- Graphic Novels
- Ages 9–13
- Fantasy
The Magicians
A dazzling, silkscreen-style fantasy from French visionary Blexbolex: three young shapeshifting magicians burst from hiding and scatter on their own journeys, pursued by a fierce Huntress and a mechanical lion-dragon. An art-object graphic novel like nothing else.
- Best for9–13
- FormatGraphic
- Length210 pp
- Read aloud~1 hr40 min
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The vibe
What it’s like.
Tone
- Whimsical
- Exciting
- Adventurous
- Absurdist
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
In the corner of a quiet, long-abandoned house, something is stirring and protesting, and suddenly bursts free: three young shapeshifting magicians, an elephant, a blackbird and a human girl, each setting off on a journey of their own. But they are not alone. A fierce young Huntress and her mechanical lion-dragon, Clinker, are hot on their trails, and they will not rest until every last magician is vanquished. So begins an action-packed, multi-dimensional melodrama told in Blexbolex's unmistakable style: every gorgeous page a silkscreen-like illustration layering three Pantone spot colours into a festive, vintage-circus palette. The text runs beneath the images like extended subtitles, so younger children can lose themselves in the mesmerising colour and movement, while readers of nine and up can follow the twisting, headlong chase. Part graphic novel, part picture book, part art object, The Magicians is a bold, beautiful and genuinely singular reading experience for the young and the young at heart, a book to pore over as much as to read.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
An unusual, richly illustrated graphic novel best for readers of 9 and up, who can follow the subtitle-style text, though younger children of 8 and even adults will happily get lost in the artwork. A distinctive, crossover art-object read.
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- Best fit · 9–13
- Read aloud · 8–11
- Independent · 9–13
Prose load
Minimal
Visual support
Very high
Reluctant-reader friendly
Workable
Read-aloud quality
Patchy
Works well for
- Gift-buying
Nothing in the book is likely to concern most parents. Safe to recommend without preview.
Bedtime suitability
1 / 5 · Wide awake
Sensitive-child
3 / 5 · Mostly fine
Graphic intensity
2 / 5 · Mild
Best for
- Art lovers
- Imaginative readers
- Unusual graphic novels
- Visually striking
Avoid if
- Wants text heavy
- Wants realistic
Particularly good for children who are…
- Interested in art and creativity
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
Three young magicians can turn into an elephant, a blackbird and a girl, and they're being hunted by a Huntress riding a mechanical lion-dragon. The chase is wild and the colours are hypnotic, the kind of book you get lost inside just looking at the pictures.
- Magic powers
- Shapeshifting
- Adventure and freedom
- Going on a quest
Why parents love it
Blexbolex's silkscreen-style spreads make this a book to keep and pore over, unlike anything else on the shelf. It rewards slow looking as much as reading, works across a wide age range, and feels like a genuine discovery for design-minded adults sharing it too.
- Beautiful illustrations
- Indie gem discovery
- Great writing
About the author & illustrator
Blexbolex.
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