Press views: The Deathly Hallows

Rowling finished writing the final book in January

The first reviews have been written of the final Harry Potter book, with most critics agreeing it is a fitting end to the popular series.

Here is a selection of comments about Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

BEWARE: book reviews inevitably contain plot spoilers. We will try to avoid these as much as possible, but if you DO NOT want to know what is in the new book, DO NOT READ ON.

THE GUARDIAN - John Mullan

Mysteries from earlier volumes are satisfyingly shown to be ripe for unravelling. Rowling has done her damnedest to round up events and minor characters from all the earlier books. Her child fans are notorious for their delight in Potter-trivia, and Rowling has conscientiously done justice to their intricate knowledge of her earlier books.

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH - Tibor Fischer

The books have always gone as much backwards in time as forwards, and there are more revelations about the past of the Potter family, the now deceased Dumbledore, and my favourite character, Severus Snape.

There are very sound reasons why the Potter books have sold so well. Rowling is extremely adroit at twists. The comic element that was so prominent in the earlier volumes (Rowling even indulged in a little political satire with the Ministry for Magic) nearly entirely evaporates here.

THE TIMES - Alice Fordham

Of course, there are always healthy doses of Dark magic in Potter books, but gradually, even in times of brittle peace, we realise this one is going to be rather different.

Harry and his pals, in case you haven't been frantically re-reading the first six books for clues, must set out on an expedition to find pieces of their arch-enemy's soul.

As Hermione reveals the arrangements she has made to give her parents new identities, and even Ron contemplates the sacrifices to be made, it becomes clear that this is to be no boarding-school book in disguise. They are dropping out of Hogwarts in earnest, and there will be no Quidditch, no pumpkin juice and no Blast-Ended Skrewts.

THE SUN - Anne Jones

The final showdown between Harry Potter, The Boy Who Lived, and his arch-enemy Lord Voldemort, He Who Must Not Be Named, is a classic good-versus-evil tale on a par with Tolkien's Lord Of The Rings trilogy.

The book is very dark - right from the start there is fighting. Characters start falling left, right and centre.

THE DAILY MIRROR - Fiona Cummins

The best thing about this 607-page book is that it finally answers the questions we have been longing to know.

We learn if Dumbledore, killed by Severus Snape at the end of the Half-Blood Prince, was right to trust him. And what binds Voldemort and Harry and if, and how, that link can be broken. And for the die-hard fans, the ending won't be too much of a surprise. The clues have been there all along.