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TodHunter Moon #2
SandRider
In PathFinder, readers journeyed with Alice TodHunter Moon, a young PathFinder who found her way to the Castle seven years after the events of the original Septimus Heap series.
Now it’s two months later and Alice is settled into her new life in the Castle. Being Apprentice to ExtraOrdinary Wizard Septimus Heap is tricky—there’s loads of new Magyk to learn—but at least she’s mastered the Unseen charm.
She’s lucky she has, too—that Unseen will come in handy when she sets out with friends Oskar and Ferdie on a perilous journey to retrieve the Egg of the Orm from the Desert of the Singing Sands. If they don’t reach the Egg before it hatches, the new baby Orm could imprint on the evil sorcerer Oraton-Marr, giving him unlimited Magyk to do with what he wishes….
Bursting with humorous and poignant moments, SandRider celebrates the satisfaction of taking charge of one’s path in life—unexpected adventures and all.
Perfect for anyone who can’t get enough of the world of Septimus Heap!
Now it’s two months later and Alice is settled into her new life in the Castle. Being Apprentice to ExtraOrdinary Wizard Septimus Heap is tricky—there’s loads of new Magyk to learn—but at least she’s mastered the Unseen charm.
She’s lucky she has, too—that Unseen will come in handy when she sets out with friends Oskar and Ferdie on a perilous journey to retrieve the Egg of the Orm from the Desert of the Singing Sands. If they don’t reach the Egg before it hatches, the new baby Orm could imprint on the evil sorcerer Oraton-Marr, giving him unlimited Magyk to do with what he wishes….
Bursting with humorous and poignant moments, SandRider celebrates the satisfaction of taking charge of one’s path in life—unexpected adventures and all.
Perfect for anyone who can’t get enough of the world of Septimus Heap!
480 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 13, 2015
183 people are currently reading
2961 people want to read
About the author
Angie Sage
63 books3,276 followersAngie Sage (born 1952) is the author of the Septimus Heap series which includes Magyk, Flyte, Physik, Queste, Syren, Darke and Fyre. She also wrote the Todhunter Moon series, and the Magykal Papers, an additional book with extra information about Septimus' world. She is also the illustrator and/or writer of many children's books, and is the new writer of the Araminta Spookie series.
Angie Sage grew up in Thames Valley, London and Kent. Her father was a publisher. He would bring home blank books that she could fill with pictures and stories. Sage first studied medicine, but changed her mind and went to Art School in Leicester. There she studied Graphic Design and Illustration. She began illustrating books after college. Then she progressed to writing children stories, including toddler books and chapter books. Her first novel was Septimus Heap: Magyk. Angie Sage is married and has two daughters, Laurie and Lois.
Angie Sage grew up in Thames Valley, London and Kent. Her father was a publisher. He would bring home blank books that she could fill with pictures and stories. Sage first studied medicine, but changed her mind and went to Art School in Leicester. There she studied Graphic Design and Illustration. She began illustrating books after college. Then she progressed to writing children stories, including toddler books and chapter books. Her first novel was Septimus Heap: Magyk. Angie Sage is married and has two daughters, Laurie and Lois.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 216 reviews
October 3, 2017
What can I say? I'm biased.
-As I predicted, Sam and Marwick (Wolf Boy) had a larger role in this one. Marcia and Milo were completely absent from the picture and shockingly, I didn't realize it until after I was finished reading the book. It's a wonderful balance of old and new characters where new ones mingle with the old and characters who were previously minor come to the forefront unexpectedly.
-The Draa family keeps increasing. I didn't like Kaznim even though she was just a scared kid trying to look out for her family. The Red Queen business was quite strange. She looks and sounds like a Castle queen but we didn't get to know her much.
-There was too little Septimus in the book for my liking. I kinda hoped that the Orm would imprint on him. #theproblemwithlovingacharactertoomuch. I have to say, though, that I find reading about the grown-up gang really satisfying. There was this scene in which Septimus, Beetle and Marwick were together and I was just so thrilled trying to imagine them as they are now vs as they were before. It's bittersweet but so totally awesome. Also, can we get a love interest for Septimus, like pretty please?
-With all the fuss about Oraton-Marr and the Orm Egg, the PathFinder bit was lost in the narrative. I'd like to know a little more about those gilled ancestors who traveled the stars.
-The scene where all the Heap brothers are together was just so brand spanking adorable and funny. I am glad the famous Physik woman Galen had a defined presence in this. Ever since the Magyk I'd been waiting to see her. Now the story has come full circle.
Can I hug them all? Pleeeeeeease?
June 24, 2016
It's probably more of a 3.5 compared to some other books I've read, by this author, but it's a step up from the first book so I feel it deserved a four star rating. It felt more substantial than the first one in this part of the series. I felt like I sped though that in a few hours. Maybe this really was longer, it's so hard to tell when I borrow audiobooks from the library, I don't have much record of things. The story felt a bit more mature too, though they're still older tween-aged kids I'd say, or quite young teens. As with the original Septimus series, I'd still recommend these books for families traveling together, they're innocent enough for little ones but entertaining enough for everyone. But they aren't funny the way the other books were, they don't have the witty asides or little perceptive comments that kept cracking me up. The narrator is very good, though it's hard to compare to the humor and voices of the man who did the Septimus books (two men, the man who did the first book was stellar), sorry I've forgotten the names but they're in my reviews somewhere. Anyway, this woman is really very good as well. The material just isn't quite as good as the books I'm comparing it too.
