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Miyuki Miyabe

ICO: Castle in the Mist Paperback – August 16, 2011

by Miyuki Miyabe (Author), Alexander O. Smith (Translator)

115 ratings

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High fantasy and true love come to life in this novel based on the hit video game.

Reads L to R (Western Style), for audience A.

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

Print length

400 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Haikasoru
Publication date

August 16, 2011
Dimensions

5.25 x 1.2 x 8 inches
ISBN-10

9781421540634
ISBN-13

978-1421540634
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Miyuki Miyabe's debut story, “Warera ga rinjin no hanzai” (Our neighbor’s crime), won a new writer award in 1987, and since that time, she has become one of Japan's most popular and best-selling authors. Miyabe's fantasy novel Brave Story won the Batchelder Award for best children's book in translation from the American Library Association in 2007. The Gate of Sorrows is an adult novel in the same universe as The Book of Heroes (Haikasoru, 2010). Her other works available in English include All She Was Worth, Cross Fire, The Sleeping Dragon, Apparitions, ICO: Castle in the Mist, and more.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ 1421540630
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Haikasoru (August 16, 2011)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 400 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9781421540634
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1421540634
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12.1 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.25 x 1.2 x 8 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,025,886 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,603 in Asian Myth & Legend
- #2,011 in Military Fantasy (Books)
- #5,910 in TV, Movie & Game Tie-In Fiction

Customer Reviews:
115 ratings

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SSD

Excellent adaptation of the incredible video game!

Reviewed in the United States on March 16, 2019

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At almost 400 pages and translated by Final Fantasy VIII's localization specialist (Alexander O. Smith), ICO: Castle in the Mist is in some ways a more straightforward, but still emotional, adaptation of the artistic video game.

Without spoilers: the novel offers backstory to Ico and Yorda's lives before game events occur, as well as getting into their thoughts during the adventure. (For reference about how much the novel fleshes thing out regarding lore, it's 79 pages before Ico even arrives at the castle!) This was actually written before Shadow of the Colossus came out, but what can be taken as nods to Shadow still fit quite nicely, IMO :)

As the author herself wrote in the novel's preface, this is her own variation (obviously non-canon to the game itself). I don't believe those who hold the game close to their hearts will find this story off-putting. If anything, Miyuki Miyabe's wonderful world-building made me appreciate one of my favorite "arsty games" even more.

2 people found this helpful

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Thalia Mayo

I've loved Ico for as long as I've had it to ...

Reviewed in the United States on November 30, 2015

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I've loved Ico for as long as I've had it to play - I bought the game on the strength of the soundtrack, and have replayed it several times, replacing it as the disks wear out. It's one of those wonderful games that are all about mood and immersion - you don't play it so much as feel it. So I truly wanted to read this story, and I was not disappointed.
Those looking for something perfectly 'true' to the game are best warned off - the writer says outright that he has changed things. This is no walkthough or retelling. The castle has areas that are recognizable - the windmill, the carts, the great doors from the symmetry puzzles, the wood and water wheels - and the descriptions feel right, but it isn't a direct clone. It's a translation. An attempt to pull an entirely visual and involved medium into the more passive printed word. And it works. It's not perfect, and it looses a little of the pull of the original simply because it has to explain the characters in a way that the game never did. There are conversations, Yorda is given a visible past, Ico is given a family and a friend - the book knows much more, and feels slightly less. To me, the games always have a theme of connection in the midst of isolation, so adding characters and scope is a little distracting and jarring.
However - and this is really what makes up for everything - the feel of the book is the same. The writer loved this game and these characters, and if this is published fanfiction, it is that rarest of fics - one that respects and stays true to the soul of the original work. Even as it looses traction in places for adding to and describing what was a very minimalist experience, the feeling you get is the same - loneliness, timelessness, emptiness filled by fragile connections. Ico still takes Yorda's hand. In a world that was never meant to be tightly defined, this story is a possibility, and it leaves ample room for others. I may have seen certain aspects of the game differently, and may have written this story differently, but the feeling I walked away with was the same as the one the game gave me. No, it couldn't give me those moments where I had to hope and pray that Yorda could take my hand and make a jump. (And spare me several minutes running around without her while shadows lurked) And no, it couldn't reward those moments of faith and hope with her reaching back out to save me - a book is a different medium entirely than a video game. But it could and did give me the same quiet build and the same final catharsis - I'm happy to have it, and happy to reread it as I keep playing the game, and happy to recommend it

5 people found this helpful

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Metal

Miyabe manages to capture the emotion from the game and magnify it ten-fold.

Reviewed in the United States on August 18, 2011

Verified Purchase

This review is written with the assumption that the reader has played the video game ICO. While the book can easily be enjoyed by someone who hasn't, it's likely that your love of the game brought you here so I address the book in that way. Some very small spoilers will be contained, but nothing that will ruin the story. I hate spoilers with a passion so I avoid them when I can.

