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Content snapshot
Flag an inaccuracy →What's in this book, at a glance — five things readers want to know before they start.
Violence
A lot
Fantasy violence and significant threat; the quest involves real danger and death
Language
A lot
Strong language throughout in the adult literary register
Sexual Content
Some
Sexual violence in Julia's backstory handled with gravity
Substance Use
Some
Drug and alcohol use in the post-Brakebills world
Emotional Intensity
A lot
Julia's journey into dark magic and what she loses in the process is the novel's most psychologically intense thread
What this book is about
The second Magicians novel alternates between Quentin's quest from Fillory and Julia's dark history — how she learned magic outside the Brakebills system, and what it cost her. Grossman's second volume is darker than the first, and Julia's storyline in particular involves sexual violence that is handled with seriousness rather than exploitation. The novel is literary adult fantasy with genuine emotional depth. Not for sensitive readers.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
Sexual violence in character's backstory
Dark adult fantasy content
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