by Angie Sage
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Product Description
The seventh son of the seventh son, aptly named Septimus Heap, is stolen the night he is born by a midwife who pronounces him dead. That same night, the baby's father, Silas Heap, comes across a bundle in the snow containing a new born girl with violet eyes. The Heaps take this helpless newborn into their home, name her Jenna, and raise her as their own. But who is this myster ious baby girl, and what really happened to their beloved son Septimus? The first book in this enthralling new series by Angie Sage leads readers on a fantastic journey filled with quirky characters and magykal charms, potions, and spells. magyk is an original story of lost and rediscovered identities, rich with humor and heart.
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Average Customer Review:
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
 A MUST read..... even for a teacher!, 2009-01-06
I came across this book because of a girl going into the fourth grade over the previous summer. I was aimlessly wandering Barnes and Noble children's section trying to decide what a good addition to my personal library for my future classroom would be when I asked her what her and her classmates were reading. It took me awhile to get into the book as I was expecting something very much like Harry Potter (which it is in some respects but also vastly different). Upon completeing this book I have finished the second and third book within 3 days. I am hooked and once I read the fourth, I am afraid Ms. Sage won't be able to write the Septimus Heap books fast enough to keep up with me. If you have not yet picked this book up, you need to! I loved each one and cannot wait to keep reading to see what happens!
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
 Visual descriptions make this book, 2009-01-03
It took me till almost half way through to really get into this book but after that I was hooked and NEEDED the next in the series. The visual descriptions are what i enjoyed the most. The story was so creative. I thought it was going to go in a different direction till almost 400 pages but I was very please with the ending! This book is great for adults, teens, and children.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
5 stars , 2008-12-26
an absolutely extraordinary start to a magykal series. angie sage shows top notch work. i reccomend this book to anyone looking for an exciting novel. books 2, 3, and 4 are just the same way.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
 Spellbinding, Yet Lacks the Real Magic, 2008-12-17
Sage's Magyk guides the reader through an intriguing storyline full of magic, peril and conflict; however there is little that truly separates the book from others.
The story begins as Silas Heap returns to his wife and children after finding a baby girl outside. After being told by the Extraordinary Wizard to raise the child as his own, keeping her origin a secret, he rushes home eager to tell the family. However, to his dismay, he discovers that his youngest son, Septimus Heap, has been killed. After a few years, the Heaps seem to have a normal life, and the young girl, Jenna, seems to be fitting in well. However, after the Extraordinary Wizard reveals to the family an unexpected secret, life seems to become a battle for survival. As the story progresses, friends are made, battles are fought, lives are taken, and secrets are revealed.
The story starts off well, with a captivating plot and interesting characters it's difficult to put the book down. Jenna seems like an adventurous girl, and seems very mature for her age - the kind of character that you would hate to see die. Marcia Overstrand, the Extraordinary Wizard is the type that you wouldn't want to annoy, with both her short temper and powerful magical abilities. Although she's rough on the outside, her caring side shimmers through sometimes. Simon Heap, the oldest son, is the classic reliable big brother, and appears to be Jenna's closest sibling. Aunt Zelda's caring, protective and matter-of-fact nature is one of the more interesting characters. Although the book contains a myriad of characters, I couldn't really feel a sense of realism in the other characters. Yes, they were believable, but nothing makes them really stand out. Besides the above characters, I feel the other characters are too generic, making it difficult for the reader to really connect to them.
Villians? This is something that bothered me after I looked back on it. Most of my favorite stories have villains that think outside the box, breaking the normal boundaries and going into a realm of evil and enhancing that with their own devious minds. Magyk, although there are villains, they do not seem more than just a little kid's villain that is exceptionally strong and just uses pure strength to win fights. No, the villains aren't noticeably bad (the Hunter for instance is well expressed), however DomDaniel, the main villain, lacks the feeling of impending doom and fear that most villains should generate. In a nutshell, villains are evil, but are they exceptionally evil? Not really.
Finally the story doesn't provide you with anything that's specifically unique to Magyk. Albeit this is difficult to do in the modern world where almost every storyline is taken and nothing is unique anymore, I feel Magyk could have been more unique with its story. I suppose one could argue that the Brownies were unique, but everything seemed too sugar coated to be evil in this story. The concept is good, and this is only the first book of the series, but a long lost child, an evil mage regaining power, and a princess in hiding all seem too cliché any story.
Despite all these complaints, the story is actually quite enjoyable. A reason for the harsh critique could be because Harry Potter has dominated the magical story realm, and anything must seem to match up to it. Magyk, as interesting as it is, does not surprise the reader with anything new and thus, one could not expect it to grow as popular as the Harry Potter series. Perhaps my expectations were too high, and therefore I try to bring the worst out of the story, however Magyk is easily a book that I would recommend to the bored. The characters are enchanting, the tale is enticing, and there are scenes where you'll just turn page after page until you realize all the characters are safe.
A definite read for those that enjoy more innocent tales, however don't expect a world famous Harry Potter type story.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
A clever series, 2008-11-28
Angie Sage's _Magyk_ is reminiscent of many books in the same genre - Harry Potter and Terry Pratchett come immeadiately to mind: a world where magic (or "magyk" in this case) is real, wizards and witches are common place, and of course a variety of young characters seeking to make their way while a dark force lurks and plots their destruction. Yet to speak in such broad terms not only oversimplifies Sage's story, but does it a disservice as well.
In _Magyk_, the first of four books in the series, the protagonist is a young girl, Jenna finds she is more than the daughter of an "Ordinary Wizard" - and begins a journey to find her real place in the world. Similarly, a young man ("Boy 412") also seeks to make his way in the world, rejecting the harsh military life he has been place in since infancy. As the two paths of these characters cross, readers are introduced to a variety of imaginitive characters as the (not entirely predictable) plot unfolds.
Sage is no J.K. Rowling (but who is) - still, judging the book on its own merits, its a fine read for 'tweens. The story moves fast, the characters are delightful, and the story - while not entirely unique - provides some unexpected turns. Recommended for younger readers.
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