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Daydverse
Dumbledore's Army and the Year of Darkness
Fandom: Harry Potter
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A novel following Neville and the D.A. through the 7th year at Hogwarts under the reign of Snape and the Carrows.
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A novel following Neville and the D.A. through the 7th year at Hogwarts under the reign of Snape and the Carrows.
1027 pages, ebook
First published June 15, 2008
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1164 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
October 30, 2014
Leaving aside the scandals surrounding Blake, this story was... very much not my thing. I kind of really loved the premise of the story, and, in a technical sense (grammar, writing to an intellectual audience, vocabulary), it was pretty flawless.
But...
This *was* a story in the Harry Potter universe, but it might as well not have been, as the characterisation certainly wasn't flawless. I really did not feel he stayed true to any of the characters and many of them seemed to just be one-dimensional, flat stereotypes. Woman don't, generally, conform to the Madonna-whore stereotype - although some of us are meek and soft and nurturing, and others are sexually gregarious and outgoing, most of us fall somewhere in between. Blake at no point seems to realize this, and we are left with female characters whose badassness is but a faint echo of what was written by Rowling.
I also feel like Blake doesn't recognise that people aren't all black and white. *Nobody* is all good or all bad. Making Neville the paragon of virtue, and Snape the cartoonishly evil embodiment of all villain stereotypes, makes it look a lot like Blake couldn't write a complex character to save his life. There's just something that rings incredibly hollow about this story. As if it were written by a robot who had only had the vaguest notion of how human beings work. I think you'll find that real people aren't so easily pigeonholed as Blake seems to believe they are.
I will spend less time on the fact that this is essentially just grimdark torture porn. If that appeals to you, more the power to you - read it and enjoy. Lots of people have, as evidenced by Blake's cult-like following with the DAYDians. It's just not my cup of tea, and I am rating it as such.
...and you'll never convince me he *isn't* a robot.
But...
This *was* a story in the Harry Potter universe, but it might as well not have been, as the characterisation certainly wasn't flawless. I really did not feel he stayed true to any of the characters and many of them seemed to just be one-dimensional, flat stereotypes. Woman don't, generally, conform to the Madonna-whore stereotype - although some of us are meek and soft and nurturing, and others are sexually gregarious and outgoing, most of us fall somewhere in between. Blake at no point seems to realize this, and we are left with female characters whose badassness is but a faint echo of what was written by Rowling.
I also feel like Blake doesn't recognise that people aren't all black and white. *Nobody* is all good or all bad. Making Neville the paragon of virtue, and Snape the cartoonishly evil embodiment of all villain stereotypes, makes it look a lot like Blake couldn't write a complex character to save his life. There's just something that rings incredibly hollow about this story. As if it were written by a robot who had only had the vaguest notion of how human beings work. I think you'll find that real people aren't so easily pigeonholed as Blake seems to believe they are.
I will spend less time on the fact that this is essentially just grimdark torture porn. If that appeals to you, more the power to you - read it and enjoy. Lots of people have, as evidenced by Blake's cult-like following with the DAYDians. It's just not my cup of tea, and I am rating it as such.
...and you'll never convince me he *isn't* a robot.
November 25, 2013
There was a time I read a ton of fanfic and I have a high tolerance for fanfic tropes like Mary Sueness and the characters being somewhat out of character for the purpose of the fanficcers. So when I ran across some positive reviews of this fanfic that tells what took place at Hogwarts during what would have been Harry’s seventh year, I was pretty enthused. That’s a book I wish J.K. Rowling would write, but since she probably won’t, I’d love to have a fanfic substitute.
Dumbledore’s Army is better written than most fanfic and pulls you in pretty quick. Neville becoming leader in the first chapter was unlikely, contrary to canon (where Ginny was pretty clearly the leader until she was expelled), and required Ginny to act like Hermione to Harry when the DA was first formed in book 5 (with weird added romantic overtones), but I’m a Neville fan so I’ll let it slide. I’ll also let slide the fact that none of the other Griffindors have ever seen Neville as leader material, nor have they seen him do most of the cool stuff he has done, meaning them making him leader at this point is pretty unlikely. Hannah attacking Neville over another girl when they weren’t even dating was unbelievable for me – although it clearly echoes Hermione’s bird attack on Ron, Hannah is not prone to Hermione’s rages, best we can tell, but more importantly Neville is not Ron and would not have taken that attack nearly so lightly (plus Ron was seriously pissed anyhow).
Still, Hannah is a minor character in the original series and the author’s clearly using parallel events to draw the reader in, plus the story was zipping right along, so I kept reading because I’m easy that way. Canon purists, in my experience, either don’t read fanfic or write their own (and then get in arguments with other canon purists who think they screwed up); you can’t be a serious canon purist and enjoy much fanfic. Personally, I’m fine with seeing fanfic as an alternate reality, just as I often separate the book and movie versions and appreciate them as two different versions of a story I love.
OTOH, people read fanfic because they love the original series, and if the fanfic is contrary to canon in multiple ways, at some point the reader will cry “foul!” By the end of the first chapter it was clear that this Neville was a Mary Sue version of the real one, and also clear that the author was going to kick the brutality of the bad guys up to eleven, while the good guys (particularly Neville) take a level in badass. The author also didn’t have the subtle feel for how power works or for characterization that J.K. Rowling has. These are all common flaws of fanfic and don’t generally bother me.
The fact that Snape has Filch chain and whip students over eighty blows each in front of the students and faculty, then leaves them hanging there bleeding for three days, we’ll step lightly over by assuming that Minerva and much of the old guard were sent off to a conference, adding in our knowledge that wizard children are more resilient than Muggles to explain the fact that the two students in question survive. Because in canon Minerva already has a level in Bad Ass, and there’s no way she would sit meekly by while that’s going on.
Part of the appeal of this fanfic is that it’s a bit of a trainwreck – as a reader, you have to do a lot of handwaving to make it work, but there's a sense where that can draw you in and you're working with the author to legitimize this version. Since this book supposedly weaves with the Hogwarts chapters in Deathly Hallows towards the end, I was hoping that’d keep things on track enough for my tolerance levels, but by Chapter 10 we finally hit something hard enough to throw me completely out of the story.
To back up a bit, a week or so into the school year, Neville told the other Griffindor DAs that he has concluded they are relatively safe in school, but that at the end of the year, the kids suspected of being active Harry supporters will be in danger as soon as they graduate. Therefore, he’s going to try to get things prepared for Harry’s return to Hogwarts and, if Harry doesn’t return, they’re all going to start a war on the last day of school and take as many Death Eaters with them as possible. This plan struck me as seriously un-Neville-ish, but this is Fatalistic HP World, and I was willing to go with it.
Then, over the Christmas holidays, Neville and Mr. Weasley sit down for a chat, and Mr. Weasley tells Neville that when Ginny told them this plan, he and Mrs. Weasley “couldn’t find any real way to argue [against] it.” Seriously? First off, J.K. Rowling’s Ginny would never have told her parents this plan, mostly because she would expect to survive it, but also because she’d know they’d be against it and she’s not in the habit of sharing that sort of thing with them. Secondly, there is no way on God’s green earth that Mr. and Mrs. Weasley would agree that, since some seventh years might be in danger after they graduate, all the DAs, including their sixth-year beloved daughter, should be involved in a suicidal battle.
The Weasleys may not be great strategists, but they could probably think of a dozen alternative plans, plus they are still part of the Order – absolutely they would have passed this plan on and had it vetted by better strategists who definitely could have argued against it. More importantly, the Weasleys know that Harry is part of a plan Dumbledore had and still fought against him being reckless; they’re not going to agree to some plan a teenager came up with on his own that even the teenager views as likely suicidal.
This is not a “this character isn’t acting like himself” kind of thing which can often be debated (Snape’s out of character this entire book, but it’s in a common-to-fanfic out of character way). This is “this supposedly caring parent isn’t acting like any caring parent known to human history” kind of thing. The first makes my eyes roll but I keep reading; the second I have to put the book aside while I try to recover my willingness to continue – or, if the rest of the book doesn’t give me much hope once I start thinking on it, either give up on it or see if someone has done a good enough parody or sporking on it to make it worth finishing to get more of the jokes. Because the idea that Mr. Weasley would say this goes right past "dumb" and into "so ridiculous it's hilarious."
Edit:
Wow. A lot of this is "so bad it's good," but the second half of chapter thirteen is dismal and the last few chapters even worse. nevermore's sporking is the only thing that got me through this.
A. Blake apparently wrote Dumbledore's Army and the Year of Darkness in two months, posting as he went, and while the story starts out with Neville kind of getting his own version of stuff that happened to the trio, and the original goal was to show what happened at the school in the real Potter Universe while Harry was gone his seventh year, the lack of planning and thought becomes more and more obvious as the story goes on. After the bloodbath at the end, add in the fact that the author completely missed the main theme of the original novels, I am astonished anyone still says this story could fit into canon.
http://www.journalfen.net/tools/memor...
Dumbledore’s Army is better written than most fanfic and pulls you in pretty quick. Neville becoming leader in the first chapter was unlikely, contrary to canon (where Ginny was pretty clearly the leader until she was expelled), and required Ginny to act like Hermione to Harry when the DA was first formed in book 5 (with weird added romantic overtones), but I’m a Neville fan so I’ll let it slide. I’ll also let slide the fact that none of the other Griffindors have ever seen Neville as leader material, nor have they seen him do most of the cool stuff he has done, meaning them making him leader at this point is pretty unlikely. Hannah attacking Neville over another girl when they weren’t even dating was unbelievable for me – although it clearly echoes Hermione’s bird attack on Ron, Hannah is not prone to Hermione’s rages, best we can tell, but more importantly Neville is not Ron and would not have taken that attack nearly so lightly (plus Ron was seriously pissed anyhow).
Still, Hannah is a minor character in the original series and the author’s clearly using parallel events to draw the reader in, plus the story was zipping right along, so I kept reading because I’m easy that way. Canon purists, in my experience, either don’t read fanfic or write their own (and then get in arguments with other canon purists who think they screwed up); you can’t be a serious canon purist and enjoy much fanfic. Personally, I’m fine with seeing fanfic as an alternate reality, just as I often separate the book and movie versions and appreciate them as two different versions of a story I love.
OTOH, people read fanfic because they love the original series, and if the fanfic is contrary to canon in multiple ways, at some point the reader will cry “foul!” By the end of the first chapter it was clear that this Neville was a Mary Sue version of the real one, and also clear that the author was going to kick the brutality of the bad guys up to eleven, while the good guys (particularly Neville) take a level in badass. The author also didn’t have the subtle feel for how power works or for characterization that J.K. Rowling has. These are all common flaws of fanfic and don’t generally bother me.
The fact that Snape has Filch chain and whip students over eighty blows each in front of the students and faculty, then leaves them hanging there bleeding for three days, we’ll step lightly over by assuming that Minerva and much of the old guard were sent off to a conference, adding in our knowledge that wizard children are more resilient than Muggles to explain the fact that the two students in question survive. Because in canon Minerva already has a level in Bad Ass, and there’s no way she would sit meekly by while that’s going on.
