Grossman’s Magicians trilogy is far different than any other woThis review was originally posted on Avid Reviews: www.avidfantasyreviews.wordpress.com
Grossman’s Magicians trilogy is far different than any other work of modern fantasy I have come across. Grossman’s novels are an intellectual journey into the disillusionment that occurs during the journey to adulthood, and much of the fantasy elements of his novels occur simply to help prove this point to the reader. The first book in particular has a very depressing tone, and is incredibly anticlimactic in comparison to most modern fantasy. I have always admired Grossman as a writer, and respected how deeply thought provoking his novels are, but I have always been a bit disappointed that they were lacking in escapism. Despite some seriously cool magical elements, the first two books in the Magicians trilogy seemed more of a dissertation on disillusionment than fantasy fiction.
After having finally read the concluding installment in the Magicians trilogy, I have truly fallen in love with Grossman’s work. Magicians Land ties the whole series together, and awards the reader with an exemplary modern fantasy. It is not only an extremely intelligent novel, but also an exciting and meaningful story with an intensely emotional plotline. Magicians Land preserves that tiny part of childhood that resides in all lovers of fantasy, and it presents itself to the reader in a novel that is extremely hard to put down.
Magicians Land is the conclusion to Quentin Coldwater’s story, and it starts where The Magician King, the second book in the series, left off. Quentin has been kicked out of Fillory, the magical land he once ruled as a king. For lack of anything better to do, Quentin returns to Brakebills, the place where his magical journey began, as a teacher. Everything seems to be going well for Quentin until he tries to save a student named Plum from one of the ghosts of his past. Suddenly Quentin and Plum (who has a dark secret of her own) are embarking on a journey that will ensure that Quentin faces his past head on. Meanwhile, the friends Quentin left in Fillory are facing their biggest crisis yet: Fillory is dying, and for good this time. As the fate of Earth and Fillory collide, Quentin realizes that all roads lead back to Fillory, and he will have to try and save it one final time.
One of the biggest improvements in this installment of the Magicians trilogy is the addition of a plot with a purpose. The plot lines of the first two novels often seemed aimless, and it is not until this final novel that I really became invested in both the characters and the plot. Quentin was always an extremely well developed character, but not always a very likeable one. Finally Quentin’s complexity makes a turn for the better, and he becomes a protagonist that the reader will truly admire.
I found the ending to this book to be moving, fitting, and fantastic. It is the perfect end to Quentin’s journey, and it made me go back and analyze the other two books in a different light. Fans of the first two books in the Magicians trilogy will most certainly be satisfied with the series’ conclusion, and even those readers that had issues with the first two novels will finally have a novel that satisfies them both intellectually and engagingly. I would recommend this series as a whole to anyone with a love for fantasy that also has a need for a novel to be mentally stimulating. This is not a series that should be read for pure entertainment value, but rather for its seriously fascinating magic and its captivating commentary on the human condition.
I would rate this novel a 9/10.
I received an advance reading copy of this novel from Goodreads and the publisher....more
This novel had a slow start, but after the first few chapters the plot really picked up in pace. I enjoyed the balance of action, mystery, and historyThis novel had a slow start, but after the first few chapters the plot really picked up in pace. I enjoyed the balance of action, mystery, and history, and loved that the plot was unpredictable. I love reading about this time in British/Indian history, it has always fascinated me, and it was great to read a book that makes this period seem exciting. The characters were moderately well developed, but the plot is what really made me enjoy the book. I would recommend this novel to anyone interested in India and its history, and anyone that likes a fast paced mystery.
