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Ico: Castle in the Mist
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.
Based on the video game filmmaker Guillermo 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.
None
400 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2004
116 people are currently reading
2379 people want to read
About the author
Miyuki Miyabe
308 books552 followersSee also 宮部 みゆき (Japanese language profile) and 宮部美幸 (Chinese language profile).
Miyuki Miyabe (宮部みゆき Miyabe Miyuki) is a popular contemporary Japanese author active in a number of genres including science fiction, mystery fiction, historical fiction, social commentary, and juvenile fiction.
Miyabe started writing novels at the age of 23. She has been a prolific writer, publishing dozens of novels and winning many major literary prizes, including the Yamamoto Shūgorō Prize in 1993 for Kasha and the Naoki Prize in 1998 for Riyū [The Reason] (理由). A Japanese film adaptation of Riyû, directed by Nobuhiko Obayashi, was released in 2004.
Miyuki Miyabe (宮部みゆき Miyabe Miyuki) is a popular contemporary Japanese author active in a number of genres including science fiction, mystery fiction, historical fiction, social commentary, and juvenile fiction.
Miyabe started writing novels at the age of 23. She has been a prolific writer, publishing dozens of novels and winning many major literary prizes, including the Yamamoto Shūgorō Prize in 1993 for Kasha and the Naoki Prize in 1998 for Riyū [The Reason] (理由). A Japanese film adaptation of Riyû, directed by Nobuhiko Obayashi, was released in 2004.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 115 reviews
March 1, 2012
I suppose I should write two reviews here: one for folks who love _Ico_ the videogame, and one for folks who have never heard of it. (If you're in between, flip a coin and read both.)
_Ico_ was a 2001 videogame (for the Playstation). I loved it; I still love it. It remains a landmark in atmospheric, engaging videogame storytelling. Notably, it was almost entirely wordless. Everything was conveyed through architecture, lighting, the body language of the protagonists, and -- most important -- the physical struggle of the game's challenges. If you haven't played the game, this makes no sense to you. Let me put forth that the most important button on the game's controller, the one about which the story revolves, is "hold hands".
So how does this experience translate into a novel?
A direct transcription of the game's events would be tedious and interminable. The author, sensibly, has expanded the story in several directions.
So: a young boy mulls his fate. Ico has horns on his head, sprouted on his thirteenth birthday, and that means he is to be taken off to the Castle in the Mist -- a sacrifice to its never-seen master. That much, we knew (more or less) from the game. But the book begins with the village elder, pondering his responsibility to send a student to an unknown doom. And then we meet Ico's best friend, and learn something about why the village has such a horrific custom. Quite a bit happens before the journey to the Castle itself (which is the game's first scene).
Once inside, the narrative hews closer to the game; enough so that readers might be put off by the focus on architecture, and all the scrambling Ico has to do through it. (Interactive fiction fans won't be a bit surprised.) But he soon discovers Yorda, a girl locked in an iron cage in the Castle's tower. Here the author takes her strongest liberty. In the original game, Yorda was seen only from the outside. She does not speak Ico's language; he does not even learn her name for a good fraction of the game. She is not passive, but she is part of the story's enigma.
The book, in contrast, freely switches to her viewpoint. When she and Ico join hands, he gets flashes of her memory -- more of the story's background than the game ever gave us. Parts of the Castle gain unexpected depth and history. And then we move entirely to Yorda's frame. The middle third of the book is entirely her narration, showing us (though not Ico) her childhood in a Castle full of courtiers, scholars, tournaments, and secrets. I found this the most compelling part of the book, no doubt because it was entirely new to me.
(I would be willing to describe it as Yorda's book, with an unusually broad frame story from Ico's viewpoint. Okay, except that the beginning has the elder and the buddy kid also. The structure is hard to get a grip on, honestly.)
Eventually we reach the end of Yorda's episode, and return to Ico -- blithely ignorant of the last 125 pages of narration, and therefore no longer quite our protagonist. He's still the go-clobber-the-baddie sort of character we expect from the game, and so the story wraps up.
The author's interpretation of what's going on is rather different from what the game presents. Thus, her ending diverges as well. Which is fine; I can replay the game any time I want. The tang of familiarity is in the sunlight, the sound of the sea -- the rhythm of two children running along a parapet, holding hands.
And for the reader who never played the game? I can't give you a completely fresh viewpoint; I know the game too well. But I was startled, halfway through the book, by the realization that I was reading an unabashed fairy tale. It's a form that written fantasy (at least, published English-language fantasy) has largely abandoned. We seem to prefer either added grit or the "urban" grounding of the modern world. _Ico_ has an ethereal princess, a sturdy village boy, a curse, a castle, and an evil witch-queen; stir well and swallow in a gulp. There's nothing ironic or fractured about any of it. (Not that I mind those directions either -- halfway through the first season of _Once Upon a Time_ right now, thanks.)
The language is a bit weak, prone to fantasy-conventionality and (as I said) too much physical description. (The text is Japanese, translated to English.) Nonetheless: engaging, moving -- if you're willing to buy into fairy tales -- and a fine addition to the Ico universe.
(No, I don't see anything on the net to indicate she's working on _Shadow of the Colossus_. I'd read it, though.)
_Ico_ was a 2001 videogame (for the Playstation). I loved it; I still love it. It remains a landmark in atmospheric, engaging videogame storytelling. Notably, it was almost entirely wordless. Everything was conveyed through architecture, lighting, the body language of the protagonists, and -- most important -- the physical struggle of the game's challenges. If you haven't played the game, this makes no sense to you. Let me put forth that the most important button on the game's controller, the one about which the story revolves, is "hold hands".
So how does this experience translate into a novel?
A direct transcription of the game's events would be tedious and interminable. The author, sensibly, has expanded the story in several directions.
So: a young boy mulls his fate. Ico has horns on his head, sprouted on his thirteenth birthday, and that means he is to be taken off to the Castle in the Mist -- a sacrifice to its never-seen master. That much, we knew (more or less) from the game. But the book begins with the village elder, pondering his responsibility to send a student to an unknown doom. And then we meet Ico's best friend, and learn something about why the village has such a horrific custom. Quite a bit happens before the journey to the Castle itself (which is the game's first scene).
Once inside, the narrative hews closer to the game; enough so that readers might be put off by the focus on architecture, and all the scrambling Ico has to do through it. (Interactive fiction fans won't be a bit surprised.) But he soon discovers Yorda, a girl locked in an iron cage in the Castle's tower. Here the author takes her strongest liberty. In the original game, Yorda was seen only from the outside. She does not speak Ico's language; he does not even learn her name for a good fraction of the game. She is not passive, but she is part of the story's enigma.
The book, in contrast, freely switches to her viewpoint. When she and Ico join hands, he gets flashes of her memory -- more of the story's background than the game ever gave us. Parts of the Castle gain unexpected depth and history. And then we move entirely to Yorda's frame. The middle third of the book is entirely her narration, showing us (though not Ico) her childhood in a Castle full of courtiers, scholars, tournaments, and secrets. I found this the most compelling part of the book, no doubt because it was entirely new to me.
(I would be willing to describe it as Yorda's book, with an unusually broad frame story from Ico's viewpoint. Okay, except that the beginning has the elder and the buddy kid also. The structure is hard to get a grip on, honestly.)
Eventually we reach the end of Yorda's episode, and return to Ico -- blithely ignorant of the last 125 pages of narration, and therefore no longer quite our protagonist. He's still the go-clobber-the-baddie sort of character we expect from the game, and so the story wraps up.
The author's interpretation of what's going on is rather different from what the game presents. Thus, her ending diverges as well. Which is fine; I can replay the game any time I want. The tang of familiarity is in the sunlight, the sound of the sea -- the rhythm of two children running along a parapet, holding hands.
And for the reader who never played the game? I can't give you a completely fresh viewpoint; I know the game too well. But I was startled, halfway through the book, by the realization that I was reading an unabashed fairy tale. It's a form that written fantasy (at least, published English-language fantasy) has largely abandoned. We seem to prefer either added grit or the "urban" grounding of the modern world. _Ico_ has an ethereal princess, a sturdy village boy, a curse, a castle, and an evil witch-queen; stir well and swallow in a gulp. There's nothing ironic or fractured about any of it. (Not that I mind those directions either -- halfway through the first season of _Once Upon a Time_ right now, thanks.)
The language is a bit weak, prone to fantasy-conventionality and (as I said) too much physical description. (The text is Japanese, translated to English.) Nonetheless: engaging, moving -- if you're willing to buy into fairy tales -- and a fine addition to the Ico universe.
(No, I don't see anything on the net to indicate she's working on _Shadow of the Colossus_. I'd read it, though.)
December 23, 2022
Ico, the video game, is such an incredible game primarily for three reasons. The first is its interconnectivity. How the castle is a living, breathing place that you explore every inch of, and how you may travel an hour only to catch a glimpse of where you came from in a way that spatially makes sense. This design philosophy would later be a standout feature in the Souls games. The second is the castle itself, which acts as a sort of third main character, whose endless halls and room are always a little too big, heightening the emptiness and stark contrasts of the bland stone and whistling, cavernous wind. It’s a work of liminality that always feels comfortingly familiar while remaining deeply uncomfortable spaces to inhabit for too long, as they are human spaces that can no longer serve their functions as human spaces anymore, and now exist as half-forgotten memories of the spaces they once were. The third is the relationship between Yorda and Ico, entirely built through small but clever gameplay mechanics and not a single line of understood dialogue between them or us. And yet, remarkably, it’s how it ties their fates so inextricably together not as a prolonged escort mission, but as a love between the two, a reliance on each other, that makes the player care for Yorda as much as Ico does.
I read this book primarily because I wanted to see how any of this would translate to the page. Can words capture the haunting liminality and quiet of the castle? Could we develop a bond with Yorda without the subtle game mechanics building it for us? The answer, as it unfortunately stands, is no. This book fails on most fronts to capture what made the game great.
