Nothing in or on this book tells you that it's a sequel series to the Septimus Heap series, which is annoying because I have not read the Septimus Heap series and therefore reading this felt a bit like being dragged to a party where everyone knows each other but you. Even if the party isn't bad, you won't understand everything that's going on and that's annoying.

I did like the setting and the characters as they were presented to me, but I had real trouble keeping all the Heaps separated and understanding how the magic worked. Oh, sorry, my bad: the Magyk. The spelling and the constant bolding of the magykal words were kind of annoying, and not what I'm looking for in a book.

Plus I never got the sense that the plot actually started, not until it the book was coming to an end and wrapping most things up, which makes books slow and I don't really enjoy that. Maybe I'm too old to be the target audience but I also felt like the book did tons more telling than showing, in a way that was sort of over-simplifying it ... but yeah, maybe I'm too old.

Kinda feel like reading the Septimus Heap series now, but I won't run to the library to get them. But maybe if they suddenly drop in my lap or something ... ( )

This book has been poorly marketed -- it is a sequel to the excellent Septimus Heap series. However, the protagonist is a young girl named Alice TodHunter Moon, who prefers to be called Tod. After her father goes missing, and her village is burned, she goes off to the Castle following the wishes of her long deceased mother (poorly explained.) Meanwhile, Tod's friends and William Heap are kidnapped by the evil Garmin. Much of the Heap family are involved and together they go on a journey to liberate the captives from an evil wizard in the ice kingdom searching for an egg that could give him almost limitless power. Cliffhanger ending so there will be more. ( )

Read this aloud to my daughter. She said she wanted to rate it a thousand stars. ( )

A really good start to this follow on series. New central characters mean you can read this without a great knowledge of the previous Septimus Heap books, but they are so good you really should give them a go. Magykal and at the same time verydown to earth, these are a great read for those who enjoy their magic with lots of adventure and more than a bit of humour. ( )

This is going to be SO awesome. Fyre left me pining for more, and while it's not exactly Septimus Heap, at least I still have something to look forward to in the Septimus department! I absolutely, positively, cannot wait. But somehow I have to. ( )