Das Labyrinth des Fauns

Spain, 1944. Ofelia, a girl with a love for fairy tales, travels with her pregnant mother to live with Captain Vidal, her new stepfather and a brutal officer in Franco's army, at a mill in the mountains where he is hunting guerrillas. In a ruined labyrinth, a faun tells Ofelia she is the lost princess of a subterranean kingdom, and she must complete three tasks to return. Cornelia Funke retells the story with del Toro, adding legends and background.

Readers who enjoy dark fantasy, fairy tales for adults, and historical settings in which cruelty and imagination collide will find this a richer, literary treatment of the tale.

Balanced in tone; an easy read.

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