The Magician's Land

A Novel

By: Lev Grossman

Narrated by: Mark Bramhall

Length: 16 hrs and 27 mins

Publisher's summary

The stunning conclusion to the New York Times best-selling Magicians trilogy.

Quentin Coldwater has been cast out of Fillory, the secret magical land of his childhood dreams. With nothing left to lose he returns to where his story began, the Brakebills Preparatory College of Magic. But he can't hide from his past, and it's not long before it comes looking for him.

Along with Plum, a brilliant young undergraduate with a dark secret of her own, Quentin sets out on a crooked path through a magical demimonde of grey magic and desperate characters. But all roads lead back to Fillory, and his new life takes him to old haunts, like Antarctica and the Netherlands, and buried secrets, and old friends he thought were lost forever. He uncovers the key to a sorcerous masterwork, a spell that could create magical utopia, a new Fillory - but casting it will set in motion a chain of events that will bring Earth and Fillory crashing together. To save them he will have to risk sacrificing everything.

The Magician's Land is an intricate thriller, a fantastical epic and an epic of love and redemption that brings the Magicians trilogy to a magnificent climax, confirming it as one of the great achievements in modern fantasy. It's the story of a boy becoming a man, an apprentice becoming a master, and a broken land finally becoming whole.

©2014 Lev Grossman (P)2014 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“Richly imagined and continually surprising.... The strongest book in Grossman’s series. It not only offers a satisfying conclusion to Quentin Coldwater’s quests, earthly and otherwise, but also considers complex questions about identity and selfhood as profound as they are entertaining.... The Magician’s Land, more than any other book in the trilogy, wrestles with the question of humanity.... This is a gifted writer, and his gifts are at their apex in The Magician’s Land.” (Edan Lepucki, The New York Times Book Review)

“The strength of the trilogy lies...in the characters, whose inner lives and frailties Grossman renders with care and empathy.... Quentin[’s]...magical journey is deeply human.” (The New Yorker)

“Grossman makes it clear in the deepening complexity and widening scope of each volume that he understands the pleasures and perils of stories and believing in them.... The Magician's Land triumphantly answers the essential questions at the heart of the series, about whether magic belongs to childhood alone, whether reality trumps fantasy, even whether we have the power to shape our own lives in an indifferent universe.” (Gwenda Bond, The Los Angeles Times)

perfect.

this review asks for twenty words but really the title of this review says it all. the addition of more praise is unnecessary and would ultimately detract from my review.

Loved it

It was really well done and I recommend it for anyone who is a fan of magic

Loved it!!!

Such a great story finally concluding with a stunning end. Not only do we find a satisfactory end of Q's journey, but other loose ends dealing with past characters are also neatly tied up. Anybody who has read or listened to the first two should get this immediately.

Great finish for a great story!

This was the book that I enjoyed the most out of the 3 books of “The Magicians”. The characters are more mature, the plot is more intriguing (although the second one was already better than the first) and the way the story unfolds and reveals its end is amazing! I really enjoyed the 3 books and I must had it all out to the amazing performances by Mark Bramhall. Amazing!!!

Love it!

Love that there is a story of magic with a real-world narrative to it! The characters have just so much more to love in then!

Definitely not the TV show

I really liked the Syfy show so I looked forward to this audio production. The show explains the difference with the time loops and is arch in its pop culture and book references that are maybe even more enjoyable after experiencing the source material. This is not to say that it’s necessarily to experience both. The 3 book series is wonderful on its own terms. If you like fantastical whimsy I highly recommend these books. Mark Bramhall, one of the best voice actors I’ve heard, delivers a stellar performance.

Best book of three!

Each book was progressively better. After the first one, I almost wrote it off, but stuck with it. I'm glad I did!

Perfect way to end the trilogy

I would go as far to say this was my favorite book of the series. Beautiful written and beyond enjoyable.

Great Story, weird narrator.

Narrators voice takes away from the story for me. He changes how certain words are pronounced as the book goes on and his different voices feel awkward to listen to. The story itself is wonderful and I love these books deeply. The narrator was my only concern.

Brilliant ending!

This book was a wonderful end to a brilliant series. I truly loved everything about it. The narration is wonderful and had me lost in the story. Q's growth through the series is really wonderful. I feel a little empty being done with it!
I would highly recommend!