Septimus Heap: Difference between revisions

Septimus Heap

File:Septimusheapboxset.jpg Box set of Magyk and Flyte, the first two books in the Septimus Heap series
Magyk, Flyte, Physik, Queste
Author	Angie Sage
Illustrator	Mark Zug
Country	England
Language	English
Genre	Fantasy novel
Publisher	Bloomsbury Publishing
Published	Sep. 23 2005 – May.5 2008
Media type	Print (Hardback & Paperback)

Septimus Heap is a series of fantasy novels written by Angie Sage, featuring a protagonist with the same name as the series, Septimus Heap. Four have been published, with a speculated three to come. The books are called Magyk, Flyte, Physik and Queste. The most recent book, Queste, has been released in the United States on 16 April 2008, and was released on 5 May 2008 in the United Kingdom.

This series follows the adventures and story of the protagonist Septimus Heap, who, as a seventh son of a seventh son, has powerful magical capability. After he secures his apprenticeship with the arch wizard of the books, called the ExtraOrdinary Wizard, he must study for seven years and one day before he is qualified to take over. Along with him is an equally important character — Jenna, who is the princess of the castle in which they live. Together with his brothers and a large assortment of other characters, they must overcome the trials and tribulations that they encounter as they grow up.

Septimus Heap is geared towards children 12 years and above. It has been published in 28 languages worldwide and has sold over 1 million copies throughout the United States.

The novels

Magyk

Main article: Magyk

The first book is entitled Magyk. The plot revolves around the pauper-like Heap family. The parents, Silas and Sarah, have seven children, the youngest Jenna, whom Silas Heap found in the snow on the day that their own youngest son, Septimus, was born and supposedly died. When Jenna finds out on her tenth birthday a secret, from ExtraOrdinary wizard Marcia Overstrand herself, she realises that she — and the Heap family — are in danger.

Flyte

Main article: Flyte

The second book is titled Flyte. A year after the events in Magyk, the elxdest Heap son, Simon kidnaps Jenna soons goes awry. Meanwhile, Septimus Heap must try to find Jenna and stop Simon from taking her again. With the help of his brothers, the Wendron Witches and a strange boy his brothers befriended and call 'Wolf Boy' he sets out to stop them, and gains a few bizarre experiences and friends on the way. An edition of this book contains a mini CD for computers. This CD contains dragon-hatching information, information about the author (Angie Sage), letters to and from Aunt Zelda and a game in which the player must capture Sleuth.

Physik

Main article: Physik

The third book is named Physik and was released in March 2007. The author hinted at her Naperville, Illinois author signing that it will have something to do with water, and some have speculated that this may mean a sea voyage but it was not. Physik starts off with Silas Heap and Gringe the Gatekeeper unSealing a room and unleashing the evil spirit of a 500 year old queen. A new character, Snorri Snorrelsson, a Northern Trader, is introduced early in the novel but does not become central to the plot until later in the book. The evil queen, Etheldredda, was Sealed in a portrait, but now that she is free she has a plot involving Septimus Heap, Jenna and her 500-year-old son Marcellus Pye.

Queste

Main article: Queste

In the fourth book Queste, Septimus goes on a perilous quest to the House of Foryx to find Nicko and Snorri, who have been trapped back in time. Everyone at the Castle is slowly beginning to realize that their chances of coming back are slim. Septimus, aided by ancient alchemist Marcellus Pye, learns of a place where all time meets: the House of Foryx. With the help of the Questing Stone and Nicko's faded maps, Septimus tries to find the House of Foryx, and save Nicko and Snorri.

Fifth novel

The forthcoming fifth novel in the Septimus Heap series will be published in the UK on September 7, 2009. Although not confirmed, speculations are there that the title of the fifth book will be "Syren" and hence indicates that the story may be about a sea-voyage.

Septimus Heap: The Magykal Papers

Septimus Heap: The Magykal Papers is a book by Angie Sage, illustrated by Mark Zug. It is an add-on book in the Septimus Heap series. The book will contain all kinds of extra stuff from the books. It is going to be a full colour book – a different size – and Mark Zug is doing all the illustrations. The book will be published in the USA on April 2009 and in the UK in the summer of 2009.

Film

Warner Brothers have bought the rights to produce a film version of the first book. Karen Rosenfelt will produce the film, with Sage serving as an executive producer.

