Queste (Septimus Heap 4) by Angie Sage

Queste by Angie Sage
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I like what Angie Sage has done with the world and the characters, but I have a major problem with the series. There isn't an overall conflict. The bad guy keeps changing to a new character, and in the last two books it feels like she is stretching it by using ghosts as antagonists so she doesn't have to deal with any future plot issues. Really, the goal of each book is for the characters to save the day and thereby maintain the status quo. I want the whole kingdom to be in peril, or the princess to need rescuing or something that would tie the whole series together. I keep reading them because they are great stories individually and because Septimus and Jenna are growing and developing, but there isn't a conflict that brings me back for more. And that is disappointing.

Having said all of that, I still can't help but love the characters and the ingenuity of the world, and the way the back stories keep filling in. So it is another 4-star rating.

Physik (Septimus Heap 3) by Angie Sage

Physik by Angie Sage
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I liked a lot of things about Physik. I liked the character development. I liked the way it drew in past minor characters. I like the the Alther/Alice storyline. But it still isn't a 5 star book. There is one major flaw for me, and that is its disconnected plot. Sure, characters and plot lines are related, but I don't see the larger conflict. Is the series ultimately going to be about Simon vs Septimus? Is DomDaniel coming back (I thought he was thoroughly killed in the last book)? I don't see the larger conflict, and so I don't know where things are heading. Yes, as a stand alone book, this one is decent. Yes, Sage builds on her fantasy world very well here, given her audience. But the still leaves something lacking, and that something is huge. We need an overall conflict to tie this series together. I'm interested to see where she takes it in the next book.

Flyte (Septimus Heap 2) by Angie Sage

Flyte by Angie Sage
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Flyte was a good read. Quick, entertaining and sports a nice twist at the end (at least I was surprised). However, it seemed that at random places within the book, Sage would lose her voice a bit. Sections would distract me from the story line, usually due to something silly being thrown in, as if she wanted to make sure the kindergartners in the audience were still listening. It was both obvious and annoying, and I wondered why her editor didn't catch it---or fight harder to change it. I'm not talking about a slow shift in audience, like we saw with the Harry Potter books (how many times do I make a reference to HP?) These were a shift in the character or the prose that didn't match the rest of the story. I should have underlined a few examples, but I didn't, so if you know what I am talking about and have an example, please comment and share. Other than that, it is a great followup to Magyk, and I am looking forward to Physik.