ICO- Castle in the Mist

By: Miyuki Miyabe
Location: FIC MIY
Genre: Video Game, Fantasy, Asian

Based on the video game filmmaker Guillemo del Toro (Hellboy, Pan's Labyrinth) called a "masterpiece", Japan's leading fantasist Miyuki Miyabe has crafted a tale of magic, loss, and love that will never be forgotten.

When a boy named Ico grows long curved horns overnight, his fate has been sealed-he is to be sacrificed in the Castle in the Mist. But in the castle, Ico meets a young girl named Yorda imprisoned in its halls. Alone they will die, but together Ico and Yorda might just be able to defy their destinies and escape the magic of the castle.

"It is the novelization of a beloved video game, so there is some possibility that my joy in reading it is biased by my fond memories of the engaging mystery and emotion of the game. That being said, I think it would also be a great read for lovers of fantasy who have NOT played the game, even if they do not recognize the places and moments that conjure up game nostalgia for those who HAVE played it. The author takes some artistic liberty filling in gaps in the game world's story, but I am assured that she does so with the blessing of the game's creators - and everything written jives perfectly with my internal version of the game's backstory. I was concerned that removing the vaguery left by the writers would also dismantle much of the mystery, but to my pleasant surprise the mystery remains." Jesse- Goodreads