Review of the Magicians: (Book 1) by Lev Grossman

I just finished reading The Magicians: (Book 1) by Lev Grossman.📚

Quentin is at the top of his class but is still unhappy with his life. One day he gets an offer that will change his life completely.

Instead of joining an Ivy League college, he takes the entrance exam to Brakebills – a secret college of modern-day sorcerers.

Opinion

Please note that from here on out, the text can contain spoilers of the book.

The first part of the book was very engaging (Book 1). I liked the school very much. The author builds a rich world, and you don’t know where the journey will take you.

The second book contains the main quest of the story. I did not care too much about this. I liked the concept of the staging world, which connects the different worlds. I would have loved it if the author had expanded this a bit more.

I enjoyed the book – although it was hard to read at times as the main character fights with depression – and it is not likable most of the book. Combine this with the constant alcohol abuse made it not easy to read. But on the other side, you get a believable world with a magic system that needs works and is not just handwaving.

It fits that this book does not have a classical happy ending. I liked the end. I would have loved that Quentin gets more closure, but it would not have fit into the style of the book. And It makes for an overall better story. There is a second issue that continues the story, but this book can also be read as a standalone work. I’m not yet sure if I will read the second issue.

• /review
• /Magicians
• /book-1