Flyte: Septimus Heap Book Two    by Angie Sage Order:  USA  Can Katherine Tegen, 2006 (2006) Hardcover Read an Excerpt      Reviewed by Hilary Williamson Septimus Heap, the powerfully magical seventh son of a seventh son, was believed to have died at birth. His parents, Silas and Sarah, instead adopted a little girl, Queenling Jenna, hiding her from an evil usurper. In the first book in the series, Magyk, Silas had to flee with Jenna to the Marram Marshes, taking with them the captured Young Army sentry, Boy 412 ... who was eventually discovered to be the lost Septimus, and was apprenticed to ExtraOrdinary Wizard Marcia Overstrand as the episode ended. Flyte opens on a failed Apprentice (Simon Heap) making a bargain with the skeletal remains of ex-ExtraOrdinary Wizard DomDaniel. Next we meet Septimus ridding the Pyramid library of spiders and discovering a chocolate Taste charm (I could use one of those!) that he gives to Jenna. It comes in very handy for her after she's kidnapped by Simon, and uses it to escape her prison. She encounters our old friend the Message Rat, now a hush hush member of the Secret Rat Service. Septimus, of course, heads off to rescue Jenna, accompanied by his brother Nicko. They end up lost in the forest, caught betweena pack of hungry wolverines and a carniverous tree (you'll be surprised at how they get out of that one, just as I was). Pursued by Simon, who has acquired the Flyte charm, they all end up back with Aunt Zelda in the Marram Marshes. There, the Dragon boat announces that it must be moved to the Castle for safety, while a baby dragon hatches and causes Septimus all kinds of trouble - he names it Spit Fyre. Back in the Castle, Simon's and DomDaniel's nefarious plans come to fruition - but they're foiled of course by Septimus (after a rollicking ride through the Ice Tunnels with his old friend Beetle) and by Jenna, who also learns a little more about her past and her role as Queen. Flyte is just as good as the first episode, which is saying a lot, and Angie Sage continues to write non-stop action, a rich plot, and the most engaging details, such as lawn lizards (handy for cutting grass if you can keep them on task) and a Counter-Feet game, whose pieces keep going walkabout. This series will be enjoyed by fans (of all ages from middle school up) of both Harry Potter and the Discworld books. Bring on the next one soon please! Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Teens books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews