Physik

Physik is the third book in the Septimus Heap series written by Angie Sage. It is the sequel to Flyte. The novel was released on March 28, 2007. The sequel of Physik is Queste. The cover of this book is based on the in-story book: I, Marcellus with a vial of the Eternal life formula on top of it.

Plot summary

"When Silas Heap UnSeals a forgotten room in the Palace, he releases the ghost of a Queen who lived five hundred years earlier. Queen Etheldredda is as awful in death as she was in life, and she's still up to no good. Her diabolical plan to give herself everlasting life requires Jenna's compliance, Septimus's disappearance, and the talents of her son, Marcellus Pye, a famous Alchemist and Physician. And if Queen Etheldredda's plot involves Jenna and Septimus, then it will surely involve Nicko, Alther Mella, Marcia Overstrand, Beetle, Stanley, Sarah, Silas, Spit Fyre, Aunt Zelda, and all of the other wacky, wonderful characters that made Magyk and Flyte so memorable. With heart-stopping action and a dash of humor, Angie Sage continues the fantastical journey of Septimus Heap." - from Publisher

Synopsis

In "Physik" we find that when Silas Heap and Gringe the gatekeeper accidentally sets free the spirit of an evil Queen Etheldredda, everything seems to be in trouble. The Queen sends Septimus to her 500 year old son Marcellus Pye who drank the potion of Immortality. The old Marcellus then sends him back in time to the young Marcellus Pye and there Septimus becomes his apprentice and learns about "Physik". (To do so, Marcellus pulls Septimus through a substance called The Glass, basically a portal through Time.) Marcia learns about Septimus' departure from Marcellus's book I, Marcellus in the Wizard Tower library, when she finds a note, 500 years old with Septimus's writing in it.

Jenna and Nicko, with the help of Alther Mella and Alice Nettles, try to find Septimus. On their way they meet Snorri Snorrelssen, a fifteen-year-old Northern Trader girl. Jenna, Nicko and Snorri fall through a glass into the past 500 years back. There Jenna is mistaken for the lost princess Esmeralda and dragged to Esmeralda's mother, the living Queen Etheldredda. At the banquet celebrating the return of "Esmeralda", Jenna is being served when she looks up to find Septimus disguised as a palace boy. Together all of them try to pass back through the doors of time, but Etheldredda and Marcellus come in arguing about when the Queen is to have the Drink of Immortality. Although Marcellus warns the Queen that the drink is incomplete, she nevertheless drinks.

They then discover Jenna and co. hiding in the Alchemie Chamber. Etheldredda drags Jenna to drown her but in the process she herself gets drowned when she blows a whistle to summon her boat and provokes the NightUllr. Since she drank the incomplete potion, her spirit has an incomplete form-- neither immortal nor a complete Spirit, but a 'substantial spirit' that can move and touch things but still be Passed Through. Septimus, Jenna, Nicko and Snorri's cat Ullr then start their journey through the Doors of Time, but Nicko chooses to stay behind 500 years into the past to look for Snorri.

'After a while Jenna said, "If Nicko ever does Come Through, how will he find his way back?"

"Nicko will find a way, Jen. He always does," replied Septimus, sounding more hopeful than he really was, for it was not long since Nicko had mistaken an ant for a footpath and gotten them both lost in the Forest.

"And Snorri..." said Jenna. "I really liked Snorri."

"Yeah. So did Nik. That was the trouble."'

-Physik, page 458

Septimus and Jenna return to the Castle, much to the surprise and delight of Marcia Overstrand, who welcomes her apprentice back with an enormous hug ('"Oh, Septimus, Septimus!" She swept up the emerging Septimus into her arms and swung him around, much to his complete amazement, for Marcia did not do hugs'). But Etheldredda's ghost tries to kill Jenna with the I.P. (Infant Princess) bullet that was named for Jenna by the Assassin in Magyk. She is about to shoot the bullet when Alice Nettles hurls herself in front of Jenna and the bullet kills her. The reason that this is possible is that Alice's original initials were I.P., making it possible for the bullet to hit. Marcia then draws a BoneFyre from Spit Fyre's fire and destroys Etheldredda's portrait; hence Etheldredda and her pet, the Aie-Aie, which had caused a Sicknesse all through the Castle, are finished. Septimus, with his Physik knowledge is able to brew up an antidote for the Sicknesse and soon all is well. He promises to make a potion for Restoring youth for Marcellus and in return Marcellus would give him back his Flyte charm.

Characters

The Heaps

• Septimus Heap: Once again, the main protagonist in the story. Near the beginning of the story he unwillingly becomes the apprentice of an Alchemist named Marcellus Pye. He is also the creator of the cure for the Sicknesse.
• Jenna Heap: Also known as the Queenling. She was mistaken for Princess Esmeralda 500 years ago.
• Nicko Heap: Septimus' older brother. He stayed behind to find Snorri 500 years in the past.
• Silas & Sarah Heap: Septimus' parents, Silas was an Ordinary Wizard at the Wizard tower
• Simon Heap: Silas & Sarah Heap's oldest son, Simon, is the apprentice of DomDaniel the evil Darke Magyk/ex Extraordinary Wizard.

