Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

Unavailable
The Magician's Land: A Novel
Unavailable
The Magician's Land: A Novel
Unavailable
The Magician's Land: A Novel
Audiobook16 hours

The Magician's Land: A Novel

Written by Lev Grossman

Narrated by Mark Bramhall

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

()

Currently unavailable

Currently unavailable

About this audiobook

Quentin Coldwater has been cast out of Fillory, the secret magical land of his childhood dreams. With nothing left to lose he returns to where his story began, the Brakebills Preparatory College of Magic. But he can't hide from his past, and it's not long before it comes looking for him.

Along with Plum, a brilliant young undergraduate with a dark secret of her own, Quentin sets out on a crooked path through a magical demimonde of gray magic and desperate characters. But all roads lead back to Fillory, and his new life takes him to old haunts, like Antarctica, and to buried secrets and old friends he thought were lost forever. He uncovers the key to a sorcery masterwork, a spell that could create a magical utopia, a new Fillory--but casting it will set in motion a chain of events that will bring Earth and Fillory crashing together. To save them he will have to risk sacrificing everything.

The Magician's Land is an intricate thriller, a fantastical epic, and a story of love and redemption that brings the Magicians trilogy to a magnificent conclusion, confirming it as one of the great achievements in modern fantasy. It's the story of a boy becoming a man, an apprentice becoming a master, and a broken land finally becoming whole.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateAug 5, 2014
ISBN9780698153622
Unavailable
The Magician's Land: A Novel

Related to The Magician's Land

Related audiobooks

Literary Fiction For You

View More

Related articles

Reviews for The Magician's Land

Rating: 4.144254034229829 out of 5 stars
4/5

818 ratings51 reviews

What did you think?

Tap to rate

Review must be at least 10 words

  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    If you’ve read The Magicians and The Magician King by Lev Grossman you’ve probably already read The Magician’s Land – the third in the trilogy – because it came out over a month ago. (And if you haven’t read the first two already, why not?) “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 New Yorker For more, visit Bay State Reader's Advisory.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5

    Finished. I won't give out any spoilers but this book was good. Each Magician book is so different that it's always jarring to go from one to another. This book was gruesome and often bittersweet but also kinder in places than the series has been.

  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Seriously, I love this series so much. It wraps me up in a warm fuzzy blanket, sits me on a soft velvet sofa, and builds me a cracking fire on a dark snowy night. Or, to put it more simply, this book takes me to a cozy place. Every time I sank into it, I wanted to stay right there, and every time I had to close the cover, it felt exactly like having to get out of a toasty bed on a frigid morning ("But I don't waaaaant to!")
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A great finish to an excellent series. I really enjoyed the first book of this series but for some reason was leery to continue as I was not really sure where it was going. I am glad that I got over this and tried the next book in the series and to my glee, the author not only took me in places I was not expecting, he totally engaged me while doing it. It was not a surprise that I moved onto the last book in the series as soon as I could get a copy and this one did not disappoint. This novel had everything I enjoy in a fantasy tale, enthralling characters, a great magic system and a story that can spur the imagination into new realms. This was one of the best series that I have ever read.

    5 Stars for a great read... recommended for anyone who enjoys being enthralled by a story!!!!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I secured an advanced read copy of this book through Penguin's First to Read program.

    Overall, I thought this book provided a great ending to the trilogy. I did however have issues with the pacing of this book and at times I felt like it didn't flow well. The first book focused on Quentin and the Physical Kids.The second book focused on Julia and FTB while still allowing the reader to see what was going on in Fillory. This book was just all over the place. I thought, and would have liked, to see this book focus more on Plum's story or maybe even Penny. The beginning of this book focused on a heist which in the end, likely could have never occurred to reach the same ending. I did appreciate the return, albeit short lived, to Brakebills and to Brakebills South but again, they were unnecessary and too frenetic. I enjoyed spending more time in Fillory and checking in on all of the characters. But in the end, it just felt like cramming 5 stories into one.

    On the other hand, I feel as though the writing style improved with each book in the series. I don't know if Grossman intended this, but it seemed as though his writing style matured as Quentin did. Quentin changed a lot as he became less of the whiny pretentious teenager from Brooklyn and more of the strong and self confident magician he always wanted to be. I also really liked the ending he chose for himself in regards to his relationship with Fillory. Great book and great series!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Absolutely breathtaking finish to an amazing trilogy. Loved it!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    it was a fitting end to the story, all the story lines where wrapped up neatly. Although it was wrapped up in differently left room for another book if he decides to. i would differently recommend the series
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    brilliantly written, and read. The pacing is magnificent, characters dynamic. love it
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    the best of the trilogy with such a satisfying ending.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Loved it. Gosh, how I wish the book hadn't ended.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Another satisfying read. Although I enjoyed the second book more, it's good to see here what became of Julia.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    4.5 stars

