Fantasy Lovers: Two books you should be reading right now
By Taylor Kohn 1. The Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan
Chances are you’ve heard of Percy Jackson and/or Heroes of Olympus. Also from Rick Riordan is a series that brings ancient Egyptian mythology into the modern-day United States: The Kane Chronicles.
Carter and Sadie Kane are siblings who haven’t seen a lot of each other since their mom died when they were little. Carter’s been traveling the world with their Egypt-loving dad, and Sadie’s grown up in London with their grandparents.
They kind of end up stuck with each other, though, when their dad accidently releases the evil chaos god Set. Oops.
Restoring Ma’at--order and harmony--is not going to be easy, and they’re going to need help. Carter and Sadie team up with a cat goddess, a finicky baboon, a fire elementalist, an attractive death god, an ugly dwarf who scares bad guys away by wearing Speedos, and several other powerful and unusual friends.
They’re unstoppable. Hopefully.
While Percy Jackson has deservedly received lots of love and recognition, The Kane Chronicles has always been a little underappreciated. Which is a shame, because the characters are just as lovable, the humor is just as quirky, and the plot is just as compelling. And there are some little Easter eggs in there for fellow Percy fans….
From first to last, the books are The Red Pyramid, The Throne of Fire, and The Serpent’s Shadow. There are two crossover stories as well: Carter Kane and Percy Jackson join forces in “The Son of Sobek” and Sadie Kane teams up with Annabeth Chase in “The Staff of Serapis” (available as e-books, audiobooks, and extras in the paperback editions of The Serpent’s Shadow and The Mark of Athena, respectively). There is at least one more crossover short story expected in the future. And if you’re interested, there is also a graphic novel adaptation for the first book, and a “Survival Guide” available containing mythology facts and other extras.
2. Septimus Heap by Angie Sage
The seventh son of a seventh son is widely known in the Castle to be gifted with strong Magykal power, but seventh of the seventh Septimus Heap is proclaimed dead minutes after being born. Meanwhile Silas Heap, Septimus’s father, comes across a bundled-up baby girl resting in the snow. The Heaps name her Jenna and love her as their own, but can’t help but wonder who she is. And what really happened to Septimus anyway?
As the series continues, Jenna must escape Assassins determined to kill her. Marcia Overstrand, ExtraOrdinary Wizard, takes on what some think an unlikely Apprentice. Septimus finds himself fighting to get back home after landing five hundred years in the past. Merrin Meredith creates a Darke Domaine, an infestation of evil, right in the heart of the Castle.
This series, written by Angie Sage, follows a rich cast of quirky and diverse characters that are impossible not to fall in love with. The plot stays unpredictable through the last page, with multiple villains including Necromancers, ghosts of murderous queens, and evil wizards escaping from golden prisons.
Sage has a gift for creating compelling characters, and her books are bursting with them. Marcia, Septimus, Jenna, Beetle, Nicko, Merrin, and countless others take turns with a third-person limited perspective, keeping things intriguing for the reader. Balancing so many main characters isn’t easy, but Sage manages it well, and wraps up the series in a very satisfying way. The overall effect of the series is that of taking a long journey with the characters, and growing up alongside them.
Septimus Heap is written for younger age groups, but that is no reason to rule it out. I myself first read it at the age of seven, but I have since recommended it to several people of varying age groups and all have thoroughly enjoyed it. I believe you’ll find this a worthwhile read whether you’re six or sixty, even if fantasy isn’t your preferred genre.
This is a perfect time to catch up on Septimus’s tale as a new book entitled PathFinder, also by Sage, will be appearing on shelves starting October 14th. PathFinder will be the first in a trilogy taking place seven years after the first series ends. The series will be following characters old and new, but especially a girl named Alice “Tod” TodHunter Moon.
From first to last, the books in the Septimus Heap series are: Magyk, Flyte, Physik, Queste, Syren, Darke, and Fyre. There is also an e-novella taking place in between Magyk and Flyte called The Darke Toad. You may be interested in The Magykal Papers as well, a book that allows the reader to peer further into the world of Septimus Heap, including maps, letters, journal entries, and other previously unpublished papers.