Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, book review. (J.K.Rowling)

Oh yes, oh yes oh yes!!!

I could hurl a hundred superlatives at this book, most of which you've probably heard before, but they’d all be deserved.

So, Harry Potter's sixth year at Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry, and what a year.

I like to think of this one as a history book: not one of those big boring books that goes on and on about a long forgotten civilisation, a King or a Queen, but a book about Harry's past, his connection with Voldemort, and one that delves deep into the Dark Lord’s past, by way of memories in the pensieve in Dumbledore's office; memories that the headmaster has spent many years collecting.

Harry has inherited his god-father's house and the vile elf, Kreacher, who he puts to good use following Draco Malfoy. Harry knows that Draco is up to something, he overheard him threatening the owner of Borgin and Burkes in Knockturn alley, he just doesn't know what.

There are potions to master, (somewhat helped by an old potions book he finds in the spares cupboard, annotated and proclaiming to be the property of the half-blood prince; there's Snape to avoid, quidditch to play and an uncorrupted memory to extract from their new potions master, Professor Horace Slughorn; who taught Tom Riddle before he became Lord Voldemort.

There are girls, there's snogging and there's Ginny Weasley, who Harry is starting to see in a different light.

To top it all, there are Horcruxes to find, hidden objects that contain parts of Voldemort's soul, and this is where these books are so clever. It is here, in book six, that we discover that Tom Riddle's diary - which Harry destroyed in The Chamber of Secrets, (book two) - was in fact a Horcrux. Dumbledore has already destroyed another, Voldemort's grandfather's ring, and with Horace Slughorn relinquishing his untainted memory, they now know that they have four more to find, excluding the part of soul that resides in Voldemort himself.

So, over five hundred pages in and the adventure begins, but Draco has succeeded in his task, Death Eaters have entered the school, the dark mark hangs heavy above the astronomy tower, Dumbledore is disarmed, Harry immobilised, Snape . . .

I know that most of you already know the ending to this book, you've probably seen the film, but I put it to you, that unless you have read this book, you do not know the ending.

The battle between the Death Eaters and The Order, Snape and Malfoy's escape, the burning of Hagrid's hut, and the most moving part of all, Dumbledore's phoenix and its lament, echoing hauntingly through the corridors and classrooms of Hogwarts.

If a book could have more than five stars out of five, this would be the one. Simply put, this book if stunning.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, here I come.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, book review. (J.K. Rowling)

Okay, so what can one say about a story that everyone already knows?

Well, lots actually. 

Seen the film, don't need to read the book! Think again.

Don't get me wrong, I love the film, but there's just so much more intricate detail in the book, and once read (again), you really do start to understand the depth of the story. 

Take Dobby, everyone's favourite house-elf, not in the film but he and another house-elf named Winky, play a big part in getting Harry through the second task of the Triwizard tournament, and help an escaped criminal from Azkaban, bring about the rise of Lord Voldemort. 

Sirius Black appears briefly in a fireplace in the film, but in the book, Harry corresponds with him regularly and they meet up in Hogsmead with Ron and Hermione. 

Barty Crouch, the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, (hardly in the book), mysteriously disappearing due to illness and then ends up being killed by his own son; who is then killed by a Dementor, (not in the film). Another character not in the film is Ludo Bagman, another ministry employee, (ex beater for the English Quidditch team), and then there's Rita Skeeter.

She's in the film of course, but in the film you don't really find out just how low she'll sink for her next sensational headline, but you do in the book.

Severus Snape is revealed as being a reformed Death Eater, Hermione catches Rita Skeeter in the act whilst trying to free house-elves, and Barty Crouch Jnr, gives a much more detailed explanation into Lord Voldemort's comeback. 

More detailed than the film then, more story, more twists and turns, more intrigue; this book is just so good you need to read it. It's long, so not a quick read, but you will not regret spending the time it will take, and it will leave you with a rich experience that sets you up perfectly for book five.