A beautiful fairy tale that is impactful and emotional. A great hit for adults who want to step into a world of fantasy. It’s perfect for fans of the film, and I would recommend to both fans of fantasy and those who think that fantasy isn’t for them.

“Although we may wish for it, true magic is a scary thing.”

Cornelia Funke is probably most well known for writing the Inkheart trilogy, a series I have read and loved many times. Fans of the trilogy will know that the final book, Inkdeath, showed Funke’s talent for weaving a darker fairytale. In Pan’s Labyrinth, those talents ran rampent.

At it’s heart the story is bittersweet; following the characters from their arrival at the Mill House, a station for the soldiers who are hunting rebels in the woods.


The Adults…
“Ofelia’s mother didn’t know it, but she also believed in a fairytale. Carmen Cardoso believed the most dangerous tale of all: the one of the prince who would save her.”
Carmen, Vidal, Garcés, are all people who have looked at the world around them and fell to despair. Carmen clings to the hope that her new husband will be the one to make everything right, no matter what monster takes the role. Carmen is written like a warning, many of her lines giving me chills.

“Fifteen minutes late,” muttered Vidal, who like all monsters - like death - was always punctual.
Vidal, a man haunted by demons his father gifted to him, is trapped in a loop, convinced the best thing is to raise a son in the same vein. A child he can later bestow his demons onto.

“She’s just a woman.”
“That’s what you always thought. That’s why I was able to get away with it. I was invisible to you.”
Mercedes is what I can imagine a grown Ofelia to be like. She has not lost her compassion in a world of hatred, but has trained herself to be as deadly as the knife she carries for protection.

The Child…
Ofelia is thirteen, deemed by her mother too old to still be reading books about fairytales. But it is this innocence that makes Ofelia believe in the hopeful tales that the Faun tell her, choosing to live in the faith that good will triumph and through her efforts she’ll reach a happy ending, for her and those she loves.

She approaches the Faun’s tasks bravely, but with an arrogance and curiosity know to children, that makes her trials feel so much more dangerous to the reader. The scene with the Pale Man, particularly stands out, for it’s sickening detail and quick pacing.

The Fairytales…
Throughout the book, we are given chapters that at first read like standalone fairytales; about a witch, a land owner, denizens of the Underworld. As the characters living around the mill head for the apex of their stories, these fairytales begin to link together, providing clarity and more insight into the characters we’ve been following.

The Pale Man can easily be seen as a twisted version of Vidal…
“After all he’d been human himself once, but his murders of children had turned him into something else, faceless and ageless, one of his kind.”

Dr Ferreiro and an Underworld Bookmaker share many qualities and even Garcés had an interesting connection that I didn’t see coming!

The book is woven with deliciously deadly illustrations and I recommend reading it alongside the movie soundtrack, if you want to really pump up the atmosphere!

My sincere thanks to Cornelia Funke, Bloomsbury and Netgalley for gifting me with an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Amazing story, easy to read, easy to get lost in. I loved the movie but I love the book even more.

I'm definitely buying this book for my 17 year old son when it comes out.

Guillermo del Toro’s Spanish language fantasy masterpiece was released way back in 2006 and one wonders what exactly is the point of releasing what is effectively a novelisation thirteen years later? Pan's Labyrinth: The Labyrinth of the Faun is not a development or continuation of the original story it is a fairly faithful retelling of the film. If you were expecting something new or fresh, there is a good chance you are going to be disappointed. It might sound strange, but I have the feeling those who might enjoy this book most are those who know nothing about the film. In many ways it is a very straight-forward fantasy novel and because it is co-written by distinguished German children’s author Cornelia Funke, who is probably best known for The Thief Lord and Ink Heart, it has strong YA leanings. In actual fact, although it is so beautifully and hypnotically written I would say strong teen readers may well enjoy it more so than adults.

When I was reading some of the fantasy sequences and descriptions, such as the Fawn creature of the title, my imagination was tainted by how I remembered this character in the film. However, the weakness for any YA readers are the lack of context the book provides; it is set in Fascist Spain during the Second World War where in a countryside area and there is sporadic fighting still going on. General Franco is barely mentioned, the ‘rebels’ fight on, but apart from a brief part at the end it might be hard to separate fact from fantasy, which in actual fact is very important in both film and this book. Of course, if you’ve seen the film, it all makes perfect sense. Considering that it reads much more like Funke novel, than a Del Toro I’m surprised there is not more clarification for a potential teen audience.

