I had high hopes after reading all the raving reviews, but abandoned it after first chapter (and couple of random checks over the next 18 chapters)

this is not a fresh harry potter for me, but a deadpool ripoff with a wand instead of guns and katanas.

 

I’d say the early chapters are misleading to the tone and overall quality of this story. If you really like the Harry you see at the beginning, the rest of the story will probably be disappointing. If you think he’s an annoying asshole at first, you should probably give it a second chance and keep reading.

In my opinion it ends up being a surprisingly clever fic. Avoids the most common tropes in this genre and does some things I can’t remember seeing before. Great take on professional dueling. Harry, Tracey and Daphne all end up being more interesting and ethically nuanced characters than they first appear.

 

Given the reviews, I gave this fic a go. These days I read a fanfic on average every 2-3 years.

Honestly kinda enjoyed this. When it finished I was left wanting more.

That being said, as others have noted, the start is of a higher quality than where it ends up. I really liked the take on the professional duelling, even though Harry is way more powerful than is reasonable. But hey, I'm kinda here to see that so why not. Characterisation was interesting, had potential, but it's not really believable. It suffices though.

Overall, 4/5. Would read more if it was there. Will probably forget about it by the time the author comes back to it though.