This was my first Malfi book and I absolutely enjoyed it.
To me, this book was very similar to [b:It|830502|It|Stephen King|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1334416842l/830502._SY75_.jpg|150259], with strong [b:Revival|20926278|Revival|Stephen King|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1510335323l/20926278._SY75_.jpg|27239641] vibes. "The Magician" also reminded me a lot of Randall Flagg.
The childhood trauma leading to problems in adulthood, the friendship and the bond between the main characters, the magic...
I felt for Jamie, though apparently a lot of people complain about him not being likeable, I actually liked him and rooted for him.
To me, it was Mia who didn't really pull me in, she felt more like a secondary character to me and I don't know why. But I loved that she puled through when it mattered the most.
Clay and Dennis were my favorite characters.
Even though the Magician was the main villain, the main source of troubles, I despised Stull the most.
Major Spoilers ahead:
I was so scared Clay was a goner from the beginning and I was actually angry when the book wouldn't go back to Clay after Stull attacked him, because I wanted to see if he would live or not asap and I could barely focus on what was happening to Jamie and Dennis.
Dennis was another character I thought might be a goner, and even though I wasn't particularly surprised, his death and then the final scene of the trio freeing his ashes in the Black Mouth had me ugly crying. He deserved better.
Jamie Warren is home.
Anyways, I look forward to reading more from Ronald Malfi because this book gave me what I look for, i.e., engaging story, strong characterization, compelling villains, and descriptive language.