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Niebla #1

El principe de la niebla

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Escapando de los desastres de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, la familia Carver se traslada a una casa junto a la playa de un pueblo peque帽o y tranquilo situado a orillas del Atl谩ntico. Se trata de un viaje tambi茅n en el tiempo, pues pronto los Carver se ven envueltos en una sorprendente historia relacionada con inquietantes acontecimientos del pasado. El nuevo hogar de los Carver est谩 rodeado de misterio. En 茅l a煤n se respira el esp铆ritu de Jacob, el hijo de los antiguos propietarios, que muri贸 ahogado. Max y Alicia, los hermanos mayores de la familia, protagonizan junto a su amigo Roland una peligrosa aventura que les lleva a descubrir al Pr铆ncipe de la Niebla, un personaje siniestro capaz de conceder cualquier deseo a una persona a un alto precio. El diab贸lico personaje les demuestra hasta qu茅 punto aciertan quienes aseguran que lo prometido es... deuda.

230 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1993

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26078 people want to read

About the author

Carlos Ruiz Zaf贸n

58books26.1kfollowers
Carlos Ruiz Zaf贸n was a Spanish novelist known for his 2001 novel La sombra del viento (The Shadow of the Wind). The novel sold 15 million copies and was winner of numerous awards; it was included in the list of the one hundred best books in Spanish in the last twenty-five years, made in 2007 by eighty-one Latin American and Spanish writers and critics.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 5,354 reviews
Profile Image for Rick Riordan.
Author听318 books446k followers
December 20, 2013
A big change of pace from my nonfiction reading about World War II, The Prince of Mist is a middle grade novel by acclaimed Spanish writer Carlos Ruiz Zafon. I'd read Zafon's The Name of the Wind, a brilliant adult novel blending Gothic horror and magic realism, but I wasn't aware that Zafon actually began his career writing middle grade fantasies. The Prince of Mist was his first book, and it did not disappoint.

The war in Europe plays only a background role in the book, much as it does in The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. The Carver family decides to leave their urban home in Spain to escape the war. They move to a small beach town which has more than its share of secrets. Young Max discovers that their new family house was owned by a doctor and his wife, whose son drowned many years before. There is a strange walled garden behind the house, filled with creepy statues of circus performers. There is a shipwreck just off the coast, and a strange old man who runs the town lighthouse. The town clock runs backwards. Strange voices whisper in the house. Max and his sister Alicia soon meet a new friend named Roland, whose parents died in a tragic accident when he was small. Together, the three of them begin to unravel the mystery surrounding the town, which is entwined with an evil force from the past -- an entity known as the Prince of Mist.

If you like quick, creepy reads with mystery and menace, The Prince of Mist is for you. It will keep you turning the pages, and probably leaving your lights on, late into the night.
Profile Image for Jim Fonseca.
1,139 reviews8,175 followers
May 28, 2022
[Edited for typos, pictures added 5/28/22]

Who would have thought that Zafon, best known for The Shadow of the Wind and The Angel鈥檚 Game, started his writing life as a young adult author? After he became famous his YA books were published in English translation, some of which had won YA awards in Spain. I picked it up without knowing it was a YA book.

The story is a spooky mystery based around the main character, a pre-teen boy, his older sister and the boy鈥檚 older friend. It is set in a coastal village in Spain just before WW II. So within the first few pages we have a railway station clock running backwards. And I thought 鈥� 鈥淚 get it 鈥� Harry Potter!鈥� And the story is Harry Potterish.

description

With the war pending, the boy鈥檚 father decides to move the family out of the big city to a coastal village. At first the family is unaware that the last boy who lived in that house drowned.

We have a sunken ship in shallow water that the kids dive to and pick up treasures; a cemetery of circus freak statues that move and change position; an evil cat that sends a little girl into a coma; an ancient mariner who built his own lighthouse; an old film projector in the basement and old films that start showing current events. Of course the boy鈥檚 sister and the older friend fall in love.

You don鈥檛 read a YA book for its literary value, so you get some clich茅s and lame metaphors like this when the boy learns they are going to move: 鈥淭o him, the news felt like a mad steam train hurtling through a china shop. His mind went blank, his mouth sagged, and his eyes glazed over.鈥� I鈥檓 not a YA reader but I thought it was a good story and it kept my interest.

description

The Spanish author is best known for his Cemetery of Forgotten Books trilogy: The Shadow of the Wind, The Angel's Game and The Prisoner of Heaven. He died in 2020 from cancer at age 55.