I can’t quite be sure if this is the fault of the author or translator, if the previously mentioned successes of the game were not what they were trying to adapt at all, or if no one could translate a game like Ico into a book format. I don’t know. What I do know is that this book focused almost entirely on the plot from the game, which was complicated and probably intentionally obtuse, which leaves a lot for a book to explore. Unfortunately the story itself when fully explained out just isn’t all that interesting. It’s fine, but nothing exceptional. And while I applaud the book for trying to humanize the characters through their backstories before the events of the game, the writing simply isn’t strong enough to endear me to the characters or their plight through this more traditional method of storytelling. There were a few pages at the end with the description of that I did think were particularly well written. But otherwise, it turns a rather experimental and quiet game into a mostly typical story with inoffensive, yet bland, character writing that doesn’t elevate a story with a mystery that just isn’t all that engaging. I wouldn’t say the book itself is bad or a failure, but I will say that it failed to capture any of the things I loved about the game.
I read this book primarily because I wanted to see how any of this would translate to the page. Can words capture the haunting liminality and quiet of the castle? Could we develop a bond with Yorda without the subtle game mechanics building it for us? The answer, as it unfortunately stands, is no. This book fails on most fronts to capture what made the game great.
I can’t quite be sure if this is the fault of the author or translator, if the previously mentioned successes of the game were not what they were trying to adapt at all, or if no one could translate a game like Ico into a book format. I don’t know. What I do know is that this book focused almost entirely on the plot from the game, which was complicated and probably intentionally obtuse, which leaves a lot for a book to explore. Unfortunately the story itself when fully explained out just isn’t all that interesting. It’s fine, but nothing exceptional. And while I applaud the book for trying to humanize the characters through their backstories before the events of the game, the writing simply isn’t strong enough to endear me to the characters or their plight through this more traditional method of storytelling. There were a few pages at the end with the description of that I did think were particularly well written. But otherwise, it turns a rather experimental and quiet game into a mostly typical story with inoffensive, yet bland, character writing that doesn’t elevate a story with a mystery that just isn’t all that engaging. I wouldn’t say the book itself is bad or a failure, but I will say that it failed to capture any of the things I loved about the game.
January 4, 2012
I really enjoyed this book. I knew before reading it that it was based on a video game, but I've never played it. I think the story in this book was very successful, but I had some problems with the way it was constructed.
The beginning, for me, was the best part. The writing was wonderful and as Ico's backstory was filled in the character was really coming alive for me.
In the middle, it started to be much less organic. Here you could tell that the book was based on a video game. Every scene seemed like a video game puzzle with one difficult, but convenient solution, all the action seemed a little too contrived, and the "exploration" was on rails going one direction.
Soon, the book changed to be from the perspective of Ico's compaion, Yorda. At this point I started to have major problems with the structure. Yorda's perspective took up almost all of the remaining book and her backstory was presented as her remembering rather than Ico figuring out. This made Yorda the focus rather than Ico and by the end, I was wondering whether the book should have been titled Yorda: Castle of the Mist instead.
There was one major plot twist that was delivered in a big villain monologue which broke the tension and it wasn't much of a twist to begin with. Instead of acting unpredictably based on the twist, Ico followed the rails and the book concluded with a scripted boss battle and a final cut scene.
I ended the novel feeling a little disappointed. The story had a lot of potential that I don't think this book took advantage of. Despite these problems, it's an enjoyable read.
The beginning, for me, was the best part. The writing was wonderful and as Ico's backstory was filled in the character was really coming alive for me.
In the middle, it started to be much less organic. Here you could tell that the book was based on a video game. Every scene seemed like a video game puzzle with one difficult, but convenient solution, all the action seemed a little too contrived, and the "exploration" was on rails going one direction.
Soon, the book changed to be from the perspective of Ico's compaion, Yorda. At this point I started to have major problems with the structure. Yorda's perspective took up almost all of the remaining book and her backstory was presented as her remembering rather than Ico figuring out. This made Yorda the focus rather than Ico and by the end, I was wondering whether the book should have been titled Yorda: Castle of the Mist instead.
There was one major plot twist that was delivered in a big villain monologue which broke the tension and it wasn't much of a twist to begin with. Instead of acting unpredictably based on the twist, Ico followed the rails and the book concluded with a scripted boss battle and a final cut scene.
I ended the novel feeling a little disappointed. The story had a lot of potential that I don't think this book took advantage of. Despite these problems, it's an enjoyable read.
July 21, 2017
This book is odd.
It's not the video game plus+ dialogue and character development minus- parts that are fun to play but would be boring to read. It's a retelling of the story.
The first chapter is Ico's back-story, which is fine but drags on a bit too long. In the second chapter it starts getting really strange because the author starts going through the story almost exactly the way the game happens. I could actually imagine her playing the game with her laptop by her side, writing as she played.
Then we slip into Yorda's perspective and we get her back-story, which I didn't care for. I have to admit during this chapter I felt like the book was fan-fiction that I could read online for free.
After the second chapter the book doesn't really get back on track with the game's story-line until the very end, at which point I had really lost interest.
It's impossible to read the book and not compare it to the game. Part of what makes the game so interesting is that you don't understand what's going on with Yorda. You feel a bond between Ico and Yorda that the two character's lack the ability to express with words.
It's not the video game plus+ dialogue and character development minus- parts that are fun to play but would be boring to read. It's a retelling of the story.
The first chapter is Ico's back-story, which is fine but drags on a bit too long. In the second chapter it starts getting really strange because the author starts going through the story almost exactly the way the game happens. I could actually imagine her playing the game with her laptop by her side, writing as she played.
Then we slip into Yorda's perspective and we get her back-story, which I didn't care for. I have to admit during this chapter I felt like the book was fan-fiction that I could read online for free.
After the second chapter the book doesn't really get back on track with the game's story-line until the very end, at which point I had really lost interest.
It's impossible to read the book and not compare it to the game. Part of what makes the game so interesting is that you don't understand what's going on with Yorda. You feel a bond between Ico and Yorda that the two character's lack the ability to express with words.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 7, 2013
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.
June 30, 2021
พล็อตเรื่องดีนะ ให้ความรู้สึกเหมือนดูหนังของจิบลิ แต่มีบางส่วนที่อ่านแล้วรู้สึกว่ามันเนิบนาบเชื่องช้าไปหน่อย (ทำเอาวางพักไว้นาน) นักเขียนพยายามตอบโจทย์ที่ตั้งไว้ให้นักอ่านอย่างกระชั้นมากในช่วงห้าสิบน้าสุดท้ายของเรื่อง และมีพล็อตทวิสต์ที่ดี ตอนท้ายเราอยากให้จบอีกแบบ แต่พอมีส่วนสุดท้ายมาเสริมก็เลยรู้สึกว่าจบแบบเด็ก ๆ ไปนิดนึง แต่ก็โอเคนะ
เราควรอ่านนิยายเล่มนี้เมื่อซัก 10-15 ปีก่อน คงรู้สึกสนุกและอินกว่านี้ เสียดายที่ไม่ได้เจอกันมาก่อน :)
เราควรอ่านนิยายเล่มนี้เมื่อซัก 10-15 ปีก่อน คงรู้สึกสนุกและอินกว่านี้ เสียดายที่ไม่ได้เจอกันมาก่อน :)
September 3, 2013
イコ - 霧の城
a story of an unknown place,
.. told in an unknown age.
I haven't played the game, but I still loved this beautiful book, gorgeous descriptions and characterizations ~<3
October 30, 2023
déjà j'ai appris par goodreads que le livre est écrit à partir d'un jeu-vidéo, donc j'ai lu le T2 d'ico en ayant ça en tête et j'ai trouvé ce livre remarquablement bien fait pour un livre qui retranscrit le lore d'un jeu-vidéo ?? ensuite, le ton du livre est très plaisant à lire, on a l'impression de lire un conte et c'est très facile à lire, pas besoin de trop se concentrer pour comprendre ce qui se passe, les mots rentrent naturellement dans la tête. les personnages sont tous très réussis, pas besoin de décrire leurs traits de caractère pour comprendre leurs personnalités. certains apparaissent peu et pourtant on réussit quand même à compatir avec eux. le livre prenant un pov plus "éloigné" comme dans un conte, on entre dans l'esprit de beaucoup de personnages mais c'est pas dérangeant et c'était même très bien fait. ma partie favorite reste le début du T1 avec les pov différents et un mystère très épais, qui se dévoile dans le T2 qui est excellent en traitant de questions plus profondes que je pensais pas forcément voir dans ce roman, mais du coup ma partie préférée reste quand le mystère était encore là. pour éviter les spoils je développerai pas plus sur le T2 mais les révélations, le dénouement et la fin étaient satisfaisants. ce n'est pas le type de livres que je lis habituellement mais j'ai quand même dévoré le T2 d'une traite donc il mérite bien son 4/5 !! aussi c'est un livre très japan vibe, ça se ressent beaucoup dans les grandes lignes de l'histoire, je trouve ça ressemble un peu à du ghibli presque (je suis peut être insultante.........) tellement c un univers à part avec des codes similaires !!
February 25, 2024
A great book overall! I think the most grabbing moments were when the author was able to craft her own story. When the story followed the game's events more precisely, I found the prose suffered a bit. You could tell in places it's based on a video game, but when it just told it's own story it was very gripping. I think it could've been a bit shorter to cut out the video game aspects, but overall I really enjoyed the story.
dnf
December 9, 2020dnfing this for the moment. I think I'll first watch a playthrough of the actual game and then come back to this. For the moment I'm struggling to get through the parts which aren't added by Miyabe, but have been game canon. Gonna come back to this on a later date.
September 16, 2013
Hands down the best video game novelization, I have ever encountered. Really tempted to give it a five star but I try to reserve that for works that alter my perceptions or strike me in a really profound way.
Having never played the actual game, I can't attest to the similarities or the connections between the two. The novel focuses primarily on a young boy who is sent as a sacrifice to a castle surrounded in mist. There is a great deal of mystery and a plethora of unknowns working behind the curtain that will keep a reader turning pages through to the end. What's up with the boy's horns? What's up with the castle? Why so much fear and the sacrifices? These are answered and even followed by more mystery and questions, but all revealed by the end with excellent pacing and positioning.