Characters

The universe of Septimus Heap contains many characters who plays important or less important roles in the story. Many character may appear only once or throughout the story. The main characters are,

• Septimus Heap – The eponymous protagonist of the series, Septimus spent the first ten years of his life in the army as Boy 412 after DomDaniel attempted to abduct him. As the seventh son of a seventh son, he has exceptional magical powers and is currently apprenticed to the ExtraOrdinary Wizard Marcia Overstrand. He shares a birthday with Jenna.

• Jenna Heap – Adopted by the Heap family as a baby in place of Septimus, Jenna is actually the daughter of the assassinated queen, and thus a princess. She is a small girl, with deep violet eyes and fair complexion. Although loving and caring at heart, she can sometimes be very stubborn.

• Nicko Heap – The sixth son of the Heap family, Nicko is currently an apprentice to the boat-builder Jannit Marten. He has a medium-build, with the characteristic green eyes and curly straw-colored hair of the Heap family, and has a happy and helpful disposition.

• Marcia Overstrand – The current ExtraOrdinary Wizard. Ambitious and often intimidating, Marcia is a very powerful wizard, but also has a great deal of affection for her apprentice Septimus. She is a tall woman, with an aura of magic around her, and generally wears a deep purple tunic with purple python-skin boots.

• Zelda Zenuba Heap – Zelda, known as Aunt Zelda, is aunt to the Heap family and greatly loved by all for her happy-go-lucky nature. As the current Keeper of the Dragon Boat, she resides in a cottage in the Marram Marshes. She is of medium-build, often wears a tent-like dress, which gives her a dumpy appearance, and has a shock of flyaway grey hair, a wrinkled smiling face, and the bright blue eyes of a White Witch. Apparently, she has absolutely no sense of taste and cooks dishes mainly consisting of cabbages and eel. The only person (besides herself) who can appreciate her cooking is Septimus.

• Snorri Snorrelssen – Snorri is an independant and somewhat mysterious young Northern Trader, who comes to the castle to trade her goods. She helps the Heap family, and is especially friends with Nicko, with whom she shares a love of sailing. As a Spirit Seer, she can see all spirits, even if they have not chosen to reveal themselves to others. She has a close companion in her cat, Ullr, who is a ginger cat with a black tip during the day but transforms into a dangerous black panther at night.

• Other characters - There are tons of other characters in the series, the most important ones are given below:
  
  • Silas Heap: The father of the Heap household. He is an Ordinary Wizard.
    
  • Sarah Heap: The mother of the Heap household. She is a herb-gardener and loves gardening.
    
  • Simon Heap: The eldest Heap son. He wanted to be Marcia's apprentice but lost to Septimus.
    
  • Sam Heap: The second Heap son. He lives in the forest with his other three brothers and the Wendron Witches.
    
  • JoJo Heap: The third Heap son. He lives in the forest and has a crush on Marissa, a Wendron Witch.
    
  • Edd & Erik Heap: The fourth and fifth Heaps. They are twins.
    
  • Benjamin Heap: The grandfather of the Heap household. He is a shape shifter and has shifted to being a tree in the forest.
    
  • Wolf-Boy: Better known as Boy 411, he is a friend of Septimus from the Young Army.
  • Alther Mella: Ex ExtraOrdinary Wizard before Marcia. His ghost helps Septimus and the others on their adventures.
    
  • DomDaniel: A Necromancer and ex-ExtraOrdinary Wizard, he wants to regain control of the Wizard Tower from Marcia.
  • Merrin Meredith: A boy who was mistaken for Septimus and was apprenticed to DomDaniel.
  • Gringe the gatekeeper: The gatekeeper of the North Gate, he shares a passion for chess with Silas Heap.
    
  • Lucy Gringe: Daughter of Gringe, she is in love with Simon Heap and fled with him.
    
  • Beetle Beetle: Septimus' friend from the Manuscriptorium. He assists Septimus on their adventures.
    
  • Stanley (Rat 101): An ex-Secret Service Message rat, Stanley wants to set up the Secret Service again by taking Jenna's permission.
  • Queen Etheldredda: An ancient queen with a history of filicide.
  • Marcellus Pye: Etheldredda's son, who has drank the potion of immortality. He lives in the Castle near Snake Slipway and is a renowned Alchemist.
    
  • Jannit Marten: Boatbuilder at the Castle. Nicko is apprenticed to her.
    
  • Alice Nettles: Former Customs officer. Her ghost at present stays in the Palace.
    
  • Spit Fyre: Septimus' beloved dragon who is extremely lazy.
  • Dragon-Boat: It is a real dragon who once decided to be a dragon boat to save her master, the first ExtraOrdinary Wizard Hotep-Ra.
  • Milo Banda: Jenna's real father, he stays most of the time on voyages.

External links

• Official website