The third book in the Harry Potter series and I think that Rowling's layout changed for this one. There was a lot less of a build up in this book compared to the previous two: we virtually dive straight into the action with this one. Moreover, the final stages of this book is nowhere near as gut wrenching as the previous two.

However, I liked this one; and of the three I think this is the best of them!

The heart of this story is still the one who cannot be named; but with a twist. This time the bogeyman who runs virtually throughout the book is another character with the name of, wait for it, Black: well, it would have to be woudln't it?

Professor Snape jumps in and out of the story from time to time and each time we feel that he's about to crack every one of Harry's secrets: and Snape is probably about as nasty as a teacher can get. Snape doesn't like Harry or any of his Griffindor friends. There is an element of Snape that is likeable, though, in that he's smart and can work his way through most things quite well: he almost rumbles how Harry can make his head appear in Hogsmeade yet not the rest of his body. He says something like, "If your head was there, Potter, then so was the rest of you"!

Ron and Hermione have an ongoing battle over Ron's rat, Scabbers, and Hermione's ginger cat Crookshanks. The plot develops along the lines that Scabbers is tasty for a cat and Crookshanks is just the cat to eat it. I won't ruin the plot by saying whether cat ate rat, suffice it to say that all is not as it seems!

The game that Rowling has invented for Harry Potter, Quidditch, would be very exciting to play and watch if broomstick technology were ever to develop sufficiently; but the games involving Harry are always too predictable: Harry always saves the day! This time, he saves the day partly because he receives a gift of a Firebolt broomstick: simply the best there is.

The Firebolt is a sub plot all of its own. It really is the best broomstick there is; and Harry receives one from a secret admirer, out of the blue. This leads to a lengthy bout of animosity between Ron and Hermione that even outstrips their animosity over rat versus cat. There is a surprise revelation as to where the Firebolt came from: except that Hercules Poirot would probably have worked it out long before I could have.

Along the morality lines that I think Rowling works in so well, the Firebolt is a sort of computer virus warning: read the book and all will be revealed! Friendship and its value and frailties figure largely in this book as in books one and two.

One of my sisters has been reading the Harry Potter books, too, and she told me that she felt that the Prisoner of Azkaban is the most adult of the series ... or they get more adult as they progress. The way this came across to me was the way in which the characters, though children of 13 or 14 years of age, spoke in a very adult way. Again, there are far too many examples to record here; but almost a random flick through the book will show what I mean.

I do find something spooky in these books: we are dealing with witches and wizardy. We are also dealing with witches and wizards: people who are not humans. Humans are Muggles. However, Hogwarts has Christmas and Easter holidays! The food that everyone eats at Hogwarts is Muggle food, too.

There is a lot more talk in this book of particular spells that people use or might use but despite any fears that anyone might have, I can't imagine anyone feeling the need to keep these books away from young children. Along the lines of the storyline in a cartoon, the spells and spooks in Harry Potter are just vehicles to carry us along in a whirlwind of fantasy.

In fact, I cajoled a 15 year old lad who lives not a million miles from me into reading the very first Harry Potter book and now he is gagging to read book three, having demolished both books one and two. So there: even the most reluctant can succumb to the charms of Harry Potter and JK Rowling.

Unlike books one and two that ended up with Harry fighting for his life against the forces of terrible evil, this book's showdown was much less dramatic. I think none the worse for that as a young lad pitted against mega evil can only be taken so far. So I was pleased to see this change.

Watch this space for review number four: it's on its way to me so it will be a week or two before I am able to read it!!

Duncan Williamson
2 February 2002