Reviews & Overviews by Rod Cameron
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This is the penultimate (sixth) story in the saga of Harry Potter’s secondary school adventures. There seems little point in explaining for the first-time reader that the stories are set in a world similar to our own, but where magic is doable by those who have the right genetics, so I won’t bother. The usual hype was attached to the release of this latest instalment. Those in the know either went down to a book shop at midnight or waited for it to make a dent in the mat courtesy of Royal Mail or some other carrier. There didn’t seem to be as much hype as with previous volumes, but perhaps I was preoccupied? The evil Lord Voldemort continues to grow in power and his reign of terror causes chaos in the wizard and muggle communities. As far as Harry and his chums go, they are busy trying to pass their exams in the lower sixth. His rage at being kept in the dark has dissipated, and he can play Quidditch again. Harry’s biggest mystery seems to be finding and annotated copy of a book which helps him in his Potions class; but he cannot identify the ‘Half-Blood Prince’ to which it used to belong. Was the book enjoyable? Yes in a way. It was always going to be a scene-setter for the finale. Unless of course, JKR is going to do a second series with HP at the thaumaturgical equivalent of Oxbridge. Anyway, what did I think of it? Another thickish volume, but not as thick as HP#5. However, this is much darker. Right from the second chapter, it is apparent that Professor Snape is on the dark side. The question to be answered is whether he is a double agent or not. It is also common knowledge that like HP#5, there is a death. Enough said on this topic apart from the fact that when it happens, this one seems much more final than previous deaths. We will just have to wait to see if they are all as final as they seem at the moment. Understandably, there are a lot of threads left hanging in this book. But despite this, it is a good read. JK has maintained the quality sufficiently to wet the appetite for the final volume next year. The sooner, the better! |
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