Review of Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs

 

A review of “Silver Borne”  a Mercy Thompson novel by Patricia Briggs

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So far, the fifth book in this series is my least favorite. Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this book the way I did the others, I was so frustrated with the plot I had to take a break from reading it before I continued. This book takes place shortly after the last book. Mercy and Adam are fully a couple now, and there is some sort of wolf pack magic where the pack can communicate telepathically. This causes Mercy to freak out and be uncomfortable, because someone is messing with her mind.

 

The problem I have with this book, is that there are too many old and new plot lines in this book, and some don't get resolved or have to do with one another. So, there the ongoing Mercy and Adam love story that is now interrupted by a pack member trying to break them up. This plot line leads to a conspiracy to overthrow Adam and gets resolved easily. Then there is a separate story line about Samuel's attempted suicide, and how his wolf is in control and Mercy needs to save him. No one really talks to Samuel about his attempted suicide and in the end, he finds something or someone to live for, so we'll see where this plot line goes. The only thing this plot line adds to is that it forces Sam and Mercy to stick together for the whole book and they team up to solve a mystery.

 

Then there is the “main” plot where a TV bounty hunter gets a false warrant to capture Adam, only to cover up someone trying to kill Mercy. The bounty hunter never returns and his producer that sets him up is the fae that tried to kill Mercy, but both get dropped. This is all to obtain the book that Mercy borrowed from a fae back in the third book. The book owner is missing, and Mercy investigates to uncover the Fae Queen, who wants that book. The problem with this story line, is that it loses focus, doesn't build up any mystery, the bounty hunter part is useless, and the Fae Queen captures Mercy's employee Gabriel, instead of capturing Mercy. Then it's all too easy to find, trick and defeat the Fae Queen.

 

There is just so much going on in the novel that it doesn't not flow properly from plot to plot. These books have never had huge character depths and emotional connections, but this book really lacks the impact these characters have on each other and their environment. Mercy's house burns down with all her possessions (the cat lives) and yet we don't get any of her reaction, other than 'oh that's sad'. This book just doesn't deal with the situations properly.

 

One of the things I do like about his book (there's not much), is that it delves deeper into the Fae realm. We get a lot of the character Z, we learn more about how the fae home world Underhill works, and how their magic works. We get a new fae character that has a history with Samuel and is super powerful. I love learning about how the fae folk and magic work in this world. I'm still enjoying some of the cheesy romance stuff, it's not too sexy but I like flirting the line.

I hope that the next book gets better in terms of plot. I understand that five books in, there's a lot of stuff to build on and continue, but the stories need to flow together in a way that doesn't feel incomplete or disjointed. I'm going to take a break from the series to listen to other things before I come back to the series. I still like these characters, so I'm hopeful that none of the other books are as bad as this one.

Thanks for reading my reviews. If you like werewolf stories and female lead characters, then check out my story on Wattpad, "The Lunar Spirit". Lycan Livonia Dane returns to her old pack house, for the Lunar Ball. Liv finds herself drawn to her childhood bully, Lucas while also reconnecting with her old friend, Jepson. When the Ball is attacked by vampires, Liv is pulled into the action, while trying to find her lunar spirit mate. Will it be Lucas or her brooding childhood friend Jepson? Or possibly someone else? Struggling with her feelings for each man, Liv aids in the investigation and war against the vampires.

https://www.wattpad.com/story/306771957-the-lunar-spirit

Review of Bone Crossed by Patricia Briggs

A review of “Bone Crossed” A Mercy Thompson novel by Patricia Briggs

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The fourth book in the series picks up exactly where the last novel left off. Surprisingly, this book does what I was hoping it would do and deals with Mercy's trauma after the events of the last book. Her love interest, Adam, chooses not to sleep with Mercy because Mercy needs time to heal and deal with her trauma. In this novel, Adam is a bit less possessive over Mercy after she agrees to be his mate. To complicate things, Stefan enters the picture and there is some flirting between them, but she still wants to be with Adam. The love triangle stuff is mild in this book, but we get some new elements that hold my interest.

