There are a lot of different versions of the Harry Potter books. There's the original hardcovers, paperbacks with stencilled edges, and even a full-on Hogwarts trunk filled with the books you can buy. If you're looking for a gift to buy the Potter fan in your life while there's still time before Christmas, it can be a little overwhelming to decide exactly what set of books is worth purchasing for their collection. If you're buying for someone who has already read the entire series multiple times over, however, I'd suggest going with the illustrated editions that Amazon currently has in its buy 2, get 1 free book sale once again. This is the same exact deal we saw during Black Friday book sales this year, so it's definitely worth checking out.
Surprise, surprise, though, there are actually two different illustrated editions to choose from in this sale! There's the larger hardcovers (illustrated by Jim Kay) and the interactive illustrated editions (from MinaLima). Of the two, only the interactive illustrated editions are all included in Amazon's promotion.
Harry Potter Interactive Illustrated Edition Sale
Amazon's buy 2, get 1 free sale is pretty straightforward. All you need to do is add three items to your cart and the least expensive of the three will be discounted from the final price at checkout. Since there are currently four of the illustrated interactive editions available, you'll need to choose which three to add to your cart to get the discount. Whatever you choose, you'll be looking at an additional $21 off by purchasing three at once. Since each of these books is already reduced in price, that comes out to $89.90 for the full collection of four if you buy them all at once.
As you may have noticed, only the first four books in the series have gotten the interactive illustrated treatment so far. The first three books feature illustrations and papercraft from MinaLima while the Goblet of Fire was taken over by Karl James Mountford (Illustrator) and Jess Tice Gilbert (Designer). This discrepancy between artists is due to MinaLima announcing that she wasn't going to continue with the project. The most recent edition, The Goblet of Fire, was the first new book in this line of special editions since 2023 and was released a only two months ago in October 2025. The change in artists means that there are still plans to finish giving the rest of the series the same treatment in the coming years.
What is the "Interactive" element of these illustrated editions?
I actually own all of the MinaLima editions and have had the chance to read through them myself. The interactive element here refers to papercraft hidden within the pages. These are essentially illustrations that spin, open up, or can be played with in some way. It actually makes for a really fun experience as you make your way through the story. The only issue I've had with it is that it's not really meant to be used too heavily. The paper elements are obviously quite fragile and this isn't a book that you're supposed to be reading over and over again. As a collector's item and an occasional read, however, they are pretty cool. For an idea of what to expect you can check out some of the interactive elements featured in my copy of The Sorcerer's Stone.
Is Now the Best Time to Buy These Books?
Right now, this is the best deal on these books anywhere. It's certainly possible that prices could drop further before Christmas, but it's unlikely that this buy 2, get 1 free promotion will still be around by then as they usually only last about a week. This is the same exact deal we saw during Black Friday deals this year, so it's as good as it's going to get unless Amazon drops a surprise discount.
Amazon's "3 for 2" sale offers a unique opportunity to save on the entire collection. Even if Amazon further discounts the individual titles, you'll most likely end up saving the same amount as you would purchasing now while the promotion is on. This type of deal is especially great for buying full collections at once and these Harry Potter books are the best deal in the whole sale for doing just that.
