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])

a fairy tale for emo adults

performance was excellent the characters of well fleshed out, and the story is just downright f****** depressing. it's a lot of fun, and a little bit funny, and leaves are wanting to punch a wall. if that's your sort of thing, have it.

Not quite the magic of the first, still satisfying

If you could sum up The Magician King in three words, what would they be?

Biting, Redemption, Yearning

What did you like best about this story?

I like the depth of the characters - they are complex and multifaceted. I especially liked learning Julia's story.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Magic lands can be a bitch

Loved the journey!

I love fantasy with a good bit of magic, this book delivered exactly what I was looking for. highly recommend the series.

Literary perfection

Wonderful series, spectacular writing, intricate details for the story and an all around amazing book addition to The Magicians!!

I really loved this

I watched the show before listening to the books, and it’s been really fun seeing how much they changed things in the show as compared to the book. I definitely enjoyed this book better than I enjoyed the show. So now onto the next one!

Ok story, disappointing narration

The first book gripped my attention with its story and the incredible narration. I was excited to dive into the sequel but was disappointed by the myriad, obvious edits in the narration, the mediocre narration of various characters and their accents (often the narrator messed up their character's voice or tone), and the infrequent but very obvious yawning or background noise from the narrator. The story was a slow start... I enjoyed the dual timelines but damn, it took a long time for anything substantive to occur.

I'm disappointed in whoever edited the narration considering how good the first book's performance was. I would rate the performance 2 stars if they hadn't done so well on the first book.

A relatable hero’s tale

This story gave me solid insight into the innards of relationships with a moderately depressed, decent person. Even as an audiobook, it’s a page turner.

This is not another Harry Potter story

I read the reviews and was pleasantly surprised to confirm that they were accurate. I enjoyed the ride and especially loved that this was more of an "adult" magic story - if this world existed I'm sure it would be very similar to the picture that was painted here.

A great series

Would you consider the audio edition of The Magician King to be better than the print version?

Because of the narrator, Mark Bramhall, I have recommended listening to the book and NOT reading it. Mr. Bramhall gives the book extra dimension and allows the subtlety to shine through.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Magician King?

There are so many memorable moments it will just have to suffice when I say...read the book or rather LISTEN to this book. Can't say I have enjoyed a series like this as much since The Golden Compass.

Okay, where's the third book?

Do I really have to wait for the third book? I mean, really? Lev, man, get busy.