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The Magnus Archives #5

The Magnus Archives: Season 5

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The Magnus Archives is a horror audiobook written by Jonathan Sims, directed by Alexander J. Newall and distributed by Rusty Quill. Sims narrates the stories in-character as the main character, Jonathan Sims, the newly-appointed head archivist of the fictional Magnus Institute; an institution based in London centred on research into the paranormal.

With each chapter released as a podcast episode, The Magnus Archive is structured as a series of statements recorded or written and then recorded for internal research use within The Magnus Institute. At the beginning of each statement, the statement-taker (mainly Jon, the head archivist) provides a brief description of the statement and the name of the statement-maker. Those who give or record statements in the Magnus Institute tend to lapse into a trance-like state not unlike reliving the event.

The fifth and final season, and concluding chapter to the horror series.

289 pages, ebook

Published April 2, 2020

155 people are currently reading
776 people want to read

About the author

Jonathan Sims

27 books1,184 followers
Jonathan Sims is a writer, performer and games designer whose work primarily focuses on the macabre, the grotesque, and the gentle touch of creeping dread. He is the mind and the voice behind acclaimed horror podcast The Magnus Archives, as well as story-game design duo MacGuffin & Co., and some of your favourite nightmares. He lives in Walthamstow with the two best cats and an overwhelming backlog of books that he really should get round to.

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5 stars
2,039 (78%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 433 reviews
Profile Image for Paula.
120 reviews5 followers
April 11, 2021
The 16th fear is Jonny Sims himself


[update post finale] love is stored in the horror podcast
Profile Image for jay.
1,102 reviews5,925 followers
April 2, 2021
"Ceaseless Watcher, turn your gaze upon this intensely gay thing."


Magnus episode 1: Look at this creepy little podcast with the grumpy narrator. Just some light evening entertainment that will give me goosebumps. Nothing to get attached to.

Magnus episode 200: *ugly crying*


How does one feel when one's favorite podcast ends?
I, for one, thought I was fine until I started crying six hours after the finale and saying "I can't believe Magnus is over" every hour of the day for an entire week. In better news though, I now have a Magnus Playlist that helps me through my grief.

I still can't believe Magnus is over.

I cannot put into words how much Magnus means to me, so I won't. I'm not sure I even completely understand why I love it as much as I do. I have listened to every season three times (twice for season 5) and I only discovered it in the summer of 2020. And I plan to listen to it many times more, so I think those numbers speak for themselves.

Every other podcast pales in comparison, there's just nothing that has this kind of great story telling and production quality. I love every character, even those that I hate. Many of the stories live in my mind rent free. I will miss it so much and thinking about how it is actually over brings tears into my eyes.

So I won't think about it and instead spam everyone's dash while I re-listen to it again and again and again. :)

Edit: I have just listened to the Roundtable discussion and WHAT DO YOU MEAN NOONE WANTS AN OFFICE ROMANCE. I mean I do enjoy the misery BUT I WOULD HAVE ALSO VERY MUCH LIKED AN OFFICE ROMANCE, ALEX. I've been robbed.
---
i have re-listened :)
rtc!
---
so magnus fans, how we're feeling?
accepting support group applications now

actual review and rating to come after i've listened to it again, which will inevitably happen in like a week
Profile Image for jay.
1,102 reviews5,925 followers
February 2, 2023
welcome to 202-Queer 🌈✨



"Can I have a cigarette" --> or as a Magnus fan (obsessive maniac) would say: the beginning of the end


i already have a review of another version of MAG 5 but GR won't let me edit that so we will review this version. i don't know what this will do to my other review but it's too late to wonder about that.


i listen to magnus... basically nonstop. this was my third time listening to season 5 and i have listened to the other four seasons exactly four times each.

there is no other podcast.

or like, i can't find another. there are some podcasts that i like and also some that i like a lot but there's nothing that gives me as much brainrot as magnus does.

i don't know how to move on from it and i don't think i will ever find a way. arguably, naming myself (🏳️‍⚧️) after it (my full name is Jonathan Magnus - yes, i know) also DIDN'T HELP.


it's just... perfect. i mean probably not in the literal sense of the word but it does so much right and i just can't-... i just. .. the characters??? the plot??? jonathan sims' goddamn voice??? (which is probably responsible for like 70% of all my problems). THE PLOT???? JONATHAN???? MY DUMB BOY??? the love of my life???

??????

this will be my number one podcast on spotify again this year, i can feel it in my bones. this is probably unhealthy, send help


50 books in February: 4/50
Profile Image for Ben.
214 reviews16 followers
January 10, 2022
[Sobbing] Are you sure about this?

No. But I love you.