Part of the appeal of this fanfic is that it’s a bit of a trainwreck – as a reader, you have to do a lot of handwaving to make it work, but there's a sense where that can draw you in and you're working with the author to legitimize this version. Since this book supposedly weaves with the Hogwarts chapters in Deathly Hallows towards the end, I was hoping that’d keep things on track enough for my tolerance levels, but by Chapter 10 we finally hit something hard enough to throw me completely out of the story.
To back up a bit, a week or so into the school year, Neville told the other Griffindor DAs that he has concluded they are relatively safe in school, but that at the end of the year, the kids suspected of being active Harry supporters will be in danger as soon as they graduate. Therefore, he’s going to try to get things prepared for Harry’s return to Hogwarts and, if Harry doesn’t return, they’re all going to start a war on the last day of school and take as many Death Eaters with them as possible. This plan struck me as seriously un-Neville-ish, but this is Fatalistic HP World, and I was willing to go with it.
Then, over the Christmas holidays, Neville and Mr. Weasley sit down for a chat, and Mr. Weasley tells Neville that when Ginny told them this plan, he and Mrs. Weasley “couldn’t find any real way to argue [against] it.” Seriously? First off, J.K. Rowling’s Ginny would never have told her parents this plan, mostly because she would expect to survive it, but also because she’d know they’d be against it and she’s not in the habit of sharing that sort of thing with them. Secondly, there is no way on God’s green earth that Mr. and Mrs. Weasley would agree that, since some seventh years might be in danger after they graduate, all the DAs, including their sixth-year beloved daughter, should be involved in a suicidal battle.
The Weasleys may not be great strategists, but they could probably think of a dozen alternative plans, plus they are still part of the Order – absolutely they would have passed this plan on and had it vetted by better strategists who definitely could have argued against it. More importantly, the Weasleys know that Harry is part of a plan Dumbledore had and still fought against him being reckless; they’re not going to agree to some plan a teenager came up with on his own that even the teenager views as likely suicidal.
This is not a “this character isn’t acting like himself” kind of thing which can often be debated (Snape’s out of character this entire book, but it’s in a common-to-fanfic out of character way). This is “this supposedly caring parent isn’t acting like any caring parent known to human history” kind of thing. The first makes my eyes roll but I keep reading; the second I have to put the book aside while I try to recover my willingness to continue – or, if the rest of the book doesn’t give me much hope once I start thinking on it, either give up on it or see if someone has done a good enough parody or sporking on it to make it worth finishing to get more of the jokes. Because the idea that Mr. Weasley would say this goes right past "dumb" and into "so ridiculous it's hilarious."
Edit:
Wow. A lot of this is "so bad it's good," but the second half of chapter thirteen is dismal and the last few chapters even worse. nevermore's sporking is the only thing that got me through this.
A. Blake apparently wrote Dumbledore's Army and the Year of Darkness in two months, posting as he went, and while the story starts out with Neville kind of getting his own version of stuff that happened to the trio, and the original goal was to show what happened at the school in the real Potter Universe while Harry was gone his seventh year, the lack of planning and thought becomes more and more obvious as the story goes on. After the bloodbath at the end, add in the fact that the author completely missed the main theme of the original novels, I am astonished anyone still says this story could fit into canon.
http://www.journalfen.net/tools/memor...
October 1, 2016
Neville had no bad qualities in this novel, other than the obvious hero "taking on too much and not sharing his feelings" not-fault. There was definitely a solid attempt at keeping the story canon. Most frustratingly was the blatant sexism throughout. References were constantly made to how good witches were at magic despite their having been born female, how so-and-so witch was almost as good as the wizards, etcetera. I found it extremely distracting and it really ruined the immersive experience I seek in fantasy novels.
April 22, 2012
If you have the time to read a full length Fan fiction this one takes the cake. Andrew Blake provides a detailed accounting of the events at Hogwarts during the seventh year of the story and enthralls readers with descriptions of unparalleled depth. The book expands on the character development of nearly every character in the school from the heroic yet self doubting Neville to courageous and loyal Ernie Macmillan. You will find yourself in tears at least a couple times and won't leave until you've read every last word.
With a collection of works far larger than the original 7 books this universe is everything you'll ever need to give you your potter fix
With a collection of works far larger than the original 7 books this universe is everything you'll ever need to give you your potter fix
July 29, 2018
This story was abysmal. I have rarely read a work I was so disappointed and disgusted by. The narrative is overly wordy in a bad way (not the descriptive style of GRRM or Stephen King but the dull as ditch water kind that makes you want to reach for another book to entertain you). It's also incredibly boring and lacking emotion in a strange way - as if someone on the outside looking in were trying to describe the emotion of a situation while only partly understanding how feelings worked. The style also over relies on passive voice, including for the big moment where Neville kills Nagini. Really. One of Neville's most widely beloved moments in a story that spends forever describing the most mundane things chooses THAT MOMENT to skimp on words and description and use passive voice. There's also this really weird quirk where the narrative keeps saying things like 'the head', 'the eyes', etc. instead of 'his head', 'her eyes', etc. that gets old the fiftieth time.
But enough picking on the style for a moment - let's get into the characters. For one thing, they act nothing like the characters from JKR's story. Luna's become so painfully conventional she bears little resemblance from the dreamy, quirky girl we know and love and Ginny spends far more time being maternal and gentle and taking care of everyone than she does fighting and taking names. Neville's nothing like himself either. And there's precious little time showing the change from the sweet, if bumbling boy we know and love to some uninspired macho man soldier. He just jumps right into it already having had his transformation. At the very least in the start of the story, he should be panicking and freaking out and probably, honestly, taking a backseat to the others (which would also fit far better into canon than this Neville, just saying). He doesn't, we're just dropped in expecting Neville to already be the snake Horcrux killing hero we love at the end without any growth to get there.
Another major issue with the work is that it's tone is wildly inconsistent, with both its own world building and that of the canon novels. This book can't make up its mind about whether these are children who grew up too fast who still act like children or if they are all TOTALLY adults now who are totally professional and tough. It tries to go for the first and still have the characters act like kids but it fails because none of the characters sound like kids. They just sound immature and, in quite a few occasions, like nauseating frat boy stereotypes (or motherly angels if they're girls). It also fails to gel with later when they're trying to be sad about how there's no more kids in the school because they're ALL GROWN UP and real soldiers (not that they act like those either - they're more like robots).
As for compliance with HP, the tone's incredibly inconsistent and not just in the fact its darker (which could have been good) but because it is trying to be deep and edgy and explain the horrors of war and the tragedy of child soldiers. The problem is it does this without any of JKR's maturity or genuine fun and humour when the characters are supposed to be acting like kids and enjoying themselves. There's little depth to the writing and what it tries to pass for depth is usually a corny line intended to sound poetic, but it just ends up awkward. I can count on one hand the number of times I smiled at this story.
There's also a lot of just plain bald faced mistakes. For example, Luna's eyes are grey in canon but repeatedly described as blue here. Or Dean's family being in Hogwarts immediately after the battle when they're muggles and wouldn't know where or how to get there. I can understand missing something but the thing about Dean was kind of important to his character - he's on the run for a reason!
I could have forgiven these things though. I can forgive a bad plot and a dull style if I love the characters. I'm not hard to entertain! But the characters were either flat and one dimensional or so obnoxious that by the end I was rooting for them and the Death Eaters to kill each other and be put out of my misery.
It really doesn't help with how sexist and stereotypical the whole thing is. If I never see a woman described as dainty, delicate, tiny or little again it'll be too soon. I swear, the whole time Neville and Ernie and Seamus were so condescending I was fantasizing about all the Bat-bogey hexes Ginny would let loose if she were remotely in character. And no, that's not just a teenage boy thing. I've been a teenager and I'd dare say very very few of the boys were like that when they talked to or about me. And the girls I knew most certainly would not have just taken it! Not that the girls have much individual personality anyways. They're all generically sweet, sometimes a little spunky arm candy who speak some universal girl code. There's only a handful of times they talk about what they want out of life and most of the time the answer is marriage and babies. There's nothing wrong with marriage and babies but when every girl feels that way, it starts to raise my eyebrow. And as for stereotypes - it's not enough that Ernie be Scottish and Seamus Irish and the Patils be Indian. Nooooo, Ernie has to be super stereotypical in his affected British voice ('dear chum!') and otherwise annoying (and I've seen quite a few Scottish readers who felt his accent was overwritten and, well, Nac Mac Feegle esque frankly). Meanwhile, Seamus is a stereotypical Irish drunk who talks like everyone is after his lucky charms. By the middle of the fic I wanted to shake him and say 'We get it, you're the most Oirish Oirishman to ever Oirish in the history of Oireland, now shut up about it already'). I'm of Irish descent and enjoyed Seamus' occasional Irish pride in HP, but this story ramped it up until even I found it unbearable (not to mention stereotypical).
Did I mention the really badly done rape chapter? Because...oh my lord. It is not good. Lavender had absolutely no agency in how her friends responded - they never even bothered to ASK her what she wanted. They just relied on her friends advice (who, again, if they were in character at all would be spitting FIRE).
As for realism? Don't make me laugh. This story is meant to tackle the horrors of war, especially those fought by children and it just...doesn't. The horror isn't there aside from a lot of lovingly detailed gore. Nobody breaks, nobody snaps and can't handle the pressure, nobody cuts and runs or turns traitor or begs under torture or gives up. Everyone is endlessly brave and loyal and only one person tries to talk sense into them about how maaaaaybe planning their own heroic deaths is a bad idea. This person is never mentioned before, never mentioned again, and is primarily shunted to the side so our heroes can get on with the plot! Certainly nobody resents Neville for convincing them this was a good idea and setting them up to be child soldiers in a battle they have no business being in or blames him for their friends deaths. That would be complicated, messy and inconvenient for the hero - i.e. actual horrors of war. The actual horror isn't there. I don't know enough about all the blank slates to care when they die in gross ways and frankly, an eight year old could write that. I expect a story about the horror of war to actually show the horror. Not just the torture and murder and the convenient bit where Neville gets to turn off his feelings so they don't interfere in what he does (with no training - yeah, the military takes a long time drilling that in your head. See my above point about Neville not freaking out at first even though he'd never been a soldier or whipped or plotted heroic death stands before). That last bit is really poorly described by the way. It forgets to detail the actual numbing of feelings so instead Neville just looks like he didn't care about his so called friends being tortured or murdered. On that note - it's hard to believe they're such good friends if they only show up to die or a quick mention before that.
One of the other (myriad) issues is how much the story likes to harp on things like the characters transformation to adultness. Now, before it seems like I'm contradicting myself, I'd like to establish I don't mean character development INTO adultness, no, I mean they've all apparently shot up in height and have broad shoulders and sculpted jaws and huge muscles. Or, if you're a girl, slim waists, breasts and dainty hands. And of course we have to hear several times about how good looking they all are (including slimming down Hannah and bulking up Neville, both of whom are chubby in canon). Not to mention how fixated everyone is on their house and the resulting stereotypes in the fic, no matter how awkward or weird timing to bring it up.
