The New York Times bestselling novel about a young man practicing magic in the real world

Like everyone else, precocious high school senior Quentin Coldwater assumes that magic isnt real, until he finds himself admitted to a very secretive and exclusive college of magic in upstate New York. There he indulges in joys of collegefriendship, love, sex, and boozeand receives a rigorous education in modern sorcery. But magic doesnt bring the happiness and adventure Quentin thought it would. After graduation, he and his friends stumble upon a secret that sets them on a remarkable journey that may just fulfill Quentins yearning. But their journey turns out to be darker and more dangerous than theyd imagined. Psychologically piercing and dazzlingly inventive, The Magicians, the prequel to the New York Times bestselling book The Magician King and the #1 bestseller The Magicians Land, is an enthralling coming-of-age tale about magic practiced in the real worldwhere good and evil arent black and white and power comes at a terrible price.