Really late to the thread here, but just couldn't help but add that Jonathan Stroud's Bartimaeus Trilogy is a highly-recommended successor to the Harry Potter series crown. The first, The Amulet of Samarkind, is an enjoyable read and allows Stroud to develop his world of magicians-as-conjurers, but the trilogy takes a risky and satisfying turn in The Golem's Eye, and culminates in a genuinely cataclysmic and emotional showdown in London's Hyde Park by this third installment, Ptolemy's Gate. I have to admit that I, too, found myself crying at the end of this terrific trilogy--I hope other HP fans find this trilogy as satisfying as I have!
Comment
Ptolemy's Gate