This book was written in Japanese and translated into English, but I found no difficulty or detected no struggle in the transition process. The prose felt very clean and even soothing in its relative simplicity. The perspective shifts that occur at times might feel a little shocking or entirely unwanted at the moment, but really feel necessary as the story unfolds.
Highly enjoyable, simple enough that anyone who can handle some mild emotional waves and/or a touch of violence and death can enjoy it, and fresh in a very cliche atmosphere.
4 stars: Fun, Relaxing, and Memorable.
Having never played the actual game, I can't attest to the similarities or the connections between the two. The novel focuses primarily on a young boy who is sent as a sacrifice to a castle surrounded in mist. There is a great deal of mystery and a plethora of unknowns working behind the curtain that will keep a reader turning pages through to the end. What's up with the boy's horns? What's up with the castle? Why so much fear and the sacrifices? These are answered and even followed by more mystery and questions, but all revealed by the end with excellent pacing and positioning.
This book was written in Japanese and translated into English, but I found no difficulty or detected no struggle in the transition process. The prose felt very clean and even soothing in its relative simplicity. The perspective shifts that occur at times might feel a little shocking or entirely unwanted at the moment, but really feel necessary as the story unfolds.
Highly enjoyable, simple enough that anyone who can handle some mild emotional waves and/or a touch of violence and death can enjoy it, and fresh in a very cliche atmosphere.
4 stars: Fun, Relaxing, and Memorable.
September 24, 2013
Ugh, deleting this one is really the hardest, because mine was the *first* review for this book on GoodReads.
Oh well. What must be done will be done.
Read the review on my blog:
http://thaliasbooks.tumblr.com/post/9...
Oh well. What must be done will be done.
Read the review on my blog:
http://thaliasbooks.tumblr.com/post/9...
Want to read
August 24, 2015This could be so good, or so, so bad.
Actually it could be "meh", but I'm not even considering it at this point. Rise up with dignity or go down in flames, I say.
Actually it could be "meh", but I'm not even considering it at this point. Rise up with dignity or go down in flames, I say.
January 4, 2025
Une très bonne surprise.
Au départ je n'attendais pas grand choses du livre, le récit m'a complétement emporté et j'ai dévoré l'oeuvre.
Au départ je n'attendais pas grand choses du livre, le récit m'a complétement emporté et j'ai dévoré l'oeuvre.
May 30, 2023
So, first thing’s first: This is a novelization [kinda sorta] of the video game, Ico. The game came out in 2001, and the book was released in 2004. It’s lesser known than Team Ico’s other games in the same universe, Shadow of the Colossus, and The Last Guardian.
To sort of touch on the ‘novelization’ part of the synopsis — while half of it is a faithful descriptor of the events in the game, the author also took creative freedom on entering in her own creations of the lore in the story, and completely overwrote/changed parts of the story that actually happened in the game.
Just as a warning, this review is going to go back and forth on the game, and the book. So if you haven’t played the game, it may or may not be interesting, but it will definitely be spoiler-y.
As much as I wanted to like the author’s renditions of these events, honestly I really didn’t. The story was fine. Her writing is actually very in depth and I can see why she’s apparently a famous fantasy author in Japan. But… I dunno. I just didn’t like her interpretation at all.
Team Ico’s games are made to be pretty mysterious, so I feel like there’s a lot that would have been fine to be left that way – but instead the author seemed to feel the need to spell out every tiny little detail with backstory. One thing I liked within the game is that Yorda, while weak, is also stoic, mysterious, and dreamlike in her characteristics. She just seems to not really be of the same world as Ico, and time to her is completely different. But the author sort of just flatlines that with her being hyper emotional and traumatized to the point of almost being a walking zombie to explain her behavior in the game. But the game doesn’t really give that feel about her at all, at least it didn’t to me. She seems lost, unsure of herself, and scared of her mother, sure, but that seems pretty normal given her circumstances. She’s never been able to leave the castle and have a life for herself, because she only exists for the Queen to eventually use her body as a new host once her existing body dies [and is close to doing so in the timeline of the game]. This also applies to the backstory given to the Queen herself. Despite that sure, she isn’t in the game much at all, the game made it so that she didn’t necessarily need to be, and she was very blunt and straight to the point. What she did within her castle was no one’s business but her own, and wanted Ico to leave. But the author turned her into a comically stereotypical evil woman [I almost expected her to enter in the Noblewoman’s Laugh anime trope – ohohoho~] who needs to villain-monologue constantly.
Another point that’s not exactly super spoiler-y, but that I want to mention is that the origin of the horned species of people and why they became sacrifices doesn’t match what was stated by the game’s director, writer, and lead designer, Fumito Ueda. He quoted Shadow of the Colossus to be ‘both a spiritual successor and prequel to Ico’ but urged players to also consider their own personal interpretations. With that information, it’s always been considered that Wander’s choices and pact with the cursed [and horned] entity known as Dormin during SotC [that causes Wander to grow horns when cursed by him as well as when he’s reborn] is what started the cause of horned children to be considered ‘cursed’ and therefore sacrificed. The book originally came out mid-2004, and SotC was released in later 2005. I’m not super sure how that translates in the book’s canon [if it’s considered any kind of canon at all], but in later editions Miyuki Miyabe added an insert to the book about how it’s her own interpretation, and not officially written by Team Ico/Sony.
Like mentioned before, the story is... fine. There’s obviously plenty of people who liked what the author added to the story. I’m just not really one of them. Usually with a book I felt as ‘meh’ about as with this one, I’d donate it now that I’m done reading – it’s not the easiest to find, so I’ll be keeping it in my collection to let others borrow if ever asked.
I’d only really recommend the book to someone who either has already played the game, or plans to soon after reading it. [Though I will say the game is very… dated, especially the controls – the PS3 HD redo of it did shape some of that up a little – so it may be easier to watch a Let’s Play/Stream of it] I’d definitely recommend reviewing the game first though, as it is a groundbreaking game for it’s time, and I think the magic of it would be better experienced first before reading this book.
I give Ico: Castle in the Mist 3/5 [Horned] Sacrificial Children
Not all history is told in stories and chronicles. The parts untold, the dark passages of time, were those that swallowed men’s hopes and made the distinctions between good and evil as nebulous as mist.
- - - - -
The dim phosphorescence at the bottom of the pool was beautiful, yet fleeting – a spectral gown worn by a dancing ghost.
To sort of touch on the ‘novelization’ part of the synopsis — while half of it is a faithful descriptor of the events in the game, the author also took creative freedom on entering in her own creations of the lore in the story, and completely overwrote/changed parts of the story that actually happened in the game.
Just as a warning, this review is going to go back and forth on the game, and the book. So if you haven’t played the game, it may or may not be interesting, but it will definitely be spoiler-y.
As much as I wanted to like the author’s renditions of these events, honestly I really didn’t. The story was fine. Her writing is actually very in depth and I can see why she’s apparently a famous fantasy author in Japan. But… I dunno. I just didn’t like her interpretation at all.
Team Ico’s games are made to be pretty mysterious, so I feel like there’s a lot that would have been fine to be left that way – but instead the author seemed to feel the need to spell out every tiny little detail with backstory. One thing I liked within the game is that Yorda, while weak, is also stoic, mysterious, and dreamlike in her characteristics. She just seems to not really be of the same world as Ico, and time to her is completely different. But the author sort of just flatlines that with her being hyper emotional and traumatized to the point of almost being a walking zombie to explain her behavior in the game. But the game doesn’t really give that feel about her at all, at least it didn’t to me. She seems lost, unsure of herself, and scared of her mother, sure, but that seems pretty normal given her circumstances. She’s never been able to leave the castle and have a life for herself, because she only exists for the Queen to eventually use her body as a new host once her existing body dies [and is close to doing so in the timeline of the game]. This also applies to the backstory given to the Queen herself. Despite that sure, she isn’t in the game much at all, the game made it so that she didn’t necessarily need to be, and she was very blunt and straight to the point. What she did within her castle was no one’s business but her own, and wanted Ico to leave. But the author turned her into a comically stereotypical evil woman [I almost expected her to enter in the Noblewoman’s Laugh anime trope – ohohoho~] who needs to villain-monologue constantly.
Another point that’s not exactly super spoiler-y, but that I want to mention is that the origin of the horned species of people and why they became sacrifices doesn’t match what was stated by the game’s director, writer, and lead designer, Fumito Ueda. He quoted Shadow of the Colossus to be ‘both a spiritual successor and prequel to Ico’ but urged players to also consider their own personal interpretations. With that information, it’s always been considered that Wander’s choices and pact with the cursed [and horned] entity known as Dormin during SotC [that causes Wander to grow horns when cursed by him as well as when he’s reborn] is what started the cause of horned children to be considered ‘cursed’ and therefore sacrificed. The book originally came out mid-2004, and SotC was released in later 2005. I’m not super sure how that translates in the book’s canon [if it’s considered any kind of canon at all], but in later editions Miyuki Miyabe added an insert to the book about how it’s her own interpretation, and not officially written by Team Ico/Sony.
Like mentioned before, the story is... fine. There’s obviously plenty of people who liked what the author added to the story. I’m just not really one of them. Usually with a book I felt as ‘meh’ about as with this one, I’d donate it now that I’m done reading – it’s not the easiest to find, so I’ll be keeping it in my collection to let others borrow if ever asked.
I’d only really recommend the book to someone who either has already played the game, or plans to soon after reading it. [Though I will say the game is very… dated, especially the controls – the PS3 HD redo of it did shape some of that up a little – so it may be easier to watch a Let’s Play/Stream of it] I’d definitely recommend reviewing the game first though, as it is a groundbreaking game for it’s time, and I think the magic of it would be better experienced first before reading this book.
I give Ico: Castle in the Mist 3/5 [Horned] Sacrificial Children
Not all history is told in stories and chronicles. The parts untold, the dark passages of time, were those that swallowed men’s hopes and made the distinctions between good and evil as nebulous as mist.
