Septimus Heap is the protagonist in the bestselling book series Septimus Heap , by Angie Sage . He is the Apprentice to the ExtraOrdinary Wizard, Marcia Overstrand . He was once a member of the Young Army, known as Boy 412.
122-478: This article catalogs the key characters from the books in the Septimus Heap series by Angie Sage . These include the books Magyk , Flyte , Physik , Queste , Syren , Darke , and Fyre. Some characters play a central role in all the books, while others are only central to the plot in one or two of the books. When reviewing the first book in the series, Magyk , Sabina Qazi of Dawn.com described
244-575: A "well-written stand-alone". The main antagonist of the first two novels is DomDaniel , a Necromancer and ex-ExtraOrdinary Wizard who wants to regain control of the Wizard Tower from Marcia Overstrand. The antagonist of the third novel , is Queen Etheldredda . In the fifth book the antagonists are the Syren and Tertius Fume and in the sixth book Merrin Merridith and his darke domaine. In
366-589: A Seventh Son , aptly named Septimus, he has exceptional Magykal powers and is currently apprenticed to the ExtraOrdinary Wizard Marcia Overstrand, whom he trusts more than anyone else. He shares his birthday with Jenna, his adoptive sister. 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, dark hair, and
488-459: A Wendron Witch. Edd and Erik are twins and love to joke around. The sixth son of the Heap family. He has a medium-build figure, with the characteristic green eyes of a wizard and the curly straw-colored hair of the Heap family, and has a happy and helpful disposition. As a son of a wizard, Nicko has learned Magyk but is not very interested in it. He is more interested in boats and sailing, a passion which brought him and Snorri Snorrelssen closer. He
610-570: A beautiful island and meeting Syrah Syara - a 513-year-old girl possessed by the Syren. Eventually Syrah is freed from the Syren and the friends all sail home together on the Cerys . Septimus is the Seventh Son of a Seventh Son (Silas Heap). Therefore, he is gifted with extreme magical powers. When Marcia gives him a charm to be invisible in Magyk , he was the first to disappear without even uttering
732-552: A child from the Young Army, where he has spent the first ten years of his life after DomDaniel attempted to abduct him. Thereafter he is apprentice to the ExtraOrdinary Wizard Marcia Overstrand. He has a mop of curly hair, wears green apprentice robes and has a Dragon Ring on his right hand. In the second novel , he acquires a dragon called Spit Fyre as a pet. According to a review in the Manila Standard Today ,
854-518: A deep red cloak and the gold circlet of the princess on her head. She is portrayed as loving and caring at heart, but sometimes very stubborn. In the first novel she has a pet rock called Petroc Trelawney (presumably named after, which she loses when the Marram Marshes are flooded; she later acquires a pet duck called Ethel who becomes Sarah Heaps's pet. The ambiguity of Jenna's characterization has been questioned, with one critic commenting: "[A]s
976-478: 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 other person who appreciates her cooking is Septimus. She has a pet cat called Bert which she transformed into a duck (they're easier to keep in the Marram Marshes) and also
1098-483: A fair complexion, and she wears a deep red cloak with the gold circlet of the Princess on her head. Although loving and caring at heart, she can sometimes be very stubborn. She loves her family dearly and would do anything for them. For a long time, she was unsure and unhappy at the thought of being future Queen, but she has come to accept her heritage and future. She was crowned Queen when she was old enough. Zelda Heap
1220-504: A good heart beneath. Her affection towards her apprentice Septimus is manifest in the novels, as is the responsibility she feels to protect him and his sister, even with her own life. She is described as a tall woman, with long, dark curly hair and deep-green eyes, and generally wears a deep purple tunic with purple python-skin boots. Her symbol and source of power, an Akhu-Amulet, which makes her ExtraOrdinary Wizard, hangs around her neck. Her haughty and vain characterization has been praised as
1342-582: A hill. They are inhabited by Land Wurms, giant carnivorous snakelike animals, making them a dangerous place, where Simon Heap also used to live. The Septimus Heap novels have been published in 28 languages worldwide and have sold over one million copies in the United States, with each of the books appearing on national bestsellers lists. Published in March 2005, the first book, Magyk , became an international bestseller after it appeared at number one on
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#17327979494101464-811: A job in the Manuscriptorium and joined hands with a ghost, Tertius Fume, to send Septimus on a deadly Queste . He is the main villain in Darke and wears the Two-Faced ring only to have his thumb chopped off and him reunited with his mother. Stanley is an ex-Secret Service Message rat. His association with the Heaps began in Magyk when he was sent by Sarah to give a message to Silas in the Marshes. From then onwards circumstance had it that Stanley became involved in
1586-481: A long stretch of marshland near the mouth of the river, which is inhabited by many creatures, such as Brownies, Quake Oozes, Boggarts and pythons. Zelda Heap's cottage is on Draggen Island, in the middle of the marshes. It is built above the secret temple where Septimus finds the Dragon Boat. Septimus also found the egg (which he thought was a rock) from which spit Fyre hatched in this temple. Sage has stated that
1708-492: A number of instances when she shows she truly has a good heart. She loves her apprentice Septimus dearly and feels great responsibility to protect both him and his sister, perhaps with her life. She also has arguments occasionally with Silas Heap and Jillie Djinn, neither of whom she gets on well with. She is a tall woman, with long, dark curly hair and deep-green eyes, and generally wears a deep purple tunic with her trademark pointy purple python shoes. Her symbol and source of power,
1830-400: A pretty girl with large brown eyes and brown hair in plaits, which she ties with colored ribbons. She is quite bossy and stubborn, but she is very determined and loyal, and had a warm heart underneath her blunt exterior. She eventually marries Simon Heap and they have a son, William. Septimus Heap Septimus Heap is a series of children's fantasy novels featuring a protagonist of
