My guess is that Grindelwald defeated Dumbledore instead of the other way around. As a result, Tom was pulled into the "vacuum", so to speak, of the light created by Dumbledore's death. I'm looking forward to a more aggressive Harry in this story, so I predict that there will be even better fight scenes.

 

The new chapter is out people.

this chapter set a lot of things in motion. I wished it had more though.

 

Well ya... the new chapter is very nice... it certainly put a lot of things into persecutive... just hope that it will be just as nice as Siaul

 

Only on chapter three so far.

The story seems fine although the author could use scene breaks to signify a change in person's POV. Although you find out in the next sentence, it would be nice to know.

Slow moving but with the chapters being so massive I'm not sure it should go any other way.

4/5 Still no reason as to how Harry got transported...I am such an impatient fuck...

 

I added a link to Jono's yahoogroup in the first post. It's here: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/stranger_trilogy/

On the yahoogroup are formatted HTML files with the proper scene breaks, bold, italics, etc. You might prefer to read it there.

Also on the yahoogroup are the first two chapters of the sequel, part two in the 'stranger' trilogy (A Stranger in a Promised Land), which so far hasn't been posted anywhere else to the best of my knowledge.

I will admit the question of "how" Harry got transported I don't even remember thinking about, just sort of accepting that he did.

 

I have a question. Why is this story in the "Time Travel" section, when the story isn't about Harry jumping around in time, but is instead about Harry jump through different universes, and ultimately, trying to get home?

 

I just finished Stranger in an Unholy Land.

I couldn't get past the fact that Harry did not want to kill. I guess I was expecting a Dark!Harry yet that did not happen, so it was a bit of a letdown.

Everything else was great. From Dumbledore, to Flamel (how I imagined him to be) and even Voldemort (the epictomy of a Slytherin in this story).

4.5/5 Dark!Harry or not I just couldn't see Harry hesitating so much to kill Voldemort...I mean even in cannon he has felt like killing Him...why ponder so much about it, it is the age old concept of kill or be killed.

 

Hmm, alright. I assumed that dimension hopping was something more in lieu of the Alternate Board. Thanks for clearing that up for me.

 

New chapter is up on yahoo group!

 

Not as good as the previous chapters. 3.5/5.

Harry was far too altruisic in the manner he was constantly thinking poor Katie, and after a dozen or so references, it got pretty irritating. I expected him to be a lot more selfish about things after the first two chapters. This Harry seemed vastly different from his earlier self.

Plot isn't moving at an enjoyable place. I found this chapter dreadfully slow.

Besides the conversation with Umbridge and Transfiguation proff., the rest were not up to the mark. They seemed to lack in the spark that propelled his earlier chapters along.

So, all in all, a fairly disappointing chapter. Still, far better than most of the sh!t out there.

Ps. Ignore the Spelling mistakes. Damn tired.

 

I have been following this fic for quite a while. The author is very talented and consistantly updates with extremely long chapters. The updates however are not frequent but waiting for something is half the fun after all. When I first read this fic i was thought it was quite similiar to bourne identity where harry gets this cool fighting moves. I thought it would be Mary Sue but as the fic progresses we find that Voldemort is very cunning and manipulative and one of the best villians of fan fiction ever characterized. The interactions between the characters in the first story was superb. Rose was really fleshed out and his parents also, as well as Flamel, making the story very reallistic. What I like most about this fic is the battle scenes rivalling even those of Shezza88's. This author is obviously skilled in that area. The plot itself leaves nothing to be wanted, and Harry's characterization is also kept in character. He is like he always was, a caring hero. This does not change, but there is character growth. For example Harry has accepted his violent tendencies and he is slowly changing. it won't be too long before he DOESNT hesitate to kill his enemies. The latest chapter was really something. It had everything a good chapter needs: Long length, filler, good dialoge and cahracterization, battle scenes - the one in Borgins was great. What I find particularly annoying about this chapter is that the author changes the point of views from Katie to Borgins then back to Harry then to the mysterious man who fights Harry. Just keep it in Harry's pov, cant ya? All in all this story is one of the best in Harry Potter fan fiction. I have noticed recently that fan fiction readers and writers is declning in the HP genre but fics like these keep it alive.

Good job, serpent-sorcerer. You are really a good author and I rate your still yet uncomplete trilogy a good ten out of ten not for the writing but for the great read and entertainment it is. I am looking forward to the next chapter, and I know that the two months waiting period will probably be worth it.

