Published by Bloomsbury
Released 2nd July 2019
Page count 320
Synopsis:
This book is not for the faint of heart or weak in spirit. It’s not for skeptics who don’t believe in fairy tales and the powerful forces of good. It’s only for brave and intrepid souls like you, who will stare down evil in all its forms.
Inspired by the critically acclaimed film written and directed by Oscar winner Guillermo del Toro and reimagined by New York Times bestselling author Cornelia Funke, this haunting tale takes readers to a darkly magical and war-torn world filled with richly drawn characters like trickster fauns, murderous men, child-eating monsters, courageous rebels, and a long-lost princess hoping to be reunited with her family.
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Review:
I am completely and utterly in love with this book!
Pans Labyrinth is a perfect blend of fantasy, history and horror. I’ve seen the film several times over the years making it easy to mentally conjure the imagery of the book as I’ve already seen it unfold. Not to worry if you’ve not seen the movie, Guillermo Del Toro & Funke have reproduced the bleak, foreboding atmosphere beautifully.
The story is perfectly accurate to the prior film release but with all the additions the movie couldn’t provide.
In particular I adored the many short stories intertwined with the main plot. The explanations of how and when some of the artifacts came to be, such as the watch, the knife and the book made fantastic little whimsical pockets of back story. We’re also treated to the tales of past lives such as the toad, the pale man/child eater, the witch who instructed the labyrinths creation and so much more, all add tremendous depth to a story I already loved.
I felt the insight into Capitan Vidal’s mind made him an even more formidable antagonist; a cruel twisted man, the book gives us further development by exploring his weaknesses and feelings of inadequacy. It’s features such as this that always make books preferable to film, reading this character gave him dimensions I never could’ve picked up on by watching it.
Pan himself takes on new qualities and his character also had more impact for me in this written version.
Ofelia’s mother remains as feeble and desperate as first perceived but now we are able to understand her motivations and see the childlike hope she clings to. Having these further insights to characters I was already familiar with felt like discovering their secrets.
Pans Labyrinth is written just like an old fairytale. The prose is so authentic I could actually hear the narrator reading it to me.
Unfortunately the ARC ebook I received was not formatted well and only two of the images were present. Not that it really matters since I will DEFINITELY be purchasing a physical copy of Pans Labyrinth, I truly cannot praise it enough!
Roxanne’s Reactions:
I received a digital copy of this book from Bloomsbury via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
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An Average Life 
I loved the movie – this review inspires me to seek out the book now.
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