A Three-Gem Fantasy Novel

Reviewers keep coming back to the word "gem" in describing The Face in the Frost by John Bellairs. One said, "Bellairs' characters are gem-like, as is the world in which they move." Another described it as, "This splendid little fantasy gem." One reason for that characterization is that it's not not very long - under 200 pages. But what makes the novel - Bellairs's debut and his only one aimed at adults -- is its unique mixture of horror and hilarity. Top Amazon.com reviewer James D. DeWitt encapsulated it this way: "This is fantasy reduced to its purest form. From a laugh our loud first few pages you are plunged into nightmare and horror through to a purely satisfying ending. In decades of reading fantasy I know of no story that better illustrates the form... This is a superb book."

DeWitt didn't call it a gem. But I do. So there's your third gem. Read The Face in the Frost and add one of your own.

- Richard Curtis