I love you too.
Profile Image for Aleks .
23 reviews
August 5, 2021
Nobody talk to me
*sobbing intensifies*
153 reviews38 followers
June 30, 2024
Episodios notables:
*Episodio 162: en el que se nota que Sasha y Tim eran buenos amigos. Y Sasha era inteligente. Y Tim era carismático. Y lo que les pasó fue tan, tan jodidamente injusto.
*Episodio 165: en el que tu rostro es tu rostro y deberías rogar para que los buscadores no te atrapen y luego no es tu rostro y deberías rogar para ser quien se quede con el rostro que se va a adquirir y el ciclo empieza otra vez…
*Episodio 168: en el que Martin está celoso e intenta promover el asesinato de Oliver Banks.
Maa, por supuesto que todavía hay tiempo para esto en este aterrador nuevo mundo. Por supuesto.
*Episodio 170: en el que estar solo es terrible, terrible…
*Episodio 182: en el que los hospitales se convierten en lugares que hay que evitar. Activamente.
*Episodio 184: en el que hay hormigas. Señor infernal, tantas hormigas…
Ah, y aparentemente "son tanto el avatar como el dominio". Todas ellas. Divertido.
*Episodio 200: en el que no hay un final bonito y esperanzador.
Maldita sea, por qué nadie me avi– no, no. Ya terminé. Acabé. No más.
Únicamente quería un final ligeramente alentador. No perfecto, no. Ligeramente alentador. ¿Y qué obtuve, eh? ¿qué obtuve?
¡AAAAARGH, MALDICIÓN!

El mundo ya no es lo que era. No reces. Los dioses no serán de ayuda.

Tras enterarse de que fue elegido para ser marcado por todos los poderes malvados y completar un ritual muy en contra de su voluntad, Jonathan Sims –El Archivista– ha visto al mundo convertirse en un auténtico desastre lleno de terrores y sufrimiento. Y él puede sentirlo. A la gente sufrir, ya sabes. Y verlo, no importa cuánto se esfuerce para no hacerlo.
Y todo ha sido causado por él. Es su culpa. Vale, Jon entiende que es principalmente culpa de Elias/Jonah Magnus, pero eso no mejora ni cambia nada.
Afortunadamente, está en un lugar seguro y Martin lo acompaña. Lo ama. No lo dejará.
Desafortunadamente, la casa segura –ja– no le hace honor a su nombre (¡se está alimentando de ellos, por…!) y Jon comprende que deben irse, irse, salir de ahí y rápido.
¿Aunque a dónde ir, a dónde ir? ¿al Instituto? sí, sí. Para enfrentar a Elias –incluso si eso podría, quizás, no servir de mucho– y, también, para buscar un método con el cual deshacer el ritual maldito –incluso si Gertrude Robinson no creía en la existencia de dicho método–, sí.
Lamentablemente, el viaje va a ser todo menos tranquilo y agradable…
Profile Image for n.
393 reviews101 followers
January 5, 2024
yes, martin. you are my reason.

hello and welcome back to ana has thoughts, the show where i write down stuff i feel and you read it for whatever reason. on today's episode of ana has thoughts, lets talk about the magnus archives, written by jonathan sims, and directed by alexander j. newall.


the thing about tma is that you have to go in blind so if you dont know what im talking about, good! go search for the magnus archives episode 1 and do not read on or im gonna k word you right now.


alright, now that those people are gone, can i just say: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH


thank you for reading todays episode of ana has thoughts. to subscribe, click the follow button in the profile of this account, or visit us on patreon under-


jokes aside, can we like. can we like talk about the magnus archives. can we talk about the eye, the fool. can we talk about silent invisible pain no one cares to ask about. can we talk about the whir of tape recorders that only turn on when it matters. can we talk about the antichrist and his plus one. can we talk about you were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. can we talk about knowing as fact and knowing as feeling. can we talk about needing a fucking cigarette. and can we talk about how every action has consequences and how, for everything you gain, you have to pay a price. how sometimes, you want to pay it. how most times, it won't be enough. you cannot turn back time. you cannot live again. you cannot undo what you've done. you can only deal with it, one way, or another.


how fucked up, that what we needed to fall in love, was for the world to end. was it worth it? would you do it again? how many versions of you would choose the knife over never meeting me at all? spotify, play francesca by hozier. i need to fucking die.


*

why do these gay bitches always stab each other out of love !!!!!!!!!!! what’s wrong with them !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! im laying face down in a puddle and im NOT getting up

happy new year or whatever!!!!!!!!!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for machado.
167 reviews
Read
December 30, 2021
*slaps MAG 199 & 200* these bad boys can fit so much pain in it
Profile Image for Hamed Manoochehri.
329 reviews39 followers
January 30, 2025
وقتی مو لای درز پایان بندی نمیره و احساس میکنی تمام سوالات اصلی جواب داده شده، بیشتر راغب میشی که یه بار دیگه و در اولین فرصت، تجربه رُ تکرار کنی.

