Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling (2007, Unabridged, Compact Disc)

I don't think I ever waited on Christmas like I did for this book and Rowling did not disappoint me.

Deathly Hollows picks up right where The Half Blood Prince left off and Rowling doesn't miss a beat.

Our three favorite heroes know what they have to do but only have a few obscure clues to work from. They must find their own solutions on how to accomplish their misson. While this is a theme common in the other 6 books, this time there is no safety net provided by the adults. The fate of the world rests on their shoulders alone.

As they go from one adventure to the next, gaining (at first) seemingly useless information and narrowly avoiding death, they slowly piece together how everything must fit together. Even then Rowling is not yet done: the solution itself is a test, and the hardest challenge Harry ever had to take.

The book is dark and bloody, more so than The Order of the Pheonix. In case the reader had any doubt about that, Voldermort sets it straight in the very first chapter. The body count continues to go up and Rowling gives no indication of playing favorites. Nobody, and I mean nobody, is safe until the last spell is cast, somewhere in the last 10 pages or so.

While it was sad seeing so many characters I had grown attached to die, I did not have the same sense of dispair that I did with Pheonix. I never doubted for one page that good would win in the end and I could take comfort in that their sacrafices would not be in vain.

While I sincerly hope that Ms. Rowling will continue to write, I believe it is time for a new series. Harry Potter was as close to perfection as I'm likely to see in this world. I don't want that delicate balance upset.

John Holland-Author of The Necklace of Terrersylvanous