There are so many other problems with the narrative too - the characters behave abysmally sometimes to the point they're mistaken for death eaters at one point, Crucio is undervalued to the point of comedy, the staff is out of character-ly passive, the characters refuse to criticize the DA, the use of magic is stretched again to the point of comedy, and the characters are frequently useless or treat people poorly (like house elves, ignoring anti-Muggleborn bigotry and Neville treating his 'soldiers' like chess pieces instead of friends). The book frequently invalidates its own narrative, leaving me to wonder what the point of all the never ending words was, and ends up back-pedalling later when the problem becomes apparent (like setting Neville up as some prophesied back up plan - SPOILER: He's not. And don't even get me started on how hard they had to backpedal on Snape not being evil - well, okay, debatable, but he's definitely not the card carrying cackling mastermind who tortures and murders children for kicks he is in this fic). Also, for all the grief the story gives Harry (unjustifiably imo), it sure does rip off his experiences a lot! Neville even has a vision of his deceased loved ones before he believes he's about to die. Resurrection Stone anyone?
Finally, the biggest problem to me is the DA's goal doesn't make a lick of sense. The DA decides to reform to have a battle at Hogwarts by graduation and take out as many Death Eaters as they can before they die to cause an outcry against Voldemort's regime rather than be picked off one by one after they leave school. There's three major problems with this:
1) There's only 3 Death Eaters in the school (the Carrows and Snape) and about 80 DA by the end of the story. Would it really be so hard to cast Disillusionment Charms on three people, wait for the graduation to end and cast three Killing Curses and run? It's not even like there's a lot of Death Eaters nearby either. There's only six in Hogsmeade that we see!
2) It's never explained why the Death Eaters would pick them off outside school. They're evil blood supremacists, yes, but there's no particular reason to target these kids until they start rebelling.
And finally 3) They're in contact with Order members. Ginny can write her Order member parents any time she wants to with Coding Quills. Why not just ask them to hook the kids up so they can join the Order, which A) Would give them protection, B) Give them something constructive to do (most of their 'rebellion against Voldemort' at school is graffiti and vandalism - i.e. totally pointless) and C) Give the Order more members (because the Order is being hunted down and for some reason never tries to recruit more people). THEIR WHOLE "FINAL STAND" THAT'S PLANNED IS UNNECESSARY. This happens all the time too. The characters make decisions that don't need to happen. A character marries his girlfriend of a month because they think they'll die soon, and want to keep it secret even though it's unnecessary, makes things complicated and is just harder for everyone.
My suggestion? Don't waste your time. There's better stories and much better Harry Potter fan fiction out there. I'm certainly not looking forward to the sequel and if I weren't too stubborn to quit a series, I wouldn't bother. Save the space on your bookshelf, computer, and/or kindle and get something else.
But enough picking on the style for a moment - let's get into the characters. For one thing, they act nothing like the characters from JKR's story. Luna's become so painfully conventional she bears little resemblance from the dreamy, quirky girl we know and love and Ginny spends far more time being maternal and gentle and taking care of everyone than she does fighting and taking names. Neville's nothing like himself either. And there's precious little time showing the change from the sweet, if bumbling boy we know and love to some uninspired macho man soldier. He just jumps right into it already having had his transformation. At the very least in the start of the story, he should be panicking and freaking out and probably, honestly, taking a backseat to the others (which would also fit far better into canon than this Neville, just saying). He doesn't, we're just dropped in expecting Neville to already be the snake Horcrux killing hero we love at the end without any growth to get there.
Another major issue with the work is that it's tone is wildly inconsistent, with both its own world building and that of the canon novels. This book can't make up its mind about whether these are children who grew up too fast who still act like children or if they are all TOTALLY adults now who are totally professional and tough. It tries to go for the first and still have the characters act like kids but it fails because none of the characters sound like kids. They just sound immature and, in quite a few occasions, like nauseating frat boy stereotypes (or motherly angels if they're girls). It also fails to gel with later when they're trying to be sad about how there's no more kids in the school because they're ALL GROWN UP and real soldiers (not that they act like those either - they're more like robots).
As for compliance with HP, the tone's incredibly inconsistent and not just in the fact its darker (which could have been good) but because it is trying to be deep and edgy and explain the horrors of war and the tragedy of child soldiers. The problem is it does this without any of JKR's maturity or genuine fun and humour when the characters are supposed to be acting like kids and enjoying themselves. There's little depth to the writing and what it tries to pass for depth is usually a corny line intended to sound poetic, but it just ends up awkward. I can count on one hand the number of times I smiled at this story.
There's also a lot of just plain bald faced mistakes. For example, Luna's eyes are grey in canon but repeatedly described as blue here. Or Dean's family being in Hogwarts immediately after the battle when they're muggles and wouldn't know where or how to get there. I can understand missing something but the thing about Dean was kind of important to his character - he's on the run for a reason!
I could have forgiven these things though. I can forgive a bad plot and a dull style if I love the characters. I'm not hard to entertain! But the characters were either flat and one dimensional or so obnoxious that by the end I was rooting for them and the Death Eaters to kill each other and be put out of my misery.
It really doesn't help with how sexist and stereotypical the whole thing is. If I never see a woman described as dainty, delicate, tiny or little again it'll be too soon. I swear, the whole time Neville and Ernie and Seamus were so condescending I was fantasizing about all the Bat-bogey hexes Ginny would let loose if she were remotely in character. And no, that's not just a teenage boy thing. I've been a teenager and I'd dare say very very few of the boys were like that when they talked to or about me. And the girls I knew most certainly would not have just taken it! Not that the girls have much individual personality anyways. They're all generically sweet, sometimes a little spunky arm candy who speak some universal girl code. There's only a handful of times they talk about what they want out of life and most of the time the answer is marriage and babies. There's nothing wrong with marriage and babies but when every girl feels that way, it starts to raise my eyebrow. And as for stereotypes - it's not enough that Ernie be Scottish and Seamus Irish and the Patils be Indian. Nooooo, Ernie has to be super stereotypical in his affected British voice ('dear chum!') and otherwise annoying (and I've seen quite a few Scottish readers who felt his accent was overwritten and, well, Nac Mac Feegle esque frankly). Meanwhile, Seamus is a stereotypical Irish drunk who talks like everyone is after his lucky charms. By the middle of the fic I wanted to shake him and say 'We get it, you're the most Oirish Oirishman to ever Oirish in the history of Oireland, now shut up about it already'). I'm of Irish descent and enjoyed Seamus' occasional Irish pride in HP, but this story ramped it up until even I found it unbearable (not to mention stereotypical).
Did I mention the really badly done rape chapter? Because...oh my lord. It is not good. Lavender had absolutely no agency in how her friends responded - they never even bothered to ASK her what she wanted. They just relied on her friends advice (who, again, if they were in character at all would be spitting FIRE).
As for realism? Don't make me laugh. This story is meant to tackle the horrors of war, especially those fought by children and it just...doesn't. The horror isn't there aside from a lot of lovingly detailed gore. Nobody breaks, nobody snaps and can't handle the pressure, nobody cuts and runs or turns traitor or begs under torture or gives up. Everyone is endlessly brave and loyal and only one person tries to talk sense into them about how maaaaaybe planning their own heroic deaths is a bad idea. This person is never mentioned before, never mentioned again, and is primarily shunted to the side so our heroes can get on with the plot! Certainly nobody resents Neville for convincing them this was a good idea and setting them up to be child soldiers in a battle they have no business being in or blames him for their friends deaths. That would be complicated, messy and inconvenient for the hero - i.e. actual horrors of war. The actual horror isn't there. I don't know enough about all the blank slates to care when they die in gross ways and frankly, an eight year old could write that. I expect a story about the horror of war to actually show the horror. Not just the torture and murder and the convenient bit where Neville gets to turn off his feelings so they don't interfere in what he does (with no training - yeah, the military takes a long time drilling that in your head. See my above point about Neville not freaking out at first even though he'd never been a soldier or whipped or plotted heroic death stands before). That last bit is really poorly described by the way. It forgets to detail the actual numbing of feelings so instead Neville just looks like he didn't care about his so called friends being tortured or murdered. On that note - it's hard to believe they're such good friends if they only show up to die or a quick mention before that.
One of the other (myriad) issues is how much the story likes to harp on things like the characters transformation to adultness. Now, before it seems like I'm contradicting myself, I'd like to establish I don't mean character development INTO adultness, no, I mean they've all apparently shot up in height and have broad shoulders and sculpted jaws and huge muscles. Or, if you're a girl, slim waists, breasts and dainty hands. And of course we have to hear several times about how good looking they all are (including slimming down Hannah and bulking up Neville, both of whom are chubby in canon). Not to mention how fixated everyone is on their house and the resulting stereotypes in the fic, no matter how awkward or weird timing to bring it up.
There are so many other problems with the narrative too - the characters behave abysmally sometimes to the point they're mistaken for death eaters at one point, Crucio is undervalued to the point of comedy, the staff is out of character-ly passive, the characters refuse to criticize the DA, the use of magic is stretched again to the point of comedy, and the characters are frequently useless or treat people poorly (like house elves, ignoring anti-Muggleborn bigotry and Neville treating his 'soldiers' like chess pieces instead of friends). The book frequently invalidates its own narrative, leaving me to wonder what the point of all the never ending words was, and ends up back-pedalling later when the problem becomes apparent (like setting Neville up as some prophesied back up plan - SPOILER: He's not. And don't even get me started on how hard they had to backpedal on Snape not being evil - well, okay, debatable, but he's definitely not the card carrying cackling mastermind who tortures and murders children for kicks he is in this fic). Also, for all the grief the story gives Harry (unjustifiably imo), it sure does rip off his experiences a lot! Neville even has a vision of his deceased loved ones before he believes he's about to die. Resurrection Stone anyone?
Finally, the biggest problem to me is the DA's goal doesn't make a lick of sense. The DA decides to reform to have a battle at Hogwarts by graduation and take out as many Death Eaters as they can before they die to cause an outcry against Voldemort's regime rather than be picked off one by one after they leave school. There's three major problems with this:
1) There's only 3 Death Eaters in the school (the Carrows and Snape) and about 80 DA by the end of the story. Would it really be so hard to cast Disillusionment Charms on three people, wait for the graduation to end and cast three Killing Curses and run? It's not even like there's a lot of Death Eaters nearby either. There's only six in Hogsmeade that we see!
2) It's never explained why the Death Eaters would pick them off outside school. They're evil blood supremacists, yes, but there's no particular reason to target these kids until they start rebelling.
And finally 3) They're in contact with Order members. Ginny can write her Order member parents any time she wants to with Coding Quills. Why not just ask them to hook the kids up so they can join the Order, which A) Would give them protection, B) Give them something constructive to do (most of their 'rebellion against Voldemort' at school is graffiti and vandalism - i.e. totally pointless) and C) Give the Order more members (because the Order is being hunted down and for some reason never tries to recruit more people). THEIR WHOLE "FINAL STAND" THAT'S PLANNED IS UNNECESSARY. This happens all the time too. The characters make decisions that don't need to happen. A character marries his girlfriend of a month because they think they'll die soon, and want to keep it secret even though it's unnecessary, makes things complicated and is just harder for everyone.
