Harry Potter: Books and Films Ranked.

I am currently working my way through another YA series, The Infernal Devices trilogy. So, taking a small break from that, but sort of sticking to the YA/fantasy theme I thought I would rank the HP books and films. I was mainly curious to see where I would place each one and what my reasoning would be. I am ranking the books and films separately.

I want to preface this ranking by explaining that both the books and film series are one of my absolute favourites. So, while certain ones are in last place in this order does not mean I don’t still love them.

Books:

7. Philosophers stone: This, I believe, is quite an unpopular opinion. When I was making this list, I didn’t think this book would come last, but I just couldn’t put it above the others. I think as a stand-alone it does a phenomenal job of setting up the story of Harry and the wizarding world, it’s magical and there are a lot of foreshadowing in this which illustrates how great the story is. However, the writing improves with each book, the tone shifts to a darker one later which I am just more of a fan of. Personally, I just couldn’t put any other book lower than this one.

6. Order of the Phoenix: There’s lots of things I love about this book. The ending is one of them. The scenes in the ministry are some of the best in the entire series. While I love long novels and intricate stories, I do feel OOTP is a bit too long. The middle felt as though it could have done with some editing. There are just one too many scenes with Umbridge reviewing classes. It does really drive the character home, but she’s so over-the-top dislikeable anyway, I just felt as though some of this could have been taken out and made the whole thing pacier. Also, the scenes with Cho and Harry, particularly at Madam Puddifoot’s, make me cringe.

5. Chamber of Secrets: This book still makes me shiver. It is, in my opinion, the scariest book. Not the darkest but the creepiest. The chilling voice Harry hears in the walls and blood threats on the walls. Not to mention the spiders. I also really love the idea of the diary and Tom Riddle’s teenage arrogance adds another nice layer to the villain. We are also introduced to the first Horcrux of the series, which has an excellent pay off later. Above all books, in my opinion, you get the feeling that Hogwarts isn’t safe. That the castle has elements not even Dumbledore understands. We get a small look into the history of the castle and its founders, which is fun. I also like the development of Draco in this book. Considering this is an early book, and the protagonists are twelve/thirteen, the theme of prejudice and race are prevalent. The reason it’s not higher is because the others are just so great.

4. Deathly Hallows: It’s a solid end to the story. It’s satisfying in some ways but heart-wrenching in others. It’s pretty hard to fault this book. I simply can’t put it any higher though because I am just never a fan of endings. They always feel a little too neat, too wrapped up, particularly in fantasy. It was for this reason I was not a fan of the epilogue. I think I would have preferred the ending without it. I can see why readers may enjoy it/crave it, as we saw these characters grow and overcome evil, some readers may want that catharsis of seeing the cycle complete (the protagonists sending their children to Hogwarts). In saying this I was still moved by this ending, so it clearly had the desired effect.

3. Prisoner of Azkaban: For a long time, this was my favourite. However, sections of it sort of annoy me now. One section being the time travel. Another being Ron and Harry’s treatment of Hermione. I understand it’s needed to display character growth and they are young, but Hermione is always right. That aside, I love this book. The introduction of Hogsmede makes me feel all cosy inside. Exploring more secret parts of the castle. The marauders map and the marauders themselves. On top of that, my favourite character is introduced in this one: Lupin.

2. Half Blood Prince: I love a villain. HBP was always going to be high on my list because we get so much of Voldemort’s backstory and I love it. Though Voldemort will never be the first villain I think of when listing great literary villains, this book works in showing his motives and the choices he made. I also really like the subversion of expectations we get in many parts of this book. We see Harry’s enjoyment of DADA dwindle and his like for Potions rise. I love the introduction of Slughorn and the slug club, it plays into the theme of growing up in this novel. The last chapters in this book are excellent and so gripping. The cave, the Inferi and obviously Dumbledore’s death. You really leave that book feeling for Harry. It’s up to him now, and while he’s not alone, he feels that responsibility. It fits so well that this is the last book they spend in school because everything really does change.