January 25, 2016
Evil wizard Oraton-Morr takes the last Orm egg out into the desert so that he can be the person to whom it bonds, enhancing his powers because Orms produce lapis lazuli. One of his minions kidnaps a tortoise belonging to Kaznim, a desert dweller from a magical family, and in rescuing Ptolemy, she finds herself in the realm of the new Extraordinary Wizard, Septimus Heap and his apprentice Alice TodHunter Moon. They are seeking the Orm too, and a shaky alliance is formed. Good fun, and nice to have the Heaps, Beetle, SpitFyre, and Queen Jenna back though Tod and her two oldest friends are the main characters and an exciting sled race too. My only disappointment was fewer illustrations by the talented Mark Zug.
August 23, 2020
"As ExtraOrdinary Wizard I am supposed to be mean," Septimus replied with a smile. "It's part of the job description."
It's becoming clear that, in contrast with the first series, this trilogy follows one important plot. As such, it's much better to read the entire trilogy in one go than waiting one year for the next book. I know, because I did...
One big negative point: Marcia is missing. Not literally, don't worry, she's just not around in this book. And since she is my favourite character of the entire Septimus Heap universe, that's a big shame for this part. Thank god she's mentioned a few times by Septimus.
The story about the Orm and Oraton-Marr seems less enticing than usual, for some reason. I can't exactly explain why, but it's never interested my that much. Maybe it's also the fact that several others characters that did appear in PathFinder are nowhere to be found either, and that now both Oskie (sometimes) but especially Kamzin, a new character, are so annoying. Kamzin! Gods. Don't get me started! She's such a damned little prick. Honestly. Just kill her off, please, I don't care how old she is.
There are some perks to this book, though. A rather big part is set in the Castle, and also the addition of Ariel and Star are fun! It shows how Jenna and the other old characters keep on developing.
7/10
It's becoming clear that, in contrast with the first series, this trilogy follows one important plot. As such, it's much better to read the entire trilogy in one go than waiting one year for the next book. I know, because I did...
One big negative point: Marcia is missing. Not literally, don't worry, she's just not around in this book. And since she is my favourite character of the entire Septimus Heap universe, that's a big shame for this part. Thank god she's mentioned a few times by Septimus.
The story about the Orm and Oraton-Marr seems less enticing than usual, for some reason. I can't exactly explain why, but it's never interested my that much. Maybe it's also the fact that several others characters that did appear in PathFinder are nowhere to be found either, and that now both Oskie (sometimes) but especially Kamzin, a new character, are so annoying. Kamzin! Gods. Don't get me started! She's such a damned little prick. Honestly. Just kill her off, please, I don't care how old she is.
There are some perks to this book, though. A rather big part is set in the Castle, and also the addition of Ariel and Star are fun! It shows how Jenna and the other old characters keep on developing.
7/10
January 4, 2023
Good clean fun series!
April 21, 2022
2016:
-At least it was more about Tod and her friends this time, unlike the first book.
-The heck, why would Oraton-Marr immediately trust Tod like that?
-Aghh, so close to being a four star, but I felt things wrapped a little too underwhelmingly well. This is Septimus Heap I know, but I wish it would organize itself a bit more.
-What exactly happened to Sam and Marwick?? That sounded like an interesting story.
-Marcia was barely in this. ;_;
2021 reread:
Man I'd forgotten a lot of what happened in this book but it was very fun! Some thoughts to add from this reread:
-I do still appreciate that this one was more focused on Tod and her friends rather than the OG Septimus cast, along with a few new characters like Kaznim and Darius Wrenn.
-The ending was a little abrupt, but not altogether that underwhelming; like I said before this is just how Septimus Heap is done.
-Oh God Jillie Jinn is so annoying!
-Marcia was missed but it's nice to know that the series is still very enjoyable without her.
-We got a GLIMPSE of Marcellus so thankfully he DOES still exist, but now I'm wondering why he's not that involved in important things anymore or if Angie Sage just doesn't have anything for him to do, which sucks. :(
-Jim Knee was the freaking MVP in this book!
-Spit Fyre was also such a boss, he's really grown to be such a cool badass dragon.
-Ptolemy the little turtle was also quite loveable and adorable. Honestly all animal characters in this series are just great.
-While I am glad that the book follows these new kids, I gotta say, Tod and the twins' insistence on going off to do things on their own without telling any adults what they're doing or where they're going or even asking for help first really annoyed me; I hate when kids in fiction do this, it's so contrived and leads to so many easily avoidable problems. I don't know why it never bothered me when Septimus and the others did it in the OG series, but maybe that's because 1) they actually DID ask grown-ups for help before going off on their own, they just didn't always get it, and 2) I found them a bit more competent than Tod and her friends; sometimes they would be the ones needed to save the adults. But if Tod had at least told Jenna while they were in Galen's treehouse for example, Jenna, Septimus and Beetle could've come up with something.
