Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K Rowling (Book Review)

During the summer holidays Harry Potter has a dream that Lord Voldemort and his servant Wormtail (AKA Peter Pettigrew) are plotting to murder him and he suddenly finds himself wide awake with the lightning shaped scar on his forehead burning. A few days later he attends the Quidditch World Cup Final with the Weasley’s and Hermione, where Death Eaters attack Muggles and Voldemort’s Dark Mark is summoned.

Meanwhile, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is playing host to the first Triwizard Tournament in over a century, a magical competition between the three largest European Schools of Wizardry: Hogwarts, Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. One champion from each school is to be selected by the Goblet of Fire to compete in three dangerous and potentially deadly tasks, but somehow Harry Potter’s name is also drawn as a 4^th competitor, much to everyone’s surprise.

Believing Harry to be seeking fame and attention, the backlash he faces from his fellow students, competitors and teachers leaves the young wizard feeling rather lonely. Especially since his best friend Ron, like everyone else, refuses to believe that he has been set up and did not enter his own name into the goblet.

Harry suspects that Lord Voldemort is to blame for the situation, probably hoping that the trials will kill him, but can he prove his innocence and finish the tournament alive?

The Goblet of Fire is the longest book in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series so far, and despite its detailed descriptions and complex storylines, every word has a meaning and purpose. Rowling only fills the pages of her novels with important facts that are necessary to the plot, and her writing matures drastically with every book.

At 4.5 out of 5 stars, book number four plays host to a spectacular magical tournament filled with an extensive variety of magical creatures, while also continuing on with the main theme that runs throughout the entire series of novels, the connection between Harry Potter and his nemesis Lord Voldemort. 

See also:

Book 1 – The Philosopher’s Stone

Book 2 – The Chamber of Secrets

Book 3 – The Prisoner of Azkaban

Book 5 – Order of the Phoenix

Book 6 – The Half-Blood Prince

Book 7 – The Deathly Hallows

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling (Book Review)

The future looks grim for thirteen year old student wizard, Harry Potter when Lord Voldemort’s sidekick, Sirius Black escapes from Azkaban, the Wizard Prison.

Sirius Black is said to have murdered thirteen people with a single curse, twelve years previously, resulting in the Ministry of Magic locking him away in the fortress known as Azkaban. The prison is guarded by hooded creatures known as Dementors, which suck the joy out of everything around them and the island is supposed to be so secure that it is impossible to escape from. However, Sirius Black has somehow managed to do just that. The madman is now evading capture and seeks revenge on the one person who has lost him everything: Harry Potter.

With Sirius Black looking to commit another murder, Harry is on lockdown inside Hogwart’s School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, unable even to visit the local village, Hogsmeade with the rest of his fellow 3^rd year students.

Would Sirius Black dare to break in to Hogwarts with Professor Dumbledore in charge and the Dementors on guard outside the school gates? Is he planning to bring Lord Voldemort back into power and if so, will he be successful?

The Prisoner of Azkaban is the third novel in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series and at 5 out of 5 stars is a very difficult book to put down, once you begin to read it you’ll soon find that you can’t stop until you’ve reached the end.

J.K. Rowling’s writing matures and becomes more and more complex with each subsequent book and the Prisoner of Azkaban is no exception, as we learn that not all is as it first seems when Harry’s Godfather, Sirius Black comes looking for revenge.

The third instalment also plays host to a variety of intriguing magical creatures including: Animagi, werewolves and Hippogriffs, while Harry has an extremely amusing ride on the ‘Knight Bus’, the transport for stranded Wizards and Witches.

The film for the Prisoner of Azkaban however, has a number of problems and doesn’t quite match up to the quality of its predecessors.

See also:

Book 1 – The Philosopher’s Stone

Book 2 – The Chamber of Secrets

Book 4 – The Goblet of Fire

Book 5 – The Order of the Phoenix

Book 6 – The Half-Blood Prince

Book 7 – The Deathly Hallows

*Note: more reviews coming soon

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling (Book Review)

It is summertime and Harry Potter is back living with the Dursley’s for the holidays, but when he has an unexpected guest in the form of House-Elf Dobby, he ends up in a whole heap of trouble. Dobby has come to warn Harry that he will be in danger if he returns to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, but when Harry refuses to believe him, Dobby uses magic in the house almost getting Harry expelled from school.

