QUESTE

Still showing no signs of strain, the saga of wizard-in-training Septimus Heap cruises through its fourth episode—and 2,200th page—thanks to generous wads of breezy charm, gusts of spectacular Magyk and a buoyant plot combining drama and comedy in just the right proportions. Here young Princess Jenna draws Sep and his bookish buddy Beetle along in her wake as she determinedly sets out for the remote House of Foryx to rescue time-lost brother Nicko and his companion Snorri. Unbeknownst to the others, Sep is also unwillingly engaged in a usually fatal Queste. Among the teeming cast, which is further swollen by crowds of ghosts and malicious Things, Sep’s erstwhile stand-in Merrin Meredith takes on new prominence as a hilarious touchstone for trouble, with an infuriating gift for escaping the worst consequences of his actions. Zug provides finely detailed portraits or spot art at each chapter opening, the volume comes with a “Magykal CD” (not seen) and Sage closes with several seemingly unrelated vignettes tantalizingly labeled “Endings and Beginnings . . . .” Sail on, Septimus. (Fantasy. 10-12)