The Magicians

This book was thoroughly enjoyable. I read part of the first chapter online--this is a genius marketing technique, by the way. Somehow I refrained from buying the book right away, and instead jumped in the hold queue at the library. Soon I was rewarded with The Magicians.

All the reviews will tell you the novel is "blah blah blah, a grownup version of Harry Potter." The "grownup" aspect does not just refer to the presence of adult content, but to the thorough and thoughtful exploration of some adult themes as well. And the book does make very conscious references to Harry Potter, The Chronicles of Narnia, Lord of the Rings, etc. (Even to Infinte Jest near the end--I'm telling you, it's everywhere!) But the novel is far more than just a pastiche of these classics. It has a gripping story and some complex, interesting and funny characters. I particularly enjoyed the dialogue, which was witty and incredibly natural. This was a good read.