What do you think?
Rate this book
James Potter #1
James Potter and the Hall of Elders' Crossing
What’s it like to be the son of the most famous wizard of all time?
James Potter thinks he knows, but as he begins his own adventure at Hogwarts, he discovers just how much of a challenge it really is to live up to the legend of the great Harry Potter. As if it wasn’t enough dealing with the delegates from the American wizarding school and figuring out the mysteriously polite Slytherins, James and his new friends, Ralph and Zane, begin to uncover a secret plot that could pit the Muggle and the Magical worlds against each other in all-out war.
Now, with the help of Ted Lupin and his band of merry mischief makers (The Gremlins), James must race to stop a war that could change the world forever. His only hope is to learn the difference between being a hero and being the son of a hero.
James Potter thinks he knows, but as he begins his own adventure at Hogwarts, he discovers just how much of a challenge it really is to live up to the legend of the great Harry Potter. As if it wasn’t enough dealing with the delegates from the American wizarding school and figuring out the mysteriously polite Slytherins, James and his new friends, Ralph and Zane, begin to uncover a secret plot that could pit the Muggle and the Magical worlds against each other in all-out war.
Now, with the help of Ted Lupin and his band of merry mischief makers (The Gremlins), James must race to stop a war that could change the world forever. His only hope is to learn the difference between being a hero and being the son of a hero.
391 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2007
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,557 reviews
July 30, 2013
This is probably the most impressive piece of fan-fiction I have ever read. Writers of Jane Austen fan-fiction (of which I've read a fair amount) should take notes from G. Norman Lippert. He remains respectful of both the world and characters J.K. Rowling created while adding his own elements.
In my opinion, J.K. Rowling is an absolutely exquisite writer. While Lippert's writing style is not quite as flawless as J.K. Rowling's, he is definitely a good writer in his own right. I'm sure there are many people who could pick apart his interpretation of the wizarding world and the characters with whom we are all familiar. However, if you just want to be transported back to the magic of Hogwarts by an author who is definitely trying to show his respect and admiration for the orginal, this is the book for you.
In my opinion, J.K. Rowling is an absolutely exquisite writer. While Lippert's writing style is not quite as flawless as J.K. Rowling's, he is definitely a good writer in his own right. I'm sure there are many people who could pick apart his interpretation of the wizarding world and the characters with whom we are all familiar. However, if you just want to be transported back to the magic of Hogwarts by an author who is definitely trying to show his respect and admiration for the orginal, this is the book for you.
May 19, 2012
I stumbled upon this book while surfing Goodreads, and trust me, I'm glad that I discovered Lippert. An American by birth, he started writing the series in 2007, after his wife and children said how much they would miss the Harry Potter series when it would soon be over. In this book, he chronicles Harry's first born James' adventures in his first year at Hogwarts.
Here are a few random things which I liked/disliked about the book.
What i liked:
1. Harry Potter is back. Though as an adult, and with hardly much role to play in his son's adventures, but he's back. Lippert does all of us fans such a favour just by doing that. It feels almost as good as meeting an estranged childhood friend who has children of his own now. The fire when re-kindled might not burn with the same vigour, but it sure spreads some warmth!
2. It's incredibly more difficult to write fan-fiction that an original, because comparisons are inevitable! But, hats off for such wonderful imagination. Lippert succeeds in transporting us to the magical world once again, and gives us little to complain about. The problems that arise and their solutions, both are equally professionally dealt with.
3. There are quite a few twists in the story which makes it a complete page turner. Not much of loop holes, or inconsistencies. I loved the middle part of the book: Chapters 6-13! Specially the scene of the Grotto's keep! Also, i must add here, the sketches in each of the chapters was quite well done, and add much to the overall feel of the book!
4. I LOVED the first Technomancy class. The Science of Apparition was so well explained, that it once again made me regret, why i was not a student at Hogwarts. It was almost as good as Lupin's DADA classes, though this was not that much fun!
What I disliked:
1. James comes across as a rich kid, having loving parents(including a celebrity dad), who knew his destiny since he was a child. He's everything that Harry was NOT, as an 11 year old. His past is untainted -- he has never felt loss and pain in any way. Thus I felt that his problems weren't REAL enough, his dreams were not DARK enough, and his actions were not HEROIC enough!
2. There is a little dearth of MAGIC in the book... like magic in the Rowling way --- deep, dark and fascinating. The initial part of the book dabbles too much with the ways of Muggles for any Muggle's liking. And James' natural talent lies in Football? Oh no! DID NOT like that, Mr. Lippert!
3. The villain is not exactly the villain. Oh give us a Nemesis, give us an arch rival, give us a character so dark, that it'll shroud a terror of gloom even upon us readers. Give us someone like The Dark Lord.
4. I wish we could see more of the old characters. Other than a fleeting mention, or just a few random scenes, we don't get to see them at all! Missed the trio! Moreover, there was no mention of classes like Potions, Charms, etcetra, and the subjects introduced instead, like Technomany and Divination seemed, at least to me, too advanced for a first year!
P.S: Of course, remember that being a super-big fan of the original series, I'm being overtly critical! But i also believe that Lippert has enough potential to walk out of Rowling's shadow, (much like his protagonist) and create his own identity in the world of literature.Thus, with 3.5 stars, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND it to all those among us who just cant seem to get enough of the Boy who Lived.
Here are a few random things which I liked/disliked about the book.
What i liked:
1. Harry Potter is back. Though as an adult, and with hardly much role to play in his son's adventures, but he's back. Lippert does all of us fans such a favour just by doing that. It feels almost as good as meeting an estranged childhood friend who has children of his own now. The fire when re-kindled might not burn with the same vigour, but it sure spreads some warmth!
2. It's incredibly more difficult to write fan-fiction that an original, because comparisons are inevitable! But, hats off for such wonderful imagination. Lippert succeeds in transporting us to the magical world once again, and gives us little to complain about. The problems that arise and their solutions, both are equally professionally dealt with.
3. There are quite a few twists in the story which makes it a complete page turner. Not much of loop holes, or inconsistencies. I loved the middle part of the book: Chapters 6-13! Specially the scene of the Grotto's keep! Also, i must add here, the sketches in each of the chapters was quite well done, and add much to the overall feel of the book!
4. I LOVED the first Technomancy class. The Science of Apparition was so well explained, that it once again made me regret, why i was not a student at Hogwarts. It was almost as good as Lupin's DADA classes, though this was not that much fun!
What I disliked:
1. James comes across as a rich kid, having loving parents(including a celebrity dad), who knew his destiny since he was a child. He's everything that Harry was NOT, as an 11 year old. His past is untainted -- he has never felt loss and pain in any way. Thus I felt that his problems weren't REAL enough, his dreams were not DARK enough, and his actions were not HEROIC enough!
2. There is a little dearth of MAGIC in the book... like magic in the Rowling way --- deep, dark and fascinating. The initial part of the book dabbles too much with the ways of Muggles for any Muggle's liking. And James' natural talent lies in Football? Oh no! DID NOT like that, Mr. Lippert!
3. The villain is not exactly the villain. Oh give us a Nemesis, give us an arch rival, give us a character so dark, that it'll shroud a terror of gloom even upon us readers. Give us someone like The Dark Lord.
4. I wish we could see more of the old characters. Other than a fleeting mention, or just a few random scenes, we don't get to see them at all! Missed the trio! Moreover, there was no mention of classes like Potions, Charms, etcetra, and the subjects introduced instead, like Technomany and Divination seemed, at least to me, too advanced for a first year!
P.S: Of course, remember that being a super-big fan of the original series, I'm being overtly critical! But i also believe that Lippert has enough potential to walk out of Rowling's shadow, (much like his protagonist) and create his own identity in the world of literature.Thus, with 3.5 stars, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND it to all those among us who just cant seem to get enough of the Boy who Lived.
January 20, 2012
So, I stumbled across this when looking at the Goodreads ebooks page and figured, why not give it a try, since it seems to have so many good reviews? And at first, it was really pretty fun. I liked the dynamic of the James/Zane/Ralph trio, and the way a couple of the mysteries were set up early on. And the writing wasn't magical, but it wasn't bad either.
Only then I felt like things kind of started to fall apart for me a little. Certain things felt...off. There seemed to be very little regard for age in this story, which was definitely a big difference between this and Rowling's books, where, if I remember correctly, students only shared rooms and classes with other students in their own year. And bringing all the Americans into the story felt awkward, since there didn't seem to be any real reason for it, other than the author wanting it to be so. And the whole Ben Franklyn thing? Beh. I got the idea that was supposed to be funny and clever, but it just seemed obnoxious to me. And then also there's something about how you have to take classes and get certified to fly on a broom now, only, if that's the case, why the heck is Hogwarts letting first years try out for Quidditch before any of them have even had one lesson in school??? Things like that just didn't seem well thought out to me.
In addition, I felt like I couldn't recognize the original characters in Lippert's iterations of them--at least the ones who had grown up since Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, like Harry and Neville. They just felt like entirely new characters to me, completely divorced from their young adulthood selves, and I found I had no attachment to them whatsoever.
Anyway, somewhere between the promising beginning and about a fourth of the way through, I realized that I was BORED.
I like the idea behind this, but I just don't like the execution of it enough to continue, though I can understand why a lot of folks are really enjoying it. It's certainly fun to be back in that world, but I think I'll just stick to rereading the Harry Potter books again instead.
Only then I felt like things kind of started to fall apart for me a little. Certain things felt...off. There seemed to be very little regard for age in this story, which was definitely a big difference between this and Rowling's books, where, if I remember correctly, students only shared rooms and classes with other students in their own year. And bringing all the Americans into the story felt awkward, since there didn't seem to be any real reason for it, other than the author wanting it to be so. And the whole Ben Franklyn thing? Beh. I got the idea that was supposed to be funny and clever, but it just seemed obnoxious to me. And then also there's something about how you have to take classes and get certified to fly on a broom now, only, if that's the case, why the heck is Hogwarts letting first years try out for Quidditch before any of them have even had one lesson in school??? Things like that just didn't seem well thought out to me.
In addition, I felt like I couldn't recognize the original characters in Lippert's iterations of them--at least the ones who had grown up since Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, like Harry and Neville. They just felt like entirely new characters to me, completely divorced from their young adulthood selves, and I found I had no attachment to them whatsoever.
Anyway, somewhere between the promising beginning and about a fourth of the way through, I realized that I was BORED.
I like the idea behind this, but I just don't like the execution of it enough to continue, though I can understand why a lot of folks are really enjoying it. It's certainly fun to be back in that world, but I think I'll just stick to rereading the Harry Potter books again instead.
May 4, 2015
Being a massive fan of the Harry Potter books and films i loved this book. It's very like the original Harry Potter with the way the characters act and speak. It's exactly the sort of things you would expect from Harry Potter's son.
It's a great kids story, just like the original Harry Potter books. You get a lot of glimpses of the Harry Potter series - mentions of past events, the Battle of Hogwarts, old characters and grudges - but much more with new characters and new circumstances. It's great to see what might have been after Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. You get to see what happened to Remus and Tonk's son Ted and everyone else's kids. Even though the mischief of Fred and George isn't there, Ted and his 'Gremlins' make up for the loss.
The only drawback for me is that around page 100, i lost interest for a week. Lots of things were hinted at and happening, lots of classes and mischief, but nothing that explained the events at the beginning of the book enough to satisfy my curiosity and continue reading. Eventually, being one to finish what i start, i went back to it and found that after four or five pages, things really started to happen in a way that i became hooked just as badly as i had been when reading Harry Potter. I still have one or two unanswered questions, but am hopeful that they'll be explained in the next two books of the series.
If you read HP 1-7, saw the films and loved them, read this! If you were like me and read Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Quidditch Through the Ages and the Harry Potter Encyclopedia then you have to read this book!
It's a great kids story, just like the original Harry Potter books. You get a lot of glimpses of the Harry Potter series - mentions of past events, the Battle of Hogwarts, old characters and grudges - but much more with new characters and new circumstances. It's great to see what might have been after Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. You get to see what happened to Remus and Tonk's son Ted and everyone else's kids. Even though the mischief of Fred and George isn't there, Ted and his 'Gremlins' make up for the loss.
