The Magicians Trilogy is one of the most daring and inventive works of literary fantasy in years.
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In This LitStack Rec of The Magicians Trilogy
LitStack Recommends The Magicians Trilogy by Lev Grossman
While The Magicians Trilogy by Lev Grossman begins with the familiar trope of a brilliant, restless young man discovering a secret school for magic, it quickly subverts every expectation of the genre. Grossman crafts a world where magic isn’t a whimsical escape; it’s a difficult, exacting discipline that doesn’t necessarily solve the existential dread of being human. Through the journey of Quentin Coldwater—from the halls of Brakebills to the Narnia-esque land of Fillory—The Magicians Trilogy explores the bittersweet reality of getting exactly what you wished for and finding out it’s not enough.
That’s why in this week’s LitStack Rec, we are recommending all three novels of The Magicians Trilogy, including The Magicians, The Magician King, and The Magician’s Land by Lev Grossman
The Magicians Trilogy
This Is NOT That Other Wizard School
I get frustrated when I hear reviews comparing Lev Grossman’s modern fantasy series, The Magicians Trilogy to those other Wizard School novels, even when they say, “These are definitely not Harry P!” No matter what, mentioning these two very different sets of books in the same reference is to invite comparisons (and yes, I realize I’m doing the very thing I’m railing against).
Granted, these novels deal with undeveloped magicians attending a school for magic and wizardry. But that’s where the similarities end. Brakebills is an American wizard school and collegiate. And the people at Brakebills – instructors and students alike – are not exactly warm and fuzzy; even when they are friendly, there’s a good chance there’s an ulterior motive attached.
Which means, The Magicians Trilogy is a lot more serious throughout, a lot less admirable, and oh, so much more “real”. It also diverges from what goes on in the classroom – into a whole different reality, in fact – that is wonderfully challenging to process. This other reality factors in a whole Narnia-vibe (without the Christian overtones) that, along with the interpersonal challenges the main characters must go through, both in learning their craft and finding their way in life, really delves deeply into the ideas of power, perception, and not only thinking outside the box, but constantly refusing to acknowledge that there even is a box to inhabit in the first place.
You Could Watch The Magicians Trilogy, But You Must Read It
Now, here is why I’m recommending The Magicians Trilogy: yes, they are the basis for a television series on the SyFy network – “The Magicians.” But, the series barely delves into the books. As I watched an episode where the main characters morph into geese to fly on an incredible journey to a remote Antarctic facility to take instruction from an abrasive, hermitic wizard, it made me sad that those who merely watch the series will be missing some of Lev Grossman’s most amazing writing in The Magicians Trilogy.
Whereas many writers would simply segue from the students’ ornithological morph to their touchdown in the Antarctic (as was necessary in a visual medium), Mr. Grossman inhabits the birds themselves, not as humans in flight, but as birds in flight, and it is absolutely stunning. And that is just one of the many places where the writing transcends the television visualization – which is true in almost any literary adaptation, but is perhaps less appreciated in a fantasy setting, where the visual can feel complete… unless you know how much more there is underneath the visual.
So if you’ve watched the SyFy series, and haven’t yet read the books, I can’t stress enough that you should read the books. Read The Magicians Trilogy.
The whole idea is so big, there will not really be the kinds of spoilers that you expect when reading source material for a developing television series. And you will read so much deeper, so much more, than what the television series could even hope to convey. Amazingly enough, I would say that the television series does not suffer that much from what it cannot project, because the producers must concentrate on that visual. But to read the books… it’s like learning what steak is when you’ve only been able to experience hamburger. The burgers may be great, but they are only one aspect of the whole idea of beef.
Get To Know The Beef
Savor the variety, the complexity, the way that a good cut of beef will enhance everything else on the table. Read The Magicians Trilogy. The books are magnificent. And watch the television series, if you want. But honestly: Read. These. Books.
~Sharon Browning
About Lev Grossman, Author of The Magicians Trilogy
Lev Grossman is a bestselling novelist and award-winning journalist, best known for his critically acclaimed The Magicians Trilogy, which reached #1 on the New York Times bestseller list and was adapted into a hit television series. Before his success in fiction, Grossman spent years as the lead technology writer and book critic for TIME magazine, where he became a prominent voice in literary and tech circles.
Born into a family of academics, his work often explores the intersection of classic fantasy tropes and the complexities of modern adulthood. Beyond his adult fiction, he has also ventured into children’s literature with The Silver Arrow. Grossman currently lives in Brooklyn, continuing to influence the landscape of contemporary speculative fiction.
You can connect with Lev Grossman on his website, and on Instagram and Facebook.
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