Magyk (Septimus Heap book 1) by Angie Sage

After Silas Heap's seventh son is born (and taken away for dead), the Heaps are entrusted with the care of a baby girl. Ten years later, an assasin comes to kill Jenna, who turns out to be the Queenling, the daughter of the murdered king and rightful heir to the kingdom. Jenna and the Heap family flee, pursued by the forces of the Darke Magician. While this series is a slower moving that the big fantasy series, fans of Harry Potter and Artemis Fowl will enjoy this action packed story full of magic, adventure, and suspense. The variety of characters are at first difficult to keep track of at first along with the alternating narration. An entertaining first novel and a promising start to a new series.