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Home > BBC And Bloggers Find Successor To Potter Crown
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BBC and Bloggers Find Successor to Potter Crown by Abigail Dunne
Read it and weep... as Harry retires - who will take his crown?It was billed as the publishing sensation of 2007 and like the fireworks of the 4th July or the greatest spell of a scar faced wizard it took the headlines. The whole world gasped at the final pages of Deathly Hallows and no one could say they were disappointed. JK Rowling had certainly done it again. People had tried to guess the plot but not a single blogger appeared to get it all right. Some were very near but others missed the mark. One of the greatest writers of fantasy fiction had done the Houdini.
Within hours of the publication of Deathly Hallows, BBC News in the UK announced online that they had found the successor to Harry, Ron, Hermione and Voldermort. Now as we close the pages of the final chapter on the Potter saga, one book that isn't even published yet appears to be quietly pushing itself forward as a contender for the title of 'Hotter than Potter.'
Since the publication of Shadowmancer in 2004 in the USA and its rise to the top of the New York Times list, GP Taylor has slipped from the radar of the American book scene. Penguin Putnam published two further books, Wormwood got to the dizzy heights of #2 on the charts but Taylor's 3rd book Tersias the Oracle slipped into stores without any promotion whatsoever. It was as if Putnam just put it out there as cheaply as possible with no explanation why.
Death ThreatsMany of his fans didn't even know the book was published. Following a death threat, Taylor refused to tour in the USA and there were rumors in the British press that he was unhappy with the way his books had been released in the US. All in all it served to keep Taylor under the radar. Starved of publicity, readers were hard pressed to find the sequels to Shadowmancer and with little action from Universal Pictures on the screenplay of the book Taylor vanished completely. He is on record in saying that he thought he would be shot dead in Books of Wonder in New York at a signing.
It was only when proof copies of his latest novel Mariah Mundi and The Midas Box began to circulate on Ebay that people again began to take notice of this quiet British author. Potter fans hungry for another book to fill the void of Deathly Hallows began to quickly blog about the title before they had even read it. News was sketchy. Taylor's own website had the book listed as Mariah Mundi and the Ghost of the Prince Regent, but the title was changed at the last minute before the proof copies were published.
Now it would seem that everyone wants to get hold of a proof of the book. One New York dealer has had countless enquires already and shops in the UK are taking advanced orders so customers can secure first editions. Buddyhollywood.com said, "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.
Mundi has lost his parents and it is not known if they are dead. He attended a boarding school in London, 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.
Mariah Mundi combines the big story of CS Lewis and the plot of an Indiana Jones movie...With plenty of 'whodunit' thrown in (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) 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."
BBC News said on the day of the release of Deathly Hallows that, "when Harry Potter hangs up his wizard's cloak, booksellers will be looking to GP Taylor's autumn release, Mariah Mundi - The Midas Box, to keep the cash tills ringing."
Taylor broke his silence to speak to the BBC saying, "There's a lot of stuff out there that is like Potter, but I think people are tired of it. Children are getting sick of dragons, fairies and goblins. They've got dragon fatigue and gnome fatigue."
So what makes Mariah Mundi so different?Those who have read it say that it is hot stuff. Grittier and more edgy than what he usually writes and packed with hidden humor. It is a fast paced page-turner and isn't as preachy as Shadowmancer, although still maintaining a strong moral story. It is different to Harry Potter with a strong narrated voice and saturated with description and character.
Like Potter, the hero is a young boy, without parents. He too grows up in a school away from home, but the similarities end there. Mariah Mundi takes no prisoners. He is like James Bond and spider man rolled into one. There are some great set pieces that keep you reading and leave you wanting more.
Interestingly, Taylor sets the tale in late Victorian England. It is dark and Gothic with fog and strange contraptions with just enough fantasy to keep the Potter fan interested. It is written more like a movie than a novel with set pieces that jump at you like scenes from a Stephen King classic than children's book. It is a lump in the throat adventure that keeps you on your seat until the very end.
About the Author
There may be many other books lined up to take the Potter crown, but bat least with Mariah Mundi you'll come back wanting more without the whiff of publishers hype to spoil the story.
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