The only drawback for me is that around page 100, i lost interest for a week. Lots of things were hinted at and happening, lots of classes and mischief, but nothing that explained the events at the beginning of the book enough to satisfy my curiosity and continue reading. Eventually, being one to finish what i start, i went back to it and found that after four or five pages, things really started to happen in a way that i became hooked just as badly as i had been when reading Harry Potter. I still have one or two unanswered questions, but am hopeful that they'll be explained in the next two books of the series.
If you read HP 1-7, saw the films and loved them, read this! If you were like me and read Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Quidditch Through the Ages and the Harry Potter Encyclopedia then you have to read this book!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 30, 2012
Despite how the author and his mega-fans might want to delude themselves otherwise, this is a fanfic. One of hundreds of thousands (if not far more). He did not invent fanfic. It's been around as long as storytelling. He got a lot of press when this came out because he happened to be ignorant of the existence of fanfic, the fanfic community, and fanfic tropes, and because he wanted to toot his own horn enough to make a whole website devoted to his fanfic (as opposed to simply posting it on one of the many, many fanfic archives, as most fanfic writers do). His books aren't the best fanfic I've ever read. They're not even the best James Potter-centric fanfic I've ever read. But they're not bad, as long as you can keep yourself from beating your head against a wall over his utter and insulting disregard for canon and the world he's working in. Which, believe me, is a real test of will at times. Still, as much as his attitude about fanfic and the fanfic nature of his own story irritates me, it's a decently entertaining read. As fanfic, I'd say it's good. Better than most, but not what I'd count among the best by any means. If you're really into Harry Potter and enjoy reading novel-length (or longer) stories of a G or PG rating, you might enjoy adding this one to your reading list (although if you like those sorts of stories, I'd also recommend the Teddy Lupin series by Fernwithy, as well as the one [and another in progress] Potter kids story she's written).
Here are more specific comments on this story, but the following does contain a lot of spoilers:
The Good –
-- Canon characters appear to remain in character. I would disagree with his interpretation of James Potter, but since it’s a character we get only a glimpse of, it doesn’t bother me too much. I actually quite like his Teddy Lupin (aside from his insistence upon calling him ‘Ted’, despite the fact that he is clearly called Teddy in the epilogue).
-- The relationship between James and Harry is quite charming.
-- In fact, the portrayal of Harry altogether is kind of wonderful. It’s not the first time I’ve noticed this, but I think I really like Harry more as an adult than as a teen. Lippert seems to capture the same sense of humor, wisdom, and modesty that I’ve seen both in the actual epilogue and in other fanfic.
-- The story includes both Snape (as a portrait) and Cedric (as a ghost). The scenes with Snape even treat him quite fairly.
-- The student antagonist (a Slytherin, of course) is really very believable. I put this in the ‘good’ section because, from a literary standpoint, it is quite effective. Personally, I dislike this type of antagonist because it’s a little too real. This character and her political machinations are all too true to life. I dislike people like this in real life, so I dislike this character quite a lot. But the fact that this character draws such a strong reaction from me shows how effective Lippert was in writing her.
-- The story is actually pretty entertaining. The plot moves along fairly well (at least after the first quarter of the fic or so). There’s some nice (if not amazing) humor. At least the last half of the fic kept me wanting to know what would happen next, though it took a while for me to get into it. I dislike how Lippert invents so much magic, rules, and other things without any canonical evidence, but others may not mind it.
-- There is no pages-long explanation of the evil plot by the villain at the end, unlike with the actual HP books.
The Bad –
-- The author can’t seem to decide on what the title of his own book is. Within the book, the apostrophe in “Hall of Elders’ Crossing” keeps moving. At one point, it’s spelled “Elder’s Crossing” and four lines later, “Elders’ Crossing”. It’s as if Lippert doesn’t realize those two things have completely different meanings.
-- All Gryffindor boys share the same dorm. (James is shown sleeping in the same dorm room with Teddy.) This is pointed out as being different from what we know, at least, but as no explanation is given and McGonagall doesn’t strike me as the type of Headmistress who would make wacky and unnecessary changes like that, I’m still gonna call BS on that one.
-- All years and houses have classes together. (In at least one instance, first-year James has a class with Teddy [a sixth- or seventh-year Gryffindor], a sixth-year Slytherin, and a third-year Ravenclaw.) This seems to be authorial laziness; it looks like he didn’t want to be arsed to come up with more than two OCs in James’s year.
-- McGonagall is both Headmistress and Transfiguration professor. As far as I can tell, there’s nothing at all in canon to support the idea of a person holding both positions at once, nor any need for it.
-- Several electronic devices are said to be working inside Hogwarts. This is critical to the plot. Canonically, electronics simply do not work at Hogwarts. At all. It’s not enough to include a throw-off comment about it not quite working as well as it normally does.
-- A teacher claims that if a wizard doesn’t properly focus while Disapparating, he will not Apparate (or, as the author puts it, ‘Reapparate’) at all, but will simply vanish. This is supposedly because Apparition involves the scattering of one’s atoms everywhere. In canon, if someone isn’t focusing properly they get splinched, they don’t simply disappear and not return. This actually turns out to be a fairly important part of the story, which only makes the pulled-it-out-of-his-ass-ness of it worse.
-- There are several other errors as far as the way things work in the wizarding world (floo communication, for example).
The Ugly –
-- The author does not content himself with simply the highly overused cliché of ‘the American exchange student’ (though he certainly includes it), he also gives us an entire cadre of Americans, including three new teachers—one of whom, I kid you not, is Benjamin Franklin. Yes, the Benjamin Franklin. Except even that is made more ridiculous by the fact that he spells it Benjamin Franklyn. He’s turned one of the most important and influential men in American history into a Mary Sue. Generally speaking, there is way too much Americanness going on in Hogwarts. It’s like Lippert couldn’t quite stretch his imagination far enough to work within the world he was given, so he felt the need to bring in lots of stuff he’s more familiar with to make himself feel more comfortable.
-- Lippert introduces a new class called Technomancy. Except he’s apparently decided to shun the traditional definition of this word (or at least how it’s been used every time I’ve seen it), which is using magic to control technology (much as how necromancy is using magic to control the dead). No, he’s decided that the word means something about using science to explain magic. Which is both linguistically incorrect and frankly stupid. If you can explain magic with science, it’s not magic, is it? Not to mention that his explanations are flatly wrong, given what we know of this world (see the comment on Apparition above).
Here are more specific comments on this story, but the following does contain a lot of spoilers:
The Good –
-- Canon characters appear to remain in character. I would disagree with his interpretation of James Potter, but since it’s a character we get only a glimpse of, it doesn’t bother me too much. I actually quite like his Teddy Lupin (aside from his insistence upon calling him ‘Ted’, despite the fact that he is clearly called Teddy in the epilogue).
-- The relationship between James and Harry is quite charming.
-- In fact, the portrayal of Harry altogether is kind of wonderful. It’s not the first time I’ve noticed this, but I think I really like Harry more as an adult than as a teen. Lippert seems to capture the same sense of humor, wisdom, and modesty that I’ve seen both in the actual epilogue and in other fanfic.
-- The story includes both Snape (as a portrait) and Cedric (as a ghost). The scenes with Snape even treat him quite fairly.
-- The student antagonist (a Slytherin, of course) is really very believable. I put this in the ‘good’ section because, from a literary standpoint, it is quite effective. Personally, I dislike this type of antagonist because it’s a little too real. This character and her political machinations are all too true to life. I dislike people like this in real life, so I dislike this character quite a lot. But the fact that this character draws such a strong reaction from me shows how effective Lippert was in writing her.
-- The story is actually pretty entertaining. The plot moves along fairly well (at least after the first quarter of the fic or so). There’s some nice (if not amazing) humor. At least the last half of the fic kept me wanting to know what would happen next, though it took a while for me to get into it. I dislike how Lippert invents so much magic, rules, and other things without any canonical evidence, but others may not mind it.
-- There is no pages-long explanation of the evil plot by the villain at the end, unlike with the actual HP books.
The Bad –
-- The author can’t seem to decide on what the title of his own book is. Within the book, the apostrophe in “Hall of Elders’ Crossing” keeps moving. At one point, it’s spelled “Elder’s Crossing” and four lines later, “Elders’ Crossing”. It’s as if Lippert doesn’t realize those two things have completely different meanings.
-- All Gryffindor boys share the same dorm. (James is shown sleeping in the same dorm room with Teddy.) This is pointed out as being different from what we know, at least, but as no explanation is given and McGonagall doesn’t strike me as the type of Headmistress who would make wacky and unnecessary changes like that, I’m still gonna call BS on that one.
-- All years and houses have classes together. (In at least one instance, first-year James has a class with Teddy [a sixth- or seventh-year Gryffindor], a sixth-year Slytherin, and a third-year Ravenclaw.) This seems to be authorial laziness; it looks like he didn’t want to be arsed to come up with more than two OCs in James’s year.
-- McGonagall is both Headmistress and Transfiguration professor. As far as I can tell, there’s nothing at all in canon to support the idea of a person holding both positions at once, nor any need for it.
-- Several electronic devices are said to be working inside Hogwarts. This is critical to the plot. Canonically, electronics simply do not work at Hogwarts. At all. It’s not enough to include a throw-off comment about it not quite working as well as it normally does.
-- A teacher claims that if a wizard doesn’t properly focus while Disapparating, he will not Apparate (or, as the author puts it, ‘Reapparate’) at all, but will simply vanish. This is supposedly because Apparition involves the scattering of one’s atoms everywhere. In canon, if someone isn’t focusing properly they get splinched, they don’t simply disappear and not return. This actually turns out to be a fairly important part of the story, which only makes the pulled-it-out-of-his-ass-ness of it worse.
-- There are several other errors as far as the way things work in the wizarding world (floo communication, for example).
The Ugly –
-- The author does not content himself with simply the highly overused cliché of ‘the American exchange student’ (though he certainly includes it), he also gives us an entire cadre of Americans, including three new teachers—one of whom, I kid you not, is Benjamin Franklin. Yes, the Benjamin Franklin. Except even that is made more ridiculous by the fact that he spells it Benjamin Franklyn. He’s turned one of the most important and influential men in American history into a Mary Sue. Generally speaking, there is way too much Americanness going on in Hogwarts. It’s like Lippert couldn’t quite stretch his imagination far enough to work within the world he was given, so he felt the need to bring in lots of stuff he’s more familiar with to make himself feel more comfortable.
-- Lippert introduces a new class called Technomancy. Except he’s apparently decided to shun the traditional definition of this word (or at least how it’s been used every time I’ve seen it), which is using magic to control technology (much as how necromancy is using magic to control the dead). No, he’s decided that the word means something about using science to explain magic. Which is both linguistically incorrect and frankly stupid. If you can explain magic with science, it’s not magic, is it? Not to mention that his explanations are flatly wrong, given what we know of this world (see the comment on Apparition above).
January 24, 2013
Playing Jokers Blog: all suits of genres and bookish news
Let's judge it for what it is. It is fan fiction. It is not J.K. Rowling nor is it Harry Potter.
In some ways, it's like watching (in my opinion) the first few Harry Potter movies, where many of the details from the books were changed or omitted and you're still grappling with how Hogwarts in the movies wasn't exactly the way you had imagined it when reading the books.
James Potter is Harry's son. So it's strange to read that Harry is some young father. But I found that a bit strange even coming from the epilogue in the Deathly Hallows so there you go. But in order to enjoy the story for what it is, you have to release yourself from comparisons and various outrages of how first years don't take divination or arithmancy, or why the hell are there Americans in Hogwarts, and really? Benjamin Frankli(y)n?
Once you release that because you've accepted you're reading fan fiction, then you can enjoy the little things, like Ralph creating a peach tree, and finding Snape everywhere. It were those moments that had me looking forward to reading the story to see what would happen next.
However, I have one complaint and I have been careful to make sure that it is a compaint based on the story itself and not any comparisons.
As this book was available for free and without downloading on Goodreads, I'd recommend it to anyone who is looking for a light read in a universe that is always bound to create some happy nerd smiles.
