Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Series: Harry Potter: #7

And so it ends.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows has some of the most powerful moments in the entire series. There are a number of powerful deaths, made all the worse by how we’ve grown to know and love (or at least know) these characters over the years. We finally get the last few pieces of how everything fits together –why Dumbledore trusts Snape for example; and more backstory on Voldemort. All of that would make for probably outright the best book in the series.

And then we get the Hallows. Magical MacGuffins and quest pieces of the worst sort–although to be fair, I guess they are functional. We’ve never heard about them before this book (even the Horcruxes were vaguely hinted about in the second and expanded upon in the sixth) yet they’re somehow key to the story all of a sudden? Even if it’s not true, it unfortunately feels like Rowling found herself short on story and needed something to add. Combine with that the fact that the first large chunk of the book has our heroes wondering semi-aimlessly through the countryside and you have something of a weaker book than one would otherwise hope.

Overall, it’s a solid end to the series and, by itself, could have stood as an outright excellent book. So far as I’m concerned, it only pales in comparison to the six books which came before it–and even then it’s far better than the Order of the Phoenix. At this point, you’ll either finish the series or you won’t and at the very least, you’ll be glad that/if you do.

A few random thoughts:

- After Cursed Child came out, it appears that Voldemort and Bellatrix had something of a relationship . It’s interesting reading the first chapter of the Deathly Hallows with that in mind. Perhaps Rowling actually did plan it all along.

- What exactly is stopping Voldemort from hiring some goons to firebomb Privet Drive? Do Harry’s magical protections somehow prevent that as well?

- When flying on the dragon out of Gringots , why can’t they just disapparate off once they’re outside again?

- I maintain that the whole idea of the Slytherins being all (or even just mostly) evil is lazy writing / kind of stupid, although I guess it works slightly better in a kids book. But the fact that not even one would be willing to defend Hogwarts? Seriously?

- Ron speaking snake is weird.