The Magicians could be called the American Harry Potter: a misfit young man is invited to study magic at a hidden school, this time on the lower Hudson River in New York. This story is not for children, however; it's grittier, sexier, and more self-aware than any of J.K. Rowling's series. It's also quite a gripping coming-of-age story.
Quentin is a seventeen-year-old uber-nerd from Brooklyn who is lonely and unhappy. What he has always wished is that he could enter the world of the Fillory books, which he has loved since he was a kid. Written in the 1930's, the five books follow the Chatwin children into a fantasy world that the oldest child Martin finds at the back of a grandfather clock (think of the wardrobe in The Chronicles of Narnia.)
After a pre-interview for Princeton goes awry (the old man who was supposed to interview him died), he wanders into an empty lot that turns into a manicured lawn with a large house in the distance. He discovers he has been chosen to test for entrance to Brakebills, an exclusive American school of magic which admits just 20 students to each class.
Quentin passes and begins his magical education, which lasts five years. Since Brakebills students take their studies in lieu of college, they act like college students: they get drunk and have sex, among other things. The kids sometimes make reference to popular culture icons such as Star Wars, Tolkien, and Harry Potter. Unlike in those works, the magic in The Magicians is both harder — it requires physical dexterity and a lot of memorization, as well as innate talent — and extremely dangerous. Just like the students, the magic in the book feels real.
Quentin loves Brakebills, excels in the classroom and also makes close friends and finds a girlfriend. Upon graduation, he is free to do whatever he wishes, yet he remains dissatisfied with his life and seems unable to forgive himself for his mistakes. It can be hard to root for him at times.
When the story focuses on the magic instead of Quentin's angst, a wondrous world opens up and the narrative takes flight. The book has an inventive force that kept pulling me back to see what happened next and made me wish there more after I was done. Lovers of fantasy will obviously be happy with this book, but those who just like a good story will enjoy it as well.
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