- Magyk
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Magyk 
Cover art for Magyk by Mark ZugAuthor(s) Angie Sage Cover artist Mark Zug (illustrator) Country England Language English Series Septimus Heap (Book 1) Genre(s) Fantasy novel Publisher HarperCollins and Bloomsbury Publishing Publication date March 2005 Media type Print (Hardback & Paperback) Pages 564 (+32 of EXTRAS) (paperback edition) ISBN ISBN 0-7475-7820-6 (UK paperback edition) OCLC Number 60383978 Followed by Flyte Magyk is a fantasy novel by Angie Sage. It is the first book in the projected seven-book Septimus Heap series. The sequel, Flyte was released in March 2006, Physik in March 2007, Queste in 2008, Syren in September 2009, and Darke in July 2011. The book cover of Magyk alludes to the diary that the ExtraOrdinary Wizard Marcia makes for her apprentice, Septimus Heap. The cover also depicts Septimus's Dragon Ring, rendered as if it were sitting atop the diary.
Contents
Summary
On the morning of her birthday, ten-year-old Jenna Heap learns that she is the missing princess to the Castle and that the evil necromancer DomDaniel's assassin, who murdered her mother and the last ExtraOrdinary Wizard, is about to murder her. The ExtraOrdinary Wizard Marcia Overstrand whisks her from the Heap home and carries her towards safety. On the way, Marcia rescues a child soldier she had recently found lying frozen in the snow with the name: Boy 412. Caught up in Jenna's hasty escape, Boy 412 accompanies Marcia, Jenna, and her adoptive father and brother as they flee to the Marram Marshes.
Characters in Magyk
Major characters are listed in bold.
- Septimus Heap : Believed to have died as a new born, he is the seventh son of a seventh son and the protagonist of the series.
- Boy 412: Conscript of the Young Army who is rescued from freezing to death while standing guard. He becomes an unwilling participant in the events of the book It is later found out he is Septimus Heap.
- Marcia Overstrand : The current ExtraOrdinary Wizard, she has a pair of special Purple Python-Skinned Shoes and is known for her short temper and immense magical power.
- Zelda Heap: The Keeper in the Marram Marshes, also known as Aunt Zelda.
- Silas Heap: The Patriarch Heap and seventh son of Benjamin Heap.
- Sarah Heap: The Matriarch Heap.
- Simon Heap: 1st son of Sarah and Silas Heap - runs away from his family in order to get married to Lucy Gringe, but doesn't due to her father interrupting the ceremony.
- Sam Heap: 2nd son of Sarah and Silas Heap. Expert fisher. Lives in the forest with Erik, Edd, Jo-Jo, and the Witches.
- Erik Heap: 3rd son of Sarah and Silas Heap, twin of Edd. Lives in the forest with Sam, Edd, Jo-Jo, and the Witches.
- Edd Heap: 4th son of Sarah and Silas Heap, twin of Erik. Lives in the forest with Sam, Erik, Jo-Jo, and the Witches.
- Jo-Jo Heap: 5th son of Sarah and Silas Heap. Lives in the forest with Sam, Erik, Edd, and the Witches.
- Nicko Heap: 6th son of Sarah and Silas, he loves boats and anything to do with sailing.
- Jenna Heap: She is the Princess, but was raised by the Heaps unknowingly.
- Merrin Meredith: He became DomDaniel's apprentice who claims to have rescued him from a poor disgraceful family.
- Stanley (or Rat 101): The Long-Distance Confidential Message Rat who was fired and later became a Secret Rat.
- DomDaniel: The Necromancer and ex-Extraordinary Wizard. He's the main antagonist in this book.
- Alther Mella: The ghost of the old Extraordinary Wizard, who aids Jenna and Septimus.
- Galen: Sarah Heap's friend in the woods who is a garden witch. She taught Sarah about herbs and plants. When Sarah was younger she met Silas Heap in Galen's garden.
- Maxie: Rightly named Maximillan, this faithful Abyssinian wolfhound that belongs to the Heaps has no real part in the book, but he makes Marcia go crazy mostly at Aunt Zelda's cottage and believes that Silas is top dog.
- Sally Mullin: Sally Mullin runs a Tea and Ale House by the river near The Castle. She helps the others escape from the Hunter by her small boat Muriel but loses her shop to the fire set by the Hunter. She escapes unharmed, as Marcia gave her the KeepSafe, and goes to join Sarah and Galen in the woods.
