Somebody else -- maybe teddyradiator? -- said the same thing the other day. I think the books must be getting extra mentions because the third one just came out. But yes, do read it! Some people have criticized it as a Harry Potter knockoff, or said that it reads like fanfic. As to the first, although the first part of The Magicians is set at a school for magic, I didn't find it remotely a knockoff (though there are some nice little nods to HP, and to any number of other classic fantasy novels). As to the second, how is that a criticism lol?!

I think Grossman is a terrific writer and he clearly just had so damn much fun writing these. He was interviewed last week in the New York Times and talked about how he didn't really find his true writing voice until he started writing fantasy; I think it shows :)