My suggestion? Don't waste your time. There's better stories and much better Harry Potter fan fiction out there. I'm certainly not looking forward to the sequel and if I weren't too stubborn to quit a series, I wouldn't bother. Save the space on your bookshelf, computer, and/or kindle and get something else.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 27, 2016
DAYD fills a need in the Potter fanon that was evident from the first time I read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: the story of Neville, Ginny, and Luna running Dumbledore’s Army under the Snape/Carrow regime. For better or worse, DAYD has been anointed as the definitive version of that story, so I’ve finally gotten around to reading it.
It was an… interesting read. Because some parts of it were so incredibly good, and some parts were so cringe-worthy, that I’m at a bit of a loss what my overall impression was. After mulling it over for a day, I think that the bad parts are worth getting through in order to read the good stuff. So, this review will be a bit scattered, but there you go.
Much like Catching Fire, this fic is strongest when engaging in the small acts of rebellion, the little things that may not make the history books but are nevertheless so powerful. Choosing Colin as Secret-Keeper, Renny’s change of allegiance, and so on… the things that give you goosebumps more than the big battles.
The fic is at its weakest when it attempts to include every “adult story” trope imaginable. The abuse of a girl, for example, is very poorly handled in a Very Special Episode, er Chapter. The Nazi, I mean Grindelwald-ian, doctor specializing in torture who had a guest role in one chapter. The Very Special Chapter, where our hero succumbs to drugs until realizing he just needs the love and support of his friends. I get that the author wanted to try his hand at this and had ten months of story to fill, but I’d just as soon rather he didn’t.
And the worst of that is, without doubt, the Ugh, the gender politics here are appalling.
Other than that big glaring canon error, the fic is mostly canon-compliant, and much of the final chapters is so effective precisely because of how seamlessly the author tied it in to Deathly Hallows. However, the fic occasionally suffers from a lack of dramatic irony – the author keeps making the characters know things that they have no business knowing. (ie. The Trio’s Ministry break-in and Umbridge’s locket missing, which the Daily Prophet conveniently reports and the characters conveniently surmise that it’s all to do with Slytherin’s locket and Founders’ objects. Or Dumbledore’s portrait revealing that Neville is the other boy of the prophecy, which becomes common knowledge.) It never gets to the point of being a problem, but it’s a minor nuisance.
The insertion of fluffy episodes about shopping in Marks & Spencer, and the romance in general, was not very good. It felt like a chore to get through until I could get back to the good stuff. However, romance aside, the author did some great character work here by fleshing out supporting characters and crafting believable (and emotional) relationships between them. It’s no wonder DAYD is so entrenched in fanon, given how well the background characters of HP are developed.
One of my biggest irks with the story was that Neville was constantly boosted at the expense of Harry. Neville’s awesome because he leads an army and Harry doesn’t! He’s awesome because he was tortured and Harry wasn’t! He’s had to grow up and Harry’s still innocent! He has a plan and Harry doesn’t! Harry has it so much easier because he has close friends and Neville doesn’t! He’s a good DADA teacher and Harry (retconning) wasn’t! I don’t think this did the portrayal of Neville any favors, because Neville is awesome in his own right, and I just got annoyed at the shitting on Harry.
The author does a great job writing action sequences, even if they veer towards gore and violence a lot more than the actual books (it stopped just short of the point where I would have been turned off by it). Even a few moments of humor are well-done, though those moments are few and far between. So on the whole, I can still recommend this to Potter fans who want to read the DA’s story, unless someone can point me to a better version.
It was an… interesting read. Because some parts of it were so incredibly good, and some parts were so cringe-worthy, that I’m at a bit of a loss what my overall impression was. After mulling it over for a day, I think that the bad parts are worth getting through in order to read the good stuff. So, this review will be a bit scattered, but there you go.
Much like Catching Fire, this fic is strongest when engaging in the small acts of rebellion, the little things that may not make the history books but are nevertheless so powerful. Choosing Colin as Secret-Keeper, Renny’s change of allegiance, and so on… the things that give you goosebumps more than the big battles.
The fic is at its weakest when it attempts to include every “adult story” trope imaginable. The abuse of a girl, for example, is very poorly handled in a Very Special Episode, er Chapter. The Nazi, I mean Grindelwald-ian, doctor specializing in torture who had a guest role in one chapter. The Very Special Chapter, where our hero succumbs to drugs until realizing he just needs the love and support of his friends. I get that the author wanted to try his hand at this and had ten months of story to fill, but I’d just as soon rather he didn’t.
And the worst of that is, without doubt, the Ugh, the gender politics here are appalling.
Other than that big glaring canon error, the fic is mostly canon-compliant, and much of the final chapters is so effective precisely because of how seamlessly the author tied it in to Deathly Hallows. However, the fic occasionally suffers from a lack of dramatic irony – the author keeps making the characters know things that they have no business knowing. (ie. The Trio’s Ministry break-in and Umbridge’s locket missing, which the Daily Prophet conveniently reports and the characters conveniently surmise that it’s all to do with Slytherin’s locket and Founders’ objects. Or Dumbledore’s portrait revealing that Neville is the other boy of the prophecy, which becomes common knowledge.) It never gets to the point of being a problem, but it’s a minor nuisance.
The insertion of fluffy episodes about shopping in Marks & Spencer, and the romance in general, was not very good. It felt like a chore to get through until I could get back to the good stuff. However, romance aside, the author did some great character work here by fleshing out supporting characters and crafting believable (and emotional) relationships between them. It’s no wonder DAYD is so entrenched in fanon, given how well the background characters of HP are developed.
One of my biggest irks with the story was that Neville was constantly boosted at the expense of Harry. Neville’s awesome because he leads an army and Harry doesn’t! He’s awesome because he was tortured and Harry wasn’t! He’s had to grow up and Harry’s still innocent! He has a plan and Harry doesn’t! Harry has it so much easier because he has close friends and Neville doesn’t! He’s a good DADA teacher and Harry (retconning) wasn’t! I don’t think this did the portrayal of Neville any favors, because Neville is awesome in his own right, and I just got annoyed at the shitting on Harry.
The author does a great job writing action sequences, even if they veer towards gore and violence a lot more than the actual books (it stopped just short of the point where I would have been turned off by it). Even a few moments of humor are well-done, though those moments are few and far between. So on the whole, I can still recommend this to Potter fans who want to read the DA’s story, unless someone can point me to a better version.
June 4, 2013
Just saying, a true Harry Potter fan should definitely go ahead and read Dumbledore's Army and the Year of Darkness! I am not usually into fanfic either, but this one is really worth reading. The story follows Neville Longbottom and the remaining D.A. and how they put up with Snape's regime at Hogwarts while our beloved trio hunt the Horcruxes outside the safe walls of Hogwarts.
The author has channeled all his efforts and brilliant writing skills into the 500 pages long novel and during the reading, it really felt like it was JKR herself who did the writing which was absolutely amazing that he could pull that off and almost match her style.
Again read it, if you want to collect some info about the persons standing in the background throughout the HP-series, e.g. Ernie Macmillan, Colin Creevey or Hannah Abbott or if it has been a while since you have had your HP-fix! :)
The author has channeled all his efforts and brilliant writing skills into the 500 pages long novel and during the reading, it really felt like it was JKR herself who did the writing which was absolutely amazing that he could pull that off and almost match her style.
Again read it, if you want to collect some info about the persons standing in the background throughout the HP-series, e.g. Ernie Macmillan, Colin Creevey or Hannah Abbott or if it has been a while since you have had your HP-fix! :)
December 31, 2017
...wow.
Holy... Wow.
I am speechless. Literally speechless.
This book brought to light all the background characters in Harry Potter. We see them all grow up, see them forced to become soldiers, to fight and die for their beliefs.
This book made me fall in love with all the heroes of Hogwarts - Neville, Ginny, Luna, Ernie, Terry, Seamus... All of them.
It just... There are not words.
Granted, the terrible things that happened were a little far-fetched, but still. This book is amazing. It will change how you see the Hogwarts students, change how you see the Battle of Hogwarts...
DUMBLEDORES ARMY! FOR THE FALLEN!
LONG LIVE HARRY POTTER!!!
Holy... Wow.
I am speechless. Literally speechless.
This book brought to light all the background characters in Harry Potter. We see them all grow up, see them forced to become soldiers, to fight and die for their beliefs.
This book made me fall in love with all the heroes of Hogwarts - Neville, Ginny, Luna, Ernie, Terry, Seamus... All of them.
It just... There are not words.
Granted, the terrible things that happened were a little far-fetched, but still. This book is amazing. It will change how you see the Hogwarts students, change how you see the Battle of Hogwarts...
DUMBLEDORES ARMY! FOR THE FALLEN!
LONG LIVE HARRY POTTER!!!
June 11, 2012
This is THE BEST fan-fiction I have ever read!! A must for all Potter fans!!! Blake is dedicated to the authenticity of the series and uses this fantastic story to answer all the questions that formed in my head while reading the Deathly Hallows. In fact, it's so well written, it is as if Jo Rowling wrote this herself under another name. :)
July 26, 2020
Edit, June 2020: Apparently this fic has been taken down unless you look hard and the author is a really messy cult leader/manipulator. :/ There's so much other good fanfic out there. Read that instead. For example, A Call to Arms also takes place during HP:DH and focuses on Dumbledore's Army at Hogwarts as well as other characters through the final battle.
***
My former review, though:
I love this novel. I don't want to oversell it, but it's easily the eighth book in my Harry Potter headcanon.
The rest of my review contains abundant spoilers from the entire Harry Potter series, but no spoilers for anyone who has read all of those books.
***
My former review, though:
I love this novel. I don't want to oversell it, but it's easily the eighth book in my Harry Potter headcanon.
The rest of my review contains abundant spoilers from the entire Harry Potter series, but no spoilers for anyone who has read all of those books.
April 2, 2014
In Dumbledore’s Army and the Year of Darkness, Andrew Blake (aka Thanfiction) has compiled all of the tantalizing hints about Neville’s life within the timeline of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and developed them into a magnificently written, 247,000 word-long volume.
You'll be delighted if you’ve ever wished Rowling had fleshed out the stories behind these tidbits which she mentioned only in passing:
- How Snape and the Carrows really discipline their students – with the Cruciatus Curse, and beyond!
- How the entire school unites to resist the tyranny of the new management (I enjoyed one particular sequence even more than the anti-Umbridge scenes in Order of the Phoenix)
- How Neville Longbottom, the little boy who lost his toad and fell off his broom in Sorcerer’s Stone, confronts his nightmarish past; becomes a Commander; and transforms Dumbledore’s Army into a full-fledged military unit.
- How Neville and Hannah Abbott get together after Neville’s six years of romantic invisibility at Hogwarts
- How Dumbledore’s Army guesses the importance of the Sword of Gryffindor to Harry Potter’s mission – and what really happens after Neville, Ginny, and Luna’s attempt to steal the Sword from Snape’s office goes terribly wrong. Hint: The full story behind the "detention" with Hagrid in the Forbidden Forest is much more juicy (i.e. horrific) than what was implied in Deathly Hallows.