1952-610: A quote from Arthur C. Clarke : "Any Sufficiently Advanced Technology is Indistinguishable from Magyk," hinting that the series is set in the far future. This also hinted at by a dialogue between Lucy Gringe and Wolf Boy in Syren about the Red Tube . Wolf Boy says he has heard stories that people used to travel to the Moon in things like that. Lucy dismisses this; however, it is apparent they are talking about Apollo Moon missions . Hints that
2074-567: A return gift, Aunt Zelda reveals him to be Septimus Heap. The second book Flyte finds Septimus as the apprentice to Marcia. His elder brother Simon kidnaps Jenna in envy of Septimus stealing his apprenticeship. Septimus along with Nicko goes out in search of Jenna and they are accompanied by his Young Army friend Boy 409 or better known as Wolf-Boy. They find Jenna in the Port and take the Dragon-Boat from Aunt Zelda's to fight Simon who damages
2196-406: A short spell before he ran away. In book 5 aka Syren she was captured by the port witch coven but escaped along with Wolf-Boy, only to run into more trouble on The Marauder. She storms The Cerys along with Jenna, Septimus, and Wolf-boy when it became overrun with Skipper Fry and The Crowe Twins, and also saves Miarr's life. In Darke it is announced that Lucy and Simon will marry. Lucy is described as
2318-454: A snake bite. His mother, who simply called Brian "Beetle", was forced to impromptu name her child, and all she could do was wail: "Oh, Beetle... Beetle!" Duly, the toddler's name became O. Beetle Beetle. In Syren Beetle assists Septimus and Jenna, while being stranded on the Syren islands, to take care of Spit Fyre and to save the Castle from the impending dangers. In Darke, Beetle is trapped in
2440-404: A unit. They are also a family which becomes separated by circumstances- and I wanted to show that families can still be close to each other and care for each other even though they live apart. The family relationships develop as the books progress, and are central to the story. Sage keeps a boat (called Muriel ) in real life, as does the character Sally Mullin in Magyk . Other inspirations for
2562-453: Is a marble 21-floor tower with a gold pyramid at the top, surrounded by an aura of magyk. The Palace is the royal residence, home to Jenna, Sarah and Silas. It is much older than the Wizard Tower with secret places, such as the Queen's room, which is accessible only to the Queen or the Princess, and has a secret passage to the Marram Marshes. To the south of the Castle are the Marram Marshes,
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#17327979494102684-520: Is a small and timid-looking boy, with green wizard eyes and curly blond hair, formerly wearing a sheepskin jacket with purple and yellow stripes, and red hat during his Young Army days. Now he wears the traditional green robes of the ExtraOrdinary apprentice to Marcia and a pair of brown boots. He was very thin when he was in the Young Army. Later he filled up more due to Aunt Zelda's cabbage sandwiches in Magyk . According to author Angie Sage ,
2806-434: Is a supplement to the series in a full-colour larger format with illustrations by Mark Zug . Angie Sage said in an interview that she is enjoying the process of developing this guidebook and thinking about the book's structure and all its characters. Bloomsbury said that this Septimus Heap encyclopedia is a dazzling cornucopia of information on every aspect of Septimus's world and the creatures that inhabit it, including
2928-518: Is actually Mandy Marwick and he has two other brothers, Matt and Marcus. Lucy Gringe is Simon Heap's love interest. In Magyk the pair tried to marry, but the wedding was put off when Simon was dragged away by guards. She refused to believe that Simon had turned evil, and in Physik she set off to find him in the Badlands. It was revealed that they found each other, and the pair looked after Merrin for
3050-402: Is actually Silas' aunt but is known as Aunt Zelda to all and greatly loved for her happy-go-lucky nature, although she and Marcia are known to have disputes regarding usage of Magyk without "disrespecting" Mother Nature. As the current Keeper of the Dragon Boat, she resides in a cottage on Draggen Island in the Marram Marshes. She is of medium-build, often wears a tent-like dress (which gives her
3172-486: Is also good friends with Wolf Boy, also known as Boy 409, as they were friends in their Young Army days. It is possible that when he was Boy 412 he had a slight crush on Jenna, as when he would be embarrassed when he had to dress silly in front of her and he would care for her more than any other person, but whether or not he still has it is still unknown. He does, however, seem to develop a more prominent crush on Syrah Syara, an ExtraOrdinary Wizard apprentice 500 years past who
3294-445: Is an instance when Theo is blown in by a storm and sits on the cottage's roof seeing Zelda see Septimus Heap's (he was Boy 412 then) true identity and family in the pond. The following are the other important characters in the series who have played a major part in the story. The current ExtraOrdinary Wizard. Ambitious and willful, Marcia is a very powerful wizard. Although she seems stern, bad-tempered and often intimidating, there are
3416-482: Is an octagonal building flanked by four octagonal pillars. Here all times meet, and characters can go from one time to another. Characters can come into the building from any time, but can leave it in their own time only if another from that time stands outside the main door; otherwise they are lost in time, and may even end up in a time when the House of Foryx did not exist, giving them no chance of ever returning. The house
3538-522: Is apprenticed to Jannit Marten, who owns the boatyard of the Castle. Nicko loves his brother Septimus and adoptive sister Jenna dearly, and helps them in every possible way. He became romantically involved with Snorri, whom he met during events from Physik and was lost in Time with her in Queste . He returned to the Castle during the events of Syren and was one of the main sailors of Milo Banda's ship,
3660-555: Is described as stocky and has a shock of black hair. He loves going through the Manuscriptorium Ice Tunnels. Introduced in Magyk , Merrin Meredith is a boy who was mistaken for Septimus and was apprenticed to DomDaniel. When a matron midwife stole Septimus at birth from Sarah Heap to give to DomDaniel, circumstance had it that her own son, Merrin, was taken away by DomDaniel and the real Septimus ended up in
3782-502: Is dominated by shape-shifting or carnivorous trees, including Benjamin Heap, wolverines, and secrets. The Forest has a secret way to transport a character to the path leading to the House of Foryx. Sage based the Forest on medieval forests, which were huge and a law unto themselves, free from the authority of the outside world. The House of Foryx is a magical house situated somewhere deep in another forest, surrounded by perpetual winter. It
List of Septimus Heap characters - Misplaced Pages Continue
