I think just about everyone following this was disappointed in the ending. To me it read like he ran out of gas for the story half way into the chapter and just found a way to end it there.

Before this chapter I gave it a 4/5 now I've got to drop it down to at least a 3/5 maybe even lower than that, this is a case study on how one chapter can almost completely ruin an otherwise good story.

 

I found the beginning to become irritating at times, and aggravating to read through, and ended up partially skimming some parts. It picked up a bit through the middle after the second arc, but the ending sucked so much there's a point off for that, along with some oddities towards it's inchoate state.


To expatiate on the ending: it was as if the author was cramming what should have been longer into a chapter, and could have been ended richly and well, but was not. There was a slight decline in the story's plot, in terms of quality till this sharp cliff to the rapids below where the story was shredded to pieces.

3/5

Edit: Oh and it's complete, maybe it should be changed from [WIP] to whatever indicates it being complete.

 

I hate to bump an old thread but I would like everyone to see this fic. It holds up incredibly well even after all these years, and it is still a resounding 5/5. All characters are done incredibly well, with no bashing. Dumbledore and Harry's dynamic brought tears to my eyes at one point, and the character interactions here are probably one of the best in the fandom to-date.

Harry's character development is super-realistic. The magic system is creative, and I was pleasantly surprised at coming across this ancient story that is so well written that it holds up to this very day with the best of them.

I do think this is something that deserves to be in the Library as it is far beyond most fics in "Almost Recommended".

Edit: I have necro'd this because I think it should be bumped from Almost Recommended to General.

 

Necroing is fine in the library, so long as you have something decent to say, which you do.

But this fic has 73 votes on it, and has settled a fair way off getting in the library. To change that you'd need a lot of good votes, and standards have only gotten higher since 2010.

It has happened before - Alexandra Quick, for example - but it's unlikely, and would take a lot more than just your opinion.

 

The story is a guilty pleasure for me.

The most annoying problem is that the author is failing to portray someone more intelligent than they are.

Example quote:

Except that he could have used literally all 6 hours of time turner on sleeping and slept 9 hours per 30-hour day and maintained the same amount of studying. Is Harry supposed to be smart? He should have figured this out. Is Hermione supposed to be smart? She should have told Harry that actually a time turner could have helped.

 

The fic is good no doubt about that, but does it keep having to remind me that Canon Harry was lacking, because Jesus Christ literally the first six chapters is the author talking about how Harry is pathetic this constant bitching almost made me quit the fic

3/5

 

Definitely not love at first sight but love nonetheless. Although it takes many, many chapters for this story to get properly satisfying, it is very much worth it once it does.

For me, the initial chapters were something of a chore to get through, what with all the repetitive internal monologue and bouts of circular reasoning. Is there an unhealthy amount of angst? Yes. However, in this case I would argue that it is a necessary means to an end rather than the trope of doom that is angst for the sake of angst.

The plot doesn't seem like anything all that inovative. Harry turns grief into determination bordering on obsession. He trains and trains until he is super-awesome-great and nearly loses his friends along with his sanity in the process. Yeah, yeah, we've seen that one before, haven't we? But. The execution here is definitely original and as far as I know, unprecedented.

See, the author actually makes the effort to carefully develop the characters, the atmosphere and the storyline with a clear final picture in mind. Believable is the word, I believe. Hats off to that patience and diligence and planning, really - I bet the beginning was as much of a chore to write, as it was to read.

Once Harry's unhealthy obsession is out of the way, though, we are in for one hell of a ride. Still, the author keeps us guessing until the very end whether the kid won't lose his shit, after all. And yet even once satisfyingly bad-ass, Harry has to work to get what he wants, pays for his faulty decisions and inexperience, and doesn't always get everything right on his first try. Finally a relatable hero, an erring human being. An unexpected exercise in realism.

From the magical theory standpoint, this is very well thought out - consistent, easily imaginable and comprehensibly presented.

And I loved the chess sessions with Snape, a nice touch.

All in all, this was a great read, 5/5.