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Reading lists

The best fantasy book series to escape into new worlds

(Book 1)

The Magicians

Quentin Coldwater is brilliant but miserable. Obsessed with the fantasy novels he read as a child, he finds the real world just doesn't compare. 
 
Then one day it happens: he stumbles unexpectedly into a hidden world and is invited to join a very exclusive college, where he will learn the secrets of magic. 
 
But something is still missing. 
 
And now Quentin will do anything to find what he's always been looking for. 
 
 
 
Praise for The Magicians Trilogy 
 
 
'The best fantasy trilogy of the decade.' Charles Stross 
 
'The most entertaining and compelling fantasy I've read in a long time.' The Times 
 
'Lev Grossman has conjured a rare creature: a trilogy that simply gets better and better as it goes along... Literary perfection.' Erin Morgenstern 
 
'May just be the most subversive, gripping, and enchanting fantasy novel I've read this century.' Cory Doctorow 
 
'Dark and dangerous and full of twists. Hogwarts was never like this.' George R. R. Martin 
 
'Sad, hilarious, beautiful, and essential to anyone who cares about modern fantasy.' Joe Hill 
 
'A darkly cunning story about the power of imagination itself.' The New Yorker 
 
'The Magicians ought to be required reading... a terrific, at times almost painfully perceptive novel of the fantastic.' Kelly Link 
 
'Brilliantly explores the hidden underbelly of fantasy and easy magic, taking what's simple on the surface and turning it over to show us the complicated writhing mess beneath.' Naomi Novik

Stirring, complex, adventurous . . . Grossman delivers superb coming of age fantasy.

Junot Diaz, author of Drown and The Brief Wondrous Life Of Oscar Wao

A darkly cunning story about the power of imagination itself.

Dark and dangerous and full of twists. Hogwart's was never like this.

The Magicians ought to be required reading... a terrific, at times almost painfully perceptive novel of the fantastic.

Brilliantly explores the hidden underbelly of fantasy and easy magic, taking what's simple on the surface and turning it over to show us the complicated writhing mess beneath.

The most entertaining and compelling fantasy I've read in a long time.

Lev Grossman has conjured a rare creature: a trilogy that simply gets better and better as it goes along...Literary perfection.

The Magicians is fantastic, in all senses of the word. It's strange, fanciful, extravagant, eccentric, and truly remarkable.

The Magicians is angst-ridden, bleak, occasionally joyous and gloriously readable. Forget Hogwarts: this is where the magic really is.

This is a book for grown-up fans of children's fantasy and would also appeal to those who loved Donna Tartt's The Secret History . Highly recommended

The Magicians is the most dazzling, erudite and thoughtful fantasy novel to date. You'll be bedazzled by the magic but also brought short by what it has to say about the world we live in

author of The Russian Debutante's Handbook and Absurdistan

The Magicians is a spellbinding, fast-moving, dark fantasy book for grownups that feels like an instant classic. I read it in a niffin-blue blaze of page turning, enthralled by Grossman's verbal and imaginative wizardry, his complex characters and most of all, his superb, brilliant inquiry into the wondrous, dangerous world of magic

author of The Epicure's Lament and The Great Man

The Magicians is Harry Potter as it might have been written by John Crowley...This is one of the best fantasies I've read in ages

The author has taken all that is held dear in the fantasy genre, reverently (most of the time) tipping the hat to Rowling, Tolkien, Lewis, Le Guin and others, and shown it from a completely different and unique angle

...a gripping fantasy thriller that will please all the older Harry Potter fans out there

Lev Grossman is the author of the No. 1 bestselling Magicians trilogy, which has been published in thirty countries and adapted as a TV show that ran for five seasons. He is also a screenwriter and the author of two children’s books, The Golden Swift and The Silver Arrow, and his journalism has appeared in Time, Vanity Fair, the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times, among many other places. He lives with his wife and children in New York City.

Quentin Coldwater is brilliant but miserable. Obsessed with the fantasy novels he read as a child, he finds the real world just doesn't compare. 
 
