“Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” returns readers to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter with a story that fails to capture the magic found in one of the world’s most popular book series.

The eighth Harry Potter story commences 19 years after the Battle of Hogwarts, picking up where the epilogue of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” the seventh installment of the Harry Potter series, begins.

“Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” is the script of a London stage play created by J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany and Jack Thorne. The script itself is by Jack Thorne.

The newest Harry Potter story follows Harry and his friends through their middle aged life. However, the script’s main focus is on Harry’s second child, Albus Severus Potter, and his friend Scorpius Malfoy, the son of Harry’s former rival Draco Malfoy.

Albus struggles to live up to the legacy and expectations of his famous father, while Draco’s past as a Death eater overshadows Scorpius and feeds into speculation that he is actually the son of Voldemort. Both boys deal with rejection from their peers and difficult relationships with their fathers.

Although the script includes stage directions that suggest impressive visual effects if one were to watch the play, the script format has no narrator to set the scene, making it challenging to imagine how many scenes play out. Because of this, it is difficult to truly feel immersed in the “Harry Potter” universe.

While the new format prevents the story from being as enthralling as the original Harry Potter books, the story’s greatest fault is its overused and unimaginative storyline.

The newest Harry Potter story explores the effect altering the past has on the future. The script is a collection of what-ifs, skipping between the past and various versions of the present created as the past is altered.

Instead of introducing new characters and expanding on the Wizarding World, the story tries too hard to appeal to fans’ nostalgia, dwelling too much in the past. “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” only includes one major character not introduced in the original books, a one dimensional villain with a disappointing backstory.

However, the story is redeemed by the depth of its themes and its ability to reflect on friendship, family, forgiveness and the mistakes Harry Potter made in his endeavor to defeat Voldemort.

“The Cursed Child” is best viewed separately from the Harry Potter series. Although it brings nostalgia to Harry Potter fans, it lacks the well-rounded story found in the other books. The script does, however, serve as a reminder of why the original novels were so enthralling.

Ultimately, the newest Harry Potter story parallels Albus’ struggle to live up to his father’s legacy, as the script is unable to compare to the seven original books.

The script is available in most bookstores for $17.99, and online in e-book format for $14.99.