- How Luna’s borderline insanity allows her to keep her sanity in the face of the tyrannical Carrows (hint: there’s a spoon involved)
- the full text of the treasonous Quibbler article that turns Luna into a target for the Death Eaters
- What a first-year boy did to deserve being chained up by the Carrows, how Michael Corner freed him, and what Neville truly meant when he said that Michael had been “tortured pretty badly” (this was all mentioned in Neville’s reunion with the Trio in Deathly Hallows)
- The heartbreaking sacrifices made by Dumbledore’s Army during the Battle of Hogwarts while Harry is chasing the diadem and watching Snape’s memory. If you ever wished that Rowling had described more of the combat scenes, your wish has been fulfilled – but be warned of the violence, and the extensive body count.
This list is by no means exhaustive. The story proves to be much grittier than Rowling’s PG-rated version, unflinching at the horrific realities of war and tyranny, and indeed inspired by them (flip to the touching Author’s Note at the end to see what I mean). I found the character development to be absolutely fascinating, and at many times heartbreaking; one D.A. member composes an especially poignant song about what it’s like to prepare to die when they’ve barely begun to live, which mirrors Neville’s stolen childhood all too well.
Andrew Blake does so much justice to Rowling’s cast of B-list characters that I am almost glad Rowling was not the one to tell their story. The only real flaw with this narrative lies within its ability to make Harry’s hardships seem trivial, in the light of the horrors Neville and the D.A. endured in Harry’s absence. If you admired Harry, Ron, and Hermione’s heroism in Deathly Hallows – wait until you read Dumbledore’s Army and the Year of Darkness. The remarkable selflessness of these ordinary teenagers turned soldiers will take your breath away.
"For we are Dumbledore's Army,
Nothing but children who've grown up too fast.
We are Dumbledore's Army,
This battle is ours, and we'll stand to the last…"
This story is one of the best fantasy novels I have ever read, and that includes traditionally published fiction. Thank you, Andrew Blake, for developing my new favorite fictional hero – Neville Longbottom, aka Fearless Leader, aka “Fool in Charge”.
Happy reading,
Alannah Turner
You'll be delighted if you’ve ever wished Rowling had fleshed out the stories behind these tidbits which she mentioned only in passing:
- How Snape and the Carrows really discipline their students – with the Cruciatus Curse, and beyond!
- How the entire school unites to resist the tyranny of the new management (I enjoyed one particular sequence even more than the anti-Umbridge scenes in Order of the Phoenix)
- How Neville Longbottom, the little boy who lost his toad and fell off his broom in Sorcerer’s Stone, confronts his nightmarish past; becomes a Commander; and transforms Dumbledore’s Army into a full-fledged military unit.
- How Neville and Hannah Abbott get together after Neville’s six years of romantic invisibility at Hogwarts
- How Dumbledore’s Army guesses the importance of the Sword of Gryffindor to Harry Potter’s mission – and what really happens after Neville, Ginny, and Luna’s attempt to steal the Sword from Snape’s office goes terribly wrong. Hint: The full story behind the "detention" with Hagrid in the Forbidden Forest is much more juicy (i.e. horrific) than what was implied in Deathly Hallows.
- How Luna’s borderline insanity allows her to keep her sanity in the face of the tyrannical Carrows (hint: there’s a spoon involved)
- the full text of the treasonous Quibbler article that turns Luna into a target for the Death Eaters
- What a first-year boy did to deserve being chained up by the Carrows, how Michael Corner freed him, and what Neville truly meant when he said that Michael had been “tortured pretty badly” (this was all mentioned in Neville’s reunion with the Trio in Deathly Hallows)
- The heartbreaking sacrifices made by Dumbledore’s Army during the Battle of Hogwarts while Harry is chasing the diadem and watching Snape’s memory. If you ever wished that Rowling had described more of the combat scenes, your wish has been fulfilled – but be warned of the violence, and the extensive body count.
This list is by no means exhaustive. The story proves to be much grittier than Rowling’s PG-rated version, unflinching at the horrific realities of war and tyranny, and indeed inspired by them (flip to the touching Author’s Note at the end to see what I mean). I found the character development to be absolutely fascinating, and at many times heartbreaking; one D.A. member composes an especially poignant song about what it’s like to prepare to die when they’ve barely begun to live, which mirrors Neville’s stolen childhood all too well.
Andrew Blake does so much justice to Rowling’s cast of B-list characters that I am almost glad Rowling was not the one to tell their story. The only real flaw with this narrative lies within its ability to make Harry’s hardships seem trivial, in the light of the horrors Neville and the D.A. endured in Harry’s absence. If you admired Harry, Ron, and Hermione’s heroism in Deathly Hallows – wait until you read Dumbledore’s Army and the Year of Darkness. The remarkable selflessness of these ordinary teenagers turned soldiers will take your breath away.
"For we are Dumbledore's Army,
Nothing but children who've grown up too fast.
We are Dumbledore's Army,
This battle is ours, and we'll stand to the last…"
This story is one of the best fantasy novels I have ever read, and that includes traditionally published fiction. Thank you, Andrew Blake, for developing my new favorite fictional hero – Neville Longbottom, aka Fearless Leader, aka “Fool in Charge”.
Happy reading,
Alannah Turner
August 13, 2016
DAYD is a great fic, but READERS, PLEASE BE CAREFUL! Andy Blake, (AKA Jordan Wood, AKA Victoria Bitter, AKA Thanfiction), is a very intelligent, very manipulative guy and HE'S A CULT LEADER. No joke. Victims from the worst of it, about ten years ago, have come forward and one of them has even written a book about it. He's also been convicted of charity fraud in California, btw. And despite the name changes, he's still the same guy he was back then. He's manipulative, helpful, very charismatic, and constantly the victim in all this, of course. Blake has a big online presence, and a lot of fans who defend him, and it's easy to get drawn into his fandom. It worries me to see so many people who've enjoyed reading his stuff and don't know about any of the darker background. Please, please, be careful, guys! Stay informed and make sure you and your friends know what you're getting into. PLEASE don't give this guy your money.
August 27, 2023
One of the best works of fanfiction I have ever read and I definitely consider it canon - or as close to as to make no difference, anyway. It's extremely well written, and made me cry on several occasions... even on my 5th read-through. It's a lot darker than HP&DH, but I think I actually prefer it. ... with the possible exception of the final battle. It's more gory/gruesome than I would have preferred and the deaths hurt more up close and personal like this.
I'd have to reread the book soon to see how many liberties Andrew Blake has taken... Not sure what it says that I've read this fanfic more times than the book it covers :-P
I'd have to reread the book soon to see how many liberties Andrew Blake has taken... Not sure what it says that I've read this fanfic more times than the book it covers :-P
March 5, 2018
This is a lovely bit of fanfiction and quite obviously a labor of love by its author. It is also well-written and true to the spirit of the original series. I was originally leaning towards four stars, but when I found myself missing sleep to read "just a few more pages" several nights in a row and finishing the book with tears in my eyes, I decided it deserved the full five.
Edited to say that after reading others' reviews I definitely get the complaints about a) the story being too gory (but I could deal with that okay) and b) the female characters being sadly two-dimensional. This latter is a valid point, but unfortunately I feel it could be somewhat applied to the original HP series. I chose to overlook it, but understand why others could not. And the illustrations added absolutely nothing for me. In some cases, I even found them confusing. Maybe somewhere out there is a nice bit of HP fanfic from a female character's point of view, and maybe I'll find it someday. In the meantime, I've got plenty of published books on my to-read list, and will continue to enjoy them.
Edited to say that after reading others' reviews I definitely get the complaints about a) the story being too gory (but I could deal with that okay) and b) the female characters being sadly two-dimensional. This latter is a valid point, but unfortunately I feel it could be somewhat applied to the original HP series. I chose to overlook it, but understand why others could not. And the illustrations added absolutely nothing for me. In some cases, I even found them confusing. Maybe somewhere out there is a nice bit of HP fanfic from a female character's point of view, and maybe I'll find it someday. In the meantime, I've got plenty of published books on my to-read list, and will continue to enjoy them.
June 18, 2016
4.5
Now let me cry.
This is to Renny, Kevin, Krum, Cho, Chris, Perseus, Padma, Parvati, Dean, Terry, Michael, Ernie, Romilda, Colin, Dennis, Lavender, Hal, Ritchie, Rowan, Anthony, Camellia, Katie, Jack... and the list goes on.
Really, this story was one hell of a rollercoaster. It's Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, but from Neville's POV. If you've read all the HP books, you know a little bit about it. Neville tells the Trio when they are going back to the Room of Requirement.
And this story was gruesome. It was even more gory and painful than the actual book. The Dumbledore's Army actually becomes an army, with commanders, luitenants and so on. And the worst part is that they're all kids. And so many of them die (with 4 non-canon, since Krum, Dean, Cho and Katie are still alive in the HP world), and so many awful and gruesome things happened. Michael's torture, Colin and Dennis finding out they're family has been killed, Demelza's eye, Terry trying to kill his best friend, the deaths of Lavender and Romilda, Neville having a break-down...
I didn't expect so many of them to die, especially not the Patil twins, Ernie, Terry and Michael.
This story is so well-written, and so well-built. Blake has to do everything with one chapter from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows! And everything gets explained: Michael's torture, Terry yelling about Gringotts...
The story was very Neville-centered, since he's the commander of the DA and part of Voldemort's prophecy.
There are two things I absolutely LOVED.
1. War changes everything. There are two Slytherins in the DA, they're loyal as fuck, and they are Lord Voldemort supporters. Camellia Parkinson was in there too, and they're very honest and open about their beliefs. It added something new and fresh. I never thought of this idea. Some scenes feel out of place, but that makes it even better.
The scene where Neville confronts Renny, or the one where he says goodbye, or heaven forbid, the part where Neville comforts Pansky Parkison from all people- Pansy! She's one of the shittiest characters in the entire universe, but her sister got killed, so her beliefs are put aside.
I was happy to see Slytherin included, and just like the other DA members, I was very sad to see it go. When we talk about Slytherin inclusion of Deathly Hallows, we talk about 'good Slytherins', but thege huys (and Camellia) are still goddawful towards Muggle(born)s, but they are part of the team.
2. I enjoyed that Neville, the DA, and even Ron, were very sceptic about Dumbledore's plan for Harry. Since we follow the Trio in Deathly Hallows, you don't know what the others are thinking. You assume that 90% of the population still depends on Harry. This fic changes that. In the beginning, the DA is reluctant to let go of their faith in Harry, but it strenghtens them.
And then the Trio returns, and then the DA cheers, and then they don't. Because the moment they found out that Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, the Chosen One, has no clue what the hell he is doing, everything falls apart for a moment.
Oh- and then we get the actual end duel between Harry and Voldemort. Everything Harry's telling Voldemort makes sense to the Trio, Voldemort, and the readers of the books, but not to all the characters around them.
When they all hear that "Snape has been on their side", they have the right to be angry. I always expected Snape to, in a way, protect the children from harm, since he was loyal to Dumlbedore. That happened in the musical series, but not in this fic. Snape was even worse than before. It's because you know he's actually a "good guy", otherwise you wanted him more dead than Umbridge.
So, it's all over. And Neville hears from Ron that he's also very sceptic about everything that has happened. Both boys feel thing stab of resentment towards Dumbledore, the thing Harry doesn't feel. Ron explains why Harry is so okay with Dumbledore treating him like that, but he also states that those reasons don't apply to him. That was just A+.