Top photo: Cartijo Jurado 鈥榦ne of the most haunted houses in Spain鈥� from idealista.com
The author from reddit.com
Profile Image for La loca de los libros .
430 reviews403 followers
December 9, 2020
Por fin me estreno con Zaf贸n y he quedado muy contenta con el resultado final. Ha sido una lectura emocionante.
脡sta en concreto es su primera novela y forma parte de la llamada trilog铆a de la niebla. Gan贸 un concurso literario con ella y no me extra帽a nada porque no tiene desperdicio. Lo que s铆 pod铆a haber dado para m谩s, me supo a poco 馃槄 Y, en mi opini贸n, qued贸 alg煤n cabo suelto. Pero es algo normal teniendo en cuenta el p煤blico al que inicialmente iba dirigido.
Para ser lectura juvenil est谩 muy lograda la atm贸sfera de misterio. Han habido pasajes que hasta a mi me han dado escalofr铆os. Me ha parecido incre铆ble que en tan pocas l铆neas re煤na misterio, toques de terror que en algunas partes me han evocado a It y la nostalgia de la juventud y el paso a la madurez, a veces provocada antes de tiempo por hechos ajenos a nosotros.
La historia va sobre la familia Carver, cuando estos se mudan a un peque帽o pueblo costero a orillas del Atl谩ntico, huyendo de los estragos de la guerra en 1943.
Desde que llegan al pueblo pasan cosas muy extra帽as que son advertidas solo por Max, el segundo hijo del matrimonio (relojes que parecen ir al rev茅s, gatos misteriosos y hasta un jard铆n de estatuas con personajes de circo que parecen tener vida) son algunas de las cosas que a Max le parecen fuera de lugar.
Buscando adaptarse al nuevo lugar donde vivir谩, Max y su hermana Alicia encuentran un nuevo amigo, Roland, hijo adoptivo del guardi谩n del faro. Sin saberlo 茅l mismo, la vida de Roland est谩 rodeada de misterio y peligros, y sus nuevos amigos tendr谩n que ayudarlo.
Sin duda, una lectura corta pero muy recomendable, ideal para los que quieran iniciarse en la literatura de misterio y terror 鉂�

Profile Image for Franco  Santos.
482 reviews1,497 followers
February 17, 2016
3.5

Buen libro. Tiene sus errores, el inicio es bastante lento, el final se me hizo largo, pero tiene ese toque Zaf贸n que tanto me encanta.
Profile Image for TL .
2,234 reviews141 followers
August 4, 2018
Original read: June 2012
Re-read: January 2016

Third Read: July/August 2018

High praises to the narrator Jonathan Davis.. he did a wonderful job with the narration, specially with Kane.

The sound effects add a creepy factor to the story at times.. one part for me especially had me looking over my shoulder to make sure Kane wasn't behind me! (Even on third read)

Would love to see more of Kane again one day *crosses fingers*

The interview at the audiobook's end was a plus as well:).
----
Some samples of the beautiful writing:

鈥淎ge makes you notice certain things. For example, I now know that a man鈥檚 life is broadly divided into three periods. During the first, it doesn鈥檛 even occur to us that one day we will grow old, we don鈥檛 think that time passes or that from the day we are born we鈥檙e all walking toward a common end. After the first years of youth comes the second period, in which a person becomes aware of the fragility of life and what begins like a simple niggling doubt rises inside you like a flood of uncertainties that will stay with you for the rest of your days. Finally, toward the end of life, the period of acceptance begins, and, consequently, of resignation, a time of waiting.鈥�

鈥淢ax had once read in one of his father's books that some childhood images become engraved in the mind like photographs, like scenes you can return to again and again and will always remember, no matter how much time goes by.鈥�

"Max would never forget that faraway summer when, almost by chance, he discovered magic. "

"Years later, as he remembered the scene, his family wandering to and fro with their bags while he sat in a corner clutching the watch his father had given him, Max knew that this was the day he left his childhood behind. "

"In the twilight, Max had to strain his eyes to make out what he was seeing. It appeared to be an abandoned garden. A garden of statues. Max was hypnotised by the strange vision of the figures trapped in the undergrowth, locked inside a walled garden that reminded him of a village graveyard. "

---
I will never tire of singing this man's praises, his writing is one of the first ones for me when I am in a funk. It is so easy to sink into his stories and get lost, and this one is no exception.

It isn't my favorite of his novels.. I couldn't get as into it even though I enjoyed the story. I remember reading the author's note and afterwards being very impressed with this a first novel.

With this and each of the his other ones (Watcher, Midnight Palace, Mariana) you can see his writing grow each time and him honing his craft. :)
Profile Image for Denisse.
539 reviews304 followers
February 6, 2015
Read for the 2015 Reading Challenge #27 A book you can finish in a day

I wish I had read it when I was 12. This is just the perfect mystery for the young ones.
Seriously people, read a Carlos Ruiz Zafon book, asap! His style is unique.


"Habr铆an de pasar muchos a帽os antes de que Max olvidara el verano en que descubri贸, casi por casualidad, la magia."

Hace ya un rato que quer铆a releer este libro porque DIOS SANTO con la rese帽a que tenia antes XD Susto al miedo! Ademas quer铆a leer algo bueno y cortito, y que mejor que alguna de las novelas juveniles del gran Carlos Ruiz Zafon? NADA!

Me encanta como escribe este autor, de verdad, con el primer p谩rrafo te engancha siempre! Y tiene una forma incre铆ble de revelar los secretos de sus novelas con el paso de las hojas, de a poco en poco. En general, todos sus libros son sobre un personaje que va descubriendo el pasado oscuro de otro por que el destino lo puso en esa situaci贸n. Pero Zafon tiene una imaginaci贸n incre铆ble y siempre funciona. Al menos conmigo.

Ademas que termina siempre de una forma algo triste pero muy linda que no te quitas de la cabeza jamas. Ya saben, ese ultimo p谩rrafo que hace que recuerdes un libro para siempre o se te olvide con el paso de los meses, El Pr铆ncipe de la Niebla no es la excepci贸n. Siempre que re acomodo mis libros,etc, vuelvo a releer la incre铆ble forma que tiene Zafon de terminar una historia. Se los juro, es un don.

