Lev Grossman is the author of the international bestseller Codex and TIME Magazine’s senior book critic. He also writes for the blog Nerd World, where geek culture is king (as well it should be – le roi s'amuse.) But it's Grossman’s latest book, The Magicians, available in the US on Tuesday August 11th, that really got the attention of The LA Books Examiner.
Why?
What’s not to like? The Magicians is a fantasy novel, billed as a kind of adult Harry Potter, written by a literary nerd who worships fantasy writers like CS Lewis, TH White, and JK Rowling. In Codex, Grossman brought a literary sensibility to the suspense novel, resulting in a thrilling literary page-turner (see my review here), and I couldn’t wait to see just what he'd add to the fantasy novel.
And I wasn't disappointed. What he added was reality: an exploration of the high price of magic practiced by real people in the real world where love, sex, death, and most importantly, responsibility, aren't so easily ignored.
The Magicians introduces the brilliant and brooding Quentin Coldwater, a high school senior in Brooklyn, NY, who really should be happier than he is. He has two really good friends, a GPA that's a full point higher than most people even know is possible to have, and he can basically write his own ticket to the Ivy League. He should be happy!
Read the full review and interview at LA Books Examiner
