Ina read and liked Nan's review of The Magicians:

"I'm ashamed to admit this, but I was a rather unhappy kid. A little too smart, more than a little socially awkward, and obsessed with books. I found Narnia too religious, so my obsession of choice was David Eddings' The Belgariad. I imagined what ...more I'm ashamed to admit this, but I was a rather unhappy kid. A little too smart, more than a little socially awkward, and obsessed with books. I found Narnia too religious, so my obsession of choice was David Eddings' The Belgariad. I imagined what it would be like if it were real, and more importantly, if I could go there. Would I be an Alorn and one of the good guys? A Tol Nedran obsessed with money? Or, worse, a Murgo? I even wrote a few sketches based around that sort of idea. (Although this was before the internet, before fan fiction was easily accessible, and so I didn't try to write myself into Eddings' world. I created my own pale shadow of it as my own world.)

When I read the cover copy for this book, a grin flashed across my face. Someone had finally written it--the nerd's true fantasy. My store had an ARC, and I grabbed it immediately. And I'm thrilled that I did.

While this book does have that plot line that so many fantasy nerds have pondered (I don't think I'm alone in this!), this book is different. It's actually good.

Good might not sound like high praise, but it is. Instead of simply being some kind of wish-fulfillment fantasy, this book asks what we are looking for in our fantasies. What do we want from these worlds we imagine? Why do they appeal to us? How do you find meaning in your life when there's nothing useful to do with it?(less) "