 

In the beginning, Mercy's mother comes to check up on her daughter after Mercy's assault. I was surprised but happy to see that Mercy's mom, who hasn't been a character in the books up until now, is concerned about her daughter. She leaves the book early, but it was nice to finally meet her. We also meet an old friend of Mercy's from college. Amber comes by to see if Mercy can help her out with a ghost problem. A side story is the vampire mistress and Stefan continuing the aftermath of the events from the second book. So, to avoid the vampires, Mercy goes to her old friend Amber's house. Mercy wants to protect Amber's son, Chad, from the ghost. Mercy also runs into the only vampire in Amber's town, which Mercy was instructed to avoid.

 

I was hoping this book would explore more of the ghost world, and how ghost work and what their rules are in this world. In a way the book does introduce multiple ghosts, but never really explain some of their unique powers. The mysterious big bad vampire bites Mercy and complicates her relationship with Stefan because Stefan has to then bite Mercy to prevent the big bad vampire from controlling Mercy. Surprisingly, Adam doesn't have a problem with Stefan biting her, even though it connects them in a special way.

 

So, Mercy leaves Amber's house after not being able to help with the ghost. When Mercy gets back home, she and Adam seal the deal on their relationship but the next night, Mercy is kidnapped. Again. Given the fact that it has only been like two weeks since the last book's ending, Mercy is not freaking out as much as she should be. While I applaud the book for attempting to deal with Mercy's trauma, it doesn’t handle it as well as I would have liked.

The one problem with this book's ending, is that the book sets up the big bad vampire as being super powerful, yet Mercy disposes of him quickly, after remembering she can turn into a coyote, and uses that to attack him. Then a fae character throws the fae walking stick and just happens to stab the vampire through the heart. Then Mercy grabs a kitchen knife that is capable of decapitating the vampire. And the ghost lady that drinks the vampire’s blood, just disappears. It's a very anticlimactic ending that doesn't make much sense with what the book has built up this big bad vampire.

 

I don't come to these books for realism, or a serious fantasy tone, they are fun mysteries with characters I enjoy and I do like the romance/flirting relationships. All I ask is that if you’re going to set something up make sure to follow through with it. The side plot with the vampire mistress is interesting and will continue to develop over the next few books. This book had some good elements, I like introducing the mom and learning more about Mercy’s past. It’s a decent entry into this series.

Thanks for reading my reviews. If you like werewolf stories and female lead characters, then check out my story on Wattpad, "The Lunar Spirit". Lycan Livonia Dane returns to her old pack house, for the Lunar Ball. Liv finds herself drawn to her childhood bully, Lucas while also reconnecting with her old friend, Jepson. When the Ball is attacked by vampires, Liv is pulled into the action, while trying to find her lunar spirit mate. Will it be Lucas or her brooding childhood friend Jepson? Or possibly someone else? Struggling with her feelings for each man, Liv aids in the investigation and war against the vampires.

https://www.wattpad.com/story/306771957-the-lunar-spirit

Review of Iron Kissed by Patricia Briggs

 Review of “Iron Kissed” by Patricia Briggs, book three of Mercy Thompson.

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So, this book picks up shortly after the last book, and starts the mystery off early. Mercy's fae friend “Z”, whom she bought her garage shop from, calls Mercy in to help solve a series of murders on the fae reservation. Mercy visits a few of the victims houses and she accidentally breaks through some fae magic entering Underhill, where the fae live. She meets a threatening looking water fae, when Z escorts her out. At first you think the book will focus on solving these mysteries, but it quickly takes a turn when one of the guards on the fae reservation is killed, and Z is framed for murder. Turns out Z discovered the killer, and went to confront him at his home, only to be arrested for murder. The rest of the book is then about Mercy trying to prove Z's innocence, by trying to find the person that killed the guard.

Where the last book focused on the vampires, the third book focuses on the fae. Fae is specifically defined here as being European mystical/supernatural/mythological creatures or beings and portrayed in classic fairy tales. Werewolves are not fae, but more like cousins of fae, as they suffer the same fate of the fae in the public eye, and they do come from Europe. Mercy is a walker, which is Native to America, making her NOT a fae, nor a werewolf. While she is involved in the fae and werewolf worlds, her status as a walker means she doesn't have to abide by their rules or laws. So, she opens her own investigation to help Z.

The second book focused more on Mercy's relationship with Stefan, and Adam, but this book explores her relationship with Samuel. He starts off as a viable romantic partner, she often comments on his chiseled body and how attractive he is; but throughout the book we get hints that maybe Samuel doesn't want to be with Mercy. The two talk about their complicated past, and the true nature of their relationship, resulting in them being best friends, instead of lovers. This opens the door, for a new guy to be a potential interest, but the book takes a dark turn at the end.