داستان اصلی که عالی بود.
داستان های آنتولوژی هم به ظرافت اجرا شدن و حتی بعضی مواقع از فصل اول و دوم هم بهتر بودن. شخصیت های فرعی اینجا نقش کلیدی هم در پلات و هم در پرملات کردن داستان داشتن و تک تکشون جذاب از کار در اومدن.
تنها مشکل داستان به نظرم رُمنس زورَکی بود که حقیقتا قااابل تحمل بودا ولی میشد که حذف بشه.

امیدوارم شما هم به این مجموعه گوش بدید، بترسید و لذت ببرید.
Profile Image for ν1ятυα.
311 reviews5 followers
March 26, 2021
"The Magnus Archives WAS a podcast-" *ugly sobbing intensifies*
Profile Image for olya.
106 reviews25 followers
March 25, 2021
no thoughts just [fabric rustles]....
Profile Image for Ana-Maria.
16 reviews
March 26, 2021
If I'm to be completely honest, Season 5 overall and the ending as well have been a little underwhelming - compared to Season 4, that is, which has been absolutely amazing.

Thing is, once the world became a living nightmare so did the horror element become rather... mainstream. The fact that terrible things happened to normal people leading normal lives was horrific in itself, and once that became the norm there was nothing surprising or truly horrifying to it anymore. Of course, that allowed for focus on the actual narrative and more creative freedom with the statements themselves - yet the story became rather predictable and the ending (while excellently performed) was not exactly what I had hoped for. Still, perhaps it is better for things to settle like this, and having already had a major twist in Season 4 that literally blew me away, I'm satisfied. I loved the series, the Rusty Quill team is absolutely amazing and I'm thankful for this fantastic experience ♥
Profile Image for urwa.
356 reviews285 followers
May 18, 2023
The horror genre at its finest!

"Together, one way or another."


Screaming, crying, throwing up, absolutely numb because I feel like I had an emotionally harrowing experience and I won't be the same again. There is Before Magnus Urwa and After Magnus Urwa. Both are equally depressed but at least After Magnus Urwa got to experience this beautiful wonderful story, and now feels at peace (not really).

Full disclosure, I started crying even before the final episode started. Just listening to Alex say goodbye and thank you to the show was enough trauma for me. With that said, Season 5 was an absolute masterpiece. I believe <->The Magnus Archives is Rusty Quill's Magnum Opus, and they redefined the horror genre, and the way we conceive and consume horror. It made me rethink many horror tropes, and the nature of humanity. How fear is such an integral part of our existence, and how fear shapes and reshapes the course of our world and our actions. The themes, the character arcs, every single stand-alone statement, and the overall plot of the show, it was all handled wonderfully and I am still in awe of how they were able to build up the strings of the mystery from Episode 1 and were able to conclude it in such a satisfying manner. The ending was perfect considering the characters' motivations and personalities, the nature of the story and the foreshadowing from the start. I have to admit I was in a state of numb acceptance by the end because I knew where the characters were heading emotionally so it wasn't as much of a shock. In terms of the plot, the climax was the perfect 40-60 ish blend of stuff I predicted and stuff that surprised me. The perfect formula for executing a horror mystery, where the reader/listener is given enough red string to be able to predict most of the big stuff, but there are still tiny surprises that make you go "oh my god what!".

Honestly, it took me about a month to finish Season 5 while I often listened to the previous seasons for around a week. The main reason was how emotionally heavy this season was. After the events of the season 4 finale, all bets were off, but apart from the uncertainty of where the plot was heading the horror was a more front stage. I've said it before, seasons 2-4 pale in comparison to the creep factor in Season 1. Season 5 might be the only season able to match Season 1, and sometimes exceed that. Season 5 is very very dark. It might just be due to the events of 2020 affecting Jonny's writing, because it got a lot more political, and there was a lot of real-world trauma infused into the statements. The mental hospital statements, the war statements, and the dark and lonely statements were genuinely hard to listen to. I had to take frequent breaks between Acts because at times the horror started to get too real. I also don't think I can do the "top episodes of the season" this time because all of them were genuinely so good?? I don't know how Jonny managed to keep the show so fresh after 200 episodes of horror, but still, every statement hit hard.
Season 1, Season 3, and Season 5 are my favourite seasons, but if I had to choose a single one I still think it would be season 5.

Spoilers!


IDK what I'm going to do with my life now, I guess relisten to all 5 seasons before Magnus Protocol comes out 🤡. Glad I was able to be a part of the story, however late. This is something I will carry with me my whole life. I am left with that wonderful feeling of having finished a particularly good book that comes around every 5 years. Thank you to Jonny, Alex and the whole team at Rusty Quill for such a nuanced exploration of fear and humanity. Brilliant voice acting from everyone and brilliant sound design (especially these last couple of seasons).