Recomendado si quieres algo con calidad, as铆 de sencillo.
Si quieren algo un poco retorcido y oscuro pero corto y ligero lean Marina. Me entran los escalofr铆os solo de recordarlo.

PD: solo llevo 2 de los 2015 challenges :( soy muy mala para eso! XD
Profile Image for Blair.
1,983 reviews5,730 followers
July 9, 2015
The latest of Carlos Ruiz Zaf贸n's works to be translated into English is also the first book the author had published. It was originally intended for teenagers, but this edition is clearly being marketed towards the author's adult fans; it has the same cover design as his adult titles, and a preface explains that it is designed to be enjoyed by readers of any age. I didn't go into this with high expectations, and I expected it to be kind of immature, but I still found it very disappointing.

The story begins promisingly. A young boy, Max, moves with his family from the city to a seaside town. He quickly learns that the previous owners of his new home were dogged by tragedy, and on top of that, he finds a sinister walled garden full of statues in its grounds. He's particularly spooked by a clown statue, and during his exploration of the garden, he notices that this figure appears to have moved slightly since his arrival, changing its pose to a beckoning gesture. (Great detail - would have scared me as a child.) He then befriends a local boy called Roland, who takes him diving around the wreck of a sunken ship; and from Roland's grandfather, the only survivor of the shipwreck, Max learns the story of the nefarious Cain, the Prince of Mist. The stage is set for a chilling tale about a ghost ship, a powerful villain, mysterious disappearances and so on - technically, this should make a fantastic spooky story.

However, the book soon begins to get quite silly and more and more plot holes and unanswered questions pop up, until it all becomes totally unbelievable and rather boring. For instance... Who or what is Cain and how has he attained his power? How do he and his troupe turn themselves into statues and why is this the only way for them to survive the sinking of their ship? Is Cain's cat meant to be a manifestation of him, and if so, how can he also be the statue, and if not, how did it alone survive the disaster intact? (The whole 'evil cat' thing is such a boring clich茅 anyway, and really put me off from the start.) If 'Jacob' was old enough to be filming with a video camera alone prior to his change of identity, how on earth can he not remember anything before his parents' death? I KNOW you can't expect a young adult book to explain everything exhaustively, but when I think of the detail and care so obviously put into the better examples of children's literature I can call to mind, that isn't really an excuse for the plot to be SO underdeveloped.

The other thing that really grated was the indeterminate sense of time and place, which was confusing as I couldn't see any reason why the story shouldn't be definitively set in a real country, at least. I don't know if details have been changed here to make the story more easy to relate to for English-language readers; if so, this was a mistake. Finally, there's also the fact that the adult characters are constantly referred to by their full names - don't ask me why, but this is one of my biggest pet hates when reading. I'm still interested in the author's work and will probably read any further adult novels translated into English, mainly on the strength of . But I will be giving his YA fiction - a category I believe the forthcoming falls into - a miss.
Profile Image for spillingthematcha.
735 reviews1,105 followers
April 15, 2022
Tajemnicza historia, latarnia morska i Zaf贸n = mi艂o艣膰 absolutna.
Profile Image for Emi.acg.
666 reviews218 followers
May 26, 2021
Me gust贸 el libro pero al mismo tiempo no. Es muy descriptivo, te ayuda a ambientarte muy bien en la historia y lo que te est谩 contando el autor. Adem谩s que est谩 bien escrito. Pero al ser tan descriptivo el resultado es que se vuelve lento, me falt贸 emoci贸n y un poco m谩s de suspenso en cierta escenas.


Profile Image for Helene Jeppesen.
701 reviews3,584 followers
September 3, 2016
This novel was originally written for people at all ages, but it was published as a YA novel. It is the first book ever written by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, and it is a ghost story! All of the above-mentioned reason made me curious to read it and see if it would scare me as much as I was hoping for.
Having now read it, I have to admit that while it was a good enough story, it was also quite predictable, and it didn't scare me at all. I'm not even sure that it would've scared me when I was younger, just because it contains so many of the scary elements that you are used to in horror fiction.
In my opinion, you can sense that this is Zafon's first written novel. The story isn't that strong, and the characters are rather flat. Still, it did entertain me, and it is after all a very short read, so definitely pick it up if you are a fan of Zafon or if you just happen to be interested in this ghost story.
Profile Image for Francesc.
465 reviews327 followers
April 30, 2020
Un libro interesante para adolescentes. Lo le铆 para ver si era adecuado para mi hijo mayor.
La tem谩tica est谩 entre la ciencia ficci贸n y el terror.
Un libro de lectura 谩gil y absorbente. Aunque hay alg煤n cabo suelto, est谩 bien logrado.

An interesting book for teenagers. I read it to see if it was suitable for my oldest son.
The theme is between science fiction and horror.
An agile and absorbing reading book. Although there is some loose end, it is well accomplished.
Profile Image for Raina.
1,695 reviews160 followers
June 19, 2012
Wow, I am NEVER. EVER. going to watch .

