The darkest book in the Harry Potter series, this book has got the approval of many critics. We know what the audience reaction was -people camped outside bookstores to get their hands on a copy, devoured the pages standing up and cried copious tears when they read the unexpected ending. What had the critics applauding was what they called J K Rowling’s ‘arrival’ into the adult literary scene. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince sees “her subtle development of key characters, as well as her carefully nuanced depiction of a community at war”. It also sets the mood for the grand finale.