Double Reading Log Week 16-17

Book: Darke
Author: Angie Sage
Pages read: 306 - 373

 Merrin Meredith has an incredibly twisted way of viewing the world. His goal is to take over the entire Castle, particularly the Wizard Tower. He is using Darke Magyk in order to do this, incredibly Darke. People are very nearly dying and experiencing horrors in the Castle because of this, and all because Merrin wants to prove to people that he is not simply the irritating boy that is always swatted away like an annoying fly. For example, the book reads, "'You idiot!' she yelled at him. 'You have no idea what you are messing with, do you?' 'Neither do you, Wizard-face.' Merrin laughed. 'Run away to your twinkly little Tower and take old haddock-brain with you. I don't need her anymore.' ... He had never had such an attentive - such an astonished - audience. It was wonderful. It was what he had always wanted." (Sage 342)  This shows that Merrin was basking in the "glory" of everyone knowing that he was responsible for all the Darkenesse shrouding the Castle. I believe that Merrin feels this way because he used to be apprenticed to DomDaniel, believing he was Septimus Heap, seventh son of a seventh son and therefore incredibly Magykal. But then when he realized he was not as incredibly gifted and Magykal, and wasn't even the actual Septimus Heap, the real Septimus took the only, if incredibly dim, spotlight he had. Since then, everyone had ignored him as a pestering, annoying bug and he wanted to show people how gifted he actually was. So he meddled with the Darke, and this is the result.


Book: Darke
Author: Angie Sage
Pages read: 373 - 430

What will happen once the Darke Domaine reaches the Big Red Door at the end of There and Back Again Row, where everyone lies in wait? What will happen to Beetle stuck in the Sealed Hermetic Chamber in the Manuscriptorium with no way out? I believe that once the Darke Domaine reaches the Big Red Door, behind which everyone - Sarah, Septimus, Jenna, Marcellus, Simon and Lucy - are hiding, that the more fragile, non-Magykal people - such as Jenna, Sarah, and Lucy - will be escorted out of the room, or into a safer place somehow. Most likely on Spit Fyre, who I believe will show up just in the nick of time. I believe this because it says, "Spit Fyre didn't like what was happening to the Castle either; he could smell the Darke, he could feel it coming closer. And then, suddenly, he saw a movement in the shadows. His Pilot's StaySafe kicked in and so, as a group of Things crept up on him in a pincer movement, knives at the reader, Spit Fyre raised his wings and, with one powerful downstroke, he was airborne." (Sage 384). This shows that Spit Fyre is flying somewhere right now at the moment in the story I am at currently, and based on the way the author states it - "he was airborne" - it leaves a mysterious question lurking as to where Spit Fyre is now. And he will most likely end up in the story soon. The rest of the people in the room behind the Big Red Door will show a great display of courage and Magyk in fending off the Darke, enough to escape and begin to devise a plan to banish it completely. I believe that Marcia is in the Wizard Tower, somewhat oblivious to exactly how far the Darke Domaine has gotten. I believe that Beetle will survive, but just barely. It is hard to say that he will find a way to escape the Sealed Chamber, but I believe he will survive the time one way or another. Perhaps he will find another Suspension Charm or something similar to it, or find a way to UnSeal the Ice Tunnels hatch underneath the desk. Whichever way, I believe he will survive.

Book: Darke
Author: Angie Sage
Pages read: 494 - 568

I believe that Marcia is going to perform the Great Undoing of the Darkenesse soon, which will save the Castle from the Darke that Merrin Meredith set about the entire Castle. Everyone who became trapped in the Darke Fog fell into a Darke sleep somewhere between life and death. It is my belief that once Marcia completes the Great Undoing, the entire Castle will be freed from the Darke curse made by Merrin, which will be one of the climaxes of the book. For example, it says in the very beginning of the next chapter, "Marcia was about to put the Paired Code together." (Sage 569) This shows that, because it was the very beginning of the chapter, it is very important to the plot of the story. Once Marcia put the Paired Code together, she would be able to perform the Great Undoing. Also, there was another climax very recently, when Septimus battled Merrin Meredith and his Darke dragon on his own dragon, Spit Fyre. There were several moments when it seemed as if Septimus would lose, but in the end, good prevailed as the Darke dragon sank to the bottom of the lake. This is an important climax reached by the small event of the Darke Domaine being created in the very beginning of the book.

Book: Darke
Author: Angie Sage
Pages read: 567 - 622

This book has finished. The main idea of the last part that I have just completed is that the Great Undoing created everything to become Magykal again, with no trace of Darke, which is extremely good. This can be seen when it says, "And then they saw the most beautiful sight they had ever seen - the Darke Fog rolling away." (Sage 585) This displays that everyone was indescribably relieved to have gotten rid of the Darke. Also, Merrin Meredith will hopefully not be performing any more Darke, though I have a feeling he will be returning in the next book. For instance, it says, "'Come on, dearie.' Nursie linked her arm through Merrin's good one. 'Let's get out of this place. I never did like the Castle. Nasty memories.' 'Me too,' said Merrin. 'It's a dump.' (Sage 601) This shows that Merrin is still the dark, Darke boy with a bad attitude and a dangerous amount of power, though not as much as before. Jenna has finally realized that she is royalty and therefore must be protected, whatever she may believe. This is shown when it says, "She had turned down offers from Silas and Sarah to come with her. This was the way she wanted to return to her Palace - on her own." (Sage 603) This means that Jenna has finally realized that she is the Princess and she is royalty, and although she does not like other people risking their lives for her, she has finally accepted the fact that the Palace is hers and no one will be there to take over if she dies. They need her.