-Still think Septimus immediately believing Jillie Jinn and his and Beetle's argument was a bit forced, but I can kind of see it from a professional light a bit better; storming into the Manuscriptorium and talking to Beetle like that in front of his employees was NOT cool Septimus!
-So like, is Stanley alright?? We didn't see what became of him from the last book and no message rats were mentioned at all in this one. :0
-For that matter, what about Sam? I still wanna know what the heck he and Marwick were up to the whole time they were gone!
-At least it was more about Tod and her friends this time, unlike the first book.
-The heck, why would Oraton-Marr immediately trust Tod like that?
-Aghh, so close to being a four star, but I felt things wrapped a little too underwhelmingly well. This is Septimus Heap I know, but I wish it would organize itself a bit more.
-What exactly happened to Sam and Marwick?? That sounded like an interesting story.
-Marcia was barely in this. ;_;
2021 reread:
Man I'd forgotten a lot of what happened in this book but it was very fun! Some thoughts to add from this reread:
-I do still appreciate that this one was more focused on Tod and her friends rather than the OG Septimus cast, along with a few new characters like Kaznim and Darius Wrenn.
-The ending was a little abrupt, but not altogether that underwhelming; like I said before this is just how Septimus Heap is done.
-Oh God Jillie Jinn is so annoying!
-Marcia was missed but it's nice to know that the series is still very enjoyable without her.
-We got a GLIMPSE of Marcellus so thankfully he DOES still exist, but now I'm wondering why he's not that involved in important things anymore or if Angie Sage just doesn't have anything for him to do, which sucks. :(
-Jim Knee was the freaking MVP in this book!
-Spit Fyre was also such a boss, he's really grown to be such a cool badass dragon.
-Ptolemy the little turtle was also quite loveable and adorable. Honestly all animal characters in this series are just great.
-While I am glad that the book follows these new kids, I gotta say, Tod and the twins' insistence on going off to do things on their own without telling any adults what they're doing or where they're going or even asking for help first really annoyed me; I hate when kids in fiction do this, it's so contrived and leads to so many easily avoidable problems. I don't know why it never bothered me when Septimus and the others did it in the OG series, but maybe that's because 1) they actually DID ask grown-ups for help before going off on their own, they just didn't always get it, and 2) I found them a bit more competent than Tod and her friends; sometimes they would be the ones needed to save the adults. But if Tod had at least told Jenna while they were in Galen's treehouse for example, Jenna, Septimus and Beetle could've come up with something.
-Still think Septimus immediately believing Jillie Jinn and his and Beetle's argument was a bit forced, but I can kind of see it from a professional light a bit better; storming into the Manuscriptorium and talking to Beetle like that in front of his employees was NOT cool Septimus!
-So like, is Stanley alright?? We didn't see what became of him from the last book and no message rats were mentioned at all in this one. :0
-For that matter, what about Sam? I still wanna know what the heck he and Marwick were up to the whole time they were gone!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 21, 2015
The next book in the Todhunter series. So to speak. Tod herself does not appear for quite a bit. Indeed, in the first portion, the returning characters are the evil wizard, and Spit Fyre.
But the wizard Oraton-Morr takes the last Orm egg out into the desert, takes a baby hostage to ensure its safety, and goes off to wait for its hatching, so he can make it imprint on him. But the boy set to watch the egg at one point steals the turtle of the sister of the kidnapped baby, and that sister, Kaznim, steals something from him and sets out to find her turtle. Alas for her, this puts her through an unstable Way, where she stumbles on Sam Heap and Marwick, who tell her there's no easy way back. They take her with them to the Castle -- it becomes progressively clearer than Sam is desperately injured -- and arrive back, even managing to reach the people on the other side of a Seal and get out.
Despite the pother over Sam, they manage to notice that Kaznim has things related to the Orm egg, which they know could be extremely dangerous if Oraton-Morr succeeds.
It involves a sled race, a witch who's decided to freelance, the history of a healer at the Wizard's Tower, Tod's best friends being taken for Snow Sprites, a malicious ghost, a charm used out of place, a vicious queen, a tiger, and much more.
But the wizard Oraton-Morr takes the last Orm egg out into the desert, takes a baby hostage to ensure its safety, and goes off to wait for its hatching, so he can make it imprint on him. But the boy set to watch the egg at one point steals the turtle of the sister of the kidnapped baby, and that sister, Kaznim, steals something from him and sets out to find her turtle. Alas for her, this puts her through an unstable Way, where she stumbles on Sam Heap and Marwick, who tell her there's no easy way back. They take her with them to the Castle -- it becomes progressively clearer than Sam is desperately injured -- and arrive back, even managing to reach the people on the other side of a Seal and get out.
Despite the pother over Sam, they manage to notice that Kaznim has things related to the Orm egg, which they know could be extremely dangerous if Oraton-Morr succeeds.
It involves a sled race, a witch who's decided to freelance, the history of a healer at the Wizard's Tower, Tod's best friends being taken for Snow Sprites, a malicious ghost, a charm used out of place, a vicious queen, a tiger, and much more.
August 29, 2017
I am thankful to have won this book in the Goodreads First Reads giveaway.