Blog Review

Before Starting:
on one hand, i want to jump right in because i am so curious about where the story goes now. on the other hand, i don't think i can handle the emotional devastation this season will ultimately turn out to be
Profile Image for Lavi.
246 reviews13 followers
March 25, 2021
Chocolate torte of tragedy indeed.
I knew it was coming, but did Jonny really have to be a man of his word like that?

I need to go eat some icecream and lie down.

Made Thursdays my favourite day of the week for a whole year though, going to miss that so much

Why do nice things have to end?
Profile Image for juls.
159 reviews7 followers
September 14, 2023
I've been thinking about what to say for like 10 minutes but all I can feel is pain and misery

[15.09.2023] finished first relisten and it hurts just as it did before
Profile Image for Alder Narron.
10 reviews1 follower
November 7, 2020
i am so terrified for the ending please please please be nice Jonny I'm begging you
Profile Image for Kathryn.
801 reviews28 followers
February 7, 2022
Message to Johnny and co:

Respectfully, fuck you.

That was the most emotional ride I’ve ever taken in audio format, and likely will be for a long time, and I was unprepared and now I’m a blubbering mess and it is entirely your fault. Perhaps not entirely. Courteney, you’re also getting a big old fuck you for making me listen.

In other comments, this was literally the perfect ending and I loved it so much even while I’m going through the 5 stages of grief writing this. I’m still stuck on bargaining (that there’s more) so it’s not looking good.

Finally thank you for that high quality Martin/John content from this season. It meant a lot.

Fuck you all and for the love of The Eye, listen to this.
Profile Image for Cris.
141 reviews17 followers
March 25, 2021
It's done forever, and I am not okay (I promise).

I won't get into details, just listen to the podcast, it's possibly one of the best stories I have ever consumed in any format.

All the 5 seasons are insanely coherent, everything falls to place perfectly, and honestly you have no reasons not to give this podcast a try, so go on right now if you haven't already.
Profile Image for atria .
287 reviews149 followers
April 24, 2025
how will i fill the void that this podcast has created in me?

----------------------------------

i don't even fucking know what to say.

in many ways season 5 is the weakest season because of the lack of action in each of the episodes but also... action isn't the point of the magnus archives, is it? it's about fear — the anatomy of it, the consequences of it. and god, fuck, it does that so so so well. jonny sims is one HELL of a writer like god-fucking-damn and i just love what tma does with horror. it literally made history. there, i said it. there will be no other piece of art like it. the connections, the writing, the thinking that went into this whole production. the way it takes characters and makes them so human even if they are the literal embodiment of eldritch horror themselves.

and to think, the entirety of it is the magnus archives. like it's not the end. of course it's not. because the magnus archives was a part in the plan of the web! and like the whole concept of this scratches my brain itch so good.

i need to like rub my brain against a wall and listen to this 3 more times to even comprehend the things i feel for tma.

----------------------------

wdym the magnus archives is not an office romance? did you miss the part jonmartin go from enemies to lovers and go on a trip to watch some good cows & just stay happily ever after?
Profile Image for Eliot.
133 reviews19 followers
April 14, 2021
[KISS]
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Armita.
307 reviews38 followers
May 21, 2024
هر روز چند ماه گذشته رو با این پادکست گذروندم و حالا نمی‌دونم چیکار کنم و جای خالیش رو چجوری پرکنم. =((
189 reviews
November 15, 2021
I really missed the old format of the statements in this one they were just too poetic and idealogical. For me there was not enough narrative or real people to connect with so I didn’t care at all about which person was being tormented by the dread horror domain they were in. Existential fear is great and I get what they were going for but if I don’t care about the specifics of a characters circumstance then I won’t care about the existential fears which overarch their lives.
Maybe this was because they were in nightmare territory so by the dream logic (which we were constantly reminded of as a bit of a get out of jail free card) they can’t die but also had no autonomy. So it just felt like there was no stakes, and I couldn’t get personally invested, so they became cattle, felt a bit like Alice in Wonderland syndrome.

I felt myself switching off while the statement was happening and then tuning in only to follow Martin and the Archivist’s journey. This was the opposite of past seasons were I have loved the statements as standalone creepy pasta style stories and conversely struggled to keep up with the meta plot.

I am still so glad I listened to all of the Magnus Archives and will maybe go back one day and relisten to Season 1 and 2 that had more simple spooky statements.

A lot of the threads were tied up but just not in any mind blowingly satisfying way. The sound design and production quality were as always excellent.

Tried to get into some of Rusty Quills other podcasts: RPG and others but it didn’t do it for me, a bit too geeky (which I would usually love but maybe I’m just a geek about specific things, horror definitely being one of them).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Irune.
318 reviews1 follower
October 8, 2023
Id like to give a statement that's only screams of suffering, thank you <3
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