Let's judge it for what it is. It is fan fiction. It is not J.K. Rowling nor is it Harry Potter.
In some ways, it's like watching (in my opinion) the first few Harry Potter movies, where many of the details from the books were changed or omitted and you're still grappling with how Hogwarts in the movies wasn't exactly the way you had imagined it when reading the books.
James Potter is Harry's son. So it's strange to read that Harry is some young father. But I found that a bit strange even coming from the epilogue in the Deathly Hallows so there you go. But in order to enjoy the story for what it is, you have to release yourself from comparisons and various outrages of how first years don't take divination or arithmancy, or why the hell are there Americans in Hogwarts, and really? Benjamin Frankli(y)n?
Once you release that because you've accepted you're reading fan fiction, then you can enjoy the little things, like Ralph creating a peach tree, and finding Snape everywhere. It were those moments that had me looking forward to reading the story to see what would happen next.
However, I have one complaint and I have been careful to make sure that it is a compaint based on the story itself and not any comparisons.
As this book was available for free and without downloading on Goodreads, I'd recommend it to anyone who is looking for a light read in a universe that is always bound to create some happy nerd smiles.
September 16, 2012
Oh my god.
There was just no way this was going to happen. I think it started off very strongly, James living under the shadow of his father, expectations of Hogwarts, new friends. But then it just sort of lost momentum about a fourth into the book. James, quite frankly, is an idiot. I feel Mr. Lippert tried to make it not seem so because he tried to make James' motives stem from wanting to stand outside his father's shadow, but in the end, it only made James make very dumb decisions.
The thing I hate most in literature is stupid characters. You cannot make me believe that someone was that dumb to make that kind of decision.
Who didn't see James bringing the damn cloak?
Through sheer force, Mr. Lippert FORCED all the three relics to being in one place. It never happened naturally, and the sheer coincidence made me roll my eyes because THAT WOULD NEVER HAPPEN. EVER.
Also the fact that a mere muggle can get through all the enchantments of Hogwarts?! no. I will not believe that.
The whole electronics thing was hard to swallow from chapter two, but I ignored it because there were half-hearted attempts to get it to work.
I did appreciate the Snape bits quite much, the idea of Snape being a secret art lover tickled my mind as did his hatred for the term "mudblood". In that aspect, I feel at the very least Mr. Lippert did his homework. But there were so many inconsistencies with the Harry Potter world for me to truly believe in this pale imitation. There were just too many things amiss.
I think Mr. Lippert could write a great fun novel on his own. But to make it a sequel just begs comparison, and in that light, his book does not stand well.
There was just no way this was going to happen. I think it started off very strongly, James living under the shadow of his father, expectations of Hogwarts, new friends. But then it just sort of lost momentum about a fourth into the book. James, quite frankly, is an idiot. I feel Mr. Lippert tried to make it not seem so because he tried to make James' motives stem from wanting to stand outside his father's shadow, but in the end, it only made James make very dumb decisions.
The thing I hate most in literature is stupid characters. You cannot make me believe that someone was that dumb to make that kind of decision.
Who didn't see James bringing the damn cloak?
Through sheer force, Mr. Lippert FORCED all the three relics to being in one place. It never happened naturally, and the sheer coincidence made me roll my eyes because THAT WOULD NEVER HAPPEN. EVER.
Also the fact that a mere muggle can get through all the enchantments of Hogwarts?! no. I will not believe that.
The whole electronics thing was hard to swallow from chapter two, but I ignored it because there were half-hearted attempts to get it to work.
I did appreciate the Snape bits quite much, the idea of Snape being a secret art lover tickled my mind as did his hatred for the term "mudblood". In that aspect, I feel at the very least Mr. Lippert did his homework. But there were so many inconsistencies with the Harry Potter world for me to truly believe in this pale imitation. There were just too many things amiss.
I think Mr. Lippert could write a great fun novel on his own. But to make it a sequel just begs comparison, and in that light, his book does not stand well.
June 27, 2019
James Potter and the Hall of Elders' Crossing (James Potter #1), G. Norman Lippert
The James Potter series is an unofficial sequel-series of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter universe, written by G. Norman Lippert. The novel series centers around the character of James Sirius Potter, Harry Potter's son, a character who makes a fleeting appearance in the novel Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The series starts with his first year at Hogwarts, set one year before the end of the Harry Potter series. The first book in the series was intended to be released for free on Lippert's website in December 2007, but J.K. Rowling threatened legal action against the book's publication in November 2007. However, the issues were later resolved, allowing the book's release, and four additional books were subsequently released for free online as well.
Table of Contents:
Prologue
1: The Shadow of Legends
James Potter moved slowly along the narrow aisles of the train, peering as nonchalantly as he could
into each compartment. To those inside, he probably looked as if he was searching for someone, some friend or group of confidantes with whom to pass the time during the trip, and this was intentional. The last thing that James wanted anyone to notice was that, despite the bravado he had so recently displayed with his younger brother Albus on the platform, he was nervous. His stomach knotted and churned as if he’d had half a bite of one of Uncles Ron and George’s Puking Pastilles. He opened the folding door at the end of the passenger car and stepped carefully through the passage into the next one. The first compartment was full of girls. They were talking animatedly to one another, already apparently the best of friends despite the fact that, most likely, they had only just met. One of them glanced up and saw him staring. He quickly looked away, pretending to peer out the window behind them, toward the station which still sat bustling with activity. Feeling his cheeks go a little red, he continued down the corridor. If only Rose was a year older she’d be here with him. She was a girl, but she was his cousin and they’d grown up together. It would’ve been nice to have at least one familiar face along with him. ...
2: Arrival of the Alma Alerons
3: The Ghost and the Intruder
4: The Progressive Element
5: The Book of Austramaddux
6: Harry’s Midnight Meeting
7: Broken Loyalty
8: The Grotto Keep
9: The Debate Betrayal
10: Holiday At Grimmauld Place
11: The Three Relics
12: Visum-Ineptio
13: Revelation of the Robe
14: The Hall of Elders’ Crossing
15: The Muggle Spy
16: Disaster of the Merlin Staff
17: Night of the Returning
18: The Tower Assembly
19: Secrets Unveiled
20: Tale of the Traitor
21: The Gift of the Green Box
Afterword
تاریخ نخستین خوانش: روز بیست و هفتم ماه ژوئن سال 2014 میلادی
عنوان: جیمز پاتر و سال گذرگاه بزرگان؛ نویسنده جورج نورمن لیپرت؛
داستان این مجموعه روی شخصیت «جیمز سیریوس پاتر»، پسر ارشد «هری پاتر»، هجده سال پس از رخدادهای کتاب «هری پاتر و یادگاران مرگ»، و یک سال پیش از پایانبندی مجموعه «هری پاتر» رخ میدهد. ا. شربیانی
The James Potter series is an unofficial sequel-series of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter universe, written by G. Norman Lippert. The novel series centers around the character of James Sirius Potter, Harry Potter's son, a character who makes a fleeting appearance in the novel Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The series starts with his first year at Hogwarts, set one year before the end of the Harry Potter series. The first book in the series was intended to be released for free on Lippert's website in December 2007, but J.K. Rowling threatened legal action against the book's publication in November 2007. However, the issues were later resolved, allowing the book's release, and four additional books were subsequently released for free online as well.
Table of Contents:
Prologue
1: The Shadow of Legends
James Potter moved slowly along the narrow aisles of the train, peering as nonchalantly as he could
into each compartment. To those inside, he probably looked as if he was searching for someone, some friend or group of confidantes with whom to pass the time during the trip, and this was intentional. The last thing that James wanted anyone to notice was that, despite the bravado he had so recently displayed with his younger brother Albus on the platform, he was nervous. His stomach knotted and churned as if he’d had half a bite of one of Uncles Ron and George’s Puking Pastilles. He opened the folding door at the end of the passenger car and stepped carefully through the passage into the next one. The first compartment was full of girls. They were talking animatedly to one another, already apparently the best of friends despite the fact that, most likely, they had only just met. One of them glanced up and saw him staring. He quickly looked away, pretending to peer out the window behind them, toward the station which still sat bustling with activity. Feeling his cheeks go a little red, he continued down the corridor. If only Rose was a year older she’d be here with him. She was a girl, but she was his cousin and they’d grown up together. It would’ve been nice to have at least one familiar face along with him. ...
2: Arrival of the Alma Alerons
3: The Ghost and the Intruder
4: The Progressive Element
5: The Book of Austramaddux
6: Harry’s Midnight Meeting
7: Broken Loyalty
8: The Grotto Keep
9: The Debate Betrayal
10: Holiday At Grimmauld Place
11: The Three Relics
12: Visum-Ineptio
13: Revelation of the Robe
14: The Hall of Elders’ Crossing
15: The Muggle Spy
16: Disaster of the Merlin Staff
17: Night of the Returning
18: The Tower Assembly
19: Secrets Unveiled
20: Tale of the Traitor
21: The Gift of the Green Box
Afterword
تاریخ نخستین خوانش: روز بیست و هفتم ماه ژوئن سال 2014 میلادی
عنوان: جیمز پاتر و سال گذرگاه بزرگان؛ نویسنده جورج نورمن لیپرت؛
داستان این مجموعه روی شخصیت «جیمز سیریوس پاتر»، پسر ارشد «هری پاتر»، هجده سال پس از رخدادهای کتاب «هری پاتر و یادگاران مرگ»، و یک سال پیش از پایانبندی مجموعه «هری پاتر» رخ میدهد. ا. شربیانی
September 23, 2012
I love the artwork and potential for this book and it starts professionally and promisingly, but it ends up with somewhat immature writing and ripping off Reservoir Dogs. Mr Grey, Mr Pink... I don't get it. I was lost after a few pages and couldn't be bothered to wade through the rest.
I don't normally give negative reviews because the effort of writing is such a hugely enviable one, I like to encourage it, but here are some points for improvement which I hope the author takes on board.
I get that this is Potter fan fiction, but I just don't get the Scorsese references. If you build a fantasy world, don't fill it with gangster stereotypes. I thought that Mr Grey was going to be a 50 Shade reference, so I was at least happy it wasn't but you need a new bunch of names and probably totally re-write the prologue.
The dialect is too heavy. I get it... 'They can't talk propper, like wot we dunn', but that doesn't mean you need to rub my nose in the fact.
The setting has not been laid out prior to the action. I don't really know where I am when everything starts. It's not been described at all really, and the images in my head are worse than dull... They're not there at all.
I'd suggest uploading this to autonomy or another community for some honest feedback, because it needs some serious attention.
Sorry.
I don't normally give negative reviews because the effort of writing is such a hugely enviable one, I like to encourage it, but here are some points for improvement which I hope the author takes on board.
I get that this is Potter fan fiction, but I just don't get the Scorsese references. If you build a fantasy world, don't fill it with gangster stereotypes. I thought that Mr Grey was going to be a 50 Shade reference, so I was at least happy it wasn't but you need a new bunch of names and probably totally re-write the prologue.
The dialect is too heavy. I get it... 'They can't talk propper, like wot we dunn', but that doesn't mean you need to rub my nose in the fact.
The setting has not been laid out prior to the action. I don't really know where I am when everything starts. It's not been described at all really, and the images in my head are worse than dull... They're not there at all.
I'd suggest uploading this to autonomy or another community for some honest feedback, because it needs some serious attention.
Sorry.
August 8, 2009
This is a fan fiction series I have just encountered. It's about Harry Potter's oldest son, James, and takes a year before the epilogue of the Deathly Hallows and during James's first year at Hogwarts.
And, don't get the fact that it is fan fic discourage you. The book is a remarkable achievement. It's worth reading if you are done with the Harry Potter series.
I was really happy to read more about the Harry Potter world. I'm sure I will read the next book.
And, don't get the fact that it is fan fic discourage you. The book is a remarkable achievement. It's worth reading if you are done with the Harry Potter series.
I was really happy to read more about the Harry Potter world. I'm sure I will read the next book.
December 21, 2023
¿Decís que no es de J.K.Rowling?¿En serio?
Vale, ya se que no lo es. Pero podría serlo.