A good book, but feel that my teenage grandchildren will enjoy this book than I. It's the first time that I have read any books by this author and if my grandchildren enjoy, then I may consider purchasing other books in this series.
A good book, but feel that my teenage grandchildren will enjoy this book than I. It's the first time that I have read any books by this author and if my grandchildren enjoy, then I may consider purchasing other books in this series.
February 16, 2019
One of the best in the world of Septimus Heap.
May 29, 2020
4.5 stars
February 28, 2016
This series is new to me so I was glad that the book worked as a standalone read - there were only one or two points where references to other books stood out but I didn't feel I was missing out on anything.
The story is simple and works well - bad guy steals egg, threatens people, recruits others... Okay simple may undersell it, there's a good amount going on there, but it fits together seamlessly and it becomes simple.
I loved the basic premise of this book though. Having strong female characters and female leads in a fantasy novel is far too rare but Sage does a truly superb job with Alice Todhunter Moon. What makes it stand out however is that this book doesn't care, it's just about kids on an adventure in the style of the Famous Five or Secret Seven - a trick that seems to have slipped from fashion as the need to brand as a book for boys or girls grows. The book is strong enough for that universal appeal, it will be enjoyed by both boys and girls.
It's good at crossing age boundaries too. The book has both parts and chapters, nice and brief ones that will help encourage reluctant readers. The writing treats younger readers with respect, it doesn't dumb down at all, which also means it will retain a lot of appeal for older readers. I'd struggle to actually put an age bracket on the target audience but it no doubt has a very broad appeal. It's a fine read as an adult too - the stylised text for magical words did interrupt the flow a little for me and I would've happily done without, but in truth I suspect when I was younger I would've found it rather charming.
Sage has created a vivid world with some great concepts and some fresh approaches to common conundrums in fantasy writing. The characters are grounded in reality and easy to relate to, drawing you in quickly and easily. A very strong individual book and a great omen for the series in general. Fun for everyone!
The story is simple and works well - bad guy steals egg, threatens people, recruits others... Okay simple may undersell it, there's a good amount going on there, but it fits together seamlessly and it becomes simple.
I loved the basic premise of this book though. Having strong female characters and female leads in a fantasy novel is far too rare but Sage does a truly superb job with Alice Todhunter Moon. What makes it stand out however is that this book doesn't care, it's just about kids on an adventure in the style of the Famous Five or Secret Seven - a trick that seems to have slipped from fashion as the need to brand as a book for boys or girls grows. The book is strong enough for that universal appeal, it will be enjoyed by both boys and girls.
It's good at crossing age boundaries too. The book has both parts and chapters, nice and brief ones that will help encourage reluctant readers. The writing treats younger readers with respect, it doesn't dumb down at all, which also means it will retain a lot of appeal for older readers. I'd struggle to actually put an age bracket on the target audience but it no doubt has a very broad appeal. It's a fine read as an adult too - the stylised text for magical words did interrupt the flow a little for me and I would've happily done without, but in truth I suspect when I was younger I would've found it rather charming.
Sage has created a vivid world with some great concepts and some fresh approaches to common conundrums in fantasy writing. The characters are grounded in reality and easy to relate to, drawing you in quickly and easily. A very strong individual book and a great omen for the series in general. Fun for everyone!
March 16, 2017
I'm not sure if I've outgrown the whole Septimus Heap world or if this spin-off is targeted to a younger audience but although I found this second book to be better than the first one, I still wasn't in love with it like I was with the Septimus Heap series. There was still a ton of adventure to be had but the characters to me weren't as enchanting as those in the original series (and I miss Marcia!). The main villain Oraton-Marr was not scary at all; the Red Queen beat him to the title of scariest villain. She gave out similar vibes to Queen Etheldredda from Physik. Come to think of it, the female villains including witches have always been the scarier ones to me. And I can't believe I'm saying this but the grownup version of the original characters were really boring. Maybe that's what growing up does to you. Also, this is probably my own fault but I'd forgotten some of the smaller backstories since it had been a while since I'd read the books, and that really killed some of the enjoyment for me. Finally, I found the ending to be a bit anti-climactic.
But having said all that, I still liked this one a lot. There was still a somewhat eerie and melancholic quality to the world that Angie Sage created which I love. I remember reading Syren (my favourite out of the Septimus Heap series) as a teenager and getting goosebumps all over my body and just loving every second of it. But maybe with the third and last book from this spin-off, it will finally be time for me to say goodbye to everyone.
But having said all that, I still liked this one a lot. There was still a somewhat eerie and melancholic quality to the world that Angie Sage created which I love. I remember reading Syren (my favourite out of the Septimus Heap series) as a teenager and getting goosebumps all over my body and just loving every second of it. But maybe with the third and last book from this spin-off, it will finally be time for me to say goodbye to everyone.
May 18, 2020
It was more 2.5 stars.
I felt that this book was rather lackluster overall, though I enjoyed the parts with Spite Fyre. I'm pretty sure what stopped me from enjoying this book was the character Kaznim. I'm not sure why, but she was so annoying and bratty to me. I get that she was a child who was lost, scared, and confused, and just wanted her family back, but surely she must some sort of an idea of how important it was to find the Orm egg halfway through the book, or at the very least, mention her current situation about her sister being held hostage by the villain.