Other Characters

• Snorri Snorrelssen: A fourteen year old Spirit-Seer who is a Northern Trader. Her father Olaf Snorrelssen frequents The Hole in the Wall. At the end of the book she was 500 years ago in the past.
• Ullr: Snorri's cat, also a Spirit-Seer, at night transforms into a panther, otherwise known as NightUllr.
• Marcia Overstrand: Current ExtraOrdinary wizard. Marcia goes on a search for Septimus and destroys the evil queen Etheldredda's spirit.
• Alther Mella: ex-ExtraOrdianry wizard, Alther's ghost is always willing to help Jenna and Marcia to find Septimus.
• The RatStranglers: A group of villagers that daily go out to kill rats because they believed they carried the Sicknesse. They tried to destroy the dragon boat because they also thought that it also carried the Sicknesse but before they could Jenna sealed it with SpitFyre's Fyre.
• Marcellus Pye: An ancient alchemist from 500 years ago, he is still alive in Septimus's Time but older. His mother is Queen Etheldredda and he is terrified of her.
• Sir Hereward: A ghost in both Times and helped Jenna and Septimus escape the castle from 500 years ago.
• Queen Etheldredda: Jenna's great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great (And then some {x 100}) grandmother. She is a cruel and evil tyrant with a history of filicide. Her attempt at eternal life cause her to be trapped in between both life and death, leaving her in a form of half-life.
• Princess Esmeralda: The daughter of Queen Etheldredda, who regarded her as a threat rather than as a daughter.
• The Aie-Aie: A horrible little creature with a ratty face, sharp claws and a long snake's tail. Its bite caused Sicknesse. It only has one tooth while rats (supposedly the cause of the Sicknesse) have many teeth.
• Stanley: An ex-message rat who now is in the secret rat service.
• Dawnie: Stanley's wife who gets extremely worried about Stanley.
• Boris Catchpole: Was once Deputy Hunter and now wants to become a wizard. Currently a sub-wizard and resident of the old spell cupboard beside the silver doors to the wizard tower. Boris is not that good at doing what Marcia tells him to do.
• Gringe: The North Gate keeper and father to Lucy Gringe. Plays Counter Feet with Silas.
• Lucy Gringe: Daughter of Gringe and lover of Simon. She goes to find where Simon is and runs into Septimus on the way. When Septimus almost fell into the moat, she grabbed his cloak and pulled him back up to safety.

Critical reception

The book received positive reviews from critics.

Angela McQuay of curledupkids.com said that "Those who are a fan of Septimus thanks to the first two books in the series will love the continued adventures of Sep and his family in Physik. The characters continue to grow and change, and there is no lack of adventure in this third installment. The book, which is lively and less frightening than the popular Harry Potter series, is appropriate for a wide age range of children (and is pretty entertaining for adults as well). The only drawback of Physik is that those who have not read the first two books will probably be pretty lost in this third book. Sage could have done a more thorough job of reintroducing characters in a way that would not bore loyal readers but still help new readers catch up. On the whole, though, Physik is an imaginative, well-written book that will appeal to children and parents alike."^[1]

Emily Rodriguez of Alachua County Library District says "Readers will quickly warm up to the stars of the book, sketched with liberal doses of humor, and all back in top form. Chapters alternate points of view, keeping suspense high, while lots of vivid details portray a palace life humming with Magyk. Fans of the series will enjoy the secrets that are revealed as Physik delves deeper into the labyrinthine palace walls and will eagerly await the next installment"^[2]

Kirkus Reviews said "Showing no signs of reaching a climax, this Potter-esque series ambles past its 1,500th page with another escapade that casts apprentice Magyk-worker Septimus and apprentice princess Jenna into various dangers."^{[3] [4]}

Katie Dickinson of Waterstones.com was impressed with the book and said "Physik is easily the best of the Septimus Heap series; the characters are more developed, with several interesting additions. Queen Etheldredda leaves you shivering and Snorri and her mysterious pet cat hopefully will be staying around. The story is much more complex than Magyk and Flyte, great for adults as well as kids." ^[5] :)

Trivia

• It is noted that Septimus' best friend Beetle is taken to the Infirmary as he got the Sicknesse from the bite of the Aie-Aie. When Septimus goes to the Infirmary with his antidote, Sarah Heap tells him that Beetle is not doing well and says that his mother and father will come to see him. But in the next book Queste it is revealed that Beetle's dad died after his birth due to a snake bite. (Just to point out, it's possible he's a spirit.)
• The younger sisters of Princess Esmeralda are never named.
• Alther mentions various dealings with Aunt Zelda that he had while he was alive several times throughout the book, but in Magyk he meets her for the first time, after he has died.

References

External links

• Septimus Heap official website