Warning: This ranking may contain spoilers for the entire Harry Potter series.

Brought to life in the imagination of J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter went on to become the most successful book series the world has ever seen. In the years since its creation, the Harry Potter brand has spawned best-selling games, toys, theme parks and the third biggest movie franchise of all-time. For fans, however, Harry Potter is and always will be about one thing, the books.

Also Read – Every ‘Harry Potter’ Movie Ranked

For the latest post on this blog, I thought it would be fun to look back at the seven Harry Potter books and rank them from wonderfully brilliant (worst) to utterly perfect (best). As an almost lifelong fan of the Harry Potter books, I found this task excruciatingly difficult, especially because I think all of the novels are great for different reasons, and I absolutely hate criticizing the things I love. With that said though, I have managed to complete my ranking, which you can check out below:

7. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

It might land at the bottom of my ranking, but the second instalment of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter book series is still a wildly enjoyable and uniquely magical ride! Rowling did a fantastic job developing the relationships she set-up in the first book and wonderfully introduced darker characters and storylines (this was easily the scariest book of the lot), while still giving readers a fun, weird and memorable adventure with Harry, Ron and Hermione.

6. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix gives us some of the best moments in the entire series, especially when you look at the training of Dumbledore’s Army and the epic clash between the Order and the Death Eaters. Rowling smoothly moves into more adult territory, and the relationships between characters only get deeper and more interesting. Also, this book introduces us to some of the series’ most intriguing characters, including Umbridge, Tonks and of course, Luna.

5. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone

Every great story needs a great beginning, and Rowling gave Harry Potter one of the best! Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone beautifully introduces us to the world of witches, wizards, magic and wonder. Without such an imaginative and beautiful beginning, the Harry Potter series would’ve never grown to be as big or as popular as it is today. I still remember reading the book for the first time and falling in love with Hogwarts and the quirky characters that fill its halls.

4. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Rowling delivers what is unquestionably her darkest work, killing off one of the most beloved characters in the series. The relationship between Harry and Dumbledore is explored in thrilling new ways (the cave sequence is a personal favourite), and the eventual death of Dumbledore is one of the most powerful and emotional moments in the series. The best thing about The Half-Blood Prince though, are the scenes that expose Tom Riddle’s backstory, revealing new details about the boy that would become Lord Voldemort.

3. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire does an excellent job of blending the lighter and more adventurous tone of the early books with the darker and more complex tone of the later ones. With the fourth book in the series, Rowling expands the Wizarding World in a new way, introducing multiple Wizarding schools from around the world. Rowling also starts to build to the epic conclusion by resurrecting Harry’s adversary, Lord Voldemort.

2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows beautifully wraps up the series, sending Harry, Ron and Hermione on an epic and relentlessly brutal journey, which forces readers to say goodbye to these wonderful characters and the Wizarding World. The battle of Hogwarts and the long-awaited face-off between Harry and Voldemort is exhilarating to read, and Rowling saved a few heart-breaking reveals just for this beautifully imagined finale.

1. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

When it comes to the Harry Potter books, it doesn’t get any better than the third chapter of the series. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban marks a dark turn for the series, with J.K. Rowling exploring more adult forms of storytelling and introducing Werewolves, Animagi and the ever terrifying Dementors to the Wizarding World. While The Prisoner of Azkaban is the only book not to feature Lord Voldemort, Rowling manages to create an equally enthralling mystery, revealing only small bits and pieces about Sirius Black throughout the book.

There you have it, my complete and honest ranking of every Harry Potter book! Make sure you let me know how you’d rank the series in the comments section below this post and make sure you check out some of my other posts. Also, I hate to be that guy, but if you enjoyed this ranking or any of my other posts, it would be really, really awesome if you subscribed to this blog and followed us on Twitter and Instagram. I have some really cool content planned for the future, and it would be great if you joined me on this adventure.