The Midnight Palace

March 14, 2011
Zafón (The Prince of Mist) delivers an often creepy adventure, first published in Spain in 1994, populated with some wonderful characters. In British-occupied Calcutta in 1916, a soldier saves two babies (at the cost of his own life), and the children's grandmother leaves one at an orphanage to throw off the evil person chasing them. Sixteen years later, the boy, Ben, is reunited with his sister, Sheere,
after a brutal attack on the orphanage. Along with Ben's fellow orphans (including narrator Ian), the siblings take on the mysterious sorcerer Jawahal, who has fire-based powers and a connection to the twins' late father. Zafón adeptly establishes his characters (including some fun and believable teenage repartee) and makes good use of his setting. His Calcutta has many of the mystical elements that many writers associate with the city, but it also shows the political strain of a city subject to years of hostile colonization and ready to break free. Just as importantly, Zafón delivers moments of genuine horror, as well as expert plot twists that move the story along. Ages 12âup.

Narrator Jonathan Davis perfectly matches the tempo and emotions of this gothic tale. In Calcutta, 1916, a soldier sacrifices his life in saving two orphaned newborns from a mysterious evil being. One of those babies, Ben, is left at a Catholic orphanage. The boy thrives, eventually joining a secret society that meets in a ruined house dubbed the Midnight Palace. Sixteen years later, the evil presence reappears to claim Ben, forcing the society of teens to find a way to defeat the magic and stay alive. Davis's delivery is strong. However, the occasional use of sound effects and music under his voice is distracting and muffles the narration. In addition, his slight Spanish accent makes it difficult for listeners to remember that the story's setting is colonial India. C.B.L. (c) AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine