Before I get into this, let me say that I adore the show. It showcases a world that’s gritty and real. If magic were to exist, the version of Earth depicted in the show is what I’d expect. The book, of course, came first, but I can’t help but think the show is a better representation of the world that Grossman was trying to build. I’ll refrain from referencing the show too much throughout this review, but I will draw comparisons where applicable so you may understand my perspective on this fiction more comprehensively.

The story is the telling of a young man who hasn’t quite found his place in life yet. His friends are dating and he has an unrequited love for one of them keeps him from really connecting with them. An interview with a college professor goes awry, but Quentin stumbles into a strange school for magic, so it’s not all bad. We follow his journey of self-discovery through his time at the school, which involves an attack by a strange man from a mirror, shapeshifting shenanigans and, as expected, relationship drama. There is a sense of stumbling through the book as Quentin goes with the flow. No sense of urgency is present until the very latter half, which is emblematic of Quentin’s personality, since it’s all told from his perspective. It doesn’t really make one too invested in the story, because of his pessimism and disconnectedness. The only times I really felt engrossed in the story was when he was first accepted to the college and during the stint at the other facility. There just aren’t many moments that stand out in this story and I think the overall narrative lacked a true driving force to move it forward. Because of this, the climax feels rushed and unsatisfying, while the falling action has no real impact. Its story is too bland to entice the reader to continue. I had hope that the characterization would be that hook for me, but unfortunately that wasn’t the case.

Character-wise, we only really get a deep look into Quentin. Alice has some moments that give her depth, but the first person perspective hurts her depiction more than anyone. Also, Eliot, Janet, Josh and Penny (the other main cast), are surface-level because of this choice as well. Quentin’s point of view is harsh and based on what he’s heard about the person. He’s childish and thinks things that are diminutive, which hurts the reader’s understanding of the characters. This especially hurts because, in the show, Quentin is earnest and caring. He doesn’t judge people too harshly and chooses to believe in things, because he can’t believe in himself. This balance doesn’t really exist in the book. This story paints him as an adolescent that is immature and doesn’t really grow much throughout. It is a series however, so maybe he becomes something more and we get to delve into the other characters more, but this story doesn’t set it up for success. Most of the girls are looked at as sex objects and the boys don’t have more than one characteristic that stands out. Eliot is a drunk; Josh is a goof; Quentin is unfulfilled. Janet is bossy, but sexy; Alice is shy but sexy; Anaïs is excitable and sexy. Julia is an interesting case as she goes through a lot off-book, and I can’t help but think her struggle would be more interesting than Quentin’s… Regardless, there isn’t much to talk about in the characterization department, and that’s a real shame because that’s what I care about most overall.

I might be too hard on this book and I acknowledge that. Since I saw the show first and experienced the world through the eyes of multiple complex characters that each had their own motivations which caused some friction in the group, I feel like this story is missing something. There’s no sense of camaraderie between the characters, because they don’t really have time to connect. While there is plenty of down time, because the story has no driving force, the characters don’t really connect. There’s a school sport tournament that the group is kind of good at, and when one of the characters doesn’t show up, Quenting goes to find them. He finds out they’re doing something that harms themself, and he basically ignores it and gets him to the tournament. It should have been a moment of empathy, but the way it was handled really illustrates the fact that none of these characters really care about each other. It was really disheartening and there are other moments like this. You can argue that they’re all young and dumb, but their school lives take place over multiple years and by the end they’ve graduated, so there should have been at least some development for them. That’s the issue I have overall, there’s no real change.

The Magicians is a universe that I absolutely adore when I think about it. The show was dark and had some really well-crafted characters and moments that helped me relate to them all in one way or another. This book, however, was disappointing. Quentin is shallow and none of the other characters get any real development. The story meanders along and cobbles together a climax at the backend without any actual build-up. It results in a story that was near-impossible to get invested in. I really applaud the television adaptation for taking something like this and crafting it into such a fantastic narrative. Grossman, I appreciate your initial creation of this universe so much, and I hope the rest of the books build upon this foundation in a meaningful way, but I don’t know if I have the motivation to continue on. While the show is infinitely better (seriously go watch it), you might enjoy this story if you want a more cynical version of a magical kid school.