When Mercy decides to help Z, she gets him a lawyer, and explains the world of the fae and that she's a walker. Z is a self-proclaimed Gremlin, but he is a metal working type of fae, which is very rare. This reveal is something that upsets Z, and he claims to be mad at her, but we find out he just wants to protect her from meddling with fae affairs. The Grey Lords are a governing body of wizards that control the fae community and laws. They've been mentioned in the previous books but are more of a looming presence in this book. The Grey Lords are described as beings you do not want to mess with or upset. Turns out the Grey Lords want Z to take the fall for the murder of the guard, for reasons that are never fully explained. The book also gives some backstory to Z, alluding to him being an old legendary killer with a sword. I don't think we find out the exact name of his type of fae, but at the end he does let his glamour down and shows his true fae form in front of Mercy.

This book is an improvement over the last book. Not too many new characters are introduced, the plot is easier to follow, and I love learning more about the fae world. The ending does take a very dark turn, involving mind control over Mercy forcing her to do things, that is uncomfortable to read at times. So, trigger warning to readers for sexual abuse. I will say that the end of this book doesn't really address Mercy's feelings and emotions about what happened to her, but I hope the next book does.

“Iron Kissed” has great pacing, an interesting murder mystery and feels like a police procedural show at times. It also develops Mercy and Samuel's relationship in a positive way. A lot of the characters introduced in the last book return here in better roles that don't over complicate the story or pacing. While these books aren't as “trashy” as their covers art might suggest, I do enjoy the sexual flirtations between Mercy and her love interests. It keeps things sexy but in a teasing way. This is probably my favorite of the first three books.

Thanks for reading my reviews. If you like werewolf stories and female lead characters, then check out my story on Wattpad, "The Lunar Spirit". Lycan Livonia Dane returns to her old pack house, for the Lunar Ball. Liv finds herself drawn to her childhood bully, Lucas while also reconnecting with her old friend, Jepson. When the Ball is attacked by vampires, Liv is pulled into the action, while trying to find her lunar spirit mate. Will it be Lucas or her brooding childhood friend Jepson? Or possibly someone else? Struggling with her feelings for each man, Liv aids in the investigation and war against the vampires.

https://www.wattpad.com/story/306771957-the-lunar-spirit

Review of We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

                            Review of “We Have Always Lived in the Castle” by Shirley Jackson

I thought I had posted this review earlier, but just now realized it never went up. This was meant to go up after I reviewed the Shirley Jackson novel "The Haunting of Hill House". You can read the review here.

After I finished reading “The Haunting of Hill House”, I decided to read “We Have Always Lived in the Castle” by Shirley Jackson. The short story “The Lottery” by Jackson, is one of my favorite short stories, so I was excited to read more of her work. However, I didn't love “The Haunting of Hill House” and it saddens me to say I didn't like “We Have Always Lived in the Castle”. While the novel is fairly short, I think it is too long for this story. It's an interesting family drama, that I believe would be better if it was a short story.

The book centers around the Blackwood family, who live in an old house just outside of the main town. The main character is Mary Katherine and she lives with her sister Constance and her sick uncle Julian. Six years ago, their family suffered a tragedy that resulted in the death of the sisters’ parents, brother and Julian's wife. Constance was accused and charged with arsenic poisoning but acquitted. The poisoning left Uncle Julian in a wheelchair with dementia. Most of the towns people shun the Blackwood family, except Helen Clark who regularly visits the girls for afternoon tea. Their cousin Charles comes to visit and creates tension with Mary Katherine and Uncle Julian. An accidental fire burns most of the house's interior and roof. During the fire, villagers came by and wanted the house to burn down. In the aftermath people further destroyed the house and taunted the girls. Charles abandons them and Uncle Julian dies. The girls lock themselves in the house and do not speak to anyone, not even Helen Clark. It is revealed that Mary Katherine was the one that poisoned the family. Constance has great guilt about how she dealt with Uncle Julian and Mary Katherine but continues to live in the burnt house accepting random gifts from people who believe the women to be cursed.

