The worst never ending piece of garbage ! It’s rabbits out of hats forever with no plot except a self absorbed teenager that is morose and spoiled looking for something that will not ever materialize. This is as they say nothing short of pathetic mental mast……u get it!

Narrative structure: okay Descriptive voice: great Characters… sigh: I was constantly distracted by Quentin’s attention to the most useless of details and frankly the juvenile methods he uses to “get what he wants.” I’ve never seen such pouting before, a main character on a magical adventure to another land being such a drag. This book feels like catcher in the rye with somehow less charm but somehow tries show itself as being emotionally “gritty.” It’s whiny. There were so many missed opportunities here, so many opportunities the show on SyFy has taken advantage of. It’s distracted how doom and gloom Quentin is. It’s disappointing that Elliot is nothing more than a high functioning alcoholic except for when the plot requires him to not be. “Janet” (on the show she is named Margo, which is honestly such a good change) sorta just boils down to a mean, straight to the point, sexual deviant who likes discord. Oh yeah, Hoberman. According to Grossman, Hoberman’s the fat one. That’s basically his whole character. Poor poor Alice. On the show, they explored her pain regarding her brother and such and I felt for her. I felt for her struggle to be patient and to seek answers. In the book, she’s just a sexual conquest and even she uses sex as a weapon. Quentin does. “Janet” does. This book doesn’t understand how sex works. It doesn’t understand how relationships work. It doesn’t act upon its greatest opportunities because Grossman doesn’t want to commit to them, he’d rather have characters throw around fat jokes and have ruminate on incel thoughts. I’m telling you, the book is long, full of weird word choices (hermaphrodite, being my favorite) and its main character is basically a sheltered white boy who has never seen people different than him and acts like it. Watch the show, you literally lose nothing if you don’t read the book. All the book will make you do is scream at it for not taking advantage of its own premise. (The show suffers from its own poor choices too. But every point that’s expanded on from the book itself is fleshed out and feels authentic to what the books are about: a normal world with magic.)

Not much here to like. The characters are flat, the story is slow, and boring. Don’t waste your time.

I’ve been trying for a year. I’ve made it 29%. The writing style just isn’t for me. I do love that this inspired such an amazing show though.

So I’ll keep this short. I’m up to date on The Magicians Tv Series (January 2019) and after looking at all these 1-2 star reviews I was pretty hesitant to pick up this book, in fear that it would be make me appreciate the show less. However, I’ve found to appreciate the characters more. The book is vastly different from the tv-series. You could even say it’s just a different timeline; Quentin is complex and very down to earth. His sadness and depression don’t trump his decision making, but influence it greatly. He’s more than just a mopey character in this. You finally understand his decisions in great detail. I will say this book is extremely thorough, sometimes highlighting random details that have no real meaning in the book. But this helped me grasp each situation better. 4/5, can’t wait to pick up book #2.

The author has done a fantastic job creating this world that scratches at a Harry Potter itch, but with a creative take on magic school. Unfortunately, I saw the show before reading the book and the show had really taken this story to the next level... that said, I’m really looking forward to the next book in the series. In my experience reading books adapted for the screen, book is better than movie & TV show is better than book. I still respect the original work, just wish I’d gotten to it first!

highly recommend. very well written, great character development, and really keeps you interested. so sad to see it end.

So boring. Felt like a poorly written rip off of Lion Witch Wardrobe and Harry Potter that was trying to “be cool.” i stopped reading 3/4 through and had enough. Wish i could get my money back!!!

Can't believe I even got halfway through this book before finally tossing it aside. God its so boring. Anyways I have three big issues with this book. First off let me say descriptive writing is nice, but should be used in moderation. I don't need to know the hues and scents of every single tree Quentin (the main character) walks past. He describes every single idiotic thing to the point where I became very agitated. Secondly, can I just ask the author what sort of crack he was smoking when he came up with this fantasy world. At some points the storyline is so screwed up. I felt critically disturbed during many scenes in the book. This is also coming from someone who read Game of Thrones and watches American Horror Story. Lastly Quentin. Oh Quentin you are the worst main character I have had the burden of following in this adventure. He is shallow, and just keeps on pitying himself. We get it, your best friend and one true love didn't fall for you and your friends don't pay attention to your whims and woes. Boo hoo who cares. You don't have to be so boring. But sadly you are and those the very reason I absolutely despise this book.

It's an incredible book about the coming of age as a wizard involving drugs, sex, magic and violence and the struggle of living with untold power at your command. 10/10 adult Harry Potter