Mariah Mundi: The Midas Box
by G.P. Taylor
Published by Putnam Juvenile
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Reviewed by Alex McGilvery Mariah Mundi: The Midas Box by G.P. Taylor is a young adult novel set in rather dark and gloomy England. Mariah Mundi, the hero of the story, is a Colonial Boy–a graduate of the Chiswick Colonial School. He is sent off with a first-class suit and a third-class ticket to work at the Prince Regent, the world’s finest hotel and the brainchild of inventor Otto Luger. It isn’t long before Mariah meets a mysterious stranger who gives him a magical deck of cards for safekeeping. He meets people on the train who make him wonder what dangers working at the Prince Regent will bring.
Soon after he arrives at the hotel and is set to helping the Great Bizmillah, a magician who wants to do more than just stage magic. His new friend Sacha is a mischievous girl who knows the hotel well. She is worried about her friend Felix who disappeared abruptly like the boys before him. Mariah realizes quickly that all is not what it seems at the luxury hotel, or in the little town below it.
The Midas Box has a lot going for it. While the beginning is a bit slow, once the action starts it is relentless. It is full of people who may be friends, or perhaps enemies. There is magic and monsters and a puzzle to be figured out. The book is written in a straightforward style that allows the story to come through. The characters are likable though there is plenty left to learn about them. This is a good thing since I suspect that this is the first in a series.
GP Taylor is a New York Times best selling author. His works include Shadowmancer, Wormwood, Tersias, The Curse of Salamander Street and The Tizzle Sisters.
Armchair Interview says: Mariah Mundi: The Midas Box is a fun read geared to young adults, but others will enjoy as well.
Author’s Web site: http://www.GPTaylor.info