This was a nice written version of what I saw in the film, the writing style was good and easy to read and I connected well to the characters. The creepy atmosphere was kept too I found.

Pan's Labyrinth gives you new information that you don't get in the film. It is a beautiful and dark story that is well written and magical.

Like many, I was excited to learn that there would be a print version of one of my favourite films. Some novelisations are happy to match the film scene for scene but this compliments the story in ways that I wouldn't have thought of. I cared for Ofelia more, hated The Captain more and the desciptions of the beasts really ignite imagination.

This is a beautiful companion book to the film Pan’s Labyrinth – as soon as I finished reading the ARC, I purchased the print edition so I could have a copy of the gorgeous illustrations I’d missed out on by reading it digitally.

Full disclaimer: I love the film and it makes my top 10 list, easily, so I’m both biased and incredibly critical.

The parts of the book that relate to the film are pretty much the same and generate an atmosphere you could cut with a knife. It brings all the beautiful visuals to mind and includes some extra fairytales which fill in the blanks about the magic that Ofelia encounters during her adventures.
The writing style is very simple and easy to understand, which makes it feel like a bedtime story though I probably wouldn’t recommend reading this book to young children.
The story is as gothic and tragic as I expected, it truly is a gem and will be an instant hit with any fans of dark fairytales – I highly recommend listening to the film soundtrack while you read to set the mood.

I didn't see the original film but enjoyed using my imagination in this dark and twisted tale. I thoroughly enjoyed the book.

As a huge fan of the movie, I was over the moon to find out there was going to be a novelization released. I adore Cornelia Funke's other works and couldn't think of a better person to partner up with Del Toro for this to become real. I enjoyed this book so much and was not left disappointed. Ofelia is one of the most innocent characters I have came across in a book and all I wanted to do was protect her. The one thing I'm extremely glad about is that they didn't water down the brutality of Captain Vidal's character as that played a huge part in the story for me. If you're a fan of the movie then I highly recommend picking this up. You won't be disappointed.

I saw the film many years ago and remembered it as being dark and intriguing, so was delighted to hear Guillermo de Toro was making it into a book, with the assistance of Cornelia Funke no less.

Throughout there are different stories running alongsie each other. Ofelia is a young girl who, a year after the death of her father, is forced to go and live with her mothers new husband and father to her unborn baby brother. Her stepfather is an officer with the military and has some rather sadistic tendencies in his treatment towards some of the local rebels. Not long after arriving at her new home Ofelia meets a fairy who takes her to meet her master The Faun. The Faun tells Ofelia that she is not who she thinks she is and in order to reclaim her true identity she must complete some challenges.

I love stories based around old folklore and myths and legends and this more than delivered. The main stories involve the tale of Ofelia, Ofelias mother, and Vidal her sadistic Stepfather, Ofelias challenge by the faun to reclaim her true identity, and the plight of the local rebels to overthrow Vidal. However this isn’t all, as these stories are also interspersed with the odd folk tale about the local area which magically weaves all the stories altogether.

For me it did have a bit of a slow start, and at one point I did fear that it would just end up being a gussied up screenplay, but soon the Cornelia Funke magic came through and, especially in scenes involving the fairies and The Faun, the beautifully dark imagery brought the story to life. I ended up loving it!

This book has such a magical, whimsical and gothic feel to it which I completely loved. It is based off the movie Pan’s Labyrinth which I haven’t seen but if it’s anything like this book then I’m going to love it. I loved the dark and moody atmosphere to this and found it really easy to get swept away in the story.
Overall, this was a very captivating story and I gave it 4 out of 5 stars.

Thankyou to NetGalley, Bloomsbury Publishing Pic ( UK and ANZ ) and the authors, Guillermo del Toro and Cornelia Funke, for the opportunity to read a digital copy of Pan's Labyrinth in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.
The only word that comes to mind after reading this book is exquisite.
The storyline was well thought out and beautifully written. The characters are well defined and the scenery descriptive. I loved everything about this book.
Well worth a read.

This book is so good! Such an imaginative and fantastic read. This is one casw where I watched the film before I read the book and while I loved the film, the book iw SO MUCH better!!

I havent seen the film, but the story was a bit of a let down.

Set during the 2nd world war, it is the story of Ofelia, a young 11 year old girl whose father dies and her mother married a captain in the Spanish Army who is extremely cruel. Her mother is pregnant and moves to Vidal's compound where there is a Labyrinth. Ofelia meets some fairies and a fawn who tells her that she is a magical underworld princess and try's and help her return home to her underworld parents.

The story was okay until the last few pages then it just turned to garbage, very bad ending. I read a lot of fantasy and this didnt meet my expectations.

I absolutely loved this book. I read it because I loved the film, and I wasn't disappointed at all.

After the death of her father, a young girl Ofelia is taken with her mother to live in an abandoned mill in the woods with her mother's new husband. He is a captain fighting rebels in Spain and he is a cruel man. Her mother is pregnant with his child but the pregnancy is hard and Ofelia is left largely on her own. Ofelia meets a Faun, and he offers her the chance to escape her cruel life and be a princess if she carries out certain tasks. Meanwhile, the soldiers and rebels are battling each other, people are dying, and the housemaid Mercedes is smuggling things out to her brother who is a rebel living in the woods.

The story and feel of the book are pretty similar to the film. However the book is not as graphically gory, and not as dark, but very sad.

