But what happens when there are no more bi annual manifestations of the life and magical times of Harry Potter?

The Harry Potter books have set the world alight and for many the anticipation of another chapter of the saga was equally as enjoyable as the book itself. Looking beyond the hype, websites were set up around the world by devoted fans who will hear nothing bad ever said about the books, characters or even the author. A divine holiness has descended on the Hogwarts brand. But like every good story it sooner or later has to come to an end.

Muggle fans who desire their fix of a new story will soon be left high and dry as the author JK Rowling has told the press that Deathly Hallows will be the last book. Already the internet has come alive as avid readers searching for the next character to replace their ageing heroes Potter, Weasley and Grainger. Publishers have heralded every knew writer as the ‘new’ Harry Potter, but fans have thought otherwise, failing to go for the hype and looking for the real story.

One contender has come to the fore from a very unexpected source. GP Taylor, author of the world wide best-selling series of Shadowmancer books has always begrudged hype of his books and has been content to allow them to sell themselves. Taylor, a New York Times best selling author hit the headlines for allegedly saying that Harry Potter was gay – Reuters who ran the story without checking it later had to place an apology for getting the whole thing wrong. Taylor didn’t say it. The incident was enough for him to have hate mail from Potter fans who would have loved to have boiled him in a leaky cauldron for ever dare suggesting such a thing about their hero. Taylor has been dubbed the ‘new’ CS Lewis and is on record as saying he is not a big Potter fan.

Now things are starting to change as proof copies of Taylor’s latest series of books are exchanging faster and faster on internet auction sites as if Harry has waved a ’sellemquick’ spell over them. Mariah Mundi and The Midas Box to be released in late August is already gaining rave reviews from those who have read it. The publishers, Faber and Faber have run out of proof copies, such is the demand. and the Mariah Mundi web site is already getting thousands of hits per day. Everyone wants to know more of the mysterious Mariah Mundi and his troubled friend Sacha.

The recipe is there, tried and tested. Young hero, girl sidekick, evil villain, perilous plot and sting in the tail ending. Nothing unusual. If you read Tolkein, Lewis and Rowling the same devices are in use. But like Harry Potter there is something unforgettable about the boy, Mariah Mundi.

Taylor has cleverly crafted a great back story to his life. Mundi has lost his parents and it is not known if they are dead. He attended a boarding school in London, England from where he was sent at the age of fifteen to work in a large and mysterious hotel in the north of England. All fish out of water stuff with plenty of spooky goings on to keep you turning the pages.

Like Potter, Mundi is fallible and often gets it wrong. There is a sense of realism about him with an almost soap opera interest in his life – will he or won’t he make it? Like Potter, Mundi has a girl sidekick. Called Sacha, an Irish immigrant with more sass than sassy and is definitely Hermoine Grainger on steroids…don’t mess with this one.

Thankfully the plot is more ‘whodunit’s than the plethora of mediocre children’s fantasy that has littered the bookshelves in recent years. There is a killer at large and a strange box that has the power to turn everyday objects to gold and a secret society called The Bureau of Antiquities. All in all, this book combines the big story of CS Lewis and the plot of an Indiana Jones movie. Probably why Hollywood is already queuing to get their hands on the rights for the book.

Not only do we get a pottersque page turner, there is also something for the grown ups. Mariah Mundi is the type of book you read and then read again. There is a depth that you don’t pick up the first time and hidden away are gems of humor. This is a departure from the more recent style of Taylor’s books and sits well with the plot.

Faber and Faber aren’t planning a big release, Taylor will do his usual tour of schools promoting reading and writing in the late Fall and nowhere in any of the publicity is it said that this will replace the Potter series as claimed by so many. But what is happening, is that readers around the world are being charmed by Mariah Mundi and telling others about him. Proof copies of the book are being sought after by readers and collectors after making a quick buck. Word of mouth still is the best way to sell a book and if the initial response to Mariah Mundi is to be believed, we could genuinely be looking at the book series that will replace Harry Potter at the top of every child’s wish list.

aulruna said:
I’ve read your essay and you really made a lot of good points!
But I saw some connections just from your first post, I think it makes sense – especially the last three. The Tower for Dumbledore’s death – calamity, but also, as in Tarot, a chance for the characters to grow beyond their former selves.

For book 1, I just thought this would also work for Justice (card 11 in a number of decks) … Harry finally coming into his rights, being recognized for what he is, the first triumphant ending (winning the house cup etc.) without the drawbacks that come later.

I didn’t know about the justice card so that is something I wanted to loop back around here.