The Magician King
By Lev Grossman
Hardcover | Kindle
Viking/Penguin
Release Date: August 9, 2011

It’s time to return to the magical land of Fillory with The Magician King, the anticipated sequel to author Lev Grossman‘s 2009 bestselling debut novel, The Magicians.

It’s been several years since the events of the first book, The Magicians. Quentin, Eliot, Janet, and Julia are now the High Kings and Queens of Fillory. One day, Quentin and Julia decide to venture on a quest, but find themselves back in the real world of Earth where Quentin’s parents reside. In order to find a way back to Fillory, Quentin and Julia must use the help of underground magicians to find a way back to their home of Fillory.

I have to admit that I really enjoyed the first book, The Magicians. I actually read it a week before I read the current book, The Magician King. So while reading the sequel, I was still stuck in that world. The book alternates chapters. One chapter deals with the ongoing journey of Quentin and Julia trying to find a way back to Fillory while another chapter tells the back story of Julia, Quentin’s high school crush and current High Queen of Fillory.

I really enjoyed the chapters about Julia’s past. Those chapters opened up a bigger story that readers didn’t get to see in the first novel. The journey back to Fillory itself was a lot of fun to read. The world feels like a cross between a Harry Potter book and a Chronicles of Narnia book. The world, although, is probably more representative of a Narnia book.

Author Lev Grossman has created a great fantasy series. The world is vast and there’s still more that could possibly be explored in the next and final book. I really enjoyed Grossman’s characters and how they were witty and likeable.

My only nitpick with the story was a pacing problem. Just like the first novel, the second book takes awhile to get in to. Grossman has a particular way of setting things up and it’s a little of a slow burn to get to the heart of the story. Other than that, I really enjoyed the characters, the journey, and the world.

If you’re a fan of fantasy, then Lev Grossman’s The Magician King is a great read for you. Since this is the second book in the series of three books, I would suggest picking up the first book, The Magicians. You won’t be disappointed.