The novel starts off with Mary Katherine running errands in the town, but the rest of the novel takes place completely at the Blackwood house and land. This setting adds a claustrophobic atmosphere to the story. The story deals with themes such as isolation, ostracism, and the bond between sisters. Constance suffers from agoraphobia and only goes outside to tend to her garden. She takes great care of her little sister and uncle. Even though Mary Katherine is about eighteen years old, she acts and is treated like a child. She considers it a great responsibility to be able to travel into town for supplies. Mary Katherine also talks to her cat companion Jonas and likes to bury things like a child would. Even though it's not revealed until the end, the reader can piece out that Mary Katherine might have been involved in the arsenic poisoning. Constance takes all the blame for the incident and protects Mary Katherine even though she knows that her sister is the one who poisoned the family. We never truly find out why Mary Katherine put the arsenic in the sugar bowl but considering her strange behavior we can assume that she clearly has some mental health issues that her family has shielded her from.

 

Mary Katherine's odd behavior become a point of contention between cousin Charles and Constance. Charles believes Mary Katherine needs to behave and act like an adult and that Uncle Julian should be in a nursing home. Throughout the book Mary Katherine refers to Charles as a ghost or demon. Charles true motivations for helping Constance is all about money. He yells at Mary Katherine for burying coins in the yard and is constantly asking for them to open the safe. While Charles does come across as a money greedy guy, he does seem to express some concern and condolences for the girls at the end of the book.

The most compassionate person towards the Blackwood family is Helen Clark. A decent woman who just wants the best for Constance and the family, unfortunately we don't get enough of this character to really understand her motivations and true feelings about the Blackwood’s. It could have been interesting to have her show up more and give her opinions on cousin Charles. Like Mary Katherine, Uncle Julian also does not trust Charles, and in a way it is Charles' fault that he died. While an interesting character, Uncle Julian is mostly shown as a burden to the family due to his health condition. It's never fully explained what he suffers from, but it seems to be related to the poisoning. Uncle Julian believes Constance to be completely innocent, but also thinks that Mary Katherine died. So, it's not clear if he ever suspected that Mary Katherine is responsible for the poisoning of the family.

As I said earlier, this novel has a decent narrative and story revolving around the Blackwood family and the mystery of the poisoning event. However, I still think that it would have benefited by being a long short story, rather than a novel. There are long parts in this book where not much happens and the pacing slows down. The book is meant to be a slow family drama that focuses on the psychology of the Blackwood family and towns people after the poisoning.

 

Thanks for reading my reviews. If you like werewolf stories and female lead characters, then check out my story on Wattpad, "The Lunar Spirit". Lycan Livonia Dane returns to her old pack house, for the Lunar Ball. Liv finds herself drawn to her childhood bully, Lucas while also reconnecting with her old friend, Jepson. When the Ball is attacked by vampires, Liv is pulled into the action, while trying to find her lunar spirit mate. Will it be Lucas or her brooding childhood friend Jepson? Or possibly someone else? Struggling with her feelings for each man, Liv aids in the investigation and war against the vampires.

https://www.wattpad.com/story/306771957-the-lunar-spirit

Review of Blood Bound by Patricia Briggs

A review of “Blood Bound” A Mercy Thompson novel by Patricia Briggs

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This is the second book in the Mercy Thompson series and picks up shortly after the first books ends. The big change in the world is that werewolf's and most fae folks’ presence are now known to the world. Not everyone who is a werewolf is out in public but the knowledge that werewolves exist are known. This idea was hinted at in the last book and adds to the passage of time and sense of world building. We quickly learn that Mercy and Adam went on a few dates, but since Samuel is living with her, she has decided not to date either man. Although she does admit to an attraction to both men, and even falls a bit weak in the knees when Adam gives her a massage.

The main plot kicks off with the reintroduction to vampire Stefan, when he asks Mercy for a favor. We find out that Littleton, a demon infected vampire sorcerer, is committing murders, but Mercy and the gang don't know why, or how to defeat him. Littleton is killing people and framing the murders on innocent people. Adam assigns a few pack wolves to watch over Mercy as she might be a target of Littleton. Stefan and one of Adam's werewolf's Warren try to find Littleton, Warren returns in bad condition while Stefan is nowhere to be scene. Adam and Samuel both go missing, so Mercy turns to the vampire mistress, Marsillia for help. Marsillia tells Mercy to find Littleton because Mercy is a walker. Not only does Mercy eventually find and kill Littleton but she also unveils his master and kills him as well.