3904-476: Is friends with a marsh creature named Boggart. Zelda is the one who revealed the true identity of Boy 412 as Septimus Heap. She is generally very helpful. This is reflected many times in the series; like the time she helps Jenna when the Dragon Boat is badly damaged by Simon's ThunderFlash or reviving Merrin Meredith from being Consumed and dying. Zelda did not appear in the fourth book Queste . In Syren , Zelda sends Wolf-Boy for an errand to The Port Witch Coven,
4026-522: Is imprisoned in DomDaniel's boat, Vengeance , and nearly dies, but is rescued by Boy 412, Jenna and Nicko after they find a flying Dragon Boat in a secret cavern by Zelda's cottage where Jenna finds a beautiful stone. At the end of the novel, Boy 412 is revealed to be Septimus, and his family hears of his past. The second book, Flyte (published in March 2006), begins with Septimus (now the apprentice to ExtraOrdinary Wizard Marcia Overstrand) witnessing
4148-534: Is named after Foryx, a huge elephantine creature in the Septimus Heap universe. The Port lies in the extreme south near the sea, and is portrayed as a place full of strangers. Here ships load their cargo, which is verified by the customs officer, Alice Nettles (deceased). A dangerous coven called the Port Witch Coven can lure strangers into a trap or turn them into toads. There is a short cut from
4270-583: Is noticeable. " Syren " sees Septimus promoted to Senior Apprentice as he was the only ExtraOrdinary Apprentice to have survived - much less completed - the Queste. With his newfound freedom he sets off to find Jenna, Nicko, Beetle and Snorri (who were still at the Trading Post) on Spit Fyre, to discover them tucked away safely on Jenna's father's (Milo Banda) ship: the Cerys . Events lead to Septimus, Jenna, Beetle and an injured Spit Fyre becoming stranded on
4392-420: Is on good terms generally with everybody, except Marcia. Critics were surprised by Sage's portrayal of Silas and Sarah as they show least concern for the welfare of their children. The critics have written about situations where the characters' lack of affection is more pronounced:- like when Jenna was kidnapped and they are convinced that Simon cannot kidnap her or when Septimus is sent back in Time. Simon Heap
4514-455: Is on good terms with everybody except with Marcia. Silas loves to play Counter Feet with the gate-keeper of the Castle, Gringe. His addiction to the game makes him forget more important things like his family. He was responsible for accidentally releasing the spirit of Queen Etheldredda in Physik . Sarah is the mother of the Heap household. She has the witch-like blue eyes and fair curly hair of
4636-420: Is over five hundred years old and lives in the Castle near Snake Slipway. When Septimus was sent back in time in Physik by Etheldredda, he became Marcellus' apprentice. While coming back to their own time, Septimus promised Marcellus to prepare a youth potion so that the present Marcellus regains his youth which he did. He seems to dislike having to interact with the outside world, as he understands so little of
4758-487: Is ruined by a pack of wolverines in the forest when he goes out in search of Jenna in Flyte . He had a green rock that Jenna gave him in Magyk , but it hatched into Spit Fyre. The character was widely accepted as being extremely impressive and a well-written standalone. Manila Standard said that his character comes off as an intriguing boy, who is taught early on to live cautiously (in his Young Army days), yet he longs for
4880-536: Is taken by Jenna for when she becomes queen. The quest of the fourth book, Queste (published in April 2008), is a journey to the House of Foryx, in which "all times meet", to bring back Nicko and Snorri, who were trapped there after the events of the third book. Septimus is sent on the quest by a ghost called Tertius Fume. Tertius has made a promise to Merrin Meredith, who now holds the Two-Faced Ring, to Darken
5002-411: Is taken to the living Queen Etheldredda as princess Esmerelda Queen Etheldredda's daughter who had disappeared, but she escapes with Septimus and they return to the present Castle. Marcia then destroys the substantial spirit of Etheldredda and Septimus brews an antidote to the plague (Sicknesse) using his knowledge of Physik. When Etheldredda is destroyed the true crown lost to Queen Etheldredda appears and
List of Septimus Heap characters - Misplaced Pages Continue
5124-557: Is the General Dogsbody and Inspection Clerk in the Magykal Manuscriptorium and Spell Checkers Incorporated and is well loved by all. He also inspects the ice-tunnels under the Manuscriptorium on his sled. Beetle is generally in awe of Marcia but internally has developed a crush on Jenna . He is bitten by the aie-aie and affected by the plague which spread in the Castle in Physik but recovered from it by
5246-488: Is the oldest Heap son. He wanted to be Marcia's apprentice but lost to Septimus. He betrayed his family in the second book Flyte by joining the evil necromancer DomDaniel and made a bargain with the dead necromancer—to restore him to life, if he's taken on as the next Apprentice to the ExtraOrdinary Wizard. He kidnapped Jenna and tried to kill Marcia by a Placement on her but was thwarted by Septimus and
5368-515: Is to regain control of the Wizard Tower from Marcia and tries a number of times to do so. DomDaniel is described as a tall man wearing the black robes of Darke Magyk. On his head is a tall cylindrical black hat which denotes him as a necromancer. DomDaniel is generally described as a conniving, power-hungry and cunning man. He once Consumed his apprentice's body so that he can trick Marcia into giving him her Akhu-Amulet. Marcia Banished him but he tried to take revenge through Simon's help in Flyte . Marcia
5490-470: Is transported back in time to become the apprentice of the young Marcellus Pye, an alchemist who teaches him about Physik . In the present timeline of the novel, the Castle is infected by a deadly plague created by a rat like creature owned by Queen Etheldredda who has the plan to acquire eternal life. Jenna and Nicko meet a young trader, Snorri Snorrelssen with whom they travel in time to bring Septimus back though Nicko and Snorri couldn't escape. There, Jenna
5612-518: The Cerys . In Darke , he helped get Septimus to the Darke Halls . Snorri also left the Castle during Darke to return home with her mother. Although Nicko enjoyed her company, he felt 'free' after she left. The eponymous protagonist of the series, Septimus spent the first ten years of his life in the Young Army as Boy 412 after DomDaniel attempted to abduct him. As the Seventh Son of
