Septimus Heap
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Septimus Heap is a series of books written by Angie Sage, featuring a protagonist with the same name as the series, Septimus Heap. Four books have been published. The books are called "Magyk", "Flyte", "Physik", and "Queste". The most recent book, Queste, has now 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 the 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. With its unique characters, addictive action and general humour throughout the story it has proven to be a hit, selling in 28 languages worldwide and over 1 million units throughout the States since its first publish in March 2005.[1]
Contents |
[edit] The Novels
[edit] Magyk
The first book is entitled Magyk. The main plot revolves around the pauper-like Heap family. The parents, Silas and Sarah, have seven children. Simon is the eldest son, whose ambition is to be the ExtraOrdinary wizard. The other Heap children (from eldest to youngest) are Sam, twins Erik and Edd, Jo-Jo, Nicko, and Jenna(Which is actually the daughter of the queen) whom Silas Heap found in the snow on the day that the youngest, 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. As they try to avoid it they meet a boy only known as Boy 412, and a story unfolds...
[edit] Flyte
The second book is titled Flyte. A year after the events in Magyk, Simon Heap returns home from a place unknown to others. His plan to kidnap 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. You will also meet a new character named Spitfyre who's Septimus's baby dragon.
There is an edition of this book which contains a mini CD for computers. This CD contains dragon-hatching information, information about the author (Angie Sage), letters to and from Aunt Zelda, a game in which the player must capture Sleuth.
[edit] 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. 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. Once she traps Septimus Heap in the past, the others must try and figure out a way to get Septimus Heap back before they never see him grow up in his own time...
[edit] Queste
In the fourth book, 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. But how does he get there? Jenna and Septimus find Nicko's notes from the past and discover that he knows of the House of Foryx as well and has been creating a map to plot the house's hidden location. With the help of the Questing Stone and Nicko's faded maps, will Septimus be able to find the House of Foryx, and save Nicko and Snorri? Meanwhile, Simon Heap has taken on Merrin Meredith, former apprentice to DomDaniel, as his own apprentice, giving Merrin an opportunity he has been waiting years for. With the help of a frightening creature called a Thing, Merrin plans to reclaim the identity he used to have - that of Septimus Heap.
[edit] Back of Books/Front Flap
Magyk
The seventh son of the Seventh Son, aptly named Septimus Heap, is stolen the night he is born by a midwife who pronounces him dead. That same night, the baby's father, Silas Heap, comes across a bundle in the snow containing a newborn girl with violet eyes. The Heaps take the helpless newborn into their home, name her Jenna, and raise her as their own. But who is this mysterious baby and what really happened to their beloved son Septimus?
Flyte
It's been a year since Septimus Heap discovered his real family and true calling to be a wizard. As Apprentice to ExtraOrdinary Wizard Marcia Overstrand, he is learning the fine arts of Conjurations, Charms, and other Magyk, while Jenna is adapting to life as the Princess and enjoying the freedom of the Castle. But there is something sinister at work. Marcia is constantly trailed by a menacing Darke Shadow, and Septimus' brother Simon seems bent on a revenge no one understands. Why is the Darke Magyk still lingering?
Bringing fantasy to new heights, Angie Sage continues the journey of Septimus Heap with her trademark humor and all of the clever details readers have come to love.
Physik
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' 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.
Queste There’s trouble in the Palace, and it’s all because Merrin Meredith has returned, bringing the Darke Magyk with him. More trouble arrives in the form of Tertius Fume, a dead Extraordinary Wizard, who is determined to send Septimus on a Queste that he doesn’t want to go on. The Queste will lead him to the mysterious House of Foryx, a place where all Times meet, and the place where Septimus and Jenna and Beetle fervently hope they will be able to find Nicko and Snorri, who were trapped back in time in Physik. Queste, like all of the books in the Septimus Heap series, is filled with non-stop action, humor, and fantastical adventure, as Septimus continues his journey of Magykal self-discovery.
[edit] Charms and Spells
Charms and Spells are the basic tools used by Wizards and Necromancers. It is unclear how they were created or found, but not many people care. When a Wizard first comes in contact with Magyk, their eyes will become bright green and they will probably stay green.
[edit] Charms
In this heptalogy, charms are small items on which spells are imprinted. They may range from ornate silver and gold medallions to bits of toast. According to many wizards it is recommended that you keep a charm until you are firmly comfortable with the spell. In the books few charms are described. Some which feature include:
| Charm name | effect | charm appearance |
|---|---|---|
| Chocolate Taste | Turns any material into fine chocolate | Piece of chocolate |
| Fast Freeze | Freezes anything in its position | Glass icicle |
| Reverse | Causes a thing to turn to its opposite | Small triangle |
| Flyte | Allows the caster to fly (unstably, unless reunited with its original wing flights) | Golden Arrow |
| Levitation | Allows the caster to hover in the air | Silver wings |
| Complete Flyte Spell | Allows the caster to fly (it is a combination of the flyte charm and the levitation charm because the Levitation charm is actually the original wings from the flyte charm) | A Winged arrow |
| Unseen | Allows the caster to become invisible | Small polished ebony counters |
| Shield Bug | Creates a small insect armed with a smaller sword to defend the wielder to the death. The Shield Bug will obey its master, and curl up into a ball when tapped on the head. | Small shield |
| Rogue Recollections | Causes a person to forget his memories and recall new ones | Knotted handkerchief |
[edit] Spells
Magykal Spells are usually magical poems that are imprinted on charms. It is recommended by many wizards that a Wizard needs to recite and practice a spell using the spell's charm until they are firmly comfortable with the spell. Spells usually fit in one of two categories: Magyk and Dark Magyk. Magyk is normal magic practiced used by the Wizards. Darke Magyk is used by the Necromancers, and are the reverse of normal Magyk. Here are some of the normal Magyk spells.