Para mi gusto muy bien. Como aquí nunca puntuo en estrellas por debajo de mi valoración sobre 10 (y ese le doy un 8,5) pues le han caído las 5. Me explico.
Es un libro consecuente. Plagia a saco a la Rowling, pero manteniéndose fiel a los comportamientos de los personajes, a los lugares, a todo. NO intenta darle ningún toque “diferenciador” que venga a decir “yo soy distinto de la original, pero igual de bueno”. No. El tío escribe una historia continuación con un hijo de Harry que tiene su propia personalidad y además se inventa una historia consecuente y razonablemente redonda.
El punto y medio que se le cae, para mi gusto, es que solo el personaje de James Potter está logrado. Sus dos compañeros, Ralph y Zane, tiene muchas posibilidades pero no llega a exploarlas, Son, de momento, sólo comparsas (ya veremos en el siguiente libro).
La historia mezcla a muggles y al famoso mago Merlin, a los personajes conocidos (Harry, Hermione, Mcgonagall, Hagrid, Snape…casi todos) con otros nuevos que tiene su aquel (aunque ya he dicho que no son tan redondos). Y cierra razonablemente la trama pero dejándose margen para una continuación.
Como soy forofo de Harry Potter (ya había leído los tres primeros en 2001, antes de que publicase el cuarto, ya antes de que apareciese la primera peli a finales de ese año), creo que eso podría haberme hecho renegar de esta copia descarada. Pero no, oye, me ha parecido consecuente y honesta, nada pretenciosa y divertida.
No es la Rowling de sus mejores libros, pero tampoco la de La Orden del Fenix, bastante coñazo para mi gusto.
Vale, ya se que no lo es. Pero podría serlo.
Para mi gusto muy bien. Como aquí nunca puntuo en estrellas por debajo de mi valoración sobre 10 (y ese le doy un 8,5) pues le han caído las 5. Me explico.
Es un libro consecuente. Plagia a saco a la Rowling, pero manteniéndose fiel a los comportamientos de los personajes, a los lugares, a todo. NO intenta darle ningún toque “diferenciador” que venga a decir “yo soy distinto de la original, pero igual de bueno”. No. El tío escribe una historia continuación con un hijo de Harry que tiene su propia personalidad y además se inventa una historia consecuente y razonablemente redonda.
El punto y medio que se le cae, para mi gusto, es que solo el personaje de James Potter está logrado. Sus dos compañeros, Ralph y Zane, tiene muchas posibilidades pero no llega a exploarlas, Son, de momento, sólo comparsas (ya veremos en el siguiente libro).
La historia mezcla a muggles y al famoso mago Merlin, a los personajes conocidos (Harry, Hermione, Mcgonagall, Hagrid, Snape…casi todos) con otros nuevos que tiene su aquel (aunque ya he dicho que no son tan redondos). Y cierra razonablemente la trama pero dejándose margen para una continuación.
Como soy forofo de Harry Potter (ya había leído los tres primeros en 2001, antes de que publicase el cuarto, ya antes de que apareciese la primera peli a finales de ese año), creo que eso podría haberme hecho renegar de esta copia descarada. Pero no, oye, me ha parecido consecuente y honesta, nada pretenciosa y divertida.
No es la Rowling de sus mejores libros, pero tampoco la de La Orden del Fenix, bastante coñazo para mi gusto.
September 19, 2011
I am very impressed by this novel. Honestly, I can say that it is different from, but just as good as, the Harry Potter novels written by J. K. Rowling. It was well-written with new and likable characters and the format of the book was the same. It covers Harry’s son James’ first year at Hogwarts and his adventures with his friends Zane and Ralph. The adventure in this book is a little similar to the Deathly Hallows with the gathering of three relics, but it is totally unique as well. This book some how managed to compliment and expand upon the endlessly interesting world of Harry Potter. Also, the length of the book was what first made me take it seriously. It isn’t huge, but it is longer in word count than the Half-Blood Prince and the following two are even longer. I haven’t read the other two yet but I definitely will. In fact, writing this review is taking away from the time I should be spending on the reading. Lippert has rekindled that overwhelming feeling of curiosity that I had when waiting for the next Harry Potter novel. I am surprised that more people haven’t read these yet. I recommend this book and the following two (even though I haven’t gotten to them yet) to anyone who has read the seven Harry Potter novels.
Again, all I can say is that I am impressed.
Again, all I can say is that I am impressed.
October 11, 2012
This was very fun to read and I totally enjoyed jumping back into the world of Harry Potter. This author has to be commended...he didn't make a dime on writing this or his other Harry Potter fan-fiction sequels. He did, IMHO an excellent job and while there were times when you could tell this wasn't Rowling's work, it didn't detract at all from the story. I also don't believe in criticizing work that is created purely without financial gain so I'll refrain from delving into details that could work against this plot. It is enough to say that it was nice to be back at Hogwarts and I look forward to going there again with James next year.
July 29, 2011
Wow! I have to say I'm impressed about this book! Never would I thought I'm gonna read something HP'y again. I'm afraid that reading this book is a waste of time? Got me wrong, eh. I recommend this I think to all HP readers who want some more read of Hogwarts!
January 10, 2008
While this book isn't a Rowling, there is definitely a Potterverse feel to it. Don't go in there expecting a replica of the previous 7, but do expect to enjoy the story and some of the new characters (and a few old) that have been introduced.
Once you get through the first few chapters which are mostly inundated with Mugglisms/Americanisms, the book is quite a good read and up to the test of following Harry Potter.
Once the story got rolling I found myself downloading the next chapter immeadiately. I zipped through the last 7 chapters without a thought and I feel that this is a pretty good testament to what Lippert has accomplished.
Once you get through the first few chapters which are mostly inundated with Mugglisms/Americanisms, the book is quite a good read and up to the test of following Harry Potter.
Once the story got rolling I found myself downloading the next chapter immeadiately. I zipped through the last 7 chapters without a thought and I feel that this is a pretty good testament to what Lippert has accomplished.
December 30, 2016
4 Wands
(After some serious contemplation...)
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child may be the book that HAUNTS me this year. While The Deathly Hallows gave me closure, the Cursed Child ripped it apart. I read James Potter to replace these horrifying memories with something promising.
What I liked :
1 James Potter
From the start he tries to assert himself as an individual. He comes up with different ways to achieve this goal, which lets you connect with him. He was not a miniature version of The Boy Who Lived but a young boy with his own personal demons & dreams.
2 Ralph and Zane
Even as friends, they had a complicated dynamic. They didn't belong to the same houses and had different traits.
3 The Law of Secrecy
This has been repeated in every HP book and this story questioned why it was necessary. What are the consequenes if this Law is not in effect.
4 Paintings with moving subjects
5 Slytherin
We meet a rival who is composed, intelligent and effective. Its easy to dismiss someone repeating archaic beliefs and prejudice but its impossible to ignore someone who makes you question what you believed was true.
6 Harry Potter
This is how Harry Potter grew up in my imagination. He was wise but not preachy, daring, modest with a sense of humour. He was a good parent who encouraged independence and individuality.
7 Ted Lupin
He has to be the most well adjusted character in this series. He was layered, funny, smart & adventurous. He knew the expectations of living with a legacy and was coping rather well. I hope we see more of him in the other books. Fans of Fred & George will love Ted and the Gremlins.
Differences that didn't bother me :
1 Slight American Influence
This didn't really bother me, I think the HP world has always represented differences. Think goblins and house elves, the Weasleys and the Malfoys or Durmstrang and Beauxbatons.
I like the idea of adding something new, it could be Irish warlocks, Romanian dragons and villains, Alaskan Goblins....
2 Less magical
The dark and fascinating factor was lower in this book, it was less magical somehow. But the author is a good storyteller, I was invested in most characters and the emotional development was convincing.
What I didn't like :
1 Length and speed
The story rambles at times, loses its pace and you're jerked out of the story.
2 Ben Franklyn
Even if he was not a part of the book, the story remains unchanged. Why was he there?
3 The Relics
Their coming together seemed too convenient and forced.
4 Dark Super Villain
I kept waiting for one but there were no villains who leave an impression. Someone you can hate, fear and plot against...I'm still waiting and hope we see someone super evil in the next book.
Would I say this was a continuation of the Harry Potter world? No.
We have lived, enjoyed and explored that journey to a satisfying end.
But this is definitely a promising Spin Off series with a fascinating protagonist, i.e. James Potter.
(After some serious contemplation...)
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child may be the book that HAUNTS me this year. While The Deathly Hallows gave me closure, the Cursed Child ripped it apart. I read James Potter to replace these horrifying memories with something promising.
What I liked :
1 James Potter
From the start he tries to assert himself as an individual. He comes up with different ways to achieve this goal, which lets you connect with him. He was not a miniature version of The Boy Who Lived but a young boy with his own personal demons & dreams.
2 Ralph and Zane
Even as friends, they had a complicated dynamic. They didn't belong to the same houses and had different traits.
3 The Law of Secrecy
This has been repeated in every HP book and this story questioned why it was necessary. What are the consequenes if this Law is not in effect.
4 Paintings with moving subjects
5 Slytherin
We meet a rival who is composed, intelligent and effective. Its easy to dismiss someone repeating archaic beliefs and prejudice but its impossible to ignore someone who makes you question what you believed was true.
6 Harry Potter
This is how Harry Potter grew up in my imagination. He was wise but not preachy, daring, modest with a sense of humour. He was a good parent who encouraged independence and individuality.
7 Ted Lupin
He has to be the most well adjusted character in this series. He was layered, funny, smart & adventurous. He knew the expectations of living with a legacy and was coping rather well. I hope we see more of him in the other books. Fans of Fred & George will love Ted and the Gremlins.
Differences that didn't bother me :
1 Slight American Influence
This didn't really bother me, I think the HP world has always represented differences. Think goblins and house elves, the Weasleys and the Malfoys or Durmstrang and Beauxbatons.
I like the idea of adding something new, it could be Irish warlocks, Romanian dragons and villains, Alaskan Goblins....
2 Less magical
The dark and fascinating factor was lower in this book, it was less magical somehow. But the author is a good storyteller, I was invested in most characters and the emotional development was convincing.
What I didn't like :
1 Length and speed
The story rambles at times, loses its pace and you're jerked out of the story.
2 Ben Franklyn
Even if he was not a part of the book, the story remains unchanged. Why was he there?
3 The Relics
Their coming together seemed too convenient and forced.
4 Dark Super Villain
I kept waiting for one but there were no villains who leave an impression. Someone you can hate, fear and plot against...I'm still waiting and hope we see someone super evil in the next book.
Would I say this was a continuation of the Harry Potter world? No.
We have lived, enjoyed and explored that journey to a satisfying end.
But this is definitely a promising Spin Off series with a fascinating protagonist, i.e. James Potter.
December 4, 2012
I read this when it was still available as a free PDF. I wouldn't have paid for it (I know there's another pay copy of a spin off of this fan fiction).
I have nothing against fan fiction. My own has taught me so much about writing in general that I will always have a soft spot for the concept. But I would never dream of making money off my fan fics, and that's probably the first problem that I have with this fan fic. Especially as it has led to court cases on copyright infringement.
But also, too much was altered in the canon. And what was altered didn't even make sense for the storyline - Merlin is feared the whole novel and yet when he's resurrected/changed the laws of apparition to return to hogwarts he's a stern yet jovial character. As a other reviewer has said, it's a little coincidental that all three elements were brought together just at the right time.
There's more I dislike, I could tell early on that this was written by an American, not a British person, by the romantic way they view England. We don't talk like that, school - even boarding school - is not like this novel is presented. The reason the original Harry Potters work so well is that J.K.Rowling was so immersed in our history, in our society, that such notions came easily. I know from friends in America that it's not uncommon for people in different grades to go to the same classes. This doesn't happen in England yet in the novel it appears to? I know I sound like I'm nitpicking, but all these little things add up.
The muggle who somehow penetrates magic boundaries makes no sense - was he a squib and this information glazed over? How on earth did the car/garage bit work with the canon?
I won't even go into the ridiculousness of the prank pulled at the end. Weaching.
