The Prince of Mist

Starred review from April 12, 2010
Originally published in 1993, Ruiz Zafón’s (The Shadow of the Wind
) first novel, unavailable in English in the U.S. until now, is a melancholy horror tale that explores the implications parents’ choices can have for their children. During WWII, Max and Alicia Carver, 13 and 15, move with their family to a coastal Spanish village and meet an older local boy named Roland. As the three spend their time diving and exploring the town, they become aware that an unsettling force is lurking nearby. Visits to Roland’s adoptive grandfather fill in the story of the Prince of Mist, who has been bargaining for souls for decades. As the children learn more about the mysterious figure, they find themselves in greater danger. In gorgeously translated prose, Ruiz Zafón maintains a sweet, believable relationship among the characters when dealing with mundane concerns (a conflict over cleaning out a room full of spiders could be taken from any contemporary family film), but still conveys a sense of adventure and danger. The bittersweet ending suits the theme and setting, offering both hope and tragedy without any pretense of fairness. Ages 12–up.

Starred review from July 1, 2010
Gr 5–8—-n 1943, Max, 13, and his older sister Alicia are befriended by Roland, the grandson of a reclusive lighthouse keeper, when their family moves to a house on the coast to avoid the war. Max discovers a strange garden of sinister statues and a series of home movies showing that the statues change positions and expressions. Then, when his younger sister is hospitalized after an encounter with a strange presence that precipitates a fall down the stairs, he becomes aware that something sinister is afoot. The mystery deepens as Roland takes Alicia and Max diving to the ruins of an old shipwreck and the story of the ship and its mysterious passengers is revealed by the lighthouse keeper. Max begins to realize that something from beyond the grave is active in their midst and that it has an agenda that nothing on Earth can stop. In the end, someone will have to pay the price for a bargain made with the "evil one" long ago. "The Prince of Mist"hooks readers from page one. It is a combination of mystery, suspense, and supernatural thriller. The author keeps readers guessing all the way till the end in a story that's fresh, frightening, and beautifully translated. Awesome.—"Debra Banna, Sharon Public Library, MA"

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2010
Grades 7-12 Best-selling adult author Zafn published this first novel in Spain in 1993. Previously unavailable here and now translated seamlessly, this atmospheric tale is set in 1943 in an unspecified seacoast village. On Max Carvers thirteenth birthday, his father announces that the family is moving to a village for safety. Their new home has a tragic past and a garden filled with sinister statues that begin to haunt the childrens dreams. Then Max and his older sister Alicia strike up a friendship with a local boy, Roland, who takes them diving around a wrecked ship in the harbor. Rolands grandfather, the town lighthouse keeper and sole survivor of the wreck, reveals the sinister connections between the wreck, the garden, and a relentlessly evil figure, Cain, called the Prince of Mist. Permeated with a delicious sense of looming menace, the story lines converge inexorably in a terrifying climax. Intelligent and eerie, Zafns story will create nightmares and admirers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)