Follow TV Tropes

Reviews FanficRecs / Alexander Harris And The Shadow Council

Go To

Dragoon321 Demoted Evil Overlord Since: Oct, 2010
Demoted Evil Overlord
03/24/2018 05:38:06 •••

Oh, the dangers of Serial Escalation

So let me start off by saying I enjoyed this fic quiet a bit while I could still stomach it. The interactions between Xander, Wednesday and the Harry Potter cast (especially Hermione) are often amusing and even realistically in character.

That said the story has a major issue and that issue is Serial Escalation. It actually starts relatively early on just from Xander befriending Wenseday who as an Addams is a member of one of the most powerful families on the planet much less any single country.

And then it flies right down hill with all the deluded self awareness of a Shih tzus that thinks its people.

To be blunt, Wenseday and the Addams family in general are terrifyingly overpowered, not just politically, but also magically. Gomez can kill dementors (who are unkillable manifestation of emotion) by glaring them down. Wenseday is not only just as smart as Hermione, but knows more advanced and effective spells, can tank a basilisk's killing gaze for no explained reason, and scares literally everyone that crosses her path (even the memory of young Voldemort).

Then there's Xander who starts off as a relatively believable young kid. By the time he's 14 he not only has the Addam's families backing, but the attention of several other powerful families one of which he has inherited a special "bloodline magic trait" from (something completely made up for the fanfic to justify pure blood bigotry), is capable of making working wands, can successfully win a prank war with the Twins (with some minor outside help), and shows aptitude with enchanting beyond anyone else.

He is also undergoing several kinds of training including: Training from his uncle (an ex-Navy Seal) and Gomez (a master swordsman). As well as magical combat training, conditioning, and occlumency training from what's essentially a magical Spec Op soldier.

Remember he's only 14 at this point and has accumulated all this power in less then 3 years. Quiet frankly it gets increasingly difficult to keep the Suspension of Disbelief up when a character in his lower teens sounds like he could waltz into Hogwarts and curbstomp everyone except Dumbledore.

All that said it's still a decent story and if you can get past the increasing lunacy of the two central characters power then it might be for you, but don't be surprised if you jump ship approaching the halfway point.

Nozomi_Higurashi Since: Sep, 2015
03/24/2018 00:00:00

To me, the absolute absurdity the serial escalation brings is highly entertaining, and I can see plans to balance things in between the lines. Xander is overpowered, yes, as is Wednesday... and Harry. Harry\'s just started the character development that will allow him to USE that overpowered potential. The author is keeping in line with canon personalities as the base, and when you think about it, Harry is very powerful and brilliant in canon... but lazy. And with a reasonable excuse too. You\'d take the opportunity to coast by if you could if you were worked to the bone every time you were \"home\" too. Hogwarts isn\'t a school for Harry - it\'s a friken vacation home! The author had multiple people point out Harry\'s laziness to him, eventually managing to get through the canonically thick skull and light a fire under the boy to NOT waste his potential like he\'s been.

Also, most of Xander\'s inventions are not made by him alone. He thinks up the concepts - Wednesday, Hermione, and Willow are the driving force to make them WORK. Oh, and Harry\'s improved on one as well in a rather simple but brilliant way Xander, with all his out of the box thinking MISSED. So, honestly, there\'s not a favored Serial Escalation - the corrupt Ministry and they\'re policies have ensured those from Harry Potter are a bit behind the curve, but things are now primed to have them catch up. And I\'ll be honest - I think Harry\'s gonna leave everyone else in the dust now that he\'s almost done warming up.


Leave a Comment:

Top