| Magyk | |
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Cover art for Magyk by Mark Zug |
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| Author(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 |
The story's setting is mainly centered around a castle simply known as "The Castle", which started as a small village inside the curve of a river. A moat was built to prevent witches and other monsters from a nearby forest from attacking the inhabitants, and the castle gradually grew in size. Other prominent locations include the Port, which is a port by the mouth of the same river, and the Marram Marshes, which is a marsh where Aunt Zelda lives.
As Silas Heap, the father of seven children, walks to his home in The Ramblings (a building similar to a large apartment complex) after getting herbs from Galen, the Physik Woman, who lives in the forest, he comes upon a baby girl in the snow. He decides to bring her home; however, when he passes the gate of the Castle, Marcia Overstrand, the new ExtraOrdinary Wizard, appaers in front of him and tells him not to tell anyone else about the baby. When he reaches home, a midwife runs past him, yelling "Dead!". It turns out that their seventh son, Septimus (who had
Major characters are listed in bold.
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]
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 Angie Sage to adapt the book.[10]
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