I only have one last thing to say: Luna Lovegood, amen.
Now let me cry.
This is to Renny, Kevin, Krum, Cho, Chris, Perseus, Padma, Parvati, Dean, Terry, Michael, Ernie, Romilda, Colin, Dennis, Lavender, Hal, Ritchie, Rowan, Anthony, Camellia, Katie, Jack... and the list goes on.
Really, this story was one hell of a rollercoaster. It's Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, but from Neville's POV. If you've read all the HP books, you know a little bit about it. Neville tells the Trio when they are going back to the Room of Requirement.
And this story was gruesome. It was even more gory and painful than the actual book. The Dumbledore's Army actually becomes an army, with commanders, luitenants and so on. And the worst part is that they're all kids. And so many of them die (with 4 non-canon, since Krum, Dean, Cho and Katie are still alive in the HP world), and so many awful and gruesome things happened. Michael's torture, Colin and Dennis finding out they're family has been killed, Demelza's eye, Terry trying to kill his best friend, the deaths of Lavender and Romilda, Neville having a break-down...
I didn't expect so many of them to die, especially not the Patil twins, Ernie, Terry and Michael.
This story is so well-written, and so well-built. Blake has to do everything with one chapter from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows! And everything gets explained: Michael's torture, Terry yelling about Gringotts...
The story was very Neville-centered, since he's the commander of the DA and part of Voldemort's prophecy.
There are two things I absolutely LOVED.
1. War changes everything. There are two Slytherins in the DA, they're loyal as fuck, and they are Lord Voldemort supporters. Camellia Parkinson was in there too, and they're very honest and open about their beliefs. It added something new and fresh. I never thought of this idea. Some scenes feel out of place, but that makes it even better.
The scene where Neville confronts Renny, or the one where he says goodbye, or heaven forbid, the part where Neville comforts Pansky Parkison from all people- Pansy! She's one of the shittiest characters in the entire universe, but her sister got killed, so her beliefs are put aside.
I was happy to see Slytherin included, and just like the other DA members, I was very sad to see it go. When we talk about Slytherin inclusion of Deathly Hallows, we talk about 'good Slytherins', but thege huys (and Camellia) are still goddawful towards Muggle(born)s, but they are part of the team.
2. I enjoyed that Neville, the DA, and even Ron, were very sceptic about Dumbledore's plan for Harry. Since we follow the Trio in Deathly Hallows, you don't know what the others are thinking. You assume that 90% of the population still depends on Harry. This fic changes that. In the beginning, the DA is reluctant to let go of their faith in Harry, but it strenghtens them.
And then the Trio returns, and then the DA cheers, and then they don't. Because the moment they found out that Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, the Chosen One, has no clue what the hell he is doing, everything falls apart for a moment.
Oh- and then we get the actual end duel between Harry and Voldemort. Everything Harry's telling Voldemort makes sense to the Trio, Voldemort, and the readers of the books, but not to all the characters around them.
When they all hear that "Snape has been on their side", they have the right to be angry. I always expected Snape to, in a way, protect the children from harm, since he was loyal to Dumlbedore. That happened in the musical series, but not in this fic. Snape was even worse than before. It's because you know he's actually a "good guy", otherwise you wanted him more dead than Umbridge.
So, it's all over. And Neville hears from Ron that he's also very sceptic about everything that has happened. Both boys feel thing stab of resentment towards Dumbledore, the thing Harry doesn't feel. Ron explains why Harry is so okay with Dumbledore treating him like that, but he also states that those reasons don't apply to him. That was just A+.
I only have one last thing to say: Luna Lovegood, amen.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 7, 2014
This book was absolutely tremendous.
I'm a staunch advocate for reading physical books, and find attempting a novel on a screen exhausting, but this was so, so different.
The first few chapters are a touch shaky, but as the story advances and the writer becomes more certain of himself; it becomes clear that this is no ordinary fan fiction.
DAYD is expertly paced, with Blake finding the mark between internal and external detail that Rowling used throughout the series.
Seeing Hogwarts through the eyes of the characters that had been left behind was fascinating. Left behind by Harry, Ron and Hermione as they went horcrux hunting, but also by what becomes clear is Harry's incredibly narrow world view in the books proper.
Without giving anything away, seeing the wizarding world from the perspective of Neville - poor old Neville, to be sympathised with but not bothered by - was refreshing. Characters that Harry had barely paid any attention to under Rowling's pen became three-dimensional people with goals, dreams and independent dispositions rather than members of the faceless support cast.
Whilst the detail used, especially in Blake's telling of the Battle of Hogwarts, is often gruesome and sometimes uncomfortably cliche - I began to find that he structured his characters better than Rowling herself. Most of the romances in the book are truer and more believable than those that JK constructed, and as a reader I actually found it easier to identify with the people who were left to fight without a purpose or an end like Harry was.
Dumbledore's Army and the Year of Darkness had me hooked. I laughed with the characters, I cared about them, I once cried for them. As a prolific reader who wishes he was more emotional, it was a pleasure to have been allowed to care.
5 stars. 10/10.
Thank you, Andrew Blake.
I'm a staunch advocate for reading physical books, and find attempting a novel on a screen exhausting, but this was so, so different.
The first few chapters are a touch shaky, but as the story advances and the writer becomes more certain of himself; it becomes clear that this is no ordinary fan fiction.
DAYD is expertly paced, with Blake finding the mark between internal and external detail that Rowling used throughout the series.
Seeing Hogwarts through the eyes of the characters that had been left behind was fascinating. Left behind by Harry, Ron and Hermione as they went horcrux hunting, but also by what becomes clear is Harry's incredibly narrow world view in the books proper.
Without giving anything away, seeing the wizarding world from the perspective of Neville - poor old Neville, to be sympathised with but not bothered by - was refreshing. Characters that Harry had barely paid any attention to under Rowling's pen became three-dimensional people with goals, dreams and independent dispositions rather than members of the faceless support cast.
Whilst the detail used, especially in Blake's telling of the Battle of Hogwarts, is often gruesome and sometimes uncomfortably cliche - I began to find that he structured his characters better than Rowling herself. Most of the romances in the book are truer and more believable than those that JK constructed, and as a reader I actually found it easier to identify with the people who were left to fight without a purpose or an end like Harry was.
Dumbledore's Army and the Year of Darkness had me hooked. I laughed with the characters, I cared about them, I once cried for them. As a prolific reader who wishes he was more emotional, it was a pleasure to have been allowed to care.
5 stars. 10/10.
Thank you, Andrew Blake.
Read
October 4, 2015I reread this so I could be sure to get my canon right for the Secret Santa Exchange on the DAYDverse community on LiveJournal. I hadn't read it all the way through in a couple years and this read through reminded me exactly why I love this series so much (and yes, it is a series - Dumbledore's Army and the Year of Darkness, Sluagh, and A Peccatis [incomplete] being the three existing works at the moment).
Andy's writing captivates. It pulls you in and doesn't let you go. Witness why I'm writing this review at 20 minutes to 2 AM. The story follows Neville Longbottom and the newly re-formed Dumbledore's Army as they face the new regime of Snape and the Carrows at Hogwarts. In the process, Neville and the rest of the students find that they have to grow up a lot faster than they ever wanted to.
Neville and the DA mount several rebellions in an attempt to weaken the Death Eaters' regime at Hogwarts. In the process, they face almost certain death several times over. But they also discover the things that make life worth living and worth fighting for.
This book has not only spawned a series, but an incredible following with groups of fans on Facebook and LiveJournal. The author is a truly compassionate person who cares about his fans and friends as deeply as Neville cares for all the members of the DA. I am proud to be a part of this fandom.
I would recommend this book to any serious Harry Potter fan, and invite everyone to check out the Facebook Group and the LiveJournal community for great interaction, fan-written stories, and in-depth discussion of the characters.
"Meta" for the 'verse will be forthcoming in the new year from me. Be sure to check out my writing page for that.
Andy's writing captivates. It pulls you in and doesn't let you go. Witness why I'm writing this review at 20 minutes to 2 AM. The story follows Neville Longbottom and the newly re-formed Dumbledore's Army as they face the new regime of Snape and the Carrows at Hogwarts. In the process, Neville and the rest of the students find that they have to grow up a lot faster than they ever wanted to.
Neville and the DA mount several rebellions in an attempt to weaken the Death Eaters' regime at Hogwarts. In the process, they face almost certain death several times over. But they also discover the things that make life worth living and worth fighting for.
This book has not only spawned a series, but an incredible following with groups of fans on Facebook and LiveJournal. The author is a truly compassionate person who cares about his fans and friends as deeply as Neville cares for all the members of the DA. I am proud to be a part of this fandom.
I would recommend this book to any serious Harry Potter fan, and invite everyone to check out the Facebook Group and the LiveJournal community for great interaction, fan-written stories, and in-depth discussion of the characters.
"Meta" for the 'verse will be forthcoming in the new year from me. Be sure to check out my writing page for that.
March 19, 2018
I read this for the second time after four years. It’s a masterpiece. At many points I forgot I was reading fanfiction - some passages are so beautiful, so profound that I wish I could quote them as part of the “official” Harry Potter series.
Observe:
“Hannah’s eyes opened, and there was something not quite like bitterness there. ‘I’ve stopped believing childhood has anything to do with numbers. It’s the time of your life where you can trust that older people will take care of you.’”
“It felt like something was different between them now, like they had gone their separate ways and were reuniting again after decades, not months, but there was still a thread of six year’s friendship beneath, and he reached for that as he smiled at them.”
“They could never understand what the other had been through in their time apart, but there was no need. Hell was hell, and the trimmings didn’t matter.”
It’s not just solemn doom and gloom either - there were moments in which I couldn’t stop myself from grinning, or snorting into my soup, or wanting to jump up from my chair in a standing ovation.
Sure, it needs an edit. There are a couple of chapters in the middle that make no sense in broader context (chapters 15-17, to be specific) so I skipped them on this reread. But at its core this story contains everything I look for in fiction, and everything I strive for when I write my own pieces: characters you care about so much it hurts, deep social commentary, an eventful plot, suspense and a bit of action, inspirational moments, and above all - beautiful writing.
All in all, a more-than-worthy episode in the epic of Harry Potter. JK Rowling would be proud.
If you adored the darkness of Deathly Hallows, and daydreamed about the exploits of Dumbledore’s Army during that timeframe, read this. The term “fanfic” doesn’t do it justice.
Observe:
“Hannah’s eyes opened, and there was something not quite like bitterness there. ‘I’ve stopped believing childhood has anything to do with numbers. It’s the time of your life where you can trust that older people will take care of you.’”
“It felt like something was different between them now, like they had gone their separate ways and were reuniting again after decades, not months, but there was still a thread of six year’s friendship beneath, and he reached for that as he smiled at them.”
“They could never understand what the other had been through in their time apart, but there was no need. Hell was hell, and the trimmings didn’t matter.”
It’s not just solemn doom and gloom either - there were moments in which I couldn’t stop myself from grinning, or snorting into my soup, or wanting to jump up from my chair in a standing ovation.