I have nothing against fan fiction. My own has taught me so much about writing in general that I will always have a soft spot for the concept. But I would never dream of making money off my fan fics, and that's probably the first problem that I have with this fan fic. Especially as it has led to court cases on copyright infringement.
But also, too much was altered in the canon. And what was altered didn't even make sense for the storyline - Merlin is feared the whole novel and yet when he's resurrected/changed the laws of apparition to return to hogwarts he's a stern yet jovial character. As a other reviewer has said, it's a little coincidental that all three elements were brought together just at the right time.
There's more I dislike, I could tell early on that this was written by an American, not a British person, by the romantic way they view England. We don't talk like that, school - even boarding school - is not like this novel is presented. The reason the original Harry Potters work so well is that J.K.Rowling was so immersed in our history, in our society, that such notions came easily. I know from friends in America that it's not uncommon for people in different grades to go to the same classes. This doesn't happen in England yet in the novel it appears to? I know I sound like I'm nitpicking, but all these little things add up.
The muggle who somehow penetrates magic boundaries makes no sense - was he a squib and this information glazed over? How on earth did the car/garage bit work with the canon?
I won't even go into the ridiculousness of the prank pulled at the end. Weaching.
Shelved as 'zzz-books-not-for-me'
February 11, 2016DNF: 20% Read in January 27 till 28, 2016
This book is absolutely amazing!
1. The style - very similar to miss Rowling's,
2. the magical world and Hogwarts - wonderfully described, yet enough of new elements are introduced to satisfy your needs,
3. the three main characters - feel like part of Miss Rowling's world, yet, they are different from the original cast. Love that James doesn't like living in his father's shadow and that he wants to be different.
4. new twists, the story takes on a completely different approach with having James being the only non-muggle born in his group and having his best friends assigned to different houses from him.
5. A great sequel to the events of the original series - you can see how the school was affected, especially the Slytherin house.
6. And ~
~ by this time you're probably wondering -if this book is so freaking awesome, why the hell did I stop at 20%?
Well...ok, there were quite a few things that irritated me and I've already listed them in the comments of my status updates. But were they so bad to make me want to discontinue the book - no. In fact, I recommend this book to anyone who is desperate for more Hogwarts experience!
However, bare in mind that James Potter feels so much like an ACTUAL SEQUEL that your mind might start considering it as cannon. Is this a bad thing? Depends on the type of person you are. I am the type of person who remembers too much.
Basically, Mr. Lippert takes the Harry Potter universe to the next level, which is great, but would also mean that if I continue reading, this knowledge of what happens with Hogwarts will remain with me every time I reread the original 7 books and I don't want that.
It's like seeing one of your favorite series wrap up and you feel sad, yet satisfied. Then a new set of books serving as sequels are announced and you're ecstatic! Yet, the books change the world/characters/stuff you grew to love so much that you kind of wish you could erase them from your memory, because now you'll never see the original books the same way. (Yep, I'm talking about the Fever series by K.M.Moning)
So it's really up to you - if you don't mind excellent fanfictions, give this one a go. It's definitely worth it!
This book is absolutely amazing!
1. The style - very similar to miss Rowling's,
2. the magical world and Hogwarts - wonderfully described, yet enough of new elements are introduced to satisfy your needs,
3. the three main characters - feel like part of Miss Rowling's world, yet, they are different from the original cast. Love that James doesn't like living in his father's shadow and that he wants to be different.
4. new twists, the story takes on a completely different approach with having James being the only non-muggle born in his group and having his best friends assigned to different houses from him.
5. A great sequel to the events of the original series - you can see how the school was affected, especially the Slytherin house.
6. And ~
~ by this time you're probably wondering -if this book is so freaking awesome, why the hell did I stop at 20%?
Well...ok, there were quite a few things that irritated me and I've already listed them in the comments of my status updates. But were they so bad to make me want to discontinue the book - no. In fact, I recommend this book to anyone who is desperate for more Hogwarts experience!
However, bare in mind that James Potter feels so much like an ACTUAL SEQUEL that your mind might start considering it as cannon. Is this a bad thing? Depends on the type of person you are. I am the type of person who remembers too much.
Basically, Mr. Lippert takes the Harry Potter universe to the next level, which is great, but would also mean that if I continue reading, this knowledge of what happens with Hogwarts will remain with me every time I reread the original 7 books and I don't want that.
It's like seeing one of your favorite series wrap up and you feel sad, yet satisfied. Then a new set of books serving as sequels are announced and you're ecstatic! Yet, the books change the world/characters/stuff you grew to love so much that you kind of wish you could erase them from your memory, because now you'll never see the original books the same way. (Yep, I'm talking about the Fever series by K.M.Moning)
So it's really up to you - if you don't mind excellent fanfictions, give this one a go. It's definitely worth it!
August 20, 2010
I came across “James Potter and the Hall of Elders’ Crossing” while looking for other fanfiction. Lippert’s website threw me off right away, on two different points. First of all, he asserts that when he sat down to write his Potter fanfiction, he had never heard of the term “fanfiction.” I doubt that anyone with much experience of the Internet, even the Internet of three years ago, could imagine that they were ‘alone’ in anything, including the obviously huge Harry Potter fandom. Regardless, once he *had* written his fanfiction, the idea that he didn’t take the time to look for more of it on the Internet before making his website and putting out his novel is also fairly ridiculous, and leads one to believe that Lippert constructed the website and faux-naïveté to gain attention. Lippert will certainly always protest that this is untrue, and as it likely impossible to ‘prove’ his intentions either way, I’ll set this argument aside. To put it simply, Lippert published a piece of fanfiction from outside of the fanfiction community, and whether that is a positive, negative or neutral attribute is for the reader to decide.
The second issue that disturbed me is the dismissive attitude that Lippert takes toward a certain section of his readers, whom he dubs the “Canon Police.” He admits to some faults, then claims “I was usually glad for the notes of correction, although I was dismayed at the ones that were accompanied by the verbal equivalent of Howlers about my abysmal writing, occasionally adding that I had ‘ruined Harry Potter.’” Frankly, if you were glad for the notes of correction, you wouldn’t complain about the readers who offered them. The downside to Lippert having come from outside of the fanfiction community is either, politely, that he had no beta reader to help him fix these errors, or, rudely, that he had no idea anyone would bother to criticize him and couldn’t handle it when someone did. For me, it is a personal pet peeve when any author criticizes his or her readers. In a professional author, it is as disgusting as criticizing one’s customers, and ensures that they won’t come back for another product. In a fanfiction author, it’s just petty. Furthermore, when writing fanfiction, an author has to deal with the fact that he or she is playing in someone else’s sandbox. No pooping, no throwing sand, and no smashing the castles that the owner of the sandbox has built. Fans of a work who are seeking out fanfiction to read are bound to be the most devoted type of fans, the ones who care deeply about the characters, and who are hurt to see their conception of the characters misrepresented. This is why people get so crazy about their “OTPs,” and why Potter fans will find various problems with Lippert’s book.
Some of Lippert’s errors were annoying, and some failed basic logic tests. For example, he has Zane and James taking a Technomancy class (kind-of like magic crossed with Physics, and it is interesting at times, especially when Lippert considers how apparition occurs, but at other times, again, annoyingly wrong) with a boy called Murdock, who is old enough to apparate. Of course, that means that Murdock is seventeen. How often do 17-year-olds and 11-year-olds take classes together in the real world? Rarely, because as humans, one’s brain is at a very different developmental stage at 11 than it is at 17. School is divided into grades partly to help put in order the process of learning, to show the learner the steps that are taken to understand a concept. It’s hard to take Physics if you can’t do algebra, for example. Similarly, there is a stigma on students who “skip” or “fail” years of school. Lippert has forgotten these basic rules of humanity in several places, including other classes. His Gryffindors share bedrooms with students of various ages and seem to have many more cross-year friendships than do Rowling’s wizards (though I did often find it unbelievable when Harry didn’t know the name of an older student from his own house, like Cormac McLaggen). He also has students taking classes as first-year students that didn’t begin, in Harry’s time, until third year (Ralph takes Arithmancy, if I recall correctly).
Quidditch takes place on a school day in Lippet’s book, even though in the canon it’s always on a Saturday morning. Again, a little common sense might have averted this one: teenagers today play sports on weekday afternoons, but they don’t go to boarding schools where they’re locked up together all weekend anyway. Any good teacher knows that game days are the worst days to teach class, as all of the athletes are distracted (or worse, dismissed early) and the rest of the kids are nearly as wiggly and ready to leave. Even if Lippert forgot the canon, he ought to have considered the effect of scheduling a game on a weekday, and for the educational benefit of the imaginary students, shifted the game to the weekend.
Finally, Lippert makes a big hullaballoo about magical art in Technomancy class, asserting that imaginary characters can move into other pictures, including portraits of real people, but the subjects of portraits cannot move to any other pictures save other instances of their own portrait. This is a major plot point, as James eventually discovers that Snape has painted small, disguised portraits of himself into the backgrounds of paintings around the castle, so that he can observe from multiple viewpoints. Oh, and Snape doodled similar portraits into his old Potions book, even though that’s never mentioned in “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” either. Lippert went to a bunch of trouble to have a teacher teach something that was plainly wrong. In at least two places in the canon, it is made clear that the subjects of portraits can travel to visit their portraits in other buildings, *and* can travel into the other pictures hung around them in a single building. It happens in “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,” when Everard, a former headmaster, goes to visit his other portrait in the Ministry of Magic, and says that, while in the Ministry of Magic, he “ran along to Elfrida Cragg’s portrait to get a good view as they left.” It happens again in “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” when Harry goes to Dumbledore’s office and uses the Penseive to see Snape’s thoughts. The office is changed because, “The portraits that hung all around the walls were empty. Not a single headmaster or headmistress remained to see him. All, it seemed, had flitted away, charging through the paintings that lined the castle so that they could have a clear view of what was going on.” (Please forgive any slight misquotations, as I have only the audiobooks to go on at the moment.) Had Lippert simply gone back to check what canon had to say on the matter of portraits, he would have found the two instances I mention, and wouldn’t have needed to go to the trouble of having Snape paint himself all over the castle, an action that seems highly out of character. Snape never shows artistic interests during any of the books. Furthermore, and this bit is more open to interpretation, I don’t think he would have *bothered* to do so during his lifetime. Either way, it simply wasn’t necessary: Lippert could have had Snape darting all over the castle in disguise on his own.
To what extent a reader is willing to set aside these incongruities in a piece of fanfiction is up to the individual reader. They bothered me quite a bit, but, then again, I listen to the Harry Potter audiobooks as background noise all the time, and have subsequently absorbed a lot of information into my subconscious (for example, I remembered those two instances of portrait-travel without looking them up, though I did have to check for the exact quotations). However, if a reader criticizes only the errors, he or she falls into Lippert’s trap of being “Canon Police,” and is thereby dismissed. Again, as I said, I think that canon errors are a legitimate issue, but having described them, I’ll set them aside and look at the book on its own merits.
“James Potter and the Hall of Elders’ Crossing” also struggles as a book on its own. There is, essentially, ‘too much’ going on, making each sub-plot seem less wholly relevant. There are a few different strands of events, which I feel fall into three categories. One category is just “the presence of Americans.” Lippert has three teachers and several students from the American school of “Alma Aleron” show up for “a year-long international magical summit.” Or, no good reason at all. And one of the teachers is Ben Franklyn. That one. But he spelled his name differently for the Muggles. On one hand, this argument could easily be dismissed by the anti-Canon-police as being too centered on Rowling’s conception of Hogwarts. Again, though, I think logic is against this as well. Students in college, or sometimes high school, do sometimes study abroad for a year. Teachers do, sometimes, go teach for a year in a different school. Even canon has students visiting in order to participate in the Triwizard Cup. The reason I struggled with the presence of Americans is that there wasn’t a unifying reason for them to be there. It did give Lippert a reason to add a “Technomancy” teacher, but otherwise, it wasn’t clear what the other teachers and students were really doing at Hogwarts. They felt incongruous.
