I have a Goordreads friend who likes this book. He expressed a thought that I might not. While not wholly correct about my take he came pretty close.:

Well, first Stephen, you're right in a way, I don't like stories that are "downers just to be downers". The nihilistic attitude you see so often. I don't like the (as I've said before) "life is crap and then you die" story. So many today seem to think that for a story to have any depth it has to be deeply depressing.

On the other hand if there is a reason for the sadness in a story then it makes sense (for example Julius Winsome, one of the saddest books out there, but wonderful and highly recommended).

But you were close to right about this one. It has (in my opinion) a lot of flaws. I'm sorry I feel this way for Dawn just gave it 5 stars and I agree with her on some books. So, please don't be insulted that we disagree here.

I don't hate this book, but neither do I really care for it. For much of it's length it could be said that the book actually has no plot. It's a series of events in the life of Quentin and the other students at Brakebills magical college. Some books can get away with this (Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell for example) and still be excellent reads simply by dint of world building and characterization. This one sadly didn't manage it. It sort of stumbles along giving us insight into the personality of Quentin, Elliot, Janet, and Alice, which we "do use later" (every time I use that phrase I recall Andy Griffith using it in his "retelling" of Hamlet), and finally gets around to a story line maybe three quarters of the way through.

The book has been compared to Harry Potter and Narnia. Well, I suppose if Harry were a selfish, snotty, creep...and Narnia had been conceived and written about by Stephen King this could be at least close to true. (Though King is a better writer.) In great part some of this book strikes me as written by someone (Lev Grossman) who wants to drag worlds where there is any hint of innocence and undiluted goodness into our tainted world and rub them down good with filth. This is a disillusioned, sad, and corrupted version of "the magical story". And also of magic worlds. It's not an "adult" take on it, it's a "disillusioned, tainted" take on it. It is a nihilist take on life in general told using the mode of a magic world.

(view spoiler)[At one point in a discussion Quentin is told by the others he's the only one who still believes in "magic". They all know magic is real, but they're all disillusioned about it. (hide spoiler)]

(view spoiler)[I would have rated this book a lot lower had Quentin not had his epiphany near the end of the book. No matter where he went, he took himself with him. The world they find isn't what he carried with him from the books he'd read and it was the presence of humans that had added to the evil and rot that they found. But, in his realization of this there was at least some point to what had happened in the book.

In my opinion, not much, but a little. (hide spoiler)]

I was under the impression also when I bought this book that it was one of the few to come out recently that was a stand alone novel, naive of me I admit. I see on the last page an add to watch for "The Magic King". I doubt I'll follow this volume up. I'm pretty sure at least I won't buy it as I did this one. So, 2 stars not one I'll reread.

Finally I think (sadly) that Mr. Grossman (and possibly the audience he's attempting to appeal to) more or less sneer at the literary worlds he is supposedly giving homage to here. It put's me in mind of "kids" who attempt to "ironically enjoy" things actually sneering at them all the while. The sad part is that thinking themselves to be "above it all" they actually miss the joy and...yes the magic of the things at which they sneer and look down.

No. I really don't care for and can't recommend this book. Barely 2 stars.