Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
I finally managed to read the last installment of the Harry Potter series and I have loved it. Here's a brief review. "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" lives up to the expectations of almost all fans. In fact, I am yet to come across someone who has not liked it. The books starts off at a furious pace and manages to maintain it throughout. This book is mostly about Harry, Ron and Hermione and they are kind of omnipresent throughout.
And yes, the book is probably the darkest of the series, what with Voldemort out in full force with his supporters. The trio go about the task of seeking out horcruxes and destroying them. I wont give away what the Deathly Hallows are, but rest assured that it is explained very well in the book. It finally has Harry coming of age and assuming his rightful place in the war against the dark forces. The transition happens suddenly and it is extremely delightful to see him take charge. This part is probably one of the two highlights of the book, the other being the finale, where the much awaited face off occurs. Harry then moves ahead with a renewed sense of purpose and from then on it is one mad race against time to destroy the horcruxes.
Maintaining the pace for over 700 odd pages would have been a daunting task for any author, but Rowling not only manages that beautifully, but actually surpasses expectations quite a few times. There are quite a few shades of "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy and something akin to the Da Vinci Code in the Quest that they have to undertake. But then Harry's world still has a charm of its own. You will also see quite a few questions being answered. There was the Half Blood Prince, which had set up everything for the final showdown. The Deathly Hallows takes over from there and never really lets up.
The last part keeps moving between the past and the present and also between Harry and Voldemort as the connection between Harry and Voldemort keeps getting stronger and stronger. Rowling manages to tie up most of the loose ends, but a few questions still remain. The finale is really awesome, with Harry having to make decisions at every turn. Without giving away the ending, lets just say that The ending will appeal to most fans, in spite of all the speculation that has been going on for almost two years now over what the end will be like.
The final episode is probably a little thin on the plot, but that is more than made up for by the superb pace and the answers to almost everything that we had been waiting for.
A must read for everyone, get your hands on a copy as soon as possible. You will not be disappointed.
To sum it up in just two words, Rowling rocks!!