1. Goblet of Fire: For me this is simply the most entertaining book. I love the addition of the quidditch world cup and the Triwizard tournament. The introduction of the new schools and the Yule Ball. There’s also so many red herrings in this book. I remember reading it for the first time and being convinced that it was Bagman who put Harry’s name in the goblet. Even Ron not talking to Harry, painful as it is, allows us to see more of Harry and Hermione’s relationship which I enjoyed. I’ve talked about tone quite a bit and I think this one has the biggest tone shift of them all. That scene in the graveyard is excellent. It reintroduces Voldemort so well. I still get nervous reading it now. All the fears the books have been building on are realised and Harry is right in the middle of it. Cedric’s death is the first of many. “Kill the spare” is so simple, but it really illustrates the magnitude of Voldemort’s immortality. From the death eaters at the world cup, to the tasks, to the graveyard; the story in this book is so packed with action and tension. It comes as midway through the series and it just really sets the pace for the following books. I think this is another reason why OOTP is low on my list because it follows this one.

Films:

8. Philosophers Stone: I know. I’m sorry and I promise I don’t hate this story. Again, I just felt as though I couldn’t put it above the others. The feeling I get watching this film is pure nostalgia. Some of the special effects hold up, though not all of them. (Thinking of the Troll). Beyond that it just doesn’t really excite me anymore. This may be because I’ve seen it so many times, but I just think it’s not as exciting. The scenes I really enjoy are the Mirror of Erised scene and then down the trap door. I like the introduction to Quidditch. Oliver going through the rules and the lead up to the game, with the tense music you feel Harry’s nerves. I also think this film has one of the best scores in the series. Every piece is just so memorable. Again, I do love this film, I just think all the others are better.

7. Deathly Hallows pt. 1: I quite like this film and I’m not mad they split up the last book at all. Structure wise they did a good job of creating an arc with only the first half of the book. That being said, all the less exciting stuff happens in this half. I do love the scenes at the Malfoy Manor. And the part in Godric’s Hollow is super creepy. Unlike a few other deaths (mainly in pt. 2) they deal with Dobby’s death so well in this film, he is given an excellent send off that still makes me ball like a baby. I also have to mention the animation used for the telling of the Tale of the Three Brothers. It was such a beautiful way to tell the story, it looked straight out of a Henry Selick film.

6. Goblet of Fire: The film didn’t really stand a chance next to the book. There was just so much in that book it would need a 5-hour film to fit it all in. There are some things I think it does well, having the Durmstrang and Beauxbatons enter immediately allows the film to get to the inciting incident fast. Not to mention the Dumstrang arrival was just really cool! The cast is great. Mad-Eye, Cedric and Barty Crouch jr are particular highlights. I think they do a good job of the first two tasks. However, so much is missed out its hard not to feel cheated. The maze was completely changed. The world cup, I mean come on! So many fans were looking forward to seeing that. And in my opinion, the whole film is edited slightly strangely. It feels a bit choppy in places.

5. Half Blood Prince: Again, my favourite parts of this book were left out. I have put it above GOF because I think it does certain things well. I like the inky images when they do use the pensive. Although, if anything, this makes me sad that they didn’t include all the backstory scenes. The cinematography in this film is one of the best, maybe only second to POA. The cave scene, with the Inferi, was made for screen and translated amazingly in this adaptation. Tom Felton’s Malfoy got a lot more screen time in this, which was great to see. Daniel Radcliffe’s acting while Harry is using Liquid Luck is hilarious, and definitely a highlight of the whole series for me. They pushed aside a lot of the main plot here to make way for Harry and Ginny, Ron and Lavender and Ron and Hermione. I think these are important parts of the story but to heighten those and take away from the main antagonist’s back story, I feel, was a mistake. They also had the chance to really develop Ginny in this film and my god did they fail.

4. Deathly Hallows pt. 2: They did many things wrong in this film. The most frustrating being the death of Voldemort. But the battle of Hogwarts is epic. The scene where Harry, Ron and Hermione return to Hogwarts gives me chills just thinking about it. And the portrayal of Snape and his true part was brilliant. So many deaths are glossed over with a camera pan. (Tonks and Lupin deserved better). I know they were mid battle so it would have been difficult for Harry to grieve, he was simply in shock but just a little more time on the deaths would have heightened the emotion. Seeing George, Ron and Molly over Fred’s body is heart-breaking. The film starts with a bang as they infiltrate Gringotts, Hermione polyjiuced as Bellatrix. Helena absolutely nails Emma Watson playing Hermione playing Bellatrix. Wow, that’s confusing! They rushed over the explanations for both the master of the elder wand and the horcrux in Harry, leaving non-book-readers confused.

