The Unknown Writer: The Magician King

King Grossman the Magician
Book Review: Audible.com review of Lev Grossman's The Magician King

It is unusual when a following book is better than the original, and even more rare when considering that the first book is marvelous in its own right. That's Lev Grossman's The Magician King. In the first book, The Magicians, Quentin is somewhat pathetic, but you love him even so (one of those negative people who is never satisfied, regardless), he is an antihero who yearns to be a hero. But discovering Breakbills through Quentin's eyes is nonetheless magical, and haunting, and when the first book ends you pretty much have to go back and read it again. Book 2, The Magician King is even more all that than the first book, replete with Julia's experiences, and Julia is probably even a better character than Quentin, although her unbelievable constant fury matches Quentin's omnipresent ingratitude and teenage lack of direction. Julia and Quentin are both utterly believable as highly intelligent, unique-thinking braniacs (Grossman is brilliant, in dialogue, characterization, and plotting). Fillory is much more engrossing in this second book and finally provides a worthy contender to C.S. Lewis' Narnia (albeit a raunchy, F-bomb-laced Narnia, drunken, drugged, and probably more than a little bit bi-polar). There is a lot of raunchy language, but The Magician King is haunting and beautiful, and quite a read, and more satisfying than the first book (which was quite satisfying, read it first). Mark Bramhall as narrator is skilled and sophisticated (and I keep thinking I'm listening to David Hyde Pierce's Niles Crane, with a slight cold, and a little drunk on cough syrup, but his voice changes and delivery is masterful). Great book, and worth the wait!

Art et Amour Toujours
Douglas Christian Larsen