James Potter and the Hall of Elders' Crossing by G. Norman LippertMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Lippert channels Rowling very well.
It's so good being back in the world of Harry Potter. I'm impressed with how well this story fits into the world Rowling created. This is excellent fan fic.
The story pics up exactly where Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows leaves off, with the adult heros of the Harry Potter series seeing their kids off for Hogwarts. It's James Potter's first year, but he's not his dad. He's heard about Hogwarts his entire life and has lived in the shadow of his father's exploits. Everything he does is colored by his need to live up to the legend that is his father. I enjoyed how the differences between him and his dad are highlighted throughout the story, simply woven into the plot without being overbearing.
As for the plot, it seems to very closely follow the formula and feel of Rowlings' books. Three friends, ancient evil, and kids of mixed talents stuck trying to prevent a catastrophe, but, unlike the early Harry Potter stories, failure is an option. Things go wrong, successes turn out to be failures, and the hero doesn't always win in the expected way. It made it hard to put this story down.
The familiar characters are there, now all grown up, and even some surprise cameos add flavor to the story. The younger cast, barely mentioned at the end of the Harry Potter series are fully fleshed out in this continuation. Personalities, strengths and weaknesses are revealed in an organic and satisfying way. It just feels right.
Let's just say I really liked this story. It's something I would recommend to any Harry Potter fan, even the younger readers, who want a peek into what happens next. Would reading the James Potter books discourage me from reading a similar series if Rowling decides to write one? No, but since she doesn't seem inclined to do so, I'm glad we have this option.
This book is available for free on Goodreads.com as an ebook download.
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