RATING: THREE STARS
The unlikely adventurers' continue their journey through the dreamland created by a demented god and Nameless must use all of the powers contained in the Axe of the Dwarf Lords if he is find the last remnants of his people. But even with all of this power, he is helpless to aid his friends when they are scattered by a pack of werewolves. Trapped on a small island with only Ilesa for company, Nameless must defeat a terrifying serpent if he is to escape and find his people; his companions.
For Nils is alone and surrounded by goblins, alone except for an injured scout who knows exactly where the dwarves are . . .
The Good
I'm pleased to say that D. P. Prior is writing in proper sentences again, which makes the book much more fluid and easy to read. This really adds to the excitement and adventure in the book, and it's every bit as action-packed as its predecessors in the Chronicles of the Nameless Dwarf.
Another aspect of the book I liked was Prior's continued development of the protagonists other than Nameless and it's nice to start to see the dwarf's companions really start to come into their own, with their own personalities, issues and motivations. This helps to add depth to a somewhat superficial story and I hope it continues throughout the series future instalments!
The Bad
There are still editorial mistakes dotted throughout the book that I picked up on and, as I've said in previous reviews, Prior heavily overuses the fictional word 'shog' as a profanity. The editorial mistakes are noticeably less frequent than in the other books, which is good, and although the swear word still becomes a bit annoying at times, I think I'm finally beginning to accept its use and it hasn't irked me as much in The Scout & the Serpent as it has previously.
Final Thoughts
Overall, The Scout & the Serpent is a decent book and I enjoyed it as much as I have the others in the series. Prior has kept true to his earlier works and the story is every bit as gristly, faced-paced and exciting. It's a perfect time killer for that short commute or spare few hours!
Sunday, 17 April 2016
Tuesday, 5 April 2016
The Axe of the Dwarf Lords - D. P. Prior
RATING: THREE STARS
With only his trusty companions at his side: Nils, Silas and Ilesa, the Nameless Dwarf continues his search for the last remnants of his people. His quest takes him deep into the dreamland of a demented god, a strange world that is apt to change and filled with terror. From flesh-eating zombies to an unstoppable horror that destroyed the dwarves of old, Nameless finds his skills with an axe are needed as much as ever if he is to succeed and keep his friends alive.
But the axe he has now is an unremarkable and common weapon, unable to defeat everything that stands in his path. If Nameless is ever going to find the vestige of his people, he needs to forgive himself and concede to magic. He needs to take up the Axe of the Dwarf Lords and accept the power of the Immortals that runs through his veins . . .
The Good
Once again D. P. Prior has produced a fast-paced and exciting story. It's fun to read and is fairly immersing, being filled with fights and humour. Prior has added a new element to this story as well, which he achieves by separating many of the main characters. This provides a few more story arcs to The Axe of the Dwarf Lords so he is able to explore and develop his protagonists more fully.
The Bad
One of the issues I had with book was Prior's sudden aversion to using words like 'the' or 'a' at the start of sentences. I didn't pick up on this in A Dwarf With No Name, so I'm not sure whether it was done less often or if it's a new technique Prior is working with. Either way, it means many of his sentences start in odd places and they don't really flow correctly, with the following quote being a good example: "Whole leg was rot all the way to the knee, which was about as far as he could see from his belly." This didn't really spoil my enjoyment of the story, but it broke the natural flow of my reading and required a bit of thought to get through some paragraphs, not to mention the effort of ignoring my internal editor!
Aside from this, the issues I mentioned in my review of A Dwarf With No Name are still present and I couldn't help but notice the odd spelling or grammatical mistake dotted throughout the book, not to mention the continued overuse of the word 'shog!'
Final Thoughts
Despite a few flaws and problems here and there, The Axe of the Dwarf Lords is a good sequel to its predecessor and I enjoyed it. Prior's writing makes for fun, easy-going fantasy and certainly doesn't lack for excitement!