The plot is a wild one. Ofelia and her heavily pregnant mother arrive at the farmhouse headquarters of the local Fascist leader, known as the ‘Captain’, at some recent point the mother has married the Captain. Upon arrival Ofelia believes she sees a fairy and this leads her upon a magical quest, which has lots of ‘once upon a time’ interludes. The fairy leads Ofelia into a labyrinth which is on the property and soon she meets a supernatural creature called Pan who sets her three tasks to complete. Meantime her mother is sick, her new stepfather is a true sadist who hopes for a son and in the background the battle between the Captain’s government thugs and the local rebel rages. This was a faithful retelling of a wonderful film, which would be perfect for strong teenage readers who enjoy fantasy, long-term adult fans of the film might have been expecting a little bit more.

Thank you so much for thus arc, you have no idea how much i appreciate it!

This is one of my favourite movies of all time so i completely devoured it. It was so so good. I want to read it again and again. Its really made me want to pick up more Cornelia Funkes books!

What a gem!

Incredible storytelling that captures the darkness and beauty of the movie, and adds another layer of magic. An amazing accomplishment!

When Ofelia and her mother move to a remote village in Spain, a fairytale is about to come to life.

I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was a beautiful dark story, and everything I hoped for.

Ofelia is just a simple girl. She is the daughter of a tailor; misses her dear, late-father; and distrusts the wolf that her mother has married. Oh, and she happens to be young and innocent enough that she does not blind herself to the magic in the world, like the grown-ups who surround her. When Ofelia arrives at their new home, with the mysterious Labyrinth outside, she finds out that fairytales are real, and she is a part of them.

Meanwhile, Capitan Vidal is hunting down the resistance fighters, unaware that some in his employ are helping them.
Mercedes is just a woman who works in the house, there is nothing special about her. Except her bravery and good heart. As a mere woman, Mercedes is used to being invisible; and now she will use it to aid all the good men fighting and dying for freedom.

Stories from the Underground Kingdom are woven alongside Ofelia's and Mercedes' battles. Times are dark and dangerous, and heroes aren't guaranteed happy endings.

As much as I loved the film I jumped at the chance to read this new, if certainly belated, book version. Although it is faithful I really didn't feel that it added anything worthwhile to the story. There are a few new tidbits backstory wise but for the most part it's all very straightforward, identical right down to the fluttering of Doug Jones' animated fingers. A shame, because I really wanted to learn more about the Underground Kingdom, the Faun and Guillermo del Toro's richly imagined world. Instead I feel that this was a bit of a cynical money grab.

This was a turn up for the books, a novel of the mesmerising and stunning 2006 film Pan's Labyrinth by Guillermo del Toro that I adored, written by the film director and Cornelia Funke, with details and analysis of the film. Reading this bought back the movie in much of its original glory, haunting, tragic, painful, the magical realism, the darkest of fairy tales, immersing me in all its vibrant intensity. There is the young girl, Ofelia, living in the brutality and terrors of the fascist Franco's regime. Ofelia desperately longs for and dreams of a world free of the everyday nightmares of her life, finding herself in an alternative version of Alice, a labyrinth which is so much darker in its myths and magic, reflecting the realities of life, a war torn nation and fascism. This novel effortlessly captures so much of vitality of the film, reinforcing just how imaginative and beautiful it is, and the despair of this historical period in Spain with added information on the film. Many thanks to Bloomsbury for an ARC.

Pan's Labyrinth is one of my favourite films, and I love Cornelia Funke's books, so I was delighted to receive an ARC of this book on Netgalley. I unfortunately didn't love the book as much as I loved the movie. At times it felt as though I was reading an analysis (albeit a beautifully written one!) of the film. I enjoyed the addition of the 'backstories' of the fairy-tale creatures Ofelia encounters during the story, and it did serve to remind me of the things I loved about the film.

You can't go wrong with a book written by Cornelia Funke.
This dark fantasy, which is set in 1944 in Spain set against a background of political conflict, is based on the 2006 Spanish film. I haven't seen the film so I didn't know what to expect of the story. It is woven around fairy tales and mythical creature and there is a sense of menace throughout the story. I loved it right from the start and Cornelia Funke's writing is so beautiful and imaginative.
Highly recommended.