    I loved the first 2 books and read them back to back. Quite a bit of time passed before I read this final book. I wish that I would have reread or at least reviewed the others before starting it. I do recommend doing that because there are several key characters and a very rich plot throughout. I really like how the author hints at so many well-known fantasy stories and then totally takes them a different direction. You never actually know what type of outcome to expect. It's wonderful to me that there isn't a single magical way to fix it all or a specific quest the characters are on. Things just go how they're gonna go. If you're lucky enough to be apart of it then you are. Excellent.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A good ending to the series.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    In which the awesome magic of perfectly cooked bacon is deployed. The book, its characters plot pacing etc. are a real mix, we do find offhandedly what the dragons did, but not why the Chatwins were all that. While Quentin's developments seem mostly displayed in his ability to accept he doesn't seem to develop himself particularly.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    May be the best book in the trilogy and it's the last one. Not filled with all the cliches and parody of Harry Potter and Narnia and it actually tells a unique and compelling story that weaves all the threads together. This is a series that I felt like it matured as it went (literally) though I suppose I liked the middle novel the least. The author also spins a lot of interesting side stories and reincorporates material and plot points from earlier, which I really appreciate. I wouldn't be surprised if there were some outrigger and our sort of sequels to this series.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I don't believe it, Lex Grossman actually brought it all together in the end. It was touch and go there after book two, The Magician King, but he did it. At the end of book two I thought , Julia's a demigod, Alice is still dead, Quinton is kicked out of Fillery, Janet's in charge and Elliot, well Elliot is still Elliot- just not getting "any" ( so ya know he's pissed). But it all came back together full circle and with the suspension of disbelief, it made sense.
    I LOVED this series- but high schoolers and up.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Read all three of these a binge in a hotel room in Bangkok when I couldn't go out. Confirms my feeling this is Harry Potter for grownups – not that there's anything wrong with that. Fun escapism and fast-moving.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I have read and listened to this book several times now and still love it just as much as the first time. However, I recently made the big mistake of watching the tv series. Despite the pretty actors, I found it repulsive. I don't have Grossman's tolerance towards the butchery of his much loved books. And I advise those that do love his work to stay well clear of it. Regarding this audiobook, Bramhall does a great job of bringing to life all the characters, English and American. This book is still as wonderful a refuge as Fillory is for Quentin.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This volume was a vast improvement over the preceding two. I see how they were necessary though. Quentin really evolved in this one. He was much less of a douchey tool and it was rewarding to see some self-actualization and growth finally. I thought the way everything ended was suitable and lovely. It almost makes me sad that the series is over.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    It's time to return to Brakebills, to Fillory, to the world of Quentin Coldwater.When we left Quentin at the end of The Magician King, he was banished from his beloved land. We meet him in The Magician's Land walking into an under-average looking bookstore on earth trying to figure out how to live a meaningful life.A meaningful life is the underlying theme of the Magician Trilogy. In each volume we see Quentin transform from a self-centered angst-ridden prodigy to something deeper. The Magician's Land finishes this transformation in fantastic style. Grossman pulls together a number of old plot threads into a completely satisfying concluding volume.The Magician's Trilogy ranks among the finest Fantasy literature around. I'm proud to shelve these volumes beside Robert Jordan, Tad Williams, and of course, C. S. Lewis.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This was a satisfying ending to a series that I enjoyed very much from the get go. Ultimately, what I appreciated the most was the how the characters were able to grow into their better selves, while staying very true, I thought to the essence of their personalities. And it's really fun to read something written by someone who has read all the same foundational books, I got a thrill every time I recognized even the smallest nod to stories I've read over and over. I also think it's very funny, it managed to be hilarious and genuine at the same time, and I think that's somewhat rare (for me) to find in fantasy books. Usually the ones that are comic seem too much like send-ups, even if I like them, it's like reading a parody of high fantasy and harder to get truly emotionally invested in the story -- but the Magicians books strike exactly the right balance of tone.My only complaint is Not Enough Josh.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    It's often the case that the third novel of a trilogy is the most satisfying one, as the loose threads come together, but it's not so common that the third book is actually the best one in its own right. I appreciated seeing some characters mature from the first book and less fantasticality for its own sake from the second. This conclusion isn't frantic to gather all the dropped threads together and stands pretty well on its own.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I am a sucker for a trilogy. So I knew I would read these all as soon as I started the first. But - it was hard work to get through the The Magician King - the second one. I felt off kilter all the time. They didn't behave the way I wanted a magical world to behave. I wanted happy magic. I know that Harry Potter was dark - but I always knew the good would win. Here - I wasn't so sure. It never felt like a done deal - it was always an option that the dark would just be.On top of that I really didn't like Quentin - the main character. He was a pompous ass and magic just made him a magical ass. But the Magician King wasn't really his story. It was much more about Julia - Quentin's high school pre-magic love interest in the first book. And although her story was intriguing - it was an even darker kind of magic. It was tied up in extreme teen-age angst and I am just tired of that. But - I am a sucker for a trilogy. So I kept going.And then I read the last book - the Magician's Land.And this one I liked. Quentin was dethroned and humanized. He couldn't toss magic around as easily instead he had to really work! And as he worked he became so much more likeable! And he sacrificed himself for others - always a great and heroic thing to do! And magic changed. I like that!So at the end of these three - I can say I am happy I read them.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is the third book in Lev Grossman's Magician's series (which has also recently been adapted into a TV show I haven't seen). To be honest, I found the first two rather disappointing; despite the fact that every single thing about them seemed like it should be right up my alley, they somehow just never worked for me the way I wanted them to. So I really only read the conclusion out of a sense of completism.But I'm glad I did. I liked this one much better, right from the beginning. I think it helps a lot that the main character, at this point, is a bit older and wiser, and thus significantly less annoying than he used to be. That, and this one didn't wait until the last 100 pages to feel like it was finally growing a plot, which I seem to remember being an issue for the others. I could nitpick some things if I wanted to -- developments that fit together a little too smoothly for realism, a slightly-too-abrupt character turn or two, a lack of sharp focus to the plot -- but mostly I'm not inclined to, because it kept me entertained and sufficiently happy. And I'm actually fairly impressed by the way the story ultimately transcends its own sense of cynicism without ever relinquishing it.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I about forgot to write this. Which kinda says something about the book. Simply put, it fell flat. Yes it was most readable. Yes I really enjoyed Janet in this. She tells a great story. As for the rest ? Well we meet some new characters, I wish we would have had more time with them. Great part of the story and whoosh all gone. Frankly they were more interesting than the "main" characters. I felt this was rushed and tidied up to quickly and neatly. I hate to say this, but maybe there should have been a 4th book. I can't believe I just wrote that, but there it is, in black and white. It should have been longer, juicer, more fulfilling for an ending of the series. It was like drinking flat soda. There you have it. A flat review to reflect my feelings.