With only his trusty companions at his side: Nils, Silas and Ilesa, the Nameless Dwarf continues his search for the last remnants of his people. His quest takes him deep into the dreamland of a demented god, a strange world that is apt to change and filled with terror. From flesh-eating zombies to an unstoppable horror that destroyed the dwarves of old, Nameless finds his skills with an axe are needed as much as ever if he is to succeed and keep his friends alive.
But the axe he has now is an unremarkable and common weapon, unable to defeat everything that stands in his path. If Nameless is ever going to find the vestige of his people, he needs to forgive himself and concede to magic. He needs to take up the Axe of the Dwarf Lords and accept the power of the Immortals that runs through his veins . . .
The Good
Once again D. P. Prior has produced a fast-paced and exciting story. It's fun to read and is fairly immersing, being filled with fights and humour. Prior has added a new element to this story as well, which he achieves by separating many of the main characters. This provides a few more story arcs to The Axe of the Dwarf Lords so he is able to explore and develop his protagonists more fully.
The Bad
One of the issues I had with book was Prior's sudden aversion to using words like 'the' or 'a' at the start of sentences. I didn't pick up on this in A Dwarf With No Name, so I'm not sure whether it was done less often or if it's a new technique Prior is working with. Either way, it means many of his sentences start in odd places and they don't really flow correctly, with the following quote being a good example: "Whole leg was rot all the way to the knee, which was about as far as he could see from his belly." This didn't really spoil my enjoyment of the story, but it broke the natural flow of my reading and required a bit of thought to get through some paragraphs, not to mention the effort of ignoring my internal editor!
Aside from this, the issues I mentioned in my review of A Dwarf With No Name are still present and I couldn't help but notice the odd spelling or grammatical mistake dotted throughout the book, not to mention the continued overuse of the word 'shog!'
Final Thoughts
Despite a few flaws and problems here and there, The Axe of the Dwarf Lords is a good sequel to its predecessor and I enjoyed it. Prior's writing makes for fun, easy-going fantasy and certainly doesn't lack for excitement!
Wednesday, 16 March 2016
A Dwarf With No Name - D. P. Prior
RATING: THREE STARS
When Nils is sent to meet a renown mage by his father, the head of the nefarious Night Hawks, he does not expect the simple introduction he was paid to facilitate to go wrong. The mage quickly proves unreasonable and decides that there is much more money to be had in robbing Nils and the hapless dwarf. Yet the dwarf is nameless for a reason, and is none other than the dreaded madman that destroyed his kingdom as he attempted to burn the world to ashes around him. The so-called 'Nameless Dwarf' has no fear of the mage and will not let one man cease his search for the vestige of his race. His adventure will continue, with the few new friends he makes that will be essential if he is to succeed in his quest and survive the terrible city of the Ant-Man.
The Good
A Dwarf With No Name is an interesting spin on the dwarvish race, telling the story from the perspective of a warlord that was driven mad with power and is now looking for absolution. It's short length enables D. P. Prior to keep the story moving at a fast pace, meaning that it never lacks for action! It's pretty much just a book of the dwarf fighting and killing people, but Prior doesn't go too over the top and it makes for fairly entertaining, superficial reading.
The Bad
One of the main issues I had with A Dwarf With No Name was its grammar and my internal editor cried out at times and wanted me to get scribbling with a blue pencil. It wasn't really a huge issue, but Prior got tenses and clauses muddled up on more than a few occasions and used writing tricks such as adding an 'sh' into the middle of words to signify that a character was drunk and slurring their speech. If you read a lot of my reviews you probably already know that I'm a big advocate against tricks like this and I think the cheap trick detracts from writing and gives the book a slightly amateurish feel. When have GRRM, Patrick Rothfuss or Robin Hobb ever used such a technique?
Another of the qualms I had with the book was Prior's use of swearing. Just like its use in real life, swearing has to be done properly or it just looks foolish. Throughout the book, Prior uses the word 'shog' in various tenses as a generic insult. I have the feeling this insult has been created to avoid offending the reader or as an attempt at world-building, such as how Battlestar Galactica uses 'frack' instead of, well, you know . . . This works in BSG because 'frack' sounds so similar to the word it's used to replace and is used in the same contexts as Western Cultures use it so we can relate to it. 'Shog' doesn't really sound like existing profanity and just makes me think of 'slog,' which isn't offensive in the slightest and makes the word's use a bit ridiculous really.
Final Thoughts
A Dwarf With No Name is a fair read overall and I enjoyed it. The pacing and excitment of the story made up for any issues there were with the actual prose and the fact that I read it in about an hour probably helped as well. It's a perfect time-killer for that short bus ride and is certainly a good example of easy-to-read fantasy that doesn't take a few weeks to work through.
When Nils is sent to meet a renown mage by his father, the head of the nefarious Night Hawks, he does not expect the simple introduction he was paid to facilitate to go wrong. The mage quickly proves unreasonable and decides that there is much more money to be had in robbing Nils and the hapless dwarf. Yet the dwarf is nameless for a reason, and is none other than the dreaded madman that destroyed his kingdom as he attempted to burn the world to ashes around him. The so-called 'Nameless Dwarf' has no fear of the mage and will not let one man cease his search for the vestige of his race. His adventure will continue, with the few new friends he makes that will be essential if he is to succeed in his quest and survive the terrible city of the Ant-Man.
The Good
A Dwarf With No Name is an interesting spin on the dwarvish race, telling the story from the perspective of a warlord that was driven mad with power and is now looking for absolution. It's short length enables D. P. Prior to keep the story moving at a fast pace, meaning that it never lacks for action! It's pretty much just a book of the dwarf fighting and killing people, but Prior doesn't go too over the top and it makes for fairly entertaining, superficial reading.
The Bad
One of the main issues I had with A Dwarf With No Name was its grammar and my internal editor cried out at times and wanted me to get scribbling with a blue pencil. It wasn't really a huge issue, but Prior got tenses and clauses muddled up on more than a few occasions and used writing tricks such as adding an 'sh' into the middle of words to signify that a character was drunk and slurring their speech. If you read a lot of my reviews you probably already know that I'm a big advocate against tricks like this and I think the cheap trick detracts from writing and gives the book a slightly amateurish feel. When have GRRM, Patrick Rothfuss or Robin Hobb ever used such a technique?
Another of the qualms I had with the book was Prior's use of swearing. Just like its use in real life, swearing has to be done properly or it just looks foolish. Throughout the book, Prior uses the word 'shog' in various tenses as a generic insult. I have the feeling this insult has been created to avoid offending the reader or as an attempt at world-building, such as how Battlestar Galactica uses 'frack' instead of, well, you know . . . This works in BSG because 'frack' sounds so similar to the word it's used to replace and is used in the same contexts as Western Cultures use it so we can relate to it. 'Shog' doesn't really sound like existing profanity and just makes me think of 'slog,' which isn't offensive in the slightest and makes the word's use a bit ridiculous really.
Final Thoughts
A Dwarf With No Name is a fair read overall and I enjoyed it. The pacing and excitment of the story made up for any issues there were with the actual prose and the fact that I read it in about an hour probably helped as well. It's a perfect time-killer for that short bus ride and is certainly a good example of easy-to-read fantasy that doesn't take a few weeks to work through.
Wednesday, 9 March 2016
The Two Towers - J. R. R. Tolkien
RATING; FOUR STARS
The Fellowship of the Ring has broken. Fearing for the safety of his friends and the corrupting nature of the One Ring, Frodo Baggins fled Amon Hen with his faithful gardener, Samwise Gamgee, at his heels. But Frodo had not considered his lack of geography and Gandalf the Grey, as wise as he was, did not divulge his plans for entering Mordor before he fell in Khazad-dûm. The two hobbits quickly become lost in Emyn Muil's tumbling crags and must accept the help of an unlikely and dangerous ally if they ever hope to reach the Black Gates and achieve their goal of destroying the Ring in the fiery chasms of Mount Doom.
