It’s been roughly four years since I started reading the Harry Potter series. Only the first four books had been released at the time, but I barreled through them faster than I have any other book. I then waited eagerly for the fifth, sixth and seventh installments of the series. Does the final book in the epic series live up to its name? Unquestionably. Will you cry at the ending? If you care anything about these books and their characters then you’ll feel the emotion, if not outright cry. Does Harry live or does he die? Like I’m going to spoil that big of a secret in a review?

            Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows begins at what would be the beginning of Harry’s seventh year at Hogwarts. However, as readers of the sixth book will know, Harry has no intention of returning to the wizarding school. Left with the task of destroying the remaining horcruxes, Harry sets out to destroy the pieces of Voldemort that keep the evil sorcerer tied to the world of the living. With the help of his friends Ron and Hermione, they begin their epic quest that will ultimately end with the destruction of Voldemort, or themselves should they fail. What they don’t expect, is the sudden information regarding the Deathly Hallows, three magical items said to make their owner the master of death. Which will Harry pursue with his precious little time left? Horcruxes or Hallows?

            To say the Harry Potter series is a masterpiece, I think, is very fitting. Even if you’re not a fan of fantasy or children’s novels or even J. K. Rowling’s writing style, you have to give the woman credit for creating such an intricately woven story of epic proportions with instantly identifiable characters. Nearly everything in this book relies on information from the previous novels. It uses all the lore it’s created and all the backstory and finishes a long tale that has probably been the most hyped series in history. Numerous characters, potions, spells and creatures return from the series’ past, all converging for this one final battle between good and evil.

            In terms of structure I would say this novel is most like the previous, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, in that it doesn’t feel as singular as the first five. And when I say singular, I mean the first five all felt like their own complete stories while the last two rely, not only on each other, but the first five as well to make sense. This gave me some reservations about the sixth book, but since the last book closes nearly all the gaps, it ends up being much more exciting and enjoyable that the sixth book.

            Will you cry at the ending? I will admit that I found myself teary eyed. The sheer fact that the series is over is enough reason to shed a tear, but this is definitely a book that shouldn’t be missed. Every Harry Potter fan owes it to themselves to finish this series, and everyone who hasn’t read the books owes it to themselves to read the first book to decide for themselves. Books of this magnitude, that reach an audience this wide, don’t come along every day. Some may scoff at the idea of the boy wizard, accusing him of poisoning the minds of our children, or being too juvenile for their tastes, but me? I am grateful every day for the first time I set foot in Hogwarts. And even though its doors are now closed to me, I will always remember the boy who lived, his friends, and a school of wonder. Thank you, J. K. Rowling for sharing your magic with the world.