But what REALLY made me frustrated was how she was never--not even ONCE--punished for endangering everyone's lives because she had a severe case of tunnel vision; it's always, "That's MY world, that's YOUR world!"
She doesn't stop to consider that others could be effected by her decisions. As said by Ferdie, nothing is ever her fault. It all gets swept under the rug. Tod and the gang forgives her far too quickly considering she nearly killed them all, and destroyed the world, because she couldn't see anyone else aside from herself and her family.
Kaznim was never punished for lying or wasting everyone's time, nor did she attempt to own up for what she did, and the cast didn't even bother trying to hold her accountable for her actions.
In one paragraph Tod is rightfully angry at Kaznim for putting everything into jeopardy, then in the next Kaznim goes, "Lol sorry for almost killing y'all." and Tod just goes, "Lol we good, bruh."
There was also a lack of Marcia which is a straight up crime.
I felt that this book was rather lackluster overall, though I enjoyed the parts with Spite Fyre. I'm pretty sure what stopped me from enjoying this book was the character Kaznim. I'm not sure why, but she was so annoying and bratty to me. I get that she was a child who was lost, scared, and confused, and just wanted her family back, but surely she must some sort of an idea of how important it was to find the Orm egg halfway through the book, or at the very least, mention her current situation about her sister being held hostage by the villain.
But what REALLY made me frustrated was how she was never--not even ONCE--punished for endangering everyone's lives because she had a severe case of tunnel vision; it's always, "That's MY world, that's YOUR world!"
She doesn't stop to consider that others could be effected by her decisions. As said by Ferdie, nothing is ever her fault. It all gets swept under the rug. Tod and the gang forgives her far too quickly considering she nearly killed them all, and destroyed the world, because she couldn't see anyone else aside from herself and her family.
Kaznim was never punished for lying or wasting everyone's time, nor did she attempt to own up for what she did, and the cast didn't even bother trying to hold her accountable for her actions.
In one paragraph Tod is rightfully angry at Kaznim for putting everything into jeopardy, then in the next Kaznim goes, "Lol sorry for almost killing y'all." and Tod just goes, "Lol we good, bruh."
There was also a lack of Marcia which is a straight up crime.
December 13, 2015
Couldn't decide 3 stars or 4. I love Sage's writing and I love this trilogy following in the path of the Septimus Heap series. I was disappointed I guess for one thing in the seeming lack of editing for lack of a better explanation. For instance, she repeats in kind of sloppy writing about Tod's homesickness and jealousy of others having mothers in several places in the book. Also sometimes the story didn't seem to explain why Septimus didn't figure out obvious stuff or how he got to the desert in the end. Maybe I just missed it, I don't know. Somethings just seemed kind of arbitrary, like why didn't Tod go back and get Septimus to go with her to the desert? The explanation either wasn't there or wasn't in character. First Tod is totally into following the Wizard Tower protocols and then suddenly she isn't. There seemed to be a lack of consistency or something. I kind of felt at the end that I really missed stuff that was going on at the castle or in the Wizard Tower. I wanted to see the other side of the story I guess. But over all I enjoyed it. I'm looking forward to the 3rd installment.
October 17, 2015
If I was 12 years old, I would be reading this under the covers at night
with a flash light! I adore this series ( Septimus Heap and Alice Tod Hunter Moon) and this
one was fun not just for that 12 year old girl inside me but the adult too! What an exciting adventure for Alice ( mostly known as Tod) and Kaznim ( a determined child of the desert), who together with twins Oskar and Ferdie race to get to the Egg of the Orm before it hatches. There are wicked witches, a huge dragon, an evil sorcerer, magic sleds ( that work both in snow and sand), a nasty evil Red Queen who loves to behead folks and a delightful disobedient genie. All this made for a fun read. Loved it!!!!!
with a flash light! I adore this series ( Septimus Heap and Alice Tod Hunter Moon) and this
one was fun not just for that 12 year old girl inside me but the adult too! What an exciting adventure for Alice ( mostly known as Tod) and Kaznim ( a determined child of the desert), who together with twins Oskar and Ferdie race to get to the Egg of the Orm before it hatches. There are wicked witches, a huge dragon, an evil sorcerer, magic sleds ( that work both in snow and sand), a nasty evil Red Queen who loves to behead folks and a delightful disobedient genie. All this made for a fun read. Loved it!!!!!
February 18, 2017
This book was disappointing after Pathfinder. It felt rushed, and nothing really happened. The book started with the protagonists desperately trying to find the Orm egg and ended with them finding it less than four days later. Sure there were some adventures and everything in those four days, but still, not a lot to move forward. It felt a lot like treading water. There was also a character introduced in this book named Casnim, who is sort of the main character, that I just detested. That made it a little more difficult to enjoy the book as well.
August 18, 2016
The new series continues and forms part of the old series. Angie Sage remains very readable and her characters are mainly likable. She seems to have a particular fondness for Lucy Heap, though, to whom I just cannot warm. There's a bit too much willful misunderstanding of friends' motives in this and it becomes annoying.