Meanwhile Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli are not about to abandon Merry and Pippin to Saruman's torture. They set off in pursuit of the Uruk-hai that captured them, chasing the new breed of orc through the rolling pastures of Rohan. But they quickly discover that all is not well in the Westfold and the mind of the land's once great king has fallen prey to Saruman's treacherous enchantments. Aragorn knows that the fight for Rohan is no less important than that for Gondar and it is in Helm's Deep, the ancient fortress of Helm Hammerhand, where the first blow against the world of men is struck in one of the greatest battles of the Age . . .
The Good
Once again, the depth and scale of Tolkien's beloved story is amazing. Tolkien continues to delve into the history and culture of Middle Earth, while outlying the struggles of the free peoples in two distinct parts, which feature Frodo and Sam in one, and Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli in the other. Both parts are as captivating and full of peril and each other and I was quickly reminded of why The Two Towers was always my favourite instalment of The Lord of the Rings when I was younger!
The Bad
I have very few issues with The Two Towers and it is undeniably a masterful work of fantasy, but, once again, I did find it a bit dry in places and the level of Tolkien's description did slow the story down a bit. As I said in my review of The Fellowship of the Ring, however, this was the style of the era in which Tolkien wrote and is easy to forgive for such a captivating and well-loved story.
My Thoughts
The Two Towers is a deep and exciting sequel to The Fellowship of the Ring and continues The Lord of the Rings saga on in an epic manner. It's the best instalment of the trilogy in my opinion and many of the events it contains, such as that of Helm's Deep, are probably better known than many battles that actually happened in real life! It's certainly worthy of its place on my Shelf of Fame and I strongly suggest you try and give the series a go if you haven't already read it!
The Fellowship of the Ring has broken. Fearing for the safety of his friends and the corrupting nature of the One Ring, Frodo Baggins fled Amon Hen with his faithful gardener, Samwise Gamgee, at his heels. But Frodo had not considered his lack of geography and Gandalf the Grey, as wise as he was, did not divulge his plans for entering Mordor before he fell in Khazad-dûm. The two hobbits quickly become lost in Emyn Muil's tumbling crags and must accept the help of an unlikely and dangerous ally if they ever hope to reach the Black Gates and achieve their goal of destroying the Ring in the fiery chasms of Mount Doom.
Meanwhile Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli are not about to abandon Merry and Pippin to Saruman's torture. They set off in pursuit of the Uruk-hai that captured them, chasing the new breed of orc through the rolling pastures of Rohan. But they quickly discover that all is not well in the Westfold and the mind of the land's once great king has fallen prey to Saruman's treacherous enchantments. Aragorn knows that the fight for Rohan is no less important than that for Gondar and it is in Helm's Deep, the ancient fortress of Helm Hammerhand, where the first blow against the world of men is struck in one of the greatest battles of the Age . . .
The Good
Once again, the depth and scale of Tolkien's beloved story is amazing. Tolkien continues to delve into the history and culture of Middle Earth, while outlying the struggles of the free peoples in two distinct parts, which feature Frodo and Sam in one, and Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli in the other. Both parts are as captivating and full of peril and each other and I was quickly reminded of why The Two Towers was always my favourite instalment of The Lord of the Rings when I was younger!
The Bad
I have very few issues with The Two Towers and it is undeniably a masterful work of fantasy, but, once again, I did find it a bit dry in places and the level of Tolkien's description did slow the story down a bit. As I said in my review of The Fellowship of the Ring, however, this was the style of the era in which Tolkien wrote and is easy to forgive for such a captivating and well-loved story.
My Thoughts
The Two Towers is a deep and exciting sequel to The Fellowship of the Ring and continues The Lord of the Rings saga on in an epic manner. It's the best instalment of the trilogy in my opinion and many of the events it contains, such as that of Helm's Deep, are probably better known than many battles that actually happened in real life! It's certainly worthy of its place on my Shelf of Fame and I strongly suggest you try and give the series a go if you haven't already read it!
