Septimus Heap: Book 1, Magyk, by AngieSage

My daughter and I just listened to the first Septimus Heap book on CD.  I don't normally like audio books because I get impatient at the slow pace.  However, the narrator did a fantastic job with Ms. Sage's story.

I had once tried to read this book on my own, and eventually set it down.  I only chose it because it was one of the few audio books in our library that my daughter was remotely interested in.  But this is a perfect example of giving a book another chance.  Sometimes, we are just not in the right mood or place for a book.  I thoroughly enjoyed this book the second time I tried it.  It's a very epic-feeling book, with many characters and a rather omniscient point of view narrator, which you don't see very often these days.  The plot has a good number of twists and turns and even though I think most readers will figure out one of the big secrets earlier, it made my daughter feel very in-the-know and part of a secret club when she realized what was going on before the characters in the story did.  

I highly recommend to those who enjoy Percy Jackson and Harry Potter. This is another long series, but even if you only read book 1, it's well worth the time spent.

My daughter gave it five stars and she's pretty stingy with those. So check it out! And the cover is super cool and you'll understand why at the end. It has special meaning.

Summary from Goodreads:

"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 new born girl with violet eyes. The Heaps take this helpless newborn into their home, name her Jenna, and raise her as their own. But who is this mysterious baby girl, and what really happened to their beloved son Septimus?

The first book in this enthralling new series by Angie Sage leads readers on a fantastic journey filled with quirky characters and magykal charms, potions, and spells. Magyk is an original story of lost and rediscovered identities, rich with humor and heart."

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