November 23, 2015
Hype, hype, hype...and then kind of a lack-luster ending. Still excited for the thrilling trilogy conclusion, but...a little sad that this series hasn't been as amazing for me as the original series.
October 13, 2016
I loved this book and how it doesn't just get rid of all the old characters and we get to see them grown up but I also love all of the new characters and how it switches point of view at all of the right moments and how it even does show the story from the villains perspective.
October 27, 2015
It was a good story
This story line isn't as good as the as the original stories. It does not has the well loved feel of the other
This story line isn't as good as the as the original stories. It does not has the well loved feel of the other
July 20, 2024
I'm sad to say that I just didn't enjoy SandRider nearly as much as many of the other books in the series, if we're including the original seven Septimus Heap books as well. It's not a bad book, but there were a number of aspects that I just didn't like about the book.
The plot is a continuation of the story from PathFinder. The Orm egg is hatching and the protagonists need to find it before the evil sorcerer Oraton-Marr can imprint on the Orm and gain substantial magical power in having a source of lapis lazuli. This setup was fine, but I found a number of things strange over the course of the book.
First, everyone knows they need to hurry to find the Orm egg, but for some reason we're still holding the Apprentice race and investing a lot of time into it. It seemed an odd choice. It all works, but I found myself asking if that was really the best use of their time with everything going on.
Second, I really didn't like Ferdie in this book. She just comes off as whiny and jealous in this book. The whole tribe of three concept that Ferdie, Oskar, and Tod have is kind of stupid and felt like another thing that should be put into perspective considering the severity of what is going on in the world. That's not the case though as Ferdie basically makes Tod choose between finding the Orm egg with the Tribe of Three or as part of the Wizard Tower. Apparently everyone working together isn't an option in Ferdie's mind. This is too bad, as I did like Ferdie in the first book, but this book made her standing fall a bit with me.
My last dislike was Kaznim. I get that she's a girl who is lost in a strange place and has a lot going on, but her attitude and choices are not great throughout the book. She just wound up being a rather annoying character for much of the book.
These aspects of this book just made me not like it quite as much as some of the others. Like the first book in the TodHunter Moon series, you get plenty of throw backs and old characters revisited. It's always nice to see the mix of old and new characters, but in this book it didn't seem as well mixed as the first book. The old cast is largely in the background, while the new characters take center stage. It's again that either/or presentation that just felt off.
I'm hoping that however the third book goes to cap off the series we'll have everyone working together and facing whatever threat is needed to be faced. Even if that's not the case, I do hope that there is at least a good setup and reason for why only certain people are able to do what is needed to be done.
The plot is a continuation of the story from PathFinder. The Orm egg is hatching and the protagonists need to find it before the evil sorcerer Oraton-Marr can imprint on the Orm and gain substantial magical power in having a source of lapis lazuli. This setup was fine, but I found a number of things strange over the course of the book.
First, everyone knows they need to hurry to find the Orm egg, but for some reason we're still holding the Apprentice race and investing a lot of time into it. It seemed an odd choice. It all works, but I found myself asking if that was really the best use of their time with everything going on.
Second, I really didn't like Ferdie in this book. She just comes off as whiny and jealous in this book. The whole tribe of three concept that Ferdie, Oskar, and Tod have is kind of stupid and felt like another thing that should be put into perspective considering the severity of what is going on in the world. That's not the case though as Ferdie basically makes Tod choose between finding the Orm egg with the Tribe of Three or as part of the Wizard Tower. Apparently everyone working together isn't an option in Ferdie's mind. This is too bad, as I did like Ferdie in the first book, but this book made her standing fall a bit with me.
My last dislike was Kaznim. I get that she's a girl who is lost in a strange place and has a lot going on, but her attitude and choices are not great throughout the book. She just wound up being a rather annoying character for much of the book.
These aspects of this book just made me not like it quite as much as some of the others. Like the first book in the TodHunter Moon series, you get plenty of throw backs and old characters revisited. It's always nice to see the mix of old and new characters, but in this book it didn't seem as well mixed as the first book. The old cast is largely in the background, while the new characters take center stage. It's again that either/or presentation that just felt off.
I'm hoping that however the third book goes to cap off the series we'll have everyone working together and facing whatever threat is needed to be faced. Even if that's not the case, I do hope that there is at least a good setup and reason for why only certain people are able to do what is needed to be done.
May 9, 2025
4.25/5
While I still love the world Angie Sage built, these new characters are really not as likeable to me as in the original series. Tod isn't UNlikeable... but even she is making decisions that get on my nerves. I understand she's young (like, 12?), but Septimus was only like 10 when we meet him in Magyk, and he was infinitely more mature and likeable than Tod is. There is, of course, his young army training to consider, but Jenna also wasn't quite as bad as Tod, and she certainly was never in the young army! I am enjoying this series much more for the OG characters rather than the new ones.
I do think though that this new spinoff series is much darker (while still written in a lighthearted way that is easily palatable for young ones still). The first book we saw monsters kidnapping children and then whole villages, and the villain ready to drown people to get what he wanted. I'm not going to spoil what the villain is doing in this book, but it is equally heinous. Angie just has such a way of writing such horrible things to not feel so horrible. Even all the bad guys we come across are almost comical!
