The Magician King

A Novel

By: Lev Grossman

Narrated by: Mark Bramhall

Length: 15 hrs and 49 mins

Publisher's summary

Return to Fillory in the riveting sequel to The New York Times best-seller and literary phenomenon of 2009: The Magicians.

The Magicians was praised as a triumph by readers and critics of both mainstream and fantasy literature. Now Grossman takes us back to Fillory, where the Brakebills graduates have fled the sorrows of the mundane world, only to face terrifying new challenges.

Quentin and his friends are now the kings and queens of Fillory, but the days and nights of royal luxury are starting to pall. After a morning hunt takes a sinister turn, Quentin and his old friend Julia charter a magical sailing ship and set out on an errand to the wild outer reaches of their kingdom. Their pleasure cruise becomes an adventure when the two are unceremoniously dumped back into the last place Quentin ever wants to see: his parent's house in Chesterton, Massachusetts. And only the black, twisted magic that Julia learned on the streets can save them.

The Magician King is a grand voyage into the dark, glittering heart of magic, an epic quest for the Harry Potter generation. It also introduces a powerful new voice, that of Julia, whose angry genius is thrilling. Once again Grossman proves that he is the modern heir to C.S. Lewis and at the cutting edge of literary fantasy.

©2011 Lev Grossman (P)2011 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“[A] serious, heartfelt novel [that] turns the machinery of fantasy inside out.” (The New York Times [Editor’s Choice])

“[The Magician King] is The Catcher in the Rye for devotees of alternative universes. It’s dazzling and devil-may-care.... Grossman has created a rare, strange, and scintillating novel.” (Chicago Tribune)

“Fabulous fantasy spiked with bitter adult wisdom—not to be missed.” (Kirkus Reviews [starred review])

I loved the book and prefomance

I thought the performance was well down a little slow and shaky in some parts but rather well done. I can not wait to listen to the final book in this series; and will be patiently waiting for more books like it.

Second part gets even better

Character development continues, and the author does it very well. The narrator continues with a fabulous job. I was just swept along until, suddenly, it came to the end, which is really another beginning! The action never lets up! The story never disappoints... Looked these books up after watching the serialized version on SyFy channel. So glad I did, because the book is so much richer, and the choice of narrator is nothing short of perfect. On to the third installment for me...

Best audible book I've "read" Yet

Mark does a great job narrating. This was the best book from audible yet !!

Slightly Mixed feelings

Its not quite a curate's egg but there is a bit of stink around some parts. There are mismatches in some of the details of the plot. Feels like it started out being the end of the series but halfway through got reworked to be a second act of three. I could be wrong of course. The style is well done although some of the contemporary jars in the pseudo-Narnia. On the other hand, all-in-all it was entertaining. I think that Grossman is committed to fantasy as a genre so I wouldn't say it is a semi-satire as some reviews have said. The audiobook reader did a fine job as well, adding an extra dimension to the story.

weak ending

story was good, great continuation. it just felt hurried in the last few chapters and the ending was kinda weak.

wonderful

thrilling, thought provoking, entertaining, a great sequel, great reading performance.

I wonder how well the movie captures the book!

Magnificent

The most clever and intelligent work of postmodern fantasy fiction that I've personally experienced. Grossman clearly has his finger on what makes fantasy tick, and what urges us to seek it out, and plays with both to great effect. if you've come this far in the series, you don't need me to tell you that it isn't typical escapist melodrama, and if you're looking for such, you have many options at your disposal already. However, if you're interested in a unique experience, with characters who are painfully believable and story which doesn't stumble in the last leg, you've come to the right place.

Gets more interesting

the way it goes through chalenges and the visible grouth of personnality, becamming a hero. Júlia role is really unexpected.

Better Than the First Book

I enjoyed "The Magicians," but this sequel truly blows the original out of the water. The characters seem to solidify and I connected with them more strongly than I did in the first book.

One of the things I enjoyed about this book is it gave a more realistic, grittier telling of a fantasy quest. This book took so many fantasy tropes and turned them on their heads. I also really enjoyed the flashbacks to Julia's life after she was rejected from Brakebills.

The ending blew me away. It wasn't at all what I was expecting and it left me completely satisfied and with a sense of hope for what the future holds for these characters.

the ending??

ugh i like this book a lot but I'm not sure how I feel about the ending....not Dexter level ending, but i don't know how I feel about it