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The Midnight Palace

Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available
In the heart of Calcutta lurks a dark mystery....
Set in Calcutta in the 1930s, The Midnight Palace begins on a dark night when an English lieutenant fights to save newborn twins Ben and Sheere from an unthinkable threat. Despite monsoon-force rains and terrible danger lurking around every street corner, the young lieutenant manages to get them to safety, but not without losing his own life. . . .
Years later, on the eve of Ben and Sheere's sixteenth birthday, the mysterious threat reenters their lives. This time, it may be impossible to escape. With the help of their brave friends, the twins will have to take a stand against the terror that watches them in the shadows of the night—and face the most frightening creature in the history of the City of Palaces.
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  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      March 14, 2011
      Zafón (The Prince of Mist) delivers an often creepy adventure, first published in Spain in 1994, populated with some wonderful characters. In British-occupied Calcutta in 1916, a soldier saves two babies (at the cost of his own life), and the children's grandmother leaves one at an orphanage to throw off the evil person chasing them. Sixteen years later, the boy, Ben, is reunited with his sister, Sheere,
      after a brutal attack on the orphanage. Along with Ben's fellow orphans (including narrator Ian), the siblings take on the mysterious sorcerer Jawahal, who has fire-based powers and a connection to the twins' late father. Zafón adeptly establishes his characters (including some fun and believable teenage repartee) and makes good use of his setting. His Calcutta has many of the mystical elements that many writers associate with the city, but it also shows the political strain of a city subject to years of hostile colonization and ready to break free. Just as importantly, Zafón delivers moments of genuine horror, as well as expert plot twists that move the story along. Ages 12âup.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Narrator Jonathan Davis perfectly matches the tempo and emotions of this gothic tale. In Calcutta, 1916, a soldier sacrifices his life in saving two orphaned newborns from a mysterious evil being. One of those babies, Ben, is left at a Catholic orphanage. The boy thrives, eventually joining a secret society that meets in a ruined house dubbed the Midnight Palace. Sixteen years later, the evil presence reappears to claim Ben, forcing the society of teens to find a way to defeat the magic and stay alive. Davis's delivery is strong. However, the occasional use of sound effects and music under his voice is distracting and muffles the narration. In addition, his slight Spanish accent makes it difficult for listeners to remember that the story's setting is colonial India. C.B.L. (c) AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine
    • School Library Journal

      May 1, 2011

      Gr 8 Up-In 1932 Calcutta, 16-year-old Ben celebrates a last night together with the circle of friends he's dubbed the Chowbar Society, before they leave their childhood home at the orphanage and go their separate ways. The festive yet solemn occasion is brought to a halt by the arrival of Ariyami Bose and Sheere, the grandmother and twin sister Ben never knew he had. The twins were separated to protect them from Jawahal, a mysterious supernatural figure who seeks them for some diabolical purpose. As the Chowbar Society tries to find a way to protect the pair, the tragic history that ties together the twins' parents, Jawahal, and a horrific train fire comes to light. Although the characters never fully emerge as individuals, the sense of dread and mystery that pervades the story, and the themes of lost innocence and sacrifice keep readers turning the pages.-Christi Esterle, Parker Library, CO

      Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

    • Kirkus

      April 1, 2011
      Fraternal twins face a frightening destiny in this Indian melodrama set in 1932 Calcutta. Brought together by their grandmother Aryami Bose for the first time after a life spent apart, 16-year-old twins Sheere and Ben learn that a vengeful childhood friend of their father's named Jawahal murdered their parents. The evil agent tried to finish off the entire family, but Aryami saved the infants by separating and hiding them. Jawahal swore to return when the twins were 16 and complete the job. But exactly who or what is the fiery man who seems to be able to materialize at will? And what did the twins' parents do to make Jawahal so angry? The only clues the brother and sister have are their dead father's detailed journal and recurring visions of a flaming train that plunges through solid walls, destroying everything it touches. The newfound siblings will have to travel to the heart of the fabled city to discover Jawahal's real identity and the truth about their family's troubled history. Though the villain's motives and origins are muddy and the secondary characterizations thin in this sensationalistic gothic tale, the steamy atmosphere of Calcutta is palpable and the confrontations between the twins and their malevolent nemesis truly terrifying. Perfect for readers who value mood over all else. (Fantasy. 12 & up)

      (COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

    • Booklist

      April 1, 2011
      Grades 9-12 With shades of modern horror classics like Stephen Kings It (1986) and Peter Straubs Ghost Story (1979), Zafn spins a tale about how the darkest of forces can prove the true strength of friendship. In the hot summer of 1932, seven friends living in an orphanage in Calcutta find themselves on the brink of being turned loose on their sixteenth birthdays. This will mean the end of their groupthe Chowbar Societyand the loss of their secret meeting place inside an abandoned mansion. But then two appearances change everything: a girl who is revealed to be the twin sister of group leader Ben, and a shadowy man known as Jawahal, who is hell-bent on wreaking revenge for an ancient crime. The teens dialogue often feels weirdly formal, and the stories-within-stories-within-stories lead to occasional repetition. But Zafn has crafted a highly original plot set within an exotic setting. Some Freddy Kruegerisms notwithstanding, Jawahal is a scary supernatural threat, and the Chowbar Society members make for wonderfully unlikely heroes. A fine, sad epilogue caps off this worthwhile read.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)

    • The Horn Book

      July 1, 2011
      Twins Ben and Sheere, separated at birth, meet after sixteen years. Impending peril overshadows their reunion as the two, joined by fellow members of the Chowbar Society, are forced to uncover secrets of their past in a fight for survival. The story's action is fast paced and the atmosphere, especially descriptions of the early-twentieth-century Calcutta setting, is appropriately creepy.

      (Copyright 2011 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • ATOS Level:6.9
  • Lexile® Measure:1030
  • Interest Level:9-12(UG)
  • Text Difficulty:5

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