Angie Sage

After learning that she is the Princess, Jenna is whisked from her home and carried toward safety by the Extraordinary Wizard, those she always believed were her father and brother, and a young guard known only as Boy 412--pursued by agents of those who killed her mother ten years earlier.

Magyk

Monicap

Reread.

This one of my favorite books from my childhood! I never did finish the series, though, and I had wanted to in 2016... well, starting to is close enough, isn't it?

I love all the characters in this book--they're all sharp and fairly well-motivated. For a children's book, there's quite an array as well. The only character that truly seems undermotivated is DomDaniel, and only partly; his motivations make sense now, he's been ousted from his spot of glory, and he'll do anything to claw his way back up. I'm just not sure why he was evil to begin with.

Marcia is great, and her relationship with 412 is stellar, as is Sarah and Silas. Jenna and Nicko are wonderful as well. 

The world is also really great, and intricately built. I love the magic system and the geography of the world. It's really wonderful.

I'll stop gushing now. Great series.

Sarah Sammis

Magyk by Angie Sage is the first of the Septimus Heap books. Oddly enough, the book begins with Septimus's death and his parents' adoption of a newborn girl found in swaddling in the snow. Ten years later the Extra-Ordinary Wizard visits with the news that Jenna is the princess and heir to the throne. If they want to survive to see her become Queen, they have to go into hiding.

Readers might be wondering what happened to Septimus or why the series is named after a dead character. Consider the Septimus question as the B plot. It's there and the truth is hinted at throughout once the set up and character introductions are done.

Mostly, though, this first book is Jenna Heap's story. She's brave, resourceful, well rounded and likable. She's a believable ten year old. She's remarkable too in that she has a large, loving family to care for her. Don't let her adoptive status get in the way — adopted or not, she is a welcome member of the Heap family. And she loves her family as much as they love her.

The fact that she's had a normal (maybe not normal for a crown princess) and nurturing childhood is the first big clue that this book is not a Harry Potter clone. Next, wizards (anyone who uses magyk, male or female), live side by side with the regular folk. There's a wizard tower but it's not hidden behind spells or other magical subterfuge. Finally, the adults don't keep things from the children, nor is the big bad so big and so bad that his name can't be spoken.

The book was recommended to me (and my kids) by Pam of Bookalicious.

The first book in a major fantasy series, featuring cunning, deception, quirky characters, clever charms and lots of humour.

Katherine Yang

Sense of ease and humour throughout and very readable overall, but was not especially captivating to me when I read it.

Kelly Johnson

I love this book. Its the first in a great series and it's the book that got me interested in reading in the first place.

kiara mckerron

H. Kamran

Meet Septimus Heap. He's the seventh son of a seventh son. The seventh son of a seventh son is rumored to have a lot of power. Magyk protects the Wizard Tower and the Castle. DomDaniel has returned. The Dark Magyk has returned. What is DomDaniel and the Darke doing back in the Castle? Find out in Magyk!

Nadine 

Great fantasy novel with definite appeal to Harry Potter fans. Magicians, evil wizards, potions dragons magic rings, something for everyone. Appeal to g4+

Katerina 

I loved this book when i first read it in middleschool, i still enjoy it. A fun story of a young princess, and a family of wizards defeating a necromancer. 

Sara Bow

Eine süße und toll erzählte Geschichte - aber leider nicht meins. Im direkten Vergleich haben mir die Chroniken von Anbeginn besser gefallen. Das Buch hat für mich auch nichts mit Harry Potter zu tun! Aber das nur am Rande - hat nichts mit meiner Bewertung zu tun, hab das nur des Öfteren in anderen Rezensionen gelesen!

Jeni Enjaian

I found this book a pleasant read but not engaging enough to compel the addition of the rest of the books to my to-read schedule.
Sage shifted between narrators seamlessly enough to prevent confusion and to create a coherent narrative. She creates an ensemble protagonist that does not annoy, magnificent. The effort she spent creating compelling protagonists must have drained her narrative skill since the antagonist, DomDaniel and his apprentice, lack any true antagonistic characteristics, at least in the first book of the series.
Sage creates a decent narrative but not one spectacular enough to hold my attention past the first book in the series.

Kerri McDonald

I actually really enjoyed this book. Hmm... the way I worded that sentence, it sounds like I didn't expect to and, looking back, I don't think I did. I've started to become rather disillusioned with YA novels, as of late. I don't read them a ton and, when I do, I think I always have Harry Potter in the back of mind as comparison. I've only recently realized that that is definitely not fair! So I went into this book with an open mind, but no high hopes.

I must say, though, this was a good book! The plot moved at a steady pace, I found myself growing rather fond of the main characters, and I like the world that Angie Sage has created. I was a bit confused why everything that had to do with Magyk had to be bolded, but to each author their own. I think the main thing that prevented me from enjoying the book more was the fact that I figured out the big secret (where is Septimus Heap?!) in the first few chapters, lol. Still enjoyed the book, but it did kill some of the thrill. I also found the villian, DomDaniel, to be kind of flat and one dimensional. Boring, really. The only point where he got remotely interesting was during the big confrontation at the end.

The fact of the matter is, though, that this book sucked me into it's world and kept me turning pages. That, in my mind, is a mark of a good book! I do believe I will be continuing this series. But, for a bit, I think I'm gonna venture out of YA-land.

Magyk

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