    I just think about how much MORE there could have been. What about Stoppard? wasn't he cool? Or Beth(but not Beth)? What about Penny? Really? That's all we get? And Plum? What was the point of Plum? (I get the point, but really??) And Quentin ? Not satisfied. Not at all. Moving on.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Excellent slam dunk conclusion for the fun young adult Harry Potter type story.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This one didn't really do it for me, even though I kept wanting to like it more.

    I feel bad that I can't pinpoint what bothered me about the book. The repeated use of "who" when "whom" was called for chafed a bit, but not enough to mar my experience of the book as a whole. Mostly I think it just seemed too...big. Everything was hugely dire and happened on a grand scale, and it seemed almost too much for me to take seriously. The language seemed too simple, somehow, to encompass all of the world-building, human-building, gods-vs-mortals conflicts in the novel. And the ending...well, I always feel a little let down by tied-up-with-a-bow endings.

    I did laugh at some of the exchanges between Janet and Eliot, and I really enjoyed the Rupert part, but while I'm glad I read it, it's not a book I see myself picking up again in the future.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I really enjoyed this book. It is a satisfying continuation of the series. Quentin, the main character, has matured and grown out of the "jerk" that he was in the previous books. Having read the previous books makes it easier to appreciate Quentin's growth. I love that Grossman doesn't always take the expected route in his storytelling. The characters don't always behave in ways that one might expect. They feel like real people who react in ways that are unpredictable. Grossman's use of language, youthful perspective and mixture of popular culture make for a refreshing read. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and definitely recommend it to others who have read the previous two books. In my opinion, maybe the best of the three.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    A disappointing conclusion to an otherwise outstanding series. While the writing is sharp, the plot moves from one storyline to the next with very little to connect them all. I will, however, read the first two books again.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    As much as I want to like this book, I really can't. The Magician's Land is the finale in Lev Grossman's Magicians trilogy. Quentin returns to Brakebills to teach, only to find himself drug into another adventure. This time, however, he is now 30, no longer a child trying to fulfill a destiny or a young adult coming of age. He has been expelled from Fillory, which is dying. I felt like the death of Fillory read too much like C.S. Lewis' The Last Battle, the finale of his Narnia series. In that book, Narnia isn;t what it seems. Character echo a chant, "farther up and farther in" until they see the end of Narnia. In this book, the king and queen of Fillory are desperate to save it, although they are unsuccessful. What Grossman does well, however, is offer cold, cruel and refreshing reality. His characters are cynical and skeptical, not bound by the usual fairytale or fantasy tropes. At times, Grossman hit a home run, and other times he struck out.