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Magyk: Septimus Heap, Book 1

(2005, Fiction - Fantasy, Written by Angie Sage, Illustrated by Mark Zug)

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 7, age appropriate for kids over 9; suggested age 9.

  • Is it any good?

    4.0

  • Common Sense says

    Charming story for kids not ready for big, dark fantasies.

Themes in this book include:   family relationships
updated 11.11.09

Why We Rated This on for Ages 9 and Up

The good stuff

  • Educational value:

    Not an issue.

  • Messages:

    Family is very important in this story; the Heaps stick together and are especially appropriate when Jenna finds out she is adopted.

  • Role models:

    The heroes are more than noble -- they're compassionate. Marcia and Aunt Zelda are both great models for the kids in their care, using magic for good and encouraging learning.
 

What to watch out for

  • Violence:

    Fantasy violence that's not well-described or pervasive. Mentions of an assassin killing a queen and almost killing her infant daughter. Main characters flee a persistent but buffoonish hunter who tracks the 10-year-old princess with a gun. A friendly marsh creature is shot and recovers. Another boy almost dies when an evil necromancer "borrows" his skin. Boy 412 looks back on his tough orphan life in the youth army, where cruelty included making kids go into the woods and fend off hungry wolverines. Sad mentions of a baby thought dead by its family right after his birth. A bar is deliberately set on fire; no one is injured.

  • Sex:

    One of the Heap children tries to get married secretly.

  • Language:

    Not an issue.

  • Consumerism:

    Not an issue.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Some drinking in a tavern. Sally Mullins works up the courage to face the hunter by drinking some beer.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Magyk: Septimus Heap, Book 1

Parents need to know that, among current fantasy novels, this is among the least dark or violent, and almost uniquely in this genre, fighting and killing are not portrayed as the answer to anything and are assiduously avoided, villains are seen as redeemable, and heroes are both stronger and more compassionate than their enemies.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about the author's aversion to violence. How does the author make the story so exciting without battles and fighting?
  • How is the approach to fantasy and the good/evil struggle different from other books?
  • This is yet another fantasy book being made into a movie. If you read the book first, what do you think would make it a good movie? Who do you envision playing Jenna? Boy 412?
Tools and tips that can help

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Parent Reviewer
    6whittingtons
    I rate this title on for age 8 and give it 5.0
    • My highlights are:
    • Positive messages

    My boys are hooked and I am too!

    This book series has caught my kids imaginations! There is some violence but not graphic and it's not the main event. The main event is Septimus a young boy finding out and accepting who he is. He finds himself on an adventure discovering his talents and using them to the best of his ability. The main characters show strong friendships and family relationship throughout this series. The series does get a little darker with each book. But unlike the Harry Potter series each subsequent book remains age appropriate from beginning to end. Angie Sage just finished last book in the series so now is a good time to start reading all the books without the painful wait for the next one. In my family it was indeed a painful wait!

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  2. Teen Reviewer Age 15
    genericscreennam ...
    I rate this title on for age 6 and give it 3.0

    Full of quirky humor, this book takes some 300-400 pages to get exciting. Furthermore, it seems like another version of the same old story.

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  3. Teen Reviewer Age 15
    genericscreennam ...
    I rate this title on for age 6 and give it 3.0

    Full of quirky humor, this book takes some 300-400 pages to get exciting. Furthermore, it seems like another version of the same old story.

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
    Flag as inappropriate
  4. Kid Reviewer Age 10
    bookbug
    I rate this title on for age 10 and give it 5.0
    • My highlights are:
    • Positive messages

    the best!

    i love this book! it is the best!!! this series is awsome. it is a very deatailed book! great for before bed. i love the story line!!!!!!!!

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  5. Teen Reviewer Age 14
    bookworm12345511
    I rate this title on for age 11 and give it 3.0

    its okay

    its okay im not in love with it (yet) read on becouse i didnt like the first artemis fowl but loved the rest

    This review...

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