A review by onceandfuturelaura
The Books of Magic by Neil Gaiman

4.0

Not so much a book as a tour. Young Tim Hunter, who is, let’s be honest, a bit of a git, gets given a choice. Become one of the greatest magicians in the world, or not. He also gets a magic owl named Yo-Yo and taken on a brief tour of the magic realms, including a trip to the US under the fatherly hand of John Constantine. Mets Merlin and Etrigan and Baba Yaga and Titania, Cain and Able, and the archetypes at the end of the universe. Refuses the call and goes home. Like that’s gonna work.

Self consciously Campbelllian, except that our titular hero is not the hero of the story. He gets pulled into the woods, meets a variety of goddesses, and other people fight a variety of threshold guardians (including one at the end of the universe) for him. He gets given gifts he does not deserve and does not understand and every one – but one- save his life. I’m dimly aware that Tim Hunter becomes one of the most powerful magicians in the universe and fights on one side or another (depending on the time line) of one of the greatest battles, but at this point, he’s 12 and has no idea what he’s being dragged into.

Good synthesis of a lot of material. Makes me glad John Constantine didn’t take me by the hand at 12 and told me I had a destiny.