to life with all their good and bad qualities. It has lost the real world edge that I loved from the first one but this was still a very good read.
caroline77's review against another edition
5.0
***NO SPOILERS***
This is a solid follow-up to [b:The Magicians|6101718|The Magicians (The Magicians, #1)|Lev Grossman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1313772941l/6101718._SY75_.jpg|6278977], and I was very pleased to find I enjoyed it just as much. Initially, I was disappointed when I found out this book was focused a great deal on the character of Julia, because I didn't care for her in The Magicians, but it's impossible not to warm to her in The Magician King. Grossman has done a spectacular job with her story, making it many-layered and absolutely fascinating, exactly how this series itself is shaping up to be, actually.
The plot progresses well from the last book. Some questions I had at the end of the first book I got answers to in this one, and the pace moves along at a steady clip. As with The Magicians, the tone of book two is edgy, dark, and cynical; however, it can be argued it offers a few more sparks of hope. Happily, the same characters from book one are in book two, although Grossman focused on some much less this time around and some more.
As usual, Grossman's creativity knows no bounds. His fantasy creations--the elusive "Questing Beast," the mysterious clock-trees, the slipping through fountains to enter different worlds, to name but a very, very few--never cease to impress. Additionally, a map of Fillory at the front of the book is a nice addition to the story that adds depth. The reader will refer to it many times while reading.
This is a solid follow-up to [b:The Magicians|6101718|The Magicians (The Magicians, #1)|Lev Grossman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1313772941l/6101718._SY75_.jpg|6278977], and I was very pleased to find I enjoyed it just as much. Initially, I was disappointed when I found out this book was focused a great deal on the character of Julia, because I didn't care for her in The Magicians, but it's impossible not to warm to her in The Magician King. Grossman has done a spectacular job with her story, making it many-layered and absolutely fascinating, exactly how this series itself is shaping up to be, actually.
The plot progresses well from the last book. Some questions I had at the end of the first book I got answers to in this one, and the pace moves along at a steady clip. As with The Magicians, the tone of book two is edgy, dark, and cynical; however, it can be argued it offers a few more sparks of hope. Happily, the same characters from book one are in book two, although Grossman focused on some much less this time around and some more.
As usual, Grossman's creativity knows no bounds. His fantasy creations--the elusive "Questing Beast," the mysterious clock-trees, the slipping through fountains to enter different worlds, to name but a very, very few--never cease to impress. Additionally, a map of Fillory at the front of the book is a nice addition to the story that adds depth. The reader will refer to it many times while reading.
dinahfay's review against another edition
3.0
Really enjoyed this until the big reveal at the end. Nothing like a surprise graphic rape to end an otherwise thoughtful and measured story (as far as ridiculous fantasy novels go).