I wouldn't have wanted to be J. K. Rowling. Sure, penning the world renowned Harry Potter series seems enviable, but finding a way to end it with a hard-hitting finale that measures up to it's predecessors?  And going up against years of hype and expectations of grandeur from millions of Potterheads who flocked in droves to midnight release parties around the world for the seventh installment, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," only makes the task more daunting. She nailed it.

Just as Harry has come of age, so has J. K. Rowling's epic series as she takes the final story though a much more mature, darker path through her magical world of wizards she created 10 years ago. Since "The Order of the Phoenix," readers have known that death was immanent for either Harry or Voldemort as a prophecy predicted that they could only be killed by one another. This is not only Harry's last stand, but Rowling's as well - and she let it all out.

With Harry's parents, his godfather Sirius and Headmaster of Hogwarts/mentor Albus Dumbledore all dead by means of Dark Magic, "The Deathly Hallows" comes down to the final battle in the war against the Dark Lord Voldemolt and his allies, the Death Eaters. Determined to pickup where Dumbledore left off, Harry and partners in mischief Ron and Hermione set off to locate and destroy the seven Horcruxes that house fragments of Voldemort's soul to kill him and end the war and his reign ofterror over the wizarding world. But rather than uncovering the mysteries of the castle while artfully dodging Professor Snape or unduring taughting from Draco Malfoy and his gang of fellow Slytherins, the trio have dropped out of school for their quest and find themselves constantly on the run from Death Eaters and the Ministry of Magic. As a result, cliffhangers and narrow escapes in nearly every chapter had this self-proclaimed slow reader who swore by Cliff's Notes all through college tearing through the entire 759 pages in less than three days.

Does Harry have to die to stop Voldemort? Is Snape a friend or foe? Do Ron and Hermione finally admit their feelings? And what are the Deathly Hallows? Readers go into the story seeking answers to many longstanding questions, but unlike the previous books that featured a mystery solving or epic event that changed the course of the story, "The Deathly Hallows" was more about execution of what reader's knew to be inevitable. While the book does tie together the loose ends rolling around on messages boards for years and plays out the possible scenarios avid readers had already planned in their heads, its main purpose was to explain why and how these things happen.

Consequently, the book requires a previous, well-versed knowledge about intricacies of the long-standing rivalries or significance of locations. Rowling weaves people, places, and incidents unmentioned since the beginning of the series to reward her faithful audience, but newcomers to the series would be utterly confused. Obviously, the book was not meant as a standalone read, but after selling 72.1 million copies worldwide three days after it's release, I think we can let this one slide.

Though "The Deathly Hallows" can really only be appreciated in its full seven book series context, it is nonetheless a fantastic read cover to cover including the epilogue written in the childish style seen in "The Sorceror's Stone" and "The Chamber of Secrets" to bring the tale full circle. It's safe to say Rowling stuck the landing, and the books have already gone down as one of the greatest series of our generation providing a worthy read to anyone who'd want to start from the beginning.