Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince. – JK Rowling.

Synopsis from the back of the book.

Harry’s sixth year at Hogwarts begins, and it feels like a reassuring place to return to after the strange events of the summer. Disappearances, murder and an ominous chilling mist which swirls through both the Muggle and wizarding worlds are harbingers of more sinister purpose. Voldemort’s army is swelling, and with it the Death Eaters are growing bolder and more deadly. Suspicions are rife, and allegiances questions as even the safest havens cease to feel secure from the Dark wizards. As the storm gathers strength, Harry must face the terrifying truth of his destiny.

Review.

Okay where to begin? The penultimate instalment of a world-wide acclaimed series, is, in fact now officially one of my favourites. This time we plummet back into the Wizarding world and Voldemort is back and up to his usual evil deeds and re-building his army. The Death Eaters are back at large again, and a veil of mysteries and allegations swirl around like the omniscient mist that surrounds Hogwarts.

So the plot; Harry is now 16, and is getting ready for another year at Hogwarts, were new challenges await him, even more dangerous than the ones he has faced before. The most minor of which including learning to be able to apparate and attempting to pursue a career as an Auror. Along the way, Harry and his friends discover the meaning of adolescence, with young romance blossoming all around them.

After realizing and building up his wizarding abilities for the past 5 years in attempt to be ready for a fight that he knew would always come, Harry and Professor Dumbledore, are on a mission to understand Voldemort’s past – in attempts of getting the upper hand in defeating him and his dark followers.

Meanwhile, Harry suspects that Draco Malfoy is working closely with Voldemort, stewing up a plan to put them all in danger. Harry spends a lot of time trying to incriminate Malfoy, even though Ron Weasley and Hermoine Granger try to dissuade him from the idea. Along the way, his Potions teacher, Professor Slughorn unknowingly gives Harry a textbook containing potion-making shortcuts and un-heard of spells and charms. Harry finds that the book once belonged to a student who called himself the “Half-blood Prince”.

In this, the 6th instalment, Harry and his friends face their toughest challenges yet, and we all know that the good cannot always triumph. Prepare yourself for a page-turning, emotionally written story that like always with the series, will leave you glued to the pages in anticipation.

9/10. One of my favourite books of the series.