Customer Reviews

Magyk

5 star:		(107)
4 star:		(53)
3 star:		(27)
2 star:		(12)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

After several picture books, Angie Sage makes a splash with her first novel. "Septimus Heap Book One: Magyk" treads familiar territory for fantasy fans, but it has enough humor and interesting magic to keep the story moving at a steady clip. As first-of-a-series books go, this is a keeper.

Ten years ago, Septimus Heap died in infancy. And on the same day, his father Silas Heap found a baby girl, and was instructed by the new ExtraOrdinary Wizard Marcia to raise her as his own. Ten years later, Marcia reveals that the girl Jenna is actually the future queen of that land. But she's in danger, and now a spy has found out where the girl lives.

Marcia tries to spirit Jenna to safety, but now nowhere is safe -- an Assassin, a Hunter, and the apprentice to an evil wizard are sent after them. Now Marcia, Silas, Jenna, the ghost of the wizard Althus, and a mysterious young boy are on the run. But not everyone is as they seem, and a boy claiming to be Septimus Heap may not be him at all...

The first few chapters of "Magyk" aren't too promising, since Sage's writing seems to be stuck in "picture book" mode. But when she gets to the present-day antics of the Heap family, she has settled comfortably into the writing groove. (Comfortable enough to even drop a blink-and-you'll-miss-it homage to J.R.R. Tolkien)

Sage's writing is solid enough, with enough details to keep the spare narrative from seeming colorless. Lots of goofy clothes, offhand humor, splashy magic and interesting characters are sprinkled throughout the book. Sage's style reminds one of Diana Wynne-Jones' early work, and her interesting magical (magykal?) systems and wizardly hierarchy seem to back that up.

Who's the main character? Hard to tell, since much of the action focuses on lost princess Jenna, but the focus shifts gradually to Boy 412 (as he is called until the last pages). Marcia is probably the most interesting character there -- dignified, a little haughty, very powerful, and sometimes overly concerned about how her clothes look.

"Septimus Heap Book One: Magyk" is a promising start for a new series, but is a good book when read on its own. Entertaining and a good novel debut for Angie Sage.

I read this with my 10 year old daughter, and she loved it. For me it was drawn out a bit long, and lacked the originality and spontaneity of some of the best contemporary fantasy, including the Harry Potter series and the work of Diana Wynne Jones. The actual story begins by feeling grand but ends in a way that is a bit disappointing -- although it does pave the way for some interesting possible developments in sequels. The Heap family and Marcia and Alther and Aunt Zelda and Boy 142 are portrayed very well, and each of them has something that makes them interesting and worth spending time with. The villian, as someone else here has mentioned, is a bit lame, and not the real terror that he is painted as. He ends up seeming like a raving madman with a bit of power, who doesn't plan very well, rather than an evil genius. The Hunter is much more interesting, which makes the conclusion of his part in the ongoing story a bit disappointing. As someone else mentioned, the author's tendency to boldface every magical term (including "Magyk") doesn't have the effect I think she intends. What she wants, I think, is to make these terms seem special but they end up sounding like brandnames, or even generic products. Still, the characters are endearing, and the story is enjoyable, and holds enough promise that I look forward to reading the sequels with my daughter. I just look forward to them in the way that I used to look forward to seeing Disney movies with my children, not in the way I looked forward to seeing, say, the films of Hayao Miyazaki (and not in the way that I look forward to reading the next Harry Potter book with her).

Ever since Harry Potter, the world of children's literature has been swarmed by wanna-bes, filling bookstore shelves with stories ranging from mediocre to absymal. This book breaks that mold. Magyk is filled with characters so real they practically leap off the pages. The plot is engaging, and the setting is, indeed, magykal. Kids who have been searching for another great fantasy world will love this book. I can't wait for the next one to come out. The only complaint I had about the book was that the font is different every time something magykal happens. That stylistic choice didn't add anything to the story for me. In fact, I found it a bit distracting. Not enough to knock it down to four stars though. It was still great.

