The Prince of Mist

The Prince of Mist could be called The Shadow of the Wind lite, except that would be doing a disservice to both books. The Prince of Mist could perhaps be said to be a precursor, an introduction to Zafon's masterwork, except that also seems to belittle the shorter but no less enthralling earlier book. The Prince of Mist is one of those children's books that is not a children's book, because it can be enjoyed by anyone, and associating it only with children would be doing it a disservice, though heaven knows that child readers are no idiots. I suppose I could best compare The Prince of Mist to The Westing Game in this regard. Child characters and a writing style a child could comprehend, but a very intricate plot and unexpectedly dark plot material. Haunted statues, a devilish man with dark magic, a sunken ship that went down with dozens of forsaken souls on board, a house built by a rich man whose family was soon after struck by tragedy, all of this is trademark Zafon, and everything comes together in a tight plot that will tug at your heart and make you glad to have a light on while you read. This is an excellent tragedy, and it's all the better for having characters you as the reader will identify and sympathize with. Max is a well-executed normal boy protagonist, Alicia is neither too haughty nor too sensual to be unlikable, and Roland is just shy of being too cocky, and so you don't end up hating him. I mean, when I started reading, I was sure I could peg the character types, but it was pleasant to find that instead of just being types, the three main characters were actually individual personalities. But still, first novel or not, I should not have expected less from Zafon.

Well, this was more reflection than review. Ah, get used to it, I guess? Okay, okay, here's a bit about the actual plot. With World War II looming, Max and his family move from the city to a seaside town. The town is sleepy, but the house Max's family moves into is wreathed in a tragic past. Max's new friend Roland tells him and his sister Alicia about the Fleischmann family who lived there until their son Jacob died. Meanwhile, Max discovers a garden full of freakin' creepy statues including one of a scary clown. I mean, jeez, Zafon, dead children aren't enough for you, you have to freaking have clowns in this book? Master of horror, indeed. Tragedy circles ever closer around Max, Alicia, and Roland, and connected to it all is a mysterious character called the Prince of Mist.

Anyway! If you haven't read anything by Zafon, either this book or The Shadow of the Wind is good to start with. And you should start with one of them. Right now. Because Zafon is amazing.

Never Trust a Dead Man

Title: Never Trust a Dead Man
Author: Vivian Vande Velde

What it's about: Selwyn, a teenage farm boy, is accused of murdering another lad, Farold, who was his rival for the affections of a girl, Anora. Selwyn's innocent, but no one believes this, so he's entombed in a burial cave along with Farold's dead body as punishment. Selwyn is rescued by a witch, Elswyth, who also brings Farold back in the body of a bat so that Selwyn and Farold can try to find Farold's murderer and prove Selwyn's innocence.

What I thought: This is another solid book by a good author. Thinking about it, that's really all that comes to mind. Solid, entertaining, but it's not going to really stand out in my mind. I mean, everything about it was above average, but nothing really shone as something to make this book especially memorable. It's nothing special, but it's good.

Overall: If you're looking for a good read, go ahead and check this one out.

The Man Who Broke The Bank At Monte Carlo

Title: The Man Who Broke The Bank At Monte Carlo
Author: Michael Butterworth

What it's about: Ernest Rowbotham is an unassuming Englishman who's just inherited six million dollars from his uncle. The one catch? He has to take his uncle's preserved corpse around Monte Carlo for a week in order to inherit. Well, this wouldn't be so bad except for the fact that if he messes up the terms of the will, the Universal Dog Home of Chicago gets the money instead, and to that end, they've sent a representative to Monte Carlo to keep an eye on Ernest. Oh, and did I mention that Ernest's Uncle Luigi was also a successful mafia boss back in Chicago? And that two separate groups of gangsters are after the inheritance? With all this going on, Ernest's in for the most unforgettable week of his life.

What I thought: Okay, well, first I have to admit a bias towards this book because my favorite musical ever, Lucky Stiff, is based on this book. It's a great story. The premise is so absurd, and events quickly take a turn for the weird(er). I don't want to spoil much, but there's a hysterical bit with a hooker and trains that's just great. The prose in general just has such a sense of atmosphere, too it. It's grand, very rich. And the characters really make this whole thing work. Ernest is a sympathetic fellow. The gangsters are quite distinctive in their mannerisms. And, well, this is just a greatly amusing book with a satisfying story. I loves it.

Overall: Read it. Now.