5734-511: The Akhu Amulet, hangs around her neck. Ex-ExtraOrdinary Wizard, before Marcia. He used to be Marcia's tutor before he was murdered in a conspiracy hatched by DomDaniel to take over the Castle. He is present in the world as a ghost and helps Septimus and the others on their adventures. Described to be wearing the purple cloak of the ExtraOrdinary wizard, he has his white shining hair styled as a ponytail at his back and wears big brown boots. In
5856-462: The Castle and everything and everyone in it. The only thing that is standing in between is Merrin Meredith who created the darke domaine and his gang of Things and Darke Dragon. Alther Mella has been accidentally Banished by Marcia when she was trying to banish Tertius Fume (who, fortunately, was also banished) and Septimus wants to release him from the Darke Halls thinking he could help in undoing
5978-450: The Castle with Jenna as is evident in Flyte . Septimus loves catching bugs and has vertigo which he faces, many times in the series like when he walks along Snake Slipway in Physik or going along the toll bridge to the House of Foryx in Queste . He likes having FizzFroot with his friend Beetle but hates it when he has to go on a sled ride with him under the Manuscriptorium's Ice Tunnels. He
6100-532: The Darke. When Marcia Overstrand, the ExtraOrdinary Wizard undoes the Darke spell with the help of the Paired Codes, all becomes well. Beetle becomes Chief Hermetic Scribe; Simon is reunited with his family after leaving his past behind and Princess Jenna is happy that the Palace and Castle are back to normal. Fyre (published in April 2013), sees the cast featuring the toughest challenges yet as Septimus nears
6222-608: The Destiny of Septimus. Assisted by Jenna and his friend Beetle, among others, Septimus pieces together a map to the House of Foryx. When they reach the house, Septimus meets Hotep-Ra, the first ExtraOrdinary Wizard, while Jenna and Beetle find Nicko and Snorri. Marcia and Sarah Heap arrive outside the house on Spit Fyre, and they return together to their own time. The fifth book, Syren (published in September 2009), continues from where Queste ended. Septimus brings his friends to
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#17327979494106344-453: The Dragon-Boat extensively. Septimus saves Marcia again from a placement by Simon. He found the long-lost flyte charm. The third book Physik finds Septimus in great danger as the ghost of an evil Queen Etheldredda sends him back in time 500 years ago. There Septimus becomes the apprentice to a noted alchemist called Marcellus Pye and learns about physik . Jenna and Nicko along with a new girl called Snorri, rescue him and Marcia destroys
6466-574: The Forest as her final resting place. Benjamin and Theo are the grandfathers of the Heap household. Benjamin Heap is the father of Silas. He is a shape shifter. When he got old, he decided to permanently assume tree-form instead of becoming a ghost. Silas kept searching for his father, And sometimes addresses a random tree in the hope that it's his father, until when, the Wendron Witch mother, Morwenna Mould shows him his father's location. Septimus and Nicko met their Grandpa Benji while they were in
6588-465: The Grim. The two manage to escape, but get tangled with some nefarious sailors. He gets along well with Lucy, except that he doesn't like her screaming. Later, when they meet Septimus, Jenna, and Beetle, he is wary at first. However, he becomes friends with Beetle. Aunt Zelda has grown extremely fond of him and is relieved to see him safe and sound at the end of Syren . In Darke, it is found out that his name
6710-472: The Heap family, and is especially friends with Nicko, with whom she shares a love of sailing and who she has romantic feelings for. As a Spirit Seer, she can see all spirits, even if they have not chosen to reveal themselves to others. She has an orange pet cat named Ullr who turns into a deadly Black panther at night. Snorri helped to prevent Etheldredda's spirit from murdering Jenna, by summoning her father's spirit who stopped Etheldredda from pushing Jenna into
6832-413: The Heap family. She studied with the Physik woman, Galen, about Magykal herbs and plants and it was there that Silas Heap met her while getting lost in the forest one day. Sarah, though she is loving and caring in nature, is somewhat forgetful and sometimes more concerned about other things rather than the well-being of her dear ones. Sarah has learned Physik and can also do some Magyk . Like Silas she
6954-433: The Manuscriptorium during The Great Undoing and later is picked to become Chief Hermetic Scribe. He is quite mature for his age and is the youngest person to pass the Manuscriptorium entrance exam. He is also very intelligent. He is about three years older than his best friend Septimus. They share a love of FizzFroot and a hatred of Darke magic. Beetle always wears his Admiral's jacket given to him by Milo Banda in Syren. Beetle
7076-501: The Matron Midwife on the commands of the evil Necromancer, DomDaniel. It was planned for him to be raised to become apprentice to DomDaniel. However, due to a mix -up, the midwife's own son was taken. Septimus was raised in the Young Army, known as Boy 412, up until the end of Magyk . In the very first book Magyk after Septimus was taken away, Silas and Sarah later adopt the orphaned princess of their Castle. When Jenna ,
7198-1041: The New York Times Best Sellers List. The series has received mostly positive reviews. The Independent newspaper's review of the audio books stated that the chapters are short enough to keep children of seven-plus interested but, as there are ghosts, rats, soldiers and dragon boats to help Septimus and the young Princess fight the evil necromancer DomDaniel , there is enough to keep the whole family amused. Some critics have noted similarities between names in Septimus Heap and those in Harry Potter , such as Petroc Trelawney (Jenna's pet rock) and Sybill Trelawney (a professor in Harry Potter ); also both series feature Boggarts (which are intelligent Marsh creatures in Septimus Heap and shape-shifters in Harry Potter ). In response, British author Phil Knight has commented: The Petroc Trelawney in
7320-565: The Palace and the Ramblings are in the Castle. Sage based the structure on that of ancient walled cities which were completely self-sufficient, like little nations in their own right. The Wizard Tower is the place where the ExtraOrdinary Wizard (Marcia Overstrand) resides along with Ordinary Wizards and their apprentices and the ExtraOrdinary Apprentice (Septimus Heap). Built by the first ExtraOrdinary Wizard, Hotep-Ra, it
7442-522: The Port in the south. An enlarged map of the Castle is also included. Flyte has a map showing the Badlands and the Borderlands in the north. Physik has an enlarged map of the Castle with more details showing the Alchemie chambers. Queste has a map for the House of Foryx, drawn by Snorri for Marcellus. Syren keeps the past maps but adds the isles of Syren. The map in Syren also mentions that
