Marcia Overstrand
Marcia Overstrand | |
---|---|
Septimus Heap character | |
First appearance | Magyk |
Created by | Angie Sage |
In-universe information | |
Alias | The scary lady |
Nickname | Marcia |
Title | The ExtraOrdinary Wizard |
Occupation | ExtraOrdinary Wizard |
Marcia Overstrand is a fictional character in the Septimus Heap series by Angie Sage. She is a powerful ExtraOrdinary Wizard. Septimus is her apprentice.[1][2]
Description
This article possibly contains original research. (August 2015) |
Marcia is described as a tall woman with characteristic green wizard eyes and long, dark, wavy hair. She wears a deep purple tunic, held at the waist by her "ExtraOrdinary Wizard" belt and a purple cloak which is part of her Magyk. Around her neck is the "Akhu Amulet of Hotep-Ra", the source of power for "ExtraOrdinary Wizards". Marcia also wears a pair of pointy purple python skin boots made for her by shoemaker Terry Tarsal. Terry very much dislikes snakes, and swears Marcia orders snakeskin on purpose, which may or may not be true. She has an aura of Magyk around her. Marcia can be fascinating and bossy, and scary to those around her. She is ambitious.
Development
The Marcia character was key in Sage's development and continuation of the Heap series, as she motivates a lot of Septimus's decisions.[3][4][5]
Plot
Marcia becomes the ExtraOrdinary Wizard
Marcia always wanted to be an ExtraOrdinary Wizard. She made sure she apprenticed to Alther Mella, the ExtraOrdinary Wizard of her day. Alther was a patient teacher and a good wizard. After Marcia completed her final wizard examination, the heir to the Castle was born. Marcia and Alther went to the Palace to congratulate the Queen. However, the Queen and Alther were both murdered by an assassin. Before dying, Alther gave Marcia the "Akhu Amulet" making Marcia the ExtraOrdinary Wizard. Marcia was able to protect the new baby princess and gave her to a Wizard, Silas Heap for hiding. He raised her as his own daughter, Jenna.
Progress
When Jenna is ten, Marcia takes her away with the assistance of Silas, his son
In Physik, Marcia comes to learn that Septimus has been sent back in time by being pulled through a magykal looking glass in the Queen's Room by Marcellus Pye. In the meantime, an evil Queen Etheldredda's spirit (who sent Septimus back) gets released by Silas Heap when he unseals her portrait and wreaks havoc on the Castle. Marcia does all she can to retrieve Septimus and stop a sicknesse from spreading, but nothing seems to work. Jenna, Nicko and Snorri go back in time and retrieve Septimus, but sadly Nicko and Snorri get trapped in that time. When Septimus gets back he and Marcia create an antidote for the sicknesse by using what he learned from Marcellus. Marcia, on learning Etheldredda's evil plan to kill Jenna so she can be queen forever, decides to destroy her. She makes a huge BoneFyre out of Septimus' pet dragon Spit Fyre's fire and through strong magic, pulls Etheldredda's spirit to the fire and destroys her forever. She is also able to destroy Etheldredda's pet called Aie-Aie who was responsible for the sicknesse.
In order to control Septimus' moves, Marcia takes away his Flyte Charm and locks it. Tertius Fume, an ancient evil ghost, calls for the legendary drawing of the
In
Character
This article possibly contains original research. (August 2015) |
Magical power
Marcia is an extremely powerful wizard. She can perform any kind of magyk. She is able to create a fog as well as a projection at the same time, which even Silas (who generally doesn't approve of Marcia) admires. She is even adept at little Physik, as when she cures Septimus' spider bite with a little dark magic in Flyte. She can transport freely from one place to another like she did in Magyk or Queste. She is adept at day to day needy magyks like cleaning and transfiguration. She modifies Zelda's desk by adding hands to it in Magyk or cleaning up the scribes mess in a trifle in Queste. She knows how to dispel darke unruly magic like a placement and escapes from it in Flyte. She is knowledgeable in disabling magyk such as restrain, silence and freeze.
Other traits, possessions and likes
Marcia is generally short tempered and impatient. Marcia cannot keep patience with Sarah or Septimus' pet Spit Fyre, Silas' pet wolfhound Maxie or the manuscriptorium chief scribe Jillie Djinn. Her temper scares people the most about her, though Marcia does not believe that she is scary as is evident in Magyk. At the same time she is ambitious and knowledgeable. She loves Septimus and Jenna and shows them her soft side. Although it seems that she and Silas are constantly bickering, they respect each other. She is on good terms with the ghost of her mentor Alther and still seeks his knowledge and help. She hates Aunt Zelda's cabbage sandwiches. In Queste she decides to be patient with Marcellus Pye although she disapproves of him, as he could have helped her find Septimus. Among Marcia's dearest possessions are her purple python skin boots which she has stockpiled after her favorite ones were ruined in events from Magyk.[6]
Reception
The character received widespread critical acclaim. She was praised for her dignity and enjoyed for her fashion sense.[7]
See also
References
- ^ Septimus Heap Official Site
- ^ Magyk: Main characters. Bayside. Accessed 30 December 2008.
- ^ Angie Sage interview. BrowseBook.com 5 June 2005. Accessed 30 December 2008
- ^ Angie Sage author interview. DoodledBooks.com Accessed 30 December 2008.
- ^ New wizard books to become films.BBC Accessed 30 December 2008.
- ^ Marcia's distinguishing feature Retrieved on 2008-12-30
- Amazon.com. Retrieved 2008-12-30.