MixedFull StopThe Magician King, Lev Grossman’s sequel to his inventive, exciting novel The Magicians, lacks the je ne sais quoi of its predecessor ... Grossman deserves real credit for how smoothly Julia’s misadventures line up with the timing of Quentin’s experiences in The Magicians — the unfolding of her growth into a magician, on her own, lines up perfectly with everything that we already saw ...many of the plot points in The Magician King lack that excitement, and feel unfortunately staid ... Less picky readers that loved The Magicians and are likely to love any new adventure involving the same characters will be pleased. For those that aren’t pleased, the disappointing plot and occasionally silly clichés in language will by no means change any minds about Lev Grossman.
David Foster Wallace
PositiveNPRThe dialogue is dead-on, real to the point of occasionally being exhausting...But this is also a David Foster Wallace novel to its core, which means it employs literary devices that will tire many readers. It boasts pages upon pages of IRS jargon and protocol, in which Wallace steeped himself tirelessly for the sake of research … The book is far from incomplete in its handling of a host of themes … The experience to be had from reading The Pale King feels far more weighty and affecting than a nicely wrapped story. Its reach is broad, and its characters stay with you.
