Reading Log Week 5

Book: Syren
Author: Angie Sage
Pages Read: 495 - 558

   Jim Knee, or the jinnee, is very grumpy with Septimus and his friends and only reluctantly does what he says. I think he is going to turn on them even though he is obliged to do whatever Septimus says, and that he will be the factor that lead to their downfall. You can see that Jim Knee does not enjoy being Septimus's jinnee when the narrator says, "Jim Knee looked extremely grumpy. After a long pause he answered reluctantly, 'Jim Knee,' and then added, 'Oh Clever One.'" (Sage 521). Another instance is when, "If his Master insisted that he become a giant turtle, then a giant turtle he had to become. But it didn't stop the jinnee from bargaining. 'I'll do it for ten minutes, no longer, Oh Wearisome One,' he said...'No more than twenty minutes, I pray you, Oh Pitiless One,' Jim Knee wheedled....'Very well, Oh Ruthless One,' said Jim Knee gloomily." (Sage 540) and another time it is discovered just how much respect Jim Knee had for his master, "The jinnee had more respect for a decomposing tentacle than he did for his Master." (Sage 547) From all of these instances, it is not hard to guess that Jim Knee did not have very much liking for his Master. You can tell this for when he calls Septimus increasingly insulting names, going from "Clever" to "Ruthless". I believe that he is so grumpy with Septimus because he had spent so long trying to find him and has been on such a grueling journey, and he is just originally slightly snappy that it results in his ultimate dislike of his Master.

Book: Syren
Author: Angie Sage
Pages Read: 558 - 607

   I have noticed that every book involves someone who is in danger or not with the rest of the group, and they need to go and rescue them, but somehow end up in danger themselves. In the first book (Magyk), the baby Jenna was in danger and then she was rescued by Silas and his family, who ended up in mortal danger at one point also. Also in the first book, Marcia was captured and held in a cell and the entire story sort of revolved around her capture. In the third book (Physik), Septimus becomes stuck in a Time five hundred years ago, and the story revolves around his rescue. Nicko and Snorri become stuck in that Time by the end of the book. In the fourth book (Queste), Nicko and Snorri are stuck in another Time and Jenna, Septimus, and Beetle must go and rescue them. In the process, Jenna, Septimus, and Beetle almost get stuck in that same Time also. In this book, Syrah is in mortal danger the entire time, as well as Septimus, Jenna, and Beetle, who are soon joined by Wolf Boy and Lucy. As you can see, in almost every book, the same basic narrative arc is used. I believe the author uses this in most books to create a recurring theme or to tie all the books together in some way, because they tend to have completely different plots only loosely interlinked.