Harry Potter and the Long Awaited Climax

So I've finally done it. Last night, I finished reading the final chapter of the Harry Potter saga and went to bed with a smile on my face. About two hours later there was a thunderstorm and I woke up convinced that Lord Voldemort had come to get me!

Mild coronary aside, The Deathly Hallows was an an immensely satisfying reading experience. I finished the three-inch thick book in about three days, which is probably slightly slower than the average Potter fan (but some of us Muggles have to work, you know!)

Hallows opens up right in the thick of things. Much like the last movie adaptation, The Order of the Phoenix, you'll be completely lost if you're not already familiar with the characters and events of the last six novels. Even I had to double check certain characters and their back stories on Wikipedia to refresh my memory - and I've read the whole lot.

The lack of introduction works in Rowling's favour, though. Within the first few pages the reader gets caught up in a fiery aeriel chase which sees two of Harry's famous companions shot down in flames. From that point on, it's impossible to put the book down. In pretty short order, Rowling shows us that the rules have changed and nobody in the Potter universe is safe this time around.

Despite being set over the course of a year, the book moves at a blistering pace. Harry and his most loyal companions, Ron and Hermione, set out to destroy Voldemort's Horcruxes; the secret objects that guarantee his immortality. As their quest reaches it's bloody conclusion, Harry begins to realise that his fate is inextricably linked to Voldemort's. But even as he comes to terms with his gloomy destiny, things unwind in a way not even the powerful Dumbledore could have foreseen.

This is J.K. Rowling's best book by far - although it would be nothing without the preceding six works. Through those books, she introduced us to an enormous cast of colourful characters, all of whom we know and care about. That makes the peril they face in the final book really effective. We share Harry's concern for his friends and mentors and grieve with him when they perish - and plenty of them do come to a sticky end. It makes the danger that much more effective because nobody knows what will happen. Nobody's safe - especially not Harry himself.

As Harry has grown up, so has Rowling's style of writing. Beyond the rip-roaring adventure of The Deathly Hallows, J.K. Rowling also presents us with an interesting back story to Dumbledore - Harry's mentor and the powerful headmaster of Hogwarts. In the past six books, he's always been seen as a wise old man. As Harry gets closer to the secrets of Voldemort's powers, he discovers startling evidence that suggests Dumbledore wasn't always the wise and beneficent figure that Harry considered him.

Lies, propaganda, spin and betrayal are all powerful elements in both Voldemort's and Dumbledore's grand plans. As Harry approaches his destiny, he starts to wonder if he's really the late Dumbledore's hero - or just his unwitting pawn.

The climax of the book - a thrilling battle at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry - ties up the loose ends of the past six books and answers many of the mysteries we've been scratching our heads about.

How does it end? Who lives and dies? Well, to answer those questions, you'll have to read the book yourself. I will tell you one thing... Despite the enormous hype regarding The Deathly Hallows, Rowling manages to conclude the epic tale of Harry Potter in immensely satisfying style.