The Magicians

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What to expect

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'The Magicians is to Harry Potter as a shot of Irish whiskey is to a glass of weak tea . . . dark and dangerous and full of twists' – GEORGE R. R. MARTIN

THE BESTSELLING BOOK BEHIND THE HIT SYFY SHOW
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In a secret world of forbidden knowledge, power comes at a terrible price...

Quentin Coldwater's life is changed forever by an apparently chance encounter: when he turns up for his entrance interview to Princeton University, he finds his interviewer dead – but a strange envelope bearing Quentin's name leads him down a very different path. Instead of Princeton, he finds himself invited to study at Brakebills – a secret college of modern-day sorcerers.

Quentin plunges deep into a secret world of obsession and privilege, a world of freedom and power; and for a while, it seems to answer all Quentin's desires. But the idyll cannot last. There are others powers than sorcery, powers that are as seductive as they are dangerous – and when the illusion of safety shatters, Quentin is drawn into a world far darker than he ever imagined.

After all, power corrupts. No exceptions.

THE FIRST BOOK IN LEV GROSSMAN'S CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED MAGICIAN TRILOGY
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Praise for the Magician Trilogy:

'Stirring, complex, adventurous . . . superb' – JUNOT DIAZ, author of DROWN and THE BRIEF WONDROUS LIFE OF OSCAR WAO

'A sophisticated, subtle novel that is also magical fun'THE TIMES

‘Lev Grossman has conjured a rare creature: a trilogy that simply gets better and better as it goes along . . . Literary perfection.’ – ERIN MORGENSTERN, author of THE NIGHT CIRCUS

'The Magicians ought to be required reading . . . Lev Grossman has written a terrific, at times almost painfully perceptive novel of the fantastic' – KELLY LINK

'The best fantasy trilogy of the decade' – CHARLES STROSS

'The Magicians is angst-ridden, bleak, occasionally joyous and gloriously readable. Forget Hogwarts: this is where the magic really is.' – SFX

'The Magicians is fantastic, in all senses of the word. It's strange, fanciful, extravagant, eccentric, and truly remarkable – a great story, masterfully told.' – SCOTT SMITH, author of THE RUINS

Critics Review

The best fantasy trilogy of the decade.
Charles Stross
Stirring, complex, adventurous . . . Grossman delivers superb coming of age fantasy.
A darkly cunning story about the power of imagination itself.
The New Yorker
Dark and dangerous and full of twists. Hogwart's was never like this.
The Magicians ought to be required reading... a terrific, at times almost painfully perceptive novel of the fantastic.
Brilliantly explores the hidden underbelly of fantasy and easy magic, taking what's simple on the surface and turning it over to show us the complicated writhing mess beneath.
author of the Temeraire series
The most entertaining and compelling fantasy I've read in a long time.
The Times
Lev Grossman has conjured a rare creature: a trilogy that simply gets better and better as it goes along...Literary perfection.
Erin Morgenstern
The Magicians is fantastic, in all senses of the word. It's strange, fanciful, extravagant, eccentric, and truly remarkable.
author of The Ruins
The Magicians is angst-ridden, bleak, occasionally joyous and gloriously readable. Forget Hogwarts: this is where the magic really is.
SFX 5 star review

User Reviews

Book 5.0
Narration 4.5
5.0
5.0
Thoroughly enjoyed this novel, and I suspect the narration had much to do with that. It was read with a tone which picked up the mix of angst, sarcasm, and angst the various characters expressed along their unusual journey. The setting is unapologetically reminiscent of certain other magical places, but the highly imperfect characters and situations keep it unexpected.
vikette 31/03/2025
5.0
4.0
Laurie ud83dudc31 08/12/2025

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