Then one day it happens: he stumbles unexpectedly into a hidden world and is invited to join a very exclusive college, where he will learn the secrets of magic. 
 
But something is still missing. 
 
And now Quentin will do anything to find what he's always been looking for.

(Book 2)

The Magician King

Quentin and his friends are now the kings and queens of the magical land of Fillory. But he finds himself growing restless. 
 
So when a mystery at the heart of the kingdom is uncovered, Quentin and his old friend Julia charter a sailing ship and set off to the wild outer reaches. 
 
But their voyage will take them much further than they imagined and leave them with a choice that could have devastating consequences - for Fillory and for magic itself. 
 
 
 
 
Praise for The Magicians Trilogy 
 
 
'The best fantasy trilogy of the decade.' Charles Stross 
 
'The most entertaining and compelling fantasy I've read in a long time.' The Times 
 
'Lev Grossman has conjured a rare creature: a trilogy that simply gets better and better as it goes along... Literary perfection.' Erin Morgenstern 
 
'May just be the most subversive, gripping, and enchanting fantasy novel I've read this century.' Cory Doctorow 
 
'Dark and dangerous and full of twists. Hogwarts was never like this.' George R. R. Martin 
 
'Sad, hilarious, beautiful, and essential to anyone who cares about modern fantasy.' Joe Hill 
 
'A darkly cunning story about the power of imagination itself.' The New Yorker 
 
'The Magicians ought to be required reading... a terrific, at times almost painfully perceptive novel of the fantastic.' Kelly Link 
 
'Brilliantly explores the hidden underbelly of fantasy and easy magic, taking what's simple on the surface and turning it over to show us the complicated writhing mess beneath.' Naomi Novik

Lev Grossman has conjured a rare creature: a trilogy that simply gets better and better as it goes along... Literary perfection.

Lev Grossman's novel is full of magic ... stupendous urban fantasy ... The Magician King is Harry Potter for grown-ups who have learned to hate Harry Potter

A story about extraordinary deeds, heroism, magic and love -- all the stuff that makes escapism go. It's a fantastic trick that makes this into a book that entertains and disturbs at the same time

Fabulous fantasy spiked with bitter adult wisdom-not to be missed.

An excellent follow-up to a brilliant first installment.

Grossman's trademark eloquent-yet-hip writing style flourishes in this sequel, a creative and entertaining novel well worth the wait

Quentin and his friends are now the kings and queens of the magical land of Fillory. But he finds himself growing restless. 
 
So when a mystery at the heart of the kingdom is uncovered, Quentin and his old friend Julia charter a sailing ship and set off to the wild outer reaches. 
 
But their voyage will take them much further than they imagined and leave them with a choice that could have devastating consequences - for Fillory and for magic itself.

(Book 3)

The Magician's Land

Quentin has been cast out of Fillory. Alone and adrift, he returns to Brakebills, the school of magic where it all began. But he can't hide from his past. 
 
His new path will take him through a world of grey and uncertain magic, from Antarctica to the 
enchanted Neitherlands. 
 
But all roads lead back to Fillory. The magical barriers are failing and the realm faces destruction. To save them, Quentin must unlock the secrets of magic and risk sacrificing everything. 
 
 
 
 
 
Praise for The Magicians Trilogy 
 
 
'The best fantasy trilogy of the decade.' Charles Stross 
 
'The most entertaining and compelling fantasy I've read in a long time.' The Times 
 
'Lev Grossman has conjured a rare creature: a trilogy that simply gets better and better as it goes along... Literary perfection.' Erin Morgenstern 
 
'May just be the most subversive, gripping, and enchanting fantasy novel I've read this century.' Cory Doctorow 
 
'Dark and dangerous and full of twists. Hogwarts was never like this.' George R. R. Martin 
 
'Sad, hilarious, beautiful, and essential to anyone who cares about modern fantasy.' Joe Hill 
 
'A darkly cunning story about the power of imagination itself.' The New Yorker 
 
'The Magicians ought to be required reading... a terrific, at times almost painfully perceptive novel of the fantastic.' Kelly Link 
 
'Brilliantly explores the hidden underbelly of fantasy and easy magic, taking what's simple on the surface and turning it over to show us the complicated writhing mess beneath.' Naomi Novik

The final part of the outstanding Magicians trilogy ... Lev Grossman manipulates fantasy genres with skill ... The Magician's Land glitters with wit.

