The Magician King by Lev Grossman. Read by Mark Bramhall.

I had to attempt this sequel because the first book, The Magicians, was an Alex Award winner. I loved the first part of it, but was disappointed in the negative tone at the end.

I went into this sequel with open mind because I didn't remember much from the first book, other than that I called it an adult Harry Potter world!

Quentin still isn't happy in this book and he thinks that being on a quest will help. He's one of the king of Fillory now, but that just isn't enough. With the help of his friends, he searches for seven golden keys to save magic in his own kingdom.

I still love the occasional references to other fantasy novels that this author includes--Harry Potter, Narnia, and whatever else. But I won't be reading the third book in the trilogy--it just isn't my thing, even though I know some other dark fantasy readers will love it.