Lately, all my today’s book posts have been about additions to my TBR. The list is getting long…not that I’m complaining. 🙂
Today’s book is The Magician King by Lev Grossman. I read the first book in the series, The Magicians, liked it, actually rated it high but also had some issues with it. Overall, I thought it was well done and the snarkiness that held me back from loving it seemed, well, plain snarky of me to use it as a major reason to dislike of the book in general.
First, don’t you love the cover? Cover lover that I am, it made me want to run out and buy it for that reason alone.
Second, I love a good fantasy, and though the snarky attitude I mentioned earlier** bothered me some, the fantasy was still strong and really, who doesn’t love a fantasy book set at a boarding school?
** OK, I know part of this book was a take on other fantasy novels (Harry Potter, Narnia, Lord of the Rings to name three) but the issues the author had and the way he poked fun at the other worlds annoyed me because without those previously mentioned books, he wouldn’t be writing his own set of fantasy novels. Toss all the stones you want but make sure you aren’t doing it inside your glass house. Just sayin’.
Anyway, moving on. If you’re interested, here’s the book’s site. It doesn’t give you much but you can enjoy gawking at the covers.
Just Book Reading 
Did you think he was poking fun at the other books in a mean way? I thought it was more in an affectionate sort of way. The only thing that bothered me — and this continues to bother me, but The Magician King mentions it less — is when someone in the book mentions Narnia. How can the Narnia books possibly have existed in the universe of the Grossman books? The world of the books has Fillory INSTEAD OF Narnia. Cannot be in addition to. If the Fillory books had been published after the Narnia books, CS Lewis would have had to sue the Fillory author for stealing all his ideas.
I don’t think mean would be a good description but affectionate wouldn’t work for me either. For me, it felt more like a, thanks for laying the ground work but I can do this so much better than you ever could, kind of undertone. Just my take. I’m totally in agreement; he would have to sue! Fillory is a complete rip-off of Narnia and I think that’s why the undertone/attitude/snarkiness thing sort of sits bad with me. Oddly, it hasn’t made me not want to read the book; possibly just adds an adjustment to my reading of it is all. I have this reaction every once in a while to some books but it usually never stops me from completing a book. I can’t resist a series either, especially a fantasy series.