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  • The Magicians

  • The Magicians, Book 1
  • By: Lev Grossman
  • Narrated by: Mark Bramhall
  • Length: 17 hrs and 24 mins
  • 4.0 out of 5 stars (315 ratings)

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The Magicians

By: Lev Grossman
Narrated by: Mark Bramhall
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Publisher's Summary

In a secret world of forbidden knowledge, power comes at a terrible price....

Quentin Coldwater's life is changed forever by an apparently chance encounter: when he turns up for his entrance interview to Princeton, he finds his interviewer dead - but a strange envelope bearing Quentin's name leads him down a path very different from any he'd ever imagined.

The envelope, and the mysterious manuscript it contains, leads to a secret world of obsession and privilege, a world of freedom and power; and, for a while, it's a world that seems to answer all Quentin's desires. But the idyll cannot last - and when it's finally shattered, Quentin is drawn into something darker and far more dangerous than anything he could ever have expected....

©2016 Lev Grossman (P)2016 Penguin Audio

What listeners say about The Magicians

Average Customer Ratings
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  • 4 out of 5 stars
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

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its a slow start to the book but then it just keeps building to the point that you cant stop

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Brutality honest Brilliant but hard to read.

Brutality honest. Brilliant but hard to read. Get to the end it's worth it. Worth it.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Not as good as I expected

I enjoyed the book overall, however some of the characters were a little 1 dimensional. The links to modern culture were fun, and the dialogue between the characters was mostly good. If you’ve seen the tv show, and loved it, you probably won’t like this book.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Save your time and watch the tv series instead

I read this book because I watched the tv adaptation and really liked it. I thought, of course the book must be better. I was wrong. The problem is that the characters are not developed enough. They don't really grow, and there's no nuance. I think the author was going for gritty, but their drunkenness and apathy just put me off. They are one-dimensional. The thing that really got me was that the author can't seem to decide whether the readers should hate Janet or not. She's nice, then she's the worst of the worst, then she's good again. I also didn't connect with the protagonist. He came across as whiny and defeatist.
I will not be reading the sequels.

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3 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

rich exploration of fantasy scapes and personality

great. exciting. slow start but worth hanging in for the climactic finish. creative. a rich fantasy.

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Captivating Story

The technical details in this story are fantastic, could do with a bit more though.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Engaging story, whingeing character

This book started off really well but I really struggled with it once the main character changed into a whingy annoyance. I never finished because he was too annoying.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Listen to this now mortals

Yer I loved it and if you like magic of any type you will to

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Modern twisted and fascinating

Really enjoyed this modern take on the traditional escapist fantasy theme. Very gritty and the characters are challenging but well worth the effort. Completely original and pleasingly unique approach to an otherwise archaic trope.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Something for those Childhood dreamers

If you loved to dream about escaping to magical lands or just discovering magic as a child then this is the grown up book for you. This book was the perfect level up from The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, which (let's be real) Grossman borrowed heavily from. What he did not borrow however was the magic that he created. I found the years that Quentin and the gang spent at Breakbills to be captivating and so inventive.
Warning for those with little patience, Quentin is a morose and difficult protag to live with and that does not get better as the book (and books) go on.
The narration is pleasant and easy to listen to, Bramhall bringing his own lilts and nuances to each characters portrayal.
This is by far my favourite book in the series. And if you finish this and find the last quarter a little so so, i would recommend leaving the series at just this book.

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