The Prince of Mist
by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Phoenix, HK$104
Caveat emptor: The Prince of Mist is not the new novel by the best-selling author of The Shadow of the Wind. In fact it is the first novel by the best-selling author of The Shadow of the Wind. Carlos Ruiz Zafon provides a helpful preface, explaining that his early work is aimed at 'young adults' although he hopes it'll appeal to 'readers of all ages'. Set during the second world war, The Prince of Mist tells a dreamy and unsettling story about the Carver family, narrated from the point of view of 13-year-old Max: 'Max would never forget that faraway summer when, almost by chance, he discovered magic.' His father, an inventor and watchmaker called Maximilian, moves his family (his wife, two daughters and Max) from their war-torn city into a deserted beach house. On the day they leave, Max's father gives him a beautiful pocket watch engraved with 'Max's time machine'. Life beside the sea is far from straightforward. His sisters, Irina and Alicia, suffer nightmares and hear disembodied voices. Max hears gossip about the family who used to own the house, including whispers about a vanished son. Reminiscent of Pan's Labyrinth, The Prince of Mist is charming, weird and enjoyable.