- - - - -
The dim phosphorescence at the bottom of the pool was beautiful, yet fleeting – a spectral gown worn by a dancing ghost.
January 25, 2013
When Miyuki Miyabe comes to ICO she writes a world she has made her own. As she states in “Preface,” given “free reign with the story and world found in the game” by the producers and creators, she found her “own path through the tale.” She uses and develops elements and characters, but “the order of events, the solutions to puzzles, even the layout of the castle have changed.” The designated status as novelization honors the originators of her inspiration, but make no mistake that Miyabe lends the story a heart and a craftsmanship that is all her own.
A story of an unknown place, / Told in an unknown age. (epigraph).
The time had come for Toksa Village to offer its sacrifice to the Castle in the Mist. It had been their misfortune to have a horned child born into their midst years earlier. “The loom had fallen silent,” the first line of the story reads. The silence of it is noticeable to the elder of the village even as the darkness in the tone of Miyabe’s tale begins to settle. This is no story of a people fully convinced in a duty that was established many long years before. A terrible fear is made apparent even as the reasons why they should fear are not. The Castle is a bogeyman in a lot of ways, a scary unknown that lingers in the customs and lore of the villagers. Even as Miyabe crafts a world with enviable fluidity, she infuses the story with a simultaneity of dread and eagerness for that unknown: the Castle in the Mist.
I adore the sort of tale that throws you straight in and erects the world around you as the world itself continues forward in its dilemma. Miyabe moves through characters and time with an organic sense of story, establishing the mystery the rest of the books sets out to uncover: What is the Castle in the Mist and why does it demand a sacrifice? And what role does Ico really play in a story so steeped in religious and magical aspect?
Ico, born of a normal village household, differs from the others of Toksa in more than existence of his horns: he does not fall ill, heals quickly, is fast and strong and agile. He is considered soulless (as if it already belongs to a god), yet is depicted clearer of heart. Ico is sweet without being cloying. A good hero who in his youth loves and is loved; which makes the loom cease beneath the hands of a distraught foster mother; which makes an eager friend (Toto) become one of the better story devices I’ve seen.
Miyabe is very skilled at setting up plausible situations for later. Knowing that ICO finds inspiration from a video game, it was difficult to read this without having aspects of a game in mind and so I read many instances as if they were a game world’s tutorials. A situation met/explored on an easier level so as to be ready when things become increasingly difficult, and Miyabe does take the ICO to some very tricky levels. She diligently avoids misuse of myth or mysticism for the sake of ease. She puts the solutions herein, we just have to recognize them, just as Ico must.
From the very beginning, clear notions and directives on right and wrong become confused; the popular logic subverted with Toto and our first taste of real destiny. And we could expect nothing else as Miyabe seats her novel in a sign of a rebellious spirit written into the very first sentence. I’m out of my depth with Japanese myth perspectives,* but Ico undermines the traditional image of a horned character for western cultural readers. ICO moves on to muddy the absolutism of Light and Dark. And relationships are not left to the skeletal forms of (world constructed) expectation. Perhaps the true distress experienced in the novel is deciding which position/perspective to support—in this we have plenty of avatars at our disposal.
Ico dreams of her before he happens upon her, the girl in the iron birdcage, our deuteragonist. He is enthralled, taken with the desire to rescue her even as he doesn’t understand her or the troubles she will cause him. She is like a key, unwittingly sharing her memories with him, able to open closed pathways. She is called Yorda. Like the game, the shades are determined to recapture her and Ico has to mind the fragile figure of her; which is a bit frustrating. Already ICO tests (and will continue to test) the pacing with it topographical challenges as Ico traverses the labyrinthine Castle. True to gaming form, there are puzzles and even tasks in the novel’s questing. And true to said form, ICO is building notions into the greater structure of the story. The Castle and her contents becomes more a character, though hardly illuminated and progressively more sinister in both its revelations and obfuscations. Yorda is much the same in characterization.
I was invested in the read by the arrival of “Chapter 3: The Cage of Time,” but I’m pretty sure I held my breath many times after—I think it helps me read faster. We move to Yorda’s point-of-view and the doll-like figure wakes. Miyabe overlays sequences with a deft pen. That organic movement in time and story returns to focus and we are given new fascinations in Yorda, her parents, and Ozuma (to name a few). Yorda was a puzzle before, but what the hell!
Miyabe makes Yorda make sense. She is the maiden to her witch mother. That she is beautiful creates an allure that is not necessarily typical. She captivates, and it is an understated power. Where her mother holds power by inciting fear, Yorda wields a vulnerability that one wants to exploit or rescue but always underestimates. Yorda is a play on how we perceive the vulnerable and how we mistake the interchange of beautiful, lithe female as delicate versus the psychological complexities of her situation as Yorda. She is claimed by both her father’s and mother’s blood; one Light (goodness) and the other Dark (destruction). And when she is good, she is destructive. Yorda’s dilemma is rich and wrenching.
[!! potential spoiler] It is vital for Yorda to be her father’s daughter, because that means she has an option to be someone other than her mother. Yet in order to be good, does she not need to be the loving (aka dutiful?) daughter to her mother? Can she still be good if she had not failed to destroy her mother? [spoiler end !!]
Ozuma, Ico’s horned ancestor, is also a story who is rich and wrenching. And the Queen…if only she were not the only villain, but as the primary sense of torment, she gave me the chills. The Queen is as effective in inflicting wounds with truth as she is with lies. Everything about and within the Castle is her descriptor, as intended, but with perhaps more attention than we spare; especially when we find ourselves not ascribing upon her as much detail as we could, the Tower of the Wind, for one (oh, the symbolism, the attributions, and the implications). As it is she appears truly unstoppable.
So many great heroes came before Ico, with power outside of luck, foreknowledge beyond wits, and yet it is Ico who would be great. When Ozuma talks about the horned ones, their creator and purpose, we are more deeply saddened by the sacrificial system, but we are also offered hope. Ico is perceptive and self-determining, those are his most rewarding/rewarded traits; telling for a novel investigating the systems of control and those who dare push against their boundaries, let alone break free of them…
recommendations: ICO intends to induce horror in various fashions, so I’d recomment 13&up with the understanding that this is not just a book for teens or young adults; in fact, some of the depth of the morality questions may not ping with too young readers. For those who love good fantasy, dark lore, adventure, and/or gaming sensibilities.
of note: Ursula K. LeGuin’s short story “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” came swiftly to mind with ICO and it never really left me; in a nice way. The cover of the edition I read is the same cover used for the PS2 game for European and Japanese distribution, “painted by director Fumito Ueda and inspired by Giorgio de Chirico’s The Nostalgia of the Infinite” (wikipedia “Ico“). The second image is a 2008 reprinting poster of an edition cover illustrated by neonvision.
*I skimmed a google search yield of Oni (?).
~L (omphaloskepsis)
http://contemplatrix.wordpress.com/20...
A story of an unknown place, / Told in an unknown age. (epigraph).
The time had come for Toksa Village to offer its sacrifice to the Castle in the Mist. It had been their misfortune to have a horned child born into their midst years earlier. “The loom had fallen silent,” the first line of the story reads. The silence of it is noticeable to the elder of the village even as the darkness in the tone of Miyabe’s tale begins to settle. This is no story of a people fully convinced in a duty that was established many long years before. A terrible fear is made apparent even as the reasons why they should fear are not. The Castle is a bogeyman in a lot of ways, a scary unknown that lingers in the customs and lore of the villagers. Even as Miyabe crafts a world with enviable fluidity, she infuses the story with a simultaneity of dread and eagerness for that unknown: the Castle in the Mist.
I adore the sort of tale that throws you straight in and erects the world around you as the world itself continues forward in its dilemma. Miyabe moves through characters and time with an organic sense of story, establishing the mystery the rest of the books sets out to uncover: What is the Castle in the Mist and why does it demand a sacrifice? And what role does Ico really play in a story so steeped in religious and magical aspect?
Ico, born of a normal village household, differs from the others of Toksa in more than existence of his horns: he does not fall ill, heals quickly, is fast and strong and agile. He is considered soulless (as if it already belongs to a god), yet is depicted clearer of heart. Ico is sweet without being cloying. A good hero who in his youth loves and is loved; which makes the loom cease beneath the hands of a distraught foster mother; which makes an eager friend (Toto) become one of the better story devices I’ve seen.
Miyabe is very skilled at setting up plausible situations for later. Knowing that ICO finds inspiration from a video game, it was difficult to read this without having aspects of a game in mind and so I read many instances as if they were a game world’s tutorials. A situation met/explored on an easier level so as to be ready when things become increasingly difficult, and Miyabe does take the ICO to some very tricky levels. She diligently avoids misuse of myth or mysticism for the sake of ease. She puts the solutions herein, we just have to recognize them, just as Ico must.
From the very beginning, clear notions and directives on right and wrong become confused; the popular logic subverted with Toto and our first taste of real destiny. And we could expect nothing else as Miyabe seats her novel in a sign of a rebellious spirit written into the very first sentence. I’m out of my depth with Japanese myth perspectives,* but Ico undermines the traditional image of a horned character for western cultural readers. ICO moves on to muddy the absolutism of Light and Dark. And relationships are not left to the skeletal forms of (world constructed) expectation. Perhaps the true distress experienced in the novel is deciding which position/perspective to support—in this we have plenty of avatars at our disposal.
Ico dreams of her before he happens upon her, the girl in the iron birdcage, our deuteragonist. He is enthralled, taken with the desire to rescue her even as he doesn’t understand her or the troubles she will cause him. She is like a key, unwittingly sharing her memories with him, able to open closed pathways. She is called Yorda. Like the game, the shades are determined to recapture her and Ico has to mind the fragile figure of her; which is a bit frustrating. Already ICO tests (and will continue to test) the pacing with it topographical challenges as Ico traverses the labyrinthine Castle. True to gaming form, there are puzzles and even tasks in the novel’s questing. And true to said form, ICO is building notions into the greater structure of the story. The Castle and her contents becomes more a character, though hardly illuminated and progressively more sinister in both its revelations and obfuscations. Yorda is much the same in characterization.