Several scenes early in this book were SO SCARY that I had to put the book down to read something lighter to de-creep myself before I could fall asleep*. So, at least until I start living with other people again, I'm not allowed to read/watch anything scarier than this. :)

So yeah, it's creepy. As soon as the creepiness is explained, I was fine, so it really was just a few early scenes, but I'm an anticipation person and the unknown creeps me out.

Anyway, it's a translated book, and that occasionally shows with awkward turns of phrase. But there are also some really lovely phrases that impressed me so much that I had to grab a pen. Really beautiful writing at times.

I liked that this combined a nonspecific location with historical fiction and the paranormal element. There's a lot going here.

And I'll put it on my maybe booktalk list for next time I hit the middle schools.





*One of those nights, I put down this book to look up and see a giant spider (I would include a picture, but researching exactly which type is creeping me out too much) on my ceiling. My life is so hard.
Profile Image for Flor 鈾�.
219 reviews85 followers
November 1, 2018
Me ha gustado much铆simo.!!! Es lo primero que leo del autor y no me arrepiento de haber empezado con su primer trabajo. Ya quiero saber c贸mo contin煤a la historia y estoy deseando leer m谩s de Zaf贸n.!!! 鉂わ笍
Con respecto al libro, me pareci贸 muy original y atrapante. Leerlo en Halloween fue un plus !
Profile Image for Mar.
172 reviews49 followers
February 13, 2024
2.5/5

Idk鈥� the premise made it seem AMAZING but then.. everything happened so fast and things weren鈥檛 as exciting as the description made it seem.. characters were super meh.. plot was meh as well. Not that good for me.
Profile Image for ZohreH.
176 reviews
October 4, 2023
丌丿賲賴丕 賴賲蹖卮賴 丿賵 丿爻鬲賴 賳

丌丿賲丕蹖蹖 賴爻鬲賳 讴賴 丿賵爻鬲 丿丕乇賳 倬賱賴 倬賱賴 亘賴 賲賱丕賯丕鬲 禺丿丕 亘乇爻賳. 亘乇丕蹖 趩賳蹖賳 賳購噩亘丕蹖蹖 丨乇賮賲 丕蹖賳賴 讴賴 丌賮乇蹖賳! 丿乇爻鬲 鬲卮禺蹖氐 丿丕丿蹖賳. 亘賴鬲乇賴 丕賵賱 讴丕乇丕蹖 丿爻鬲 诏乇賲蹖 蹖賴 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴 禺賮賳 乇賵 亘禺賵賳蹖丿 賵 蹖賵丕卮 蹖賵丕卮 亘丕賴丕卮 噩賱賵 亘乇蹖賳 鬲丕 亘乇爻蹖丿 亘賴 禺丿丕卮! 亘賴 卮丕賴讴丕乇卮馃

蹖賴 丌丿賲丕蹖蹖 賴賲 賴爻鬲賳 賴賲趩賵賳 丕蹖賳噩丕賳亘 讴賴 禺蹖賱蹖 亘乇丕卮賵賳 賮乇賯蹖 賳丿丕乇賴 讴丿賵賲 丕孬乇 讴賽蹖 禺賱賯 卮丿賴. 蹖讴蹖 卮賵 丕賳鬲禺丕亘 賲蹖 讴賳賳 賵 丕诏賴 丿賵爻卮 丿丕卮鬲賳 鬲丕 鬲賴 讴丕乇丕蹖 丕賵賳 禺丕賱賯 乇賵 丿乇 賲蹖丕乇賳. 丨丕賱丕 丕蹖賳 賵爻胤 讴丕乇 丌亘讴蹖 亘賴 鬲賵乇卮賵賳 禺賵乇丿 賴賲 丕蹖乇丕丿蹖 賳丿丕乇賴. 賳丕 丕賲蹖丿 賳賲蹖 卮賳. 讴丕乇賴丕蹖 禺賮賳 鬲乇賲 禺賵乇丿 亘丕夭賲 賲蹖诏賳 禺丿丕 亘丿賴 亘乇讴鬲. 賴賲賴 乇賵 賮賱賴 丕蹖 賲蹖 禺賵賳賳

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丨乇賮蹖 丿乇 賲賵乇丿 讴鬲丕亘 賳丿丕乇賲 亘夭賳賲. 噩夭 丕蹖賳讴賴 賱匕鬲 亘乇丿賲. 蹖賴 噩丕賴丕蹖蹖 賴賲 亘乇丕賲 倬蹖卮 丕賵賲丿 讴賴 蹖毓賳蹖 趩蹖責! 賵 毓賱鬲 趩蹖賴 賵 丕蹖賳丕! 讴賴 禺蹖賱蹖 爻禺鬲 賳诏乇賮鬲賲. 趩賵賳 禺亘乇 丿丕乇賲 10 爻丕賱 亘毓丿貙 丕夭 丕蹖賳 賲賯丿賲賴 賴丕 趩蹖 禺賱賯 卮丿賴
馃枪馃摎馃愤

賲蹖诏蹖 丿爻鬲賴 亘賳丿蹖 丌丿賲丕 亘蹖卮鬲乇 丕夭 丕蹖賳 丨乇賮丕爻責 丕丨鬲賲丕賱丕 賴爻鬲. 毓賱蹖 丕賱丨爻丕亘 賴賲蹖賳 丿賵 丿爻鬲賴 乇賵 丿丕卮鬲賴 亘丕卮
鉁煋气湪
Profile Image for Jonas.
293 reviews11 followers
September 24, 2021
The Prince of Mist is book 1 in a series for young adults by the amazingly talented author of The Cemetery of Forgotten Books. This story would appeal to fans of Zafon as well as fans of Stephen King鈥檚 IT. There are some minor similarities between the two. A brother and sister form a trio with a new found friend, battle against an ancient entity that has managed to manifest itself (one manifestation is a clown). The Prince of Mist has survived by making deals with humans longing for a wish to come true.

