Lev Grossman’s 2009 novel “The Magicians” was a fresh entry in the young-adult fantasy genre in the vein of “Harry Potter.” Like the “Harry Potter” books, Grossman’s book deals with universal themes of good, evil and death, but also explores subjects more often associated with adulthood, such as intellectualism and ennui. The sequel, “The Magician King,” takes these themes further with the primary novel’s protagonist, Quentin Coldwater, but stumbles with the introduction of a new narrative thread of Julia Quinn’s mysterious past.
At the end of “The Magicians,” Quentin rejoins the underground world of magic after a brief stint of cubicle life. The sequel begins with him, Eliot, Janet and Julia (his other magical friends) hanging out as kings and queens in the magical world of Fillory, Narnia-style.
The characters’ view of magic is different than that of most fantasy novels. Sure, they’re excited upon first discovering it exists, but after mastering most of it, they find life too easy. A deep ennui inhabits the palette of characters. Quentin tries to spice things up by inventing a quest for himself — collecting the taxes of a small island at the boundaries of his kingdom.
The quest itself goes reasonably smoothly, but Quentin’s materialistic habits do little to fill his emotional void. It is on the island, though, that our protagonist learns about a story of seven magical keys to Fillory. He doesn’t know their precise function, but without much else to do, he decides to go on a quest to collect them all.
It’s on this quest that Quentin learns that magic itself is unraveling, and that the keys, together, can save it.
Sounds trite? Grossman makes Quentin’s story much deeper and more difficult than anything he faces in the first book. He and Julia are accidentally transported back to Earth, where they must find a way to reach the Netherlands (the world between worlds) to go to Fillory. During this, he struggles with the idea of whether leaving Earth again for the land he ruled is worthwhile. Grossman’s awe-inspiring descriptions of the vivid greens of grass to the ancient architecture of Venice find a planet full of mystery and wonder, a planet that defies Quentin’s reason of going back to Fillory — escaping a humdrum existence on Earth.
“The Magicians” playfully pokes at the Harry Potter universe by maintaining a maddeningly obscure description on the functioning of magic. “The Magician King” decides to give us a greater glimpse of the workings of magic itself. Much of this is described in the second thread of narration, Julia’s backstory.
This narrative, written in a distanced comedic manner, weighs down the book. Julia’s past is full of painful and traumatic events. And so her voice decides to deal with it by speaking in a self-deprecating, humorous way. The comedy doesn’t work. Grossman’s prose is strained and insufferable in these chapters, and the reader will often find themselves wishing they were with Quentin on his witty and exciting adventures instead.
If the first book limned the great disparity between the idea of heroism and the scary reality of actually being a hero, the sequel, “The Magician King,” inquires whether the sacrifices of maintaining the role of a hero are worthwhile. As with the first book, Grossman makes acute observations about introspection. Quentin’s longing to understand himself and his desires extend into deciding whether he should be a king of the past or a hero of the present.
Title: “The Magician King”
Author: Lev Grossman
Grade: B-
“Found in the Binghamton Bookstore” will be a regular column highlighting books that are available in the University Bookstore, located in the New University Union.