I was invested in the read by the arrival of “Chapter 3: The Cage of Time,” but I’m pretty sure I held my breath many times after—I think it helps me read faster. We move to Yorda’s point-of-view and the doll-like figure wakes. Miyabe overlays sequences with a deft pen. That organic movement in time and story returns to focus and we are given new fascinations in Yorda, her parents, and Ozuma (to name a few). Yorda was a puzzle before, but what the hell!
Miyabe makes Yorda make sense. She is the maiden to her witch mother. That she is beautiful creates an allure that is not necessarily typical. She captivates, and it is an understated power. Where her mother holds power by inciting fear, Yorda wields a vulnerability that one wants to exploit or rescue but always underestimates. Yorda is a play on how we perceive the vulnerable and how we mistake the interchange of beautiful, lithe female as delicate versus the psychological complexities of her situation as Yorda. She is claimed by both her father’s and mother’s blood; one Light (goodness) and the other Dark (destruction). And when she is good, she is destructive. Yorda’s dilemma is rich and wrenching.
[!! potential spoiler] It is vital for Yorda to be her father’s daughter, because that means she has an option to be someone other than her mother. Yet in order to be good, does she not need to be the loving (aka dutiful?) daughter to her mother? Can she still be good if she had not failed to destroy her mother? [spoiler end !!]
Ozuma, Ico’s horned ancestor, is also a story who is rich and wrenching. And the Queen…if only she were not the only villain, but as the primary sense of torment, she gave me the chills. The Queen is as effective in inflicting wounds with truth as she is with lies. Everything about and within the Castle is her descriptor, as intended, but with perhaps more attention than we spare; especially when we find ourselves not ascribing upon her as much detail as we could, the Tower of the Wind, for one (oh, the symbolism, the attributions, and the implications). As it is she appears truly unstoppable.
So many great heroes came before Ico, with power outside of luck, foreknowledge beyond wits, and yet it is Ico who would be great. When Ozuma talks about the horned ones, their creator and purpose, we are more deeply saddened by the sacrificial system, but we are also offered hope. Ico is perceptive and self-determining, those are his most rewarding/rewarded traits; telling for a novel investigating the systems of control and those who dare push against their boundaries, let alone break free of them…
recommendations: ICO intends to induce horror in various fashions, so I’d recomment 13&up with the understanding that this is not just a book for teens or young adults; in fact, some of the depth of the morality questions may not ping with too young readers. For those who love good fantasy, dark lore, adventure, and/or gaming sensibilities.
of note: Ursula K. LeGuin’s short story “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” came swiftly to mind with ICO and it never really left me; in a nice way. The cover of the edition I read is the same cover used for the PS2 game for European and Japanese distribution, “painted by director Fumito Ueda and inspired by Giorgio de Chirico’s The Nostalgia of the Infinite” (wikipedia “Ico“). The second image is a 2008 reprinting poster of an edition cover illustrated by neonvision.
*I skimmed a google search yield of Oni (?).
~L (omphaloskepsis)
http://contemplatrix.wordpress.com/20...
January 3, 2021
RECENSIONE A CURA DEL BLOG IL SALOTTO DEL GATTO LIBRAIO
https://ilsalottodelgattolibraio.blog...
Se siete dei piccoli nerd, sicuramente questa non è la prima volta che avete sentito parlare di Ico.
Ico infatti è un bellissimo gioco dei primi anni 2000 per la Play Station in cui il protagonista, Ico,
considerato un simbolo di sventura a causa delle corna che gli sporgono dal capo, viene allontanato dal suo villaggio e confinato in un enorme castello nella foresta.
Il gioco parte subito così ma ovviamente il libro no. L'autrice Miyuki Miyabe, descrive in modo più approfondito ed espanso la storia dei personaggi che vi assicuro non è assolutamente una transposizione del gioco. Il romanzo infatti inizia con le perplessità dell'anziano del villaggio e del migliore amico di Ico, di mandare un bambino di soli tredici anni, ad affrontare da solo il suo destino solo perché è nato con un'anomalia.
Alla fine però Ico viene trascinato da un gruppo di guardie armate, all'interno del Castello dove qui, sorprese delle sorprese, dentro una gabbia, trova Yorda, una ragazza rinchiusa già da tempo nella torre del castello. Tra i due, nonostante le difficoltà linquistiche, Yorda non parla la stessa lingua di Ico, nasce subito una splendida complicità che gli permetterà di scoprire i segreti del castello.
La storia, tranne per alcune parti come quelle dedicate a Yorda, ricorda molto il gioco e anche se ho trovato la descrizione del worldbuilding eccezionale, ha tratti mi ha un po' annoiata. A metà libro infatti mi è sembrato quasi di ritrovarmi all'interno dei quadi del gioco. Tutto così frammentario, artificioso ma allo stesso tempo intuibile.
Fortunatamente la scelta narrativa è stata azzeccata. Il punto di vista di Ico infatti si alterna con quello di Yorda regalando così al lettore, prospettive completamente diverse rispette a quelle del gioco. Attraverso i loro pensieri, sarete condotti all'interno del Castello delle Nebbie, un'immensa e labirintica costruzione, antico teatro di misteriosi eventi, nel quale nessuno ha mai più messo piede a memoria d'uomo.
Nonostante i temi interessanti che vengono trattati, come il pregiudizio e le differenze "raziali", non posso certamente dire che la lettura di questo libro mi abbia entusiasmato completamente ma alcuni punti della storia mi sono piaciuti moltissimo e in qualche modo, sono riusciti a coinvolgermi. Sicuramente è un libro che potrà essere apprezzato ancora di più da chi non ha mai giocato a Ico ma soprattutto da chi ama i fantasy con qualche sfumatura orientale.
https://ilsalottodelgattolibraio.blog...
Se siete dei piccoli nerd, sicuramente questa non è la prima volta che avete sentito parlare di Ico.
Ico infatti è un bellissimo gioco dei primi anni 2000 per la Play Station in cui il protagonista, Ico,
considerato un simbolo di sventura a causa delle corna che gli sporgono dal capo, viene allontanato dal suo villaggio e confinato in un enorme castello nella foresta.
Il gioco parte subito così ma ovviamente il libro no. L'autrice Miyuki Miyabe, descrive in modo più approfondito ed espanso la storia dei personaggi che vi assicuro non è assolutamente una transposizione del gioco. Il romanzo infatti inizia con le perplessità dell'anziano del villaggio e del migliore amico di Ico, di mandare un bambino di soli tredici anni, ad affrontare da solo il suo destino solo perché è nato con un'anomalia.
Alla fine però Ico viene trascinato da un gruppo di guardie armate, all'interno del Castello dove qui, sorprese delle sorprese, dentro una gabbia, trova Yorda, una ragazza rinchiusa già da tempo nella torre del castello. Tra i due, nonostante le difficoltà linquistiche, Yorda non parla la stessa lingua di Ico, nasce subito una splendida complicità che gli permetterà di scoprire i segreti del castello.
La storia, tranne per alcune parti come quelle dedicate a Yorda, ricorda molto il gioco e anche se ho trovato la descrizione del worldbuilding eccezionale, ha tratti mi ha un po' annoiata. A metà libro infatti mi è sembrato quasi di ritrovarmi all'interno dei quadi del gioco. Tutto così frammentario, artificioso ma allo stesso tempo intuibile.
Fortunatamente la scelta narrativa è stata azzeccata. Il punto di vista di Ico infatti si alterna con quello di Yorda regalando così al lettore, prospettive completamente diverse rispette a quelle del gioco. Attraverso i loro pensieri, sarete condotti all'interno del Castello delle Nebbie, un'immensa e labirintica costruzione, antico teatro di misteriosi eventi, nel quale nessuno ha mai più messo piede a memoria d'uomo.
Nonostante i temi interessanti che vengono trattati, come il pregiudizio e le differenze "raziali", non posso certamente dire che la lettura di questo libro mi abbia entusiasmato completamente ma alcuni punti della storia mi sono piaciuti moltissimo e in qualche modo, sono riusciti a coinvolgermi. Sicuramente è un libro che potrà essere apprezzato ancora di più da chi non ha mai giocato a Ico ma soprattutto da chi ama i fantasy con qualche sfumatura orientale.
December 4, 2020
I was enchanted by this book, or rather the author’s style. Smooth and nice reading it was, simple yet so profound.
Now, I never finished the game, but the similarities between the game and book are so obvious, at least in the first part: It described Ico’s walkthrough the castle and its architects, (ofc there was a fictional background that proceeded the events before which Ico was led into the castle). The second part, which I enjoyed more, offered a new perspective of the story, Yorda‘s perspectives; through it, the ominous history of the castle was unfolded, but most importantly, Yorda’s true feelings and memories.
The conflict between evil and good, dark and light was deeply touched upon; it’s one of the favorite themes I enjoy reading about (reminded me of Ursula’s Earthsea). The queen servant of the Dark God represented chaos, distractions, and utter evilness. For me is wasn’t convincing; her character was flat, unreasonable and lacking, and sadly this is what ruined the story for me. On the other hand, I believe that it is Ico who represented the light; he was the savior that wouldn't let darkness consume him; he, alone, armed by the power of those he loved, and not the sword or mark of light, no. I really liked the little horned boy; his character was convincing and it developed so much as the story progressed. His struggle was so real and tangible, and at some point, the crucial reality he discovers (told by the queen herself) strikes his core, and shakes his whole beliefs. A good character invests you deeply, and so Ico did, at least for me.
The shadows that lurked in the dark, trapped in the wicked castle, was another matter. Unlike the game, here, they played a major role in ending the story. I really liked them though shapeless and nameless they conveyed a lot. Speaking of names, there were so many characters that weren’t referred to by names, like the elder of the village, the persist and the guards with horn helmets, the shades, but most importantly the Queen herself. It’s like their roles overcome their identities/ names, still they were as equally important as the heroine in building the story. This deception somehow attaches the reader/ player more to these gifted with names, Onhe, Ico, Yorda, Usoma and my least favorite one Toto. Indeed, the power of names beats all (the notion was deeply tackled in Earthsea).
