Queste by Angie Sage is the fourth book in the Septimus Heap series and chronicles Septimus and Jenna’s attempt to rescue Nicki and Snorri from the past. Septimus has been working on finding a way to rescue Nicko and Snorri ever since they had been left in the past a few months ago. He has also been working on integrating Marcellus Pye into modern times. Meanwhile, Merrin has decided to get revenge against Septimus for taking his place by trying to bring a darke fate against him. When Marcellus finally remembers a message from Snorri they end up with a map to the house of Foryx, a place where all time meets. Septimus makes plans with Jenna and Beetle to try and follow the map and hope Nicko and Snorri are there. Before they can leave the ghost of Tertius Fume, working with Merrin, decides to call a conclave and force the apprentice to the ExtraOrdinary Wizard to draw for a quest stone. Septimus manages to escape without the stone, or so he thinks, and now has to rather hastily set out with Jenna and Beetle while hoping their map is accurate.
This book was great addition to the series and does a great job of continuing the wild and crazy antics of Septimus Heap and his friends. Something that was interesting about this story though was how it adds a lot to the history of this world and expands a lot of the lore surrounding the wizards tower and the ExtraOrdinary wizards. I definitely enjoyed getting to see more of how some of that originated. What was interesting was how this book continued certain patterns while also adapting those patterns to the circumstances of this story. A big pattern is how Septimus is frequently helped by two of his siblings, Nicko and Jenna, meaning that they often work together as a group of three on their adventures. Nicko is not present for this story due to him being left in the past so his place is taken by Beetle so it remains a group of three. I found it interesting how this ended up playing out to adapt the pattern while maintaining the pattern in some way. Honestly, I noticed several patterns so far in this series but they aren’t all that important. Much like with the previous book this one is also showing a more complex and interconnected plot for the story so I was happy about that. I was actually somewhat impressed by just how well everything was connected and while I did suspect some of the connections I was still surprised by others. It ended up being an extremely well written story and I enjoyed getting to know more about Beetle. I am curious about how he is going to be further developed as the series continues. A good book and good addition to the series so I am giving it four out of five stars.
This is a great example of a kids fantasy series so if you know any younger readers who might enjoy fantasy you should consider this series for them. Keep in mind this particular book is the fourth book though and you really should read them in order to get the best picture of what is going on. There is quite a bit of interconnectivity between the books. I know the books are aimed at younger readers but as I can attest they can still be enjoyed by older readers so if it sounds interesting consider trying it. Remember to share your thoughts in the comments if you do.