Richly imagined and continually surprising ... The strongest book in Grossman's series.

[A] wonderful trilogy ... If the Narnia books were like catnip for a certain kind of kid, these books are like crack for a certain kind of adult.

A wholly satisfying and stirring conclusion to this weird and wonderful tale ... Relentlessly subversive and inventive.

The Magician's Land triumphantly answers the essential questions at the heart of the series.

The strength of the trilogy lies ... in the characters, whose inner lives and frailties Grossman renders with care and empathy ... Quentin[’s] ... magical journey is deeply human.

The world of Grossman's 'Magicians' series is arrestingly original, joyful and messy. It's so vividly rendered that it's almost disappointing to remember that it doesn't, after all, exist.

The last (and IOHO, best) book in the hit Magicians trilogy. Savor every word.

A perfect ending … If you have read the first two installments, believe me, you don't want to miss this one

The Magician’s Land is a wonderful wrap up of the Magicians trilogy. Lev Grossman is sympathetic to his characters and to his readers by giving them both one last, yet satisfying adventure

A great novel and series, The Magicians Trilogy is very highly recommended indeed.

Quentin has been cast out of Fillory. Alone and adrift, he returns to Brakebills, the school of magic where it all began. But he can't hide from his past. 
 
His new path will take him through a world of grey and uncertain magic, from Antarctica to the 
enchanted Neitherlands. 
 
But all roads lead back to Fillory. The magical barriers are failing and the realm faces destruction. To save them, Quentin must unlock the secrets of magic and risk sacrificing everything.

Codex

A fast-paced, page-turning literary thriller that is half The Rule of Four and half The Matrix, from the author of the New York Times bestseller The Magicians.

A genuine treat, with its sneaky plot and richly textured storytelling. It also moves so fast that readers won't realize how smart it is

Codex takes its place on the shelf [with] The Name of the Rose, Possession and A Case of Curiosities, and it's as entertaining as any of them

Fabulously entertaining ... By turns fascinating, compelling, and deliciously disturbing.  It's an intelligent thriller that truly is just that: intelligently thrilling

Mesmerizing from start to finish ... A fabulous double-helix of a novel

A long lost library. A priceless manuscript. A deadly secret... 
 
About to depart on his first vacation in years, Edward Wozny, a young hot-shot banker, is sent to help one of his firm's most important and mysterious clients. When asked to unpack and organise a personal library of rare books, Edward's indignation turns to intrigue as he realises that among the volumes there may be hidden a unique medieval codex, a treasure kept sealed away for many years and for many reasons. 
 
Edward's intrigue becomes an obsession that only deepens as friends draw him into a peculiar and addictive computer game, as mystifying parallels between the game's virtual reality and the legend of the codex emerge and the lines between reality, fantasy and mysterious legend start to blur ...

Lev Grossman

If you love King Arthur as much as I do, you'll love Lev Grossman's THE BRIGHT SWORD, a fresh and engrossing take on the Matter of Britain featuring a colourful cast of Round Table knights who don't often get as much story time as they deserve. The creator of THE MAGICIANS has woven another spell.

George R. R. Martin, author of A Game of Thrones

For anyone who&rsquo;s ever craved a seat at the Round Table. Utterly enchanting.

Rebecca Yarros, No.1 Sunday Times bestselling author of Fourth Wing

Compulsively readable and expertly told. Lev Grossman transports the reader with such assurance and finesse. Just pick it up and lose yourself inside these pages. You won&rsquo;t want to leave until the tale is done.

