Here's a breakdown of key events:
* Original miniseries (1990-1991): This is the foundational story of Tim Hunter, a young boy destined to become a powerful magician. It is set in the present day at the time of its publication.
* Later series: The Books of Magic concept was revisited in later series like "The Books of Magic" (2004-2005), "The Books of Magic" (2008-2010), and "The Books of Magic" (2017). These series feature Tim Hunter as an adult and continue to explore his magical journey, often with stories set years or even decades after the original miniseries.
* The Sandman connection: Tim Hunter's story is closely intertwined with The Sandman, and he appears in several issues of that series. This connection further complicates the timeline as The Sandman series spans centuries and even millennia.
Therefore, there is no single, definitive time period for "The Books of Magic." The story encompasses a multitude of years, with the original miniseries serving as a starting point for Tim Hunter's journey.
To get a more precise understanding of the timeframe for specific events in the series, you'll need to look at the individual issues and their publication dates.