In this book, we find out that being a walker means that Mercy is immune to most vampire magic and most magics in general, as well as being able to see and talk to ghosts. The second book in this series explores more of the vampire lore that exists in this world. We learn that vampires have their own group of people that serve their blood lust. The benefits are mutual as vampires are cleaning the blood of their donors, creating lots of benefits for the victim. It's an interesting concept, and nice world expansion. The book also focuses more on the relationship between Mercy and Stefan, offering him as a potential love interest.

“Blood Bound” also has Mercy interacting with ghosts and explains how spirits work in this world. What starts out as an interesting old cart-lady ghost, plays an important role towards the end of the book. Mercy is sensitive to ghosts, she can see them and communicate with them, while some people still don't even believe in ghosts.

While I didn't enjoy this book as much as the first, I do enjoy the characters, and the mythology expansion. The problem I have with this book is that introduces too many new characters, and locations that it can be hard to follow. Also, all the main love interests, Adam, Samuel and Stefan all go missing at the beginning of the third act. The big reveal was not interesting and the epilogue that follows after the main villain is disposed of, feels a bit out of character for Mercy. It was an ending where I wasn't rooting for the main character. I enjoyed it enough to want to continue with the series and look forward to seeing where this series goes.

Thanks for reading my reviews. If you like werewolf stories and female lead characters, then check out my story on Wattpad, "The Lunar Spirit". Lycan Livonia Dane returns to her old pack house, for the Lunar Ball. Liv finds herself drawn to her childhood bully, Lucas while also reconnecting with her old friend, Jepson. When the Ball is attacked by vampires, Liv is pulled into the action, while trying to find her lunar spirit mate. Will it be Lucas or her brooding childhood friend Jepson? Or possibly someone else? Struggling with her feelings for each man, Liv aids in the investigation and war against the vampires.

https://www.wattpad.com/story/306771957-the-lunar-spirit

 

Review of Moon Called by Patricia Briggs

 A review of “Moon Called” A Mercy Thompson novel by Patricia Briggs

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From the cover of the book, and the general idea it was a werewolf story, I had no initial interest reading this novel. However, when I learned that the main character is not a werewolf but a coyote shape shifter, it piqued my interest. As someone who enjoys a good mystery, I decided to give this book a shot, thinking it would be along the lines of “Twilight” or “True Blood”, but to my surprise it wasn't. The main character is a female mechanic that can shape shift into a coyote. It's not a werewolf paranormal romance novel, like I had originally thought.

The main character, Mercedes “Mercy” Thompson is a walker, a person that can change into a coyote but has very different abilities than a werewolf. She is faster and more agile in coyote form, excellent smell and hearing, not hurt by silver, but also can't heal fast. Being a walker makes her immune to most magics, and not bound by werewolf pack laws. However, Mercy was raised by an adopted werewolf family, so she knows a lot about their world. One day a new werewolf on the run, comes to her and ends up in trouble. She then gets involved in a mystery that has her teaming up with the local pack Alpha and neighbor Adam, as well as her ex-lover from years ago, Samuel. Both werewolves compete for her affections but she is unsure about how she feels about them. With the help of a vampire friend, Stefan, Mercy unveils a plot that involves trafficking and drugging werewolves.

One of the things that stands out with this novel is that it does not rely overly on its world building. As the novel progresses, we get bits of information about werewolf’s, vampires and the other fae creatures that inhabit this world. Mercy is a walker which is something that is rare, and she doesn't even fully know what being a walker means. Her former boss is a gremlin and witches do exist, but the rules of the world are slowly teased out, or to be explained in later books. 

“Moon Called” never loses focus on the main story line. Its character driven, and the pacing keeps the mystery moving forward. I will say that I found the villain's motive and plot to be a bit nonsensical, relying on too many “what ifs” to complete his goal.

The main character of Mercy Thompson is a person of flaws and strengths with unique connections to the supernatural world. Having her be a mechanic owning her own shop provides a great central location with interesting people. Her two love interests, Samuel and Adam are generic, but her history is different with both of them. She's conflicted about her feelings, or lack of feelings for each guy. The vampire friend, Stefan comes off as a typical “cool” vampire, but it's said repeatedly that he is not like other vampires. Another character is Adam's daughter, Jessie, who is a teenager that is cool with her dad being a werewolf and pack leader, while she is human.

