The Magician’s Land by Lev Grossman
In the first book of The Magicians trilogy, Grossman offered a fresh take on the genre by writing his characters as older teens and young adults and peppered the narrative with literary and pop culture references to ground the story in reality — an awareness to anchor the story in the space where fantasy meets our real world. A real world with knowledge of Harry Potter, Narnia, and The Lord of the Rings. In the second book, Grossman maintained the level-headed, deadpan humor, continuing to cut through most expectations for the fantasy genre, all while successfully introducing new characters — like the complex and multifaceted character of Julia — something he continues to do noticeably well in the third book, The Magician's Land.
Quentin Coldwater, having been cast out of Fillory, returns to Brakebills Preparatory College of Magic, where his story began. But his past comes looking for him. With the help of a brilliant undergraduate named Plum, he sets out on a crooked path through an obscure magical realm filled with desperate characters to uncover the key to a spell that could create a new Fillory. However, casting the spell could bring Earth and Fillory crashing together, and Quentin must risk sacrificing everything to save them. The Magician's Land is a thrilling and fantastical epic that brings The Magicians trilogy to a magnificent climax.
This has been a fantastic series, paying tribute to classic and children's high fantasy while still striking a balance between the known and the new. I have enjoyed every minute of my time with Fillory and Quentin Coldwater and the whole crazy gang. Grossman did one of the hardest things that fantasy authors face — not only did he craft a well-developed and well-written trilogy, but each individual book felt necessary while still supporting the overall three-book story arc.
Audiobook, as narrated by Mark Bramhall: Bramhall was wonderful. His performance is emotional without being overwrought or hammy, and I was so thrilled by the end to finish out the series with this man as the voice of Fillory.