The other two strands form the two different antagonistic forces faced by James. On the one hand, there are the “Progressive Element” students, who believe that Voldemort wasn’t evil, and that the Wizarding community is discriminating against Muggles by assuming that they can’t handle knowing about the existence of wizards. It’s an interesting conception, and certainly the idea of arguing over historical interpretation has its appeal. At the same time, there are forces working to recall Merlinus Ambrosius, the legendary “Merlin” of wizard exclamations and human mythology. In order to recall Merlin, one must gather his three relics and put them in a specific place during a specific astronomical event. In the book, this is connected to the Progressive Element, as those attempting to recall Merlin are Progressives who want Merlin to lead their revelations to the Muggle world. However, the two antagonistic strands fight against each other rather than being complementary, and each has a sort-of separate climax. The Progressive Element succeeds in leading a Muggle newscaster into Hogwarts, and the Merlin-recalling Progressive Element succeeds in recalling Merlin. Each event is more than enough climax for one book, but Lippert crams both into his story, diminishing the importance of each. The way that the Hogwarts staff deals with the Muggle newscaster is charming, but it didn’t require Merlin’s participation. Similarly, Merlin is a somewhat interesting character, obviously a Dumbledore analog, but with enough differences to make him potentially intriguing. However, his presence wasn’t really necessary to pull off the Muggle distraction, and summoning him could have had other consequences than pulling off the Muggle distraction. In my opinion, a more condensed story with only one of these antagonistic strands would have been great. Indeed, Lippert could have focused on the Muggle newscaster, while still dropping hints about the recall of Merlin, and set himself up tidily for the next book. I’ll forgive Lippert for borrowing Merlin, as he does tangentially show up in the canon (Merlin’s pants!), but now that he’s stuffed both threads into one story, I’m not really sure where his next book can possibly go. The Harry Potter series is created with an end in mind: to defeat Voldemort. James Potter doesn’t have his own villain; the Progressive Element is shaping up to be interesting, but that’s a battle of the minds rather than a battle of men, so it isn’t clear how Lippert will drive the plot for the next books (he’s already written two more).
Rowling’s writing style was never the strong point of the Harry Potter books; she can be repetitive with her adjectives, for example. Lippert’s writing style doesn’t stand out particularly, which, for a children’s book, is an advantage. Eleven-year-olds are just barely beginning to understand “style,” so to have an overly unique one would not be beneficial. The few poems and songs he has included are awful, lacking an even meter (though I guess that the Gryffindor Quidditch song could be awful on purpose, as it was written by teenagers? A stretch). Most of the characters are relatively flat, but consistent (save for the canon characters, -would McGonagall really reduce her teaching load just to go on dates with a Muggle policeman?- but that’s a separate issue). Several moments in the book are rather funny, such as when Zane makes a James Bond joke, or when James encounters the Fat Lady for the first time, and doesn’t know the password.
Most of the times when I had difficulty relate to a combination of characterization and plot: the story has so many new characters, as well as most of the old ones, so it can be hard to remember details about any given person, or care. Ted seemed to be spending most of his time with a Hermione-ish brainy character, Petra, only to be spotted holding hands with Victoire, who lacked characteristics beyond “pretty” and “pretty snotty,” at the end of the book. Indeed, though Lippert makes the Draco-ish Slytherin villain a girl, Tabitha Corsica, he doesn’t spend much time at all considering the female characters. James’ “trio” includes Ralph and Zane (both Muggle-born, and Zane an American as well), and though they encounter some other girls (mainly Petra), there isn’t a sympathetic female student who gets more than a passing treatment. Granted, the Hermione of “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” wasn’t a hugely likeable character, either, but at least we got to see lots of her. Connected to this issue, Lippert fails to tie up his loose ends. James gets advice from Snape’s portrait, but never goes back to see him again. Tabitha acts as a Progressive Element mouthpiece in a debate, and suffers an attempted broom-theft halfway through the book, but she never reappears to be angry that the Muggle newsman was thwarted, or to hassle James on the train (though she is much milder than Draco, I admit). Again, this lack of thoroughness comes from the fact that too much is going on; with one antagonistic plot at a time, readers might come to know the characters better.
Overall, “James Potter and the Hall of Elders’ Crossing” has one very serious thing going for it: it’s a novel-length fanfiction that is already complete. Though there are many fanfiction writers, and good ones, complete novel-length works are thin on the ground. I’d love to say that I disliked Lippert’s first work enough to not read his second and third, but that’s a lie. I didn’t like the first James Potter book, but I’ll probably read the rest simply because they’re there, and I love the world of Hogwarts enough to go back as often as possible, even if I’m only going to an erroneous imitation of the place. In that way, perhaps, Lippert can serve the community: by inspiring those who are capable of doing better to get off their butts and do it!
The second issue that disturbed me is the dismissive attitude that Lippert takes toward a certain section of his readers, whom he dubs the “Canon Police.” He admits to some faults, then claims “I was usually glad for the notes of correction, although I was dismayed at the ones that were accompanied by the verbal equivalent of Howlers about my abysmal writing, occasionally adding that I had ‘ruined Harry Potter.’” Frankly, if you were glad for the notes of correction, you wouldn’t complain about the readers who offered them. The downside to Lippert having come from outside of the fanfiction community is either, politely, that he had no beta reader to help him fix these errors, or, rudely, that he had no idea anyone would bother to criticize him and couldn’t handle it when someone did. For me, it is a personal pet peeve when any author criticizes his or her readers. In a professional author, it is as disgusting as criticizing one’s customers, and ensures that they won’t come back for another product. In a fanfiction author, it’s just petty. Furthermore, when writing fanfiction, an author has to deal with the fact that he or she is playing in someone else’s sandbox. No pooping, no throwing sand, and no smashing the castles that the owner of the sandbox has built. Fans of a work who are seeking out fanfiction to read are bound to be the most devoted type of fans, the ones who care deeply about the characters, and who are hurt to see their conception of the characters misrepresented. This is why people get so crazy about their “OTPs,” and why Potter fans will find various problems with Lippert’s book.
Some of Lippert’s errors were annoying, and some failed basic logic tests. For example, he has Zane and James taking a Technomancy class (kind-of like magic crossed with Physics, and it is interesting at times, especially when Lippert considers how apparition occurs, but at other times, again, annoyingly wrong) with a boy called Murdock, who is old enough to apparate. Of course, that means that Murdock is seventeen. How often do 17-year-olds and 11-year-olds take classes together in the real world? Rarely, because as humans, one’s brain is at a very different developmental stage at 11 than it is at 17. School is divided into grades partly to help put in order the process of learning, to show the learner the steps that are taken to understand a concept. It’s hard to take Physics if you can’t do algebra, for example. Similarly, there is a stigma on students who “skip” or “fail” years of school. Lippert has forgotten these basic rules of humanity in several places, including other classes. His Gryffindors share bedrooms with students of various ages and seem to have many more cross-year friendships than do Rowling’s wizards (though I did often find it unbelievable when Harry didn’t know the name of an older student from his own house, like Cormac McLaggen). He also has students taking classes as first-year students that didn’t begin, in Harry’s time, until third year (Ralph takes Arithmancy, if I recall correctly).
Quidditch takes place on a school day in Lippet’s book, even though in the canon it’s always on a Saturday morning. Again, a little common sense might have averted this one: teenagers today play sports on weekday afternoons, but they don’t go to boarding schools where they’re locked up together all weekend anyway. Any good teacher knows that game days are the worst days to teach class, as all of the athletes are distracted (or worse, dismissed early) and the rest of the kids are nearly as wiggly and ready to leave. Even if Lippert forgot the canon, he ought to have considered the effect of scheduling a game on a weekday, and for the educational benefit of the imaginary students, shifted the game to the weekend.
Finally, Lippert makes a big hullaballoo about magical art in Technomancy class, asserting that imaginary characters can move into other pictures, including portraits of real people, but the subjects of portraits cannot move to any other pictures save other instances of their own portrait. This is a major plot point, as James eventually discovers that Snape has painted small, disguised portraits of himself into the backgrounds of paintings around the castle, so that he can observe from multiple viewpoints. Oh, and Snape doodled similar portraits into his old Potions book, even though that’s never mentioned in “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” either. Lippert went to a bunch of trouble to have a teacher teach something that was plainly wrong. In at least two places in the canon, it is made clear that the subjects of portraits can travel to visit their portraits in other buildings, *and* can travel into the other pictures hung around them in a single building. It happens in “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,” when Everard, a former headmaster, goes to visit his other portrait in the Ministry of Magic, and says that, while in the Ministry of Magic, he “ran along to Elfrida Cragg’s portrait to get a good view as they left.” It happens again in “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” when Harry goes to Dumbledore’s office and uses the Penseive to see Snape’s thoughts. The office is changed because, “The portraits that hung all around the walls were empty. Not a single headmaster or headmistress remained to see him. All, it seemed, had flitted away, charging through the paintings that lined the castle so that they could have a clear view of what was going on.” (Please forgive any slight misquotations, as I have only the audiobooks to go on at the moment.) Had Lippert simply gone back to check what canon had to say on the matter of portraits, he would have found the two instances I mention, and wouldn’t have needed to go to the trouble of having Snape paint himself all over the castle, an action that seems highly out of character. Snape never shows artistic interests during any of the books. Furthermore, and this bit is more open to interpretation, I don’t think he would have *bothered* to do so during his lifetime. Either way, it simply wasn’t necessary: Lippert could have had Snape darting all over the castle in disguise on his own.
To what extent a reader is willing to set aside these incongruities in a piece of fanfiction is up to the individual reader. They bothered me quite a bit, but, then again, I listen to the Harry Potter audiobooks as background noise all the time, and have subsequently absorbed a lot of information into my subconscious (for example, I remembered those two instances of portrait-travel without looking them up, though I did have to check for the exact quotations). However, if a reader criticizes only the errors, he or she falls into Lippert’s trap of being “Canon Police,” and is thereby dismissed. Again, as I said, I think that canon errors are a legitimate issue, but having described them, I’ll set them aside and look at the book on its own merits.
“James Potter and the Hall of Elders’ Crossing” also struggles as a book on its own. There is, essentially, ‘too much’ going on, making each sub-plot seem less wholly relevant. There are a few different strands of events, which I feel fall into three categories. One category is just “the presence of Americans.” Lippert has three teachers and several students from the American school of “Alma Aleron” show up for “a year-long international magical summit.” Or, no good reason at all. And one of the teachers is Ben Franklyn. That one. But he spelled his name differently for the Muggles. On one hand, this argument could easily be dismissed by the anti-Canon-police as being too centered on Rowling’s conception of Hogwarts. Again, though, I think logic is against this as well. Students in college, or sometimes high school, do sometimes study abroad for a year. Teachers do, sometimes, go teach for a year in a different school. Even canon has students visiting in order to participate in the Triwizard Cup. The reason I struggled with the presence of Americans is that there wasn’t a unifying reason for them to be there. It did give Lippert a reason to add a “Technomancy” teacher, but otherwise, it wasn’t clear what the other teachers and students were really doing at Hogwarts. They felt incongruous.
The other two strands form the two different antagonistic forces faced by James. On the one hand, there are the “Progressive Element” students, who believe that Voldemort wasn’t evil, and that the Wizarding community is discriminating against Muggles by assuming that they can’t handle knowing about the existence of wizards. It’s an interesting conception, and certainly the idea of arguing over historical interpretation has its appeal. At the same time, there are forces working to recall Merlinus Ambrosius, the legendary “Merlin” of wizard exclamations and human mythology. In order to recall Merlin, one must gather his three relics and put them in a specific place during a specific astronomical event. In the book, this is connected to the Progressive Element, as those attempting to recall Merlin are Progressives who want Merlin to lead their revelations to the Muggle world. However, the two antagonistic strands fight against each other rather than being complementary, and each has a sort-of separate climax. The Progressive Element succeeds in leading a Muggle newscaster into Hogwarts, and the Merlin-recalling Progressive Element succeeds in recalling Merlin. Each event is more than enough climax for one book, but Lippert crams both into his story, diminishing the importance of each. The way that the Hogwarts staff deals with the Muggle newscaster is charming, but it didn’t require Merlin’s participation. Similarly, Merlin is a somewhat interesting character, obviously a Dumbledore analog, but with enough differences to make him potentially intriguing. However, his presence wasn’t really necessary to pull off the Muggle distraction, and summoning him could have had other consequences than pulling off the Muggle distraction. In my opinion, a more condensed story with only one of these antagonistic strands would have been great. Indeed, Lippert could have focused on the Muggle newscaster, while still dropping hints about the recall of Merlin, and set himself up tidily for the next book. I’ll forgive Lippert for borrowing Merlin, as he does tangentially show up in the canon (Merlin’s pants!), but now that he’s stuffed both threads into one story, I’m not really sure where his next book can possibly go. The Harry Potter series is created with an end in mind: to defeat Voldemort. James Potter doesn’t have his own villain; the Progressive Element is shaping up to be interesting, but that’s a battle of the minds rather than a battle of men, so it isn’t clear how Lippert will drive the plot for the next books (he’s already written two more).