Angry at Harry for messing up his important dinner with potential business clients, Vernon Dursley locks him in his bedroom with the promise that he will not be allowed to return to Hogwarts ever again. Fortunately, worried about his friend, Ron borrows his Dad’s flying car to check up on Harry and when the Weasley’s discover Harry’s unfortunate predicament they take him off to ‘The Burrow’ to live with them until the new school term begins.

As Harry, Ron, Hermoine Granger and the rest of the students settle back into their classes at Hogwarts, strange things begin to happen: Harry hears odd whispering voices, Mrs Norris, Mr Filch’s cat turns up almost dead after a petrification curse and a rogue bludger persistently attempts to knock Harry off his broomstick during the first Quidditch match.

It seems that Dobby’s prediction may be coming true and Harry’s life is in danger, now that the Chamber of Secrets has been opened. But just who exactly is the mysterious Heir of Slytherin and why open the Chamber now?

Can Harry and his friends figure out the puzzle and prevent the monster, let loose from the Chamber of Secrets, from killing Hogwarts students?

Favourite Quote:

“There is a plot, Harry Potter. A plot to make most terrible things happen at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry this year.” – Dobby the House-Elf. p16

At 4 out of 5 stars the second novel in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series doesn’t quite manage to captivate the reader in the same way as its predecessor. However, with serpents, spiders and a strange creature known as Dobby, The Chamber of Secrets is still a pretty fun novel as it tells of the young wizard Harry Potter and the adventures during his second year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

See Also:

Book 1 – The Philosopher’s Stone

Book 3 – The Prisoner of Azkaban

Book 4 – The Goblet of Fire

Book 5 – The Order of the Phoenix

Book 6 – The Half-Blood Prince

Book 7 – The Deathly Hallows

** More reviews coming soon

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling (Book Review)

One Halloween night when a wizard named Voldemort attacks Lily and James Potter, the only person to survive is their young son Harry, leaving a lightning shaped scar on his forehead. Aware that young Harry is going to be famous as a result of this extraordinary situation that he’ll never remember, Albus Dumbledore and Rubeus Hagrid, friends of his parents place the boy in the care of his aunt and uncle to keep him as far away from the magical community as possible, until he comes of age.

Vernon and Petunia Dursley, not being magical themselves, disapprove of Lily Potter and anyone else who gets involved in that sort of nonsense. As a result their treatment of Petunia’s nephew, Harry is so detrimental that they have him sleeping in a cupboard under the stairs, despite having two spare bedrooms, and try to keep him as far away from their only son, Dudley afraid of the strange events that sometimes happen in their nephew’s presence.

As Harry approaches his 11^th birthday he receives his invitation to begin attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, however fearful of the magical influence, Vernon Dudley hides his letters from him. When Hagrid tracks Harry down he is both astonished and appalled to discover that the boy has been taught nothing of magic and is unaware of his parent’s abilities.

For Harry Potter is a Wizard and soon begins his lessons at Hogwarts School of Wizardry with his new friends, Ron Weasley and Hermoine Granger. However, the trio soon make a startling discovery: One of the Professors has been attempting to steal an item that is protected by a three headed dog, in an out-of-bounds area inside the school. When Hagrid refuses to believe their story, Harry realises that it is up to himself and his friends to stop the theft, but just what exactly does Albus Dumbledore have hidden beneath that secret trap door that someone wants so badly?

Favourite Quote:

“To the well-organised mind, death is but the next great adventure.” – Professor Dumbledore. p320

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is a truly fascinating read, filled with magic spells, potions and flying broomsticks, as well as an unexpected twist. J.K. Rowling has done an amazing job with her very first fantasy novel for children.

At 5 out of 5 stars this will have you constantly turning the pages, dying to discover new secrets from the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and find out what potential new dangers Harry, Ron and Hermoine will be facing next.

 

See also:

Book 2: The Chamber of Secrets

Book 3: The Prisoner of Azkaban

Book 4: The Goblet of Fire

Book 5: The Order of the Phoenix

*Book 6: The Half-Blood Prince

*Book 7: The Deathly Hallows

*Note: Reviews coming soon