Thanks for Goodreads First Reads for providing a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Though Firebug is rather typical for a young adult (YA) urban fantasy, it is definitely one of the more enjoyable stories in the genre. This is the fiThough Firebug is rather typical for a young adult (YA) urban fantasy, it is definitely one of the more enjoyable stories in the genre. This is the fist installment of the Firebug series by Lish McBride, who is best known for her previous series, which begins with the humorous YA urban fantasy Hold Me Closer, Necromancer. Fans of McBride’s Necromancer series will find much of what they love about McBride’s writing present in Firebug, while many readers that are new to her work will be drawn in by her flawed but sympathetic characters, sarcastic and witty banter, and a fast paced plot that is full of adventure. Firebug is told from the perspective of Ava, a teenage girl that happens to be able to start fires with her mind. Ava is not the only Firebug in existence, but they are rare, and therefore valuable, within the supernatural community. Because of her unique and useful powers, Ava has been forced into a deadly contract with the Coterie- a kind of magical mafia run by a vicious vampire named Venus. When Venus asks her to kill a family friend for the Coterie, Ava rebels. As a somewhat recent orphan, friends are the only family that she has. Unfortunately, it is impossible to say no to the Coterie and get away with it, so she and her friends go into hiding until they can find a way out of this mess Ava has gotten them in, and hopefully all keep their lives in the bargain. I do not always enjoy a story with a first person narrative, but it was done very well in this novel. Ava is in many ways a flawed character, but most of these flaws can be attributed to being a teenage girl. She can be stubborn, impulsive, and easily blinded by her emotions, but she is also strong, intelligent, and her sarcastic commentary made me laugh at loud at several points in the story. I was also impressed with the way that Ava grows throughout the story, and her depth of character development. Her best friends Lock and Ezra are also well-developed characters, and their loyalty, distinctive personalities, and general quirkiness make the book even more enjoyable and easy to read. The novel’s pace stayed fast throughout the story, and the combination of wonderful characters and a suspenseful story line made Firebug one of the more engaging YA novels that I have read this year. Though the plot and setting were not filled with any incredibly unique elements, I found myself more entertained and immersed in this novel than other stories that are typical of the same genre. I would have liked the plot a bit more if it contained more shocking and distinctive qualities, but for a book in this particular genre I was more than satisfied by how pleasurable the novel was to read. I would recommend this novel to anyone that loves YA urban fantasy, and also anyone that likes a character based book filled with plenty of humor. I will definitely be reading the next installment in the Firebug series as soon as it is available. My rating: 7/10 I received a copy of this novel from Goodreads First Reads and the publisher in return for an honest review. ...more
This is a debut novel from a very young author (she's still in college!), but I feel that Banschbach is an author with a lot of potential. She has a gThis is a debut novel from a very young author (she's still in college!), but I feel that Banschbach is an author with a lot of potential. She has a great grasp of story, suspense, and character development, but has yet to completely hone her skills. She needs to learn to be a bit more detail oriented, as this book was so extremely fast paced it did not allow the reader enough time to care deeply for the characters or their situation. The world building could also have been executed with a lot more depth. I would be interested to read more from this author at a later date, as the elements for a really wonderful story are all present. I would rate this book a 2.5/5....more
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. The writing is good, and the story moves at a good pace. The subject matter is interesting and there I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. The writing is good, and the story moves at a good pace. The subject matter is interesting and there are plenty of exciting bits. I would recommend this book to anyone that likes fiction with a little drama to it. I received a copy of this book from Goodreads....more
This was a good book. It was well written, the story line was paced well, and it was a very original story that did a great job of walking the line beThis was a good book. It was well written, the story line was paced well, and it was a very original story that did a great job of walking the line between fantasy and Sci-Fi. This book will be excellent for middle grade students, but I also think that any person who enjoys YA will enjoy this book. I really don't have any problems with this book. I really liked the evolution of the relationship between Jax and Riley, and I was even drawn in by the secondary characters. I have a feeling that this is not a book that is going to be forgotten on the shelf, and it may be the start of something really exceptional! I will give it 4 stars, just because I didn't put it into "one of the best books I've ever read" category, but that's only because I'm an adult who has adult tastes. The YA audience will absolutely love this book! I received a copy of this book from Goodreads in First Reads giveaway....more
This book had an interesting sounding premise, and it was an enjoyable read, but I feel like I would have enjoyed it a lot more if the author had beenThis book had an interesting sounding premise, and it was an enjoyable read, but I feel like I would have enjoyed it a lot more if the author had been able to bring me (the reader) deeper into the story. The book was well written, but it was missing that spark that really engages the reader and lets them lose themselves in a story. If you are considering reading this book, then I would encourage you to give it a try. It was enjoyable, and the plot was interesting. It is almost a Sci-Fi/ Fantasy crossover, and I would be very interested to see where the rest of the books in the series take the story. I also feel like the next few books in the series have the potential for the author to create something really awesome and engaging. And even though this book wasn't my favorite of all time, it was still pretty good. I received a copy of this book from Goodreads....more