It is a straight forward story, but there are a few twists and turns. I enjoyed the back story and how everything came together. There was one thing I didn鈥檛 see coming, but some readers may be able to. There is nothing that hasn鈥檛 been done before, but I absolutely see the appeal for teens and adults alike.
Profile Image for Jo.
268 reviews1,055 followers
November 19, 2011
3.5 stars.

鈥淚n an infinite universe, there were too many things that escaped human understanding.鈥�


Initial Final Page Thoughts.
Um鈥� so no one thought to ring the police or tell any grown-ups what just happened? We鈥檙e just going to look back on it as if it was just a crazy summer mad-cap adventure? Um鈥�

High Points.
Max. I鈥檝e been acquainted with a lot of Maxs recently and I have to say鈥� it鈥檚 a good name. Beach houses. Roland. Alicia. Cats in wardrobes. Genuinely creepy. Beautiful writing, seriously this book was cinematic.

鈥淪unbeams filtered through the water in veils of nebulous light that swayed gently with the motion of the waves and the surface was transformed into an opaque dancing mirror.鈥�

See?!
I took down so many quotes from this book, it was gorgeous. The sea. Statues. Family mysteries. Old film projections. Creepy history. The prince of mist.

Low Points.
I won鈥檛 go on about this too much because there are spoilers poised ready to explode like a particularly vicious game of Minesweeper.
But鈥� well, when you finish a book with about fifteen questions (no joke, I have them written down in front of me) that you want to ask so you understand it鈥� well, it鈥檚 not good.
There was so much that didn鈥檛 get explained and the story was so great and so different and mysterious and intriguing and everything. This book needed a good 150 pages more to really get into the story and do Mr Zafon鈥檚 ideas justice.
Because, I鈥檓 sorry to say, there were so many gaps in the plot.
Also鈥� I鈥檓 87% sure there would have been a massive investigation into what happened in the last 30 or so pages. I mean鈥� it鈥檚 kind of a big deal.
And it wasn鈥檛 as if it was subtle.

Hero.
OK Max, you had the right idea in this book. You were extremely aware that you weren鈥檛 getting the whole story and you stood up for yourself when you thought you were getting short changed.
We had that in common鈥� I mean, we鈥檝e finished the book now and I still have questions.
Lots of them.
But ignoring that, I really liked you. I liked that you loved films and that you were a great little brother and that you were a bit disgruntled with being third wheel.
I also liked that you didn鈥檛 freak out and go catatonic when all the mental stuff happened in the end.
Because that鈥檚 what I would have done and the book would have been extremely boring if I had been the heroine.
I also liked that you got out of breath when you rode your bike up the hill.
Because that is me.
So if we were to be friends, and I hope we will be, we could just maybe go for a leisurely walk. Maybe even up a slight incline if we鈥檙e feeling a bit adventurous.

Theme Tune.


Not really anything to do with this book but, well, I really hate clowns.
Also, I had no idea what other song I could use for this book.
Also (x2) I love The Kinks.


Scaredy Cat Level.
Off the chart.
I know a lot of people will be like 鈥楿m, Jo, it鈥檚 200 pages long and it鈥檚 about circus performers and sunken ships and beaches鈥� how can you be creeped out by this book?鈥�
Well, my friends, I鈥檒l tell you.
Gather round, grab a brew, pull up a pew and I鈥檒l tell you a story about Jack A Nory.
Um, actually鈥� I won鈥檛.
I don鈥檛 mean to mislead you鈥� this story will be why this book really freaked me out.
STORY TIME (which, when I鈥檝e reached my eventual point, may contain a smidgeon of a spoiler)
For as long as I can remember I鈥檝e had an irrational fear of ships鈥� big ships. Especially when they鈥檙e out of water (You should see me when I watch the Titanic鈥�:-|).
Coming from a city and avoiding the Manchester Ship Canal like the plague, my fear was manageable. I could quite happily avoid seeing them.
That was until I went to university.
You may or may not know that I went studied in Bangor, North Wales. It鈥檚 a lovely university in a 鈥榗ity鈥� (because it has a cathedral and a university鈥� that鈥檚 it) that is famous for having the second longest pier in Wales and producing Aled Jones.
驰别蝉鈥� Aled Jones.
The university is known for famous alumni such as Helen Fielding (also, apparently, Bridget Jones herself) and Danny Boyle (We had the same lecturer鈥� so technically I鈥檓 going to win an Oscar鈥� right?).
And it can boast some fantastic honorary fellows such as Richard Attenborough, Rhys Ifans, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Philip Pullman (been in the same room as him twice and yes, fangirled myself out) and鈥� and Carol Vorderman.
It is also known for fantastic degrees in psychology and marine biology due to its location and the close proximity it has to the Menai Straits. (I did English with Film Studies because I like to be different, obviously鈥� also science and I fell out when I was 17.).
But anyway, getting to the point, at least 75% of my closest friends take/took marine biology and a lot of their course is practical.
So they like to dive, in lovely exotic places like Egypt and just off Puffin Island.
And they like to take pictures.
Of huge ships鈥� underwater.
And my Facebook feed is inundated with them when they come back from a dive.
And it鈥檚 pretty much my worst nightmare.
Also, on the train journey from Chester to Bangor (I鈥檇 say around Flint or Rhyl, if you know the area) there is this mahuuuusive beached ship that you can see from the train. I always ask my friend to tell me when I can look out of the window again but, because she鈥檚 sadistic and cruel, she always says 鈥極h鈥� you can look out now鈥� and I do and BOOM.
There鈥檚 a ghost ship in my eye line.
I鈥檓 not a fan of big ships.
Or clowns.
But surely I don鈥檛 need to explain that do I? I mean鈥� you have eyes right?
So when they鈥檙e all swimming around in the hull of a possessed sunken ship with a clown who can seemingly hold his breath longer than Mr Threepwood鈥� yeah.
I wasn鈥檛 pleased, I鈥檒l tell you.

