The Bibliophile's Bookshelf

Title: Septimus Heap: Queste

Series: Septimus Heap #4

Author: Angie Sage

Genre: Middle Reader, Fantasy, Action, Magic

Rating: 4.5 stars

Review:

Septimus and Jenna Heap are determined to rescue their brother, Nicko, from where he is stuck in time. To get to Nicko they are going to have to travel to the House of Foryx. This is complicated when Tertius Fume, the ghost of the first Chief Hermetic Scribe, wants to send Septimus on a deadly Queste. Will Septimus and Jenna be able to escape the Queste and rescue their brother?

Sam Heap held more of a role in this book, and I really enjoyed it. As the oldest daughter in my family, the role of older siblings in younger siblings’ life’s is something I really enjoy reading about. As much as I enjoy Simon, especially as he is moving away from Darke magic, Sam is a wonderful older sibling.

I enjoyed Beetle, Septimus, and Jenna’s adventure to getting Nicko back. The effect of Nicko not being there on Jenna was made very clear. Angie Sage has characters that you can empathize with. Sarah and Silas also really struggled with Nicko’s absence, and it was nice to see more of them, even with this situation.

There was the introduction of some new characters, such as Ephaniah Grebe and Tertius Fume. Merrin also came back into the story, which is nice because I have been wondering what happened to him for a few books. I do wish we got to see more of Alice and Alther, especially after the ending of Physik, though.

The setting also changed a little bit, where we got to see farther North, closer to where Snorri is from. There is also some travel through the Forest, where the Wendron Witches were seen some more. With the Wendron Witches came the forest Heap boys, and it is always fun to see them. The Wendron Witches and Heap boys’ relationship is also super interesting.

It wouldn’t be a proper review if I didn’t talk about the animals in this book. Ullr was a big presence throughout the book; I really want one of those cats! Spit Fyre was also a big part of the book, and I love this capricious dragon. Both of these pets have such a personality and role throughout the story, which I really appreciate.

The one thing I struggled with a little bit was it seemed to take a while to actually start the adventure that is the main part of the book. Thankfully the story is so good it’s not a super big issue, but sometimes it moves a little bit slowly.

Queste is a wonderful addition to the Septimus Heap series, with a mission to save Nicko that takes Jenna, Beetle, and Septimus on quite the adventure. New characters are introduced, with old characters coming back. At times it moves a little slow, but it is so entertaining it’s not too bad. I recommend this book to wizard and adventure lovers.

Goodreads Page for: Queste by Angie Sage

Quotes:

“All things must change with time.”