"Septimus Heap, Book One, Magyk" by Angie Sage is possibly one of the best children books to have come out this year. With a colorful cast of fully drawn characters, creative plots, and pure imagination and control over her world, Sage takes her first plunge into the world of childrens' novels and succeeds wonderfully. It's not the magic that makes Magyk such a great novel, it's the characters. Readers will race along with the thoughts, emotions, and experiences of the quirky main characters of Jenna (a girl who just might be Queen), Boy 412 (a mysterious child from the young Army), Marcia (The very fashionable ExtraOrdinary Wizard), and Nicko (Jenna's brother and sailor). There are so many other enjoyable characters that mentioning them all would just take too long. My particular favorites are Boggart, Boy 412, and Marcia. The style of Angie Sage is truly enjoyable and endurable for all ages. Her style really reminds me of another up-and-coming talent Anna Dale, who wrote the truly amazing story 'Whispering to Witches'. If you enjoyed 'Magyk', you'll enjoy that book as well. Anyways, will these characters ever stop the menacing necromancer DomDaniel from taking over the land? And who is Septimus Heap (the mysterious title character who seems will never appear)? Read this amazing novel to find out. You will not be disappointed.

Very two-dimensional. Sage's history of writing picture books is evident in both the writing style and character development. The plot elements are plagarized and don't really hang together well. The climax and denouement don't provide any satisfying drama or surprise. The book would work for poor middle school readers or good ones in the early grades, but I wouldn't recommend it for smart tweens.

Let's not beat around the bush. Angie Sage has clearly been inspired by the world of Harry Potter, which makes it somehow impossible to review her work without comparing it to J.K. Rowling. Since Rowling's phenomenal series exploded across the world of publishing, there has been an onslaught of pre-adolescent youngsters with magical powers and unusual names popping up in the children's sections of bookstores and libraries everywhere. Charlie Bone. Percy Jackson. Artemis Fowl. And now, Septimus Heap. Considering the amount of lame Tolkien knock-offs that clutter up the fantasy genre, it's a little depressing to see so many authors race to leap on the "boy-wizard" bandwagon. Although "Magyk" is a harmless enough read, it cannot help but pale in comparison to Rowling.

Silas Heap is returning home to his family when he comes across an infant girl alone in the woods. Returning her home, he arrives to find that in his absence his infant son has died. Ten years later, their adopted daughter is revealed to be Princess Jenna, now hunted by the evil necromancer DomDaniel who is systematically taking over the Castle and the surrounding countryside. Warned by the Extra-Ordinary Wizard Marcia Overstrand, the family split up in order to escape capture, picking up a young recruit of the Young Army on the way: Boy 412, who is entirely overwhelmed by his new situation.

On the whole, "Magyk" is an entertaining little read, with a brisk pace, lively tone and a couple of intriguing twists which may catch younger readers off guard (although mature readers will see them coming a mile away - it's hard to believe a character is really dead when the book series is named after him). Despite the typical plot device of a lost princess and a `switched at birth' scenario, there are a few original ideas that sparkle, particularly a Dragon Boat that is used to great effect at the climax. Mark Zug provides attractive penciled illustrations as headings for each chapter, and I liked the fact that the binding of this book actually matches a real book within the story.

Throughout the story there is not a clear main character, which means the plot is tugged around between several points-of-view which leads to poor character development for all save Boy 412. DomDaniel in particular makes for a rather dull villain. He rants, he raves, he throws temper tantrums, he sends incompetent minions out to do his dirty work, he falls asleep at inopportune moments...Voldemort would crush this idiot like a bug, but probably not before having the Death Eaters laugh at him for having such a silly name. Other characters are introduced only to serve no real purpose in the story itself (such as Jenna's brothers, Sally Mullin, Morwenna Mould and a variety of pets), as do several spells and magical artifacts. One of the best things about Rowling's series is that you knew that nearly every concept introduced into the plot would have major payoff later on in the story. That's not the case here, and as such, aspects such as Jenna's pet rock or Zelda's cat-turned-duck feel like extraneous padding to the plot, with none of the whimsy that Rowling's non-essential details held.

Speaking of which, there is so much here that seems based on Harry Potter, and not just in broad terms (evil wizard trying to take over wizarding community). The devil, as they say, is in the details. Jenna is the youngest of seven siblings, all boys (including twins). The name "Trelawney" is used as a surname. Animals are used to send messages (although here it's rats instead of owls). There is an appearance from a boggart (vastly different in shape and form from Rowling's boggarts, but couldn't she have at least chosen a different name?). There is even an emphasis placed on the importance of green eyes that has an uncomfortable echo of Potter.

