Quirky Cat
Written on Jul 28, 2019
Before I start my review, I want to be a bit clear about this series. I've been seeing a lot of people confused online, so I feel this is important to note; these are not Harry Potter ebooks, nor were they actually written by J.K. Rowling. They were written by Pottermore, and inspired by the History of Magic novel that came out.
Each ebook in the series takes one or two school subjects taught at Hogwarts, and then focuses on the past and influences that J.K. Rowling pulled from in order to enrich her world. This series is perfect for anyone that wants a starting point for research. But it may not be in depth enough for those seeking a lot of details about these influences.
Harry Potter: A Journey Through Divination and Astronomy is another perfect pairing of subjects. Divination and Astronomy really do go hand and hand, at least in the context of magic and Harry Potter.
Like the other ebooks in the series, this novella is split perfectly in half. The first half focuses in Divination, so it covered historical influences like runes and oracle bones, crystal balls, and of course tarot cards and everything in between.
Meanwhile, the second half focused on astronomy. This half was particularly interesting for me, because it covered some of the histories of the study of stars, including some of the original mapmakers in humanity. It also covered things like astrolabes and orrerys.
The facts in this ebook were truly fleshed out with the addition of images and charts. And a few well-placed quotes from the Harry Potter series to add context for the material being discussed. Like the last couple of ebooks, I especially loved the little 'making of' facts they managed to sneak in here and there. I imagine other Potterheads will appreciate those bits as well.
Harry Potter: A Journey Through Divination and Astronomy is the third book in this series, as mentioned above. Harry Potter: A Journey Through Charms and Defense Against the Dark Arts is already out, as is Harry Potter: A Journey Through Potions and Herbology. That just leaves Harry Potter: A Journey Through Care of Magical Creatures, which I'm really looking forward to.
For more reviews check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks