The Magicians

Summary

Abracadabra! Enjoy this dark, intense, grown-up take on discovering there really is a secret magic school and you’ve just been accepted!

Sorcery meets coming-of-age angst in Lev Grossman’s absorbing trilogy. In The Magicians, you’ll come along with protagonist Quentin Coldwater, a complicated, brilliant, and miserable young man, as he unexpectedly gets admitted to an exclusive, and very secret, college of magic and goes through typical college experiences (friends, crushes, and booze, for starters). You’ll also explore the dark side of magic as seen through real people performing it, with all their impulsive desires and volatile emotions.

Quentin Coldwater’s dreams come true when he learns that the magical land of Fillory, the setting of his favorite fantasy novels from childhood, is real. However, as he soon discovers, Fillory is much darker and a lot more dangerous than the stories let on. Is his cherished childhood dream about to become his living nightmare? If you grew up with Harry Potter and The Never Ending Story—tales that reveal that the imaginary worlds we escape into for fun are much more complicated when they become our reality—your grown-up self will love this approach with adult characters and themes.

Actor and narrator Mark Bramhall, whose resumé includes working as a Vulcan on Star Trek: The Next Generation, brings Quentin Coldwater to life throughout the trilogy, easily walking us through reality and fantasy as this young man struggles with the disappointment of learning that things aren’t as magical as he’d hoped. Bramhall's voice and narrative style have won him many accolades, including more than 30 AudioFile Earphones Awards, and he’s narrated alongside greats like Meryl Streep in the full-cast recording of Charlotte’s Web. Listen and enjoy as Bramhall unlocks a strikingly original magical world!