Wednesday, 2 March 2016
Winter's Heart - Robert Jordan
RATING: FOUR STARS
Still reeling from the failed assassination attempt on his life, Rand al'Thor is forced to flee his cities. He has broken off all contact with the lords, armies and peoples that serve him, but he is the Dragon Reborn, the Lord of the Morning, and does not run blindly. Rand is determined to destroy those that thought to destroy him in Cairhien and lures them into a city where one cannot channel. Many have forgotten that al'Thor carries the mark of heron on his sword--the sign of a blademaster--but Rand still remembers the weight of steel in his hand. What's more, he still remembers what it's like to use saidin without feeling the Dark One's taint through the eidolon of Lews Therin Telamon. Rand intends to purify the One Power once he has dealt with the would-be assassins, although he knows he will not be able to accomplish such a feat without finally learning to trust the Aes Sedai that follow him . . .
The Good
Robert Jordan continues The Wheel of Time saga with the superb prose and incredible detail I have come to expect from his books. Winter's Heart introduces several new cities to the story and uses their unique characteristics to deepen the mythology of his world. I particularly liked his concept of a city that was warded against the One Power, meaning that magic could not be wielded there in the conventional manner. The growth in the abilities of the main protagonists has been immense over the series thus far and many of them are now far more powerful that the prominent villains. This has taken some of the 'danger' from the books and enemies that were once feared have been struck down with relative ease in the recent instalments. By negating magic for much of Rand's storyline, Jordan has managed to recreate the sense of danger in the story and Rand becomes as vulnerable as he was in the early books!
The pace of this book is also much faster than the last few in the series, which is a refreshing change to the slower (although still addictively immersing) plotlines. I really get the feeling the a lot is going to happen over the next few books from the way Winter's Heart ended and I doubt I'll be disappointed!
The Bad
There was nothing I didn't like about Winter's Heart and Jordan seems to have finally got back on top of the pacing of his stories!
My Thoughts
Overall, Winter's Heart is an excellent book and reinforced, as have the previous eight novels in the series, why The Wheel of Time is such a well-known and acclaimed saga. It contains everything a fantasy addict needs to fall in love with it and is a shining example of the epic fantasy genre as its very best. The book is well worth a read if it's just sat on your bookshelf and if you haven't begun reading The Wheel of Time yet, it's high time you get The Eye of the World and begin one of the most epic adventure's you'll ever read!
Still reeling from the failed assassination attempt on his life, Rand al'Thor is forced to flee his cities. He has broken off all contact with the lords, armies and peoples that serve him, but he is the Dragon Reborn, the Lord of the Morning, and does not run blindly. Rand is determined to destroy those that thought to destroy him in Cairhien and lures them into a city where one cannot channel. Many have forgotten that al'Thor carries the mark of heron on his sword--the sign of a blademaster--but Rand still remembers the weight of steel in his hand. What's more, he still remembers what it's like to use saidin without feeling the Dark One's taint through the eidolon of Lews Therin Telamon. Rand intends to purify the One Power once he has dealt with the would-be assassins, although he knows he will not be able to accomplish such a feat without finally learning to trust the Aes Sedai that follow him . . .
The Good
Robert Jordan continues The Wheel of Time saga with the superb prose and incredible detail I have come to expect from his books. Winter's Heart introduces several new cities to the story and uses their unique characteristics to deepen the mythology of his world. I particularly liked his concept of a city that was warded against the One Power, meaning that magic could not be wielded there in the conventional manner. The growth in the abilities of the main protagonists has been immense over the series thus far and many of them are now far more powerful that the prominent villains. This has taken some of the 'danger' from the books and enemies that were once feared have been struck down with relative ease in the recent instalments. By negating magic for much of Rand's storyline, Jordan has managed to recreate the sense of danger in the story and Rand becomes as vulnerable as he was in the early books!