3. Chamber of Secrets: Often I hear people rank this as their least favourite film, which I can’t understand. I love this film. As a child I watched it on repeat on the weekends. I think it’s a great adaptation from the book. They really don’t miss much out! It has such an ominous feeling to it. Much of the film is cast in a dim/dark light with a slightly green hue adding to the doubt Harry is feeling about his morality. It has more Draco in it than most of the other which I enjoy. The spider scene is grim, but it’s supposed to be. Tom Riddle is well cast and the face off in the Chamber is excellent. The Basilisk holds up and is still pretty terrifying. I also think the casting of Kenneth Branagh as Lockhart was genius. Furthermore, who didn’t fall in love with Dobby!? (Okay, I’ll admit, he is a little annoying.)

2. Prisoner of Azkaban: I’m sure it surprises no one that this is high. It is arguably the most beautifully shot of all of the films, so aesthetically pleasing. Again, the casting for this (aside from the issue of age, but that was because they were casting off Alan Rickman, so I’m not too mad) is phenomenal. Oldman makes a great Sirius and Thewlis’ Lupin is fantastic and so likeable. I think the dementors were done well, so creepy. The shots in this film are sensational, you could take a still from almost any scene and it’s like artwork. They built Hogsmeade beautifully. Buckbeak was animated brilliantly and the quidditch games were kicked up a notch! The only real issue I have with this film again is the time travel. While I loved Harris’ Dumbledore and do think his portrayal was closer to the book version, I really enjoy Gambon’s version too. This is where he takes the reins and I think his darker, more pensive Dumbledore heightens the whole tone of this film.

1. Order of the Phoenix: I am unsure if this is an unpopular opinion or not, but this film is my favourite. Unlike GOB and HBP, it removed the right parts of the book. So much of the middle is made into a montage which works really well. I think there is a nice amount of humour in this one. They begin to set up Ginny’s character and provide quite a nice springboard for her, however this was totally missed in the next film. Imelda Staunton does an outstanding job of bringing Umbridge to life. I think the connection between Harry and Voldemort is done well. I love the introduction of Luna and the thestrals, it plays into the theme of loneliness and this comes back around in the end with Harry, during the possession scene, seeing how loneliness and the lack of love is Voldemort’s weakness. This was added into the films, but I really like it. It would have been nice to see a little more of Sirius and the Department of Mysteries in general, but again I think they focused on the right parts of the story in this film. One of the only things that makes me mad about this adaptation is not hearing Dame Maggie Smith say those four immortal words: “Have a biscuit, Potter.”

There you have it, thanks for sticking with it until the end!

These are my current opinions, but to be honest, they are always changing! Let me know if there’s anything you agree or disagree with! What are your favourites?

This is just the humble opinion of a Hufflepuff.

The Priory of the Orange Tree

A prime example of why the phrase ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’ frustrates me. The stunning cover of this novel is the reason I picked it up, and I am so glad I did. This was the first Samantha Shannon novel I read and what an introduction! A re-imagined feminist high-fantasy novel that I cannot recommend enough. The size (800 pages) may look intimidating, but I promise by the end you’ll wish it was longer.

(Spoilers Ahead)