- Petroc Trelawney: Jenna's pet rock, given to her by her dad, Silas, when she turned 10 years old. Petroc Trelawney is a smooth gray pebble with little black eyes, whose four stumpy legs emerge when he is tickled under his chin. Silas, accompanied by Nicko, bought the spell from the Roving Rock Shop. Upkeep consists of daily walks for exercise and some food; an excess of food or a shortage of exercise will cause a pet rock to become extremely heavy and lazy.
Critical reception
Magyk has received mostly positive and generally praiseful reviews and comments from Publishers Weekly and The Times, which stated that it was 'A real discovery'.
Publishers Weekly also commented:
The author introduces several subplots, summarized rather than dramatized then eventually reveals the real Septimus in a clever, if predictable, turn of events, making way for the next installments. Ages 9-up[1].VOYA gave a positive review saying "This first book in the Septimus Heap series is a cheerful, clever offering." However, there were some negative points raised by VOYA commenting the two things about the book that were most annoying were: the lack of a map inside the book and overly coincidental events [2]. Later maps were included in all the books. Maps depict the Castle as well as the surrounding land in the south up till the Port.
Other reviews from The Daily Telegraph and Kirkus Reviews commented the novel was "Full of hurtle-paced humour" and "A quick–reading, stand–alone, deliciously spellbinding series".[3] Author Clive Barker also commented that:
“ Septimus Heap: Magyk is a book full of wonders, charms, and surprises. Beautifully written and richly imagined, it invites us into a world we never want to leave. Marvelous[4] ” The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books was impressed by the book and said "This first book in the ''Septimus Heap'' series is a cheerful, clever offering." [5]
Stefanie Crane of Epinions.com gave the book 4 out of 5 stars and said "Angie Sage has told a fast-paced story with enough originality and touches of her own to make you forget all about that boy who lived, a reference to Harry Potter. I think it’s too bad that this series hasn’t gotten the advertising it deserves, and if you have any interest at all in the plot I’ve laid out above, or if you were a fan of that other series, by all means, give Magyk a try." [6]
Dauntless Media also gave a positive review saying that "Magyk is a worthy beginning to a fantasy series. There’s enough action and adventure to keep most young readers’ attention throughout its 512 pages, the twist itself is certainly the central character revelation of the book and leads directly to the rest of the series." [7]
Angela McQuay of Curledupkids.com gave an extremely favourable review saying "Magyk is a fast-moving and touching book with plenty of adventure, creatures, charms, spells and bad guys to keep both children and adults interested. Though you don’t get to know the characters as well as you do in the Potter books, there is more action, to keep you turning the pages. Charms and spells are capitalized and written in a different font, making it easier for youngsters to recognize them and also lending a magical quality to the book itself."[8]
Film adaptation
Warner Brothers have bought the rights to produce a film adaptation of the book. Karen Rosenfelt will produce the film, with Sage also serving as an executive producer.[9] It was announced on July 17, 2009 that the movie Septimus Heap: Magyk will not be animated but live action with computer effects, with David Frankel to direct and Rob Lieber to adapt the book.[10]
References
- ^ Publishers Weekly's review of Magyk
- ^ YOYA's comments (Voice of Young Advocates)
- ^ Kirkus Reviews
- ^ Clive Barker's comments of Magyk available at Bookbrowse.com.
- ^ The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books review of Magyk Retrieved on 2008-10-12
- ^ Stefanie Crane Septimus Heap, Book One ~ MagykEpinions.com Retrieved on 2008-12-24
- ^ Septimus Heap Book 1 Magyk review Dauntless Media. Retrieved on 2009-01-13
- ^ "Magyk: Septimus Heap, Book One". Curledupkids. http://www.curledupkids.com/shmagyk1.htm. Retrieved 2009-01-13.
- ^ Septimus Heap:Magyk
- ^ Elisabeth Rappe (July 17th, 2009). "David Frankel to Direct 'Septimus Heap'". Cinematical.com. http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/17/david-frankel-to-direct-septimus-heap/. Retrieved 2009-07-20.
External links
The Septimus Heap series by Angie Sage Magyk (2005) · Flyte (2006) · Physik (2007) · Queste (2008) · Syren (2009) · Darke (2011) Characters Spin-offs The Magykal PapersRelated Mark Zug (illustrator)Categories:- 2005 novels
- Fantasy novels
- English novels
- Septimus Heap books
- Novels by Angie Sage
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