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A review by m4ferglez
The Magicians by Lev Grossman
adventurous
dark
funny
tense
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
3.75
“[…] Quentin […] if you will, just for a second, look at your life and see how perfect it is. Stop looking for the next secret door that’s going to lead you to your real life. Stop waiting. This is it: there’s nothing else. It’s here, and you’d better decide to enjoy it or you’re going to be miserable wherever you go, for the rest of your life, forever.”
(P. 333)
I’ve often described this series as “Harry Potter for depressed overachievers”, though “Narnia for cynical grownups” is also an apt description.
I find Grossman has created a very realistic and painfully real magic system
Quentin’s quasi-depression and general ennui are very consistently the main conflict of the story, though I’ll admit he can get annoying at times, ultimately the idea of never being really happy is very well conveyed with each new ante-upping element he finds.