Review: A Clever, Entertaining Variation on Harry Potter That Stands Up Well On Its Own
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 08 28, 2013
First things first - yes, this book is very similar to the Harry Potter series. But, it is not a clone, or a homage, or one of those lame books "in the tradition of ...". It is much more subtle and clever than that. It takes the whole Harry Potter style and plot and story and plays out elegant, humorous, and sly variations on the Harry Potter conventions. As a consequence it is entertaining and rewarding on its own, and also amusing in its various nods to Potter.The brilliant conceit behind the book is that our hero, Hayden, is not the boy who defeated Voldemort. Our hero, discovered and identified only after the destruction of Voldemort, (in this book known as "The Dark Prism"), is the Dark Prism's previously unknown and unacknowledged son. Hayden didn't know who his father was. Dark Prism didn't know he had a son. So, we have an orphan, with an evil bloodline behind him, totally unaware of his magic wielding ancestors, totally unaware of magical practices, who now must be dealt with. Is he a bad seed, to be imprisoned and forgotten? Some think so. Should he be given a fair chance, as the child should not suffer for the sins of the father? Others think so. What to do? Well, he is sent to Hogwarts/Mizzenwald, his father's old school and the finest school of magic in the Kingdom. Some will support him; some will oppose him. He must determine for himself who he is and which way he will turn. How is that for a satisfying anti-Potter and a fascinating twist on the Potter themes?Everyone has a reaction when they meet Hayden and learn who he is. Not the positive "boy who lived" reaction, but a negative and fearful reaction. Classmates line up one way or the other, as do teachers. Luckily, Hayden develops a few friendships at school and becomes part of a smart, independent posse of free thinking and spirited fellow students. These sidekicks have great appeal on their own and are not modeled after any Potter characters, so they provide some novelty and freshness whenever they are onstage. By the same token there is a lot of detail regarding the magical community, the use of magic, the role of familiars, the operation of the school, and so on, that bears no relation to the Potter books and that stands alone as imaginative and immersive background.That said, while there is world building here, including an entire magical community, and a different magic system, and some back story, and some sub plots, this is a lighter and more nimble book than the Potter tomes. The plot moves along more quickly, the characters are sketched in more briefly, the background is provided on a need to know basis, and the sub plots and red herrings are kept to a minimum. This feels like a book for a younger reader, lacking the depth or the multi book, complex story arcs found in the Potter series. Also, while it is well written, it is written in a simpler and more direct style, where descriptions are breezier and dialogue is more casual and modern, (e.g. something might be "superfreakingawesome" in this book).So, I would urge you not to be put off by the inevitable Potter comparisons. This book stands on its own quite nicely, even while it manages to benefit from the Potter phenomenon's loosening up and expanding of the middle grade fiction world.Please note that I found this book while browsing Amazon Kindle freebies. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.