Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Book 6

By: J.K. Rowling

Narrated by: Jim Dale

Length: 18 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's summary

There it was, hanging in the sky above the school: the blazing green skull with a serpent tongue, the mark Death Eaters left behind whenever they had entered a building...wherever they had murdered...

When Dumbledore arrives at Privet Drive one summer night to collect Harry Potter, his wand hand is blackened and shrivelled, but he does not reveal why. Secrets and suspicion are spreading through the wizarding world, and Hogwarts itself is not safe. Harry is convinced that Malfoy bears the Dark Mark: there is a Death Eater amongst them. Harry will need powerful magic and true friends as he explores Voldemort's darkest secrets, and Dumbledore prepares him to face his destiny...

Having become classics of our time, the Harry Potter stories never fail to bring comfort and escapism. With their message of hope, belonging and the enduring power of truth and love, the story of the Boy Who Lived continues to delight generations of new listeners.    

©2005 J.K. Rowling (P)2005 Listening Library, an imprint of Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group

Critic reviews

"To call Dale a 'reader' of books is like saying Monet was a Sunday painter." (Los Angeles Times)

Masterful Narration Continues

Jim Dale continues his masterpiece of narration, drawing the reader on, not as some storytellers do with a tone of gathering round the fire for a great tale, rather, as though seeing, experiencing each moment through the eyes of Harry, Dumbledore, and even Snape (ProFESSOR Snape, Harry!). Having now Audibled (yes, that's a verb in our house) 6 of the 7 Potter books back to back (I'm binge-listening much the way I binge-read the books 12 years ago) I am utterly gobsmacked at Mr. Dale's tireless energy, emotion, pacing and character throughout this series. Every voice distinct, the children's voices maturing in style and tone over the years, the adults remaining flawlessly consistent and true. These recordings are a treasure for any HP fan, and will transport (or rather reapparate) you to that magical realm of Hogwarts, Quidditch pitches, Diagon Alley, Hogsmeade and Privet Drive. Thank you to Ms Rowling for making these favorites available to the Audible audience. And Bravo, Mr Dale.

Killing is not so easy as the innocent believe.

“It is the unknown we fear when we look upon death and darkness, nothing more.”
― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Probably my favorite book in the series. I think this is JK Rowling at the peak of her writing, confidence, and strength. She is dealing with older protagonists and deeper, darker themes. She is dealing with themes of treachery, loss, etc.. All things that are usually dealt with in adult novels, but glossed over in YA fiction. While the literary pedant in me will sometimes cringe at her numerous clichés, there still exists a place where I'm able to ignore the rough patches that a good editor might have corrected, but these are small peeves; similar to the irritations I feel for Star Wars. Speaking of Star Wars, THIS would be JK Rowling's 'Empire Strikes Back.' The best in the series.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

When Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince opens, the war against Voldemort has begun. The Wizarding world has split down the middle, and as the casualties mount, the effects even spill over onto the Muggles. Dumbledore is away from Hogwarts for long periods, and the Order of the Phoenix has suffered grievous losses. And yet, as in all wars, life goes on.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione, having passed their O.W.L. level exams, start on their specialist N.E.W.T. courses. Sixth-year students learn to Apparate, losing a few eyebrows in the process. Teenagers flirt and fight and fall in love. Harry becomes captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, while Draco Malfoy pursues his own dark ends. And classes are as fascinating and confounding as ever, as Harry receives some extraordinary help in Potions from the mysterious Half-Blood Prince.

Most importantly, Dumbledore and Harry work together to uncover the full and complex story of a boy once named Tom Riddle—the boy who became Lord Voldemort. Like Harry, he was the son of one Muggle-born and one Wizarding parent, raised unloved, and a speaker of Parseltongue. But the similarities end there, as the teenaged Riddle became deeply interested in the Dark objects known as Horcruxes: objects in which a wizard can hide part of his soul, if he dares splinter that soul through murder.

Harry must use all the tools at his disposal to draw a final secret out of one of Riddle’s teachers, the sly Potions professor Horace Slughorn. Finally Harry and Dumbledore hold the key to the Dark Lord’s weaknesses... until a shocking reversal exposes Dumbledore’s own vulnerabilities, and casts Harry’s—and Hogwarts’s—future in shadow.

Jim Dale has done an exceptional job with the narrations of the Harry Potter series. His narratives only get better and better with each book.
#Magic #Potter #Adventure #Tagsgiving #Sweepstakes

Amazing story and narating

I am 11 years old and I absolutely love this book

The narrating in this book is amazing kudos to the narrator Jim Dale each character has a different voice! and of course the story is very enjoyable and that goes for all the books by J. K. Rowling

it is about time

I've always loved these books, and I am so glad that they have FINALLY come to audible. Such adventure, and fun!

Jim Dale is fantastic!

HBP is one of my favorite in the Harry Potter series. JK Rowling delivers drama, suspense, laughs, tenderness, and heartbreak. Kid’s series? Not at all. The plot over the series is complex, surprising, enthralling. Jim Dale is a wizard of a whole different kind, bringing the story to life with wonderful voices and conveyance of emotion for the characters we love. I could not recommend his work more.

loved the book!

very addictive book series. great details, plot, and phenomenal narrator. I would recommend the entire series!

Awesome

I love all the voices Jim Dale does. This book is a lot better as an Audiobook! All and all, loved it

Amazing

The best narrative ever! He does voices for everyone. It makes it so much fun!

Let Us Pursue that Flighty Temptress, Adventure

“Let us step into the night and pursue that flighty temptress, adventure.”
― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Story: This was always my favorite of the movies and the book certainly doesn't dissapoint! The plot continues to thicken and this particular book finally gets into some of the darkest aspects of the entire series. The character development is great and the story, like the other books, is beautifully descriptive, detailed and captivating. I found myself deeply invested in the struggles of Harry, Malfoy and the other characters. This book really gets a lot of emotions from the reader/listener.

Narration: I gave this 4 stars as I didn't think all the voices were fantastic. I'm sure I missed this in the previous books since I was so into the story, but it's become clear that some of the female voices just aren't nearly as strong as the male voices. Luna and Ginny stand out, but I believe there was another female character in there that fell short of what I would have expected. Aside from that, the other characters and the way Jim Dale captures the emotions is great!

Overall: Half-Blood Prince is simply phenomenal. This book does a great job of explaining so, so much about the entire series. It also builds up to the final book which I've never read, but I'm sure will be amazing. I'm a fan of this book in particular as it gets darker; you can feel the struggle and emotions of the characters and it's thrilling! A great novel and a great addition to the series.