This is truly a wonderful epic and dark fantasy that I fell in love with. I love the creepy fairytale vibe I got from this book and the illustrations in it are hauntingly beautiful.

I was super excited when i got accepted to review this book! I love the film and I couldn't wait to read this book! I love it so much and I will most likely buy a physical copy of the book because it's beautiful. Also you don't need to have seen the film to read the book!

The main part of the book is set in 1944 Spain. It follows the story of Ofelia and her tasks in the upper kingdom. It also shows the story of Mercedes and the resistance fighters in the woods who fight against Vidal. There are also chapters interwoven in the main plot that focus on the underground kingdom and the princess that went missing. It shows how the underground kingdom searched for the missing princess and how the princess herself tried getting home by having a labyrinth built. I really like these chapters as they felt like fairytales! The story had me hooked! I could not put this book down and I really enjoyed reading it.

I loved everything about this book! I enjoyed it all. It was really hard for me to write about this book because I just loved it. I connected to the characters and I felt I got to know them well. I will definitely read it again.

Overall this is a wonderful, dark and at points heartbreaking read! I love the dark fairytale feel from the book and I would recommend this book!

There's often a lot of talk about the quality of films based on a book that has been converted to the big screen, but what happens when a much respected film gets transformed into the written word? Pan's Labyrinth, a Spanish-language film by critically acclaimed director Guillermo del Toro is my favourite film and when I saw this book I knew I had to see what it was like. Cornelia Funke, an illustrator and storyteller, is the given the task of transforming the dark fairytale to life... and on the whole, I'd argue she succeeds.

Pan's Labyrinth closely follows the plot of its big screen counterparts, with the only additions being extra stories that open each section of the book and give a bit of history to some of the events or objects that are present in the story. These seem largely unnecessarily and in some ways undermine some elements of mystery contained within the film, but they do add to fairytale vibe throughout.

The rest of the book really does feel as though you are watching the film, with the tale written in a way that helps the reader recall each scene that has been previously watched. In this case, I think this is a good thing. What I have always loved about Pan's Labyrinth is that it is a gothic fairytale with the post-Spanish civil war backdrop. The combination of history and fairytale is enthralling and I think this novel version captures that adequately. Perhaps some of the magic created by the film being in Spanish is lost when reading English words, but that is ultimately a minor complaint.

You can tell that Cornelia Funke is a master at her craft and there really is a sense of childlike wonder steeped throughout the words she chooses to bring to life the story. This really does read like a fairytale and the gorgeous illustrations throughout are a nice addition. I enjoyed this and it's a welcome read for those who have seen the film. I would be interested to hear the opinions of those that hadn't seen the film, but I think the story is strong enough to capture anyone's interest.

Guillermo del Toro yet again shows himself to be a master of the gothic tale. In this novelisation of the 2006 film, Pan’s Labyrinth, he weaves the fairy-tale story of a young girl, Ofelia, who is taken by her mother to live with her new stepfather, a sadistic captain in the Spanish army during World War II.

Unwanted and ignored by the Capitán, Ofelia explores her new home and discovers a huge stone labyrinth and the impossible creature within, who tells her that she is the lost princess of the realm below. All she must do is complete three tasks and she can be restored to her rightful kingdom. Can she trust him, or is she better off adapting to life with her cruel stepfather?

I have to admit that I have never (yet) watched the film on which this novel is based, but from clips and trailers I have seen over the years I was expecting something much creepier than this. The novel is marketed as adult fiction, but I would say that it is suitable for a younger audience. Nevertheless, it is a lovingly crafted fairy-tale. I have not come across Cornelia Funke before, but she and del Toro work well together.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A fantastic tale of tales. Beatifully written and full of wonder.

