It's war time, and the Carver family decides to leave the capital where they live and move to a small coastal village where they've recently bought a home. But from the minute they cross the threshold, strange things begin to happen. In that mysterious house still lurks the spirit of Jacob, the previous owners' son, who died by drowning.
With the help of their new friend Roland, Max and Alicia Carver begin to explore the strange circumstances of that death and discover the existence of a mysterious being called the Prince of Mist--a diabolical character who has returned from the shadows to collect on a debt from the past. Soon the three friends find themselves caught up in an adventure of sunken ships and an enchanted stone garden--an adventure that will change their lives forever.
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"There's something about Carlos Ruiz's writing that I can't really place my finger on but find mysteriously endearing. This book was a fast read and quite unputdownable. Towards the last 1/3rd of the book, it lost its pace but a bit but overall, a great a read and pretty spooky. I kept imagining the scenes in my head as I was reading and realised this would make a pretty scary movie that I may not watch!"
— Nags (4 out of 5 stars)
“A melancholy horror tale.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review)“Jonathan Davis is excellently cast; his voice throbs with understated menace, which slowly intensifies toward the dramatic conclusion. Sound effects subtly add to the suspense and pleasure of listening. The audio performance is also accompanied by haunting original music written and performed by the author.”
— Publishers Weekly (audio review)“This superb young adult novel crosses into supernatural realms, and Jonathan Davis’ performance offers its own kind of magic. Davis makes the transition from commonplace teen angst to paranormal regions naturally and believably. Carlos Ruiz Zafón’s lyrical prose creates plausible characters and thrilling situations, all given substance by Davis’ spot-on narration. A conversation with the author (who also composed and performed the incidental music) follows this engrossing tale.”
— AudioFile“Translated seamlessly, this atmospheric tale is set in 1943 in an unspecified seacoast village…Permeated with a delicious sense of looming menace, the story lines converge inexorably in a terrifying climax. Intelligent and eerie, Zafón’s story will create nightmares and admirers.”
— Booklist“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.”
— School Library Journal (starred review)“Zafón is a master storyteller.”
— VOYA (starred review)" The theme is what appealed to me though meant for younger audience. The desire to realise dreams rarely understanding in full the consequences. "
— Fawad, 2/16/2014" Not bad as writing goes but very YA and I just could not muster that much enthusiasm about the children in the story; would have been a great book when I was 10 or so but not now, though I will still check out the next installment just in case it becomes more complex and subtler "
— Liviu, 1/14/2014" Okay so I might just be a chicken but this book reminded me a little of Stephen King novels. Just for teenagers. It really had me thinking and guessing the whole way through about what was really going on! "
— Jody, 1/11/2014" It's no Shadow of the Wind, but a nice read none the less. It's definitely YA-- a lot less complex (and unfortunately less interesting, as a result) than SOTW, but I think I would have loved it at 12 or 13. If you like Zafon give it a try, it's a fun quick read. "
— Brit, 12/22/2013" This started out very promising - gothic and slightly scary and mysterious. I really loved the first half. The ending, though, was a tad overwrought and disappointing. "
— Anbolyn, 12/21/2013" A fairly short and easily read story for teenagers and adults alike. As Carlos Ruiz Zafon's first published work, you can easily see how he has gone on to write best sellers. There is a dark side to this tale so watch out! "
— TheSecretWriter, 12/15/2013" After reading Shadow of the Wind. U can not be in the spell of Mr Ruiz Zafon.. Easy writing that we readers think we can do. Get between the lines though, and we have no idea! A Master... Thanku for my peace "
— Nina, 11/29/2013" This was ok but I think you can see the inexperience compared to his later works. Although this is for young adults so to be fair I'm not the target audience. "
— Jo, 11/21/2013" is dark in a good way ,but the end a little sad "
— Virna, 11/15/2013" Sadly, the book is too short to go into any of the detail a good fantasy deserves, and too long to be a short story. Zafon's writing (and Graves's translation) is smooth and readable, but that alone wasn't anything that stood out. Also, female character fail. "
— Minli, 11/4/2013" Presented as a youth book, it's not so bad for adults too. It's a mix of phantasy and fiction and just over hundred pages a quick to read book. "
— Edo, 11/1/2013" i had mixed feelings about this book. for me i didnt enjoy reading so i couldnt finsh the rest. i didnt find it scary i just could not finish the book. "
— Claire, 2/2/2013" I think that this book is good for family because the book is about a family that was going through a hard time but then a new friend comes and the family"s life gets better "
— Christian, 1/26/2013" good story, but i do prefer his later writing, or perhaps his books for adults. "
— Sandy, 8/13/2012" This was more of a young adults book. I didn't really like it so I didn't finish it. Good teenager book for those into mystery and supernatural. "
— Eileen, 8/9/2012" I read this book because of the author's adult books The Shadow of the Wind and The Angel's Game. I enjoyed it but it is a YA book so it doesn't have the plot twists and turns. Still enjoyed it though. "
— Jan, 6/16/2012" 1st edition US, signed by author "
— Beth, 1/17/2012" Very scary and interesting, but I didn't enjoy the perspective or writing style. Too much telling. "
— SheWunders, 10/7/2011" Good creepy fun. The audio version is great with haunting music composed by the author. Recommend for middle schoolers and up "
— Monica, 2/2/2011" Great story, well-told. Only problem: Borrows more than a little from Bradbury's superior "Something Wicked This Way Comes." The Prince is, in nearly every way, identical to Mr. Dark. Except for the unoriginal feel, this novel makes for an excellent young adult horror/mystery. "
— Cathy, 7/26/2010" This was a quick read and not at all what I was expecting. "
— Farrah, 5/11/2010Carlos Ruiz Zafón (1964-2020) wrote several novels, including the international phenomenon The Shadow of the Wind. His work has been honored with numerous awards, including the Edebé Award, Spain’s most prestigious prize for young adult fiction.
Jonathan Davis has been inducted into the Audible Narrator Hall of Fame. A three-time recipient and fourteen-time nominee of the Audie Award, he has earned accolades for his narration from the New York Times, Publishers Weekly, the American Library Association, Booklist, the Audio Publishers Association, AudioFile magazine, and USA Today. He has narrated a variety of bestsellers and award-winners for top publishing houses. He also narrated over forty titles of the Star Wars franchise for Lucasfilm Ltd./PRH Audio, including several iconic movie tie-ins, has participated with Star Wars Celebration, and has built a significant fan base. His work as a narrator includes films and programming for National Geographic Television, NOVA, PBS, VH1, and Francis Ford Coppola. He grew up in Puerto Rico and speaks Spanish, Portuguese, and Hebrew.