I liked the fact that there is more backstory in the book. It is interspersed with little fairy tales which connect to some of what happens in the book. I thought this was very clever and works brilliantly to connect everything together, which was a bit lacking in the film.

The book is beautifully written, the magic and sadness are conveyed equally and there is a lilting beauty to the prose which reminded me of many epic fantasy stories. This is right up there with the best of them.

This is a short review, but I don't have much really to say about this book. I loved it. If you liked the film, then you will like this. If you like dark fairy tales and fantasy books, then you will like this.

Thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing and NetGalley for the Advance Review Copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the film of Pan's Labyrinth so I was excited to read this adaptation. The plot is essentially the same as the film although perhaps a little less creepy. It's pretty short and I read it in an evening.

You may be wondering what's the point of reading this book if you've seen the film. Despite it essentially being the same story, the writing is rich and beautiful and sucks you in completely to the dark mystery of the story. I haven't read any of Cornelia Funke's works prior to this but I'll be looking out for them going forward.

I really like the film of Pan's Labyrinth and was surprised that I enjoyed this as much as I did. A wonderfully written and atmospheric adaptation of a modern classic.

*I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

It has been a number of years since I watched Pan's Labyrinth, but remember it as being a dark, twisted fairy tale set during the second world war. The book keeps that feel, we are introduced to Ofelia, a quiet bookish young girl who is moving with her mother to live with her stepfather, as he tries to break a group of Spanish rebels, ahead of the birth of her half-brother.

Ofelia sees some unusual statues and artefacts in the woods and soon meets the Faun, who sets her a mission to return to take her place as the princess of the Underground Kingdom.

There follows a brilliant mix of Ofelia's real life, the despicable exploits of Franco's army, and the fairy tale world she steps into.

This is a very short, immersive fairy tale with lots of nice side-stories that all weave into the book in some form.

This amazing collaboration between one of my favourite children’s authors and a great director have created an immersive written version of a stunning film.
I love the film but I loved the book even more. The characters danced across the page for me much like the images in Ofelias magic book. I loved going back into this dark magical realm.

I have read countless books by Cornelia Funke before and I have to say how could I not read this. A dark gothic tale written in a beautiful lyrical style but not shying away from the darker elements of the time in which it is envisaged. I saw the film some time ago before reading this so I am familiar with the story.
So much extra has been added and enhanced by this retelling.This is not your average fairy tale.It delves into the evil humanity perpetrates and the darker fairytale myths. A dark and compelling tale.
An excellent retelling so much so I’ve obtained a hard copy of this book for myself to keep. The illustrations are an added bonus. Absolutely will recommend this to anyone.

This was really good!
It is nowhere near as brutal as the film (which I appreciated because I did feel some of the violence was more than was necessary) but just as atmospheric. The story was great and had a lot of depth, the characters were well-done and the writing style was great (you can really tell it's Cornelia Funke!).
The only negative I have is that it felt like all the good stuff happened right at the end and all at the same time, it could've been more spaced out to keep it consistently gripping.
Otherwise a solid read.
Thank you for this E-ARC.

A dark and mesmersing re-tell of the film, this evil fairytale captures that magical once upon a time feel amidst dark foreboding. It is quick and easy to read, ideal for a single sitting and remains true to the film.
The story is set in Spain in 1944, five years after the Civil War. Ofelia is a thirteen-year-old girl whose widowed mother has recently married Capitán Vidal; an evil and powerful man interested only in the child in her belly. He hates where he has been stationed to fend off the rebels and in a constant sour mood he seeks to carry out cruel and torturous acts.
Eager to go unnoticed by Vidal, Ofelia is drawn to the forest, where she discovers a centuries-old labyrinth, fairies, and a sinister Faun. The Faun tells Ofelia she is the lost Princess Moanna, and tempts her to return to her place in the underworld by completing 3 tasks.
With danger all around her we watch on tensely as she worries for her mother, her unborn brother, considers her quests set by the Faun, all against the unrest and scheming of the rebels. Captivating with amazing descriptions, it makes for a beautilfully haunting and embroiling read.

Loved that this is the book of the film rather than the film of the book, in this perfect pairing of Guillermo Del Toro and Cornelia Funke. It is a dark and twisted tale that seems to have all the goodness sucked right out of it, with characters that are selfish, cruel and greedy. The only glimmer of light is that of Ofelia.
The story begins in Spain in 1944 with Ofelia and her pregnant mother going to live with Vidal, an officer in Franco's army. The house is very isolated but from where Ofelia can explore deeper into the woods. She meets Pan, a faun, who sets her a number of tasks to complete.
The story dances between the two realities of Ofelia, both equally full of danger and cruelty as seen through her child eyes.
Vidal is a sadist who uses the excuse of war to bathe in the torture of captured soldiers openly. These scenes are brutal. Ofelia's mother only wanted somewhere safe for her daughter and unborn child, but Vidal has no compassion for her or Ofelia, his only goal is to have the baby. She is just a vessel to keep the baby safe until he is born.
The book has pictures to accompany the story which enhance it further. A super read but only a fair tale by name, definitely not for children.
I wish to thank NetGalley and the publisher for an e-copy of this book which I have reviewed honestly.

While this novelisation of del Torro’s dark fairytale film doesn’t add anything extra, it does beautifully capture the spirit and energy of the film. The story masterfully balances the horror and despair of WWII Spain with darker, original folklore surrounding quests and bargains. This is beautiful and one any fan will want.