Normal people Most people will think that isn鈥檛 scary at all鈥� but I鈥檓 not normal most people.

Recommended For.
People who love beautiful, atmospheric writing. People who don鈥檛 mind a lot of some unanswered questions. People who don鈥檛 look at statutes and immediately think 鈥淥h my god, is that going to come alive when I turn my back?鈥�. People who aren鈥檛 afraid of boats/clowns/clocks. People who aren鈥檛 scared of that Dr Who episode (is it?) that I haven鈥檛 seen but my friend told me about... urgh. People who are quite happy to paddle in the sea as opposed to diving amongst ship wrecks on their jollies.

This book was sent to me as part of a book tour with the brilliant and lovely .


You can read this review and lots of other exciting things on my blog
Profile Image for Pedro Ceballos.
299 reviews32 followers
December 30, 2020
Esta novela la le铆 hace un par de a帽os y no me impacto tanto. Recientemente me le铆 la tetralog铆a del cementerio de los libros olvidados, la cual me fascin贸 y quise darle una nueva oportunidad a los dos libros juveniles que hab铆a le铆do de Zaf贸n y vi茅ndola con una nueva perspectiva debo reconocer que el Pr铆ncipe de la Niebla es una historia muy buena, obviamente no a la altura de su tetralog铆a prima, pero tiene suficiente material, para crear esa atm贸sfera de misterio, suspenso romance y melancol铆a que tanto lo caracteriza.
Es una obra literaria junto con sus otras 3 obras "infantiles" son como su propio autor indica, especialmente dirigidas a j贸venes entre 9 y 99 a帽os.
Profile Image for Ivo Stoyanov.
237 reviews
October 28, 2020
"袩褉懈薪褑褗褌 薪邪 袦褗谐谢邪褌邪 " 芯锌褉械写械谢械薪芯 褉邪蟹泻褉懈胁邪 小邪褎芯薪 胁 写褉褍谐邪 褋胁械褌谢懈薪邪.
小谢芯胁芯褌芯 屑褍 锌邪泻 械 褌邪泻邪 芯屑邪泄胁邪褖芯 , 薪芯 褌褍泻 懈 写芯褋褌邪 屑褉邪褔薪芯 蟹谢芯胁械褖芯 薪邪 屑芯屑械薪褌懈 , 谢械泻 锌芯泻谢芯薪 锌褉械写 屑邪泄褋褌芯褉懈褌械 袣懈薪谐 懈 袥褗胁泻褉邪褎褌.
Profile Image for Aitziber.
98 reviews27 followers
March 27, 2025
猸愨瓙猸愨瓙 3.75 en realidad.

Me ha encantado volver a las p谩ginas y la forma de escritura de Carlos Ruiz Zaf贸n con este novela m谩s juvenil que tiene un toque de 蹿补苍迟补蝉铆补, misterio, aventuras y una atm贸sfera un poco inquietante.

La historia sigue a Max Carver, un joven que se muda con su familia a un peque帽o pueblo costero en plena Segunda Guerra Mundial (la verdad es que me hubiera gustado saber la ubicaci贸n de este lugar, pero en ning煤n momento lo dice). All铆, descubre un inquietante jard铆n de estatuas cubierto de niebla y empieza a desentra帽ar los oscuros secretos de la casa en la que ahora viven. Junto a su hermana Alicia y su nuevo amigo Roland, Max se ve envuelto en un misterio relacionado con el Pr铆ncipe de la Niebla, un personaje capaz de conceder deseos a un precio terrible.

Uno de los puntos m谩s destacables de la novela es su atm贸sfera envolvente. El autor logra crear un ambiente cargado de misterio y tensi贸n, con descripciones que transportan al lector a ese pueblo costero donde lo sobrenatural acecha en cada rinc贸n. La manera en que juega con la luz, la niebla y los sonidos refuerza la sensaci贸n de inquietud a lo largo de la historia.