Overall, the original series is better, and the first book of this series was better than this one, but big picture? They're all good, and I'm quite enjoying them. Not only can I not wait to see how this story ends in the final book, but I also can't wait until my son is old enough to be introduced to the wonderfully magykal world of Septimus Heap.
While I still love the world Angie Sage built, these new characters are really not as likeable to me as in the original series. Tod isn't UNlikeable... but even she is making decisions that get on my nerves. I understand she's young (like, 12?), but Septimus was only like 10 when we meet him in Magyk, and he was infinitely more mature and likeable than Tod is. There is, of course, his young army training to consider, but Jenna also wasn't quite as bad as Tod, and she certainly was never in the young army! I am enjoying this series much more for the OG characters rather than the new ones.
I do think though that this new spinoff series is much darker (while still written in a lighthearted way that is easily palatable for young ones still). The first book we saw monsters kidnapping children and then whole villages, and the villain ready to drown people to get what he wanted. I'm not going to spoil what the villain is doing in this book, but it is equally heinous. Angie just has such a way of writing such horrible things to not feel so horrible. Even all the bad guys we come across are almost comical!
Overall, the original series is better, and the first book of this series was better than this one, but big picture? They're all good, and I'm quite enjoying them. Not only can I not wait to see how this story ends in the final book, but I also can't wait until my son is old enough to be introduced to the wonderfully magykal world of Septimus Heap.
January 3, 2022
ยิ่งอ่าน ยิ่งสนุกขึ้นไปเรื่อยๆ
อ่านเล่มนี้แล้วเหมือนได้ย้อนความหลังไปตอนอ่านซีรีส์ชุดเซ็ปติมัส ฮีป
เพราะเล่มนี้เหมือนดึงตัวละ���รในซีรีส์นั้นมาเยอะพอสมควร
และแน่นอน ความรู้สึกเหมือนได้เติบโตมาพร้อมกับเซ็ปติมัส
พอ (อ่าน) เห็นว่า วันหนึ่งเซ็ปฯ กลายเป็นผู้วิเศษณ์
ที่มีทั้งศิษย์เอก และเวทมนตร์คาถาเก่งกาจ
เรารู้สึกปลาบปลื้ม จากทหารเด็กสุ่การเป็นผู้วิเศษที่ทุกคนพึ่งพาได้
นอกจากตัวเซ็ปฯและตัวละครเดิมๆที่ได้ออกมาโลดแล่นในเล่มนี้มากขึ้น
ตัวศิษย์เอกอย่างท็อดและเพื่อนของท็อดก็ได้ออกมาโลดแล่น โดดเด่นไม่แพ้กัน
การผจญภัย การหลอกหล่อ การหักหลังมาเต็ม
อ่านแล้วรู้สึกอินและมีส่วนร่วม สร้างภาพจิตนาการให้เราด้วยภาษาง่ายๆ ไม่ซับซ้อน (ตามเคย)
เป็นนิยายที่เกี่ยวกับเวทมนตร์คาถาและผู้วิเศษที่อ่านแล้วเข้าใจง่าย
คิดตามได้ง่าย จินตนาการภาพได้ง่าย
และมีโครงเรื่อง มีความเป็นตัวของตัวเอง
อ่านจบเล่มแรกก็อยากหยิบเล่มต่อไปมาอ่านต่อเรื่อยๆ
และที่น่าประทับใจไม่แพ้โครงเรื่อง ภาษา และเนื้อเรื่อง
คือภาพประกอบ
ภาพประกอบสวยมาก
สวยแบบคลาสสิกและสื่อถึงตัวละครแต่ละตัวได้ชัดเจนดีมาก
โดยรวมแล้วดีมาก ดีมากๆ
อ่านเล่มนี้แล้วเหมือนได้ย้อนความหลังไปตอนอ่านซีรีส์ชุดเซ็ปติมัส ฮีป
เพราะเล่มนี้เหมือนดึงตัวละ���รในซีรีส์นั้นมาเยอะพอสมควร
และแน่นอน ความรู้สึกเหมือนได้เติบโตมาพร้อมกับเซ็ปติมัส
พอ (อ่าน) เห็นว่า วันหนึ่งเซ็ปฯ กลายเป็นผู้วิเศษณ์
ที่มีทั้งศิษย์เอก และเวทมนตร์คาถาเก่งกาจ
เรารู้สึกปลาบปลื้ม จากทหารเด็กสุ่การเป็นผู้วิเศษที่ทุกคนพึ่งพาได้
นอกจากตัวเซ็ปฯและตัวละครเดิมๆที่ได้ออกมาโลดแล่นในเล่มนี้มากขึ้น
ตัวศิษย์เอกอย่างท็อดและเพื่อนของท็อดก็ได้ออกมาโลดแล่น โดดเด่นไม่แพ้กัน
การผจญภัย การหลอกหล่อ การหักหลังมาเต็ม
อ่านแล้วรู้สึกอินและมีส่วนร่วม สร้างภาพจิตนาการให้เราด้วยภาษาง่ายๆ ไม่ซับซ้อน (ตามเคย)
เป็นนิยายที่เกี่ยวกับเวทมนตร์คาถาและผู้วิเศษที่อ่านแล้วเข้าใจง่าย
คิดตามได้ง่าย จินตนาการภาพได้ง่าย
และมีโครงเรื่อง มีความเป็นตัวของตัวเอง
อ่านจบเล่มแรกก็อยากหยิบเล่มต่อไปมาอ่านต่อเรื่อยๆ
และที่น่าประทับใจไม่แพ้โครงเรื่อง ภาษา และเนื้อเรื่อง
คือภาพประกอบ
ภาพประกอบสวยมาก
สวยแบบคลาสสิกและสื่อถึงตัวละครแต่ละตัวได้ชัดเจนดีมาก
โดยรวมแล้วดีมาก ดีมากๆ
January 27, 2022
The introduction of the Ancient Ways of the Septimus Heap universe added a whole new element of excitement to these stories! The relationship between Sam and Marwick is well-written and their adventures mapping The Ways is thrilling. The suspense when Oscar, Ferdie, and Tod are on the SandRiders trying to escape from the hungry lions kept us reading! We also, of course, enjoyed Jim Knee's presence in the books as we had quite fallen in love with the humor his character brought to scenes that included him in the first seven Septimus Heap books. My daughter and I loved the imprinting that happens with the Orm egg at the end of the book! It was so exciting that it had us both giggling, imagining the Orm's new imprinter caring for it! The evil sorcerer's 'reward' in the end is gratifying. I won't spoil it here, but let's just say he deserves what he gets from Kaznim's apothecary mother!