I learnt that the game’s story ended openly, and Miyuki Miyabe's is but one interpretation of it; I’d love to read other versions by different people. That would be nice.
Now, I never finished the game, but the similarities between the game and book are so obvious, at least in the first part: It described Ico’s walkthrough the castle and its architects, (ofc there was a fictional background that proceeded the events before which Ico was led into the castle). The second part, which I enjoyed more, offered a new perspective of the story, Yorda‘s perspectives; through it, the ominous history of the castle was unfolded, but most importantly, Yorda’s true feelings and memories.
The conflict between evil and good, dark and light was deeply touched upon; it’s one of the favorite themes I enjoy reading about (reminded me of Ursula’s Earthsea). The queen servant of the Dark God represented chaos, distractions, and utter evilness. For me is wasn’t convincing; her character was flat, unreasonable and lacking, and sadly this is what ruined the story for me. On the other hand, I believe that it is Ico who represented the light; he was the savior that wouldn't let darkness consume him; he, alone, armed by the power of those he loved, and not the sword or mark of light, no. I really liked the little horned boy; his character was convincing and it developed so much as the story progressed. His struggle was so real and tangible, and at some point, the crucial reality he discovers (told by the queen herself) strikes his core, and shakes his whole beliefs. A good character invests you deeply, and so Ico did, at least for me.
The shadows that lurked in the dark, trapped in the wicked castle, was another matter. Unlike the game, here, they played a major role in ending the story. I really liked them though shapeless and nameless they conveyed a lot. Speaking of names, there were so many characters that weren’t referred to by names, like the elder of the village, the persist and the guards with horn helmets, the shades, but most importantly the Queen herself. It’s like their roles overcome their identities/ names, still they were as equally important as the heroine in building the story. This deception somehow attaches the reader/ player more to these gifted with names, Onhe, Ico, Yorda, Usoma and my least favorite one Toto. Indeed, the power of names beats all (the notion was deeply tackled in Earthsea).
I learnt that the game’s story ended openly, and Miyuki Miyabe's is but one interpretation of it; I’d love to read other versions by different people. That would be nice.
July 30, 2024
I didn't hate this but it could have definitely been better. The story of Ico: Castle in the Mist is loosely taken from the PlayStation game. The author even notes in the preface that she is thankful to the game creators for giving her such leeway to write her story. Everything that happens in the game is in the book but the novel goes deeper into the story and is at times so much darker.
Ico is a boy who was born with horns, something that happens every couple of generations. At age 13 his horns will grow and this will mark him for sacrifice to the ruler of the Castle in the Mist. In the novel, we get a couple of characters perspective. We start with the Elder, who will raise Ico until he is taken to the Castle. Ico is the main character and who we get most of the story through. We also see through Toto's perspective, Ico's best friend. Lastly we have Yorda, who Ico meets within the Castle.
Yorda's POV is chapter 3 which was one of my biggest struggles with this book. She will take us back in time to see why the sacrifices began but she also gives Ico visions of the past in his chapters so her chapters felt like a totally different book. There are only 4 chapters in the book so to go back to explain more than half way through the story disrupted the flow.
While Miyabe has descriptive writing the setting within the castle was hard to visualize so if you have not played the game and are interested in reading this book, I would suggest watching a little bit of a walk-through to orient yourself to the world of Ico. Although the castle is meant to be confusing at times I was just lost as to where we where and why there is a bridge in a great hall. I was surprised at how dark some of the content got. It did start with child sacrifice but some of the visions and what happens in the past had me side eyeing and questioning what I was reading.
I'm glad that I read it and it would make an interesting game itself. From what I've seen of the game I feel that I would be bored playing it without Toto and the visions that added to the story in the book.
Ico is a boy who was born with horns, something that happens every couple of generations. At age 13 his horns will grow and this will mark him for sacrifice to the ruler of the Castle in the Mist. In the novel, we get a couple of characters perspective. We start with the Elder, who will raise Ico until he is taken to the Castle. Ico is the main character and who we get most of the story through. We also see through Toto's perspective, Ico's best friend. Lastly we have Yorda, who Ico meets within the Castle.
Yorda's POV is chapter 3 which was one of my biggest struggles with this book. She will take us back in time to see why the sacrifices began but she also gives Ico visions of the past in his chapters so her chapters felt like a totally different book. There are only 4 chapters in the book so to go back to explain more than half way through the story disrupted the flow.
While Miyabe has descriptive writing the setting within the castle was hard to visualize so if you have not played the game and are interested in reading this book, I would suggest watching a little bit of a walk-through to orient yourself to the world of Ico. Although the castle is meant to be confusing at times I was just lost as to where we where and why there is a bridge in a great hall. I was surprised at how dark some of the content got. It did start with child sacrifice but some of the visions and what happens in the past had me side eyeing and questioning what I was reading.
I'm glad that I read it and it would make an interesting game itself. From what I've seen of the game I feel that I would be bored playing it without Toto and the visions that added to the story in the book.
March 29, 2025
Uma história perdida na névoa
Em Ico: Castle in the Mist, acompanhamos a história de Ico, um garoto que nasceu com chifres, e por isto, foi destinado a ser um sacrifício para o Castelo na Névoa. A história se baseia na do jogo de mesmo nome lançado para o Playstaion 2 porém se diferencia em vários pontos.
O livro é dividido em quatro capítulos, no primeiro somos apresentados a um backstory de Ico, desde que nasceu e cresceu em um vilarejo, até o dia em que seria levado ao castelo como sácrificio. No segundo cápitulo se inicia o conteúdo da onde o Jogo inicia, onde Ico explora o castelo junto de uma garota chamada Yorda, onde ambos tentam fugir. No terceiro capítulo é apresentado um backstory para a Yorda, e no quarto temos a conclusão de toda a história.
Particularmente não gostei muito da história, comecei a ler procurando uma sensação parecida com a que tive quando joguei, porém não foi isso que encontrei. O história tem uma premissa simples, porém a autora adicionou um nível de complexidade desnecessário com os backstories dos personagens, principalmente com a parte de conflitos entre deuses, impérios etc. A simplicidade da trama, junto do mistério apresentado do castelo são o charme da história, que infelizmente foram ofuscados pela autora ao tentar elaborar muito a história, tentando dar uma explicação ou background para tudo. Não culpo muito a autora pois creio que seria muito difícil recriar a ambientação do jogo, que depende muito mais de recursos audiovisuais do que textuais (o jogo tem poucos diálogos entre personagens e história explicitamente contada) e o estúdio deu total liberdade criativa para que ela escrevesse a história da melhor maneira que encontrasse, porém, continua não sendo muito de meu agrado.
Em Ico: Castle in the Mist, acompanhamos a história de Ico, um garoto que nasceu com chifres, e por isto, foi destinado a ser um sacrifício para o Castelo na Névoa. A história se baseia na do jogo de mesmo nome lançado para o Playstaion 2 porém se diferencia em vários pontos.
O livro é dividido em quatro capítulos, no primeiro somos apresentados a um backstory de Ico, desde que nasceu e cresceu em um vilarejo, até o dia em que seria levado ao castelo como sácrificio. No segundo cápitulo se inicia o conteúdo da onde o Jogo inicia, onde Ico explora o castelo junto de uma garota chamada Yorda, onde ambos tentam fugir. No terceiro capítulo é apresentado um backstory para a Yorda, e no quarto temos a conclusão de toda a história.
Particularmente não gostei muito da história, comecei a ler procurando uma sensação parecida com a que tive quando joguei, porém não foi isso que encontrei. O história tem uma premissa simples, porém a autora adicionou um nível de complexidade desnecessário com os backstories dos personagens, principalmente com a parte de conflitos entre deuses, impérios etc. A simplicidade da trama, junto do mistério apresentado do castelo são o charme da história, que infelizmente foram ofuscados pela autora ao tentar elaborar muito a história, tentando dar uma explicação ou background para tudo. Não culpo muito a autora pois creio que seria muito difícil recriar a ambientação do jogo, que depende muito mais de recursos audiovisuais do que textuais (o jogo tem poucos diálogos entre personagens e história explicitamente contada) e o estúdio deu total liberdade criativa para que ela escrevesse a história da melhor maneira que encontrasse, porém, continua não sendo muito de meu agrado.
October 25, 2025
I'm not really used to writing reviews, so pardon the roughness. I first played Ico in 2006, well after it had come out, and only because I liked the cover. My experience with Ico, such as it was, consisted of wandering around, making progress, sometimes intentional, other times by sheer luck, and just soaking in the eerie, otherworldly atmosphere. Sometimes I'd be poring over a GameFAQs guide while the game turned into a sort of ambient presence that filled our tiny flat. I adored Ghibli films, and this felt like something a different Ghibli, from a different world, would make.
As a child, I'd watched a cassette of the pilot of Twin Peaks, my first taste of anything Lynchian, and Ico somehow scratched that same itch. There was something about how surreal it all felt, like a dark, eerie mirror held up to Nausicaä and Castle in the Sky but filtered through David Lynch, even though it wasn’t.
The novel both works and falters at times. It goes into too much detail sometimes, not that I dislike all of it. I don’t even mind the bits that are clearly video-gamey, and it’s not that the book lacks a sense of mystery, but I’d liken it to a thin fog, the kind that slightly blurs what’s ahead, whereas the game itself feels draped in a thick, all-enveloping one. I don't mean to slight the book but Ico is very much a space that has to be experienced, and the book isn't bad by all means, but it kind of fails to convey the vibes of just how special that place is in my opinion. I guess what I'm trying to say is, it'd be like a version of Twin Peaks that couldn't quite capture the feeling of that town.
As a child, I'd watched a cassette of the pilot of Twin Peaks, my first taste of anything Lynchian, and Ico somehow scratched that same itch. There was something about how surreal it all felt, like a dark, eerie mirror held up to Nausicaä and Castle in the Sky but filtered through David Lynch, even though it wasn’t.
