Pathfinder (TodHunter Moon, #1)

by Angie Sage

[KitsuneBae]

Though there's nothing extraordinary about the Septimus Heap, I must say that I enjoyed it a lot so when I saw that Angie has written a new book, I immediately grabbed the ARC. Unfortunately, Pathfinder felt like recycled material. I thought the story would focus on Alice's journey on becoming an awesome Pathfinder. I didn't expect that she'd do a Septimus Heap and end up in the castle to learn about magic. >,>


UPDATE:

The Septimus Heap series is in no way perfect. In fact, weighing between the pros and cons of the whole series, the cons had won out. I think it is Angie Sage’s talent for building a magical world that made me pick this book up. Todhunter Moon is a spin-off series of Septimus Heap that follows the story of a heroine named, Todhunter Moon. The first in the Todhunter Moon series, Pathfinder brings us back to the same magical world of Septimus Heap but instead of wizards and warlocks, Angie Sage introduces us to another set of characters endowed with a different type of capability which is pathfinding… or at least she tried to.

Alice Todhunter Moon is a young pathfinder who only wished to be, what else, a pathfinder just like her Dad. And you know what happens next, ordinary dreams do not really come true for our dauntless young heroine as her father went missing, and thus, she must embark on a quest to save the hapless adult. And so the quest starts and we find our heroine in the thick of evil machinations and discovering that there’s more to her than being a simple pathfinder. Though it’s a tale that’s really getting old, it can still work wonders as long as executed properly. Apparently, Pathfinder failed to achieve that and all I got is a story that is not only a Septimus Heap retelling but also long winded, predictable, and simplistic.

Pathfinder spent a lot of time telling unnecessary information that I failed to appreciate our heroine’s journey towards self-discovery. It didn’t help the fact that most of the major characters from the Septimus Heap series were also given a significant portion of the spotlight in this book when some of the new characters still need fleshing out. Yes, yes, I really liked getting a glimpse of Septimus Heap and company in Pathfinder but making them a major part of a spin-off series? I don’t think so. It goes to show that Angie is just milking the whole series dry.

I don’t think I’d be able to force myself to read the second book of the series as this one really drained me emotionally and physically. I can only recommend Pathfinder to those who aren’t able to get over Septimus Heap yet and are in immediate danger from the side effects of Septimus withdrawal, and of course, the illustrations. They’re quite lovely.