While the story plot is an intriguing mystery and the characters interesting, the book feels more like an episode of television. One of the reasons I found myself enjoying the novel, is that it reminds me of my favorite television show, "Buffy, the Vampire Slayer" instead of "The Vampire Diaries" (which I didn't watch). Ultimately the love interests serve as more of a plot function rather than a romantic partner. If you are someone that likes supernatural romance/mystery novels, and awesome female leads, then give this book a shot, it's not very long, and who know you might enjoy it like I did.

Thanks for reading my reviews. If you like werewolf stories and female lead characters, then check out my story on Wattpad, "The Lunar Spirit". Lycan Livonia Dane returns to her old pack house, for the Lunar Ball. Liv finds herself drawn to her childhood bully, Lucas while also reconnecting with her old friend, Jepson. When the Ball is attacked by vampires, Liv is pulled into the action, while trying to find her lunar spirit mate. Will it be Lucas or her brooding childhood friend Jepson? Or possibly someone else? Struggling with her feelings for each man, Liv aids in the investigation and war against the vampires.

https://www.wattpad.com/story/306771957-the-lunar-spirit

Harry Potter Rankings

Before I read the Harry Potter books, I was a fan of the movies. After reading the books and some companion books, I have become a Potter Head. I can't wait to read the books again, but until then I'll give my rankings of the books, movies and characters. As well as some other thoughts I have about the wizarding world. Just to be clear these are my personal rankings and do not reflect whether or not I think one is better than another. These rankings are based on my personal enjoyment.

Harry Potter Books ranking

1. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - I love the internal and mental struggle that Harry has in this book. Dolores Umbridge is a great antagonist, and I love learning more about the Ministry of Magic. The only thing I don't like is the stuff with the giants, because it doesn't really affect the rest of the story. The pacing is so well done, that even though it's the longest book, it did not feel like it for me.
2. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - I love this book. I love the introduction of the TriWizard Tournament. I love meeting new wizards, like Cedric, Viktor and Fleur. The opening at the Quidditch World Cup is great. There's a whole subplot with Hermione and the house elves. It's also the book that starts to show the trio acting like teenagers and dealing with hormones.
3. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - What I love about this book is the relationship between Harry and Lupin. It's a great mystery about Sirius Black and the reveal of Peter Pettigrew. I like this book introducing the readers to magical creatures through Buckbeak. 
4. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - The first book brings the charm and wonder of the wizarding world to life. It's a more simple story that introduces the main trio, and endears them to the reader.
5. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - I love Gilderoy Lockehart! I know he's kind of a not good guy, but I love his upbeat charm and narcissism. We also get more history of Hogwarts, the founders and Slytherin. We meet the Weasley family at the Burrow, we learn about Knockturn alley, this book just builds on the magical world from the first book.
6. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - Just to be clear I still really like this book, but it does take a dark turn with the Horcruxes and the death of Dumbledore. I do love Harry excelling in potions, and we learn more about Tom Riddle. I do like professor Slughorn and his parties. I do enjoy the trio exploring their romantic feelings. But the pacing of this book slows it down for me. I could easily switch this with book 1 or book 2 after reading it again.
7. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - The reason this is my least favorite book is because unlike book 5 which was long but well paced, the Deathly Hallows is long and feels really long. There are large chunks of this book that move so slow, and very little happens. I love the ending of this book though. The battle at Hogwarts is amazing. I also like the break in at Gringotts's and the Ministry of Magic, but everything with Harry, Ron and Hermione on the run in the woods, I find to be so boring. 

Harry Potter Movies ranking

1. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - This was a tough one, because I love the top three choices here, but I think this one barely wins. I love seeing the trio grow up more. I like the introduction to the demeantors. I love Remus Lupin and Sirius Black. The time travel was fun, and it's a solid adaptation to the book.
2. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - There's just a warm charm to this movie, that sucks you into the wizarding world. The iconic John Williams score. So many quotable lines. This is just such a great movie. 
3. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - I love the trio growing up and being interested in boys and girls, with the Yule Ball. I like seeing the TriWizard Tournament. Brenden Gleeson as Mad Eye Moody is perfect. The return of Voldemort is shocking and brings the threat. It's great to see a young Robert Pattinson as Cedric Diggory.
   
4. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - I think I enjoy this movie more than most. I absolutely adore when Harry takes the felix luck potion and goes to Hagrid. Daniel Radcliffe is hilarious, "Not to mention the pinchers". I also like the Ron and Hermione making each other jealous subplot. Jim Broadbent is great as professor Slughorn. It's not a great adaptation of the book, but it does what it can to get across the main story.
5. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 - The battle at Hogwarts is amazing. Helena Bonham Carter playing Hermione playing Bellatrix is brilliant. The emotional stakes are high, and the movie delivers. Plus I love professor McGonagall stepping up against Snape and then summoning the castle soldiers and saying "I've always wanted to use that spell." 
6. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - I think I like this movie more than most also, it's not bad. I love Kenneth Branagh as Gilderoy Lockehart! I think the book is better, but I enjoy the mystery of the chamber. And it's the first use of the recurring potion, Polyjuice.
7. Harry Potter and the The Order of the Phoenix - Unfortunately, the book was too long and too much was cut for the movie. We don't get the trio running into Lockehart or Neville at Saint Mongoos. It also doesn't deal with the death of Cedric the way the book does. Ultimately I find vast portions of this movie to be forgettable. 
8. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 - Like the book version, I really don't like the parts with the trio in the woods, I feel it slows down the pacing of the film. I do love Harry and Hermione dancing in the tent. I think their platonic love as friends is beautiful. 

Character Rankings

1. Hermione Granger - I love Hermione, and Emma Watson playing her. She's smart, brave and often saves the boys. Unlike other female characters, she's not a damsel, isn't overly emotional or feminine. She's a great female protagonist.
2. Harry Potter - I really do love Harry, because like Dumbledore says, Harry is a good man. I really came to love Harry when he learned that truth that his father James and Sirius used to bully Snape for no reason. He doesn't defend his dad but confronts Sirius. That shows that Harry is not his father, and does have the love and compassion of his mother. Not everything comes easy to him, but he's willing to learn what is important and remains courageous.
3. Luna Lovegood - I love Luna! I wish we would have got her character in the earlier books. Despite everyone thinking she's weird and stealing her shoes, despite being soft spoken, Luna decides to join Dumbledore's Army, and go with Harry and the gang to the Department of Mysteries to face off against Voldemort and the Death Eaters. She helps Harry find Rowena Ravenclaw's lost Diodem, saves Harry on the train and never asks for anything from anyone. I love her!
4. Neville Longbottom - Similar to Luna, Neville overcomes his cowardice and lack of wizarding skills to show bravery when it comes to fighting Voldemort. He even becomes a skilled herbologist.
5. Ron Weasley - I'm not a big fan of Ron, I think he's better in the books. But I do like his loyalty to Harry, for the most part. He provides good comedic relief and even matures as the books go on.
6. Professor McGonagall - I love Minerva McGonagall, especially after learning of her history prior to the start of book 1. She's a strong witch and well knowledged with a soft spot for Harry.
7. Remus Lupin - I love his relationship with Harry. I love that he's a werewolf. His relationship with Tonks and the fact that they had a baby is so sad.
8. Hagrid - I love Hagrid. He's a bit bumbling with his words, always spilling the gosip to the trio. But he has such affection for the kids he is endearing. And his love for magical creatures is sweet yet terrifying.
9. Molly Weasley - She's a great side character. Julie Walters does a great job in the movie, coming off as very motherly. She's sweet and caring. I love that she treats Harry differently from her kids.
10. Draco Malfoy - I think Draco is a tragic character. I don't think the book does enough to explore his inner conflict. He seems to wrestle with killing Dumbledore, being forced to do it, rather than actually wanting to. He's a product of hatred and his parents dark connection to Voldemort. I feel like he's more complex than we ever get to know. 

So, that's it for my rankings of Harry Potter books, movies and characters. If you want to read the supplemental material or companion books, I recommend "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" and "The Tales of Beedle the Bard".

Read my review of "Quidditch Through the Ages."

Read my review of "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them."

Read my review of "The Tales of Beedle the Bard."

Check out some of my spooky/thriller-inspired stories on Wattpad.

"Grave Little Witches"

"Through the Blackout"

Review of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

 Review of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling

I finally made it through to the last Harry Potter book, and it has been an incredible journey, reading these books for the first time. I'll give my thoughts on all of the books at the end of this review. So, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" picks up reasonably shortly after the end of the last book. I liked the opening because even though the Dursleys have mistreated Harry, he still tries to protect them from Lord Voldemort. There's a great moment where Dudley shows gratitude to Harry, and even aunt Petunia almost has a moment. At the end of the book, we'll find out why Petunia hated Harry's mom. Jealousy. I like to think that she would tell Harry to kill Voldemort to avenge her sister's death. 