October 23, 2025
After re-reading all of Septimus Heap earlier this year, which was a series I half-read in middle school (like… 2011 or so…), I am reading this series for the first time. And it’s making me happy! It’s on track for this series. Can be a bit jumbled, pieces of info you eventually get back to, and the irritation that only Angie Sage can give me of “OH MY GOD BUT IF THEY JUST KNEW WHAT THE OTHER CHARACTER KNOWS RIGHT NOW AGGGGH!!!”.
This one was fun. The ending was fun! The imprint ended how I originally predicted… but then I second guessed myself three more times!
Honestly if nothing else, I miss illustrations at the beginning of each chapter!! Show me my grown up babies and the new babies!!
Thank you for the picture of Beetle and Septimus grown up. I enjoyed that greatly.
This one was fun. The ending was fun! The imprint ended how I originally predicted… but then I second guessed myself three more times!
Honestly if nothing else, I miss illustrations at the beginning of each chapter!! Show me my grown up babies and the new babies!!
Thank you for the picture of Beetle and Septimus grown up. I enjoyed that greatly.
January 8, 2019
My favourite part was when Spit Fyre saved the Orm from the sorcerer. I like how this book had Spit Fyre in it again. I also really liked the sled race part, but I wish that it had the rest of the race, including when Beetle raced his sled at the end, instead of Tod's sled being caught by the Wendron Witches. My least favorutie aprt was when Tod, Oskar and Ferdie were caught by the witches and Oskar and Ferdie were thought to be Snow Sprites and were going to be thrown into the fire because they didn't believe Tod. I found it kind of funny how Spit Fyre was thought to be turned to stone, and he played along with it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 15, 2025
When I was younger, Septimus Heap was my favorite book series, and Septimus Heap was my favorite character. Oh how I wish I could have had Tod when I was little.
Angie Sage is a master of plot, character, and setting. You can't help but fall in love and see yourself in the places she creates.
Young readers, especially girls, need protagonists like TodHunter Moon! I need protagonists like TodHunter Moon! Female role models, no matter the age of reader or character, are essential for developing ideas of leadership, ethics, and gender. I would recommend this book to any parent, especially fans of fantasy, adventure, and family.
Angie Sage is a master of plot, character, and setting. You can't help but fall in love and see yourself in the places she creates.
Young readers, especially girls, need protagonists like TodHunter Moon! I need protagonists like TodHunter Moon! Female role models, no matter the age of reader or character, are essential for developing ideas of leadership, ethics, and gender. I would recommend this book to any parent, especially fans of fantasy, adventure, and family.
January 10, 2019
SandRider is Book Two of the TodHunter Moon trilogy, which takes place nine years after Angie Sage’s Magykal Septimus Heap series. Young Alice/TodHunter Moon is now the ExtraOrdinary Apprentice to ExtraOrdinary Wizard Septimus Heap. Kaznim Na-Draa, the older daughter of an Apothekary in the Singing Sands, proves to be a vital key to rescuing the soon to be hatched baby Orm and prevent it from impressing on the evil wizard Oraton-Marr.
Hurrah. Can’t wait to read Starchaser. Angie Sage spins pure Magyk in her outstanding fantasy series for middle graders.
Hurrah. Can’t wait to read Starchaser. Angie Sage spins pure Magyk in her outstanding fantasy series for middle graders.
February 11, 2019
This story continues the story of Septimus Heap, but the role of protagonist trades hands with that of TodHunter Moon. Our hero from the prior novels takes the role of mentor, and TodHunter, the juvenile hero. Angie Sage weaves gripping stories with her writing, but one thing I noticed in her prior series, Septimus Heap, was a lack of consistency from one book to another. So far, with TodHunter, I haven't noticed this inconsistency, so kudos to her.
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