The novel both works and falters at times. It goes into too much detail sometimes, not that I dislike all of it. I don’t even mind the bits that are clearly video-gamey, and it’s not that the book lacks a sense of mystery, but I’d liken it to a thin fog, the kind that slightly blurs what’s ahead, whereas the game itself feels draped in a thick, all-enveloping one. I don't mean to slight the book but Ico is very much a space that has to be experienced, and the book isn't bad by all means, but it kind of fails to convey the vibes of just how special that place is in my opinion. I guess what I'm trying to say is, it'd be like a version of Twin Peaks that couldn't quite capture the feeling of that town.
April 20, 2020
"Yorda!" he called out. The girl was several paces away, having stayed behind when he ran up to the window. "If we can make it over there, we'll reach the Eastern Arena - the celestial sphere's right next to it!" Ico stopped. Why was the celestial sphere important again?
Another image flitted through his consciousness: curved dishes rotating, the brilliant sun, and a great groaning of wood and stone.
Of course! Ico clapped his hands with excitement. When the light from the mirror-dishes hits the spheres on the east and west sides, the gate open!
(Miyuki Miyabe, Ico: Castle in the Mist, p.302)
Go read this book. Close the computer, ignore all the writing on the cover, and ignore the introduction. Just jump right in.
Finished reading? Okay, now read it again, but this time it’s based on a video game.
It’s too bad that this fact is so prevalently advertised. I would have loved to have read Ico without knowing, just to see if I’d still pick up on the same points. But what’s done is done, so let’s get into it.
The opening of the book introduces us to the main character, Ico, and his friends and family. We learn his motivations for the rest of the journey and get some lore of the world, and it sucked me in almost immediately. It reminded me a lot of my beloved Elantris and I was expecting a fantastic read. But it was also one of the only two sections of the book that didn’t feel like part of a game. I suspect that the actual video game (I haven’t played it) starts with Ico already in the Castle in the Mist, breaking out of his magic sarcophagus and deciding what to do next. From that point onward the story, even that very beginning, where Ico is alone in the Castle and starts to explore, he goes exactly where the ‘game’ needs him to. No exploration, no set-backs, just point A to point B to point C. It’s the difference between watching a Let’s Play and watching a professional run-through.
He also blacks out a lot. These episodes are followed by what I can only assume are cut scenes. And there are parts where he beats a minor enemy that was clearly part of a level. It was weird that the author wrote so true to the gameplay.
Ico has no flaws, few emotions, and learns very little. Nothing about him - his motivations, his view of the world, his opinions, etc. - changes from his first scene to his last. Also, since the game is silent Ico and Yorda barely speak in the book, explaining it away as not having a shared language, which is a missed opportunity to add some humanity to the characters: mime things out, speak loud and slow, try to figure out common words and learn a little of each other’s languages, use hand gestures other than pulling at each other’s arms, or get frustrated and yell at each other. Any of it would have been lovely, but instead they both act like she’s a pet he’s dragging along behind him.
Yorda has a nice few chapters on the past of the castle and her role in it, which I can only assume are either more cut scenes or written for the book. It also drops in all at once just past the middle of the story and lasts quite long, so when you suddenly go back to Ico and the present it’s fairly awkward. She’s a frustrating character. She has all the cool backstory but her present self has no more presence than a scared bunny.
CHARACTERS:
It's a real shame that the same care for character development used on the side characters in the beginning and past scenes (i.e. Ico in the village or Yorda before the castle becomes the Castle) didn’t get used on Ico and Yorda themselves. Neither gain any development, and while I can make a case for Yorda being traumatized and as such at least acting in character, neither were particularly interesting or relatable.
SETTING/WORLD BUILDING:
Despite basing everything on a video game (and I say that because I'm not sure how involved the author was in the world building though I do know she was involved to a degree and wasn't just hired to write the novelization), the setting had occasional moments of greatness tucked among the unremarkable rooms and hallways. The lowered score is due to the fact that the world building was rich and had promise, but only seemed to exist during the beginning segment and Yorda's chapters. For the bulk of the book the world was restricted to whichever room Ico was in (i.e. it had no effect save setting the plot in motion).
PLOT/SOLUTION:
Plot was a fairly basic 'save the damsel' with a few deeper parts thrown in. It was a bit better than the basic since the 'damsel' was of two minds over whether or not she should allow herself to be saved.
OTHER ASPECTS:
+
The quote I used at the beginning was so clunky and shameless that it made me laugh. Plus it reminded me of a Sun Switches puzzle in Zelda: Ocarina of Time , the Spirit Temple level. So it was clunky but funny and reminded me of my all-time favorite video game, and since I'll indulge anything that makes me laugh I'll throw it an extra half star.
THE VERDICT?
It might have scored better if the book had stayed true to the game’s plotline, but not necessarily to its gameplay. It’s the only way I can think of that might have blended the early chapters and the Yorda chapters into the rest of the book a little more seamlessly.
Another image flitted through his consciousness: curved dishes rotating, the brilliant sun, and a great groaning of wood and stone.
Of course! Ico clapped his hands with excitement. When the light from the mirror-dishes hits the spheres on the east and west sides, the gate open!
(Miyuki Miyabe, Ico: Castle in the Mist, p.302)
Go read this book. Close the computer, ignore all the writing on the cover, and ignore the introduction. Just jump right in.
Finished reading? Okay, now read it again, but this time it’s based on a video game.
It’s too bad that this fact is so prevalently advertised. I would have loved to have read Ico without knowing, just to see if I’d still pick up on the same points. But what’s done is done, so let’s get into it.
The opening of the book introduces us to the main character, Ico, and his friends and family. We learn his motivations for the rest of the journey and get some lore of the world, and it sucked me in almost immediately. It reminded me a lot of my beloved Elantris and I was expecting a fantastic read. But it was also one of the only two sections of the book that didn’t feel like part of a game. I suspect that the actual video game (I haven’t played it) starts with Ico already in the Castle in the Mist, breaking out of his magic sarcophagus and deciding what to do next. From that point onward the story, even that very beginning, where Ico is alone in the Castle and starts to explore, he goes exactly where the ‘game’ needs him to. No exploration, no set-backs, just point A to point B to point C. It’s the difference between watching a Let’s Play and watching a professional run-through.
He also blacks out a lot. These episodes are followed by what I can only assume are cut scenes. And there are parts where he beats a minor enemy that was clearly part of a level. It was weird that the author wrote so true to the gameplay.
Ico has no flaws, few emotions, and learns very little. Nothing about him - his motivations, his view of the world, his opinions, etc. - changes from his first scene to his last. Also, since the game is silent Ico and Yorda barely speak in the book, explaining it away as not having a shared language, which is a missed opportunity to add some humanity to the characters: mime things out, speak loud and slow, try to figure out common words and learn a little of each other’s languages, use hand gestures other than pulling at each other’s arms, or get frustrated and yell at each other. Any of it would have been lovely, but instead they both act like she’s a pet he’s dragging along behind him.
Yorda has a nice few chapters on the past of the castle and her role in it, which I can only assume are either more cut scenes or written for the book. It also drops in all at once just past the middle of the story and lasts quite long, so when you suddenly go back to Ico and the present it’s fairly awkward. She’s a frustrating character. She has all the cool backstory but her present self has no more presence than a scared bunny.
CHARACTERS:
It's a real shame that the same care for character development used on the side characters in the beginning and past scenes (i.e. Ico in the village or Yorda before the castle becomes the Castle) didn’t get used on Ico and Yorda themselves. Neither gain any development, and while I can make a case for Yorda being traumatized and as such at least acting in character, neither were particularly interesting or relatable.
SETTING/WORLD BUILDING:
Despite basing everything on a video game (and I say that because I'm not sure how involved the author was in the world building though I do know she was involved to a degree and wasn't just hired to write the novelization), the setting had occasional moments of greatness tucked among the unremarkable rooms and hallways. The lowered score is due to the fact that the world building was rich and had promise, but only seemed to exist during the beginning segment and Yorda's chapters. For the bulk of the book the world was restricted to whichever room Ico was in (i.e. it had no effect save setting the plot in motion).
PLOT/SOLUTION:
Plot was a fairly basic 'save the damsel' with a few deeper parts thrown in. It was a bit better than the basic since the 'damsel' was of two minds over whether or not she should allow herself to be saved.
OTHER ASPECTS:
+The quote I used at the beginning was so clunky and shameless that it made me laugh. Plus it reminded me of a Sun Switches puzzle in Zelda: Ocarina of Time , the Spirit Temple level. So it was clunky but funny and reminded me of my all-time favorite video game, and since I'll indulge anything that makes me laugh I'll throw it an extra half star.
THE VERDICT?
It might have scored better if the book had stayed true to the game’s plotline, but not necessarily to its gameplay. It’s the only way I can think of that might have blended the early chapters and the Yorda chapters into the rest of the book a little more seamlessly.
Read
October 22, 2023Ico é um garoto que nasceu com um par de chifres. Isso significa que quando alcançar certa idade ele será oferecido para o Castelo na Névoa, uma fortaleza misteriosa que se alimenta de sacrifícios como ele. É lá que ele conhece Yorda, uma jovem prisioneira do castelo, e os dois buscam uma maneira de escapar de seus destinos cruéis.
Ico é originalmente um jogo de PlayStation 2, da visão do diretor Fumito Ueda. Miyuki Miyabe, uma das romancistas contemporâneas mais bem sucedidas no Japão, decidiu escrever um livro com sua interpretação pessoal da história, e o projeto acabou se tornando uma adaptação oficial.
O jogo deliberadamente não tinha muita história, o que permitia o jogador preencher as lacunas por si mesmo. E a própria Miyabe fez isso com maestria – ao invés de uma adaptação no sentido estrito, ela realizou uma verdadeira reimaginação, traduzindo uma experiência de mistério e isolamento em um excelente livro de fantasia, onde as trajetórias dos personagens funcionam como fachos de esperança em um mundo sombrio. Essa expansão não para no presente, pois o passado de Yorda também é explorado com uma quantidade fascinante de detalhes, contextualizando suas ações e a forma com ela lida com Ico.