The best fairytale i have read in decades

I absolutely loved everything about this book! I could read it over and over again and never get fed up.
I read this in one sitting, I just couldn't put it down, though I did try to distract myself so as not to finish it too soon. I was disappointed that it wasn't longer, but that said, I could have read this story for days and still wanted more. This is the kind of book that made me develop a love of reading in the first place. Amongst the hundreds of books I have read this is one that really stands out for me and it will definitely be a repeat read.
The characters were brilliantly portrayed in the best fairy tale style, with a few additional details, which placed them beautifully in their respective roles. The war played out well in the background, clearly defining each character's place in the battle of good versus evil. Exactly what I am looking for in a fairy tale.
The plot was full of magic, mythical creatures and quests. There were kings and queens, witches and monsters, fairies, soldiers and a lost princess. Everything you could possibly ask for in this kind of story. I loved the little side stories that introduced different chapters and felt they added an extra dimension. The setting was beautifully drawn, well described and totally appropriate to the plot.
A deliciously dark, well written fairy tale. This book reignited my excitement at discovering whole new worlds within it's pages and I am really hoping for more like it. It reminded me of the well loved books of my childhood, which are not often seen anymore. It has the makings of a classic

I thought this was a very good achievement considering the book is written based on the film, I really enjoyed it.

It's quite consistent with the film, and tells the story of Ofelia who discovers a fantasy world. This world somehow links to the one she lives in, which is Franco's Spain,. Things are quite violent with civil war at the time. There are interesting characters, and they are more fleshed out compared to the film, which was good actually. The book has a good pace as well.
Overall, I found it well written and definitely worth a read.

Thanks a lot Netgalley and the publisher for granting this copy in exchange for an honest review.

I watched the film of Pan’s Labyrinth just over 10 years ago now and remember really enjoying it so was excited to receive the ARC for the book. I think, judging from other reviews I have read that watching the film a long time ago was actually a really nice way to enjoy the book. A few reviews have lamented the fact that this is just a straight retelling of the film, but for me I couldn’t really remember how the story ended or what happened in particular detail which meant I still enjoyed it and got to experience it freshly again. Having seen the film however, meant that I still had some of the great creepy imagery in my head (particularly of The Pale Man and the Faun) which would pop up in my mind and add depth to the story on occasion.

Pan’s Labyrinth is probably best described as a dark, adult fairy tale with teeth. I loved the juxtaposition and changing perspectives between the gritty reality of Ofelia and her mother Carmen moving in with her new partner Vidal, Mercedes and her rebellious brother Pedro, Ofelia’s quest from the mysterious Faun and mythological fairy stories which were woven throughout. I really liked how the fairy stories were standalone and contained stories in their own right but also referenced and intertwined with the wider plot in small and clever ways. I thought the book on the whole was very well written and kept me hooked throughout with atmospheric passages and scary descriptions – I read it in two sittings and could not put it down.

I think my only criticism was that on my kindle advanced readers copy only the first two beautiful illustrations were visible – the rest just appeared as blank boxes. I hope this is fixed for the actual version as the ones I did get to see were lovely.

Overall Pan’s Labyrinth is the perfect dark fairy-tale – if you’ve never seen the film (or like me, it was a very long time ago) you will certainly enjoy it. Thank you to NetGalley & Bloomsbury Publishing Plc for a copy of the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley, the authors and Bloomsbury publishing for my arc of Pans Labyrinth in exchange for an honest review.


Synopsis: based on the hit film Pan’s Labyrinth follows the story of Ofelia a young girl living in a war torn world and unsure where to turn. It has magic and whimsy in a backdrop of terror and despair.


Ok, confession time, I haven’t seen the film this book is inspired by, I know a lot of people sing its praises but I’ve just never got around to it. Perhaps if I had seen the film I might have enjoyed this more.

First up, let me say that the writing was beautiful, I love Cornelia Funke so I wouldn’t expect any less where she’s involved. But the story itself was a bit lacking for me. I liked the first third of it, the backdrop of wartime Spain, the evil stepfather, the despair of Ofelia and how smart she was for a young girl ‘Only books talked about all the things adults didn’t want to ask you about – life, death. Good and evil. And what else truly mattered in life.’ But the rest of the book went by very quickly with events taking place very fast. I think if I could put my finger on the problem, it was that the story was only short but told from multiple perspectives, it could have benefited from being about twice the length it actually is, in order to fit in those perspectives as well as the folklore type stories told inbetween as well.

Fantasy novel based in post-Civil War Spain - just like the film - very good

This novel was written after the success of the film and tells the story faithfully (from what I can remember) and tells the story of Ofelia, a girl plucked from her home by her mother and her military stepfather, as she discovers a fantasy world linked to the cruel one in which she lives. There are a fair amount of interesting characters and the whole story moves along at a good pace, interlacing the fantasy background chapters with the reality of Franco's Spain. Enjoyable but the film is more effective for the images that it creates. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.