El libro tambi茅n destaca por su ritmo 谩gil y su capacidad para mantener el suspense. Aunque es una obra dirigida al p煤blico juvenil, el autor construye una trama intrigante con varios giros (quiz谩s algunos de ellos inesperados para un lector m谩s novel). Adem谩s, he de a帽adir que hay ciertos acontecimientos en la trama que parecen suceder sin una explicaci贸n clara o con una l贸gica que cuesta seguir, lo que en algunos momentos me sac贸 un poco de la historia.

Otro de sus puntos d茅biles es el escaso desarrollo de los personajes. Debido a su corta extensi贸n, la historia no profundiza demasiado en ellos, y esto hace que algunas de sus decisiones o emociones no terminen de sentirse del todo cre铆bles.

A pesar de estos detalles, "El pr铆ncipe de la niebla" sigue siendo una lectura entretenida, que atrapa y deja una sensaci贸n de melancol铆a. Su ritmo 谩gil, su toque de terror juvenil y su capacidad para generar suspense hacen que sea una historia ideal y una excelente puerta de entrada al universo narrativo de Carlos Ruiz Zaf贸n y a su particular manera de contar historias.
Profile Image for LUNA.
757 reviews183 followers
July 24, 2020
Rese帽a en el wrap up del canal
Otra relectura mas, aunque esta es la primera vez desde que tengo el goodreads.
Ahora que se acaba de morir Zafon, la lectura me ha parecido mucho mas tr谩gica, porque me daba por pensar en todos los libros que jamas leeremos de el y claro me ha costado.
Este libro es mi preferido es un libro juvenil, estupendo para enganchar a j贸venes lectoras (como me paso a mi), una historia oscura y veraniega entra帽able y sorprendente, que nunca envejecer谩 gracias y a la forma que tiene el autor de describir y de crear tan buenos personajes.
Un libro precioso como todos los de este estupendo escritor.
Profile Image for Mish.
222 reviews112 followers
March 22, 2016
I stumbled upon this book at my daughter鈥檚 school library thinking that it might be fun to read a magical, adventure story.

Yes there was magic and adventure, but it also had one of the scariest and horrific sounding ghost that truly frighten me. I felt sensations that I hadn鈥檛 felt in years. Reading this sent shivers up my spine, put goose pimples on my arms, and it had me screeching like a little girl.

The book starts at a nice steady pace when Max Carver鈥檚 father decides to move his wife and three children from the city to an abandoned seaside beach house to protect his family from the ongoing war. But as Max and his family arrive at their new town and home, he notices some peculiar things are starting to happen. Clocks that seem to move backward, that feeling of someone breathing on your face, voices only children can hear, and circus statues that change shape and positions. The house itself has a devastating history, and Max being a curious young boy starts snooping around. It almost felt like he had woken or disturbed something. As time goes by the pace does build as the Carver children and their new friend Roland struggle to defend themselves against payback from this dark sinister entity.

