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Comments (86)

What did you think about this title?
1 to 25 of 86 items
Jan 15, 2024SugdenW rated this title 2 out of 5 stars
This isn't for people that want Harry Potter or Narnia for 'adults' or college coeds. But in a troubling way, I don't think it's even for people who have grown cynical to those concepts or crave a deconstruction of them. The book largely…
Sep 22, 2023glacia01 rated this title 1 out of 5 stars
As many others have pointed out, it's Harry Potter/Narnia and yet that gives it too much credit. The story borrows heavily from both but does little with it. The writing and development feels rushed as if the writer just wanted to pound…
May 04, 2023
"Magic solves everything, right? Quentin Coldwater learns magic is real when he attends Brakebills University - but can it solve his problems?" - Laura B.
Jun 30, 2021IndyPL_TimothyV rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
The Magicians is a gritty modern fantasy in which the characters are flawed and the study of magic is inherently perilous. Elements of Potter and Narnia are interwoven into the narrative, but with dark and unsettling twists.
Mar 12, 2021WPL_Erin rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
I have mixed feelings about this book. I went through periods of absolute love and some of absolute loathing. At times the writing was incredibly pretentious and boring and other times it was action packed and enthralling. To be honest it…
Feb 19, 2021jroden rated this title 0.5 out of 5 stars
I didn't finish this book. Quite boring and the main character is not really likeable.
Aug 05, 2020yfilipov rated this title 1 out of 5 stars
I kind of agree with Igmosher - I won't be reading the next two books. I came along Lev Grossman via his short story in the "Dangerous women" anthology (that short story was a basis for the 3rd book in this sequel), really liked the story…
Jun 01, 2020
This book as pretty good! I will always have a soft spot for the harry potter series and think it's the best thing in the world. However, this is definitely the adult/modern/American version. I felt like it was a little hard to keep up as…
lgmosher
Apr 27, 2020lgmosher rated this title 1 out of 5 stars
This book just gets worse as it progresses. First of all, Quentin is the biggest douchebag to ever live. He's ungrateful, moody, pathetic, and has no drive to make things better.... He just wants things to happen for him. Second of…
Jan 20, 2020
Book 1
Nov 19, 2019lukasevansherman rated this title 2.5 out of 5 stars
You can't help compare this to "Harry Potter." But imagine if Harry Potter was a total jerk and his friend were also kinda jerks, and, aside from learning magic, they drink, smoke, have sex, swear, and generally behave like ill-tempered…
Oct 15, 2019MiRiAm12345 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
How to compare The Magicians to Harry Potter? Both are stories about male protagonists who suddenly find themselves at a school for magic after leading lives of Muggles. Quentin begins his career at Brakebills at the age of a Hogwarts…
Sep 28, 2019kate_se rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
Quentin is a thoroughly unlikeable main character, and that's precisely why this book was so good. The Magicians asks what would happen if Harry Potter wasn't a perfect "hero" or "chosen one", but instead was a thoroughly mediocre…
Jul 17, 2019Linyarai rated this title 2.5 out of 5 stars
I wouldn't say this was like either Harry Potter or Narnia, unless it was Harry Potter condensed into 200 pages and someone had only read an excerpt of Narnia. I didn't find any of the characters that remarkable and I didn't love most…
Jul 03, 2019harrisaj7 rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
Unfortunately, it really feels like this story starts off very slow and I was constantly waiting for things to happen. I usually prefer imperfect characters but some of the major players were pretty dislikeable.
Dec 27, 2018alcad rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
Awhile ago I watched the SyFy series that came after this book, and recently decided to read it. A lot of the things that appealed to me with the show are present in this first in the trilogy, though there are some big differences. If…
Dec 10, 2018schmegu_at_hcplc rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
If you loved the television show "The Magicians" on Syfy, this is the book that inspired it. It is VERY different in many ways, but it is just as amazing of a story as the show. Definitely worth the read, and hands down just as hilarious…
Dec 08, 2018mebacher rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
Highly recommend this book if you like your fantasy worlds dark, gritty, and messy. The characters are flawed and not always likable, but more realistic as a result. There were moments that made me laugh and moments that shocked me. This…
Oct 28, 2018SurreyLibraries_Reads rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Young college-aged students from New York are selected to attend a magical academy of learning. After graduation, they find themselves in a post-grad rut and somewhat jaded. This all changes when a friend from school discovers a way into a…
Oct 26, 2018laurenn812 rated this title 0.5 out of 5 stars
If you can imagine a horny Harry Potter who is absolutely obsessed with the Chronicles of Narnia, congratulations, you've just read this entire book
Sep 24, 2018
Quentin Coldwater is that guy drinking his fifteen-dollar Icelandic black coffee out of a chipped mason jar while he writes a twelve-page poem about how cheating on his girlfriend made him sad. I give it six months until there's a mass…
Aug 21, 2018WestSlope_TheaH rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
The first book in one of my favorite fantasy trilogies, Grossman’s tale is a delightfully dark spin on a world in which magic is real---a mash-up of Narnia and Harry Potter but decidedly for adults. Complex characters, a fast-paced plot, a…
May 05, 2018DPLbrian rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
As my sister bought me this book I had little prior knowledge to the story before jumping in. It started out alright, much the same as other YA novels do with a discontented protagonist pining after a girl he couldn't have. I thought the…
Mar 27, 2018JCLMandaW rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
A grown up version of Harry Potter meets the Chronicles of Narnia. It was an excellent read, and I really wanted to rate it higher, but there were too many plot points that didn't get fleshed out. It's the first of a series so maybe the…
Mar 20, 2018NRGR rated this title 1.5 out of 5 stars
Incessantly self-indulgent angst. Privileged, whiny main character was tedious and the plot was very limited. It draws heavily from The Magicians Nephew specifically and the other Narnia books more generally. Book is more pleased with…