Victor LaValle, author of The Changeling and Lone Women

A novel that is as much about the Matter of Britain as it is our own florid and layered imaginings of it. Breathlessly weaves themes of faith, duty, and selfhood with a classic sword-and-sorcery adventure - this is why we read fantasy.

Ava Reid, Sunday Times bestselling author of A Study in Drowning

PRAISE FOR LEV GROSSMAN'S MAGICIANS TRILOGY

The Magicians is to Harry Potter as a shot of Irish whiskey is to a glass of weak tea . . . dark and dangerous and full of twists. Hogwarts was never like this.

George R. R. Martin, bestselling author of A Game of Thrones

A darkly cunning story about the power of imagination itself.

Lev Grossman has conjured a rare creature: a trilogy that simply gets better and better as it goes along . . . Literary perfection.

The most entertaining and compelling fantasy I've read in a long time.

Brilliantly explores the hidden underbelly of fantasy and easy magic, taking what's simple on the surface and turning it over to show us the complicated writhing mess beneath.

No. 1 New York Times bestselling author of the Magicians trilogy returns with a triumphant reimagining of the King Arthur legend for the new millennium. 
______________________________________________________________ 
'You'll love Lev Grossman's The Bright Sword' George R.R. Martin 
 
'This book is not only one of the best of the year, but it’s one of the best Arthurian novels ever' Lit Hub 
 
'Utterly enchanting' Rebecca Yarros'a beautifully written, suitably weird, very human take on King Arthur' Joe Abercrombie 
 
'Breathtaking' Publishers Weekly 
 
'This is why we read fantasy' Ava ReidWhen gifted young knight Collum arrives at Camelot to compete for a place on the Round Table, he quickly discovers that he’s too late:The king died two weeks ago at the Battle of Camlann, and only a handful of the knights of the Round Table are left. 
 
And the survivors aren’t the heroes of legend either, like Lancelot or Gawain. They’re the oddballs of the Round Table, like Sir Palomides, the Saracen Knight, and Sir Dagonet, Arthur’s fool, who was knighted as a joke. They’re joined by Nimue, who was Merlin’s apprentice until she turned on him and buried him under a hill. 
 
But it’s up to them to rebuild Camelot in a world that has lost its balance, even as God abandons Britain and the fairies and old gods are returning, led by Morgan le Fay. They must reclaim Excalibur and make this ruined world whole again. 
 
But first they’ll have to solve the mystery of why the lonely, brilliant King Arthur fell. 
 
The first major Arthurian epic of the new millennium, The Bright Sword is a story about imperfect men and women, full of strength and pain, who are looking for a way to reforge a broken land in spite of being broken themselves.

Lev Grossman

Praise for The Bright Sword

If you love King Arthur as much as I do, you'll love Lev Grossman's THE BRIGHT SWORD, a fresh and engrossing take on the Matter of Britain featuring a colourful cast of Round Table knights who don't often ...

For anyone who’s ever craved a seat at the Round Table. Utterly enchanting.

Compulsively readable and expertly told. Lev Grossman transports the reader with such assurance and finesse. Just pick it up and lose yourself inside these pages. You won’t want to leave until the tale is d ...

If you love King Arthur as much as I do, you'll love Lev Grossman's THE BRIGHT SWORD, a fresh and engrossing take on the Matter of Britain featuring a colourful cast of Round Table knights who don't often ...

For anyone who’s ever craved a seat at the Round Table. Utterly enchanting.

Compulsively readable and expertly told. Lev Grossman transports the reader with such assurance and finesse. Just pick it up and lose yourself inside these pages. You won’t want to leave until the tale is d ...

If you love King Arthur as much as I do, you'll love Lev Grossman's THE BRIGHT SWORD, a fresh and engrossing take on the Matter of Britain featuring a colourful cast of Round Table knights who don't often ...

For anyone who’s ever craved a seat at the Round Table. Utterly enchanting.

Compulsively readable and expertly told. Lev Grossman transports the reader with such assurance and finesse. Just pick it up and lose yourself inside these pages. You won’t want to leave until the tale is d ...

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The best fantasy book series to escape into new worlds

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