402 pages
English language
Published Nov. 20, 2009 by Viking.
The Magicians is a new adult fantasy novel by the American author Lev Grossman, published in 2009 by Viking Press. It tells the story of Quentin Coldwater, a young man who discovers and attends a secret college of magic in New York. The novel received critical acclaim and was followed by a sequel, The Magician King, in 2011 and a third novel, The Magician's Land, in 2014. A television series adaptation of the novels premiered on Syfy in 2015. Grossman has also worked on two comic books stories based on his novels.
Not a page turner and I nearly bailed out 1/3 of the way through. The tongue-in-cheek references to Hogwarts, Narnia, etc. plus some surprise twists kept me in and I'm glad I did. Looking forward to reading The Magician King.
The Magicians is a psychologically astute coming-of-age novel ensconced within the overt trappings of fantasy. Far from the light-gothic sensibilities of Rowling, Grossman’s tale of mysticism is resolutely adult, rife with terror, depression, sexual confusion, and death.
Read the full review here.
