Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: A Review

I found this, the penultimate book in the Potter saga, to be much more enjoyable than the previous Order of the Phoenix, which was about 100 pages longer and should have been 200 pages shorter.

It is one of those inevitable installments in any ongoing story wherein all of the previous mysteries are revealed and the stage is set for the next, final book. Because of this, the book will no doubt be a big hit with confessed Potter fans, but will leave others a bit cold, although we're probably past any sort of jumping on point by now anyway.The by-product of this is that Half-Blood Prince (HBP) is less of a self-contained story than the previous books, and is more concerned with the broader saga.
Case in point, the Half-Blood Prince of the title. Although the character's identity is eventually revealed, and sans-alias plays an important role, the actual identity mystery isn't all that important. This is in contrast to previous books, where the title was indicative of the main storyline.Indeed, many of the mysteries are set up early and dangled until the closing chapters, rarely being touched on throughout. The true intentions of Malfoy and Snape, Dumbeldore's mysterious injury and the aforementioned prince are good examples.
The above is my only criticism - high praise indeed considering it didn't effect my enjoyment in the slightest.
In fact, drawing out the mysteries in such a way made for a satisfying climax, and I was unable to stop turning pages once the pieces started falling into place. As has been demonstrated in previous installments, Rowling is always able to wrap these mysteries up in a convincing way - although the fact she created the universe's rules undoubtedly helps - and more impressively, tie almost everything together to relate to the primary story. Throwaway facts from previous books invariably return as important pieces in the puzzle.

So, if the mysteries are quickly established yet dangled, what fills the 600-odd pages? I am glad to say it is not the repetitive teenage melodrama from the last volume. There are still signs that the characters are growing up - with the expected hormones along for the ride - but it reads a lot smoother this time around.
In fact, the space in-between mysteries is where this book really shines, establishing the state of play since Voldemort's return and giving readers some much-appreciated insight into his origins. By the end of the book, readers have greater understanding than ever before of Voldemort's origins and motivations, his link to Harry and the source of his abilities.

Unlike other books in the saga, it lays a lot of the groundwork for the next, final installment, indicating that it will be more of a sequel to this book, rather than just another year at Hogwarts. The thing I enjoyed most of all were the numerous "eureka" moments scattered throughout - those moments where a long-contemplated mystery is finally unveiled, in the process demonstrating that Ms Rowling did in fact have everything mapped out from the start. Very satisfying.

As far as supporting characters go, Dumbledore is excellent - making a welcome return to Harry's confidences following a notable absence in the last book, and Hagrid is always a welcome addition.Of course, a hero is only as good as his villain, and Voldemort is again excellent. It is a credit to the character that even though he is only seen through flashback and memory, he still manages to impregnate the entire book - his mere existence shaping the entire world.He is the best kind of villain - an intelligent string-puller who is seemingly omnipotent and nigh invincible, everywhere and nowhere all at once. An army of Death Eaters are present to take care of that other cornerstone of true villainy - violence.

The Harry Potter novels have grown increasingly darker and more adult as the series has progressed, and HBP is no exception. In this vein, the last thing I must mention is the ending.As gruesome a scene has never been seen in a Potter book, and Rowling again demonstrates her ability to tug at the emotions of readers. The characters are left in a very dark place indeed - joined no doubt by many a reader. What makes the scene so bleak is, apart from the events themselves, that unlike previous books, HBP doesn't close with the year's troubles conquered, the problems wrapped up. The Harry Potter story has moved further in scope, the plight is now too big to be a one book affair.

Now the long wait begins for the conclusion, and fans will no doubt be on the edge of their seats because this time, the stage has been set. I found this book excellent, as I'm sure will those who have likewise been drawn into Rowling's story. And let's face it, there are one or two of those.