Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Cover art of the first UK edition
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| Author | J. K. Rowling |
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| Illustrator | Jason Cockcroft (UK) Mary GrandPré (US) |
| Series | Harry Potter |
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Release number
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6th in series |
| Genre | Fantasy |
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Publication date
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16 July 2005 |
| Pages | 607 (Original UK Edition) 542 (2014 UK Edition) 652 (US Edition) |
| ISBN | |
| 823.914 | |
| Preceded by | Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix |
| Followed by | Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows |
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is the sixth and penultimate novel in the Harry Potter series, written by British author J. K. Rowling. Set during protagonist Harry Potter's sixth year at Hogwarts, the novel explores the past of Harry's nemesis, Lord Voldemort, and Harry's preparations for the final battle against Voldemort alongside his headmaster and mentor Albus Dumbledore.
The book was published in the United Kingdom by Bloomsbury and in the United States by Scholastic on 16 July 2005, as well as in several other countries. It sold nine million copies in the first 24 hours after its release, a record at the time which was eventually broken by its sequel, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. There were many controversies before and after it was published, including the right to read the copies delivered prior to the release date in Canada. Reception to the novel was generally positive and it won several awards and honours, including the 2006 British Book of the Year award.
Reviewers noted that the book took on a darker tone than its predecessors, though it did contain some humour. Some considered the main themes to be love and death, and trust and redemption. The character development of Harry and several other teenage characters was also remarked upon.
The film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was released 15 July 2009 by Warner Bros.
Severus Snape, a member of the Order of the Phoenix, meets with Narcissa Malfoy, Draco's mother, and Lord Voldemort's faithful supporter Bellatrix Lestrange. Narcissa expresses concern that her son might not survive a dangerous mission given to him by Lord Voldemort. Bellatrix feels Snape will be of no help until he surprises her by making an Unbreakable Vow with Narcissa, swearing on his life that he will protect and assist Draco in his mission.
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Wikipedia