Rowling’s writing style was never the strong point of the Harry Potter books; she can be repetitive with her adjectives, for example. Lippert’s writing style doesn’t stand out particularly, which, for a children’s book, is an advantage. Eleven-year-olds are just barely beginning to understand “style,” so to have an overly unique one would not be beneficial. The few poems and songs he has included are awful, lacking an even meter (though I guess that the Gryffindor Quidditch song could be awful on purpose, as it was written by teenagers? A stretch). Most of the characters are relatively flat, but consistent (save for the canon characters, -would McGonagall really reduce her teaching load just to go on dates with a Muggle policeman?- but that’s a separate issue). Several moments in the book are rather funny, such as when Zane makes a James Bond joke, or when James encounters the Fat Lady for the first time, and doesn’t know the password.
Most of the times when I had difficulty relate to a combination of characterization and plot: the story has so many new characters, as well as most of the old ones, so it can be hard to remember details about any given person, or care. Ted seemed to be spending most of his time with a Hermione-ish brainy character, Petra, only to be spotted holding hands with Victoire, who lacked characteristics beyond “pretty” and “pretty snotty,” at the end of the book. Indeed, though Lippert makes the Draco-ish Slytherin villain a girl, Tabitha Corsica, he doesn’t spend much time at all considering the female characters. James’ “trio” includes Ralph and Zane (both Muggle-born, and Zane an American as well), and though they encounter some other girls (mainly Petra), there isn’t a sympathetic female student who gets more than a passing treatment. Granted, the Hermione of “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” wasn’t a hugely likeable character, either, but at least we got to see lots of her. Connected to this issue, Lippert fails to tie up his loose ends. James gets advice from Snape’s portrait, but never goes back to see him again. Tabitha acts as a Progressive Element mouthpiece in a debate, and suffers an attempted broom-theft halfway through the book, but she never reappears to be angry that the Muggle newsman was thwarted, or to hassle James on the train (though she is much milder than Draco, I admit). Again, this lack of thoroughness comes from the fact that too much is going on; with one antagonistic plot at a time, readers might come to know the characters better.
Overall, “James Potter and the Hall of Elders’ Crossing” has one very serious thing going for it: it’s a novel-length fanfiction that is already complete. Though there are many fanfiction writers, and good ones, complete novel-length works are thin on the ground. I’d love to say that I disliked Lippert’s first work enough to not read his second and third, but that’s a lie. I didn’t like the first James Potter book, but I’ll probably read the rest simply because they’re there, and I love the world of Hogwarts enough to go back as often as possible, even if I’m only going to an erroneous imitation of the place. In that way, perhaps, Lippert can serve the community: by inspiring those who are capable of doing better to get off their butts and do it!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 23, 2024
Pues me encantó. No es Rowling, claro. No puede serlo. Y tampoco es Harry Potter (tampoco puede serlo). Es James. Pero me asombra lo bien que consiguió la transición a esta otra historia, manteniendo el universo. Máxime cuando el escritor es americano y Harry Potter es una obra tan inglesa, no sólo en ese colegio y sus protocolos, sino en ese tipo de humor como sin querer que impregna hasta cada descripción, sin restarle seriedad a la historia.
La ausencia de ese humor sí que la noté y la eché de menos.
Pero insisto en que me ha parecido una transición fluida y creíble hasta este nuevo momento de su hijo, en un mundo ya pacífico y con ese revisionismo histórico que da mucho que pensar y que me ha parecido una trama acertadísima para venir justo tras aquel tremendo final. Esa especie de ninguneo de la posteridad, con ellos aún en vida.
Al final el autor, al comentar sus "influencias" (además de lo obvio), habla de una trilogía de C.S. Lewis de la que tomó el inquietante Merlin que aparece aquí. Un personaje del que quiero saber más. Y si lo tomó de esa trilogía que menciona, desde luego quiero leerla.
Pues menudo pedazo de fan fiction. Un mundo que desconozco a todo desconocer (el de los fan fiction), pero ya veo que tiene sus joyitas. GL (Universo Harry Potter)
La ausencia de ese humor sí que la noté y la eché de menos.
Pero insisto en que me ha parecido una transición fluida y creíble hasta este nuevo momento de su hijo, en un mundo ya pacífico y con ese revisionismo histórico que da mucho que pensar y que me ha parecido una trama acertadísima para venir justo tras aquel tremendo final. Esa especie de ninguneo de la posteridad, con ellos aún en vida.
Al final el autor, al comentar sus "influencias" (además de lo obvio), habla de una trilogía de C.S. Lewis de la que tomó el inquietante Merlin que aparece aquí. Un personaje del que quiero saber más. Y si lo tomó de esa trilogía que menciona, desde luego quiero leerla.
Pues menudo pedazo de fan fiction. Un mundo que desconozco a todo desconocer (el de los fan fiction), pero ya veo que tiene sus joyitas. GL (Universo Harry Potter)
January 9, 2024
I am not giving this 4 stars just because this isn't J.K. Rowling's official work.
This was a very pleasant reading. Normally I'm sceptical about fan-fictions concerning a saga I absolutely worship. However, this was recommended to me by another "Harry Potter" fan so I've decided to give it a go. Also, the idea of having some sort of continuation after "Deathly Hallows", made me grab this story and read it, forgetting it wasn't written by the genius herself.
This "book" - since it's not a true publication but an on-line reading - manages to create a plausible continuation for Harry Potter saga, this time being his son James the main character. It's a Potter, still. The characters were created in a way that resembled the previous characters, being Ted Lupin my ultimate favourite one. That particular character reminded me of the Weasley twins, which was amazing since I kind of miss them. Ralph and Zane were a mixture of Ron/Hermione/Luna and Neville, in my opinion, bringing the same comic relief as them and the true bond of friendship. As for James, to me he was a new version of his father, perhaps a little bit more mature than his father in his first year. Of course that having Harry Potter as your dad helps you viewing the world differently. Cedric surprised me since I was not expecting him to be a ghost wandering Hogwarts, completely lost and speechless. I admire the fact he was kind of connected with Snape in helping James and his friends. And I also thought about him as the new Gryffindor ghost, forgetting as James that he wasn't a Gryffindor at all.
The idea of the American delegation was very well explored. I admit never having thought of that while reading Rowling's work, but Lippert managed to pick something completely different from what we were excepting, and transform it into a plausible (sorry the repetition of words) plot that would make us - my opinion of course - forget that we are not reading Rowling. Also, the Merlin plot was one of the reason it caught my attention. One great wizard as Merlin coming back from the "dead" and ruling was something I just needed to know how it would end. Truth be told that I never expected Merlin to be considered as the new Headmaster.
The writing was extremely well planned and carefully written. There were moments I forgot, as I've mentioned, that I wasn't reading J.K. Rowling since the author really did tried his best to keep as faithful as he could to the original writing. Even the jokes sounded as something the genius herself could write. For that, good work.
Overall, I think this was a very well written story based on Harry Potter, a pleasant reading that, not being official, will definitely fill your imagination as a possible continuation of the saga.
This was a very pleasant reading. Normally I'm sceptical about fan-fictions concerning a saga I absolutely worship. However, this was recommended to me by another "Harry Potter" fan so I've decided to give it a go. Also, the idea of having some sort of continuation after "Deathly Hallows", made me grab this story and read it, forgetting it wasn't written by the genius herself.
This "book" - since it's not a true publication but an on-line reading - manages to create a plausible continuation for Harry Potter saga, this time being his son James the main character. It's a Potter, still. The characters were created in a way that resembled the previous characters, being Ted Lupin my ultimate favourite one. That particular character reminded me of the Weasley twins, which was amazing since I kind of miss them. Ralph and Zane were a mixture of Ron/Hermione/Luna and Neville, in my opinion, bringing the same comic relief as them and the true bond of friendship. As for James, to me he was a new version of his father, perhaps a little bit more mature than his father in his first year. Of course that having Harry Potter as your dad helps you viewing the world differently. Cedric surprised me since I was not expecting him to be a ghost wandering Hogwarts, completely lost and speechless. I admire the fact he was kind of connected with Snape in helping James and his friends. And I also thought about him as the new Gryffindor ghost, forgetting as James that he wasn't a Gryffindor at all.
The idea of the American delegation was very well explored. I admit never having thought of that while reading Rowling's work, but Lippert managed to pick something completely different from what we were excepting, and transform it into a plausible (sorry the repetition of words) plot that would make us - my opinion of course - forget that we are not reading Rowling. Also, the Merlin plot was one of the reason it caught my attention. One great wizard as Merlin coming back from the "dead" and ruling was something I just needed to know how it would end. Truth be told that I never expected Merlin to be considered as the new Headmaster.
The writing was extremely well planned and carefully written. There were moments I forgot, as I've mentioned, that I wasn't reading J.K. Rowling since the author really did tried his best to keep as faithful as he could to the original writing. Even the jokes sounded as something the genius herself could write. For that, good work.
Overall, I think this was a very well written story based on Harry Potter, a pleasant reading that, not being official, will definitely fill your imagination as a possible continuation of the saga.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 10, 2012
This was almost as good as the original series. The essence of the Harry Potter books was captured in this story, but with the son. The use of historical figures as well as mythological figures helps the reader connect. The story has all the intrigue build in. I got to a point that could not put it down. Great read for young adults, as well as adults. Would recommend highly
May 24, 2012
I'm torn between 3 or 4 stars for this book (again!). It was definitely well written, and had a very similar tone and voice as the original Harry Potter series. The characters and the happenings all felt genuine. But there were a few scenes I just didn't take to - some new creatures and magical practices didn't quite feel at home in Rowling's universe, and some scenes were very talky and harder to get through so that I felt like reading was a chore at times. I was able to predict a lot of things that happened toward the end of the story way beforehand, although one thing did catch me off guard and it was really cool. But, predictability always knocks off a point for me. However, I do think this story is worth a shot for any Harry Potter fan, and I will continue reading this series by Lippert. He did it very well, and it was great to be back in the world of Harry Potter! Also, to the author's credit any time I started to question if something he wrote about was accurate to HP canon, it was then explained.
October 25, 2021
No tiene nada que envidiar a la saga de Harry Potter, de hecho diría que está en la línea de los dos primeros libros.
Cierto es que al principio me costó un poco cogerle el punto pero a los pocos capítulos ya estaba enganchado igual que me pasó con la saga original. Con que los siguientes mantengan el tipo me doy por satisfecho, por ahora tienen mi interés y mis ganas de seguir leyéndolos.
De verdad, no caigas en eso de "es que no es de JK Rowling, si no es original no me interesa" porque este libro, que no deja de ser una especie de introducción, podría ser perfectamente una continuación oficial y es muy superior al legado maldito.
Cierto es que al principio me costó un poco cogerle el punto pero a los pocos capítulos ya estaba enganchado igual que me pasó con la saga original. Con que los siguientes mantengan el tipo me doy por satisfecho, por ahora tienen mi interés y mis ganas de seguir leyéndolos.
De verdad, no caigas en eso de "es que no es de JK Rowling, si no es original no me interesa" porque este libro, que no deja de ser una especie de introducción, podría ser perfectamente una continuación oficial y es muy superior al legado maldito.
