Binker
25th November 2011, 05:47 PM
This is the second book (after The Magicians) in Lev Grossman's series of what I understand is supposed to be 3 books. It's very good, but the end does make it seem like there simply has to be at least 1 other book and possibly several.
In this book, Quentin and three of his friends are the kings and queens of Fillory. But there seem to be problems in Fillory--it becomes clear that the magical elements are worried about something. And Quentin is more than a bit bored. So he accepts what appears to be a very small potatoes quest that turns out to be much, much more. You do really watch Quentin mature and you get to know Julia and all of her troubles exceedingly well. In fact, the book rather abruptly switches back and forth from the quest and its permutations to the story of how Julia, having been denied a Brakebills education, became a powerful witch in her own right. If Quentin believes his life has been hard, it is nothing compared to what Julia has endured.
At the end, the characters go in several different directions and it's hard to believe that the next book will follow each of them and do them all justice, but I think Grossman is up to the task.
At the beginning, in particular, the writing is very funny, with the main characters making very clever observations. For example, after a grueling tournament culminating in a swordfight between the two remaining contestants, a man named "Bingle" becomes Quentin's bodyguard. After traveling together for awhile, Quentin observes, "He wasn't anywhere near as jolly as his name made him sound, though that would have been almost impossible since his name made him sound like a clown who entertained at children's parties." Bingle remains that un-funny while his name remains jarringly inappropriate throughout the book. But as events become less funny, the characters stop joking around as much. But I did enjoy the humor while it lasted.
If you have not read the first book in the series, them my recommendation would be to wait until the series is finished. I read The Magicians earlier this year, but had forgotten a lot of the detail and some of the events that are referred to in this book. I am about to mail this book off to my friend in Austin who has just read The Magicians and my guess is that she'll get even more out of it than I did. But we will be in similar positions when the next book comes out. While it seems odd to say, "I loved this book! But wait to read it," that is, in fact, my recommendation.
In this book, Quentin and three of his friends are the kings and queens of Fillory. But there seem to be problems in Fillory--it becomes clear that the magical elements are worried about something. And Quentin is more than a bit bored. So he accepts what appears to be a very small potatoes quest that turns out to be much, much more. You do really watch Quentin mature and you get to know Julia and all of her troubles exceedingly well. In fact, the book rather abruptly switches back and forth from the quest and its permutations to the story of how Julia, having been denied a Brakebills education, became a powerful witch in her own right. If Quentin believes his life has been hard, it is nothing compared to what Julia has endured.
At the end, the characters go in several different directions and it's hard to believe that the next book will follow each of them and do them all justice, but I think Grossman is up to the task.
At the beginning, in particular, the writing is very funny, with the main characters making very clever observations. For example, after a grueling tournament culminating in a swordfight between the two remaining contestants, a man named "Bingle" becomes Quentin's bodyguard. After traveling together for awhile, Quentin observes, "He wasn't anywhere near as jolly as his name made him sound, though that would have been almost impossible since his name made him sound like a clown who entertained at children's parties." Bingle remains that un-funny while his name remains jarringly inappropriate throughout the book. But as events become less funny, the characters stop joking around as much. But I did enjoy the humor while it lasted.
If you have not read the first book in the series, them my recommendation would be to wait until the series is finished. I read The Magicians earlier this year, but had forgotten a lot of the detail and some of the events that are referred to in this book. I am about to mail this book off to my friend in Austin who has just read The Magicians and my guess is that she'll get even more out of it than I did. But we will be in similar positions when the next book comes out. While it seems odd to say, "I loved this book! But wait to read it," that is, in fact, my recommendation.