Still, I hope you update a bit faster... .

 

I've given up on this fic with the latest chapter.

By the end of "Stranger in an Unholy Land", Harry had absorbed and integrated all of the Dark Knight's skills, knowledge, and instincts with his own.

These skills were those that allowed the Dark Knight to be the second most feared wizard in Britain, and the defeater of Voldemort, effectively making Harry the most powerful wizard in the UK.

Now, with the sequel, "Stranger in a Promised Land", Jono has pretty much reverted Harry to his canon state. The defeater of Voldemort is getting beaten in duels by random dark wizards - wizards nowhere near Voldemort's level. Now, with this latest chapter, we find out that he doesn't even know his 6th year Hogwarts material.

The inconsistancy is astounding, and I find myself disliking the abrupt change in Harry's character, just for the sake of keeping peril, immensly.

Part one of this fic gets 5/5 from me.

Part 2 gets 2/5

 

Battle scene at Borgin's was one of the best I've read recently. I don't mind Katie's POV, as it gives us a look at Harry from outside perspective.

Taure, while Dark Harry was second most feared wizard in Britain, it does not mean that he was second most knowledgeable or powerful. As for the Hogwarts subjects - he hadn't need for Potions as Dark Lord had Potion Masters like Snape, and etc. Dark Knight was feared because of his killer instincts, absolute ruthlessness, terrorist act's and obvious cruel nature despite good upbringing...

Remember Dark!Harry's duel with Kingsley - he hadn't escaped unscratched and lost his objective. He wasn't some super-wizard.

And even then, I think Harry isn't using Dark Knights abilities to its full potential - firing Stunning Spells, and making mistakes. We saw what he did at his fullest at SIAUL - and good Harry recalled feeling of anger and hate and Darkness when 'merging' himself with Dark Knight, while now they are not mentioned.

P.S. Harry hadn't lost in a duel - he stood his ground pretty well with obviously older and very skilled assassin-like wizard and only accidental injury and opponents luck at the end saved Dark Wizard from Harry.

 

The Dark Knight wasn't all about combat though. Remember that weird stick he had made, that everyone was impressed by? The one that stunned people, and then later Harry, using the Dark Knight's knowledge, modified?

Being able to create enchanted objects is quite a skill, and one that involves a decent knowledge of magic.

In addition, for the Dark Knight to be feared for his combat skills he needs magic. Charms and transfiguration are just as effective as any Dark Arts in fighting, so for the Dark Knight to be the feared fighter he was he would need these too.

I'm not asking for him to be the strongest wizard in the world. I'm just asking for him to be a teensy bit more competent than canon!Harry, in attitude as well as magic.

 

Chapter 4 of the sequel is up on the authors yahoo website. He says the next one is already being beta'd and will be up shortly as well. Don't read anymore of this post if you haven't read the new chapter.





Harry being magically weak for whatever reason is kind of lame. I don't see any need for it in the story at this point either which makes it twice as confusing. Not sure if it's because of Malfoy's unknown curse or because his burning day is approaching but I hope it's the later. Although then again I don't remember Fawkes being weak except for on his burning day itself. Do we know how often Phoenix's burning days occur? I guess I'll just wait and see where the author is going with it. I don't understand why Harry didn't just tell Pompfrey it was Malfoy who cursed him so they could find out if Malfoy's curse was indeed responsible.

Other then that it was a pretty good chapter. Writing and characterization is well above the norm as usual. Katie is a little overly suspicious of her fellow Gryffindor I think.

 

Author said earlier that Harry's Animagus form would be a gift and a curse for him at the same time. Harry enjoyed abilities of a Phoenix, and now he would experience the 'curse'. I guess being burned alive on a regular basis would make a nice compensation :-/

 

Ah. It's not as bad as I feared then. Hopefully it won't last very long though. I mean, Fawkes never had any problems except for on his burning day itself right?

I still wonder how often Phoenix's have their burning day. Is it like a birthday and happens once a year? I suppose I could go back and track how long it's been since Harry first became a phoenix animagus and I would imagine that might give an approximation for what length of time the author is using, but I'm not quite THAT curious. To much work.

 

I like this story a lot, well worth the read.

I wouldn't mind reading a story of the evil!harry in that universe.

Luke