The Magicians: A Novel

Written by:
Lev Grossman
Narrated by:
Mark Bramhall

Unabridged Audiobook

Ratings
Book
265
Narrator
68
Release Date
August 2009
Duration
17 hours 25 minutes
Summary
Lev Grossman’s new novel THE BRIGHT SWORD will be on sale July 2024

The New York Times bestselling novel about a young man practicing magic in the real world, now an original series on SYFY

“The Magicians is to Harry Potter as a shot of Irish whiskey is to a glass of weak tea. . . . Hogwarts was never like this.”
—George R.R. Martin
 
“Sad, hilarious, beautiful, and essential to anyone who cares about modern fantasy.”
—Joe Hill
 
“A very knowing and wonderful take on the wizard school genre.”
—John Green
 
“The Magicians may just be the most subversive, gripping and enchanting fantasy novel I’ve read this century.”
—Cory Doctorow

“This gripping novel draws on the conventions of contemporary and classic fantasy novels in order to upend them . . . an unexpectedly moving coming-of-age story.”
—The New Yorker

“The best urban fantasy in years.”
—A.V. Club

Quentin Coldwater is brilliant but miserable. A high school math genius, he’s secretly fascinated with a series of children’s fantasy novels set in a magical land called Fillory, and real life is disappointing by comparison. When Quentin is unexpectedly admitted to an elite, secret college of magic, it looks like his wildest dreams have come true. But his newfound powers lead him down a rabbit hole of hedonism and disillusionment, and ultimately to the dark secret behind the story of Fillory. The land of his childhood fantasies turns out to be much darker and more dangerous than he ever could have imagined. . . .

The prequel to the New York Times bestselling book The Magician King and the #1 bestseller The Magician's Land, The Magicians is one of the most daring and inventive works of literary fantasy in years. No one who has escaped into the worlds of Narnia and Harry Potter should miss this breathtaking return to the landscape of the imagination.
Reviews
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Anonymous

There were a lot of things that I thought this book did very well in terms of introducing more human (albeit privileged) characters. The treatment of magic as a drug and the addiction it creates was something that had never really been explored in a series like Harry Potter, so actually seeing its consequences was interesting. The way that magic was used was also very cool and unique. My biggest gripe was that it was difficult for me to connect with the characters although there is a lot if character development. Definitely listen to all three books.

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Laurel McKenzie

LOVED these books. I was sucked right in. The narrator did a great job of pulling you into the story with his different accents. The characters were cool in an adult way which is refreshing after all the teen magic books that are created. Cool story with cool plot twists

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Andy McCue

Excellent. A fantastic and authentic exploration of unfiltered human emotions cast upon an elaborate story that dips and peaks between the magic we all seek and the doubts we secretly carry. Bravo.

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Joseph Ramirez

Fantastic story. A fantasy for adults who still believe in magic. The catcher in the rye meets Harry potter.

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Miranda R

Cynical and unlikeable slog of a book The main character was insufferable and the rest weren't developed enough to cared about, and while you might argue that was the authors intent, that doesn't entertaining to read. The premise is executed much better in the TV series where they manage to latch onto and develop the actual interesting elements of the story.

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Jessica McCaffrey

I read these books some time ago. If you are reading due to the tv series you will find the books to be exponentially better. A Fantastic series. An Americanized "Harry Potter" for adults.

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JennyMay

My favorite book series of all time! The tv show is just as good. This is my fourth time listening.

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Nicole R. Wilson

really good book. enjoyed it.

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Patrick O.

I started the series after watching the show and I was very pleased to see the stories go down completely different paths leaving the plot unspoiled. The author was able to show the emotions and growth of Quentin so perfectly making the story more emersive and honestly my favorite books series.

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Sonja H.

love this book. it's my favorite.

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Robert G.

Absolutely great story way better than the tv series.

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Michael S.

As a lifelong fan of Narnia, LotR, Harry Potter, and others of the sci-fi/fantasy realm, it’s been absolutely wonderful to find a series that really tackles some of the deeper philosophical issues presented in this genre. It addresses topics of addiction, existentialism, suffering of innocent victims, morality, sexuality, reality, etc. Sometimes the tackle is executed very subtly and other times it’s an all out blitz. Can’t wait to listen to books 2 and 3, am glad it’s the same narrator for all 3.

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Destini T

Saying this book is like Harry Potter is a complete joke. It's extremely boring in comparison, and basically none of the characters are likeable. My bf and I almost didn't get through this audio book. We heard the next books are better, so we may give them a shot in the future. We just watched season 1 & 2 of the Syfy show and found it WAAAAY more entertaining.

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Meida M

Great book

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Theadore Stroup

Good book and the narration was good.

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lisa Benjamin

I liked the story. I loved the narrator. I liked the adult setting for a fantasy novel.

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Leah Dickerson

Sloppy imitation of Narnia, which he subsequently ruins for the world. I'm offended for Lewis and Rowling by the comparisons. There are actually a few captivating moments (surely there had to be in 17 hours of dialogue) but in the end they, too, are disappointing and anti-climactic.

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Walmon Richard

Great book. I defensively enjoyed it. Looking forward to watching the series

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Sue Dabe

I could not finish it, a very slow plot, where I felt like nothing really happened.

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