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Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling

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Summary A wonderful achievement by a wonderful author.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is the third book of the Harry Potter series by JK Rowling.

Harry is spending another dreadful summer at home with the Dursley's when an unfortunate run in with Aunt Marge ends in her sudden balloon like inflation. Harry runs away and fears expulsion from Hogwarts for his use of magic outside of term time. At the same time Sirius Balck escapes from Azkaban Prison and this adds to Harry's woes as it appears that Black seeks to kill him for his part in foiling Voldemort's plans.

Harry arrives back at Hogwarts where the Quidditch season is welcome relief to the presence of the Dementors, mysterious gaurds from Azkaban searching for Sirius Black. Harry, and his friends attempt to unearth the truth surrounding Sirius Black and discover why the Dementor's presence cause im such pain.

This is the best Harry Potter book of the series so far, which seems to get stronger as each book is released. If you read the first two books then The Prisoner of Azkaban really is like revisiting ols friends. The thoughts and actions of the characters are firmly establised within your own mind and this is one of JK Rowling's great strengths as a writer.

The narrative will once again sit comfortably with both children and adults and those expecting the series to weaken like so many fantasy series in the past have done will be sorely dissapointed.

The characters are expanded upon and we learn more about Harry's parents and the character that really shines in Azkaban is Sirius Black and he story is by far the highlight, he really is a great addition, as is Remus Lupin.

This book is another must read and Rowling continues to go from strength to strength. She has managed to write a series that has postmen living in fear of her next publication, such is the excitement and demand created as this remarkable series blooms. After raising the expectation to a level that borders on the unfair (and putting herself under a lot of pressure), JK Rowling really has risen to the challenge and created a book even better than the first and second, a wonderful achievement by a wonderful author.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Book 3) Paperback (Amazon.co.uk)

Author: J.K. Rowling
Binding: Paperback
Number of pages: 320
Publication date: 2000-04-01
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

RRP: ~~£6.99~~
Lowest new price: £1.98
Lowest used price: £0.01

The worry, when faced with the follow-up to books as good as Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (both winners of the NestlÃ© Smarties Prize Gold Award), is that it won't be as good. With J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban any concerns are banished from page one. This, the third in the series, continues where the previous two left off and is a fantastic adventure of mystery, magic and mayhem combined with liberal doses of humour and plenty of suspense.

Forced to do his homework in the dead of night and forbidden to refer to his magic skills or his life at Hogwarts school, Harry Potter is forced to endure the summer holidays with the dreaded Dursleys. The arrival of Aunt Marge is the final straw and, in a fit of anger, Harry breaks all the rules and casts a spell on her, causing her to blow up like a balloon. Running away from his dreaded relatives, Harry expects to be expelled from Hogwarts for his blatant flaunting of the rule not to use magic outside term time. However, the arrival of the mysterious Knight Bus and a meeting with Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic, result in Harry enjoying the rest of the holidays in the wonderful surroundings of the Leaky Cauldron.

The escape of Sirius Black--one time friend of Harry's parents, implicated in their murder and follower of "You- Know-Who"--from Azkaban, has serious implications for Harry for it would appear that Black is bent on revenge against Harry for thwarting "You-Know-Who". Back at Hogwarts, Harry's movements are restricted by the presence of the Dementors--guards from Azkaban on the look out for Black--however, this doesn't stop him throwing himself into the new Quidditch season and going about his normal business--or at least attempting to. Despite warnings Harry is determined to get to the bottom of the mystery surrounding Sirius Black--how could this one-time close friend of his parents become the cause of their deaths?

And why does the presence of the Dementors have such a devastating effect on him, causing him to hear the last moments of his mother's life?

With another four Harry Potter novels planned, Jo Rowling is creating a series of books which will become classics to rival C.S. Lewis'Chronicles of Narnia--books written for children but loved by adults too. (Ages 9 and up) --Philippa Reece
From Amazon.co.uk

HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN (Amazon.com)

Author: Rowling J. K.
Binding: Paperback
Number of pages: 320
Publication date: 1999-01-01
Publisher: Bloomsbury

RRP:
Lowest new price:
Lowest used price: $0.01

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