Book Review: The Magicians

Nothing is worse than taking a week off for vacation for it to rain every day.  And while I have yet to take a trip to the lake or the pool, I have gotten some amazing reading done cuddled up with a cup of green tea.  I just finished an amazing series that my brother recommended to me and now I want to share it all with you.

The first book in the trilogy, The Magicians, came out in 2010, the second, The Magician King, in 2012, and the third and final, The Magician's Land, in 2014.  I hadn't heard anything about the series until my brother started reading it and he lent the books to me after he had finished.  It is one of those things though where you have never heard of the word but then start hearing it everywhere.  Because now when I walk around I see this book in every window and shelf.

If I could give the briefest summary of the series I would say it is the perfect combination of Harry Potter meets Narnia.  Basically, just imagine if Harry Potter went to college and then on to Narnia.  It definitely refers to these two series, poking some fun and making jokes, but it never felt uninventive.  Unlike the other two, this series is definitely meant for adults as there are quite a few graphic scenes and intense subject areas.  I thought it would be hard to create something new because when it comes this genre it feels almost "been there, done that" but this series brought a new fresh feel.

Unlike many series (ahem Hunger Games I am looking at you!) this series only got better with each addition.  I would have to say that the first book is probably my least favorite.  That by no means makes it bad because it is still amazing, but it is a necessary means.  You have to make your way through the first book, get the gritty details and learn the basics before you can dive head first into the mysteries and magic that intertwine in the second and third books.  And don't let the character's "jerk-ish" tendencies deter you from reading the next one!  I would recommend reading the series straight through if you can.

I will leave you with the best summary I could find off Amazon for the first book only as I don't want to give anything away: Quentin Coldwater is brilliant but miserable. A high school math genius, he’s secretly fascinated with a series of children’s fantasy novels set in a magical land called Fillory, and real life is disappointing by comparison. When Quentin is unexpectedly admitted to an elite, secret college of magic, it looks like his wildest dreams may have come true. But his newfound powers lead him down a rabbit hole of hedonism and disillusionment, and ultimately to the dark secret behind the story of Fillory. The land of his childhood fantasies turns out to be much darker and more dangerous than he ever could have imagined . . .

When I finished the book everything I had questions about perfectly fell into line and it was totally resolved but I still wanted a fourth book.  I didn't want the story to be over because I had fallen so in love with the characters - the sign of a perfect series!