hermes

I thought it was ok. Not brilliant, but ok. I think it could've been brilliant, but sadly (like every other book after the first) it rather missed it's mark. This is what happens when you're allowed to write whatever the hell you like without really knowing much about writing or having anyone stand up to you. The whiney Harry and chums milling about that takes place throughout the middle section of the book was slightly annoying, but what pissed me off the most was the sheer amount of 'emergency plot' that was rammed in out of nowhere. In fact, it's typical of her approach for the whole series where there a total lack of proper foreshadowing and each book it's like a self-insulated capsule of its own. When you add up the 'real plot' the only events of real value are in the Chamber of Secrets and the Half Blood Prince. The Quidditch stuff and the Tri-Wizard tournament were completely pointless and could've been scrubbed to instead introduce elements of the Hallows and Dumbeldore's past much earlier in the narrative. Many of the characters (Sirius and Lupin included) are little more than cardboard cutouts to be introduced and then discarded on a whim later on. And the action is terrible - at best its a little haphazard and at worst it's just downright unexciting. In this final book we're really supposed to be hit by the horror of the situation as the war escalates, but ultimately I feel she just didn't bring it home. Overall the series has been appealing in it's broad strokes, but ultimately it's been unfulfilling. I guess JK goes into the same category as George Lucas and his Star Wars Prequels - i.e. nice try, but it could've been *so* much better.... *sighs*