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#17327979494107564-405: The Port to Zelda's house in the Marram Marshes. The author created the Port because of her love of the hubbub accompanying the arrival of boats. According to Sage, she sees the Port as full of "beginnings and adventures—and endings too." The Badlands are a rocky and hilly valley on the northern borders of the Septimus Heap world, where Dom Daniel once practised his dark magic in an observatory atop
7686-400: The Port, a place beside the sea where ships come and go, and when he brings back his friends back he, Jenna and Beetle get trapped on a mysterious island. There he meets a mysterious girl called Syrah Syara who tells him that she is possessed by the Syren (hence the name of the book) an evil spirit, and she also tells him about a dangerous plot by Tertius Fume to destroy The Castle. Together with
7808-464: The Princess or Queenling, she comes from a turbulent past and is thrust into the anonymous world of ordinary society without any inkling of her royal background. The reader is therefore left guessing whether or not she has it in her to rise to the tenets of her position as ruler of the Castle." Marcia Overstrand is the powerful, ambitious and wilful ExtraOrdinary Wizard of the series. She is characterized as stern, bad-tempered and intimidating, but with
7930-614: The Rings , and the journeys in the series are "somewhat Narnia-esque in how they play out"; similarly the concept of a remarkably powerful seventh son of a seventh son was previously employed in the Alvin Maker series of Orson Scott Card . The sprinkling of borrowed ideas has not necessarily been regarded as a negative trait: these ideas play a part in developing the flavour of the series and "don't necessarily deviate it from its originality". Septimus Heap (character) Septimus
8052-708: The Septimus Heap books is nothing at all to do with Professor Trelawney. He is a Radio 3 presenter who may well be known to Angie Sage personally, but otherwise will be known over the air. Think: why would Jenna call a pet rock 'Trelawney'? To a Radio 3 listener like me, it's perfectly logical ... And as for Boggarts, they've been around here in the North of England for a long time. Manchester has Boggart Hole Clough, for example. They're not really like either Sage's or Rowling 's creatures, but pre-exist either of them. The series has also been compared to other fantasy novels: for instance, Hotep-Ra's magical ring evokes The Lord of
8174-474: The Supreme Custodian to help start a boy army. On her tenth birthday, Jenna learns from ExtraOrdinary Wizard Marcia Overstrand that she is a princess, but that she—and the Heap family—are in danger. Jenna and Nicko Heap escape to their Aunt Zelda's cottage. They are accompanied by a member of the Young Army called Boy 412, who discovers his magic powers and a legendary ring while at Zelda's. Marcia
8296-402: The Syren with rats available for employment. The rats were aboard the Cerys. The Substantial Spirit of an ancient queen with a history of filicide , Etheldredda wreaks havoc on the Castle when her spirit is accidentally released by Silas in Physik . Etheldredda, being an ancient queen is described having the typical dressing sense and looks of a somewhat Renessaince period. Etheldredda
8418-467: The WBs contract. But I promise you, we are working really hard to get Septimus Heap onto the screen!' The eponymous protagonist of the series is Septimus Heap . As the seventh son of a seventh son , the aptly named Septimus has exceptional magical powers. He shares his birthday with Jenna, his adoptive sister, but is presumed dead at birth by his family. For most of the first novel he appears as Boy 412,
8540-434: The Young Army. After his apprenticeship, Merrin is continuously looked down by DomDaniel who always expects him to do brilliant magic (thinking him to be Septimus), which he fails to do. As a whole, Merrin is an unhappy, nasty boy. He was once Consumed by DomDaniel and almost died but was Revived by Zelda. After DomDaniel is destroyed he became Simon's apprentice but ran away from the Badlands to take revenge on Septimus. He took
8662-483: The adventures of Septimus and his friends. This led to his separation from his wife Dawnie, who went to live with her sister. At present, Stanley is working to set up the Secret Service Message agency again by taking Jenna's permission. Stanley adopted 4 baby ratlets he found on the long walk and claims that he will love them 100 times more than he will ever love Dawnie. Jenna returned from the island of
8784-416: The beginning of the book he was able to conjure sound, which many ExtraOrdinary cannot do. Septimus is a loving and caring boy, fond of his adopted sister Jenna, brother Nicko, friends Beetle and Wolf Boy (Boy 409), tutor Marcia and pet dragon Spit Fyre. His relationship with his elder brother Simon is ruined in Flyte when Simon tried to kidnap Jenna and kill Marcia, but maintains a healthy relationship with
8906-446: The beginning, but she had not decided on the intermediate steps on his journey, nor on the characters he would meet. Sage described Septimus Heap's world as a place where numerous creatures and people suddenly appear and become involved in events. Commenting on the development of the Septimus Heap character, Sage has described him as someone in a strange and hostile world who has no idea of his real identity. The series gained momentum with
9028-421: The character was in her mind for a long time, and she had already decided what would happen to Septimus in the end but was not exactly sure how she would make the character get there or who he would meet on his journey. For her, Septimus was someone who was in a strange and hostile world and who did not have a clue about who he really was. At twelve hours old, Septimus was taken away from his mother Sarah Heap by
9150-501: The characters as follows: These characters remind us of the different types of people around us. Sage separates the qualities that make us who we are and typecasts them into these roles. The good and the bad characteristics are accompanied by the dull and the intelligent, the silly with the mature and the unapproachable with the loving. But this doesn’t mean that her characters are not well-rounded people. They are, but by highlighting certain aspects of their personality, she makes it easy for
9272-612: The charm. This made Marcia realize that he had extreme magical powers. She asked him to be her apprentice which he later accepted. The Dragon-Boat also realised this magical power when Septimus held the Dragon's tiller. When Jenna, Nicko and he went to find Marcia aboard The Vengeance , he showed his magical skill by being clever enough to utter new spells so that all three of them can see each other even if they are invisible. He can transfix (paralyse) bigger beings like horses as well as unreal things like shadows as demonstrated in Flyte . He
