Every Harry Potter Book Ranked From Worst To Best

1. The Prisoner Of Azkaban

It's probably no surprise that the source material for the very best Harry Potter film just so happens to be the greatest of the Harry Potter books too.

The book has almost everything that you could ever want from a Harry Potter novel: it doesn't suffer from the same bloat some of the later books do, but also has far more emotional weight and character depth than the first two instalments, deviating away from the formula. It's the first hint of the darker edge the series would take on, but maintains the sense of wonder that made everyone fall in love with it in the first place.

There are a number of crucial elements that are greatly introduced here, including: werewolves, Dementors, hippogriffs, Patronuses, the Marauder's Map, Hogsmeade, the Knight Bus, Lupin, and the series' best character (don't @ me, unless your argument is Snape I guess) Sirius Black. Each of these factors into the story in an important way, and the book expertly plays on the themes of loyalty, betrayal, and tragedy that are such keys to the whole thing. And on top of all that, it managed to introduce time travel in a way that actually worked.

That's a hell of an achievement. Azkaban doesn't just take a darker turn, or add to the lore, but showcases that this is a far more complex series than anyone had realised. It keeps you on the edge of your seat, and reading up all night, with various twists, turns, and blurred lines between good and bad.

It's an exhilarating ride from start-to-finish, adding new layers to the characters, keeping plenty of the humour needed to offset the creeping darkness, has a finale that is both happy (Sirius is free) and profoundly sad (he and Harry are separated, Pettigrew escapes), firmly connects to the past, lays the groundwork for the future, and even without Voldemort manages to be the richest book of the entire series.

Agree with this ranking? Which Potter book is your favourite? Let us know down in the comments.