Magyk (Septimus Heap, Book 1)

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It's a hit!

This is the first book in the "Septimus Heap" series. It is set in a world of magic with witches and wizards, spells and charms and the eternal fig... (show more)

This is the first book in the "Septimus Heap" series. It is set in a world of magic with witches and wizards, spells and charms and the eternal fight between good and evil. The book is written in a simple, but pleasant language. It is not a great work of literally art, but it is not pretending to be one either. The story is interesting, not overly predictable and the many characters are well drawn by the author. The descriptions are short, but detailed enough to stimulate the readers' imagination and take them to this other dimension where you can identify a "magykal" person by the vivid green color of their eyes, where ghosts participate in the action and various creatures have their role to play in the story. The action moves quickly right from the very first pages of the book: "….Silas sensed something nearby. Something alive, but only just. He was aware of a small human heartbeat somewhere close to him." Frankly, I found it difficult to put this book down. It is uncomplicated, but not too simplistic and fun enough to make a very enjoyable read, especially after a long day of work. Don't expect an intellectual challenge, nor profound, deep knowledge. That it is definitely not. However it does provide an interesting, easy to read relaxation for the mind. The question that inevitably comes to mind, is would the "Septimus Heap" series be possible without J.R.R. Tolkien's Trilogy and the "Harry Potter" series? Despite what anyone might say my thinking is that it would not be possible. Does it matter though? I think that as long as the story is original enough - as opposed to "yet another Harry Potter wannabe" - , as long as it is well written and interesting then it really does not matter at all. Someone had to be the precursor of the fantasy genre and since there is a demand among the readers to find themselves in the realm of magic, then why not?
I will be reading other books in between those of this series, but book two "Flyte" is already on my shelf waiting for its turn. (show less)

 

 

by Gosha Marjanska

No, it's a flop!

A Harry Potter rip-off that gives a bad name to all Harry Potter rip offs (because, frankly, some, like the Percy Jackson series, are quite good). ... (show more)

A Harry Potter rip-off that gives a bad name to all Harry Potter rip offs (because, frankly, some, like the Percy Jackson series, are quite good). A magical realm without the magic, but instead with obvious Harry Potter elements that are turned flat and shallow. Lacking originality, mystery, intricacy of plot, style, humor, character, depth of theme or emotional resonance, Magyk is standard fantasy (with an obnoxious use of capitals and bold type) about a lost princess and chosen one who are predictably hunted by a standard bad guy and found by a kindly family of wizards and witches. While some of the elements are clever (like the marsh and Boggart), it comes off more as cute or silly (not in a good way). The plot is predictable and dull; the characters a flat. The theme, that we are what we are born as (as opposed to the Harry Potter theme that our choices make us who we are), is a little unsettling. Grade: D+ (show less)

 

 

by Facebook-användare

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  Although I'm sure some will try to compare this to Harry Potter (I think that's just inevitable with the magic/wizard genre now - so I'm not saying it's a bad thing), please know from the start that this series stands on its own. I was pleasantly surprised to find a great base story behind the characters. A story that has been really well thought out, it seems. The book starts with a tragedy that sets the tone for the series. Serious, but not so much of a downer that you can't have a litt... (show more)

  Although I'm sure some will try to compare this to Harry Potter (I think that's just inevitable with the magic/wizard genre now - so I'm not saying it's a bad thing), please know from the start that this series stands on its own. I was pleasantly surprised to find a great base story behind the characters. A story that has been really well thought out, it seems. The book starts with a tragedy that sets the tone for the series. Serious, but not so much of a downer that you can't have a little fun with it. I admit, I'm a sucker for magic-themed stories. Growing up, imagination was encouraged and magic was one of my favorite ways to use my imagination. However, that aside, the character development is really well done in this series, and the author even gives you some "what happened before" and "what happened after" snippets at the end of the book for those who have a desire to understand even more about the characters they are reading about. All in all, really well done book and I have already finished the 2nd book and looking forward to #3. (show less)

   

   

  by Facebook-användare on Oct 09, 2009 at 06:36PM

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  Reviewed by Me for TeensReadToo.com

  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 be... (show more)

  Reviewed by Me for TeensReadToo.com

  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. (show less)

   

   

  by Jennifer Brown Wardrip on Mar 16, 2009 at 12:29PM

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