Sure, it needs an edit. There are a couple of chapters in the middle that make no sense in broader context (chapters 15-17, to be specific) so I skipped them on this reread. But at its core this story contains everything I look for in fiction, and everything I strive for when I write my own pieces: characters you care about so much it hurts, deep social commentary, an eventful plot, suspense and a bit of action, inspirational moments, and above all - beautiful writing.
All in all, a more-than-worthy episode in the epic of Harry Potter. JK Rowling would be proud.
If you adored the darkness of Deathly Hallows, and daydreamed about the exploits of Dumbledore’s Army during that timeframe, read this. The term “fanfic” doesn’t do it justice.
July 4, 2014
I would like to say that this was not all that bad. I gave it one star because of a couple of inaccuracies and it was a totally unbelievable. We all know Snape is an ass but there is no way i believe he would let all of that happen. The Cruciatus curse and the whipping to a certain extent yes.The murder attempts and deliberately trying to get them bitten by a werewolf no. In the memories Snape left Harry Snape tried to save Lupin from a Killing Curse and he despised him so I don't view those events believeable. Also, when Dumbledore asked him, "Severus, how many men and women have you seen killed?" Snape replied, "Lately, only ones I could not save." So again yes I do not believe Snape would go to those extreme lengths of attempted murder of innocent students.On the subject of Neville we all know that he goes through this amazing character development to a brave and courageous Gryffindor in Deathly Hallows but come on.Neville has never been the best at magic. Even Ginny mentions it in this fanfic. All of a sudden Neville is able to perform the seriously complex Fidelus Charm??? That particular part would of been more believable if he worked with other students for a couple of months until they can perform the cham correctly
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 29, 2013
This is less of a fanfic and more of a canonical representation of what Neville and the others had to deal with back at Hogwarts. It is raw and rough; mature and gory; it is nearly your worst nightmare (read Sluagh for one of those). What Andy has done was take all that Rowling has considered canon in her novels and extra tidbits and combined them into one "how did they get there" novel.
When "Cormac" threw up on Snape's shoes in the HBP movie - that was Ernie, before the movie scene was even written.
When Neville spoke of finding Luna in the DH2 movie - that made readers of DYAD cringe and cry and throw their popcorn at the screen.
Andrew Blake predicted and knew Neville would be a BAMF before directors and producers gave him more screen time than Rowling did in the DH novel.
If you love Harry Potter, read this. It is much more than a children's series.
When "Cormac" threw up on Snape's shoes in the HBP movie - that was Ernie, before the movie scene was even written.
When Neville spoke of finding Luna in the DH2 movie - that made readers of DYAD cringe and cry and throw their popcorn at the screen.
Andrew Blake predicted and knew Neville would be a BAMF before directors and producers gave him more screen time than Rowling did in the DH novel.
If you love Harry Potter, read this. It is much more than a children's series.
October 27, 2018
2018:
Changed my rating after what an awful mess the second story is. I am still going to recommend this, just take it with a grain of salt.
2017:
Absolutely adored this. By far one of the best fanfictions I've read.
The characterizations were consistent and accurate to canon. The plot and sub-plots made sense and added to the story. The gaps from the original story were so neatly filled in that I sometimes forgot that this was a fic.
Obviously, Blake's writing style is very different to JK's, but I think that's why I enjoyed it more. This was darker and sexier but it managed to break my heart into 10084732973 tiny pieces.
Terry and Mike were amazing.
Neville is my hero.
Collin. Just, Collin. The amount of growth in Collin just blew me away.
Hannah and Susan.
And all the members of the DA and DC.
Just do yourself a favour and read this ASAP.
Changed my rating after what an awful mess the second story is. I am still going to recommend this, just take it with a grain of salt.
2017:
Absolutely adored this. By far one of the best fanfictions I've read.
The characterizations were consistent and accurate to canon. The plot and sub-plots made sense and added to the story. The gaps from the original story were so neatly filled in that I sometimes forgot that this was a fic.
Obviously, Blake's writing style is very different to JK's, but I think that's why I enjoyed it more. This was darker and sexier but it managed to break my heart into 10084732973 tiny pieces.
Terry and Mike were amazing.
Neville is my hero.
Collin. Just, Collin. The amount of growth in Collin just blew me away.
Hannah and Susan.
And all the members of the DA and DC.
Just do yourself a favour and read this ASAP.
March 25, 2013
If you are a Potter fan & are looking for a fix... this is about as good as it gets without re-reading the original series.
This is basically Deathly Hallows (book 7) but with less Hallows and less Harry because it is told from Neville Longbottom's perspective.
Honestly, I don't usually do fan-fiction, but I stumbled across this from a link on a Harry Potter fansite & I can't thank the person who linked to it enough. This was well written, moving, exciting & magic.
It isn't entirely perfect, there are a few minor details that make you remember it isn't written by Rowling, but US spelling's aside, not only have I already recommended it to other people, but I will continue to do so.
This is basically Deathly Hallows (book 7) but with less Hallows and less Harry because it is told from Neville Longbottom's perspective.
Honestly, I don't usually do fan-fiction, but I stumbled across this from a link on a Harry Potter fansite & I can't thank the person who linked to it enough. This was well written, moving, exciting & magic.
It isn't entirely perfect, there are a few minor details that make you remember it isn't written by Rowling, but US spelling's aside, not only have I already recommended it to other people, but I will continue to do so.
August 3, 2017
Once again as book it gets 2.5 stars, but as fanfiction 4 or 4.5. This is much needed look at what happened at Hogwarts during their seventh year. However for me it was too much of Neville and too little of everyone else. While Neville is not my favourite character I still reasonably like him, but I would like it much more if it gave us also more insight into others - Ginny, Luna, Ernie... this way it was Neville Longbottom and Year of Darkness, not Dumbledore's Army... But still, really great, great piece of fanfiction.
March 26, 2012
Really liked this fan-fiction book! It tells the story in the same time frame of the last book of the series, except from Neville's point of view of what is happening at Hogwarts while Harry and friends are off tracking down horcruxes. I think the author did a great job of developing characters there were in the background of the actual Harry Potter books. And, honestly, I loooved Neville's character in the books so obviously am quite happy that a book is dedicated to him!
July 3, 2013
amazing fanficton based on the year at hogwarts during the 7th HP book, following the DA and all their triumps. well worth the read :)
October 6, 2013
Absolutely fantastic! I'm so sad it's over.
October 15, 2018
Quite honestly, this is the first fan-fiction I've ever read - and I was pleasantly surprised.
Longer than its inspiration, this novel details what every Harry Potter fan wished they got a glimpse into during the famous trio's year on the run: Dumbledore's Army at Hogwarts.
While I thought that the novel was very well-written, I did have reservations. Several of the characters were very altered from their former selves. Lavender is some kind of seductress (who I cannot imagine having ever fawned over Ron), Ginny has a strong maternal side that never existed in the books and Luna seems to have barely any friendship with Neville/Ginny.
This consistency was definitely irritating, as these characters are ones we have grown up with and love. Personally, the friendship Luna had with the two mentioned above, as well as the golden trio, was one of my favourite things. In Rowling's universe, Neville would have cared much more about Luna than he did in this (he barely minds when she is kidnapped and makes no effort to find her, yet ends up trading Krum's life to try and find Ginny when he thinks she's in danger?). While this is abandoned, along with other strong friendships (Parvati and Lavender, Seamus and Dean), others are developed almost too intensely (Michael and Terry, Neville and Ginny).
Also, I had issue with the portrayal of genders in this. All of the girls are maternal, squeamish and basically the archetype of femininity. In the original series, this definitely was not a thing. All the men also are obsessed with chivalry, providing for their girls and protecting everyone. Em. No.
Overall, the battle sequence was great. It engulfed me completely - I couldn't stop reading. However, the amount of death that occurred... Nearly every minor character from the original series was killed off in this, while nearly all of the leads somehow survive. It isn't realistic. Yes, some of the minor characters clearly did die, other than Colin/The Lupins, but the extent in this is too much. The original left out these details to give people hope, to not overwhelm them with tragedy. This did exactly that, leaving me angry and bitter after reading. It aimed for a very different thing, I suppose, and accomplished it - but in the HP universe, so I am not sure how I feel about that. Some of the most gruesome deaths - Romilda, Ryan Vance - were too much for me in this tale from my childhood. Others like Dean, Cho and Parvati, I felt were unnecessary and added nothing but shock value. It would have been stronger to keep them.
Along this vein, some of the novel just felt off-kilter from the original tone. It's darker, yes, and that's fine. But the sequences didn't fit in naturally with what already was canon. For example, Neville's words during his conversation when he meets Harry, Ron and Hermione again in the Hogs Head, felt stilted and unnatural after his character development and everything that had happened according to this novel. His comment that "Seamus is worse" and another about Terry shouting in the great hall, didn't feel right after what led up to them. If these circumstances had happened, I feel Neville would have said different things. It just didn't fit.
Another thing that bothered me were some of the liberties the author took with magic. Ernie swapping his life for Susan surely shouldn't have been possible. The werewolf scene and Neville's magic was a bit strange, while everything Neville goes through in general just serves to wash Harry's journey down and feel like nothing.
So, while I do acknowledge that this novel is great, it felt a bit unnatural to me. J.K. Rowling, in my opinion, had a very different vision of what the D.A. had been doing all year. I feel that the military vibes went further than they should have (for this universe that's already been created, in another it could happen differently, perhaps more realistically) and that characters were both thrown around for plot, while also having personality transplants at points.
A read that will engulf you and transport you back to the magic of Hogwarts, looking at these kids in a different light - but one that will also leave a very different taste in your mouth afterwards.
Longer than its inspiration, this novel details what every Harry Potter fan wished they got a glimpse into during the famous trio's year on the run: Dumbledore's Army at Hogwarts.
While I thought that the novel was very well-written, I did have reservations. Several of the characters were very altered from their former selves. Lavender is some kind of seductress (who I cannot imagine having ever fawned over Ron), Ginny has a strong maternal side that never existed in the books and Luna seems to have barely any friendship with Neville/Ginny.
This consistency was definitely irritating, as these characters are ones we have grown up with and love. Personally, the friendship Luna had with the two mentioned above, as well as the golden trio, was one of my favourite things. In Rowling's universe, Neville would have cared much more about Luna than he did in this (he barely minds when she is kidnapped and makes no effort to find her, yet ends up trading Krum's life to try and find Ginny when he thinks she's in danger?). While this is abandoned, along with other strong friendships (Parvati and Lavender, Seamus and Dean), others are developed almost too intensely (Michael and Terry, Neville and Ginny).
Also, I had issue with the portrayal of genders in this. All of the girls are maternal, squeamish and basically the archetype of femininity. In the original series, this definitely was not a thing. All the men also are obsessed with chivalry, providing for their girls and protecting everyone. Em. No.
Overall, the battle sequence was great. It engulfed me completely - I couldn't stop reading. However, the amount of death that occurred... Nearly every minor character from the original series was killed off in this, while nearly all of the leads somehow survive. It isn't realistic. Yes, some of the minor characters clearly did die, other than Colin/The Lupins, but the extent in this is too much. The original left out these details to give people hope, to not overwhelm them with tragedy. This did exactly that, leaving me angry and bitter after reading. It aimed for a very different thing, I suppose, and accomplished it - but in the HP universe, so I am not sure how I feel about that. Some of the most gruesome deaths - Romilda, Ryan Vance - were too much for me in this tale from my childhood. Others like Dean, Cho and Parvati, I felt were unnecessary and added nothing but shock value. It would have been stronger to keep them.