It's hard to portray a chase on broomsticks in the air, incredibly if you are not familiar with the English landscape, so I found it confusing to follow along. Much of what happens in this chase is revealed later in the book. 

After Harry reaches Ron's house, he is in a hurry to start looking for the Horcruxes. However, Hermione and Ron convince him to wait until after Bill and Fleur's wedding. I enjoyed Harry being disguised as a Weasley cousin. We get to meet Ron's Aunt Muriel, who's been mentioned before, as well as a friend of Dumbledore's. Harry learns more about Dumbledore's past, and this is the first time we are introduced to the symbol of the deathly hallows. 

After the wedding, the trio spends a lot of time in the forest, not accomplishing much. This, to me, is where the book starts to have pacing issues. Every time Harry, Ron, and Hermione are in hiding, and the book grinds to a halt for me. Even the scene of them infiltrating the Ministry of Magic takes too long. I enjoy it when the trio is at Grimmauld Place, and Harry feels like it could be home. This book also pays off Hermione's crusade about free house elves through the change in Creature. Harry treats Creature with more respect than his previous masters, and in return, earns Creature's loyalty. While Creature is not a free elf, this shift in how house-elves are treated removes their cruelty. It's been a subtle plot since Doby was introduced. Speaking of Doby, his death is sad but fitting because of his loyalty to Harry, even before he was set free.

One of my main problems with this book is traveling to too many locations. For a first-time reader listening to the audiobooks, it got confusing sometimes trying to figure out where they were. I often got Grimmauld Place confused with Godric's Hollow, and it took me a while to figure out that it was a village, not just a single house. Jumping from place to place, gathering bits of information slowed the story's pace, at least for me. Obviously, we can't make it too easy for Harry to obtain the Horcruxes, and we want to feel a sense of danger wherever he goes, but I feel some scenes could have been combined.

While the middle of the book dragged on a bit, the ending is non-stop action. I love the reveal of Snape's past and his love for Harry's mother Lilly, as well as Dumbledore's planned death. The back and forth battling at Hogwarts happens so fast that some deaths are barely mentioned, which adds to the chaos and urgency of the fight. Harry is losing his friends, and he needs to figure out how to stop Voldemort all at once. I love that Harry is resigned to dying and faces Voldemort. As explained by astral Dumbledore, why Harry doesn't die doesn't make any sense because they've never really explained how Lilly's spell protects Harry; and how it relates to Voldemort. But somehow, Harry lives again, and I love how Harry taunts Tom Riddle about the elder wand belonging to Harry. In the end, Harry can defeat Voldemort for good. I like that everyone gets something to do in the battle. Ron and Hermione retrieve the Basilisk fang to destroy the Horcrux, Neville receives the sword of Godric Gryffindor from killing Nagini, and Molly Weasley beats Bellatrix Lestrange. It's also a bit comedic to have the Malfoy's running around looking for Draco, which shows that they were never really true believers of the dark lord. 

The book ends with an epilogue nineteen years later, when Harry sees his second son, Albus, off to Hogwarts at platform nine and ¾. This gives us a glimpse into how Harry, Ron, and Hermione's lives ended. Harry and Ginny were married (I never understood that pairing), Ron and Hermione are married, and while not friends with Draco, they weren't enemies anymore. It's a great way to end the story. I know there is the Cursed Child story, but I haven't read it since it was written as a play and not a novel.

Now that I've read all seven of the Harry Potter books, I can say that I understand why it is so beloved. These books are exceptional works of fantasy that deal with destiny, death, bravery, and friendship. These books succeed because of the fantastic characters we get to know throughout the series. 

The last Harry Potter universe book post will go up on Monday, "Short Stories from Hogwarts of Power, Politics and Pesky Poltergeists." Reading these books and immersing myself in this world has been so fun. I'll post my rankings for favorite books and characters separately. Look out for that.

Read my review of "Quidditch Through the Ages."

Read my review of "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them."

Read my review of "The Tales of Beedle the Bard."

Read my review of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone"

Check out some of my spooky/thriller-inspired stories on Wattpad.

"Grave Little Witches"

"Through the Blackout"