9394-432: The context of the warmth and strength of his family, and developed alongside those of Jenna , his adoptive sister, who is heir to the throne of the Castle, the community where they live. The novels, set in an elaborate fantastic world, describe the many challenges that Septimus and his friends must overcome. The books have appeared on national bestsellers lists and received worldwide critical acclaim; Warner Bros. acquired
9516-423: The contrast between the caution he has learned from an early age and his longing for the love and affection of a family makes him an intriguing character. Adopted by the Heap family as a baby in place of Septimus, Jenna Heap is the daughter of the assassinated queen of the castle. She is a small girl, with deep violet eyes, dark hair (both of which all queens and princesses have had) and fair complexion; she wears
9638-535: The country that Septimus lives in is called "The Small Wet Country Across the Sea". Darke has a map similar to that in Magyk, however, instead of including Marram Marshes which are south of the castle, it includes a map of the Darke Halls, bleak creek and the bottomless whirlpool. It also includes an enlarged map of the castle. At the end of Fyre , Septimus writes in the snow that the date is 4 July 12,004. The book ends with
9760-560: The development of the character of Marcia Overstrand, which Sage credits as an inspiration. Septimus Heap is centred on the warmth and strength of the Heap family. In an interview Sage said: I like their chaotic acceptance of life, and the fact that they don't do what they are told by authority if they think it is wrong. Stuff happens to them that makes their life difficult at times but they don't moan about things, they just get on and sort it out as best they can. They are remarkably accepting of other people, I think because they are so strong as
9882-425: The discovery of the lost Flyte charm, which gives the book its title, and the stone that Jenna gives to Septimus turns out to be an egg that hatches into a dragon who Septimus names Spit Fyre. The antagonist of the third book, Physik (published in March 2007), is the 500-year-old spirit of Queen Etheldredda , who is accidentally released by Silas Heap. She sends Septimus to her immortal son Marcellus Pye . He
10004-507: The end of his ExtraOrdinary Wizard training. When the Darke wizards in the Two-Faced ring, Shamandrigger Saarn and Dramindonnor Naarn escape and Inhabit Silas Heap's brothers Ernold and Edmund they try to destroy Marcellous Pye's Alchemical Fyre but they are defeated and returned to the two faced ring which is then destroyed in the Fyre. Septimus Heap: The Magykal Papers (published in June 2009)
10126-564: The events of Fyre , began in October 2014. The series follows the adventures of Septimus Heap who, as a seventh son of a seventh son , has extraordinary magical powers. After he becomes an apprentice to the ("ExtraOrdinary") wizard of the series, Marcia Overstrand , he must study for seven years and a day until his apprenticeship ends. In the first book, he is known as Young Army Expendable Boy 412, until his great-aunt, Zelda Zanuba Heap reveals his true identity. His adventures are placed in
10248-442: The events of Syren , but does get an unsteady feeling when looking at Septimus. Septimus wears an ExtraOrdinary apprentice belt around his waist in which he keeps all his small charms including the Flyte charm. He wears the Dragon ring of Hotep-Ra around his finger. He still has his Young Army Camp back pack and keeps an interesting collection of stuff from his Young Army days which can be handy and useful at any time. His backpack
10370-444: The evil queen. Septimus cures the people of the Castle from the sicknesse which was spreading. In Queste , Septimus is tricked to go on a deadly quest by an old and nasty ghost called Tertius Fume. He eventually goes on to the House of Foryx to search Nicko and Snorri who were trapped back in time in the previous book. Along with Jenna and Beetle, his friend, they search and bring back Nicko and Snorri. His magical power development
10492-402: The fire conjured by Marcia. In a review by Katie Dickinson of Waterstones.com , she said that the character was interesting and she hoped that Snorri and her mysterious cat would stay on in the series. Snorri, however, leaves the castle at the end of Darke to return home with her mother. A Necromancer and ex-ExtraOrdinary Wizard, he is the main antagonist of the first novel. His main purpose
10614-403: The first book, entitled Magyk (published in March 2005), revolves around the pauper Heap family: Silas , Sarah and their seven children. The story begins when Silas finds Jenna in the snow. Septimus is born on the same day, but is declared dead by the midwife, who steals the baby and brings him to DomDaniel, an evil wizard. However, he is confused with the midwife's own son and is sent to
10736-468: The forest after Sarah took them there for refuge at Galen's place. Wendron Witches visit them quite a lot. Generally they are quite aloof from the happenings of the outside world and have adapted to the ways and life of the Forest. Sam loves fishing and used to go with Silas for catching fish. He was the one who showed Septimus and the others the actual path to the House of Foryx . Jo-Jo has a crush on Marissa,
10858-449: The forest searching for Jenna in Flyte . Benjamin saved them from a pack of Wolverines and they got to know him. Theo Heap is the second brother to Benjamin and Zelda. Like his elder brother, he is also a shape-shifter and shifted to be a Storm Petrel . On stormy nights in the Marram Marshes, Zelda keeps a lookout for any Storm Petrels which might be blown away to the marshes and hopes to meet her brother again one day. In Magyk there
10980-472: The help of the others and a safe-charm jinnee sent to him by Aunt Zelda, Septimus stops the invasion of The Castle by Fume and his jinnee warriors (stolen from Milo Banda, the dead queen's husband and Jenna's father) and saves Syrah from the Syren. The sixth book, Darke (published in America in June 2011 and England in October 2011), sees Septimus and his friends battling the Darke domain which has engulfed
11102-432: The kidnapping of Jenna by her older brother Simon Heap. After seeking help from Nicko and a friend from the Young Army (boy 409/Wolf boy), Septimus finds Jenna at The Port, but they are followed by Simon. They fly to The Castle in the Dragon Boat, engaging in aerial combat with Simon on the way. Marcia's life is threatened by the reassembled bones of DomDaniel, but with Septimus's help, she destroys him. The novel also features
