The Magicians: A Novel
by Lev Grossman
Review
Simultaneously gritty and fantastic, this book manages to more disturbing than entertaining. It’s somewhere between the books of Oz and Harry Potter, particularly in the former’s darker and more disturbing later books. At times, the author seems to be trying a little to hard with some of the references to other works of fantasy or role-playing games, but it’s mostly well-informed and never precocious. Some of the characters felt a little flat and the main character spends a little too much time inside his head such that it’s not clear whether he’s actually a capable wizard. Certainly his development seems a little uneven and he’s definitely a far cry from being heroic and is more a self-loathing victim of circumstance, much like Harry Potter or Donaldson’s Thomas Covenant. The conclusion is surprisingly satisfying and the central message of the book is well-delivered.
Rating: 
Tags: coming of age, fantasy, fiction, magic, wizards
