I recently finished the absolutely wonderful The Magicians by Lev Grossman. It’s a really well-written, thoughtful fantasy that digs deeper and deeper (mercilessly) into the motivations of those of us who seek magical worlds, or to live in magical realms. Most fantasy I read explores one or two aspects of its subject matter - this kept pursuing issues to their utter end - and then taking a sinister twist. The characters are exasperatingly real and the magic a mixture of daunting, exhausting scholarship and a poetic feel for the fabric of the universe.
I thought it impressive, skillful, convincing and touching; I expect it will stay with me a long time. I wanted to read the sequel immediately (not to be published for another year)…. I’ll wait.