Requiem for a Dream had a threesome with J.K. Rowling and C.S. Lewis, with "The Magicians" as their resulting love-child. "The Magicians" takes everything that is wondrous about magic and adventures and turns it into the most depressing story ever. The Message: "Oh, you got accepted into a school of magic? Here, realize that life is sh*t no matter what powers you have."
I would like my star rating to say, "I didn't LIKE it, but it was good". Yes, this book is good. It's well written, it has strong characters, and an interesting plot. All these characters will never be happy and neither was I the entire time I read this book. I'll stick to my wondrous magic and fantasy books, thankyouverymuch.