When Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince opens, the war against Voldemort has begun. The Wizarding world has split down the middle, and as the casualties mount, the effects even spill over onto the Muggles. Dumbledore is away from Hogwarts for long periods, and the Order of the Phoenix has suffered grievous losses. And yet, as in all wars, life goes on.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione, having passed their O.W.L. level exams, start on their specialist N.E.W.T. courses. Sixth-year students learn to Apparate, losing a few eyebrows in the process. Teenagers flirt and fight and fall in love. Harry becomes captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, while Draco Malfoy pursues his own dark ends. And classes are as fascinating and confounding as ever, as Harry receives some extraordinary help in Potions from the mysterious Half-Blood Prince.
Most importantly, Dumbledore and Harry work together to uncover the full and complex story of a boy once named Tom Riddle-the boy who became Lord Voldemort. Like Harry, he was the son of one Muggle-born and one Wizarding parent, raised unloved, and a speaker of Parseltongue. But the similarities end there, as the teenaged Riddle became deeply interested in the Dark objects known as Horcruxes: objects in which a wizard can hide part of his soul, if he dares splinter that soul through murder.
Harry must use all the tools at his disposal to draw a final secret out of one of Riddle's teachers, the sly Potions professor Horace Slughorn. Finally Harry and Dumbledore hold the key to the Dark Lord's weaknesses... until a shocking reversal exposes Dumbledore's own vulnerabilities, and casts Harry's-and Hogwart's-future in shadow.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione, having passed their O.W.L. level exams, start on their specialist N.E.W.T. courses. Sixth-year students learn to Apparate, losing a few eyebrows in the process. Teenagers flirt and fight and fall in love. Harry becomes captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, while Draco Malfoy pursues his own dark ends. And classes are as fascinating and confounding as ever, as Harry receives some extraordinary help in Potions from the mysterious Half-Blood Prince.
Most importantly, Dumbledore and Harry work together to uncover the full and complex story of a boy once named Tom Riddle-the boy who became Lord Voldemort. Like Harry, he was the son of one Muggle-born and one Wizarding parent, raised unloved, and a speaker of Parseltongue. But the similarities end there, as the teenaged Riddle became deeply interested in the Dark objects known as Horcruxes: objects in which a wizard can hide part of his soul, if he dares splinter that soul through murder.
Harry must use all the tools at his disposal to draw a final secret out of one of Riddle's teachers, the sly Potions professor Horace Slughorn. Finally Harry and Dumbledore hold the key to the Dark Lord's weaknesses... until a shocking reversal exposes Dumbledore's own vulnerabilities, and casts Harry's-and Hogwart's-future in shadow.
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8
bennett_the_ceo
(Grade: C+) Rowling raises the stakes as she builds to the climax of the series, but on its own, "The Half-Blood Prince" is a tepid piece of storytelling. The extended flashbacks via the Pensieve are clumsy, and the battles and revelations at the end of the book are underwhelming. Thankfully, the trio of Harry, Ron, and Hermione remain as entertaining as ever, as their friendship gains considerable depth.
(Grade: C+) Rowling raises the stakes as she builds to the climax of the series, but on its own, "The Half-Blood Prince" is a tepid piece of storytelling. The extended flashbacks via the Pensieve are clumsy, and the battles and revelations at the end of the book are underwhelming. Thankfully, the trio of Harry, Ron, and Hermione remain as entertaining as ever, as their friendship gains considerable depth.(Rated on Feb 24, 2015)
7
All_Was_Well (Grade: A+) “It is the unknown we fear when we look upon death and darkness, nothing more.”
(Rated on Sep 4, 2013)
6
jrodriguez (Grade: B) Do not look at this as a children's book. It is not. The writing is not very outstanding, but the themes and story-telling in this book make up for any literary inaccuracies.
(Rated on Sep 3, 2013)
6
yeahitskonnor (Grade: A) Love it!
(Rated on Oct 15, 2013)
6
Happy_Cat (Grade: A) At this point I start to get frustrated with Harry's bad attitude and teenage angst. He's always shouting at people and being rude and has gotten quite obsessive and sure of himself when it comes to figuring out what the bad guys are up to. He doesn't like to listen to his friends anymore and thinks he knows better than everyone else, Dumbledore included. That being said, I still like this book and it's exciting to see some direct action being taken to sort out You-Know-Who. The end still alway
(Rated on Feb 13, 2014)
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