As with most fantasy novels, setting must be discussed. Shannon crafted a perfectly unique, immersive world in Priory. Each new location has a distinct feel and was so intricately described I could smell them. The characters, though travelling, also reflect the place and the status of each character allows for different perspectives. The four protagonists, Ead, Loth, Tane and Niclays are totally realised characters with different motives that allow their paths to cross. Tane and Niclays perhaps the most obvious example of this, lives intertwining without knowing. This gives the reader a nice inside track and prompts us to turn the page to see their realisation/meeting, which was as satisfying as I hoped. I have seen criticism about the ‘weak’ male characters in this novel. I do not understand this criticism. Both Loth and Niclays hold significant roles in the story. Furthermore, they are complicated and multi-layered, something rather unique for high fantasy. They both represent the highly apparent theme within these novels of questioning beliefs, be they religious of not. Niclays is also the most interesting character in terms of morality. He provides a very grey area there, ultimately, I think his heart is in the right place. I assume this criticism comes as a result that it is Ead and Tane that have the most traditionally heroic roles. I loved this. It was refreshing and very satisfying to sink into a world of gender equality. Besides, Sir Kitson Glade did not risk his life, purely out of loyalty, for you to say the men in this story were ‘weak’. (I am still not quite over his death.) Furthermore, Chassar is another a great male character! Tane’s story was so interesting it could occupy a novel of its own but having this alongside the other stories allow for this to somewhat serve as an origin story. This works perfectly as a stand-alone, but also feels as though it could build to something more. Ead, in Sabran’s court, was my favourite section of the novel. The weaving of the political aspects of the West into the story were very interesting. Shannon’s dragonkind was also a very refreshing take on the fantastical creature. Having the divide between dragons and wyrms/fire-breathers. This was a clever tool as had the dragons simply been the antagonists, the human’s beating them would have been unrealistic. On the other hand, having dragons be on the side of the protagonist and having only human antagonists would lessen the stakes. I loved seeing the bond between Tane and her dragon. Another great addition to this world was the Priory. A significant place that doesn’t appear until Loth is there, serving as an outsider, just as the reader. It is great to see it from Loth’s viewpoint before Ead’s as it allows the reader to view the corruption within it. One very interesting character in this book is Queen Sabran. While we only see her through the eyes of Ead and Loth, she is well developed. It was an interesting move on Shannon’s part not to have chapters from Sabran’s viewpoint, but in concealing parts of her it allowed the reader to unfold her character along with Ead. Their relationship development seems natural and you really do feel for Sabran.

I could go on and on about story in this novel. There are so many characters, backstories, histories and plot points I’ve not even touched upon which is a testament to how much is packed into this novel. However, what I think deserves recognition now is Shannon’s use of language. Part of the reason this world is so brilliantly fashioned is through the exquisite language. While there are far too many beautiful lines to list them all, I noted down a few that made me swoon. (Apologies, I did not note down the page number. Dreadful, I know.)

“Her name had been lost to time, but the fear of her enchantments, and her malice, had knitted itself into the bones of the Inysh and seeped through generations.”

“Dawn cracked like a heron’s egg over Seiiki.”

“Her room looked over a courtyard, where a fishpond was churned to bubbles by the downpour.”

“The sky was bruised with cloud, but the sun left a finger-smear of honey.”

These are all perfect examples of how word-choice is crucial in great writing. Shannon does not need to over-describe because the words she uses create such a strong image. One notable element Shannon wrote of often throughout this story was light. Her use of light to display mood and atmosphere, or to highlight certain things was very well done. It sets her world in a hazy orange hue. (For the most part.) The images she created in doing so made me imagine the scenes coming to life in a beautiful animation reminiscent of Studio Ghibli’s films. (I mean, imagine how stunning that could be!)

While there are smaller conflicts running throughout the novel, the main conflict remains the Nameless One and his return. This fear is developed well through the story, the smaller battles are difficult enough to heighten the tension for the final one. It is the immense build up to this final scene that makes it somewhat anti-climactic. I thought the execution of the battle was good, it was simply just quite short. This did allow for a quickened pace however, reflecting the action. Despite the fact these characters struggled to obtain weapons in order to vanquish the Nameless One, the defeat just felt a little too easy. That is perhaps the only quandary I have with this novel. It is also what makes me feel as though it is more an origin story. In terms of high fantasy, this is one of the best novels I’ve ever read and will continue to push it on my friends and family. But that’s just my humble opinion.

p.s. If anyone has any recommendations to novels similar to this one, please let me know!

Six of Crows/Crooked Kingdom

Where to begin! This has quickly become one of my favourite YA series of all time. It’s gripping, gritty and wonderfully entertaining.

It moved away from what has become expected of YA fantasy. Even in the last series I discussed, Shadow and Bone, Bardguo relied on certain tropes (love triangle etc.). In SoC and CK she almost inverts these tropes. Yes, the characters still ‘couple up’, but I don’t see that as unrealistic especially due to their age.

