Title: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Illustrated Edition
Author: J.K. Rowling & Jim Kay
Series: Harry Potter Illustrated Editions
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Illustrated, Urban fantasy, Witches
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Year: 2016
5th sentence, 74th page: Completely nonplussed, Harry said nothing.

Prepare to be spellbound by Jim Kay’s dazzling full-colour illustrations in this stunning new collector’s edition of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. With paint, pencil and pixels, Kay conjures the wizarding world as we have never seen it before. Breathtaking scenes, dark themes and unforgettable characters – including Dobby and Gilderoy Lockhart – await inside as Harry and his friends, now in their second year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, seek out a legendary chamber and the deadly secret that lies at its heart .

This beautiful, deluxe edition features an opulent page size and an exclusive pull-out double gatefold; intricate foiled line art by Jim Kay on the real cloth cover and slipcase; gilt edges on premium grade paper; head and tail bands and two ribbon markers – the ultimate must-have edition for any Potter fan, collector or bibliophile.

I don’t need to harp on about the beauty of the Harry Potter series – I’ve done that elsewhere, and, quite frankly – we all know. But reading the absolutely gorgeous illustrated edition of The Chamber of Secrets and having the ability to submerse myself in Kay’s beautiful reimaginings… it just added an extra level of amazingness to the entire franchise.

There was a slightly darker patina to the images in the second illustrated Harry Potter – which works, because this is a slightly darker storyline. Although, one of the things I love most about these illustrated versions is the fact that I can use them to show my partner (who doesn’t read) the beauty of the written world… much much much better than that of movies…

<- The Philosopher’s Stone Review

The Prisoner of Azkaban Review ->

Image source: Bookdepository

Title: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
Author: J.K. Rowling & Jim Kay
Series: Harry Potter Illustrated Editions
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Illustrated, Urban fantasy, Witches
Pace: Fast
Format: Illustrated Novel
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Year: 2016
5th sentence, 74th page: Harry kept to his room, with his new owl for company.

An utterly enchanting feast of a book, this stunning collector’s edition of the full-colour illustrated Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is a volume to treasure for a lifetime. Brimming with rich detail and humour, Jim Kay’s dazzling depiction of the wizarding world and much loved characters will captivate fans and new readers alike. In oil, pastel, pencil, watercolour, pixels and a myriad of other techniques, Jim Kay has created over 115 astonishing illustrations; there really is magic on every page.

This beautiful, deluxe edition of J.K. Rowling’s timeless classic features an opulent page size and an exclusive pull-out double gatefold of Diagon Alley; intricate foiled line art by Jim Kay on the real cloth cover and slipcase; gilt edges on premium grade paper; head and tail bands and two ribbon markers – the ultimate must-have edition for any fan, collector or bibliophile.

I was given this last Christmas from my partner. And although I’d flicked through it, I didn’t quite get the chance to actually read this until the other night. And man are Jim Kay’s illustrations damn amazing!

I didn’t really read this word for word – I skimmed the words and let the illustrations throughout tell their own story. Letting the images wash over me as I read a passage here and there bought back all the wonder of the first reading of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. But something about somebody else’s imaginings took the story to a whole other level. One that I will be thinking about for a long time yet.

<- The Tales of Beedle the Bard Review

The Chamber of Secrets Review ->

Image source: Bloomsbury