History YMMV / SeptimusHeap

* CompleteMonster: [[EvilAunt Mitza Draddenmora Draa]] is a treacherous woman who has no concept of friendship and no genuine love for anyone. [[DrivenByEnvy Envious]] of her stepsister Cassandra for marrying Dan Moon--despite no longer caring for the latter--Mitza [[DisproportionateRetribution murdered Cassi with an envelope full of Sand Flies]], putting Cassi through a [[CruelAndUnusualDeath lengthy, fatal illness]]. Allying herself with [[EvilSorcerer Oraton-Marr]], Mitza kidnaps Dan and leads a pack of Garmin to abduct nearly everyone in the [=PathFinder=] village so that Oraton-Marr can make them dive for a submerged Orm Egg, knowing that many of them would not be able to breathe underwater and would not survive the task; Mitza also tries to ensure that her [[WouldHurtAChild 12-year-old niece Tod would be taken as well]]. Remaining with her allies as they escape with the egg, Mitza is willing to drown the Apothecary's baby to force the Apothecary to assist them and prevent interference. [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness Seeing no further benefit to her alliance]], Mitzxa plots to kill Tod with Sand Flies to spite Cassi's memory, at the same time aiding the Red Queen in invading the Castle in hopes that she would cause death and destruction, and nearly succeeding in poisoning her niece.

* {{Shipping}}. Many: Septimus/Jenna, Marcia/Milo, Marcia/Marcellus... the list goes on and on. Septimus/Syrah [[ShipSinking sank]], after being [[ShipTease teased]] in ''Syren'' and ''Darke'', gets a '''Thunderflash''' through the hull in the epilogue of ''Darke''.

* AntiClimaxBoss: [[spoiler:The Ring Wizards]]. [[spoiler:They]] have been built up as evil and dangerous, but [[spoiler:their magic was thwarted by rocks blocking them from accessing the Alchemical Fyre that would have been used to destroy them]]. It gets worse when [[spoiler:they are matched in power by a much younger Extraordinary Wizard (Marcia) and then quickly put back into their rings in no time at all by an even less experienced princess (albeit, this being her destiny). And all without the main character's help]]. See also CurbStompBattle.

* IdiotPlot:
** [[spoiler: PlayedWith in ''Darke''. Sure, it was Merrin Meredith who unleashed the Darke Domaine, but it probably wouldn't have happened without Septimus's and Marcia's [[CassandraTruth poor]] [[NoOSHACompliance safety policy]].]]
** [[spoiler: The escalation of the crisis was also hardly the paramount of good decision-making.]]

* RelationshipWritingFumble: [[NotBloodSiblings Septimus and Jenna]], to the point where many readers thought they were going to be the OfficialCouple. [[TheForceIsStrongWithThisOne The fumble is strong with this one]].

* UncannyValley: Septimus's illustration in ''Darke'' can be a little disconcerting, what with the absent-minded and distanced look.

* WhatAnIdiot:
** Marcia puts up Jenna for the Heaps to adopt in ''Magyk'' despite different eye-colors and '''Magykal''' powers making them a rather poor hiding place for the princess. She pretty much lampshades this later when she sees how obviously adopted Jenna looks when she's grown a little.
** [[spoiler:What did you intend when running back into the Palace when the Darke Domaine was spreading out, Sarah?]]
** Septimus [[spoiler:is told not to help fight the Ring-Wizards in the finale. And so, our hero stands there and waits for the fight to end.]]

* FanPreferredCouple: Septimus/Jenna and Marcia/Silas, in spite of the fact that Septimus and Jenna are [[NotBloodSiblings adopted siblings]] and that Silas is married and has seven kids.

* FollowTheLeader: Or InspirationForTheWork depending on the author's intention. Most obviously, Literature/HarryPotter:
** Septimus to Harry (VERY similar backstories, though the former's parents are still alive)
** Beetle and Jenna to Ron and Hermione (some aspects of the latter duo may have been switched around, making the "Ron" character (Beetle) the smarter one and the "Hermione" character (Jenna) part of a family with many siblings; also, the former duo don't argue as much)
** Marcia to Dumbledore and [=McGonagall=] (a mix of the two)
** the Heap family to the Weasely family (poor family of magic users with many children)
** Merrin Meredith to Draco Malfoy (social status aside)
** the Castle to Hogsmead
** the Wizard Tower to Hogwarts (and subsequently Septimus' seven years of education)
** the ghosts from both series (with varying rules of death)
** Alther to Dumbledore (again?)
** Turtius Fume to Severus Snape ([[spoiler:the former lacking the redeeming qualities of the latter, or at all]])
** [[spoiler:the Ring Wizards]] and maybe [=DomDaniel=] to Voldemort

** Marcia to Dumbledore and [=McGonagal=] (a mix of the latter two; also, apologies for the spelling)

* DeathIsCheap: Every deceased character has come back as a ghost, with the only consequence being that they cannot go anywhere for a year and a day.

* CanonFodder: Numerous details, places, and people across the series.

* HoYay: Between Septimus and Wolf Boy.

* BellisariosMaxim: Applied by WordOfGod to many aspects of the setting.
** Averted. It all adds up to the TwistEnding.

* MagnificentBastard: Tertius Fume. Between dragging Alther into the Darke Halls when he's Banished and sending Septimus on the Queste with a rigged Draw, he's definitively a magnificent antagonist, especially compared to his rather dull predecessors.

* DecoyProtagonist: Some could argue that the series was Jenna's story all along, as she receives more character development than the titular main character. Especially in ''Darke'', when Septimus already had his SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome. This is backed up by [[spoiler:Septimus' notable lack of participation in the climatic battle of ''Fyre'']].

* {{Shipping}}. Many: Septimus/Jenna, Marcia/Milo, Marcia/Marcellus... the list goes on and on.
** ShipSinking: Septimus/Syrah, after being [[ShipTease teased]] in ''Syren'' and ''Darke'', gets a '''Thunderflash''' through the hull in the epilogue of ''Darke''.

* TheWoobie: Sarah Heap. Between losing Septimus, Simon and Nicko at various times and rarely seeing any of them, there is not much happiness in her life.
** Which makes ''Fyre'' all the more heartwarming, as all seven Heaps AND Jenna are attending Simon and Lucy's wedding. It even goes to show that Sarah is finally starting to let go of her life-long anxiety.

* FollowTheLeader: Or InspirationForTheWork depending on the author's intention. Most obviously, HarryPotter: