The Midnight Palace by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Review:

I picked this one up recently after it having sat on my shelves for far too long, this story a long overdue read of mine.  I read The Prince of Mist around two years ago now, and absolutely adored it, so I was slightly nervous to pick this one up as I didn't want to be disappointed in an author whose writing I was expecting to once again love.  But luckily, I think its safe to say that I definitely wasn't let down by this one.

Firstly, I loved the characters.  I liked the variety within the group and, despite never getting to know some of them hugely well, I still feel as though I got a sense of each of their characters.  I ended up caring about what happened to each and everyone of them, and so I found myself connecting to them all well.  

But as much as I liked all the characters in this book, I will always have my favourites, this time around them being Ian and Isobel.  I liked how strong minded and smart she was, her character being one I couldn't help but love.  And as I recently mentioned in my last TTT post, my main reason for liking the character of Ian was simply down to how good a friend he was.  Not only this, but I liked how normal he seemed, his character a good yet believable one.  

Moving away from the characters, another factor that kept me going was the beautiful writing style.  For me, the way a story is written is something that can either draw me in or put me off, so I love it when I come across a book written in a style so unique and detailed that I can't help but admire the words as I read.  I also felt that it worked so well with the setting and the story, the atmosphere it creates perfect for this tale.

Nonetheless, I don't think I could have or would have loved the writing as much had the setting not been to my taste.  Beautiful and enchanting settings are another major weakness of mine, with this one just fitting with the story so perfectly well.  It was the best backdrop for this eerie yet magical story, with shadowy figures and dark stories fitting comfortably into it.  

But, despite how amazing the characters and setting maybe, the most important part of a story has to be the tale and plot itself - so its a good job that this one was fantastic.  I loved almost every part of this plot, from the way the mystery unraveled to the fast paced sections.  I enjoyed reading about and uncovering such a spooky and chilling tale that was hidden within this one, the story within the book being as good as the book itself.  All in all, I just loved it.  And honestly, I can't wait to pick up another Carlos Ruiz Zafon book some time soon!

Favourite:

Character(s): Isobel and Ian 

Scene(s): Ian, Sheere and Ben entering the house 

Quote(s): We had yet to learn that the devil created youth so that we could make our mistakes, and that God established maturity and old age so that we could pay for them... 

In the book of life it is perhaps best not to turn back pages

Relate:

Song(s): A Rush of Blood to the Head - Coldplay 

Other book(s): What I Was by Meg Rosoff 

Rating: 

5/5