What is most outstanding about these novels is the character work. Bardugo creates phenomenally unique voices for each of the six protagonists. This is aided by having close third-person narration and swapping perspective from chapter to chapter. This is something more common with adult fantasy. It is one of the techniques that allows these novels to feel slightly more mature than the trilogy before it. Each character is distinctive, and each relationship is different and complicated, and just feels real. Jesper is my personal favourite. A twitchy sharpshooter who can’t walk away from a bet. His character ark is great as we learn he is Grisha and starts to learn how to use his power. Matthias and Nina both grow to learn each other’s prejudice and I really like the way parts of their history are interspersed as the team make their way to the Ice Court. As it was a path they trod together previously, it did not feel as though it was an exposition dump, it felt well placed and these memories would realistically be at the forefront of their minds while in Fjerda.

Bardugo truly created an immersive world that is set up in the Shadow and Bone trilogy and furthered brilliantly in this duology. Ketterdam is an excellent setting for this story and the characters. A melting pot of barrel thugs and wealthy merchants. The claustrophobic, gritty streets of Ketterdam create a stark contrast to the clean-cut Ice Court.

The construction of story in this series is something to be marvelled at as well. The intricate plot is interconnected with the scheming mind of Kaz. Using the different character viewpoints allows for certain gaps in the readers knowledge and allows Bardugo to pull the rug from under us many times. The tense scenes are written with such pace it gets your heart racing and these are matched with the backstory scenes often adding to the context of the scene and allowing for character development. Each character has a sad or horrific backstory emphasising the dark tropes in the story. Bardugo doesn’t shy away from hard topics like corruption, class division, racial issues and murder. This only adds to the cathartic feeling the reader receives at the ending. The realism of the ending is improved by the fact not all of them make it out. Having a Matthias chapter to show his death was particularly painful, but also done beautifully.

This is a fairly one-sided review, perhaps I will revisit these stories in the future and see if my opinion changed but for now I think these stories are pretty untouchable! But that’s just my opinion!

The Shadow and Bone Trilogy

Yes, I am late to the party on this one! I’ve been making my way through my YA fantasy TBR list during quarantine, and this trilogy felt like a good starting place.

This review will include spoilers!

Overall, I enjoyed this series. It definitely feels like one complete story, but at the same time it also feels like it is setting up future stories. Bardugo does both things very well. If this were the end of the story, it had a definite ending. As we know, however, we see other characters and their journey beyond this trilogy.

Certain aspects of SaB embrace YA cliches. Such as the ‘dull/plain’ female protagonist who goes through a transformation and the love triangle (or quadrangle?). I don’t think these were handled in a bad way, but, for me, they added layers to Alina’s character that made her less relatable and less likeable. That is just my opinion and there were times in the novels where I really warmed to Alina and sympathised with her, despite the cliches.

Alina and her love interests are where the big cliches end. Bardugo has created a really unique universe, which is bleak and beautiful. You get a real sense, even in this early trilogy, that she knows every inch of the whole world she created. The Grisha and their powers are detailed so wonderfully, and of course made far more immersive by the use of a ‘fish-out-of-water’ protagonist, who experiences it all with the reader.

Character is something I will explore more when discussing Bardugo’s Six of Crows duology but there are some great characters in Shadow and Bone. I found Alina unlikeable at times, but she is an interesting protagonist. I particularly liked her pull to power, I would have liked this to have been explored further. Alina believes it’s Morozova’s amplifiers that give her that want for more power, but I would suggest it stems from childhood feelings of powerlessness and weakness. Which is totally relatable! Each character holds some duality in them. Tolyar and Tamar are fiercely loyal but deceive Alina. Genya was Alina’s only ‘real’ friend but betrayed her. David did the Darkling’s bidding but then aided Alina. Not one character is wholly good or bad. This duality is highlighted by the two stand-out characters. Nikolai literally has two personas. The prince and the privateer. And like Alina, I could never quite decide what I made of the Darkling. He had such polarising moments that had me hating him and then wanting to root for him.

The ending, I felt was a little underwhelming. I really wanted to see Alina all-powerful but perhaps that was just me. Mal’s sacrifice had me all sorts of emotional, which was a little unexpected as I didn’t really warm to him as a character. It was also made a little less significant when he came back to life. But I don’t dislike that and it plays nicely into the religious theme running throughout. It was a bittersweet ending altogether, it just felt a little lack-lustre to me.

It’s a good story and a great introduction to the Grishaverse, and I am excited to see the Netflix adaptation.

Just my humble opinion.