Queste

I really enjoy Angie Sage's writing. Suitable for kids, and I guess I am still a kid at 61 because I'm really enjoying this series. I do recommend reading the books in order, though it's not absolutely necessary. Queste is just as much fun as the first three books were. Magyk is the first one - start there, and then you'll be hooked just like me. :)

This is the fourth book in the Septimus Heap series, and also the biggest at 596 pages. The first three books, in order are: Magyk Flyte Physik In order to fully appreciate book four, I would recommend reading the three preceding books first, to make sure that you don't miss a thing. The main character is Septimus Heap, the seventh son of a seventh son, apprenticed to the Extra-Ordinary Wizard, and always finding himself in the middle of perilous adventures. Septimus and his friends are usually found battling against DARKE magyk, and this book is no exception. One of his enemies has returned, bringing the nasty old remains of the evil DomDaniel, and with it the DARKE magyk plus all the creepy things that come with the package. But that's not all. This fast-paced book also has Septimus, his adopted sister Princess Jenna and his friend Beetle trying to save his brother Nicko and his friend Snorri, who are trapped five hundred years in the past. While all this is going on, Septimus is tricked into embarking on a QUESTE, from which no apprentice has ever returned. With the help of the alchemist Marcellus Pye and restoration expert Ephaniah Grebe, the QUESTE leads them to the House of Foryx where all time meets. Angie Sage has created a wonderful fantasy series for readers from around ten years old, and I'm looking forward to 2010, when the movie based on Magyk is due to be released. Note: This book also includes one of those cute little CD-ROMs, and when you play it through your computer, you get a choice of eight "questing stones" leading to information and activities, as follows: 1. About Queste 2. About the Author 3. Ice Tunnel Sledding (a game) 4. Trading Cards for supporting characters Lucy Gringe, Ullr, Ephaniah Grebe, Tertius Fume and Boris Catchpole, with a link to the interactive website where you can find all the characters. 5. Spells for "Pure water" and "Darkening" 6. Tips for traveling to the House of Foryx 7. Top selling sweets at Ma Custard's All-Day-All-Night Sweet Shop 8. QUESTE screensaver for PC and MAC Worth the money and then some Amanda Richards, May 19, 2008

Amazing sequel to a great series. Needs to be made into the next hit movie series.

I really enjoyed the imaginative world and playful character development Ange Sage paints in Quest. I can't wait for book 5.

These books are so good. Once you start reading them they are really hard to put down!! They are just SO GOOD!

I started reading this series just after Magyk came out in paperback. As an adult reader of fantasy novels, I started broaden my horizons with well-written young adult fantasy. Magyk fell squarely in that category. Angie Sage is a talented, and apparently very hard-working, author. This series has well written characters that she is interested in building on as she builds the series. Characters that were introduced in the first and second books keep coming back - the way you would expect to run across people more frequently in a relative small environment. I have enjoyed this whole series. I have really appreciated that fact that some of the questions she left us with and the ends of the books - questions that truly reflect on the character of her characters are addressed in the subsequent novels. The 'kids' are growing and this growth is in their decisions and actions in the novels - as well as in the wonderful chapter illustrations (and collector's cards) by illustrator Mark Zug. This is an exciting addition to the series. There is quite a bit of action in this novel - almost enough to warrant a second read to make sure you didn't miss any of the subtleties. Well worth picking up. By the way, the hardback version of this book includes a mini CD with games, printable collector's cards and a link to the fun (and safe) Septimus Heap website.