11224-431: The love and affection of a family. Sabina Qazi of Dawn.com said that sometimes Sage has given too much attention to the secondary characters and that takes away the heroism of the protagonist Septimus. Also, the ease with which they dispatch their enemy, takes away his glory a little but also "this very element, makes for light and humorous reading and renders the children more identifiable." She also said that Septimus
11346-501: The marshes are based on boggy areas at the end of a creek near her home, and that the tides and the phases of the moon in the novels are based on those for Falmouth, Cornwall . The Forest lies to the north-west of the Castle, and is feared by the Castle's inhabitants as a dark and dangerous area. The Wendron Witches and the witch community live there, as does Galen, Sarah Heap's mentor in Physik. The Forest has many mysterious aspects, and
11468-484: The medicine brewed by Septimus. After he was fired from the Manuscriptorium by chief scribe Jillie Djinn for discussing Manuscriptorium business in front of Jenna and for saying unflattering things about Jillie Djinn, Beetle joined Septimus and Jenna to bring back Nicko and Snorri from the House of Foryx. In Darke, Beetle is named Chief Hermetic Scribe after the death of Jillie Djinn. Beetle got his name from his mother, Pamela Beetle, after his father, Brian Beetle, died from
11590-470: The middle of his ghostly chest he still has an impression of blood indicating the place where a bullet hit him and he died. Alther, being a ghost, can only go to places he has once visited in his lifetime. If he tries to visit some other place, he is Returned, thrown backwards off his feet by an invisible force, which he hates. But still, he can sometimes cause things to be moved about like he did to annoy DomDaniel in Magyk . Being an ex-ExtraOrdinary Wizard he
11712-401: The modern time and prefers staying at home, though he is on good terms with Septimus and Jenna, who resembles his long gone sister Esmeralda. Critics found his character to be "not the quite good guy, yet not the quite bad guy either." Better known as Boy 409, he is a friend of Septimus from the Young Army who got almost drowned one night in an expedition to the Forest, and was left for dead. He
11834-482: The movie would be live action, with computer-animated effects, and David Frankel as director and Rob Lieber to adapt Magyk . As of 2009, a re-write of the script was being done with screenwriter Mulroney while Warner Brothers were working with a studio to create some early conceptual design/look development. Sage commented: "It is very exciting to know that others are putting their creative input into my work—quite amazing really. [...] I'm really looking forward to seeing
11956-506: The other Heap brothers and is closest to Nicko Heap . His relationship with Simon is later repaired when he turns away from Darke in Fyre. He rarely spends time around the Forest Heaps : Sam, Jo-Jo, Edd and Erik Heap, as they live in the Forest most of the time, but he is still close to them, as proved in Queste . Although he spends most of his time at Wizard Tower, he loves it when he gets a chance to meet Sarah and Silas and roam around
12078-521: The others. He later learnt his mistakes and reformed his ways. Simon is romantically involved with Lucy Gringe, gatekeeper Gringe's daughter. Together at present they stay in an apartment in the Port. According to Fantasy Literature review, he's like the typical bad-guy who makes the mistake of not killing his enemies straight-away. Simon moved to the Darke side and even tried to kill his siblings Septimus and Jenna . However, note that Simon knew that Jenna
12200-403: The past, before spelling became standardized, people would spell words how they chose to, sometimes in different ways in the same sentence. Magic was often spelled magyck, so all I did was to change that a little. After that I carried on using archaic spelling for words associated with magic and the supernatural. It makes them look a little different, gives a different flavor to them. The plot of
12322-423: The princess, is discovered, the ExtraOrdinary wizard Marcia Overstrand takes her away from the Heaps and circumstance had it that Boy 412 ended up escaping with them to Silas Heap's Aunt; Aunt Zelda's place. There the others discover Boy 412's magical powers and he, together with Jenna and their brother Nicko discover a hidden Dragon-Boat and save Marcia from DomDaniel. Marcia accepts Boy 412 as her apprentice, and for
12444-419: The reader to think of real people in terms of these characters. Thus an evil principal becomes the necromancer, the dead queen loved grandparent, Septimus as the most intelligent but quiet boy in class and Jenna, perhaps, as the new best friend in the neighbourhood" - Dawn.com The Heaps are the main characters in the series. Although the story revolves mainly around the protagonist Septimus and his sister Jenna,
12566-407: The rights to produce a film version of the first book, Magyk . Karen Rosenfelt would produce the film, with Sage serving as an executive producer. According to Cinematical.com, the making of the movie would not start before the final Harry Potter movie was completed. Sage said that the screenplay would be developed after the writer's strike was over. It was announced on 17 July 2009 that
12688-419: The rights to produce a movie based on the first book. The series has been noted for the realism and richness of its characters, the compelling nature of their adventures, and its humour. It has been compared with Harry Potter and other works within the genre. Author Angie Sage has said that the character of Septimus Heap, his ultimate fate, and the world he inhabits, were fully formed in her imagination from
12810-480: The same name written by English author Angie Sage . In all, it features seven novels, entitled Magyk , Flyte , Physik , Queste , Syren , Darke , and Fyre . The first, Magyk , was published in 2005 and the last, Fyre , in 2013. A full colour supplement to the series, entitled The Magykal Papers , was published in June 2009, and an online novella titled The Darke Toad is also available. A sequel trilogy, The TodHunter Moon Series , set seven years after
12932-538: The secret files, the journal excerpts, charm theory, the seven basic spells, dispatches from the Message Rat Office, the history, and the maps. The Darke Toad is an eBook novella for Amazon Kindle (published in February 2013). The novella features the return of DomDaniel as well as the Port Witch Coven, and is set between Magyk and Flyte . The eBook includes two chapters of Fyre , the final book in