The pace of this book is also much faster than the last few in the series, which is a refreshing change to the slower (although still addictively immersing) plotlines. I really get the feeling the a lot is going to happen over the next few books from the way Winter's Heart ended and I doubt I'll be disappointed!
The Bad
There was nothing I didn't like about Winter's Heart and Jordan seems to have finally got back on top of the pacing of his stories!
My Thoughts
Overall, Winter's Heart is an excellent book and reinforced, as have the previous eight novels in the series, why The Wheel of Time is such a well-known and acclaimed saga. It contains everything a fantasy addict needs to fall in love with it and is a shining example of the epic fantasy genre as its very best. The book is well worth a read if it's just sat on your bookshelf and if you haven't begun reading The Wheel of Time yet, it's high time you get The Eye of the World and begin one of the most epic adventure's you'll ever read!
Wednesday, 10 February 2016
New Harry Potter Book Coming Summer '16!
It's been nearly a decade since J. K. Rowling published Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows, but the Potter hype has never quite ended. The series has captivated millions of minds worldwide, whether through Rowling's books themselves or the Warner Brothers cinematic adaptations, and everyone has been asking the same question: when will the next chapter in Harry Potter's life be revealed.
The answer was given in 2015 when Rowling announced that she had developed a screenplay called Harry Potter & the Cursed Child, which describes Harry's life as an official for the Ministry of Magic seventeen years after the events of the last book. Excitement for the play was high and, obviously, it sold out in record time. This left millions of Harry Potter fans tasting bitter disappointment, but Rowling has just announced that she will be releasing the play's script as a book on 31st July 2016 after countless appeals! Her agents have confirmed that the play will be released in novel and ebook formats that will hopefully lead to more Potter novels!
Sunday, 3 January 2016
Series Review: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
OVERALL RATING: FIVE STARS
AWARD: SHELF OF FAME
Harry Potter is just an ordinary boy, albeit a rather downtrodden one. After his parents were killed in a car accident while he was just a baby, he was sent to live with the Dursleys.' His uncle likes to think Harry doesn't exist, his aunty ignores him and the only attention his cousin, Dudley, gives him is to criticise or bully. Harry can't foresee his life getting better any time soon and was as surprised as any of his family when a letter arrives, addressed to Harry's cupboard under the stairs. It was a letter that changes everything and Harry learns that he is not an ordinary boy afterall. He is a wizard--just like his parents before him--and has been offered a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry!
Harry's life takes a dramatic change and he finds himself in a world where the magical and fantastic are mundane. He takes classes for transfiguration and potions, defence against the Dark Arts and charms. He learns how to fly on a broomstick and has the freedom of living in a boarding school. But, best of all, he has friends. It is not long before Harry meets Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger, two fellow students that would fight at his side. For not all is at it seems at Hogwarts and Harry Potter is the Boy Who Lived. Lord Voldemort is neither gone nor defeated and many of his old supporters escaped the wizard prison of Azkaban after the first war against He Who Must Not Be Named. Voldemort is determined to return to his full power and knows that Harry is the key to his success.
Plots circle Hogwarts like the tightening of a noose and every year sees Harry face perils that even a fully trained wizard or witch should not face. He learns courage and defiance in the face of evil as the gruesome truth of his parents murders come to light. But most of all, he learns that there is power in love and strength in the true, unwavering friendship of loyalty . . .
Book 1: Harry Potter & the Philosopher's Stone
Book 2: Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets
Book 3: Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban
Book 4: Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire
Book 5: Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix
Book 6: Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince
Book 7: Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows
The Good
The Harry Potter series needs little introduction and the fact that the franchise is one of the most successful children's series in history speaks for the quality of J. K. Rowling's work. Rowling writes each book with a vivid, fast-paced style that makes their reading effortless. She has managed to perfect the balance of events, dialogue and description, allowing her to produce a detailed, vibrant world to back-set her stories. I fell in love with the Harry Potter books ever since I began reading The Philosopher's Stone as a child, but I don't think this has biased my opinion of them in any way. They are unbelievably enjoyable to read and I did not become bored a single time! In fact, I read The Philosopher's Stone, The Chamber of Secrets and The Prisoner of Azkaban within three days when I re-read the series last year!
