We have absolutely loved this book series. This particular volume was a little slow in reading for our family, and a little more somber than the first two books, but we were invested in the story and we are glad we finished it. We have enjoyed listening to the audio books as we travel, and the plot has entertained us from our 35 year old daddy to our 5 year old son. Great humor, great character development, and great family messages. Once you finish this book, keep reading, the books only get better and the adventure draws you in completely. Oh Jenna with your defiance, Marcia and your purple python boots, and Septimus....well Septimus your uncanny ability to find trouble wherever you go!

Fans of Magyk and Flyte will be very pleased to know that Angie Sage has done it again. Physik is the third in the young adult series about that OTHER wizard boy named Septimus Heap, and as I understand it, there will be two more books in the making. Physik is pretty long at over 500 pages, and rivals the more recent Potter books for complexity of plot, skullduggery and dark deeds.

Although the book deals with some very DARKE subject matter, Sage manages to keep it light with just the right touch of humor, juggling her characters with consummate skill, while adding her exciting new characters into the mix. In Physik, we see Septimus becoming extremely interested in the study of Alchemie, and more specifically, ancient medicines and cures as discovered by Marcellus Pye five hundred years before. This is terribly upsetting to Marcia Overstrand, the ExtraOrdinary Wizard to whom he is still apprenticed, as she'd much rather that he concentrate on studying for his Prediction exams than meddle with such "drivel".

Unfortunately for the majority of the characters, old and new, major or minor, there's a new villainess in town, and when the quite substantial ghost of the dreaded Queen Etheldredda is accidentally let loose, along with her venomous pet Aie Aie, you can make a safe bet that there's going to be lots of trouble. Coincidentally, or maybe not, a deadly "sickenesse" befalls the populace, and just at the wrong time, a young trader named Snorri (who sees dead people) arrives with not much else but her boatload of merchandise and her pet cat for protection. She soon finds herself in the middle of a time warping adventure with Septimus, Jenna and Nicko, as they muck around with not only boats, but looking glasses, fume cupboards, ancient potions, sheep bones and a flatulent dragon that needs to be in diapers. With a little help from their friends, they must get Septimus back to Marcia's for safe keeping, cure the deadly "sickenesse", and foil the evil Queen's plan for living forever.

You should be warned that the author has no misgivings about killing off a character here and there, and of course, some characters have actually been dead for centuries, but the story is so well told that the only part sure to send a shiver up your spine is the thought of the Queen's duckling a l'orange dinner. Highly recommended if you've read Magyk and Flyte, but not until then.

Amanda Richards, April 18, 2007

The least half of the book was better ,which i greatly liked. Had the book not picked up on pace i am not sure I would have finished.

Septimus Heap, Book Three by Angie Sage continues the amazing saga of Septimus Heap,young Apprentice Wizard in a land beyond time and it takes the reader, you, there easily. You are there walking through the Palace Gates with Septimus and the ExtraOrdinary Wizard, Marcia Overstrand as they face a new danger. A Sealed Room containing the Portrait of a 500 year old Queen, the dreadful Etheldredda has been UnSealed and her secret plan begins unfolding to the horror of all concerned. In the meantime, Septimus discovers the Palace occupants are getting the Sicknesse spread by the Aie Aie, the Queen Etheldredda's evil creature. Septimus discovers a possible cure, but he must do the unthinkable; travel back in time 500 years to Marcellus Pye, a famous Physik who has his own secret plans for Septimus Heap. In this exciting and dangerous mission everything is at risk and if Septimus fails, all will be lost. Angie Sage weaves an imaginative tale so real you might find yourself looking over your shoulder feeling the icy cold of the wicked Queen Etheldredda breathing down your neck.

This is a great next step in the life and times of Septimus Heap along with his family and friends.

If you just stumbled across this book randomly and haven't yet read books 1 (Madyk) and 2 (Flyte) you really should get them and read them first. Although in some series you can pick up any book at any point in the series and be OK with it as a stand alone story - that is not the case in this series. This would be an OK book by itself although somewhat frustrating because you wouldn't understand a lot of the details and references to characters if you hadn't read the first 2 books. You really need the history covered in the first 2 books to really enjoy it. So I would strongly recommend that you start at the beginning and read the first 2 books before moving on to this one.

This writer creates colorful characters and interesting situations and weaves them all together into a great story with lots of humor, twists, and turns. As for it being listed as a young adult series, well sure, they can read it too! Really it is for all ages.

Now I am eagerly waiting for book 4!

R Walker

Avid Reader

read the first 2 and these were easy reading and

holds attention

Witches, Princesses, Wizards and more! Angus Sage delights her readers with an incredible world of never ending adventures. Book Three is my all time favorite for the ghastly queen is the most interesting foe, Jenna must put family aside when she ends the reign of Etheldredda.

“Physik,” book three in the Septimus Heap Series, is one of the more complex books and involves a glass, the past, and clever humor. Septimus have been transported back in time through a glass to become the apprentice for an alchemist. The process of getting there is nearly as interesting as the mission itself. This book is another fantasy adventure, filled with the characters we’ve come to care for, magical objects, dragons (and dragon poop), and more. With the quirky storyline, the story itself is I would say one of the best books in the series.

The back cover was ripped off. And latter part of the book, some pages are deformed. It's wavy, as if the book was submerged in water. Should the product be checked before being sent to customer!?!

ce livre fait partie de la série de livres tournant autour de la vie du petit magicien "Septimus Heap".

l'auteur a un style d'écriture qui rend la lecture aisée en V.O.

l'histoire contient un peu d'aventures, de liens humains, de mystères et tout ça dans un monde empreint de magie. Les rebondissements en font une bonne série, adaptée aux adultes aimant les romans comprenant du surnaturel mais ne maîtrisant pas assez l'anglais pour lire les oeuvres de Tolkien.

adaptée également aux enfants qui ont acquis les bases de l'anglais (2 à 3 ans de découverte de la langue + un bon dictionnaire français/anglais suffisent)=> à partir de 8/9 ans environ.

le seul point noir : je ne l'ai pas trouvé avec une couverture rigide comme les harry potter

Yes, I think it is better, as it is more imaginative, and the frame of mind less bound to the Potter scheme "real world = translated into magic by opposites, or exageration, etc.". It also helps that it has not been into movies seen by millions of people and is not so wildly popular as the Potter books. I like the fact that it really is for children – it can be read and understood from the age of 6-7 years onwards, I think – as it is much less prone to violence than the Potter series from books 3 to 7. All of the Septimus Heap books can be read by children without getting scared. They have a dark side, too, of course, but it remains within children's perspective, and can somehow be accepted more easily. Maybe it is the fact that 'darke magyk' [sic] tends to revert against its perpetrators in comical ways.

I read with great pleasure the entire series and the new Pathfinder twist.

In my opinion, this is one of the best fantasy series recently written for children. It should sit on the shelves of all children loving magic, exploration, and funny dragons.

BOUGHT THE HOLE SERIES AND THEY ARE ALL VERRY ORIGINAL.....GREAT READ

Really awesome book