Harry Potter: The Character Vault

Author: Jody Revenson
Published by Titan Books
ISBN: 9781783296033 

As a viewer there are very few series where you get to see the cast grow and develop in real life as well as on screen. The Harry Potter series though is one example where this did occur. From our first encounter with Harry at Privet Drive to the meeting of Ron and Hermione on Hogwarts Express all the way through to the Battle of Hogwarts we watched them every step of the way. Along with this we saw the actors grow into their roles and this book celebrates this. From initial concept art to set images and wand descriptions this book is a treasure trove of Potter lore.

The book is split into nine chapters covering details on the Hogwarts students and staff, the Triwizard tournament and Order of the Phoenix among other topics. The big characters all make an appearance from Harry to Neville, Luna to Professor Sprout. One nice touch is that all the Defence against the Dark Arts professors are all grouped together giving you a nice progression throughout the series. There is also room for the darker side of wizardry in Voldermort and his Deatheaters with a section on Bellatrix (she is a fantastic character after all).

There is room in the descriptions for a few tabulated facts like, appearances, house, Patronus among others. All these are nice as extra reminders but it's the text that really delves into the characters. The styling of each is given some attention and is generally associated with artistic impressions and sketches. Although these are cosmetic in nature the "realism" of the world is one of the main reasons why this series is so popular. Viewers/readers can see the wizarding world existing alongside our reality and if the characters looked too fake this would not be the case.

​There is though one small text box I adore and that is the wand descriptions. There is something rather fascinating about the wizarding tool. From its make up of wood with a magical core to the trails it and its wielder have been through, give the reader a lovely insight into the connection between end and Wizard.

Physically this is a lovely book to own, the pages are thick and images bright and varied. Each section does have a pattern but it's the way the pages are designed that make them so appealing. The cover is very tactile with raised second giving the reader a sense of tactile feedback during consumption that is lost with some books. For Potter film fans this is a great buy and comes highly recommended.