Septimus Heap #1: Magyk by Angie Sage

My name is Jenna, and I'm being stalked by one of the assassins known as Hunters. I recently discovered my birth mother was the queen, and she was murdered ten years ago, soon after I was born. Silas and Sarah Heap secretly raised me along with their six sons, but we did not know our neighbor was a spy. Now, Silas and I, along with the ExtraOrdinary Wizard Marcia, have fled to the White Witch's cottage hidden in the Marram Marshes. We've brought along a ten-year-old boy who was near death when we found him buried in the snow. As a member of the Young Army, he's called Boy 412, but I know there's something special about him. Marcia was teaching me a disappearing spell, but Boy 412 mastered it immediately without even talking! Although I didn't know it at the time, I later discovered this boy is Magyk. I also discovered the amazing secret hidden under the White Witch's cottage!

This book had fun, interesting characters, and the author developed engaging conflicts. The baby Septimus Heap, a seventh son of a seventh son, "dies" in the first few pages of the book, but it's clear there's more to it. I suspected his new identity, but the author was still able to create some doubt. Boy 412 was mysterious due to his "name" and the fact he never spoke to anyone. He knew his life had improved with the wizards, but he was leery to accept it due his harsh upbringing in the army. The White Witch had a pet cat that she changed into a duck, and her cottage was guarded by Boggart, who kept watch and repelled most of the magical creatures in the marsh. The White Witch and Marcia were quirky characters, as they teamed up to fight the Darke but still managed to irk each other with small aggravations. The ghost of a former ExtraOrdinary Wizard appeared to act as a spy for the main characters, and he helped to bring the settings together. He was tied to places he had visited while alive, so this limited his participation in the plot. Boy 412's identity wasn't officially revealed until the book's resolution, so it will exciting to see where the next book goes.