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krismcd59's review against another edition
4.0
This is a satisfying conclusion to Grossman's long genre-funhouse ride. While he never quite achieves the sense of gonzo playfulness of the first novel, [b:The Magicians|6101718|The Magicians (The Magicians, #1)|Lev Grossman|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1313772941s/6101718.jpg|6278977], Grossman manages some real emotional insights in the end. The plot is a little predictable and the jokey pop-culture references become a bit much at times, but it's fun to see him assembling the pieces of his grand metaphor as the plot chugs along and the characters dutifully take up their mythic roles.
noahapples's review against another edition
3.0
I loved reading/listening to this series, and also this book was frustrating af.
The series as a whole was probably 4-Stars+, but also this dude gets naked in front of people twice and it doesn’t seem notable to absolutely anyone that half of his body of made out of wood.
The series as a whole was probably 4-Stars+, but also this dude gets naked in front of people twice and it doesn’t seem notable to absolutely anyone that half of his body of made out of wood.
here_goes_books's review against another edition
4.0
The thing about labyrinths is that they are complex, winding structures that lead you backwards before you can move forward.
If the previous Magicians installment was all about a reckoning, in which our heros are knocked down a peg or two and got back up, then this story was all about making amends and confronting the past.
Grossman's group of arrogant and gifted magicians comes to a great conclusion; reviewing legacy, facing oneself and their decisions, and making that final movement into adulthood. High stakes robbery with a race to save the world.
Bechdel test: passed
DuVernay test: TV series passes, the books do not.
If the previous Magicians installment was all about a reckoning, in which our heros are knocked down a peg or two and got back up, then this story was all about making amends and confronting the past.
Grossman's group of arrogant and gifted magicians comes to a great conclusion; reviewing legacy, facing oneself and their decisions, and making that final movement into adulthood. High stakes robbery with a race to save the world.
Bechdel test: passed
DuVernay test: TV series passes, the books do not.
cantara's review against another edition
5.0
To heck with it...full five stars on feels, despite its flaws....I want to go back and start again form page 1 of The Magicians. I love it, warts and all.
abbymetro's review against another edition
1.0
If you've gotten this far in the series you already know that The Magicians is a rip off of The Chronicles of Narnia, and you're probably okay with it. This book is going to test that resolve though, so get ready. You may begin to ask yourself, did the children have to enter Fillory through a grandfather clock, so similar to the famous Wardrobe? Do the gods of Fillory need to be rams, animals roughly the same size, shape and fluffiness as Aslan the lion?
Yes, yes they did. Because if you take away every Narnia reference, every Harry Potter reference, every meme phrase and forced-in Shakespeare quote, well you wouldn't be left with much but the binding. This is the major flaw of The Magician's Land, that the author thought that by writing a book that is effectively a patchwork quilt of popular characters and references he could tap into their success. Instead he's written something that doesn't even feel like a novel, it feels like a gruesome collage of all the best parts of popular culture, ripped apart and gutted and slapped on the page like, "Look! You guys like wizards, right? I've got wizards! And bacon and lulz and..." It doesn't work. Like cutting the smile off of the face of the Mona Lisa and pasting it onto a stick figure drawing, it doesn't work.
There's a lot more going on here that we could talk about like reprehensible main characters, predictable plot twists and contradictory scenes that just don't make sense; but all of that is secondary to the author's blatant attempt to manipulate his readers without exerting any creative energy of his own.
As readers, we deserve better than that. As consumers, paying with our time and our money, we deserve better. We deserve authors who don't expect to get something out of us without investing something of themselves into their work. We deserve stories written by artists, not by salesmen.
But no one is a lost cause, though some may write like it. Mr. Grossman, stop leaning on the successes of others to make yourself interesting and stand on your own two feet. Then, even if it's awful, it least it'll be new.
Yes, yes they did. Because if you take away every Narnia reference, every Harry Potter reference, every meme phrase and forced-in Shakespeare quote, well you wouldn't be left with much but the binding. This is the major flaw of The Magician's Land, that the author thought that by writing a book that is effectively a patchwork quilt of popular characters and references he could tap into their success. Instead he's written something that doesn't even feel like a novel, it feels like a gruesome collage of all the best parts of popular culture, ripped apart and gutted and slapped on the page like, "Look! You guys like wizards, right? I've got wizards! And bacon and lulz and..." It doesn't work. Like cutting the smile off of the face of the Mona Lisa and pasting it onto a stick figure drawing, it doesn't work.
There's a lot more going on here that we could talk about like reprehensible main characters, predictable plot twists and contradictory scenes that just don't make sense; but all of that is secondary to the author's blatant attempt to manipulate his readers without exerting any creative energy of his own.
As readers, we deserve better than that. As consumers, paying with our time and our money, we deserve better. We deserve authors who don't expect to get something out of us without investing something of themselves into their work. We deserve stories written by artists, not by salesmen.
But no one is a lost cause, though some may write like it. Mr. Grossman, stop leaning on the successes of others to make yourself interesting and stand on your own two feet. Then, even if it's awful, it least it'll be new.
mezzahliah's review against another edition
3.0
This was good...at face value it was good. It was interesting and different. Quentin needed to grow up. In the conclusion he really did grow up to be a master magician and a good man. However...looking deeper I have to say, as much as I liked the story and the writing style it felt as though Lev Grossman took a long hiatus between books 2 and 3, forgetting what he wrote exactly then remembered that it was supposed to be a trilogy and not a duology. I would have been fine with how book 2 ended for the series. But the majority of book 3 didn't make sense or fit the rest of the series.
So did I enjoy reading it yes. Did it frustrate me to no end that I almost didn't finish the series because the separation between the stories irritated me, also yes. But overall it was okay. Definitely a mature read.
So did I enjoy reading it yes. Did it frustrate me to no end that I almost didn't finish the series because the separation between the stories irritated me, also yes. But overall it was okay. Definitely a mature read.
specialk3782's review against another edition
4.0
It has been a few days since finishing The Magician's Land and I am glad I have let it settle in my mind before writing the review. In addition I have started watching the Netflix series. Although many reviewers say they prefer the TV series I still prefer the book over the show, even though I enjoyed both.
As the series continued I became even more invested in the characters and really got a feeling of who they were. I was waiting as I read the first and second books for an attempt to bring Alice back from being a Niffin and as promised this happened in book 3. The end of the world journey was interesting and it was fun reading how it all played out. I was sad to see the series end and I look forward to a re-read in the future. 4*
As the series continued I became even more invested in the characters and really got a feeling of who they were. I was waiting as I read the first and second books for an attempt to bring Alice back from being a Niffin and as promised this happened in book 3. The end of the world journey was interesting and it was fun reading how it all played out. I was sad to see the series end and I look forward to a re-read in the future. 4*
laraph's review against another edition
4.0
still enjoyed the writing but the plot meandered and the ending didn't suit the rest of the series
zenwar's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5