13054-463: The series included Sage's love of history and the misty landscape of Cornwall , where she lived before starting the series. Another factor in the development of the series was her love of daydreaming: "Slowly ... lots of thinking, and daydreaming. I am a big fan of daydreaming and staring out of the window. Then keeping all my thoughts and ideas in a dog-eared old envelope for ages." With The Wilton Villager , Sage further expanded her inspiration behind
13176-513: The series. The TodHunter Moon trilogy starts seven years after Fyre , and revolves around Alice Todhunter Moon, the apprentice of Septimus, now ExtraOrdinary Wizard. First in the TodHunter Moon trilogy, Pathfinder (published in October 2014) picks up the world of Septimus Heap seven years after the events of Fyre , followed by SandRider (published in October 2015) and StarChaser (published in October 2016). Warner Bros. bought
13298-410: The series. "It was an idea I had had for a very long time, and I waited a long time while it grew and developed. [...] I try and write the books I would have loved to have read as a child and teenager. [...] It all started with the spelling of the first title, 'Magyk.' I felt the way that magic is normally spelled makes people think of conjuring tricks and stage magicians and I wanted to avoid that, but in
13420-413: The seventh it is the two Darke ring wizards. Several other characters appear regularly in the novels, including Septimus's parents Silas and Sarah Heap , Septimus's friend Beetle , and a trader called Snorri Snorrelssen. Like other fantasy novels, the Septimus Heap series is set in an imaginary world. Maps are provided in all of the books. Magyk contains a map of the Castle and its surroundings to
13542-402: The story is set in the future also reveal themselves when Septimus and the possessed Syrah enter a chamber that goes up and down with the press of a button, indicating that they used an elevator. The Castle is the main location in the series. It is situated by a river on a piece of land, circular in shape, which has been cut off from the surrounding forest by an artificial moat. The Wizard Tower,
13664-518: The success of which will entitle him to be a Keeper. In Fyre , she begins to become forgetful and later reveals that she has lost one of the bowls that are used to save the Dragon Boat as the Marsh Python ate it. She then leaves Wolf Boy (now known as Marwick) to be the Keeper as she realises that she is too old and it is her time to die, and goes to visit with her brothers Benjamin and Theo Heap in
13786-456: The whole Septimus world up there on the big screen coming to life." On the Septimus Heap official Facebook page it is stated that 'Warner Brothers decided not to proceed with it, sadly. We then had to wait 8 years to get the rights back, which we managed to do in May. So now Septimus Heap is out there again, hoping to find a TV series. But things are complicated as there are financial hangovers from
13908-409: The whole family comes together in the adventures. They are a heap of Heaps. Silas is the father of the Heap household. He is an Ordinary Wizard with curly hair and wizard green eyes, and wears the traditional blue cloak of Ordinary Wizards. Silas was apprenticed to former ExtraOrdinary Wizard Alther Mella but left his apprenticeship, thus losing the title to Marcia Overstrand . He loves his family and
14030-489: Was a tyrannical ruler during her rule. Having already murdered her two unnamed twin daughters, she was on the verge of killing her daughter Esmeralda, who was the successor to the throne, when she was thwarted by Septimus and the others back in time in Physik . After getting released, Etheldredda makes a plan to kill Jenna and reclaim her throne again. Marcia defeats her and destroys her forever with help from Snorri Snorrelssen and her father Olaf. Katie Dickinson of Waterstones
14152-447: Was able to Identify him again properly and he was completely finished though his ghost endured. But ultimately he vanished into apparent non-existence after his bones were consumed by Spit Fyre. Actual name O. Beetle Beetle, he is Septimus' best friend from the Manuscriptorium. Introduced in Flyte , Beetle has become a regular character in the series. He assists Septimus on their adventures, and has some of them of his own accord. Beetle
14274-576: Was automatically summoned in the Gathering In Queste . Alther has always shared romantic feelings for Alice Nettles, former Chief Customs Officer, and stays with her ghost in front of the Palace. Snorri is an independent and somewhat mysterious young Northern Trader, who comes to the Castle to trade her goods and find her father's ghost. Born to Olaf and Alfrún Snorrelssen, Snorri is a pale complexioned girl with white blonde hair and pale blue eyes with an air of mystery around them. She helps
14396-408: Was impressed by the character and said that "Queen Etheldredda leaves you shivering". Rebecca of Fantasy Literature said that Etheldredda is quite an unnerving villain. She is described to be "As strict and severe as the worst storybook governess and ultimately quite as evil as any fairytale stepmother". Etheldredda's son, Marcellus is a renowned Alchemist, who has drunk the potion of immortality. He
14518-452: Was later adopted by wolverines, and left when he got too big. Septimus later met him in his brother's camps in the Forest, where he had been found and re-christened as Wolf Boy . He attempted to help Jenna find Septimus in Physik . He is currently apprenticed to Aunt Zelda and is in the process of becoming the first male Keeper. In Syren , he takes the test to become Keeper. At the Port Witch Coven, he discovers that he must feed Lucy Gringe to
14640-423: Was lost to the Queste. Whether or not she returns his affections is unclear - she did indeed smile at him when he took her hand, but that may be because he was some of the first human contact she had had in 500 years. In Fyre , he and Rose are heavily implied to have a mutual crush on each other, which is most likely due to Septimus regularly visiting the infirmary to visit Syrah. Syrah is said to have forgotten about
14762-429: Was not his real sister and thought Septimus was only pretending to be his little brother so he might not have behaved in the same manner to Nicko , Erik, Edd, Jo-Jo, and Sam , all of whom he saw as real brothers. He has since changed his ways, becoming good and has tried to return to the Castle. Sam, Edd and Erik (twins) and Jo-Jo are the second, third, fourth and fifth Heap sons, respectively. They all started living in
14884-428: Was the first one to discover the complete Flyte charm in many years and is able to fly successfully. When he went back in time to Marcellus Pye, he learnt all that he could about alchemy and "Physik" and was even able to cure the sicknesse which infected the Castle inhabitants. He is also able to do a complete Projection of a human and keep it relatively solid as he demonstrated in the House of Foryx in Queste, where in
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