Syren (Septimus Heap, Book 5) [Deckle Edge] [Hardcover]

Angie Sage (Author), Mark Zug (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 29, 2009 | Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up

In this fifth book in the Magykal series, Septimus ends up on a captivatingly beautiful island, one of seven set in a sparkling sea. He's stranded there with his badly injured dragon, Spit Fyre, along with Jenna and Beetle. There are some strange things about the island, including a Magykal girl named Syrah, a cat-shaped lighthouse that has lost its Light, and an eerie presence that sings to Septimus—can he escape the persistent call?

Trouble is also brewing for Lucy and Wolf Boy, who have become entangled with some nefarious sailors at sea, and for Milo Banda, Jenna's father, who is harboring a mysterious treasure chest in his ship's hold.

Charismatic storyteller Angie Sage continues Septimus Heap's Magykal journey with more laugh-out-loud adventures, more enchanting charms and spells, and an ever-deepening understanding of the interior life of a young hero.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

The fifth installment in the best-selling Septimus Heap series begins a few days after the events of Queste (2008). Septimus is preparing to recover his friends, including Princess Jenna, from the lowly Harbor environs. Meanwhile, Wolf Boy has a mission to complete to become the next Keeper. Each thread of this tale includes a multitude of twists, turns, witches, a jinnee (and an army of warrior jinns), storms at sea, and pirates and ultimately converges on a mysterious island inhabited by a possessed girl. Once again, Sage’s tale combines humor, adventure, and inventive storytelling and is sure to please her many fans. Grades 3-6. --Ernie Cox

Review

Praise for Septimus Heap series: 'Warm, funny and humane, Sage takes care with the destiny of even her smallest characters, and is a real discovery' The Times 'Sage navigates her complex setting with suspenseful and well-structured plotlines ... These books open an array of dazzling worlds. It's worth hoping aboard this bus, and I'm eagerly waiting at the stop' The Times Praise for Syren: "There's plenty of intrigue in the short chapters ... this is another incident-packed mass of reading pleasure' School Librarian 'Wonderful fantasy novel ... filled with joy, triumph and deceit' Teen Titles magazine --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 640 pages
• Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books; First Edition edition (September 29, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060882107
• ISBN-13: 978-0060882105
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 6.3 x 2.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (52 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #71,244 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Angie Sage loves the sea, spooky old houses, and medieval England. Ms. Sage has created many books for children, including the Araminta Spookie series. You can visit her online at www.septimusheap.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Think It is The Perfect Fifth Book In This Series!, October 2, 2009

By 

Portianay "portianay" (KY, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Syren (Septimus Heap, Book 5) (Hardcover)

I think the character development in this one was perfect, and do not understand the comment another reader made that it was not. I felt we learned more about these "tweens" as they are approaching adulthood, and I felt it was realistic development, too. The story line is, as always with Ms. Sage, engaging, and new characters come on the scene smoothly. The new characters themselves are interesting, and I find myself looking forward to Book Six--the wait! the wait!!!! It is so hard to wait!!! --with great anticipation, to see how they progress.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enchanting, November 2, 2009

By 

Alice Kojima - See all my reviews

This review is from: Syren (Septimus Heap, Book 5) (Hardcover)

I've read all the books thus far and this by far was my favorite. The story is brimming with adventure and action, but Sage does not drift away from the humor that keeps her book unique and exciting. The descriptions provide the reader with thorogh descriptions and the story gives an intimate look into what it's like to be a preteen. As a teenager in her later years of high school, this book was not too far off what I felt only a couple of years before. The book shows teenage angst, but doesn't lather it on like some books often do. I definately recommend this book and can't wait for Sage to release another!

8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The Call of the Syren?, October 12, 2009

By 

Jake D. Worley "Superflyer" (Hudson) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Septimus Heap, Book Five: Syren (Kindle Edition)

Syren is the latest book in the Septimus Heap series and I can not say that I was overly impressed. After Magyk I noticed a slight flaw in the books, the flaw is that the author uses the same formula over and over again.

Step 1: There are very stong hints that something very terrible is going to happen.

Step 2: Something bad does happen and the pampered little kids have to deal with it.

Step 3: Don't worry! We solved it very fast. It was slow going so I thought there should be a conflict but don't even worry one bit, we solved it before anything actually happened.

Although Angie Sage uses this formula numerous times, I was glad to see that somethings were left hanging until the next book. The newest character added, Syrah Syara, was very different than the other teenagers (which I think are whiny and helpless); Syrah is a dark character that is technically 500 years old and sometimes not in control of her own body. Although I like her, I'm not sure it was wise for the author to make a nineteen year old and a twelve year old a prospective couple.

Septimus is a well rounded character and, as I noticed in Syren, a little haughty as he is not used to being treated with disrespect (being the Apprentice and all). Jenna however I feel should be tied up and thrown off a cliff with sharp rocks at the bottom. She is so stupid, naive, and frankly the last person I would want with me on a deserted island.

Marcia is my favorite character and I am majorly pissed of at the small role she was given. Wolf Boy, at the beginning, was semi interesting yet he seemed to be the same good guy character that belongs to most every male character in the series.

Syren itself is not well planned out as it seems like the plot threads either get cut short or go to long. I did like the parallel scenes in the second to last chapter though (Teenagers in the boat trying to get Jim Knee to freeze the soldiers and Silias and Sarah meeting with Marcia in the Wizard Tower), but it was very predictable that they would win and everyone would live.