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4.16 AVERAGE
4.16 AVERAGE
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A satisfying conclusion, but other books in the series have a more creative plot and are more suspenseful and exciting. I did like the resolution of several character arcs. This series depicts coming of age well.
I started reading this series with my young son, who grew with the series until we were reading them independently of each other. The world of Septimus Heap is a fully realized one, and I would be sad to see the end of the series if I didn't know that Angie Sage has begun writing a new series set in the same location. These books are fun, enchanting children's literature and I have truly loved them.
Loved it. Glad I was finally able to finish this series. It was worth the wait.
First, let me just say that this book was amazing. But from the great finale of one of my favorite series ever I expected much more.
There were many things that disturbed me and many, many things I liked. For example, I like Angie's special way of humor and how she manages to write about tons of awesome characters and doesn't let any of them out of the story. And they never become boring. I like how despite all the action, magyk and darke stuff, her books stay light and funny.
If I said that there's no romance, I'd be lying. It is present, but hidden between the lines. The way Angie describes romantic stuff is kind of childish and silly but very refreshing. I absolutely love it.
The book was a constant reminder that this is the end of Semptimus Heap. It visited almost every place important for previous books and gave almost every character an opportunity to shine. But I was disappointed. Who needs other characters when there's no Nicko?
He has got even smaller role than in Darke. Through the first half of Fyre, his name is said twice. Twice! In the middle Angie remembered about the best Heap so she put him along for a journey to the House of Foryx. And also into the port palace with Jenna, Sep, Simon and Jim Knee. However, she seemed to forget about him and after that there was no Nicko at all. At least he became his old self again. It's a shame he didn't get another typical Nik moment like at the end of Darke when he was imitating a seagull at the royal party. I don't know why Angie almost removed him from the plot but I clearly missed him.
There was plenty other disappointing factors, for example Syrah being weird and boring when she woke up, or Septimus ending up with Rose (who exactly? Was she ever mentioned before?), or Jenna still being annoying, or that Spit Fyre was left out, or that the twist with fyre was pretty lame and nothing special... But the greatness of Septimus Heap overpowers everything (except lack of Nicko!) so I'm giving it 4 stars.
Oh, I forgot something! I have a new hero! Quoting directly from acknowledgements: "To Dave Johnson, without whom Nicko would not have had an attack of the giggles at the Wendron Witch Summer Circle."
There were many things that disturbed me and many, many things I liked. For example, I like Angie's special way of humor and how she manages to write about tons of awesome characters and doesn't let any of them out of the story. And they never become boring. I like how despite all the action, magyk and darke stuff, her books stay light and funny.
If I said that there's no romance, I'd be lying. It is present, but hidden between the lines. The way Angie describes romantic stuff is kind of childish and silly but very refreshing. I absolutely love it.
The book was a constant reminder that this is the end of Semptimus Heap. It visited almost every place important for previous books and gave almost every character an opportunity to shine. But I was disappointed. Who needs other characters when there's no Nicko?
He has got even smaller role than in Darke. Through the first half of Fyre, his name is said twice. Twice! In the middle Angie remembered about the best Heap so she put him along for a journey to the House of Foryx. And also into the port palace with Jenna, Sep, Simon and Jim Knee. However, she seemed to forget about him and after that there was no Nicko at all. At least he became his old self again. It's a shame he didn't get another typical Nik moment like at the end of Darke when he was imitating a seagull at the royal party. I don't know why Angie almost removed him from the plot but I clearly missed him.
There was plenty other disappointing factors, for example Syrah being weird and boring when she woke up, or Septimus ending up with Rose (who exactly? Was she ever mentioned before?), or Jenna still being annoying, or that Spit Fyre was left out, or that the twist with fyre was pretty lame and nothing special... But the greatness of Septimus Heap overpowers everything (except lack of Nicko!) so I'm giving it 4 stars.
Oh, I forgot something! I have a new hero! Quoting directly from acknowledgements: "To Dave Johnson, without whom Nicko would not have had an attack of the giggles at the Wendron Witch Summer Circle."
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A satisfying ending to this children's series. It remains tame enough to be a read aloud for kids 8 and under but entertaining enough that an adult can enjoy it.
adventurous
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
i will say that the main plot for this book was a bit slow for me and made me lean more towards a 3/5 rather than a 4/5 for the review rating. the two faced wizards mentioned at the beginning are definitely evil and make for good villains, but it’s also hard to care about their actions as much when it feels like they were created and brought into the story for the sake of having a villain, and didn’t feel super creative.
that being said, this was still a fantastic book to finish off the series while also giving closure to each of the characters. i like that jenna clearly grows and matures enough to be a trustworthy queen throughout this book, despite the fact that she is still basically a child. all of the characters seem to have growth like this, even the ones only briefly mentioned.
it was also enjoyable reading the after ending section that is in every book of the magyk series, since it gives brief info about what the characters go on to do next. i will say i wish i got something more about stanley the message rat, but that’s ok since it seems like his message rat business is working out for him.
i am sad that septimus’ adventures are coming to a close, but i am excited to read about todmoon hunter (sp?) since the after ending section included a brief connector for how it ties into the magyk universe.
that being said, this was still a fantastic book to finish off the series while also giving closure to each of the characters. i like that jenna clearly grows and matures enough to be a trustworthy queen throughout this book, despite the fact that she is still basically a child. all of the characters seem to have growth like this, even the ones only briefly mentioned.
it was also enjoyable reading the after ending section that is in every book of the magyk series, since it gives brief info about what the characters go on to do next. i will say i wish i got something more about stanley the message rat, but that’s ok since it seems like his message rat business is working out for him.
i am sad that septimus’ adventures are coming to a close, but i am excited to read about todmoon hunter (sp?) since the after ending section included a brief connector for how it ties into the magyk universe.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Dementia, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy
Another pretty good Septimus Heap book. This series has a lot of cool magic and a really interesting plot. I enjoy the characters, and the interesting plot twists throughout the books. I'd recommend it to Harry Potter fans who are trying to find that magic again. I enjoyed it, and I hope to reread it very soon.