Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (1999)

This was the book that really kicked things up a notch for me.  While the first two are enjoyable (and I definitely feel The Chamber of Secrets improves on The Sorcerer’s Stone,) The Prisoner of Azkaban made me sit up in my seat and take notice.  I was reading it, not just to read it, but really to find out what was going to happen, and the new characters pulled me in in a big way.

The central plot focuses less on our heroes investigating a mystery.  Instead, it’s more personal – notorious criminal Sirius Black has escaped from Azkaban, the impregnable wizard prison, and all signs suggest he wants to finish the job Voldemort started 13 years ago (a.k.a. killing Harry).  Harry is bewildered by an early entreaty not to go looking for the vicious killer, but the more he learns about Sirius Black, the more he realizes how unalterably his life is tied to the fugitive wizard’s.  Top-notch new characters, fine intrigue, and serious emotional stakes are all in store.

This is probably the most successful book in the series for me.  While there are certainly other high points to come, the later books also have quite a bit of flab that break up the momentum of the great stuff.  The Prisoner of Azkaban, however, hits basically the whole package without overstaying its welcome.  Best of all is the introduction of new characters Remus Lupin and Sirius Black, each for different reasons.  Lupin is a great mentor to Harry and I enjoy seeing what a “cool teacher” looks like at Hogwarts, and Black’s part of the story rolls out in interesting ways that allow Harry to learn a lot more about himself and his history.

Also, let’s be real:  this book introduces the Marauders’ Map.  That alone is enough to get it extra points.

Once again, I’m impressed on reread by how neatly things tie together, all those little notes that add up to big clues later.  Honestly, almost nothing is a throw-away moment.  It will be interesting to see if this hindsight will give me a better opinion on the length of the later books (my instinct says I’ll probably still think Rowling could’ve used a more forthcoming editor, but I’m willing to be proven wrong.)  The exposition-climax is also probably my favorite of the series, and the ending of the book goes to some neat, unexpected places.

It’s also a strong book for character content, particularly for Harry.  Even though the previous two books have featured him confronting the dark wizard who tried to murder him as a baby after killing his parents, it feels even more personal this time.  Perhaps it’s because, mass murderer escaped from Azkaban or not, Black is less shadowy and seemingly-inhuman than Voldemort.  He feels more like a person, and the more Harry learns about him and the connections Black has to Harry’s past, the more he’s given to think about, both in terms of his family history and in terms of who he, Harry, really is and what he’s capable of.

Warnings

Violence, scary moments, drinking, and thematic elements.