Along this vein, some of the novel just felt off-kilter from the original tone. It's darker, yes, and that's fine. But the sequences didn't fit in naturally with what already was canon. For example, Neville's words during his conversation when he meets Harry, Ron and Hermione again in the Hogs Head, felt stilted and unnatural after his character development and everything that had happened according to this novel. His comment that "Seamus is worse" and another about Terry shouting in the great hall, didn't feel right after what led up to them. If these circumstances had happened, I feel Neville would have said different things. It just didn't fit.
Another thing that bothered me were some of the liberties the author took with magic. Ernie swapping his life for Susan surely shouldn't have been possible. The werewolf scene and Neville's magic was a bit strange, while everything Neville goes through in general just serves to wash Harry's journey down and feel like nothing.
So, while I do acknowledge that this novel is great, it felt a bit unnatural to me. J.K. Rowling, in my opinion, had a very different vision of what the D.A. had been doing all year. I feel that the military vibes went further than they should have (for this universe that's already been created, in another it could happen differently, perhaps more realistically) and that characters were both thrown around for plot, while also having personality transplants at points.
A read that will engulf you and transport you back to the magic of Hogwarts, looking at these kids in a different light - but one that will also leave a very different taste in your mouth afterwards.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 21, 2020
I'm not one to read Fan Fiction. In fact, this is probably the only piece of fanfic I've ever read that went for longer than a dozen or so pages. In general, I don't quite believe good fan-fiction is a thing. As a rule, I believe that if an author is good enough to be writing good content, then they can just go and do exactly that.
This is a bit of an exception to that rule. It's really rather good. I believe, with minimal adjustments, it could have even been about a different bunch of kids at a different school under a different recently-changed authoritarian regime. It's also clearly a love-letter to J.K. Rowling's work. I would not however recommend this book to kids. If it were a movie, it would absolutely earn an R rating.
Blake has taken a different perspective on the climax of the Harry Potter saga, and lovingly fleshed out several favourite characters, personalities and relationships. He's made some choices that Rowling never would. He paints a far more sinister Snape as headmaster - and kills off several more characters than the Rowling did. There were a few points in the story where I struggled to accept Blake's version of events, as they deviated a little too far from the source material. I was able to separate Blake's version of the story from Rowlings, but HP purists may find the deviations from canon a bit off-putting.
There is a lot to really love here, too. As brutal as Rowling's Battle of Hogwarts was, Blake's telling of the battle through Neville Longbottom's eyes is far more in-your-face. Harry Potter's experience of the battle was almost disconnected from everyone's else, being very much about his individual fight. Neville's battle was chaotic, scary, tragic and basically far more in-your-face. It was terrific. Watching several characters that you've grown to really love be killed off, sometimes in absolutely horrific ways was heart-breaking. It was gritty and far more real.
The year of darkness, the friendships and comradery, the trials and triumphs were all wonderfully told. Blake has asked and answered some very amusing questions about life at the school. The line that "there are more protection charms on these rooms than Gringott's" was a particular highlight.
Each time I have finished reading the Harry Potter novels, something I've probably done about a dozen times, I have always thirsted for more. I can say in all honesty, that this book (which you can legally download straight from this site here) is the perfect thing to grab next. I actually think I will, too - the next time I read the Harry Potter books.
This is a bit of an exception to that rule. It's really rather good. I believe, with minimal adjustments, it could have even been about a different bunch of kids at a different school under a different recently-changed authoritarian regime. It's also clearly a love-letter to J.K. Rowling's work. I would not however recommend this book to kids. If it were a movie, it would absolutely earn an R rating.
Blake has taken a different perspective on the climax of the Harry Potter saga, and lovingly fleshed out several favourite characters, personalities and relationships. He's made some choices that Rowling never would. He paints a far more sinister Snape as headmaster - and kills off several more characters than the Rowling did. There were a few points in the story where I struggled to accept Blake's version of events, as they deviated a little too far from the source material. I was able to separate Blake's version of the story from Rowlings, but HP purists may find the deviations from canon a bit off-putting.
There is a lot to really love here, too. As brutal as Rowling's Battle of Hogwarts was, Blake's telling of the battle through Neville Longbottom's eyes is far more in-your-face. Harry Potter's experience of the battle was almost disconnected from everyone's else, being very much about his individual fight. Neville's battle was chaotic, scary, tragic and basically far more in-your-face. It was terrific. Watching several characters that you've grown to really love be killed off, sometimes in absolutely horrific ways was heart-breaking. It was gritty and far more real.
The year of darkness, the friendships and comradery, the trials and triumphs were all wonderfully told. Blake has asked and answered some very amusing questions about life at the school. The line that "there are more protection charms on these rooms than Gringott's" was a particular highlight.
Each time I have finished reading the Harry Potter novels, something I've probably done about a dozen times, I have always thirsted for more. I can say in all honesty, that this book (which you can legally download straight from this site here) is the perfect thing to grab next. I actually think I will, too - the next time I read the Harry Potter books.
August 22, 2018
DAYD and I have a complicated relationship. On the one hand, it's a gripping fic that keeps me emotionally engaged each time I read it--at least three times, now--and Blake's imagination never ceases to surprise me. It makes me laugh and cry and feel sick and feel hopeful, which is usually what I want out of a fic. I want it to give me feelings and to expand on the world I already know. DAYD does this in spades.
However, DAYD has some huge issues that many other reviewers have also pointed out. The gender roles, making every young man out to be macho and every girl to be delicate-yet-strong, the OOC adults, most of Neville's personality. If you're married to the Harry Potter canon like I am, you'll also probably get hung up on little details that don't jive. (Eaun Abercrombie, for one, would have been a third year and not old enough to be in the DA. Demiguise are more like apes than like sheep. You can't just Apparate to a person; it has to be a location you've visited.) This fic glorifies war, paints children ready to make a suicide stand out to be heroes, and reinforces some ugly gender stereotypes, just to name a few of its problems.
I won't really criticize the Darker and Edgier stuff, since that's honestly one reason I like the fic. I'm a sucker for "adult" takes on familiar media, and the Battle of Hogwarts chapters make me tear up, even nearly ill. It's a bit like watching a horror film.
I still recommend this fic to folks. Despite the major problems, it gives you feelings. It fleshes out background characters. (Whoever though they'd be upset over Terry Boot? Susan Bones?) It makes creative use of the few details we do have of Neville's seventh year--the punishment in the Forbidden Forest, Michael Corner getting tortured, etc. And the Battle chapters are good if you need something squicky and intense, but don't have the stomach for horror movies.
All in all, I feel about DAYD the same way I feel about Gushers. I shouldn't like them. I can't justify why I keep eating them as a grown adult. They're terrible for me. And yet, when I start craving them, I find myself buying more.
Read at your own risk.
However, DAYD has some huge issues that many other reviewers have also pointed out. The gender roles, making every young man out to be macho and every girl to be delicate-yet-strong, the OOC adults, most of Neville's personality. If you're married to the Harry Potter canon like I am, you'll also probably get hung up on little details that don't jive. (Eaun Abercrombie, for one, would have been a third year and not old enough to be in the DA. Demiguise are more like apes than like sheep. You can't just Apparate to a person; it has to be a location you've visited.) This fic glorifies war, paints children ready to make a suicide stand out to be heroes, and reinforces some ugly gender stereotypes, just to name a few of its problems.
I won't really criticize the Darker and Edgier stuff, since that's honestly one reason I like the fic. I'm a sucker for "adult" takes on familiar media, and the Battle of Hogwarts chapters make me tear up, even nearly ill. It's a bit like watching a horror film.
I still recommend this fic to folks. Despite the major problems, it gives you feelings. It fleshes out background characters. (Whoever though they'd be upset over Terry Boot? Susan Bones?) It makes creative use of the few details we do have of Neville's seventh year--the punishment in the Forbidden Forest, Michael Corner getting tortured, etc. And the Battle chapters are good if you need something squicky and intense, but don't have the stomach for horror movies.
All in all, I feel about DAYD the same way I feel about Gushers. I shouldn't like them. I can't justify why I keep eating them as a grown adult. They're terrible for me. And yet, when I start craving them, I find myself buying more.
Read at your own risk.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 19, 2019
At 68 years of age I am a potterworld fan. I began as a grandfather who bought a book for his grandson about something called a "Sorcerer's Stone" and ended up reading it to him. I read the next two along with him and then we read the rest independently and talked about. At first face to face and at the last by phone. We saw every film. Sometimes in the theaters together and sometimes in DVD long after our individual viewings.
10 years from start to finish for the books 1997 to 2007, from 8 to 18 for him....from 47 to 57 for me.
10 years from start to finish for the films 2001 to 2011, from from 12 to 22 for him....from 51 to 62 for me.
And I thought we were done. He is now 29 and I am 68. Earlier this year, my grandson who is now a dad, clued me into the world of fanfiction. I have read the Fantastic Beasts, and the Cursed Child and enjoyed them. But good fan fiction.....well, that was a surprise.
My first book was this one Dumbledore's Army and the Year of Darkness. I am now reading my next bit of fan fic and will review that when done. I am by training and profession a professor of political history so my standards are pretty high.
The Year of Darkness passed my key tests for narrative sense and quality; continuity, character development, drama, and fun. Summaries are everywhere to be found so I will not bother to do a snapshot. What the book did for me was to fill in my images and understanding of many on-the-side characters and to see action from the Rowling books from a different perspective.
Were I grading the effort it would earn a B in the world of professional literature but an A in the world of non-professional literature. In other words- the author impressed me.
SO, I am now into my next book (different author). I am about half way through the books and so far the journey has been different buy still quite satisfying.
Dumbledore's Army and the Year of Darkness
10 years from start to finish for the books 1997 to 2007, from 8 to 18 for him....from 47 to 57 for me.
10 years from start to finish for the films 2001 to 2011, from from 12 to 22 for him....from 51 to 62 for me.
And I thought we were done. He is now 29 and I am 68. Earlier this year, my grandson who is now a dad, clued me into the world of fanfiction. I have read the Fantastic Beasts, and the Cursed Child and enjoyed them. But good fan fiction.....well, that was a surprise.
My first book was this one Dumbledore's Army and the Year of Darkness. I am now reading my next bit of fan fic and will review that when done. I am by training and profession a professor of political history so my standards are pretty high.
The Year of Darkness passed my key tests for narrative sense and quality; continuity, character development, drama, and fun. Summaries are everywhere to be found so I will not bother to do a snapshot. What the book did for me was to fill in my images and understanding of many on-the-side characters and to see action from the Rowling books from a different perspective.
Were I grading the effort it would earn a B in the world of professional literature but an A in the world of non-professional literature. In other words- the author impressed me.
SO, I am now into my next book (different author). I am about half way through the books and so far the journey has been different buy still quite satisfying.
Dumbledore's Army and the Year of Darkness
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