4.5/5 stars

So at the end the biggest surprise of all is that Harry Potter — !

Only fooling, this review is spoiler-free, so sit down for a spell and let me tell you about a story of a boy who lived. His seven academic wizarding years have come to an end on the tenth anniversary of the first novel, and many millions hold their breath to see if he comes out the other side in one piece.

And the fact that many millions stood with bated breath as the clock stroke midnight on July 21, 2007 is a testament to what the series has become. It has turned generations of people — the ones that came before mine, the ones still coming after — onto reading, an activity that has seen a downturn over the years.

Whatever can be said about the series itself, I respect what it has contributed to the international society.

But much has been made in recent years of whether the books are even well-written, and many wish to downplay the stories as simple and puerile, as merely escapist fantasy. Some declared from their towering soap boxes that it, in fact, was not the greatest book ever written, as if there had been some great debate on whether or not to award it a Pulitzer.

While it may not be the greatest series ever written, it is one of the most important series to be written, and this, the final volume, represents the maturation of all the elements which the series began with.

First of all, for those unfamiliar with previous entries, or for those who haven’t picked up a Potter novel since The Half-Blood Prince, Deathly Hallows is very forgiving, offering definitions and explanations for characters and plot points as the story progresses, catching up anyone who needs it.

A stunning accomplishment, considering the complexity of the storyline at this stage in the game. And with regards to the story’s complex narrative, this is one of the reasons that this is one of the most important series to be written in the past century, because it is a widely circulated and recognized method of telling an intricate tale.

Potter novels expertly hide plot points within plot points, giving you just enough information to figure out things for yourself if you’re paying close attention, but ultimately misleading and misdirecting the reader in a manner that is entertaining and engaging, keeping one up to their ears in drama and twists.

Deathly Hallows untangles the web for the most part, and even small, perhaps seemingly unimportant, elements from the past six books are brought to light.The series is also a milestone in not only moving its story to increasingly mature themes such as war, murder, madness and depression from such innocent beginnings, but also bringing its characters along for the ride.

No one is 11 and shaking in their boots here anymore — war has made many of them hard, and if you have more than one favorite character, minor or otherwise, be prepared for tragedy.

Many popular faces don’t make it to the last page of this book.

But perhaps most impressive of all is the psychological evolution of Potter himself, who spent a great deal of his life abused or starved, discovered hope at Hogwarts, had it beaten out of him halfway into the series, and by the middle of Deathly Hallows has gone almost irreparably insane.

Harry has to fight all the angst, depression, guilt and self-incrimination he’s let fester, or let it destroy him.

The depth to this series has never ceased to amaze me.

As for the ending itself, though I’ll say nothing specific, I will say it is sweet and meaningful, but not in the ways I believe many expected. Learning what we do about characters such as Snape and Dumbledore by the end of this book, the story finally achieves a fully human spirit within its high fantasy setting.

No one is two-dimensional by the ending of the book, and the ending plays the spotlight on how no level of human suffering and fear is enough to keep you safe and in power, and that it is, above all things, love that gets us through the day.

Some may want to pass that off as nothing more than fluff, but the book owns this message better than most. It makes the theme its own somehow, and there’s enough ambiguity to leave one debating what was really said when it was all over.

A beautiful series, almost allegorical at times, it represents a multitude of personal joys for me, and I can easily say that the last six years I’ve spent reading it have not been wasted.

Even if you’ve never tried a book before, or if you’re a fan in doubt, you really should snag a copy of this and just take it in. There’s nothing quite so fantastic as the pain and love this series portrays.