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Content snapshot
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Violence
Some
Some violence including a genuinely traumatic event in Antarctica; graphic consequences
Language
A lot
Strong profanity throughout; adult literary voice
Sexual Content
A lot
Explicit sexual content; multiple partners; the sexual content is integrated into the story's portrayal of young adults
Substance Use
A lot
Heavy drug and alcohol use as the characters numb themselves with the tools of privilege
Emotional Intensity
A lot
Depression and purposelessness as sustained psychological states; the book offers no easy comfort
What this book is about
Quentin Coldwater is admitted to Brakebills, a secret college of magic—and discovers that magic is real, difficult, and does nothing to cure his depression. Lev Grossman's adult fantasy deconstruction of Harry Potter and Narnia is deliberately dark: its magical world is full of drugs, explicit sex, violence, and the particular misery of intelligent people who get everything they wanted.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
Explicit sexual content throughout
Heavy drug and alcohol use
Traumatic violence mid-book
Adults only—deliberately subverts expectations of magical school fiction
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