Rogue Recollections
Required Spell Book: Magykal Memories
Charm: Small knotted handkerchief with smudgy black writing along the hem
Instructions:
- Hold the charm in front of the person whose memories you are changing.
- Recite:
"Whatever your Historie may be
'tis lost to you when you see me.
So listen to your new-sprung ways,
Remember now your diff'rent days."
- Now describe the new memories you would like this person to have. Be as imaginative as possible.
- To complete the spell, recite:
"What was your life has gone away,
Another past does now hold sway."
The Preparation of Shield Bugs
Required Spell Book: Shield Bug Preserves: 500 Charms, Each Guaranteed Identical and 100% Effective. Ideal for the safety-conscious wizard of today.
Charm: You will find 500 Shield-shaped Charms in the above book. Please select as appropriate.
Instructions:
- Make the mixture to put in your preserve pots following the recipe in the above book. You will know when the mixture is ready, as it will smell something like a mixture of boiled rat and rotten fish.
- Collect as many creepy-crawlies as you need.
- Pass the Charm around the group, so that each member touches it. Then put the Charm in a preserve pot.
- Put a bug in the preserve pot.
- Get the lid on quickly and screw on tight.
- Repeat until all the preserve pots contain a bug. You will see that each bug gradually becomes a four-legged triangle shape with a little pointy head. On their back they will have stout, armored green wings, and their front will be covered in green scales.
- You will find a silver hammer provided with the spell book. You will need to tap the top of the preserve pot with it to activate it. The bug is then ready for release, whenever you need it.
- Warning: Do not release the shield bug until they are needed. It is practically impossible to return them to their preserve pot once released.
Cause Yourself To Be Unseen
Required Spell Book: Safety Spelles and Unharm Charms For The Use Of The Beginner and Those of Simple Mind. Compiled and Guaranteed By The Wizard Assurance League.
Charm: Please select one of the charms available in the thick paper pocket alongside with the 'Cause Yourself To Be Unseen' Spell. They feel like smooth, flat counters although each one is different. You may want a White Witch's advice as to which one is the most suitable for you.
Instructions:
- Imprint the spell by holding the Charm close to you.
- And reciting the exact words which are written on the charm:
"Let me fade into the Aire
Let all against me know not where
Let them that Seeke me pass me by
Let Harme not reach me from their eye."
- As you recite, it is important to imagine the spell actually happening, it will not work effectively otherwise.
- Note: The first time you do this spell, it won't last very long and you'll reappear in a minute or so. After that, however, the spell should last as long as you want it to - but you have to concentrate!
If you are a beginner and have not done many spells before, it is best to keep the Charm with you for when you next need to do the spell. When you are more experienced you will be able to do the spell without the Charm.
Chocolate Taste Charm
Use: To make ANYTHING taste like chocolate.
Required Spell Book: Chocolate Charms are extremely popular and you will be very lucky if you manage to find one still in a spell book. Try looking under candlesticks, old books, or down the back of sofas.
Charm: It is a thick brown square tablet that looks and smells like an old piece of chocolate.
Instructions:
- Shake charm while reciting this incantation:
" Take me, shake me,
And I will make thee:
Quetzalcoatl's Tchocolatl."
- Once charm is activated, hold it until it is very hot. Place charm on the item you wish to turn into chocolate.
- Caution: While turning vegetables into delicious chocolate has saved many a dinner (get all the nutrition with a better taste!), eating through a door that stands between you and freedom is not recommended. It is easily enough done, but eating a wall, even a chocolate-flavored one, can lead to a tremendous stomachache.
[edit] Wizards
Below is a chart of all wizards and wizard robes.
| Wizard Title | Cloak Colour | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| ExtraOrdinary Wizard | Purple | DomDaniel, Alther Mella, Marcia Overstrand (current ExtraOrdinary Wizard), Hotep-Ra (first ExtraOrdinary Wizard), all ExtraOrdinary ghosts |
| Ordinary Wizard | Dark blue | Silas Heap |
| Necromancer | Black | DomDaniel, Hotep-Ra (alleged) |
| Alchemist | Black and red with gold trimings | Marcellus Pye |
| Alchemist Apprentice | Black and red | Septimus Heap (only for a short time), Hugo Tenderfoot |
| Necromancer Apprentice | Dark green with a red sash with three black stars on it | Merrin Meredith, Simon Heap, Ellis Crackle |
| ExtraOrdinary Apprentice | Bright green | Septimus Heap (current apprentice), Silas Heap (apprentice to Alther Mella before Marcia), Marcia Overstrand, Talmar Ray Bell, Syrah Syara |
| sub-Wizard | Brown with light blue trimings | Hildegarde, Boris Catchpole |
[edit] Film
Warner Brothers have bought the rights to produce a film version of the book. Karen Rosenfelt will direct the film, with Sage serving as an executive producer. Septimus Heap: Magyk is set to be released in 2010.
[edit] References
- ^ Studios seek out the next 'Potter'. Variety (2007-07-12).
