When my aunt gave me this book to me for my thirteenth birthday last year, I passed it off as another generic story about wizards and magic and evil people trying to take over some random kingdom. And yes, that’s exactly what I found. The Septimus Heap series is chock full of spells, humour, weird names and charm; and pulls it all off magnificently. The story centers around a young wizard named Septimus, and his various adventures with his adoptive sister Jenna. The first book in the series, “Magyk,” tells the origins of the colourful cast of characters. This is where it all began.
 |
| The cover of Magyk. |
Magyk begins with wizard Silas Heap returning to his family and newborn son, Septimus, on a cold winter night. During his trek, he discovers a young baby girl that had been seemingly abandoned in the snow. He takes the baby back to his house in the castle, only to be greeted by the midwife running past him with his newborn son in her hands, dead. Silas and his wife, Sarah, agree to raise the baby girl in Septimus’ place. They name her Jenna. Several months later, the word has gotten out that the current Queen of the castle has been assassinated, and that the castle had been taken over by the Supreme Custodian. The Queen’s daughter has also gone missing. Sarah and Silas realizes that Jenna is the missing princess, and decide to keep it a secret to everyone.
Ten years later, Jenna is whisked away by the ExtraOrdinary Wizard, Marcia Overstrand, in order to protect her from the same assassin that had murdered her mother ten years earlier. In doing so, they encounter a young boy in the Young Army, simply named Boy 412, who also accompany them on their travels. He is eventually revealed to be Septimus Heap, Silas’ and Sarah’s long-lost son. The group are chased to the Marram Marshes by the Hunter, sent by the Supreme Custodian to retrieve Jenna and bring her back to the palace so she can join the same fate that her mother once did.
 |
| Illustrator Mark Zug's depiction of Septimus, as shown in the books. |
While the story may seem like your average “lost-baby-that’s-raised-by-another-family” style, it quickly blossoms into a fantastic tale that will always make you want to keep flipping the pages. Author Angie Sage has created a world that has us locked in our beds reading, and enjoying every word. With so many quirky and interesting characters, funny dialogue, and the weirdest names you’ll ever come across, this is one novel that you will never want to stop reading.
However, I do feel like some of the characters are a little underdeveloped. For example, Marcia Overstrand, plays a large role in the story as Jenna’s protector from the Hunter. Yet, she didn't really resonate with me very well throughout the story. Her past isn't explored very much until later novels, and I wasn't really impressed with her character all the time. It’s not enough to bog down the rest of the cast however.
Interview with Angie Sage, discussing the future of the series, her thoughts on the story and it's characters,
as well as info on "The Magykal Papers," a supplementary book to the main series.
Overall, this book, and the series as a whole, has the power to move in the direction of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series. A well-balanced cast, whimsical world with even more creatures and a fantastic story makes this a real page turner that you won't want to miss if you love the genre. Certain characters could have used a bit more backbone behind their backstory, but it’s only minor. The moment you hop into this Magykal world, you won't want to stop until you've read all seven installments in this amazing series. Better get started.
The Good:
+Amazing story
+Hilarious cast of characters
+A masterpiece in terms of writing
The Bad:
-Some characters are slightly underdeveloped
Final Rating: 9.5 out of 10
No comments:
Post a Comment