Flyte by Angie Sage (Septimus Heap book 2)

Evil wizards have a way of hanging around- even if you think they are dead. Dispite having his bones picked clean by Brownies, DomDaniel is still determined to take over the castle. Simon gathers up DomDaniel's bones and becomes his new apprentice, determined to restore DomDaniel to his rightful place at the Castle. Simon's new apprenticeship puts him at odds with his brother Septimus, the apprentice to the ExtraOrdinary Wizard and his adoptive sister Jenna, the future Queen. Like Magyk, once you are drawn into this story you won't want to put it down. Septimus is as likeable a character as his brother Simon is villanous. The main characters are well developed and interesting while the huge cast of secondary characters and creatures are at times difficult to keep straight. Fans of Harry Potter will enjoy this series while they wait for the arrival of the seventh book.