bobertbooks 's review for:

The Magicians by Lev Grossman
2.5
adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

The book does a good job building a world that is genuinely interesting but doesn't feel too unique. Particularly when it delves into combat, it feels uninspired and pretty much entirely based on Dungeons and Dragons.

That plus the pacing, illogical choices and most importantly, the grotesque and sexual way Lev describes women in the first two chapters (or "books") of the book really can't get this rating higher. 

I feel like if this was a draft and properly worked through with someone, it could easily be a 4+ with minor amendments...