Review (Becky): The Magician King

Title: The Magician King Author: Lev Grossman Pages: 400 Audience: Adult Genre: Fantasy (high/parallel worlds/contemporary) Rating: 5-I'd travel to Fillory for this book

Goodreads Summary

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.

My Thoughts
I loved this sequel even more than the original. The beautiful thing about Quentin's tale is that he actually learns the hard lessons of reality while in a fantasy world instead of ridiculous ideals. Lessons learned include it sucks to be a hero, people die on quests, disappointment is everywhere,life isn't a story, and the grass isn't greener on the other side. The characters were ridiculously, realistically flawed. They felt exquisitely real and no one was entirely likable. The setting was lushly and thoroughly described, the magic is amazing and the sentiment crushingly melancholy. The inclusion of Julia's alternate education was the perfect addition, although her ending left me somewhat disappointed. I cannot believe I have to wait now to finish the series.  I'm in love with this series and as usual, I don't want to share lol.  IT'S MINE!

FTC Disclaimer

All reviews are solely the opinions of Becky and/or Randi. We are not paid in any way for our reviews, and all opinions are 100% honest.