May 23, 2010
Most fan fiction is unreadable crap, but there are a few authors who can actually write at a professional level, or nearly so. If you like Harry Potter and the very idea of fan fiction doesn't make you turn up your nose, then this next generation story is worth reading. While I didn't like all of the elements Lippert added into the "canon" universe (the Americans and the "quantum" explanation of magic, for instance), it's otherwise very much in the same spirit as the original books.
November 9, 2013
This book was both an easy and a difficult read: at times I wanted to stop reading and at times I found it good. I was as big a Harry Potter fan as anyone, but I never read fanfic before, because I just didn't think it felt right, I didn't want to get my "journey" messed up with many different fictional universes - many with dubious quality, to put it nicely.
So this was my first fanfic experience. I'm in a very foreign country, learning a very foreign language and reading about complicated and war-ridden history and politics, and yesterday I really needed a break from all the psycho-ness of reality. James Potter and the Hall of Elders' Crossing provided that much-needed break, and I am grateful for it. I knew I had to let go of J.K. Rowling's Hogwarts and dive into someone else's Hogwarts, which was a little difficult, I admit, but ok - either you do it, or you just don't read the book. I liked going back to Hogwarts, even if this Hogwarts was a different one, with different characters (also the "old" characters like McGonnagall, Snape-in-portrait and even Harry himself were different characters, since they're written by another author), different storytelling, different style. It's ok. I found James' struggle with standing in his fathers' shadow a funny parallell to author Lippert's actual situation - no matter how well (or not) he writes, he will be in author Rowling's shadow. And as James Potter thinks, that he must be a different kind of hero from his father, Lippert must be a different sort of Hogwarts creator from Rowling. Maybe this wasn't intentional, but it was impossible to not think of it.
All in all: If you can let Rowling's Hogwarts go and just dive into another person's Hogwarts, there will be no problem with reading this book, it'll be just like any other book, some will like it and some will not. After all, even if Hogwarts and the Potterverse is the creation and property of Rowling, the idea of the Potterverse belongs to everyone who has ever visited. That a place and a fictional universe can be re-visited by others, I think is ultimately a very good thing. Don't expect it to be like the original, because it will never be.
All in all, I found it interesting to experience fanfic. While reading, I wondered why the author kept writing something he would have to publish for free - writing a book is a lot of work, and rarely pays off, but here, it'll be impossible for all future to make as much as a dime off it - instead of developing his own fictional universe that he can actually make some money from. At the end, I saw that he has done that too. I hope he'll have luck with that. It is *really* a lot of work.
So this was my first fanfic experience. I'm in a very foreign country, learning a very foreign language and reading about complicated and war-ridden history and politics, and yesterday I really needed a break from all the psycho-ness of reality. James Potter and the Hall of Elders' Crossing provided that much-needed break, and I am grateful for it. I knew I had to let go of J.K. Rowling's Hogwarts and dive into someone else's Hogwarts, which was a little difficult, I admit, but ok - either you do it, or you just don't read the book. I liked going back to Hogwarts, even if this Hogwarts was a different one, with different characters (also the "old" characters like McGonnagall, Snape-in-portrait and even Harry himself were different characters, since they're written by another author), different storytelling, different style. It's ok. I found James' struggle with standing in his fathers' shadow a funny parallell to author Lippert's actual situation - no matter how well (or not) he writes, he will be in author Rowling's shadow. And as James Potter thinks, that he must be a different kind of hero from his father, Lippert must be a different sort of Hogwarts creator from Rowling. Maybe this wasn't intentional, but it was impossible to not think of it.
All in all: If you can let Rowling's Hogwarts go and just dive into another person's Hogwarts, there will be no problem with reading this book, it'll be just like any other book, some will like it and some will not. After all, even if Hogwarts and the Potterverse is the creation and property of Rowling, the idea of the Potterverse belongs to everyone who has ever visited. That a place and a fictional universe can be re-visited by others, I think is ultimately a very good thing. Don't expect it to be like the original, because it will never be.
All in all, I found it interesting to experience fanfic. While reading, I wondered why the author kept writing something he would have to publish for free - writing a book is a lot of work, and rarely pays off, but here, it'll be impossible for all future to make as much as a dime off it - instead of developing his own fictional universe that he can actually make some money from. At the end, I saw that he has done that too. I hope he'll have luck with that. It is *really* a lot of work.
June 21, 2013
When I saw this book in eReads for my iPhone, I was really pleased. I thought it would be great to indulge in my love for the wizarding world with a fresh set of stories, especially since the ratings weren't half bad.
But just a few pages in and I couldn't believe how awful it was. I couldn't even make it through until the end of the second chapter, and I almost always finish a book once I've started.
First off are just the blatant incongruencies. I mean, if you are going to do a Potter continuation, you have to at least make it consistent with the way the world has already been painted. It was almost like the author had read the originals a long time ago and didn't bother refreshing his memory before writing these.
Secondly, there are a lot of new things he added that just didn't fit.
Finally, the writing just falls flat in general. You barely get a sense for where things are set and who is involved. I think it must be that the author relies too heavily on readers' prior knowledge of the wizarding world and so he doesn't bother setting up people or places properly, so everything seems rather disengaged. For example, a floating door opens up into a cave. But can you actually picture that without a door frame to define the edges of the portal? I can't. But the author figures hey, it's magic so I can do what I want and you'll have to believe it. Either that or he didn't think it through. I don't know which is worse.
The only reason I didn't give it one star is for little moments of character touches that I found charming, like James when he gets sorted. Overall though, reading this almost makes me want to try to write a story for James Potter just to get the bad taste of this story out of my mouth.
But just a few pages in and I couldn't believe how awful it was. I couldn't even make it through until the end of the second chapter, and I almost always finish a book once I've started.
First off are just the blatant incongruencies. I mean, if you are going to do a Potter continuation, you have to at least make it consistent with the way the world has already been painted. It was almost like the author had read the originals a long time ago and didn't bother refreshing his memory before writing these.
Secondly, there are a lot of new things he added that just didn't fit.
Finally, the writing just falls flat in general. You barely get a sense for where things are set and who is involved. I think it must be that the author relies too heavily on readers' prior knowledge of the wizarding world and so he doesn't bother setting up people or places properly, so everything seems rather disengaged. For example, a floating door opens up into a cave. But can you actually picture that without a door frame to define the edges of the portal? I can't. But the author figures hey, it's magic so I can do what I want and you'll have to believe it. Either that or he didn't think it through. I don't know which is worse.
The only reason I didn't give it one star is for little moments of character touches that I found charming, like James when he gets sorted. Overall though, reading this almost makes me want to try to write a story for James Potter just to get the bad taste of this story out of my mouth.
September 15, 2011
I have to admit this book surprised me, and it did in a very good way. Not just because I didn’t know this series existed, but by how much Mr. Lippert channels J.K. Rowling. In many moments, you couldn’t distinguish between the two authors, and that is a huge accomplishment.
This book has the same silly moments of awkwardness that made the Harry Potter series delightful and remarkably close to the human realm and not as something mythical because of magic and supernatural and otherworldly creatures, which I think is what gave it its resounding success.
Now I’m going to start with the spoilers. I loved the fact that the three protagonists were not only just boys, but also boys from different houses. It expanded the range of movement of the characters in a very interesting way, and at the end, it was not just to be diverse, but downright purposeful.
I had three favorite moments. When the ghost of Cedric Diggory talked to James Potter through the inscription on the Triwizard Cup, it was an eerie moment masterfully displayed, and I give big kudos to Mr. Lippert for that.
I loved the part of Old Mrs. Black distracted by TV. Superb touch to quiet her outbursts.
And when Merlin gave a chunk of his staff to the son of the squib, my eyes watered. It was a most inspiring moment, and it made perfect sense.
I highly recommend this book, not only as an extension of the Harry Potter world, but because I believe, it is a truly refreshing approach to a well-known subject.
This book has the same silly moments of awkwardness that made the Harry Potter series delightful and remarkably close to the human realm and not as something mythical because of magic and supernatural and otherworldly creatures, which I think is what gave it its resounding success.
Now I’m going to start with the spoilers. I loved the fact that the three protagonists were not only just boys, but also boys from different houses. It expanded the range of movement of the characters in a very interesting way, and at the end, it was not just to be diverse, but downright purposeful.
I had three favorite moments. When the ghost of Cedric Diggory talked to James Potter through the inscription on the Triwizard Cup, it was an eerie moment masterfully displayed, and I give big kudos to Mr. Lippert for that.
I loved the part of Old Mrs. Black distracted by TV. Superb touch to quiet her outbursts.
And when Merlin gave a chunk of his staff to the son of the squib, my eyes watered. It was a most inspiring moment, and it made perfect sense.
I highly recommend this book, not only as an extension of the Harry Potter world, but because I believe, it is a truly refreshing approach to a well-known subject.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 19, 2015
Star Rating:
About 3.5 or 4 stars, I can't decide
Plot:
It follows Harry Potter's son, James, through his first year at Hogwarts.
Characters:
James: He was a bit too much like Harry for my liking. He could also be very rude, stubborn, and headstrong at times. So he certainly wasn't my favorite character, but he was alright.
Zane: He was my favorite. I loved how he joked around and always kept things lighthearted, but he also knew when to be serious and responsible. Just a perfect mixture of each.
Ralph: He seemed quite dull to me, but I liked him okay. He was just your average third character and wasn't all that interesting to read about.
Opinion:
Overall, it was pretty good! Had that J.K. Rowling feel to it, and I sometimes had to remind myself that it was just a fanfic! I was a bit slow at times and it felt like it took forever to read, but maybe that's just because it doesn't have page numbers so I couldn't see how far I really was.
I did notice a few mistakes about the Wizarding world, and a few typos.
Recommendation:
I'd recommend it to any Potterhead!
About 3.5 or 4 stars, I can't decide
Plot:
It follows Harry Potter's son, James, through his first year at Hogwarts.
Characters:
James: He was a bit too much like Harry for my liking. He could also be very rude, stubborn, and headstrong at times. So he certainly wasn't my favorite character, but he was alright.
Zane: He was my favorite. I loved how he joked around and always kept things lighthearted, but he also knew when to be serious and responsible. Just a perfect mixture of each.
Ralph: He seemed quite dull to me, but I liked him okay. He was just your average third character and wasn't all that interesting to read about.
Opinion:
Overall, it was pretty good! Had that J.K. Rowling feel to it, and I sometimes had to remind myself that it was just a fanfic! I was a bit slow at times and it felt like it took forever to read, but maybe that's just because it doesn't have page numbers so I couldn't see how far I really was.
I did notice a few mistakes about the Wizarding world, and a few typos.
Recommendation:
I'd recommend it to any Potterhead!
September 2, 2013
Comencé este libro con una idea muy clara en la mente: no estaba leyendo a J. K. Rowling. Así que supongo que esto influyo en el confuso inicio de este fan-fic (fan’s fiction). Al principio me costó trabajo iniciarlo, pero en la medida que iba avanzando en la lectura me empecé a sumergir en la absorbente trama y me costaba trabajo dejar de leerlo.
Es un libro que respeta puntualmente el estilo de J. K. Rowling, pero que le da su propio toque. Si bien pueden criticarse algunas pequeñas libertades, muchas de estas reciben una explicación que encaja dentro de la lógica del mundo rowligniano. Al fin de cuentas en ese universo ya nada podría seguir siendo igual luego de los terribles acontecimientos que la misma autora narrara en los dos últimos tomos de la serie.
La trama es muy entretenida y apasionante; abundan esos aspectos a los que ya nos habíamos acostumbrado: el misterio, el humor, la ternura, las dudas, los temores y la necesidad de tomar decisiones que nos agobian a cualquier edad; los personajes nuevos son excelentes, y ni que decir que unos cuantos reencuentros que agitan esas fibras del corazón que destinamos para aquellos recuerdos especiales.
El autor dice en su carta final que ... la persona más creativa es la que mejor esconde sus fuentes... , sin embargo descartando las fuentes obvias como son Rowling y C. S. Lewis, hasta que leí la carta descubrí la influencia de Terry Pratchett, pero esta tan sutilmente inmersa esa influencia en el libro que, al menos en mi caso, hasta que no lo menciona el autor no caí en la cuenta.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,557 reviews