A review by iffer
The Books of Magic by Neil Gaiman

3.0

For a Neil Gaiman book, the plot of The Books of Magic is relatively simple tale. It tells of a boy's journey through the past, the present reality, fantasyland, and the future to learn about magic's promise and consequences so that he can choose whether or not he wants to embrace his magical potential, and the risk that comes with it, or live a safer life without magic. Yet, as with Gaiman's other works, there are so many more layers to the story, including the undeniable promise and potential of imagination; the fact that the righteous don't always "win"; and the idea that for creation to have any meaning, opposites must coexist since, as paraphrased from Books of Magic, everyday life exists in the line between order and chaos. The four illustrators (one for each "book") do a wondrous job, as usual, with Gaiman's work.

I liked this book, but didn't love it, but that doesn't mean that it's not a worthwhile read. My only concern would be that there are enough allusions to Sandman, DC comics and mythology that this might confuse or even frustrate readers who aren't familiar with them.