This is the first ever audio book that I have ever listened to and I am pretty sure it won’t be my last. Overall, I found listening to the audio book to be very convenient to my daily schedule. My drive to work is at least 45 minutes and listening to this book accommodated the drive nicely. I was also able to listen to it on my breaks, lunches, and even got a chance to catch a few minutes while waiting at the doctor’s office. Audio books are something that I am definitely adding into my repertoire.
And, because I suck at writing them, here is a synopsis 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.
The Review
One of the first things I noticed when I read this book is that almost everything is personified. From the weather to the rats in The Castle to the kitchen gadgets, everything – literally – has a voice. This is a neat idea because not only did it add to the magical elements in the story, but it also gives the novel a slight unique voice. Speaking of voice, the narrator did a wonderful job of giving each character a distinct voice, which is something I was worried about as I went into the book.
The characters were interesting to say the least. I couldn’t find myself connecting with any of them. Marcia, Boy 412, and Jenna the characters that stuck out to me the most and I believe it was because those were the characters who we saw the most of. But, with it being a series, we still have much to learn about each of these characters. That is one of the things I am hope is addressed in the other books.
Angie Sage’s writing is descriptive, but not so much do that you are engrossed with boring details. There is just enough description to give you a basis of what things look like, but you are left with enough voids that you can add your own details. Whenever I read books, I find this particularly refreshing and helpful to help mold my imagination. While I enjoy the beautiful writing that comes from descriptive novels they tend to be a bit lengthy and stifling to the imagination. Angie Sage doesn’t do that here. Sage creates a magical world that is based on what we all know and love. While the idea is not original, the magical world she creates is hardly thus. The plot folds out perfectly though there were some predictable points here and there. Towards the end, when the action had ceased and the last remaining bits of resolution were occurring, I found myself getting a little bored with the story.
I did feel that I was left with a few questions/qualms when I finished the book. But I believe they may be answered in the other books so I won’t harbor on them. In the end everything wrapped up nicely. I found the book to be very enjoyable and thought it was a nice way to introduce myself to the world of audio books. I will definitely be checking the rest of the series at a later date and will be downloading more audio books to my iPod.
The Short ‘n Sweet Version
The series is an enjoyable read that is packed full of action, memorable characters, and exceptional characterization from the narrator. Being this was obtained as an audio book. While the book does seem to go on forever, I am sure you will be so entranced in the story, that you won’t even notice where the time has gone.
What books have you gotten into this week?
Jayla
I listened to this one on audio and the descriptions seemed really really long. I enjoyed the world building but didn’t read any of the subsequent books. I think I felt tired at the end.
I can understand why you felt tired. I felt like the book went on forever and thus I felt tired when I finished it. I wondered if was ever going to end! But I did like the book. it wasn’t my favorite, but I liked it. It might take me a while to get to the next few books. I think I read somewhere she released a new book into the series last year.