One of the reasons the books are so good has to be due to Rowling's flair for characterisation. She has an uncanny ability to make her character's come alive and each one is completely unique. Furthermore, each character reads like a real person, where they have their own thoughts, personality, personal issues and motivation for their beliefs and actions. This helps the whole story seem more real somehow and really makes it easy to engage with the characters. I found I was invested in them and genuinely worried about them at that time when the books were still being released and nobody had any idea what would happen!
Rowling's whole concept of a secret magical world living alongside us 'Muggles' is also extremely well thought-out and she has invested a lot of time in developing their own culture, ways of doing things (including keeping the existence of magic and fantastic beasts secret) and how their society works. The locations of her story, such as Hogwarts and Diagon Alley, have all been beautifully described which forms a solid foundation for the story. As well as this, Rowling has also constructed a very plausible ethos of magic that involves spells and potions. Many authors get carried away with magic and the power a person can have in their books, which isn't always a bad thing in all fairness, but Rowling's limitations on magic and the way it's performed makes it much more believable than it usually is. This basically forms the keystone of the story, one which helped me become truly immersed in the story. It's also clever how most of the spells that are used have their roots in Latin, which provides a very old and very real link back to our rather mundane world.
The last thing that makes the Harry Potter books truly great is the story itself. Each of the books has been beautiful written and is exciting and fast-paced. They are very difficult to put down and are an easy way to kill hours of time. The overall story arc is also fantastic and I really liked how it's simply a battle between good and evil. Obviously, Voldemort and his followers are agents of control and order, believing in the purity of the magic in very old families. Harry and those like him, believe in freedom and the right for anyone to live freely and without fear of persecution. This means that the books carry very powerful messages, such as the power of love and the value of loyalty and friendship. This concept is nothing new, but I think it adds weight to the story and Rowling has written the story extremely well to make sure the books contain powerful messages for children.
The Bad
To be honest, this heading is only here because of my format for reviews. There was nothing I didn't like about the Harry Potter books and they truly are masterpieces of the fantasy genre, being enjoyable for children and adults alike. They're exciting, well executed and show us a world that we've all secretly wished we were part of at one time or another.
My Thoughts
Overall then, the Harry Potter series is a stunning example of what fantasy can be when it's done well. J. K. Rowling has created a rich, detailed world that is in dire trouble. Her protagonists are relatable and plausible, helping to produce an exciting story that's difficult to put down. If you haven't read the Harry Potter books and are only familiar with the films, you really need to. These are books that have captured the imaginations of an entire generation and will probably be moulding minds for generations to come. Each one of these seven books is truly worthy of their place on my Shelf of Fame and I expect I'll re-read them again and again throughout my life.
AWARD: SHELF OF FAME
Harry Potter is just an ordinary boy, albeit a rather downtrodden one. After his parents were killed in a car accident while he was just a baby, he was sent to live with the Dursleys.' His uncle likes to think Harry doesn't exist, his aunty ignores him and the only attention his cousin, Dudley, gives him is to criticise or bully. Harry can't foresee his life getting better any time soon and was as surprised as any of his family when a letter arrives, addressed to Harry's cupboard under the stairs. It was a letter that changes everything and Harry learns that he is not an ordinary boy afterall. He is a wizard--just like his parents before him--and has been offered a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry!
Harry's life takes a dramatic change and he finds himself in a world where the magical and fantastic are mundane. He takes classes for transfiguration and potions, defence against the Dark Arts and charms. He learns how to fly on a broomstick and has the freedom of living in a boarding school. But, best of all, he has friends. It is not long before Harry meets Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger, two fellow students that would fight at his side. For not all is at it seems at Hogwarts and Harry Potter is the Boy Who Lived. Lord Voldemort is neither gone nor defeated and many of his old supporters escaped the wizard prison of Azkaban after the first war against He Who Must Not Be Named. Voldemort is determined to return to his full power and knows that Harry is the key to his success.
