"Quentin did a magic trick. Nobody noticed."
I recently read a book which started with these two lines. I was immediately hooked. Why? Well, I have loved the name "Quentin" since I saw the character of Quentin Collins on the daytime series "Dark Shadows." Also, the book title was The Magicians, and I felt I was in the right place.
Simple and straight to the point, the first sentence sets the stage for the dynamic story that follows. I listened to the audio book so I was unaware of the endorsements on the back cover which describe the book as a Harry Potter "coming of age" dark fantasy.
I understand the comparison, however as I read Lev Grossman's book, I experienced it as a tribute to The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe with the audience targeted for young adults. It's a book you can't easily set aside and if you listen to the audio book, be prepared to drive on auto pilot and arrive at your destination sooner than you desire.
The first sentence made me laugh and made me curious...two essential ingredients to get the reader to turn to page two.
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