A história tem um toque de conto de fadas que envolve disputas entre reinos e gerações, e explora uma série de temas como devoção, a idéia de sacrifício e a natureza do amor e da amizade. Escrito com carinho e talento e longe de ser uma adaptação barata, Ico é um prato cheio para qualquer fã de fantasia.
Ico é originalmente um jogo de PlayStation 2, da visão do diretor Fumito Ueda. Miyuki Miyabe, uma das romancistas contemporâneas mais bem sucedidas no Japão, decidiu escrever um livro com sua interpretação pessoal da história, e o projeto acabou se tornando uma adaptação oficial.
O jogo deliberadamente não tinha muita história, o que permitia o jogador preencher as lacunas por si mesmo. E a própria Miyabe fez isso com maestria – ao invés de uma adaptação no sentido estrito, ela realizou uma verdadeira reimaginação, traduzindo uma experiência de mistério e isolamento em um excelente livro de fantasia, onde as trajetórias dos personagens funcionam como fachos de esperança em um mundo sombrio. Essa expansão não para no presente, pois o passado de Yorda também é explorado com uma quantidade fascinante de detalhes, contextualizando suas ações e a forma com ela lida com Ico.
A história tem um toque de conto de fadas que envolve disputas entre reinos e gerações, e explora uma série de temas como devoção, a idéia de sacrifício e a natureza do amor e da amizade. Escrito com carinho e talento e longe de ser uma adaptação barata, Ico é um prato cheio para qualquer fã de fantasia.
April 11, 2020
I was cautiously optimistic about ICO: Castle in the Mist, with a strong emphasis on 'cautiously'.
On the one hand, ICO is one of the more memorable videogames I've ever played. A haunting, ethereal experience, but one that could only really be expressed through its medium.
On the other hand, the relationship between the protagonists is (unusually) enhanced due to the language barrier between the two of them. Would adding dialogue ruin this?
Simply put, the book is not the videogame - a point that Miyabe labours in the foreword. And it's much stronger for it.
If the book had simply been a retread of the game, it would be, frankly, quite boring. ICO is an interactive experience based on climbing, problem solving, and the mystery of the interactive world.
At times, ICO: Castle in the Mist falls into the trap of describing platforming sections of the game, but I was pleasantly surprised by how infrequently this happened.
Instead, the Miyabe's adaptation of the game does a marvellous job of fleshing out historical context and characters' backgrounds, withing stealing the magic of the game's rather implied narrative.
ICO: Castle in the Mist is not perfect. It's very clearly a translation, and a little clumsy in parts as a result, but it's a charming fairytale that shows it can appeal to those unfamiliar with the videogame, whilst also offering additional lore for longtime fans.
On the one hand, ICO is one of the more memorable videogames I've ever played. A haunting, ethereal experience, but one that could only really be expressed through its medium.
On the other hand, the relationship between the protagonists is (unusually) enhanced due to the language barrier between the two of them. Would adding dialogue ruin this?
Simply put, the book is not the videogame - a point that Miyabe labours in the foreword. And it's much stronger for it.
If the book had simply been a retread of the game, it would be, frankly, quite boring. ICO is an interactive experience based on climbing, problem solving, and the mystery of the interactive world.
At times, ICO: Castle in the Mist falls into the trap of describing platforming sections of the game, but I was pleasantly surprised by how infrequently this happened.
Instead, the Miyabe's adaptation of the game does a marvellous job of fleshing out historical context and characters' backgrounds, withing stealing the magic of the game's rather implied narrative.
ICO: Castle in the Mist is not perfect. It's very clearly a translation, and a little clumsy in parts as a result, but it's a charming fairytale that shows it can appeal to those unfamiliar with the videogame, whilst also offering additional lore for longtime fans.
April 28, 2022
I come to this book a little biased, as I absolutely love the video game it is a re-imagining of. Overall, though Miyuki Miyabe's skill at crafting fantasy stories shines through, I cannot help but feel that coming up with explanations and telling the history of the castle somehow ruined the story--- the atmosphere of ancient mystery being one of the things that made the game of masterpiece. Though the story Miyabe crafted to answer these mysteries is a solid one (though far from her best), I just could not shake the feeling that some things are better left unexplained; there is a certain beauty in the unexplainable that was lost here.
As for how it would read for someone who never played the original game before is difficult for me to say, but overall I believe it would be a decent fantasy book, closer to an old European fairy tale than the sort of fantasy most modern readers are accustomed to, which while a refreshing change of pace also was ultimately confined by where the story could go by trying to stay true to events in the game (despite the generous liberties that were taken on that front), leaving it a bit predictable.
Overall, I did not regret this read, but would strongly encourage anyone looking for a richly imaginative and intriguing fantasy story to look to playing the original Ico game (completeable in only a few hours) and Miyuki Miyabe's completely original work "Brave Story" (a personal favorite) instead.
As for how it would read for someone who never played the original game before is difficult for me to say, but overall I believe it would be a decent fantasy book, closer to an old European fairy tale than the sort of fantasy most modern readers are accustomed to, which while a refreshing change of pace also was ultimately confined by where the story could go by trying to stay true to events in the game (despite the generous liberties that were taken on that front), leaving it a bit predictable.
Overall, I did not regret this read, but would strongly encourage anyone looking for a richly imaginative and intriguing fantasy story to look to playing the original Ico game (completeable in only a few hours) and Miyuki Miyabe's completely original work "Brave Story" (a personal favorite) instead.
August 11, 2019
I've never played the video game this is based on, although I had heard of it. I went into this book knowing nothing apart from the blurb on the back. It's an interesting fantasy adventure - although at times, the translation feels a little stilted as if the translator has struggled to find the right word. At times, you can visualise the game characters having to navigate the areas being described in the book, although the author notes that the novel and game do not correspond exactly and the novel should not be taken as a guide on how to complete the game. There were times where it felt like the pace of the action was making me want to rush through reading it and I had to slow myself down, but then I think that's a good thing as it means I was getting caught up in what the characters were doing and wanting to keep up with them.
Overall, it's a decent read, regardless of whether you've ever played the game or not. There are also some recommendations in the back of this paperback edition that sound like they might be my thing - if I can find them.
Overall, it's a decent read, regardless of whether you've ever played the game or not. There are also some recommendations in the back of this paperback edition that sound like they might be my thing - if I can find them.
December 28, 2019
I totally read this because I love the original game in the Ps2, Fumito Ueda's trilogy endorsed the design by Subtraction that inspired a lot of later on games and is an absolute masterpiece and very open to interpretation.
This book picks the original game and gives it more context, the author interprets the game her own way and creates a more linear story that doesn't leave much to the imagination. It tries to fill the holes of the game and make a more closed story.
I think it's a good interpretation, what I didn't like so much was the detail where the author is describing Ico's movement cross the castle to better fit the game in the book, I think that's very unnecessary, some context to understand where he's at is commendable but I think it was overreaching, she detailed a lot of movements that aren't really necessary to understand the greater picture.
On its own this doesn't make Ico's justice, and I would only recommend this book to people that absolutely love the game if they're really curious.
This book picks the original game and gives it more context, the author interprets the game her own way and creates a more linear story that doesn't leave much to the imagination. It tries to fill the holes of the game and make a more closed story.
I think it's a good interpretation, what I didn't like so much was the detail where the author is describing Ico's movement cross the castle to better fit the game in the book, I think that's very unnecessary, some context to understand where he's at is commendable but I think it was overreaching, she detailed a lot of movements that aren't really necessary to understand the greater picture.
On its own this doesn't make Ico's justice, and I would only recommend this book to people that absolutely love the game if they're really curious.
November 21, 2023
Read it with my bookclub girlies. My edition separated this novel in two books. Who knows why??? It started well but was so boring (for many reasons) I have no interest in finishing the story. Meaning: reading part 2 of my edition.
I knew it was a novelization so it wasn't going to be character driven. Yet, the plot wasn't interesting. Ico has the depth of a carrot and I couldn't care less about Yorda and her mother. The world-building confuses me and the time jumping and constant pov changes don't work well here. The writing style is okay, at best, but it drags the story. And if I weren't doing it for my reading buddies, I would have dropped it earlier.
I have technically read only half of it so it's a DNF but gotta put it through Read-it because the French publishing industry is a mess. Maybe that was the truest enemy in the Castle...
I knew it was a novelization so it wasn't going to be character driven. Yet, the plot wasn't interesting. Ico has the depth of a carrot and I couldn't care less about Yorda and her mother. The world-building confuses me and the time jumping and constant pov changes don't work well here. The writing style is okay, at best, but it drags the story. And if I weren't doing it for my reading buddies, I would have dropped it earlier.
I have technically read only half of it so it's a DNF but gotta put it through Read-it because the French publishing industry is a mess. Maybe that was the truest enemy in the Castle...
January 6, 2022
Úgy tűnik, nem leszek Miyuki Miyabe rajongója. Legalábbis a Brave Story nem igazán győzött meg, és most ezzel sem voltam túlzottan elégedett. A kezdet ugyan nagyon jó volt, és a világépítés a végéig rendben volt, viszont ahogy belekezdtünk a sztoriba, a kicsit hosszabb felvezető után, nagyon lapossá vált. A játékkal ugyan nem játszottam, de ahogy olvastam, pontosan olyan érzésem volt, mintha valaki élőben közvetítette volna, ahogy egy platformjátékkal játszik. Kissé keserves volt olvasni. Aztán volt még később két logikai egység, de a végére sajnos már eléggé érdektelené váltam, bármennyire is jó volt, ahogy fel lett építve a történet.
July 3, 2022
A very interesting and worthwhile adaptation of one of my favorite video games. The author takes huge and necessary liberties with the original narrative, mostly to good effect. The prose is translated into beautiful language and imagery. The plot is pretty epic and sweeping. There’s a whole mythology here, a lot that wasn’t in the original. Some sections drag as the author fails to translate video game gameplay of beating monsters with a stick and solving puzzles into a compelling narrative. But the book gets most interesting where it deviates strongly.
If you love Ico the game, I really recommend reading this.
If you love Ico the game, I really recommend reading this.
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