Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Written by: J. K. Rowling












I'll save us all a lot of time and say, from the beginning, that this is the Harry Potter book I've been waiting for.  Over the first several books, I found the Potterverse to be entertaining and charming, but not particularly enduring.  The characters felt more like caricatures rather than people, and their adventures served little purpose beyond helping to open up the magical world.  But, with "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," everything changes.

I'll try to keep the summary short: Somehow, Harry has been selected to participate in the Tri-Wizard Tournament, which puts his very life in danger.  On top of that, there are rumors of Lord Voldemort returning to power and his servants, the Death Eaters, have been starting to reveal themselves.  Could the two things be connected?  (Spoiler: They are.)

For the first time, I actually felt like Harry was in some real danger.  Harry was actually in harm's way and, without some well-timed luck, could have been killed.  This is a major development, as previously Harry's adventures had been mostly fun with little or no serious rick.  But not anymore.  Harry comes face-to-face with Voldemort, though their confrontation is cut short.

This is also the first book that felt like part of a series.  The first three books were mostly episodic, with recurring characters and settings, but not much else holding each story to the others.  In "...Goblet of Fire," the finale clearly sets up events to be continued in the rest of the series, while also developing the significance of elements from the earlier books.

I can see, how, how people become totally immersed in the Potterverse.  I struggled to find the will-power to start the next book immediately, and I'm keeping it close by for the first moment I can read it without revealing myself as a HP-newbie.