Plots circle Hogwarts like the tightening of a noose and every year sees Harry face perils that even a fully trained wizard or witch should not face. He learns courage and defiance in the face of evil as the gruesome truth of his parents murders come to light. But most of all, he learns that there is power in love and strength in the true, unwavering friendship of loyalty . . .
Book 1: Harry Potter & the Philosopher's Stone
Book 2: Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets
Book 3: Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban
Book 4: Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire
Book 5: Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix
Book 6: Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince
Book 7: Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows
The Good
The Harry Potter series needs little introduction and the fact that the franchise is one of the most successful children's series in history speaks for the quality of J. K. Rowling's work. Rowling writes each book with a vivid, fast-paced style that makes their reading effortless. She has managed to perfect the balance of events, dialogue and description, allowing her to produce a detailed, vibrant world to back-set her stories. I fell in love with the Harry Potter books ever since I began reading The Philosopher's Stone as a child, but I don't think this has biased my opinion of them in any way. They are unbelievably enjoyable to read and I did not become bored a single time! In fact, I read The Philosopher's Stone, The Chamber of Secrets and The Prisoner of Azkaban within three days when I re-read the series last year!
One of the reasons the books are so good has to be due to Rowling's flair for characterisation. She has an uncanny ability to make her character's come alive and each one is completely unique. Furthermore, each character reads like a real person, where they have their own thoughts, personality, personal issues and motivation for their beliefs and actions. This helps the whole story seem more real somehow and really makes it easy to engage with the characters. I found I was invested in them and genuinely worried about them at that time when the books were still being released and nobody had any idea what would happen!
Rowling's whole concept of a secret magical world living alongside us 'Muggles' is also extremely well thought-out and she has invested a lot of time in developing their own culture, ways of doing things (including keeping the existence of magic and fantastic beasts secret) and how their society works. The locations of her story, such as Hogwarts and Diagon Alley, have all been beautifully described which forms a solid foundation for the story. As well as this, Rowling has also constructed a very plausible ethos of magic that involves spells and potions. Many authors get carried away with magic and the power a person can have in their books, which isn't always a bad thing in all fairness, but Rowling's limitations on magic and the way it's performed makes it much more believable than it usually is. This basically forms the keystone of the story, one which helped me become truly immersed in the story. It's also clever how most of the spells that are used have their roots in Latin, which provides a very old and very real link back to our rather mundane world.
The last thing that makes the Harry Potter books truly great is the story itself. Each of the books has been beautiful written and is exciting and fast-paced. They are very difficult to put down and are an easy way to kill hours of time. The overall story arc is also fantastic and I really liked how it's simply a battle between good and evil. Obviously, Voldemort and his followers are agents of control and order, believing in the purity of the magic in very old families. Harry and those like him, believe in freedom and the right for anyone to live freely and without fear of persecution. This means that the books carry very powerful messages, such as the power of love and the value of loyalty and friendship. This concept is nothing new, but I think it adds weight to the story and Rowling has written the story extremely well to make sure the books contain powerful messages for children.
The Bad
To be honest, this heading is only here because of my format for reviews. There was nothing I didn't like about the Harry Potter books and they truly are masterpieces of the fantasy genre, being enjoyable for children and adults alike. They're exciting, well executed and show us a world that we've all secretly wished we were part of at one time or another.
My Thoughts
Overall then, the Harry Potter series is a stunning example of what fantasy can be when it's done well. J. K. Rowling has created a rich, detailed world that is in dire trouble. Her protagonists are relatable and plausible, helping to produce an exciting story that's difficult to put down. If you haven't read the Harry Potter books and are only familiar with the films, you really need to. These are books that have captured the imaginations of an entire generation and will probably be moulding minds for generations to come. Each one of these seven books is truly worthy of their place on my Shelf of Fame and I expect I'll re-read them again and again throughout my life.
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