
The Face in the Frost
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Narrated by:
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Eric Michael Summerer
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By:
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John Bellairs
A fantasy classic by the author of The House with a Clock in Its Walls - basis for the Jack Black movie - and "a writer who knows what wizardry is all about" (Ursula K. Le Guin).
A richly imaginative story of wizards stymied by a power beyond their control, A Face in the Frost combines the thrills of a horror novel with the inventiveness of fairy-tale-inspired fantasy.
Prospero, a tall, skinny misfit of a wizard, lives in the South Kingdom - a patchwork of feuding duchies and small manors, all loosely loyal to one figurehead king. Along with his necromancer friend Roger Bacon, who has been on a quest to find a mysterious book, Prospero must flee his home to escape ominous pursuers. Thus begins an adventure that will lead him to a grove where his old rival, Melichus, is falsely rumored to be buried and to a less-than-hospitable inn in the town of Five Dials - and ultimately into a dangerous battle with origins in a magical glass paperweight.
With a unique blend of humor and darkness, it remains one of the most beloved tales by the Edgar Award-nominated author also known for the long-running Lewis Barnavelt series.
©1969 John Bellairs (P)2019 TantorListeners also enjoyed...




















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An Old Favorite, Revisited
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Subtleness abounds
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the world and magic is so interesting. I don't think of this as a scary book more of a fantasy adventure but it has some wonderfully creepy parts that i have thought about so much.
I think this is a hidden gem, sure there are some slow parts and a few parts that stated the obvious while others left it so vague I wasn't sure what to think. overall it's so worth a listen.
it's short too so it's not like you have to dedicate much of your life to it.
highlights for me: world, magic, creepiness, faster paced and the author's ability to create tension.
second time listening
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One of my favorite stories.
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The story includes delightful anachronisms that make it difficult to pin down the exact time the story takes place in. This creates a sense of timelessness that adds to the fairy tale like nature of the book.
This book makes it onto my favorites list and I look forward to both reading it again and reading other works by the author.
It felt like lighthearted fun with lovable characters and the descriptions created mental images of fantastical scenes that will always stick with me. When the story veered into horror the mood was perfectly handled like a well done scary story told at a campfire. The mixture of humor and horror blends well creating a story that is never too slapstick or too heavy.
Images of fantastical scenes that will always stick with me
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Has been my favorite children’s story since I was young
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This isn't a kids' book. Not that it contains any inappropriate content, and there are undoubtedly kids who would enjoy it.
This book, though, is aimed at adults who will enjoy the wordplay, the humor that rests on familiarity with things kids the age of Bellairs' usual readers haven't read yet, being aware of who the "other" Prospero is and recognizing the name of Roger Bacon, and...but no. Wait. Kids would enjoy the transition from the comic beginnings to the terrifying opponent.
The basic story isn't remarkable. Two good wizards discover evidence of an evil wizard at work with dark intentions, and set out to stop him. What is remarkable is graceful, elegant, and extremely funny use of language and familiar literary imagery to create a delightfully original and absorbing story for adult readers.
I have a deep and abiding love for this story, and its author, and, weirdly, for the discovery that the women's Catholic college he taught English at for a year, and was deeply unhappy at, was in fact my own alma mater--and that he was fondly remembered there as a good, likable, interesting guy--not by the English department, but by the history department. And specifically, the chair of the history department, who was my adviser.
It's the sort of whimsy that's entirely appropriate for John Bellairs. Who, yes, really was a good, likable, interesting guy.
This story is highly recommended and a lot of fun.
I bought this audiobook.
Funny, delightful, fantasy for adults
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I'm so happy that Audible released this!
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If I could only have one fantasy book in my life, this book would narrowly edge out The Lord of the Rings -- and I've read The Lord of the Rings over 20 times! That's how much I love The Face in the Frost. It's not just shorter, it's funnier AND scarier. It lacks the epic battles of Tolkien and the deep world building; but in place of those it has more magic, from practical jokes to world-ending spells. And many more magicians. As the introduction says (paraphrased), this is a book full of wizards, including the main characters, Prospero and Roger Bacon. Because this is a story of a month-long wizard duel, one in which Prospero and Roger first must discover who they're dueling, and what the enemy really wants.
Scenes from this book have never left me since my first reading. They echo in scenes in my own work. In a seemingly light, humorous fantasy, there are harrowing, frightening moments. Prospero and Roger's humor becomes a way for them to keep their spirits up in the face of horrific danger.
The narration nicely supports the story, without calling attention to itself and without any glitches. The narrator varies the voices well for each character.
Highly recommended. As always.
A favorite book becomes s favorite audiobook
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I was disappointed. It's just a bunch of random magic scenes with about 15 minutes of story. My favorite fantasy stories are story first, magic second. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason for many of the things done by any of the characters.
The narrator doesn't seem to be much better, like he just got out of a community college drama program. All of the dialog and delivery reminds me of the old Robin Hood movies where every statement is projected to the back of the room with the actors fists on his hips and laughs after every sentence.
Again, disappointed.
All magic, no story
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