The magicians Alice's story

Grossman's hit fantasy series gets the graphic novel treatment in this adaptation, which, instead of following an individual book in the series, focuses on Alice's experiences across several series titles. It begins with her childhood fascination with magic and traces her path to Brakebills and beyond. Hewing more closely to events of the book rather than the recent TV show, this does a nice job of landing on important moments in Alice's story, and fans will catch on early that the retrospective approach is rooted in a key plot point. Angular figures and a dusky color scheme match the tone of the story, particularly when the ennui of post-graduation sets in and Alice's relationships get more brittle. There's a lot packed into this relatively slim volume, so it might have more appeal for readers already familiar with Grossman's novels than to newcomers. That said, linking Alice's story together in one continuous narrative offers a richer picture of a compelling character than is available in the previous books and fans will likely appreciate this new window into her arc.--Sarah Hunter Copyright 2019 Booklist

This graphic adaptation of Grossman's bestselling fantasy tale promises a fresh take--by shifting focus from the novel's protagonist, magician-in-training Quentin Coldwater, to that of his classmate and love interest, Alice--but it never fully delivers. Bright, driven, and gifted, Alice finds Brakebills College, a hidden school of magic, where she hopes to learn the fate of her missing brother Charlie. But the adaptation gradually moves away from Alice's character development and goals--the mystery of Charlie is resolved early and never brought up again--and falls into simply retelling the events of the novel from an only marginally different perspective. Quentin, Alice, and their friends become disillusioned with their decadent magical life, where "you can do anything, or nothing, and none of it matters," and seek out the sunny promise of Fillory, a Narnia-like realm described in a series of children's books. The brightly-colored art sets the right tone, enchanted but grounded in a modern adult sensibility. Artist Bak lavishes equal care on fantastic landscapes and ordinary dorm rooms. Though "Alice's Story" doesn't add much to the source material, Grossman's devoted fans are still likely to enjoy this companion volume. (July)