Like Mr Zafon鈥檚 previous books (Shadow of the Wind, and Angels Game) he has a knack of creating this eerie, gothic atmosphere, but at the same time is beautiful. At the beginning of the book Mr Zafon said it was aimed at young reader, but would also appeal to all ages. Well I think he has achieved it. I personally thought it was wonderful, and I would recommend it to ages from 12 years old onwards.
Profile Image for Osama.
559 reviews83 followers
August 25, 2018
鬲毓丿 乇賵丕賷丞 兀賲賷乇 丕賱囟亘丕亘 賱賱賰丕鬲亘 丕賱兀爻亘丕賳賷 賰丕乇賱賵爻 夭丕賮賵賳 賴賷 丕賱兀賵賱賶 賮賷 丕賳鬲丕噩賴 丕賱兀丿亘賷 賯亘賱 兀賳 賷丨馗賶 亘卮賴乇鬲賴 丕賱賰亘賷乇丞 丨丕賱賷丕. 賵賯丿 賰鬲亘賴丕 賮賷 亘丿丕賷丞 丕賱鬲爻毓賷賳丕鬲 賵賴賷 賲賵噩賴丞 賱賱賯乇丕亍 賮賷 賲賯鬲亘賱 丕賱毓賲乇. 賵鬲賱丕賴丕 亘乇賵丕賷鬲賷賳 賲賳 賳賮爻 丕賱賳賵毓 鬲賲 鬲乇噩賲鬲賴丕 賲賳 丕賱廿賳噩賱賷夭賷丞 廿賱賶 丕賱兀爻亘丕賳賷丞 亘毓丿 毓卮乇 爻賳賵丕鬲 賲賳 賳卮乇賴丕. 賷賳鬲賯賱 兀亘胤丕賱 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 丕賱賮鬲賶 賲丕賰爻 賵丕賱賮鬲丕丞 丕賷賱賷爻丕 兀亘賳丕亍 氐丕賳毓 丕賱爻丕毓丕鬲 賲丕賰爻賲賷賱賷丕賳 賰乇賷冥乇 廿賱賶 賯乇賷丞 爻丕丨賱賷丞 賲毓 兀爻乇鬲賴賲 賴乇亘丕 賲賳 丕賱丨乇亘 賵賴賳丕賰 賷鬲毓乇賮賵賳 毓賱賶 乇賵賳丕賱丿 賵賴賵 丨賮賷丿 鬲亘賳丕賴 丨丕乇爻 丕賱賮賳丕乇 丕賱賲爻賳 冥賷賰鬲賵乇 賰乇丕賷. 賵賮賷 丕賱賲賳夭賱 丕賱賯丿賷賲 丕賱匕賷 鬲賯胤賳賴 兀爻乇丞 賰乇賷冥乇 噩賴丕夭 毓乇囟 爻賷賳賲丕卅賷 賷賰卮賮 兀爻乇丕乇 兀爻乇丞 氐丕丨亘 丕賱賲賳夭賱 丕賱爻丕亘賯 賵兀爻乇鬲賴 賵丕賱鬲賷 鬲鬲毓賱賯 亘爻丕丨乇 賷丿毓賶 賯丕亘賷賱 賷鬲噩爻丿 賮賷 兀卮賰丕賱 賲禺鬲賱賮丞 賰丕賱賯胤 賵丕賱賲賴乇噩 賵丕賱丨賵鬲 賵賷睾乇賷 囟丨丕賷丕賴 亘鬲丨賯賷賯 兀賲賳賷丞 賱賴賲 賲賯丕亘賱 丕賱鬲囟丨賷丞 亘兀毓夭 賲丕 賷賲鬲賱賰賵賳 - 兀乇賵丕丨 兀亘賳丕卅賴賲. 鬲賲夭噩 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 丕賱禺賷丕賱 亘丕賱廿孬丕乇丞 賵卮賷亍 賲賳 丕賱乇賵賲丕賳爻賷丞 賵亘乇睾賲 亘爻丕胤鬲賴丕 賵爻匕丕噩丞 亘毓囟 兀丨丿丕孬賴丕 廿賱丕 兀賳賴丕 鬲賲鬲毓 丕賱賯丕乇賷亍 賵鬲丿賮毓賴 賱賲賵丕氐賱丞 丕賱賯乇丕亍丞 賱賱賵氐賵賱 廿賱賶 丌禺乇 氐賮丨丞 賱賱賰卮賮 毓賳 賱睾夭 賲毓賯丿 賷氐毓亘 卮乇丨賴.
January 18, 2025
袙褨写 褑褨褦褩 泻薪懈卸泻懈 褟 斜邪谐邪褌芯 薪械 芯褔褨泻褍胁邪谢邪, 邪谢械 胁懈褉褨褕懈谢邪 锌褉芯褔懈褌邪褌懈 褖芯褋褜 褍 褑褜芯谐芯 邪胁褌芯褉邪, 邪谢械 屑械薪褨 褋锌芯写芯斜邪谢芯褋褜, 斜褍谢芯 褑褨泻邪胁芯, 褦 褌邪褦屑薪懈褑褨, 邪谢械 褌邪泻芯谐芯 泻褨薪褑褟 褔芯屑褍褋褜 薪械 褔械泻邪谢邪.
Profile Image for Brooklyn Halley.
68 reviews39 followers
April 14, 2025
鈫篿t is a book with a very interesting plot, the premise seemed very attractive to me from the first moment I saw it
鈫� a problem I had is that I had a hard time getting hooked to the book because I did not feel ''at ease'' reading
鈫簍he end I liked but I did not have the feeling, so to speak, that the book ''was finished''
鈫簍he story in general yes I liked it, it is very original and I am happy to have started reading this great author with this book but there is something that makes me feel strange about the fact that being a book by Carlos Ruiz Zaf贸n I was going to like it less than I thought (which in many cases happens, especially in this community)
鈫篺inally, after thinking, I came to the conclusion that I was going to give it 3. 75猸� because of how addictive the ending was but, as I commented, I was missing things
馃悎鈥嶁瑳book details馃悎鈥嶁瑳
Genre: Mystery and horror
Pages: 202
Content warnings: none
Would I recommend it: yes, because it is an entertaining juvenile book
It is the first part of a trilogy.
Profile Image for Jaanaki.
130 reviews43 followers
June 1, 2018
Book 21 of 2018 : "The Prince of Mist " by Carlos Ruiz Zafron.
This has been sitting on my shelf for a very long time .It was bought during a period when I was overwhelmed with "The Shadow of the Wind" and wanted to read all of Zafron's work.
This is his debut novel and the writing shows that ,but it is still a good read for middle grade and it is not a surprise that it was initially published as a YA novel.
The story is horror based and reminded me of IT .We have a group of kids trying to kill an ancient evil which is thirsting for revenge .
Strictly for Carlos Ruiz Zafron fans 馃槉
Profile Image for Loredana (Bookinista08).
739 reviews319 followers
September 10, 2023
Nu m膬 a葯teptam la acel sf芒r葯it, dar chiar 葯i a葯a, mi-a pl膬cut tare mult c膬rticica asta chipurile destinat膬 tinerilor! Am citit-o repejor 葯i alert, fascinat膬 卯nc膬 o dat膬 de talentul de povestitor al lui Zafon. Nu se afl膬 la nivelul trilogiei Cimitirul c膬r葲ilor uitate, e adev膬rat, 卯ns膬 e o lectur膬 u葯oar膬 葯i bine scris膬, care ofer膬 doza potrivit膬 de mister, horror 葯i ac葲iune.
Profile Image for Dana-Adriana B..
739 reviews300 followers
April 10, 2023
Superba aventura, din nou. Un personaj misterios, Cain, indeplineste dorinte pt un pret mare, mult prea mare. Personajele sunt bine conturate, puternice. Excelent mister.
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