Castle in the Mist is an adaptation of the popular PS2 game ICO. The book was originally written in Japanese but you wouldn't know it, as the translation to English is on the mark with no noticeable mistakes in spelling or word usage. The author, Miyaki Miyubi, has said that while the book follows the game for the most part, it isn't intended to be a "strategy guide" for it, as she took some liberties with the subject matter. While noticeable, the story follows the game very closely. A good portion of the novel takes place before the game, so understandably, that is where she takes the majority of her freedom with it.

If you're a big ICO fan you won't want to pass this book up. While its unmistakably "ICO", the book gives new perspectives to the story that will have you looking at the game in another light. It's a shame Castle in the Mist isn't considered canon since its so beautifully written but that shouldn't make fans pass on it. Canon or not, the book captures the essence of ICO to the core and I felt like it deepened my emotional involvement with the characters even more than my experience with the game. For example, the first seventy pages take place immediately before the start of the game and are dedicated to giving the reader a deeper understanding of the events that need to take place without fully giving the why... a great introduction to the journey that's about to be embarked on.

The castle is captured well by the author, as well as its inhabitants. Fans of the game will remember the shadows were like flies that simply needed a good swat of the hand; always annoying but never a threat. The book does a good job of communicating the terror they bring and turning them into a somewhat more formidable foe, although I had a hard time always "believing" the new danger because of my experiences with the game. I don't want to give away much more, but I will say that Castle in the Mist is as much Yorda's story as it is Ico's.

Again, ICO fans... this is a must-read despite it being non-canon. You'll see the characters in a new light, that while artificial it may be, can't be far from where TeamICO intended it and Miyabe's take on the castle's haunting origin is amazing. Also, with the ICO/Shadow of the Colossus collection set to release right around the corner (9/27), Castle in the Mist is a great way to jump back into the game. Highly recommended.

11 people found this helpful

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Marco Delgado

A book of a game where characters barely talk?

Reviewed in the United States on August 5, 2015

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Yeah, that was my first reaction when I saw this book, but when I finished reading it I understood that the fact the characters have a few lines and the game left most of the interpretation to the player, it also allows the author to create a wonderful interpretation of the world of Ico and the characters, that really adds and enriches to your interpretation of the game. The writing is superb I just could not stop reading until the end, the inclusion of Ico's friend: Toto, and older heroes fit really well. I really recommend you this book, but first you should play the game and get in love with it. Just to let you know: the ending of the game is awesome! and the game setting and Yorda and everything!
Thanks

One person found this helpful

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Nickbd

A wonderful complement to Ico the game

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 4, 2011

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This book is a great find! A lot of the content mirrors the way Ico plays as a videogame, but it adds some interesting backstory and character development as imagined by the author. The translation works well to make for a fun read - I was surprised by how many surprises the book gave me. I'd strongly recommend playing the game first if that is your thing; you won't spoil the game by reading the book first, but you may regret not coming across the spectacles in-game for yourself first. Overall, a lovely treat for any fan of Ico.

5 people found this helpful

Keith

Yorda

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 22, 2014

Verified Purchase

I love the ico game and have completed it so many times so finding a book to accompanying it thrilled me, looking forward to reading about castle in the mist and the horned sacrifices.It's not a walk through guide but offers a background or ideas behind the game itself, updated i just ordered a second book for my sister who loves this game too.

Daniel Palmer

An excellent companion for the game

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 11, 2014

Verified Purchase

Honestly, I do think you must have played the game to read this book. The game is so emotive and visually stunning and without that mental image provided to you it would be a little more difficult to imagine the settings. It provides a lovely, well constructed back-story for the characters and for the castle which the book is named after, and was a thoroughly enjoyable read. At some points the narrative went on a tangent and it can become a little boring at times but it does not disrupt the flow of the story too much.

Krys

Amazing, Adds Dimension and Depth, Ruins Nothing

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 19, 2012

Verified Purchase

I played Ico and fell in love with it (probably like the rest of you reading this review), totally immersed in the lonely, atmospheric and mysterious world of the game. Usually, novelizations are written a.)for hungry fans who couldn't get enough and/or b.) to make more money.
I'm glad to say that for Ico, this isn't the case. The book respects the game greatly in every aspect, but you don't feel like you're reading a flowery walkthrough. It reads like a prequel that fades in nicely into the Ico you know, and then continues telling the gamestory by breathing even more life to the original plot.
I'm going to play Ico again as soon as I can, cos this book has probably added things to my perception of the original game, a bonus replay value for which I'm grateful. AWESOME.

Amazon Customer

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 11, 2017

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