The Magician King

A Novel

By: Lev Grossman

Narrated by: Mark Bramhall

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 lot of fun!

I read Lev Grossman's previous book, The Magicians, and decided to listen to this one. I enjoyed both a great deal. They are perhaps a little longer than they could be, but it's so much fun and so interesting that who cares? I think this was my first time listening to Mark Bramhall, who adds a lot of character and humor to his reading. I love the main premise of these books. If you're looking for something fun and absorbing to listen to that also has complexity, go for it. Particularly good for people familiar with fantasy and children's books. Several steps above Harry Potter in my book, and written for adults.

It's good to be king...isn't it?

Like its predecessor, The Magician King follows Quentin Coldwater, now King of the fantastical land of Fillory, as he deals with the existential struggles of being a powerful wizard with a real personality. Subverting your expectations appears to be a favorite pastime of Grossman's two Fillory novels; just when you think you've got the course charted, along comes a fresh gust to blow the story into a strange new direction. This time around, Quentin's friend Julia fills the role of angst-ridden magician in the making, but her story is at once darker and more ultimately uplifting than Quentin's was. The story as a whole feels easier, less fraught, and less self-conscious than the previous book, even though it's arguably a more mature and thoughtful treatment of magic, desire and a person's ability to live with themselves and their choices.

Great Story, Horrible Characters

Where does The Magician King rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Top 20 - great story

Who was your favorite character and why?

Josh - hes the only character in the book who isnt beyond pretentious and arrogant.

Which scene was your favorite?

The scene with the Dragon in the River

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

The book is quite funny at times and I did laugh out loud on several occasions

Any additional comments?

I cannot stress enough how much I dislike these characters. This book is even worse than book 1 mainly because Julia and FreeTrader Beowolf is in it. Almost all of the characters are beyond arrogant and pretentious, I spent the first and second book waiting for the characters to be put in their place.

Better than the first...

I enjoyed, but didn't love the first book. I'm not sure if this book is better than the first or if I just knew what type of experience to expect from Grossman, but I enjoyed this book even more than the first.

It is a similar experience with a somewhat similar story-arc and similar lesson/internal-conflict for the main characters.

It still had some brutally painful (and in this case disturbing; warning there is a rape scene) moments. But they punctuate the story and are used very purposefully to develop the characters and explain their motivations.

I just bought the next book.

more of the same!

it has very good narrator that uses accents and voice pitch to create full bodied characters.

I enjoy these books!

I am also watching the TV series of the Magicians and love seeing the characters brought to life. The narration is wonderful! I can't wait to start the third and the trilogy , great books!

WOW

I never could have imagined what I was getting into when starting this series. I've not laughed or wanted to cry listening to or reading a book since "the Eagles are coming!" or Harry's walk from the castle. The end hurts.

My biggest issue

My biggest issue is that the reader can’t say “sloth” A slow-moving tropical American mammal that hangs upside down from the branches of trees using its long limbs and hooked claw instead he says “sleuth” a detective. synonyms: (private) detective. They use they word sloth quite a bit and he drives me crazy!!!!!

A darker second book of the series!

I’m enjoying a lot the series. This book was a bit, a big bit, darker than the first one as it features a lot of Julia’s life and even the global story gets darker. I enjoyed some of the twist and turns in the book and it seems that Quentin does all the wrongs and then he’s the hero of the story correcting all the wrongs he does. Julia evolution is very nice.

Can’t wait to start the last book!

phenomenal

I loved this book, finished it in 3 days. The magicians universe is just do cool, and the characters have real personality