#eow speaks

[flyteofthenoldor]

I'm back! It's been a while 😅

Rereading Septimus Heap as an Adult™ Part 3: Magyk, Chapters 29-42:

Stanley

I'm a lot more salty about Stanley witholding the truth about who sent the letter to Marcia than I was the first time. At least he didn't tell the Supreme Custodian where Keeper's Cottage is.

Marcia

She asks Boy 412 to be her Apprentice!!!

I'm also not sure how neither Silas or Aunt Zelda thought to inform Marcia that timepieces never work properly at Keeper's Cottage. She did leave without telling anyone, but I'm not sure how they spent so long there without it coming up.

Aunt Zelda

She was being very vague about Jenna's parents. She definitely knows who her father is.

Aunt Zelda throwing shade:

Also the Marsh Python having a tendency to swim to the right after being frozen in a circle is peak comedy.

Meanwhile at the Castle...

Some amusing notes:

DomDaniel has frequent banquets. Who does he invite? Who actually attends? I would like an entire chapter on one of these banquets.

"Operation Compost Heap." That is all.

The Supreme Custodian viewed Simon as a companion? What kind of Lima Syndrome shit is this 😂

Also Simon just walks tf out? Hahaha

The Hunter

Damn it Gerald, why did you have to shoot Boggart?

How can he hear Jenna's, Nicko's, and 412's heartbeats? I know he was trained for hunting, but that seems a little too superhuman.

It's a shame all the Shield Bugs died so quickly, with the exception of the one holding a grudge against Boy 412.

I feel like brainwashing the Hunter into thinking he's a clown should be a much more difficult spell 😅

Boy 412

I love how this kid finally decides to talk and he's immediately the most sassy 10 year old in existence.

The Apprentice

What a little shit

Get him, Bert! 🦆🐈

I love how unconcerned the Magog is so unconcerned with every aspect of this mission. It doesn't get paid enough for this.

The Vengeance

There's no way Alther really thought Jenna, Nicko, and 412 were just going to go back to the cottage 😅

You can't mention the great Wizard Inquisition and not give me more details!

[flyteofthenoldor]

I'm reading the Septimus Heap series for the first time as an Adult™, and I'm noticing so many things I didn't catch before. Here is my assessment of Magyk, Chapters 1-14:

Marcia

Marcia was my absolute favourite character as a child. I adored her. I wanted to be her. I can confirm that she is still #goals as far as I'm concerned. I've also realized that I see much more of myself in her now than I did before (at least for the first few books). Reading about her again was something I didn't know I needed.

A Reference

I'm a HUGE Tolkien fan. I wasn't when I first read Magyk, but this time, I noticed that the Heaps' address was "Big Red Door, There and Back Again Row, The Ramblings." I was (unreasonably) happy to see a reference to Bilbo's book--a combination of my first fantasy interest (read: obsession) and my current one.

Angie Sage: Objectively Hilarious

I didn't realize it the first time around, but Angie Sage has a lovely unique writing style. There is humor on every page. Some of the details she includes are not the most relevant to the plot, but they give the story so much character. I've yet to find another series with such an entertaining narrative. I *love* knowing how Marcia's household appliances feel about her. And the way she interacts with the Heaps' door was sending me:

Marcia's entitlement followed by the door's loyalty to its owner is incredibly entertaining and endearing. It provides insight into the characters and how they, and others, view themselves. Sage's writing is so charismatic that it's impossible not to smile while reading.

Wizard Tower Visitor Center

The fact that the Wizard Tower has a Visitor Center is a detail I could not truly appreciate as a child. Having worked and lived in very tourist-heavy locations, I'm so much more aware of how funny this really is. Hands down the best fact I didn't pick up back then.

Boy 412

His anxiety and begrudging acceptance of the situation is entirely too relatable. 10/10 would do the same thing.

The Apprentice

Merrin is such a little shit lol. I'm not sure why the Hunter allowed him to be there, but it's definitely inflated his ego. Good luck buddy, you've got a rough road ahead 😅

Marcia (again)

Petty? Yes. Unprofessional? Definitely. Hilarious? Absolutely.