And because nothing is really resolved here, "Magyk" ultimately comes across as an elaborate setup to the next book. Okay, am I being too harsh here? Probably - this is, after all, a children's book and most under-tens will heartily enjoy this fantasy series. But if Rowling has taught us any thing, it's that kids can handle complex plots and complicated motivations - and by doing so, adults can join in the fun too. All my complains aside, I give "Magyk" a healthy three stars, and already have Flyte (Septimus Heap, Book 2) on hand - I'm optimistic that the series will improve. This is, after all Sage's first novel.

But then again, so was Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Book 1)

I am an adult Harry Potter fan. Read all 6 books multiple times, own all the movies, etc. So the wizarding world is definitely up there as far as interest goes in reading materials. When I saw Magyk and Flyte in the bookstore, I had to get them. They are good. Easy to follow, engaging story, slightly predictable. Whereas I feel Harry Potter appeal to much older children and adults, I definitely feel this series is for the younger set. There are some similarities -- boggarts, a character named Trelawney, good vs. evil, the central character being the same age, and a few others fans can easily spot. It isn't hard for the adult reader to figure out how it's going to end, where you do not get that with Harry Potter. Whereas Harry Potter could be called "high school" and beyond, the Septimus series would be "middle school". Just read them for what they are and don't expect it to be like Harry Potter and you'll enjoy them. It's definitely something I think kids will related to -- easier to understand for children. But not something you are going to have to read multiple times to get.

Magyk is a well-detailed book by Angie Sage.

Fans of Harry Potter will simply adore this book! Not only does this book contain fantasy, but also humor, mystery, and alot of action! Take it from me... I loved it!

-Shane

If you've been looking for a series that combines the magic of Harry Potter with the imaginative characters of Artemis Fowl, then Septimus Heap and his first book, MAGYK, is definitely the story for you. A quick, delightful read that can stand on its own, MAGYK is, without a doubt, an intriguing page-turner.

Septimus Heap, the seventh son of a seventh son, died shortly after birth. Born to a family of Wizards, there's no telling what he might have become, as his lineage as a seventh son would have made him unbelievably magical. But on that winter night when Septimus died, his father, Silas, found another newborn child in the forest. They named her Jenna, and she grew up thinking that she was the daughter of Silas and Sarah Heap, and the sister of six older brothers--Simon, Sam, Edd, Erik, Nicko, and Jo-Jo. Early on, though, Sarah had her own ideas of who Jenna really was, especially when she heard the news that the Queen had been murdered. Jenna Heap was, undoubtedly, the Princess.

Over the next ten years, darkness came to the Castle and the Ramblings, where the Heaps lived. With no Queen, evil came in the form of the Supreme Custodian, who along with his cohorts banned magic and ended the happiness the Queen's people had once known. As the Heap family attempt to ride out this time of darkness, the ExtraOrdinary Wizard, Marcia Overstrand, learns of the plot to kill the Princess, which will allow evil to truly take over the Palace. It seems that the only thing keeping DomDaniel, the Dark Wizard, from returning to the Castle is the presence of the Princess, and he plans to remedy that.

What follows is the flight of Jenna, Nicko, the ExtraOrdinary Wizard, and a Young Army recruit known only as Boy 412 to the Marram Marshes, where Aunt Zelda Heap, a White Witch, will be able to keep them from harm. As events unfold and DomDaniel does everything within his power to track down the girl standing between him and a ruling darkness, the Heap family will have to do everything within their means to stop him--and at the same time stay alive.

MAGYK is a delightful, entertaining story filled with action-adventure and fantasy. With a very large cast of characters who are as diverse as they come, this is one story not to be missed. If you like Harry Potter, you will definitely enjoy Septimus Heap. Filled with twists and turns, this is a story you'll stay up reading long into the night. And although at times predictable, you'll quickly be drawn into the life and times of the Heap family and their magical world.

Reviewed by: Jennifer Wardrip, aka "The Genius"

I am reading it outloud to my 10 year old daughter, and she is loving it (and so am I)! The quality of the writing is not in the same league as that of Narnia or the Ring books, but it is certainly more accessible to a 10 year old than the Potter series.