Reviews with content warning for Death - The Magician King

The Magician King starts off much slower than its predecessor. It splits the narrative between POVs of Julia and Quentin. Julia's parts are all very interesting and worth reading, and in the first quarter of the book are the real incentive to continue going. Quentin's sections in the first 100 pages are quite dull and seem to be very repetitive in regards to his stasis at the beginning of the first book--it feels very retread, and there isn't enough world-building and (necessary) characterization of Julia to continue going.
However, once Julia and Quentin and thrown back to Earth the stakes are immediately raised and they continue going farther and farther, and The Magician King ramps up the same level of introspection and satire that made the first Magicians so lovely. Gone are the Harry Potter analogues, as the group is firmly in Narnia territory. Grossman's sardonic and sarcastic prose sits very well and his consistent references make it truly powerful.
About three-quarters in this book becomes near impossible to put down--Julia joining the Free Trader Beowulf culminates in the reader's realization that just as much as Brakebills, the underground magic scene is just as conceited and loopy and will guarantee Julia nothing. The climax--while unbelievably tragic and graphic--sends home the fact of Dean Fogg's assessment that magic pretty much ruins everyone.
The ending of this book is actually chef's kiss. In a complete send-up of fantasy endings, Quentin achieves all and loses everything. It is so beautifully funny and ironic that I was literally busting up laughing.
If this book were a duology or simply an 800 page story, this ending would be succinct. I know the trilogy will continue but if it ended here--I truly think it would've been a powerful story.

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muckl3t83's review against another edition

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adventurous dark sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I really enjoyed the first book of the series. The sequel was a bit boring in comparison. It had its moments that I enjoyed but most of it just seemed kind of pointless and I just never cared about any of it.

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3ofclubs's review against another edition

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adventurous dark medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The Magicians King takes a character who's admittedly bored and sets him up on an adventure for adventure's sake, but it manages to feel completely believable in that and not pointless, even while we the readers can feel that the journey seems to be taking Quentin further from happiness. I read this for the second time and I could still remember most of what happened, but still quite enjoyable and worth the read. Love to see Q growing up finally and I liked that we got to learn more of Julia's character arc as well, though the interwoven flashbacks didn't hold up quite as well on reread. Can't believe that

Quentin didn't get to say goodbye to Janet, smh

. Looking forward to the next book!

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morganlee98's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I really enjoyed the Magician King after reading The Magicians a couple of years ago. The end is a bit heart breaking but the story is as detailed and magical as the first book. I’ll definitely be reading the final book.

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embea's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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medini_l's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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