The Magicians

Were you one of those kids who, after reading The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe went around testing every cupboard and closet in your house for a secret portal to Narnia? Or were you one of those kids who tried to learn magic tricks because it was as close to magic as you could get?

I was one of those kids, and so was Quentin. The difference between the two of us, though, is that Quentin found his magic portal to the world of Brakebills college.

I suspect Lev Grossman was one of those kids too.

The book reads like an adult Harry Potter or a distopian Narnia. The characters in this book, upon discovering magic, do not suddenly find that their problems are over, but rather that their problems intensify. Quentin believes that once he finds his way to the land of Fillory (the book's version of Narnia), the emptiness in his life will be over and learning magic is just a stepping stone.

It's a great read, definitely an adult fantasy novel, but many of the themes would be appreciated by non-fantasy readers as well. Pick it up and give it a try, especially if you've ever gone searching for Narnia yourself!