Septimus Heap Book One : Magyk by Angie Sage is a wonderful fantasy novel for readers age 9 and up. Sarah and Silas Heap believe their seventh son dies in infancy the same night Silas finds a baby girl left in the woods. Now ten years later, the ExtraOrdinary Wizard Marcia has revealed that their daughter Jenna is actually a princess who Marcia placed with the Heaps after the Queen was assassinated. A spy has discovered Jenna’s presence in the Heap household. Marcia takes her away, but nowhere is safe. An assassin, the Hunter and the apprentice to the evil wizard DomDaniel are all after the young Queenling.

When they flee the Wizard Tower, they take along boy 412, a member of the young army whom they found frozen in the snow outside. They find their way to Aunt Zelda’s cottage in the Marram Marshes where they are safe for a while. During the long winter they discover that boy 412 has an exceptional magykal power, something that might just be helpful when the thaw comes and DomDaniel is able to find them.

Although there are some very obvious plot points (most notably the identity of Septimus) and magykal words are in an annoying bold script, this first in a new series is a fun, engaging read. The main thrust of the story is the familiar dark versus light motif and while the overall plot is predictable, this is still a page turner.

My Recommendation
Septimus Heap Book One: Magyk is a delightful read for both children and adults. The characters are colorful and interesting, with just the right amount of humor. Angie Sage’s style reminded me slightly of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld novels, whimsical and amusing, but not overly so.

Similar to: A Hat Full of Sky by Terry Pratchett

Septimus Heap Book One: Magyk is available at Amazon.com