The Face in the Frost

By: John Bellairs

Narrated by: Eric Michael Summerer

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 Tantor

An Old Favorite, Revisited

One of my favorite books from my childhood. A lovely mix of whimsy and chills. The performance is very good. I would strongly recommend this for an audience of all ages.

Subtleness abounds

I had to listen to this twice to get the fuller appreciation of this work. By the end, I realized that what I needed was the assurance that the story would eventually go somewhere beyond, presumably in a sequel. Hopefully some day I can look at The Dolphin Cross. While reading, I imagined Gandolf in his off moments, Diana Wynn Jones whispering authorial advice from off-stage. As with Bellairs YA works, the story is mellow and enjoyable. The story's brevity makes it a risk-free investment for the listener/reader.

second time listening

the first time I listened to this book I didn't love it, I loved parts of it but it has some strange parts and I wasn't sure how I felt about the end. As the years went by I could not get out of my head.

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.

Images of fantastical scenes that will always stick with me

A fantastical whimsical story mixed with moments of horror and humor. Two wizards who, despite their supernatural abilities, are all too relatable with real fears and foibles, go on a journey to free themselves from a magical enemy who haunts them.
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.

Has been my favorite children’s story since I was young

This story has the right mix of interesting characters and whimsy to make it an amazing book. The narration of the story is well done and even though I have read the book every year for as long as I can remember, having someone read it allows me to pick out new details that I tend to read over. Great overall. Can’t go wrong!