Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince by J. K. Rowling (2005, Unabridged, Audio Cassette)

In her 6th book, the school of Hogwarts and past friendships begin to disappear as so much background noise as Harry starts to come to terms of what must be done to defeat Voldemort. Professor Dumbledore himself guides Harry in this new education.

Voldemort's artificial immortality was created by putting parts of his soul into powerful artifacts called horcruxes. As long as one remains, Voldemort can not truly die. Harry destroyed one, Tom Riddle's diary, in the 2nd book. Sharp readers will quickly guess that Dumbledore destroyed another one before the story begins.

The suspense builds up nicely as Harry is invited to go with Dumbledore to find and destroy a 3rd, but someone beat them to it and a fake has been left in its place. Greatly weakened by the ordeal, Dumbledore is rendered helpless by Draco Malfoy, who has been charged by Voldemort to kill the headmaster. Draco can't bring himself to do it, but Professor Snape does.

While it is not normal for me to tell how the book ends in my reviews, I am making an exception here because the ending is the most fascinating part of the series as a whole. The greatest appeal is how it leads into the 7th book.

The biggest question of all was the motives of Professor Snape. Dumbledore was obviously dying as the result of destroying the 2nd horcrux. Was it a mercy killing? Looking back in past books does not seem to help. We constantly find Snape in questionable circumstances but he always has an excuse for his motives. Ironically, the death eaters in the first chapter must likewise decide for themselves just how much circumstantial evidence and excuses are proof of his evilness.

The other great mystery to come from the book were the horcruxes, of which there are 7. 1 was the journal and the Riddle family ring was another. It seems obvious that artifacts from each house (except Griffendor) are being used (3 more) and that Naja, Voldemort's serpent, is the 6th. So what is the 7th? Since Voldemort has a similar connection with Harry as he does Naja, could it be that he might be the 7th? If he is, then does he have to die to destroy Voldemort?

Despite having so many important questions left unanswered at the end, this book does not suffer from the "middle book funk". The mega story has built to a major turning point but the mini-story has a definite end with successes for the protagonists. The most obvious is that Harry now knows what must be done and how big the task is. Less obvious is Harry's rite of manhood. I've mentioned in other reviews that Harry has matured past his age. Despite being capable (and indeed, usually operating) on his own, Harry still used adults as a safety net. At the end of this book he cuts this final tie of childhood and declares he will hunt down and face Voldemort alone.

In conclusion, JK Rowling has done more than just wrote a great novel. She has brought all the mysteries together and leaves us satisfied that Harry can finish the job he is given. The loss of Dumbledore and the apparent betrayal of Snape were high prices to pay, but they were necessary for Harry to grow into the man he was prophesized to become.

John Holland-author of Necklace of Terrersylvanous

Once again, J.K. Rowling has outdone herself. "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" exceeds expectations with plenty of suspense, peril, and adventure. Humor and romance are mixed in to lighten things up a bit, though the "snogging" was rather overdone. Otherwise, the well-crafted plot swirls and thickens like a cauldronful of perfectly brewed potion, bubbling ever nearer to the brim and threatening to boil over. Some old questions, rumors, and theories dissolve in the process, even as new ones rise to the surface.

Many original characters return in the "Half-Blood Prince," including Harry, Ron, Hermione, Hagrid, Dumbledore, Snape, and Malfoy. Old friends such as Lupin, Ginny, and Tonks reappear, and a few unfamiliar faces are introduced as well. Dumbledore continues to speak for Rowling, most often with regard to observations that are as relevant to our world as they are to Harry's: "Don't you see? Voldemort himself created his worst enemy, just as tyrants everywhere do!" "...the prophecy does not mean you have to do anything! ...You are free to choose your way, quite free to turn your back on the prophecy!"

The relationship between Harry and Dumbledore is more fully developed in this book, particularly their mutual loyalty. Harry himself has always been mature for his age, but in the "Half-Blood Prince," we get the definite sense that he has left childhood behind. At 16, Harry has grown into an admirable young man, determined to meet the challenge of taking his place in the war against Voldemort and the Death Eaters.

This transformation from boy to man underscores the wide appeal of Rowling's books among both children and adults. I have been as involved in the books as my kids (maybe even more so). It's been especially fun discussing this one with them. --Lana Jordan, author of "Journey to Motherhood" and "The Sleepytime Ponies Trick a Trickster"

I hate giving a poor review anytime, but given the circumstance I am afraid I must. We ordered audio tapes of Harry Potter 6. They were mailed to us right on time and were packed with care and even a little note saying thanks. My 9 year old was excited to start reading but none of the tapes worked. The sound would alternate between loud and quiet almost as if hearing under water. We tried 2 other tape players and had the same result. I don't know if there was heat damage or what but I would definately recommend trying out all the tapes before sending them next time. We only paid $20 but that is $20 we were out. We ended up renting them from our local library instead of risking another let down.

I HAVE A 2 HOUR DRIVE BACK AND FORTH TO WORK (TWO HOURS EACH WAY) AND LOVE TO LISTEN TO BOOKS ON AUDIO! I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A HARRY POTTER FAN AND THIS PARTICULAR BOOK IS THE BEST I'VE LISTENED TO YET! IT IS WELL WORTH THE MONEY AND I PLAN ON GETTING THE REST OF THE BOOKS IN THE HARRY POTTER SERIES! ALL I CAN SAY IS IF YOU GET THIS BOOK YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT, AND THAT YOU WILL PROBABLY LISTEN TO IT MULTIPLE TIMES!! "ENJOY".............​............

We already own the first four books on cassete, we buy the tapes for ease of use, if you stop tape you can come back later and start where you stopped. The story is read by the same narrator as the rest of the books, so it flows well. He can catch your interest and hold it. As we have read all the books, listening to them is an added bonus, my kids love to listen especially on long trips. I highly recommend this and all the Harry Potter Books on Tape.